Stood alone on the cape, Constanz remained unmoved. He heard the sound of a weapon being unsheathed but didn't turn around. The wind whipped his hunched cloak, and the splashing waves wet his bare feet that resembled stone slabs.

From beneath the flying cloak, Vasili could catch a glimpse of the dragon's tail that had not completely disappeared. The young assassin slowly approached the high ground by the seaside and stopped to the right of the old man, with a gap of two hand spans between them.

"What did you hear?" Constanz asked the young assassin beside him without looking back.

"The wind carries everything," Vasili replied unabashedly, causing Constanz to reveal his steel-like dragon fangs.

"You don't think that after learning all of this, you can walk away unscathed, do you?" Constanz changed his faltering steps and, upon seeing the determined expression of the young man, a shadow crossed his face. "No, you plannd this," he asserted. "Your intention is clear, Anganas."

"Constanz Nikephoros Aurelianus," Vasili gripped the Etnan gladius shaped like a willow leaf, adhering to the etiquette of the Devoran warriors, and pointed the tip of his sword directly at the half-human, half-beast in front of him. "You swore that once the divine flame was united, you would accept my challenge. Now, I am exercising that right." The gray-blue gaze seemed to recite a prewritten script, devoid of any brilliance. "Pick up your weapon."

Constanz exhaled a breath tinged with coal smoke through his scaly nostrils.

"Let me consider it, Anganas."

Vasili could hardly believe his own ears.

"What did you say?" Despite the strong anger brewing within him, his body was already overwhelmed, feeling alternately hot and cold.

"I smell the scent of death emanating from you." People often said that dragons were intelligent creatures. From those yellow dragon orbs with veins running through them, emanated a wisdom different from that of humans, a transcendent intelligence. "You don't intend to win, nor do you long for a thrilling battle; you seek only death."

The sound of grinding teeth came through the wind, not from the dragon but from the young man who stood against Constanz.

"I have shed how much blood for you, how much sweat." Vasili roared in a low voice. "In any case, I am entitled... and you have no right to refuse."

"Should you persist, I will comply," Constanz extended his left hand from under his cloak, the gray back of his hand covered in scales, his fingers elongated and deformed, nails as slender, hard, and sharp as truncated griffon feathers. "But before that, please clear up a doubt for me." Constanz dragged his tail, using the sword sheath as a cane, and stumbled forward. "As you can see, I am old and feeble, with little trace of humanity left. Now the most powerful fire bearer shall be Vitulus."

The name of his friend hit Vasili like a heavy blow, freezing him in place.

"It seems that you made friends during these years in the Legion," Constanz exhaled a breath with an icy certainty. "Admit it, you haven't dreamt of defeating me in a long time." He circled around Vasili, the sound of the sword sheath touching the ground slowly changing direction. "Because I had no time to engage in young people's debates about fate."

As Constanz walked, he twitched his nose.

"I smell an unpleasant odor on you. On one hand, you despise Vitulus' pragmatism, and utilitarianism, on the other hand, you envy his success. You long for his respect and admiration, yet you seek to dominate him spiritually and physically, just like an emperor controlling his concubines. You want his genuine love and affirmation, but his clear voice, so different from yours, grates on your ears..." Constanz clenched his teeth, halted his steps, forcefully planted the sword hilt into the ground, and sighed, bending his neck towards Vasili's sweaty cheek, revealing his sharp, gleaming teeth. "Anganas, that child is as clear as water, though not sweet, without any unpleasant odor. Yet you want to defile him, make him as impure as you."

Vasili suddenly thrust his short sword, causing Constanz, who was coiled around like a mighty dragon, stepped back.

"Wise dragon, I admit that your sight is indeed sharp, and your sense is keen," Vasili spoke as if he had just experienced a grueling battle, with sweat streaming down his back. "I can tell you the truth, but you must swear first to keep it a secret as if guarding a treasure."

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"I swear," Constanz squinted his eyes under the cloak and slowly dragged his tail on the ground.

"Regarding the "debate" you mentioned, Vitulus is right, and I am wrong, but not because my beliefs is wrong. I still firmly believe in the value of warriors, without the need for badges and songs of praise, only the will to fight at all costs," the young man said with righteousness, swallowing saliva with difficulty. "But my weak heart prevents me from practicing my own beliefs." He still held the blade aloft, but his eyes once again lost their brilliance. "The thoughts of forever being inferior to Vitulus engulf me, and I cannot see a day when I can break free from them." With a tone mixed with bitterness, relief, inferiority, and pride, he briefly said:

"Please agree to duel with me. Let me die with dignity as a warrior."

Constanz seemed to be exhilarated by his words, exhaling a breath. "Anganas, though your heart emits a foul stench, it is indeed corrupted by the sweet temperament that belongs to a warrior." He continued, "If only death can grant you freem, I am more than willing to oblige - but things are not as simple as that."

Vasili lifted his gaze, not understanding what Constanz was referring to. Vitulus had already gained the approval of the divine flame and become the most powerful fire bearer. Under the reign of the flame, he would have no chance of turning the tables... Constanz seemed to see through the young man's inner thoughts. He shrugged his shoulders and softly offered the advice of an elder:

"Extinguish the divine flame," he said, with a jaundiced gaze that briefly flickered with a hint of past blue wisdom, "In the cold and dim world, you shall contend for the throne."

Strong sea winds swept through the highlands, the rustling of tall grass creating a murmuring sound, faintly carrying the joyous laughter from the other end of the cape. The moment of silence deepened the darkness that enveloped the two conspirators.

"Are you trying to make fun of me?" Vasili's lingering doubts turned into anger as he squinted his eyes, reminding Constanz of his identity. "The guardian of the divine flame."

Constanz looked calmly at the young man, his stern brows showing no signs of relaxation. "Anganas, perhaps you have heard that before I took command of the Ninth Legion, I was a bandit," he turned his gaze towards the dark expanse of the ocean. "During those humble years, I prayed alongside others for Flamma Varmah's light and warmth, but what deeply ingrained in me to this day is the danger the divine flame could cause, if it falls into the wrong hands." He looked at the frigid star sky with repugnant eyes. "I would rather see the world plunge into a cold darkness without fire, than see it consumed by the desires of those in power."

Vasili could hear Constanz tightening his grip on the sword hilt.

"I protect the divine flame to gather it in one place, to extinguish it once and for all," the commander pragmatically shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, the power of fire helps me achieve my goals."

He casually stated, causing disgust to well up in Vasili. "Even if I were to believe you," the young man growled with a furrowed face and a lowered voice, "you still deceived those who followed you, deceived Vitulus... even the virgin."

Constanz seemed surprised by his spirit, hesitating for a moment before removing the hood from his cloak, revealing the sacrifice he was willing to make. "If it is only through such actions that I can achieve my ideals," crooked horns sprouted from his gray hair, and his ears had degenerated into fan-shaped folds, "then I will do it."

The fire bearer, devoid of humanity, took a few steps forward, pressing his throat against the trembling tip of the sword.

"You despicable scum," Vasili tightened his grip on the gladius even more, "how can I trust you if you betray everyone?" His voice started low with anger, and then turned sorrowful, "Obtaining the divine fire has always been Vitulus' wish, and I would rather die than betray my good friend."

Upon hearing his words, Constanz smiled satisfactorily, leaning down on the sword hilt and chuckling lightly.

"I don't seek your trust. I even trust Vitulus more than you," without any fear of the sharpness of the sword tip, he confessed openly in front of the barbarian youth, "after all, he is Sandra's child, inheriting noble bloodline, while you are the twisted and gloomy son of a wolf." A hint of contempt hung on his face, and Vasili wanted to wipe away that smile, but the voice of reason told him not to do so. "Oh, child of the wolf, although our reasons may differ, fate has led us onto the same path - a path of extinguishing the flames." The mastermind narrowed his eyes, "And that is why we can cooperate."

Then, as if seeing his own past reflected in the young warrior's eyes, he withdrew the smile.

"Furthermore, you don't have to repeat my mistakes, hiding your true self in the shadows that never see the light of day," he tapped his cane, his eyes emitting a piercing light. "Tell Vitulus, tell him that you want to extinguish Flamma Varmah and challenge him. Then you will return to the equal footing you once had."

Feeling the trembling sword tip against his skin, he bent down one last time and asked, "Isn't this what you want?"

Vasili extended his left hand, supporting his right hand holding the sword, and forcefully pulled the gladius back.

"What is the method you mentioned… to extinguish the flame? And where is it?" He lifted his head, and his blue eyes once again radiated a chilling brilliance.

"Oh, that would be the legendary Holy Grail," Constanz smirked. He crossed his arms and looked at the massive ship keels, ship ribs, masts, and sails on the rocky beach. "It is on the island of Insula Nebula, where there is no return. Àilean in the mist will be the eternal prison for the divine flame."