Vlad was having lunch with his family in the dining room. He sat beside his mother and Lysera. Cassian, Maelis, and Aldric's wife, Selena, were also present.

  Elarys noticed Vlad looking around while eating.

  "What is it, Vlad? Who are you looking for?" Elarys asked.

  "Why haven't Father and Uncle joined us?" Vlad asked.

  "Must be because you're here," Cassian said.

  "Hey," Lysera snapped.

  Cassian lowered his head.

  Elarys patted Vlad's head gently. "Father must be busy with the elders, dear. He'll join us for dinner."

  "As for my husband, he's probably playing around with the dragon. I heard him shouting her name this morning," Selena said calmly.

  Cassian cut into the conversation. "Mother… my dish is a little burned."

  "Burned… How dare you burn down my knights in front of my eyes, Seraphiel!" Caelum shouted.

  "Have you forgotten about the treaty we made with Kaishen?" Caelum added.

  Seraphiel laughed.

  "Treaty? You dare speak of that after you planted spies in my kingdom and hurt my child?"

  Caelum clenched his fist before he could reply.

  The Knight Order surrounded Seraphiel under the command of their Vice Captain.

  One of them stepped forward, laughing as he introduced himself.

  "Greetings, I am Kaelis Viremont, Vice Captain of the Valeren Knight Order."

  "Well… that's about to change today after I defeat you," Kaelis added, pointing his sword at Seraphiel.

  "Kaelis, what do you think you're doing? He's not someone you can take on! Stop this at once!" Vaelor shouted.

  "We'll see about that," Kaelis replied, eyes narrowing.

  Seraphiel's smile faded; a subtle anger crept into his calm demeanor. Kaelis tightened his grip on the sword. Seraphiel stepped forward—and vanished.

  The next instant, he appeared behind Kaelis, tilting his gaze toward Caelum. "Are you going to hide behind your knights, Caelum?" he asked, voice low and cutting.

  Kaelis smirked and swung his sword backward, aiming for Seraphiel. He felt the familiar resistance of flesh beneath the blade. Lowering his weapon, he laughed. "You shouldn't have ignored me, old man."

  He turned—and froze. A head rolled across the ground.

  "I am not that old," Seraphiel's voice echoed lightly from further away, standing unharmed.

  Kaelis's eyes widened. He looked at the fallen body—it was one of the knights surrounding Seraphiel. "How dare you!" he bellowed, surging forward, aura igniting along his blade.

  "Kaelis, don't!" Vaelor yelled, desperation cracking his voice.

  Kaelis swung down with a roar. "Aura Slash!"

  "Throne Shift."

  The cut connected—but a faint metallic clang sounded instead of flesh.

  Kaelis slowly lifted his gaze to the tip of his blade. It wasn't Seraphiel. He had exchanged places with one of the knights in an instant.

  Kaelis's face drained of color, his sword trembling in shock. He looked at Seraphiel, whose calm eyes glimmered with a dangerous excitement.

  "You sick bastard," Kaelis whispered, stepping back cautiously.

  "Seraphiel, that's enough!" Caelum shouted, voice cutting through the tension.

  Seraphiel vanished again, leaving Kaelis scanning wildly, every sense on edge. "If you're not going to attack, then that means it's my turn, right?" Seraphiel's voice came from directly in front of him, hands resting lightly on his stomach.

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  "Wind Thrust!" and a blast of air hurled Kaelis upward—but Seraphiel wasn't finished.

  Earth rose beneath Kaelis's feet in jagged spikes, and with a pull of his hand, Seraphiel yanked him down. The spikes impaled him before he could react.

  Kaelis stretched a trembling hand toward Vaelor, standing beside Caelum on the balcony. Blood poured from his mouth, choking his words, and finally, his hand fell limp.

  "No…" Vaelor screamed.

  "Seraphiel…" Caelum's voice broke as he leapt from the balcony, rushing at Seraphiel with his sword shimmering with red aura.

  "You finally came down, Caelum. Are you mad at me?" Seraphiel asked, laughing softly, the sound eerily calm against the chaos.

  "Attack at once! Protect the king!" Vaelor roared, drawing his sword beside Caelum, determination etched on his face.

  Seraphiel focused his mana into his fingertip. A flicker of heat danced across his skin before bursting into flame, twisting upward into a blazing sword.

  Caelum gritted his teeth, aura spilling across his own sword. "Seraphiel… this ends now!" he shouted.

  With a flick of his wrist, the flame sword lunged toward Caelum, who barely parried it with a hiss of energy. Sparks rained down like red snow, heat licking the stone beneath them.

  Vaelor and the other knights surged forward, coordinating attacks. One knight swung a massive halberd, another unleashed a spinning aura slash. Seraphiel's eyes narrowed slightly, and with an almost imperceptible gesture, he vanished—reappearing behind a charging knight. The man's sword met nothing but empty air, and Seraphiel's fire blade scorched through his heart.

  Caelum leaped forward, swinging his aura sword with deadly precision. Seraphiel parried that strike with his flame sword, sparks scattered . Aura and flame singing as they collided.

  Vaelor rushed again, aura sword came down in a downward arc. Seraphiel pivoted, but this time the Knight Captain's strike grazed his sleeve. The contact forced Seraphiel a step back, the first sign of resistance he'd faced today.

  The knights pressed the advantage, combining attacks with careful coordination. Seraphiel was being pushed back but trace of thrill appeared in his eyes. Each strike forced him to adapt, dodge, and redirect.

  "Come now, is that all you've got?" Seraphiel shouted.

  The courtyard erupted in chaos. Sparks and fire danced with aura, echoing screams and the clang of steel. Knights slid across the marble painting it with red, some falling, others barely maintaining their stance.

  Vaelor swung his sword in a heavy arc at Seraphiel. He barely managed to block it, sparks of clashing mana erupting from the impact, but he was too slow to react to Caelum's follow-up stab. Instantly, Seraphiel focused his mana into his chest, forming a protective barrier just in time. The force threw him backward, slamming him into the castle wall with a deafening crash. Stone splintered under his weight.

  After a tense pause, he pushed himself up slowly, blood trickling from his lips, cuts lacing across his face and arms. Before he could steady himself, an arrow whistled toward him.

  "Flame Wall!"

  A searing curtain of fire erupted in front of him, reducing the arrow to molten ashes. Within the infernal barrier, a streak of flame shot outward, striking the archer with brutal precision. He collapsed, a burst of smoke rising from his body.

  The wall dissipated. Seraphiel stood there, blood still dripping from his mouth, pressing his palm to his chest. "Heal." A wave of energy closed most of the cuts, the air shimmering with residual heat.

  "Stand down, Seraphiel!" Caelum called, sword raised.

  But Seraphiel's mind had not returned. His breaths were ragged, his eyes alight with manic intensity. The other knights strained, their stamina fraying under the relentless assault.

  He lifted his hand toward the sky, flames gathering, his voice rising. "How about I show you something grand… for my final act, Caelum? Meteor sho—"

  A shadow fell across him.

  "Kaira!"

  The great dragon swooped down, landing between him and the courtyard.

  "You fool! Come back to your senses already!"

  Seraphiel's gaze snapped down. Raizen was there, hand extended in a punch that slammed into Seraphiel's chest like a hammer, sending him skidding across the marble floor. Yet even as he fell, his resolve did not break. Flames erupted from his hand, forming a spear ready to strike—but it didn't move. His hand was held fast, roots of earth crawling up from the ground, binding him in place.

  "Earth Bind?" Seraphiel's eyes darted around, fury and disbelief warring across his features. His gaze landed on Aldric, stepping forward, calm but unyielding.

  "Stop this nonsense, brother," Aldric said, voice steady.

  Seraphiel closed his eyes, flame licking the roots that held his arm. "Are you standing against me? So be it." His lips twisted into a cruel smile, the fire in his hand sputtered as it fought against the restraints.

  Seraphiel lashed out, flames surged from his hands, forcing Aldric and Raizen to step back. Each step they took met with burning air. Sparks danced from the impact of Raizen's fists and Aldric's earth-shielded attacks, but Seraphiel pressed forward relentlessly, eyes locked on Caelum.

  Each strike forced him backward a step, then forward, the battlefield shaking with every impact.

  "Stay back!" Vaelor shouted, fending off the knights foolish enough to approach. Erik rushed through the chaos, healing injured knights with healing magic.

  Seraphiel roared as his flames pushed Aldric's earth barrier aside. Raizen lunged, aura crackling, but Seraphiel sidestepped, scratching the stone and leaving streaks in the air.

  With a sudden push, Seraphiel shoved both Aldric and Raizen backward, creating a clear path to Caelum. He drew his fire-sword fully, pinning Caelum against the shattered marble wall, the blade hovering above, ready to strike.

  "Father!"

  A small, trembling voice pierced the inferno. Caelum's son ran forward, chest heaving, tears streaming down his cheeks, and threw himself in front of his father. "Go away! Don't hurt him!"

  "Move! Child, get out of here!" Caelum shouted, but the boy planted his feet, defiant and unyielding.

  Seraphiel froze. The fire-sword hung in the air, slowly lowering as he bent his head, eyes shadowed, the flames dimming. His lips twitched—not in a smile, but in thought.

  Aldric's gaze sharpened. "Now!" he yelled.

  Kaira leaped, claws pinning Seraphiel to the ground, while Aldric's earth magic surged through the dirt, binding him fast. The moment Seraphiel's hesitation met their attack, he was immobilized, powerless against their combined hold.

  Putting an end to the battle.