On the Black Chira’s side, Heinkel could no longer remain calm.
His gaze lingered on Dahlia, not on her face or figure, but on her sword and the suit she wore. His eyes narrowed.
How is that here? Did Garion actually manage to make it?
A mont later, his attention shifted toward the Grand Faction, specifically Sianor and the others gathered nearby.
He focused, sharpening his hearing until fragnts of their conversation reached him. What he heard made his expression harden.
His gaze snapped to a boy with green hair and glasses, Arden.
Sothing about him stood out imdiately, like a hidden treasure waiting to be uncovered.
Heinkel turned slightly. Pelion noticed the shift at once and looked back at him.
But Pelion was a bit surprised. It was rare to see Heinkel this serious.
Tilting his head, he asked, "What’s wrong, Chira Lord?"
Without looking away from Arden, Heinkel raised a hand and pointed. "No matter what happens, win or lose, take that boy."
Pelion blinked. "That boy?"
Following Heinkel’s finger, he spotted Arden still deep in conversation with Sianor.
A faint frown crossed his face. "He doesn’t look like anything special. Why do you need him, my lord?"
Heinkel’s brow tightened. "I said, ’Take him.’ No questions."
This ti, Pelion didn’t argue. He gave a small nod. "Understood. I’ll do as you say, Chira Lord."
Still, curiosity lingered. He glanced back at Arden, studying him more carefully. "Didn’t expect you to choose soone like that."
Only then did Heinkel look away. A faint smile returned to his lips, but this one carried a different weight.
Villain or dark hero, it didn’t matter. At his core, he was still a man from the modern world.
He might have beco a powerful Chira, feared and formidable... but deep down, he was still a nerd.
And every nerd from his world had once dread of becoming a masked warrior.
The boy standing before him, Arden, was soone who knew how to make that dream real.
So no matter the cost, Heinkel would take him. Because even now, he intended to fulfill that long-buried childhood wish.
---
Dahlia rolled her shoulders once, then leveled her blade forward. "Try not to disappoint ."
Across from her, Camille flicked her wrist, the whip coiling loosely at her side. "You talk big for soone beneath my realm."
Dahlia smirked beneath her mask. "Yeah? Then co and prove it."
Camille didn’t hesitate. Her arm snapped forward, the whip cracking through the air in an instant.
[Shadow Whip Strike]
It lashed straight for Dahlia’s neck, but Dahlia stepped aside at the last possible mont.
The whip only managed to graze her armored shoulder, leaving little more than a faint mark.
Dahlia exhaled, gathering wind beneath her feet.
[Sky Step]
The air surged, lifting her effortlessly. She moved freely through the sky, closing the distance in a blur.
Camille’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You’re quite fast, but... "
Dahlia didn’t let her finish.
She swung her storm-wrapped blade downward, the strike dragging a razor-sharp current of air behind it.
[Storm Blade Slash]
Camille only smirked.
With a flick of her wrist, she sent her whip snapping toward a nearby pillar, binding it tightly.
Using the tension, she pulled herself aside and evaded the strike.
Even so, the edge of Dahlia’s attack caught her shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood.
Dahlia laughed softly, tilting her head. "What was that you were saying?"
Camille glanced down at her shoulder. A thin line of blood ran along her skin.
She touched it with two fingers, then looked at Dahlia again, smiling dangerously.
Dahlia rolled her wrist, loosening her grip before lifting her hand and curling her fingers. "Then co... if you dare."
Camille exhaled softly. "Fine."
She tossed her whip aside and straightened her posture, her expression sharpening. "Let show you what a real chira is."
Her body shifted almost instantly. Scales spread across her skin in rippling patterns, catching the light.
Her eyes narrowed into slitted pupils, and her legs fused together, forming a long, powerful tail that dragged across the ground with a heavy scrape.
Dahlia tilted her head slightly, watching without moving. "Looks the sa as the others."
Camille’s tongue flicked out once, her smile thin and dangerous. "On the outside."
She lowered her stance, her body coiling like a spring. "In essence... completely different."
In an instant, she vanished.
She reappeared directly in front of Dahlia and, without hesitation, slamd her tail forward.
Dahlia had no ti to react. The impact sent her flying across the arena, crashing into shattered stone with a deafening force.
Dahlia frowned as she pushed herself up slowly, one knee pressed to the ground.
A faint crack spread across her armor where the blow had landed.
Camille already stood a few steps away, her tail swaying lazily behind her.
"You couldn’t even react, so how can you claim you’ll defeat ?"
She leaned forward, a grin spreading across her face as she stepped in again without warning. "And let be clear... that was just raw power."
Dahlia lifted her head, glaring back, and then, unexpectedly, she smiled.
"Don’t think I’m done. I haven’t even used my full power yet... not even close."
She drew in a deep breath, her body tensing as energy began to gather. She was about to transform into a sky dragon.
But the mont she tried, her body froze. A sharp, searing pain tore through her chest. "Ghh!"
She staggered, her sword dipping as her grip faltered. "What the hell... is this...?"
From the sidelines, Rachel’s expression changed instantly.
Before she could speak, rsha appeared beside her, eyes gleaming with interest. "Ooh... looks like it’s kicking in."
Rachel turned sharply. "...What did you give her?"
rsha clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze still fixed on the arena. "That elixir?"
She smiled faintly. "I made it using that demonic dragon Master brought back."
Sorien, standing nearby, frowned. "You an that corpse...?"
rsha nodded. "Yeah. That one."
She leaned forward slightly, watching Dahlia struggle to remain standing. "That dragon was already close to the Fourth Realm."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "So I refined it a bit... turned it into a transformation elixir."
Rachel stared at her, stunned. "...What?!"
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