Two major forces faced off against each other in the sky. Blood spilled like rivers, and many warriors had fallen to their deaths, yet the terrifying armies still stretched as vast as an ocean. Blue lightning crashed against green winds, mixing into a massive tornado that spun out of control, tearing through the battlefield and devouring warriors from both sides.

Thor and Oswald clashed above the chaos, their faces burning with hatred for each other. Crimson winds slashed at the Thunder Dragon Emperor, forcing him back more than his blue lightning could repel the Wind Emperor. Yet the battle had already raged for more than five days. Neither force dared to submit, but neither side managed to gain a true edge over the other.

The long battle dragged on until both parties were forced to accept a temporary peace due to an enormous aura spreading from the Thunder Region. Only then did Oswald understand that something was wrong, and that Thor might have been telling the truth all along.

They had to rush back.

But the moment the two forces returned, they found only empty villages and cities, ruined capitals, and vaults stripped clean of their treasures.

Max was leading the forces north through the Orc Lands. The sudden invasion of hundreds of thousands of dragons had thrown the tribes into chaos. Orc scouts watched from distant ridges, and warriors gathered near their settlements with weapons raised, but none of them dared to challenge the march.

Max ordered his people not to touch anything. Any pillaging would be counted as treason and punished by death.

It was enough to make them obey.

Because of that, the Orcs did not challenge his passage.

By the time they arrived at the Fire Region, the two furious forces were already marching in the same direction, following Max’s aura. It terrified them, especially Thor, who could feel the familiar human energy now mixed with dragon bloodline suppression.

His face was ashen.

Max stood before the Ice Dragons gathered in front of him in private. Nobody else was allowed to be here today.

"So, are you going to explain yourself, or do we need to stand here all day?" Rosalia stood at the front, her eyes revealing the pain she could no longer hide.

He kept lying, again and again. She did not know how she could ever trust him with anything anymore, or whether anything that came from his lips would be true or not. The others gathered behind her were also shaken to their cores, still struggling to understand what had happened to their bloodline.

The women and children who had been left behind had scared the Fire Dragons to the bone when they suddenly started to power up and transform. It was uncalled for. Nobody had been prepared for such a ridiculous surprise.

------

While the Ice Dragons were happy that their bloodline had improved drastically, reaching the level of emperor, just a step below ancestor level, they could not understand how or why. Their new horns, tails, scales, and wings were a blessing too large to ignore, but also too suspicious to accept without answers.

Out of all of them, Light’s eyes gleamed the most. The kid did not care how or why. He looked at Max as if he was looking at a big brother figure, someone strong, impossible, and worthy of admiration.

Max sighed, thinking for a moment before his lips parted.

"I won’t pretend I didn’t hide things from you," he said, his purple eyes resting on Rosalia first. "But I also won’t lie and say I understood everything from the beginning."

Rosalia’s gaze sharpened, but she did not interrupt him.

"My bloodline is not normal. I thought it was nothing more than an old myth from my tribe, something impossible to prove, something I did not even fully believe myself. It was called a vessel bloodline. A bloodline that does not simply remain human, but reacts to powerful bloodlines around it, especially through bonds deep enough to affect the soul and flesh."

The Ice Dragons behind Rosalia shifted uneasily.

"So all of this was your plan to steal our bloodline from the very beginning, Max? Is that what you’re trying to say?"

Even William stepped forward, his eyes dangerously locked onto Max’s. His jaw tightened, and the fragile trust that had begun to grow between them now felt close to shattering. He had started to see Max as a brother, but now... he did not know what to think.

Max raised his clawed hand, staring at the white scales covering his skin.

"I did not steal your bloodline. If I did, you would all be weaker, not stronger. What happened was the opposite. My blood awakened something hidden inside yours."

Rosalia’s eyes trembled slightly.

Max looked back at her.

"When you became pregnant, our bloodlines connected. Your Ice Dragon blood, my vessel blood, and the child between us created a reaction I did not expect. The ancestor-grade power did not appear because I planned it. It appeared because the child needed protection, and my body responded by forcing itself to become something that could protect both of you."

His voice grew quieter at the end.

The Ice Dragon Clan members all looked at Rosalia, then at Max, their eyes widening in disbelief. Shock rippled through the group in an instant. It was the first time they had heard that she was pregnant.

"That is why I knew."

Rosalia’s fingers tightened slightly.

Max looked past her, toward the Ice Dragons gathered behind her.

"As for all of you, your bloodline reacted to the same pulse. The Ice Dragon blood inside you answered the ancestor pressure and evolved. That is why your horns, tails, scales, and wings changed. If this was some curse or trick, your bodies would have rejected it. Instead, your blood accepted it."

He let the silence hang for a moment.

"I don’t expect you to trust me completely. Not today. Maybe not for a long time. But I am telling you this much clearly. I am not your enemy anymore. Whether you like it or not, I am part of your bloodline now."

His purple flames burned softly around his claws.

"And I will not let the Ice Dragons fall again. From now on, the world shall know the might of an ancient clan that refused to perish from this realm. The Ice Dragons will rise once more, and this time, no one will bury us beneath history..."