Two different energies clashed, neither willing to yield even a single inch to the other. Max could taste hot iron flooding his mouth, warm blood slipping past his lips as the recoil tore through him.

Every muscle in his body screamed in pain, straining to the point of rupture under the sheer impact.

His void armor had already begun to tear away from him in ragged fragments as the winds pushed back, the sheer amount of mana packed into the old man’s attack proving difficult even for him to devour.

The green storm raged before him like a wall of living destruction. It did not simply resist him. It hacked at him, bit into him, tore across his flesh like countless razor blades, each current sharp enough to skin a man alive. His arms trembled. His legs dug deeper into the shattered ground. Even breathing became agony.

But Max pushed harder.

He poured all of his void energy into the blast, forcing more darkness into the clash, feeding it until the black mist around him thickened and burst outward in violent waves. The air warped around his body. Stone cracked beneath his feet. He no longer cared how much pain it caused him. Victory stood before him, and he refused to let it slip away.

"Die!" he roared, his voice breaking through the storm as darkness exploded in every direction.

Baldric’s face finally began to cave under the pressure, fear creeping into his ancient eyes. For the first time in far too many years, death stood before him close enough to taste. The last of his mana was being shredded apart by the youngster in front of him, devoured piece by piece by that horrifying black power.

He could not lose.

He had to protect the empire while his son was away. He had to stand here, no matter the cost. And yet, deep down, he already knew the truth.

That was no longer possible.

Then, like glass shattering beneath a merciless blow, the winds broke.

The storm barrier split apart with a deafening crack, and Max’s attack crashed straight into the old man’s body.

-----

Far in the distance, the dragon army hissed through the air, their terrifying numbers enough to flatten any kingdom within days. At the very front, a young man wore a wide smile. He trailed just behind the Thunder Dragon army, waiting for their clash with Max.

He was certain that in only a few more days, the Wind Dragon Empire would become the force no one in the region dared question, the sole ruler above the four dragon clans.

And after that, he already had plans to expand his dominion into the neighboring regions.

Suddenly, he stopped, forcing his entire army to halt.

Something churned violently through his blood, clenching around his heart with crushing heaviness.

"Emperor, are you alright?!"

His men rushed toward him at once, terrified when they saw him gripping his chest. He could barely breathe. Slowly, he turned his head and looked back in the direction of his empire. Something inside him screamed to return. Something deep in his blood begged him to check on his father.

"Old man..." he muttered under his breath.

Yet despite every warning his blood hurled at him, he turned his gaze back toward the direction where they believed Max to be.

"I shall return soon, father. Stay healthy and strong..." He shook his head hard, as if trying to cast away the unease.

"Keep moving!"

He glanced back only one last time before his eyes lit up with hungry fire. The thought of crushing Thor and his army made his blood boil, burning away the worry he left behind. He was far too confident in himself to see the truth.

------

Max breathed heavily, his blade still buried in the heart of an old dragon. He watched as the hybrid body slowly returned to a humanoid form before the light in Baldric’s eyes finally faded. The man who had once stood as a legend, a figure few could rival, had fallen at the hands of a young man.

If Baldric had known that Max was not even from this world, perhaps he would not have met such a fitting end. And yet, even in his final moments, Baldric had not gone down easily.

Max’s body trembled violently, barely able to keep itself upright. His blade was the only thing still supporting him, and even that was beginning to waver as his mana neared its limit.

Everything ached, and he hated it.

Even now, even after gaining so much power, he was still being forced to go all out. This world was filled with too many hidden monsters, each one standing in the way of his rise to supremacy.

At last, he forced himself to pull back.

The ancestral Ice Beast landed beside him, lowering itself to offer him support. Moments later, the two of them descended near the citadel. Max pushed against the heavy door with what little strength he had left, then waved a hand at his men, ordering them to storm the halls.

He gently patted the dragon’s head, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Go... tell Rosalia they can come now..."

The dragon let out a low, affectionate growl before taking off into the distance. Max watched as his people flooded the halls, one after another, while unconscious nobles were dragged out like sacks of dead weight.

Yet in the middle of that successful conquest, something shattered the fragile peace.

Several warriors were suddenly flung backward by a violent gust of wind, their bodies tumbling down the tall stairs like broken dolls.

"Don’t you dare lay your filthy hands on my brothers and sisters!"

A young female voice echoed from high above, sharp and furious enough to make Max narrow his eyes.

"When my elder brother returns, all of you will die horrible deaths for this treason!"

He had only just dealt with one hidden monster, yet apparently, a second had been lurking here all along.

Then he saw her.

A beautiful young woman stepped out into view from the hall several floors above. She looked around his age. Her blue eyes were as bright as the sky, and her long golden hair fell around her in soft, curling waves. She carried herself with the kind of authority that could not be faked. When their eyes met, her gaze struck him with a fierce, protective challenge.

Max smiled.

"It seems I found the treasure..." he murmured to himself with a quiet laugh.

He had found someone the Wind Emperor would never abandon.