Time flowed as Aron immersed himself in the seething magma, delving deeper with each passing moment.

Hours slipped by as Kasumi maintained a vigilant watch over him. Throughout this span, the newly forged path in the mountain remained undisturbed by any wandering soul, a fact for which Kasumi was profoundly grateful.

Even though she was prepared to defend her master at any cost, to the point of giving her life, Kasumi wasn't exactly looking to engage in combat at the moment. All because of the recent alterations to her physique and the full unlocking of her shadow magic.

The increase in stature, coupled with the additional features—a pair of feathered wings and two new fox tails—had disrupted the coordination between Kasumi's muscles and her sense of spatial distance. Fortunately, rectifying this issue was relatively straightforward; Kasumi simply needed to retrain herself on her techniques to re-establish muscle memory.

Regarding her mastery of Shadow magic, however, the situation was more complex. Despite receiving theoretical instruction on the workings of Shadow magic, Kasumi lacked practical experience.

While being one of the Clan heirs granted her access to a superior education in Shadow magic, theory alone could not compare to practical application. Even her sister couldn't help her a lot during that month, focusing only on techniques.

The reliance on a master to serve as a conduit for accessing shadow magic had been a significant vulnerability for the clan, both in its early days and in the present. However, unlike the past, they found a way to minimize it to some degree.

In the past, when the newly formed clan faced extinction due to the inability of Fox Yokais to access their magic for self-defense, the Yokai spirit, who blessed them and formed a contract with the clan's founder, made a new alteration to the contract to ensure the survival of the clan.

She permitted the performance of the master and shadow ritual among the Fox Yokais themselves. The twelve Elders, leaders of their respective families and members of the Clan council, were empowered to establish branches from the main bloodline of the clan.

Each branch, corresponding to one of the twelve main families, was entrusted with safeguarding the clan and training new generations of shadow users within their lineage.

However, there was a drawback to performing the ritual between themselves: the mana pool.

One of the unique characteristics of the Fox Yokais was their ability to mirror their master's mana pool. However, since the members of the branches formed a contract with their respective elders, the mana mirroring ceased to function in the same way.

Instead, each branch member had their own individual mana pool, albeit smaller and less potent compared to that of their elder. After all, they were all shadows.

Despite these challenges, the formation of the branches had proven to be a crucial step in ensuring the clan's survival. With each family taking on the responsibility of training their own members, the knowledge of shadow magic was preserved, expanded on, and passed down through the generations, strengthening the clan from within.

FUSHHH!

"!!!" Kasumi instantly jumped from her lotus position, weapon at the ready, sensing a surge of intense mana around her.

She scanned the cavern looking for any sign of intruders. The sudden surge of mana had caught her off guard, but her training and instincts kicked in, preparing her for whatever threat may be lurking nearby.

Using the shadows to expand her senses on the whole solid cavern, Kasumi found no signs of intruders. Her shadows couldn't even detect the mana that she was feeling right now.

"What's going on here?"

"What's going on here?" Confused, Kasumi closed her eyes, focusing on the intense mana. Soon she realized what it was and the source.

Turning back to face the lava pool, Kasumi called with concern, "Master?"

The mana surge came from Aron through their soul link, and because Kasumi never had a master before, she got confused between the surge of mana from her master and that of a potential threat.

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With a relieved sigh, Kasumi relaxed her stance and lowered her Katana. Yet concern was evident on her face as she kept gazing at the lava pool.

"Master..." she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she focused through the soul link on the one thing that Aron was emitting.

Pure Rage.

FUSHH! BLOP!

As the surface of the molten lava churned and bubbled, it gradually took on the form of a figure rising from its fiery depths. Kasumi's eyes widened in astonishment as she beheld the miraculous sight unfolding before her.

From the heart of the seething lava emerged Aron in his glorious draconic form, towering over the cavern with awe-inspiring majesty. His black scales shimmered with the intense heat of the lava, casting a fiery glow that illuminated the surrounding chamber.

As he rose from the depths, streams of molten lava cascaded down his powerful form like a river of liquid fire.

Externally, his appearance remained largely unchanged, save for a new addition in the form of a long tail ending with a crimson claw-like tip. Internally, however, that's where the serious changes took place.

The most significant and pivotal change occurred within his very core—the metamorphosis of his feeble human heart into a new, larger, and more potent dragon heart. With each beat, it pulsed with the primal energy of a dragon, infusing Aron's entire being with newfound strength and vitality. His lungs had transformed to accommodate the fiery breath of a dragon.

Emerging gradually from the molten lava, Aron unfurled his wings, their span stretching wide and casting a shadow over the cavern floor. He commenced reverting to his human form, yet retaining the majestic wings.

"Master, are you alright?" Kasumi called her voice barely a whisper.

Though she could sense his wrath through their soul bond, Aron's countenance remained cold and devoid of emotion, his movements exuding tranquility that sent a shiver down her spine.

Kasumi was convinced that Aron would erupt from the lava with a deafening roar, perhaps even tearing the mountain apart. I mean, she was barely able to breathe because of the intense rage coming from him.

This paradox scared the shit out of her.

Not fearing for her own safety, she was certain that her master would never bring harm upon her. No, her fear stemmed from concern for his well-being.

Kasumi could discern with crystal clarity that Aron was on the brink of unleashing a dire retribution upon those who had stoked his fury. It was this possibility of repercussions that filled her with dread.

Finishing putting his clothes on, Aron turned to face her, his eyes were empty, devoid of any light.

"Kasumi," he called, his voice resonating throughout the cavern.

"Y-Yes Master"

"How distant is Avaloria from our current location?" he inquired.

"Eh?" Initially confused by his question, Kasumi quickly comprehended the reason behind it.

'The memory witch.'

"I don't know exactly how far, but according to Scarlett-dono, we need at least a month's journey along the main traveling road to reach it,"

"I see…a month" Aron acknowledged, an uncomfortable silence descending upon the cavern as he became lost in contemplation.

Kasumi observed Aron's strangely calm expression, a pang of worry gnawing at her heart. She had never seen him like this before, consumed by such intense emotions. It was as if a storm raged within him, threatening to engulf everything in its path.

"Master," she ventured softly, drawing nearer to him and tentatively placing her hand upon his chest. "Are you well?"

Aron's gaze shifted from the ground to Kasumi, and upon beholding her troubled visage, he snapped out of his reverie

'Damn!. Pull yourself together, Aron' he cursed, scolding himself inwardly.

While he appreciated her concern, Aron didn't like the way she was looking at him. He felt vulnerable and weak. A feeling he hates with every fiber of his being.

'Never show weakness, especially to your family and subordinates'

"I'm fine, little fox," Aron replied, forcing a reassuring smile onto his lips. "Just... a lot on my mind, you know?"

Aron wasn't naive; from the memory he just saw, he understood a lot of things.

One was the crimson dragon, his brother bore a striking resemblance to the brother that Aron saw himself impaling with a sword through the chest in that massive battle.

The difference between the two brothers lay in their hair color—one crimson, the other black— and the visible age difference between the two; the black-haired one was older.

'Maybe they are one and the same individual, time can alter much,' he speculated.

The next thing was a piece of information about him. A single piece of information that could lead Aron to a path of uncovering his identity.

'The First Dragon, that's how he referred to me…hmm? Am I the first of my kind?' If so, Aron could search through history for any information about the first dragon.

Aron was a little optimistic about this; after all, someone must have written about the first being of the most powerful race in the world. Right?

Lastly, the catalyst of his rage. The six-winged woman.

'The Aspect of the Sun, Serenity Sol'

Aron instantly realized who the woman his brother spoke about, and the one he in the past was about to marry or did marry.

Another connection he found that explained his uncontrolled rage was that Aron saw this woman before in another vision. Clad in scarlet armor and drenched in blood, she hovered above slain dragons. The smirk on her face told Aron everything.

'She betrayed me!'

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Aron's demeanor shifted, his expression hardening with determination. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"I must find her," Aron declared, as he strode out of the cavern with determination, pulling Kasumi along. "I cannot rest until I tear all of her six wings apart."

"P-Pull what?...Find who? master" she inquired.

"The Aspect of the Fucking Sun!"