Moments earlier...
Those words echoed again and again inside Lorian's mind...
"I have become the pinnacle itself!!!"
That tone...
That man...
Everything came from someone they all knew never joked about such things...
He had truly done it...
He was no longer human...
Araki's eyes remained fixed upon Lorian, filled with pity and superiority.
"You rejected our ideals."
"You turned against us despite knowing that your end had always been approaching..."
"It was chasing you all along."
"And in the end, what did you gain???"
"Nothing."
"Nothing except a truth that serves no purpose."
A grin slowly spread across his face...
"As for me..."
"The opposite happened."
"I used you..."
"I used your father..."
"I used his ancient legacy..."
"I used his weakness..."
"I used the emptiness left behind after you abandoned us..."
"And most importantly..."
"I used that boy and his companions..."
"Every time they believed they had achieved victory..."
"I was the one reaping the rewards..."
The ground beneath him began trembling violently.
Dark winds howled across the battlefield...
Araki raised his arm toward the sky and laughed madly.
Then he turned toward Lorian one last time.
His voice overflowed with triumph...
"Come."
"Look upon the result of my efforts."
"I have become the pinnacle itself."
"I succeeded where the strongest and smartest humans since the dawn of history failed."
"I have become the perfect union of human cunning, intellect, and adaptability..."
"And the strength, tyranny, and overwhelming power of dragons!!!"
The moment those words left his lips—
His arm twisted violently...
A horrifying crack echoed through the air.
It looked as if his limb were being torn apart.
Araki screamed in agony...
Meanwhile, Lorian watched in horror...
Then the transformation continued...
Part of his back ruptured open...
A massive wing burst forth.
Every tooth in his mouth sharpened into fangs...
His skin gained a faint crimson hue.
And his right arm...
Had become a gigantic dragon limb completely disproportionate to the rest of his body...
Moments later, Araki collapsed to one knee...
He breathed heavily...
Pain filled every movement...
Yet despite that—
He laughed...
"Hahahaha..."
"So this is the price of power???"
Slowly, he stood again...
Without warning—
He charged directly at Lorian...
His massive transformed arm wrapped around him...
Lorian could not even react.
His legs had frozen from the sheer horror of what he had witnessed.
A human...
Turning into a dragon...
No one had ever spoken of such a thing.
Then Araki's smile widened until it nearly reached both ears.
"You're wondering how this is possible, aren't you???"
"Of course you are..."
"The ancient stories and forgotten research you found while searching for the truth never mentioned this..."
"It only happened once before..."
"Or perhaps that's merely what history chose to reveal..."
"We both know what the result was..."
"A disgusting and incomplete creature..."
"A monster controlled by a human consciousness rather than a dragon's will."
"But as you can see..."
"I solved that problem."
"I achieved what everyone else failed to achieve."
"I am the perfect being."
His grip tightened.
Bones cracked...
Then he finally released him...
"Hmm..."
"This power is excessive..."
"I need to be careful."
"Otherwise, my body won't endure it."
He glanced behind him.
Then smiled again...
"Heh..."
"Dear Zak..."
"You've fulfilled your role..."
At that moment—
Raym finally arrived...
But Araki had already vanished...
As Raym approached—
A voice echoed from afar...
"O bearer of pure light!!!"
Suddenly, he found himself trapped between two choices...
Then Araki appeared before him.
In his new form...
Raym's body trembled.
Instinctively, he took several steps backward.
Without realizing it—
Words escaped his lips.
"Sir Lonz...???"
Araki burst into mocking laughter...
"Hahahaha!!!"
"Yes, boy..."
"At least what's left of him..."
The moment those words reached Raym's ears—
Everything changed...
An overwhelming fury erupted within him...
He charged forward at full speed...
His sword slashed with all his strength...
But Araki blocked it effortlessly with his transformed arm...
Not even a scratch appeared...
Still, Raym continued attacking...
Again...
And again.
And again.
Powerful strikes rained down relentlessly...
Yet Araki never moved.
Not even once.
Not even a wound.
Then—
With a single swing of his transformed arm—
He struck back.
Raym was hurled away...
Araki laughed like a madman.
But suddenly—
His expression shifted.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
Tension appeared in his eyes.
Then, from behind Raym—
A weak voice spoke...
It was Lorian...
"Boy..."
"He cannot maintain that form for long."
Immediately, Raym rushed toward him...
Attempting to heal his wounds...
Then—
A strange memory surfaced within Lorian's mind...
A scene from the distant past.
A man who looked exactly like Raym.
Treating his injuries.
Speaking gently.
"Don't exhaust yourself trying to talk..."
Lorian's eyes widened...
It's him...
Without warning—
He forced himself to stand...
Despite his injuries.
Despite the pain.
He picked up his sword from the ground...
His hands trembled...
Yet he raised it toward Araki...
Then he glanced at Raym with his remaining eye.
And spoke...
"Boy..."
"I believe I owe you something important."
A brief silence followed...
Then his expression darkened.
"Raym..."
"I may know more about you than you imagine."
His voice grew quieter.
Yet somehow heavier.
"I may even know about your family..."