"Father, how can this be? How are you still alive? Drakkar asked in confusion.

The mysterious black-armored mage, Seraphim answered stoically, while lowering his sword. "Drakkar, there are secrets that bind me to paths unseen. I was invited to align with a higher cause. I serve someone who has evolved beyond your imagination." Seraphim continued, “I had wished for you to be one of us, but sadly my son, you are not worthy!” Just as Seraphim finished speaking he attacked Drakkar emotionlessly.

Amidst the chaotic clash between Drakkar and his father, Drakkar found himself losing ground. His father's mastery over shadows and darkness proved to be a formidable force that Drakkar struggled to counter. As the intensity of the battle escalated, Castiel, weakened from the earlier assault, attempted to heal himself by drinking a healing potion.

However, before Castiel could drink the potion, another black-armored mage positioned atop a tree, swiftly intervened. With a sinister grin beneath the shadowy visage of his helmet, the mage destroyed the healing potion with a precisely aimed arrow. But instead of continuing to shoot arrows, she stopped to see Castiel's reaction, as if she was toying with him. At the same time, the black-armored mage that Castiel had shot before ran towards him to finish what he had started.

In a desperate bid to stave off impending doom, Castiel reached into his magical pouch and retrieved his newly invented weapon, Wrath, that shoots pure magical energy in the form of mana bullets. Wrath harnessed the power of a miniature Hydranite, a source of potent magical essence. Charged with determination, Castiel focused on charging up Wrath to unleash one devastating shot.

As the black-armored mage closed in for a final strike, Castiel, with a surge of magical energy, shot one charged mana bullet at point-blank range. The bullet, brimming with an overwhelming amount of mana, struck the mage with unparalleled force. Instead of creating a big hole, the bullet exploded and eviscerated the mage's body upon impact, a cataclysmic release of magical energy that exceeded the limits of mortal endurance.

The black-armored mage convulsed as the raw magical power tore through his form. His body, unable to withstand the sheer intensity of the mana-infused bullet, disintegrated in a cascade of ethereal energy. The battlefield bore witness to a moment of surreal destruction as the remnants of the mage dissipated into the night. Everyone including Castiel, Drakkar & Seraphim, exclaimed at the power produced by Wrath.

Drakkar, momentarily free from his father's assault, saw an opportunity to escape. He jumped toward Castiel while chanting, “Mystic Art : Void Step.” Drakkar, A Master Space Magic user teleported both him and Castiel to the Royal palace just as he had teleported himself before, in front of Castiel to protect him.

With an angry face, Seraphim, the enigmatic black-armored mage who had unveiled himself as Drakkar's father, shifted his focus to the other members of the Order. His countenance remained stoic as he addressed them, "Witness! This is precisely why Grandmaster sought his demise! An 18-year-old has fashioned weapons of unprecedented lethality. Who knows, what more he is capable of."

Rebecca, the black-armored mage who had destroyed Castiel's healing potion, met Seraphim's gaze with a cryptic smirk. "He's a fascinating subject, Seraphim. There's more to gain by keeping him alive.”

Seraphim grabbed Rebecca by the throat in a fit of rage. "You defy the Grandmaster's will! You had a chance to eliminate him, but instead, you spared him for your own perverse enjoyment."

Another member of the Order, dutiful, posed a question to Seraphim, "What are your orders, my lord?"

Seraphim responded while letting go of Rebecca, "Our mission proceeds as planned. Eradicate every trace of Rune-smithing. Eliminate everyone wielding those guns in the special forces. We will reduce this country to ashes if necessary."

Every member of the Order replied swiftly, “Understood!”

After Drakkar successfully teleported himself and Castiel back to the Royal Palace, the two appeared in a secluded chamber within the castle. The abrupt teleportation left both of them disoriented, adjusting to the shift from the chaos of the battlefield to the relative calm of the palace.

Castiel, clutching his broken hand in pain, winced as he tried to steady himself. Drakkar, his mastery of Space Magic evident, looked at Castiel with concern. "Are you alright, My Prince?" he inquired, assessing the injuries his friend had sustained.

Castiel, though visibly shaken from the ordeal, managed a strained nod. "I'll survive. Thanks for saving my life," he replied while gulping down a self-made healing potion and acknowledging Drakkar's crucial role in their escape.

Drakkar, with a sense of urgency, suggested, "We need to get you to the healers.”

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The two made their way through the palace corridors, the gravity of their recent encounter weighing on them. Drakkar's mind, however, was already racing ahead, contemplating the implications of the mysterious black-armored mage's reappearance - his father, Seraphim.

As they reached the infirmary, healers attended to Castiel's injuries. Drakkar, recognizing the gravity of the situation, left abruptly to confer with Captain Hale, the leader of the Royal Guards. After finding him, "Captain Hale!" Drakkar urgently addressed, "Lock down the palace immediately. Ensure no one enters or exits. Be prepared for any potential threat, and, above all, stay away from dark corners."

With those instructions delivered, Drakkar hastened back to the infirmary upon hearing that the king and queen were present. There, in the midst of the anxious atmosphere, he revealed to King Cartwell, Queen Celestia, and Castiel the startling truth that he had feared throughout his life: The Order of The Secret Flame was real, and his long-presumed-dead father was a member.

The king, seeking clarity, inquired, "Why are they here? Do they support Tritas?"

Before Drakkar could respond fully, he was interrupted by Queen Celestia, who spoke with a mix of disbelief and fear, "They are here for Castiel. Oh, Goddess! They are here for him."

King Cartwell, his expression a blend of concern and confusion, pressed for an explanation. "Celestia! What are you talking about?"

The queen, remorseful, admitted, "Forgive me, my love. I should have revealed this sooner. My ancestors carried Dragon blood within them. I suspected that Castiel's bloodline might have awakened, especially as he delved into inventions of immense power. I didn’t say anything because I witnessed his joy, how Xander progressed because of him. Forgive me!"

After a moment of contemplation, King Cartwell turned his attention to Castiel and asked directly, "Son, have you been practicing Rune-smithing?"

Lying on the bed, Castiel sighed and confirmed with a heavy heart that he had indeed been using Rune-smithing. The king, deep in contemplation, ordered everyone present in the room to keep absolute silence about what they had just heard.

A sudden and ominous voice cut through the tense air, "Oh, don't worry. No one will be speaking any more words ever." Seraphim emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room, a harbinger of violence and chaos.

In the blink of an eye, Rebecca swung her sword towards Castiel's head. King Cartwell, driven by paternal instinct, rushed in between them, using his hands as shields. The blade mercilessly cut through both of the king's hands and then vertically through his head. In the gruesome process, it also struck Castiel's right eye, leaving a trail of brutality.

The Queen and others in the room screamed in terror as another member of the Order materialized, swinging a scythe at Castiel's chest. Castiel, summoning his strength, drew his own sword from his magical pouch to parry the attack. With his left arm still healing, it failed him, and the sharp end of the scythe pierced Castiel's heart, eliciting a painful cough of blood.

Drakkar was engaged in a fierce battle with Rebecca when another mage began beheading those in the room. The Queen, in desperation, chanted a dark magic spell, "Mystic Art : Demon Strike,” and launched it at the scythe-wielding mage, causing him to crash into the wall. She then placed her hands on Castiel's wound, trying desperately to save him.

As Castiel lost his consciousness, the Queen looked around at the bloody scene. Her husband was dead, her son at death's door, and her subjects slaughtered mercilessly. In that moment of despair, she understood the end was near. She will die here but before dying she will take every one of the damned Order Mages with her. The Queen hushly chanted a forbidden Dark Magic spell, "Mystic Art : Essence Shift," sacrificing her own life essence to repair Castiel's failing heart.

In the chaos, the Queen ordered Drakkar to teleport Castiel away. Distracted by the order, Drakkar had his left hand severed by Rebecca's blade. Rebecca was about to deliver the killing blow when Seraphim commanded her to stop and check if Castiel was truly dead. With an annoyed face, punching the Queen aside, she confirmed Castiel's demise, unaware of the ongoing spell mending his heart.

Seraphim grabbed Drakkar by the head from above. Drakkar knelt with both legs on the ground, blood streaming from where his left hand had been severed. Seraphim expressed his twisted justification, “See, my son! Our Master's will is absolute. To maintain the balance, all with Dragon blood must die. There was no other way.”

Rebecca held her blade to Queen Celestia's neck, and in her final moments, the Queen, with tears and a soft smile, ordered Drakkar, “Do it.”

However, Seraphim pointed out the futility, "What would be the point in doing so? He is already dead." Drakkar, in a last desperate act, chanted, "Mystic Art : Celestial Warp," put his right hand toward Castiel, attempting to warp Castiel away.

As Castiel's body began to envelop in ethereal light for teleportation, Queen Celestia Xenides, knowing her sacrifice was imminent, kicked Rebecca between her legs. With her final strength, she put her hand up towards Drakkar and cast her last spell, "Mystic Art : Flames of Darkness."

Hearing the chant, as a Dark Magic user himself, Seraphim knew what was happening, The Queen was sacrificing both herself and Drakkar to cast a forbidden sacrificial magic to kill everyone inside the room with her. Seraphim screamed instinctively, "Ruuuuuuuuuun!"

Spymaster Drakkar Vandran, closed his eyes and spoke his last words. "For Xander!"

The very moment violent flames of pure darkness erupted from both Drakkar and The Queen and started to eat away everyone and everything in the room. The palace, engulfed in the inferno, succumbed to the destructive force unleashed by the sacrificial magic, leaving behind a scene of devastation.