“To think, that a mere dragon would see through my deceit. Tell me, how did you catch on so quickly?” Ilinore questioned.

Akai’s sour expression followed into his words. “You told me.”

Her eyebrow lifted.

“You mentioned the fallen one going after another group. That told me that you meant for this all to happen, at least us being separated. If the Fallen One is going after my sister then that would mean you didn’t have the strength to kill her group on your own. You just needed to be a distraction.” He stated.

“It is quite detestable, lowering myself to the status of a distraction…however I’ll swallow my pride a trillion times over if it is required by my lord.” She stated proudly.

“Your lord required it? That can’t be…” Akai’s face turned pale.

He gritted his teeth and denied it a hundred times in his head before saying it out loud. “No that’s impossible!”

“It’s all too real. I understand your fear, I pity your weak race for being born. That’s why we plan to come for you pathetic lizards first.” Ilinore responded firmly.

Edward and Arga had trouble following along, they weren't sure when to step in but Zephier didn’t give them a chance to decide. He barged through their exchange with a rowdy gesture and forced himself between them.

“I don’t care what you say, we’re not letting you do a damn thing!” Zephier roared.

Akai’s face returned to normal. His brother’s sudden outburst brought him back and reminded him just how reckless he was.

Instead of fighting it he stepped forward and stood beside his brother, fuelled by the same scorn that he carried for her.

“My brother may be an idiot, but he’s right. You’re not doing anything, demon!”

“I suppose my time with you has come to an end, little dragons. Try not to bore me any further would you?” She responded unenthusiastically.

Ilinore’s hands flowed with a powerful pink mana. It centred around her arms like a layer of skin and broke off of her like trails of steam.

She emitted a much stronger level of mana than before, enough to set off alarms in Akai’s senses. With a single look at her, he realised.

“She’s stronger.” He muttered.

“It doesn’t matter if she is or isn't, we kill her now!” Zephier charged ahead.

Akai followed behind him reluctantly. “Don’t think I’ll be your support, little brother!”

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Akai and Zephier charged together into Ilinore's line of sight. Both brothers broke through the air towards their enemy. They moved so fast that it looked like blurs rushing past.

Ilinore’s hair flowed out freely through the air behind her and basked in the glow of her mana. When her whole body had been touched by its glow, she stepped forward.

Both sides charged and at the centre of their clash, a spark of colours flashed. Akai drove his fist towards her stomach but was forced back by a powerful strike from her palm.

She wasn’t anything like she had been before, Ilinore had tripled in power. Akai was caught off guard. Even with his keen senses he still didn’t have a perfect estimate on her increase in power.

It wasn’t just her mana that took a sudden jump but her body too. Even with her slender features, she hit harder than any human could. She truly displayed the power of a demon.

Ilinore's leg rose into the air above Zephier’s head and dragged his eyes up with it. Once at the full extent of its arc, she brought it down directly into his face which resulted in a massive burst of pressure.

The floor rumbled under the force of her axe kick and a wave of dust flew out from around her foot. Drops of blood fell through the air slowly as the open cut on Zephier’s face dripped further.

Akai had pulled him out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit. The only thing he walked away with was the light cut across his nose.

“You’re slow,” Ilinore muttered.

Her unenthusiastic expression only egged them on more, but Akai knew the risks. He took another large leap back and forced Zephier along with him.

“What are you doing, we need to—”

Before he could finish, Akai yelled over him. “Die?! I don’t plan to risk your life or mine! You’re done!”

“Done…what do you mean, I can still—”

“You’re done, Zephier.”

“…”

Zephier’s eyes fell to the floor as he balled his hands into fists. The overwhelming dread and defeat he felt burning in his arms only reminded him of how weak he felt. How much stronger his brother was.

A warm sensation rested over his head and brushed through his hair gently. The feeling of warmth is something dragons were quite familiar with, almost desensitised at times. What Zephier felt at that moment was something else entirely.

Akai rested his hand on his brother's head and comforted him gently. A smile wrapped across his mouth as he looked down on his younger brother.

“You’ve gotten so strong brother, I’m sorry it took me this long to see it. You’ve done so much…but it’s time to let me do something too.” Akai reassured him.

As the warm touch of his brother's hand left his head, Zephier’s face lit up red and his cheeks burnt bright. He touched them just to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. The feeling that he had forgotten, one he hadn’t felt in many years.

Looking at his brother's back, he whispered something softly so that nobody would hear.

“So cool…”

Ilinore appeared over Akai with a swift burst of speed, she held her arm up and put her fist into position. The mana focused around her fist and summoned a vortex of swirling pink energy.

The wind around her pulled towards her arm and fuelled it like a tornado.

Zephier’s expression widened. “Brother—!”

Akai’s eyes lit up with the fierce glow of a golden flame. As her punch flew towards him in a rush of pink and white, Akai muttered under his breath;

“Phoenix flame.”

With that subtle remark, a powerful flame erupted from his body and pulsed out like a tsunami of fire in every direction. The resulting pressure pushed back Ilinore and forced her through the air like a leaf.

Edward jumped ahead and covered Arga with his shield. After a brief pause, he lowered the massive hunk of metal and gazed out of the black scorched room around them. The only spec of brown dirt around them was the guarded section behind Edward's shield.

Arga looked out of the room with widened eyes. “…that kind of power actually exists? Just what the hell did I get myself into…?”