Arslan stood in front of the Red Snowflake Manor, holding Lucian in his arms, with Serenna by his side. His eyes were focused, determined, as he looked ahead. "Let me do the talking when we go inside," he said, his voice calm yet commanding. "If anyone can convince my father, it's me."

Serenna nodded slightly in agreement, though her thoughts swirled around deep doubt. "So, this is the leader of the Red Snowflake," she thought to herself. "They say his power rivals my father's. If he's anything like my father, he won't easily hand over the blood."

The three walked slowly, purposefully, into Kuoten Wintergate's chambers. Arslan, with Lucian in his arms, stood before his father and greeted him. Serenna made a polite curtsy, trying to suppress her anxiety.

"I heard," Kuoten interrupted before Arslan could speak. There was neither surprise nor mercy in his voice. "Did you think I didn’t send anyone to watch the fight?"

Emboldened by his father's words, Arslan immediately tried to respond. "Then—"

"Silence!" Kuoten roared, his voice exploding through the room like a storm. "Did you really think I’d give you dragon blood? After you surrendered instead of fighting honorably? And to make matters worse, you've sworn loyalty to a child from another house. Do you intend to live in the shadow of those bastards like your father?"

Arslan took a deep breath, trying to summon the strength to defy his father. "Father, it's not what you think. I didn’t surrender… If Lord Lucian hadn’t shown me mercy, I’d already be dead."

Kuoten raised an eyebrow, sneering. "Mercy? From that child with no arms?"

It was time to explain what kind of fight they had witnessed. Arslan steadied his gaze, trying to remain calm. "I don't know what attack he used," he said. "But the fact that he was willing to sacrifice both of his arms just to win shows his courage as a warrior. Wasn’t it you who always told us to never give up, father? Then doesn’t Lord Lucian deserve at least some of your respect?"

Kuoten shook his head with a mocking smile. "Why? No matter what, that shouldn’t have made you give up on your dreams of becoming heir. So why did you abandon those dreams and swear loyalty to this child?"

Arslan took another deep breath, speaking from the depths of his heart. "I haven’t given up on my dreams, father. My dream was never to be an heir. My dream was to be as strong as you. And I believe I can fulfill that dream by standing by Lord Lucian’s side. I believe he is the true heir, and all I want is to be the sword that fights for him."

Kuoten’s gaze softened slightly, a mixture of emotions flickering in his eyes as he looked at his son. "Not a shield, but a sword, huh? I guess that runs in our blood. You want to be like your father, huh? Fine…" He paused, his voice softening ever so slightly. "Arslan Wintergate, you can have the Dragon Blood. But in return, you will be exiled from the Red Snowflake House. Do you accept?"

A storm raged inside Arslan’s heart, and his father's words echoed painfully within him. But he didn’t hesitate for even a second. "Yes, I accept."

Kuoten nodded. "Very well… After you use the Dragon Blood to heal your lord, leave this place. And never come back."

Arslan bowed his head, grateful, setting aside his conflicting emotions to focus on his mission. He turned toward the infirmary with Lucian, his father’s last words still ringing in his mind.

----------------------------------------

As they entered the infirmary, the heavy atmosphere weighed on Arslan's chest like a stone. The dim light filtering through the small windows was swallowed by the dark cracks in the stone walls. Arslan carefully placed Lucian onto a bed, the sheets stained with old blood and the echoes of battles past.

He began feeding Lucian the dragon blood, believing that each drop would restore his life. "Come on, I know we're not too late!" he whispered. "You can do this!"

Serenna knelt by Lucian’s bedside, holding his hand tightly. "Lucian, please! Show your strength one more time!"

Time seemed to stand still. As the dragon blood flowed into Lucian’s veins, a tense silence filled the room. Worry began to spread across Serenna’s face. "Why isn’t it working?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

Arslan took a deep breath, his eyes closed. "He’s completely drained. All we can do now is wait…"

Lucian opened his eyes despite the throbbing pain in his head. "Where am I…" he murmured, looking around in a daze. There was nothing but white infinity, no smells, no sensation of standing on the ground. Within a few seconds, he understood the situation.

"Oh, damn it, not again," he sighed.

Just then, a massive bolt of lightning struck in front of him, and suddenly, that familiar figure appeared.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! We meet again!" The thunderous voice of the Battle God echoed around him.

Lucian rolled his eyes. "You’re still as loud as ever, huh?"

The Battle God, still laughing, responded with glee. "What? Didn’t you miss me? I even prepared for this meeting!"

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Prepared?" he asked, with a sarcastic tone.

The Battle God excitedly pointed to the table and two chairs behind Lucian. Lucian glanced at the table, then back at the God. "A table and two chairs… Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Slowly standing up, Lucian rubbed his head and sat in one of the chairs. "So, did I die again?"

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The Battle God tried sitting in the other chair, but it instantly broke under his massive size. Sitting on the floor, the God still looked like he was sitting properly, and the humorous situation did not diminish his seriousness. He narrowed his eyes at Lucian.

"No, you didn’t die. In fact, thanks to the Dragon Blood you drank, all your bones and muscles will regenerate. You’ll be better than before," he said confidently.

Lucian took a deep breath and leaned back. "So why am I here?" he asked impatiently.

The God’s face showed slight disappointment. "Damn it… You really didn’t miss me at all? I even prepared for this reunion! Whatever, your performance so far has been quite entertaining."

Lucian tilted his head slightly. "You mean the fight with Arslan? I decided not to kill him at the last moment, so technically, I already lost the fight."

The Battle God smiled mockingly. "Is that what you think? Then what was that victory pose, huh?"

Lucian furrowed his brow in confusion. "V-Victory pose?"

Laughing at Lucian’s surprise, the God waved his hand, and a hologram-like screen appeared, showing Lucian's victory pose at the end of the fight. Lucian wanted to shrink from embarrassment.

"I-I didn’t even know I did that! My body must have moved on its own!" he hurriedly tried to explain. "Don’t you have anything better to do than watch me all day?"

The Battle God burst into a fit of laughter. "HAHAHAHA! That fight was really entertaining. Manipulating wind magic to fly perfectly? Turning your arms into bombs? Only you could pull off such a battle, and thanks to you, I was able to escape my boredom for a while."

Hearing the praise, Lucian's pride swelled, but he still didn’t understand why he was here. Something was missing.

"So, what do you want from me?" he asked, growing impatient.

The Battle God’s expression turned serious as he looked at Lucian. "Actually, I called you here to warn you," he said. "Normally, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to say this, but your performances have given me enjoyment. I can make an exception."

Lucian grew curious. "Warn me? About what?"

“Are you aware of what you’ve done in this world? You were born into the most powerful sword family, awakened even before the greatest sword master. Yet you pushed all that aside and chose to become a mage. At least, that’s what people think, but in reality, you’ve been developing both aura stars and mana circles. You’ve even perfected your body to utilize mana in extraordinary ways.”

Lucian nodded slightly, as he already knew this. However, the serious expression on the God of Combat’s face indicated there was something deeper at play.

“Channeling aura into muscle fibers? Even I wouldn’t dare attempt such madness!” the God of Combat continued.

Despite the God’s praise, Lucian asked mockingly, “So, have you come to warn me because I’m getting stronger? Are you afraid of me?”

The God of Combat laughed heartily. “HAHAHAHA! You’ve made me laugh. Yes, what you’ve achieved is beyond me, but am I afraid of you? Of course not. I am the one who stands above all gods. Among the strong, I am the strongest.”

Lucian thought to himself, "This guy sure loves to boast," but waited to understand the real reason behind this meeting.

“Though I don’t fear you, some gods are starting to worry,” the God of Combat said, his voice carrying a weight Lucian hadn’t expected.

Lucian, with a mix of curiosity and slight apprehension, asked, “Worry? Why?”

“You know that even gods can die, don’t you? Not all gods are as strong as I am, and while you’re not powerful enough to fight any gods right now, if you continue on this path, you’ll eventually become a threat to some of them.”

These words stunned Lucian. Slowly, he asked, “So, what happens then? Will they come to kill me?” He tried to hide his anger, but there was a clear challenge in his voice.

With a tense smile, the God of Combat replied, “They may not be able to do that directly, but yes. During the Great War, there were a few humans who reached the power of gods, and that terrified the deities.”

Lucian frowned, taking a step forward. “The Great War? What do the gods have to do with a war against demons?”

The God of Combat’s face suddenly darkened. “I can’t tell you more. I came to warn you about the Apostles. If you want to learn more, you’ll have to grow stronger, and if you encounter them, you’ll understand.”

Lucian’s patience was wearing thin. “Who are ‘they’?” he demanded.

But the God’s energy was fading fast. “We don’t have much time left. I used a lot of power to meet you here, and I don’t know when we’ll speak again. If this meeting is discovered, I’ll make a lot of enemies. So, you’d better miss me!” He grinned mischievously.

Lucian clenched his fist in frustration. “Shut your damn mouth and answer my questions, you bas—!” His sentence was cut short as he woke up, drenched in sweat. He quickly glanced around; this place was unfamiliar.

Lucian’s hand touched Serenna’s beside him. She woke up excitedly and hugged him. “Lucian, you’re okay!” she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Lucian responded to her concern with a faint smile. “Yes, sis, I’m fine. But where are we?”

“We’re at the Red Snowflake estate,” she replied.

The name confused Lucian. “Red Snowflake?”

At that moment, the infirmary door opened, and Arslan entered. Seeing him, Lucian instinctively began to cast a spell. But Arslan quickly raised his hands, holding water and rags, and spoke in a slight panic. “W-Wait! I’m not here to fight.”

Lucian paused for a moment and then felt the need to apologize. “I understand the situation now. I apologize for my actions. I feel like I’ve been dazed and unable to think clearly.”

Arslan calmly explained, “No problem. It’s likely because of the dragon’s blood circulating in your body. You’ll feel a bit drunk until your body gets used to it.”

Lucian raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Dragon’s blood? But my father wouldn’t even give that to his own child, so how—”

Serenna interjected with a grateful tone, “Yes, Master Arslan convinced your father to give you the precious dragon’s blood.”

Lucian looked at Arslan for a moment and expressed his gratitude. “I don’t know why you did it, but thank you. I’ll be sure to repay you.”

Arslan smiled and shrugged. “Are you sure you can repay me? A vial of dragon’s blood is equivalent to the wealth of an entire empire.”

Lucian broke into a cold sweat and bowed his head. “O-One day, I’ll repay you…”

Arslan couldn’t hold back his laughter. “HAHAHAHAHA!”

Lucian chuckled inwardly and grumbled, “I really didn’t miss that laugh. Maybe you should’ve left me in the arena.”

Arslan cheerfully continued, “HAHAHAHA! You have some great jokes, my lord!”

Lucian frowned, confused. “My lord?”

Serenna nodded. “Long story short, Arslan swore an oath of loyalty to you and was expelled from his own house for obtaining the dragon’s blood.”

Lucian turned to Arslan in shock. “An oath of loyalty?”

Arslan, in a firm voice, replied, “Exactly, from now on, I’ll be your sword!”

At that moment, Lucian noticed the silhouette of a massive woman at the door. Her enormous, muscular frame filled the entrance as she stepped in with a servant’s tray, exuding an intimidating presence.

Arslan looked at her with a grin. “Head maid…”

The head maid, without a word, threw Lucian, Serenna, and Arslan out of the estate in one swift move. Lucian writhed in pain on the ground, gritting his teeth. “Ah, damn it, are all the Red Snowflakes this crazy?”

Arslan, still smiling, replied, “Actually, Tiny is a really sweet woman.”

Lucian asked in disbelief, “Tiny? Is that her name? Are you sure she’s not a demon in human form?”

After a brief silence, everyone burst into laughter. Lucian looked at his hands and realized he had truly healed. He turned to Arslan with a slightly sarcastic tone. “So, you’ll be my sword, huh?”

Arslan, without shame, responded, “Yes!”

Lucian, with a light smile, asked, “How can you say such things without feeling embarrassed?”

Arslan, as usual, laughed with enthusiasm. “HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Lucian sighed. “That damn laugh… If he met that old god, they’d probably get along just fine.”