Ran, Gino, Mizu, and Jun spread out, leaping into the fray to assist those locked in desperate combat with the Uon members. Yunosuke, who was severely hurt, drew particular attention as they fought to hold the line.Hyun stepped back, catching his breath as he moved to speak with Gaeun. "What's the plan now?" he asked, his voice tense with urgency.Gaeun's eyes flicked to the grotesque blob of flesh already morphing into the shape of a deer cub. "I don't have enough people," she admitted, frustration seeping into her tone. "Besides… this thing is indestructible.""We have to destroy it from the inside out," Kana interjected, her voice unwavering.Hyun turned to her, scepticism in his eyes. "How'd you know?"Kana's expression was grim. "My parents told me before. All beasts have a vulnerability. They might regenerate, but internal explosions can destroy all of them.""So a fire manacian… yourself," Gaeun muttered, realization dawning."Not just any fire manacian," Kana corrected, her eyes blazing. "A Hino one. But I need a way into its mouth.""I'll do it," Hyun volunteered without hesitation. "I can't guarantee it's long, but I promise it'll groan in pain.""Haha…alright. Then I shall start…" Kana glanced at her forearms and closed her eyes. A deep, orange glow began to pulse through her veins and arteries, lighting up her forearms."Holy…" I muttered, awestruck, as the mana glow took shape, not only beneath her skin but radiating outward in a visible aura.The glow above her skin started to form something unmistakable. As more mana surged into it, the image became clearer. The dragon tattoo… and as I realized this, the massive silhouette of a dragon materialized above us, its presence both awe-inspiring and terrifying.The dragon began to take shape, starting as a luminous outline that grew more defined with each passing second. As the mana floating above her forearm continued to trace the tattoos through each minute detail, the body of the dragon above twisted into a serpentine coil of pure fire mana, scales shimmering like molten metal, radiating heat that distorted the air around it. Fierce eyes glowed a brilliant orange as horns crowned its head, giving it an ancient and majestic appearance.Then I realized the problem. Struggling to stand, I saw Kana pushing herself to the limit, desperately trying to force out more power. I staggered over, determination coursing through me."Kana, hold on!" I yelled, feeling a surge of resolve.Without hesitation, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, transferring the mana from Hugo directly into her. The dragon's formation, which had faltered, reignited with renewed vigour.The dragon continued to take shape, its form growing more distinct and powerful with each pulse of energy. I forced every last bit of mana into her, my vision blurring from the effort. The dragon's wings spread wider, its scales shimmered brighter, and its eyes burned with an even fiercer glow.Finally, I had nothing left to give. My strength waned, and I collapsed to the ground, completely spent. My breathing was ragged, and I could feel the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me.'I'm done,' I whispered, accepting my limitations. I knew I wasn't the protagonist of this battle, just an observer who did what he could to support the real heroes."Yonu!" Kana's voice was filled with worry as she tried to kneel to help me. But I raised a hand, stopping her.'Don't… worry about me,' I managed to say, my voice weak but resolute. 'Finish… this.'She nodded before locking onto the beast once more.As she rotated her forearm and wrist, a small silhouette of the dragon coiled around her arm, twisted and moved with her motions. Above her, a massive dragon formed in the sky, mimicking the movements of the silhouette with absolute precision. It was a display of perfect control."Hino Secret Technique: Draconian Release!" Kana declared, her voice echoing with authority.The dragon above roared to life, its scales shimmering with an ethereal glow. Flames danced along its body, and its eyes blazed with fierce intensity. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the raw, unleashed energy.Hyun saw the dragon and immediately sprang into action.. . . "Yunosuke!" Jun and Mizu yelled, their voices filled with desperation. Yunosuke glanced over, but in that split second, a series of pillars erupted from the ground, sending him flying back. He crashed into a wall that had emerged behind him."Argh…" he groaned, coughing up blood. The pain was overwhelming, but he struggled to stay conscious."Yunosuke!" they shouted again, but their cries were cut short by a looming figure. An Uon warrior stood before them, a malevolent grin on his face. Without warning, shards of earth launched towards them.Jun reacted instinctively, raising a slab of earth to block the incoming projectiles. Mizu ducked behind it, his heart pounding."Sorry... Buy me some time... I don't have enough mana to—" Jun began, but his words were abruptly cut off as the earth slab began to lower."Wha—?" Jun's eyes widened in shock."Sorry... I'm superior in this," the Uon sneered, his hand pushing downwards effortlessly. The earth slab continued to lower despite Jun's attempts to hold it up."He's forcing my mana out of the slab..." Jun muttered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The sheer force of the Uon's power was overwhelming, and the slab trembled as it sank further."Buy me some time!" Jun shouted, but the Uon twisted and executed a roundhouse kick before they could react. A pillar of earth shot out from the ground, aimed directly at them. They tried to back off, but a wall behind them blocked their escape."SAKATA TECHNIQUE: Slicing Maelstrom!" Yunosuke's voice cut through the chaos as he made his last-ditch effort. He extended his palm towards them, and a ring of water spun around his wrist with blinding speed. The water morphed into a whirlpool, sharpened ice spinning rapidly within it. The pillar was sliced apart as quickly as it had emerged.The Uon stomped his foot, and a multitude of spikes erupted from the ground beneath Yunosuke, piercing him."ARGH...…." Yunosuke's scream of agony was cut short as he coughed up blood and then went silent. Mizu and Jun, having dodged to the side, turned to see the horrifying sight."YUNOSUKE!!!" they screamed, but their cries were drowned out by the sound of more shrapnel hurtling towards them."Uon Technique," the Uon warrior intoned, raising both arms as Mizu and Jun dodged and blocked frantically. Countless rocks and clumps of earth gathered in mid-air, morphing into familiar shapes—swords."Room of Swords." In an instant, the air was filled with an organized chaos of flying swords. Jun and Mizu desperately tried to block and dodge the deadly blades, but the sheer number was overwhelming.The Uon warrior stomped again, and cuffs of earth locked around their feet, trapping them in place. Unable to move, Mizu and Jun were defenceless against the onslaught. Mizu quickly surrounded them with a swirling bubble of water, solidifying it for protection. Jun added an internal layer of the earth, but before they could fortify their defences further, the earth stopped moving.Spikes shot out from the half-formed dome, piercing Jun and Mizu."Stupid kids," the Uon sneered, releasing his clenched fist. He turned his attention to the most dangerous threat in the battle: Hyun.Blood seeped from Jun and Mizu's wounds as they slumped within their compromised shield. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, pain radiating from where the spikes had impaled them, struggling to stay alive.. . . "Protect the kid! We are placing our hopes on you!" the secretary shouted to the agents before turning to Hyun. Hyun stepped back, put his fists together, and then pulled them apart, forming a transparent icicle. He remained silent as the icicle grew larger and larger until it was 1.5 times his height, yet as thin as a needle."We're threading the needle and attacking from the inside. HAHA!" Hyun declared, holding the icicle like a javelin. Kana realized what he was about to do and started running as Hyun backed up.Suddenly, the Uon charged towards Hyun with deadly intent. "Not so fast!" he growled, stomping his foot to send a wave of spikes shooting up from the ground. Hyun dodged, narrowly avoiding the deadly spikes as the agents started to close in on the Uon.The Uon weaved through the balls of fire and the blades of air. However, the crashing waves caught up to him, and he was finally forced to the ground to watch as the man named Hyun wound up for the throw."I need a boost!" Kana shouted as she continued to run, now even more desperate to reach a greater height but without the mana left to do so.The surrounding agents converged to assist them as a block of earth shot up beneath Kana, launching her into the air."Let's do this," she muttered as she soared higher. The spectral dragon twisted and turned in the air, synchronizing with Kana's movements, mirroring the dragon figure wrapped around her forearm."HA!!!" Hyun stomped and threw the javelin with all his might. Kana stopped her jets, ready to guide the dragon to its target. As she soared, the Uon warrior tried one last desperate attack, sending a barrage of earthen spikes toward Kana.But the agents around her formed a protective barrier, blocking the spikes. With the path clear, Kana focused all her energy on guiding the dragon.The icicle stabbed into the beast but wasn't fully inside."I'm sure that's enough!" she shouted. Hyun clenched his fist, then burst his fingers open. Spikes erupted from the icicle, piercing the beast from the inside."ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The beast's agonized scream echoed across the battlefield as its mouth opened wide."That's my cue! AHHHHHHH!" Kana screamed as she dived toward the gaping maw. She thrust her fist forward, and the spectral dragon plunged faster and faster."DRACONIAN RELEASE: MANA BURST!"Just as the beast's mouth began to close, the dragon managed to slip inside. The moment it did, the dragon figure on Kana's arm dissipated. Kana landed hard next to Hyun, collapsing to the ground."What's happening…" Hyun asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "It seems completely fine.""No way… have we failed?" Kana muttered, struggling to her feet.The beast roared, and spikes shot from the ground, aiming straight for Hyun and Kana. The speed was blinding, too fast for any agents to react. But just as the spikes were about to strike, they halted mid-air."Argggggghhhhhh…" The beast's roar turned into a gurgle as it collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. The internal explosion had finally taken effect, and its massive form began to disintegrate from within, the dragon's mana wreaking havoc inside it."HAHAHA!! One of the applications of Draconian Release! Forcibly mixing a different mana type into the bloodstream! The high pressure created by this mixing cannot be contained by some mere blood vessel, and thus, the blood vessels burst, causing bodily failure, and there's nothing it can do about it!" Kana laughed triumphantly as the beast fell, its once-mighty form growing paler and weaker with each passing second."You better watch out in the future…." the beast rasped, its voice fading as its life ebbed away."Haha…HAHA! IT'S OVER!" Kana's laughter echoed through the battlefield as the various Uons snapped out of their trance. She looked at the fallen beast, her heart swelling with a mixture of relief and pride. For the first time, she felt she had truly achieved something remarkable on her own, something that set her apart from her siblings.Kana smiled to herself, a subtle, almost disbelieving smile. She had done it. She had proven her worth. She clenched her fist in a quiet, triumphant gesture, feeling a surge of pride she hadn't felt in a very long time. Tears welled up in her eyes, not from sadness but from the overwhelming emotion of finally finding a sense of accomplishment and self-worth."I did it," she whispered to herself, the words barely audible amidst the chaos. "I really did it.""You Uons are under arrest," the secretary declared. The remaining agents quickly moved to apprehend the Uons, securing the battlefield. The reality of their hard-won victory settled in as the adrenaline began to subside. The beast lay lifeless, and the immediate threat was neutralized."Are you alright, Sir?" the team leader asked, his voice steady despite the chaos."Yes…I assume this means I'll have to go back now.""Your father has been distraught since you left earlier this year. It took us a long while to find you, and thank god we did it in time.""My father…is worried? Hah! My brother is dead, isn't he?" There was a bitter edge to his words, a mix of resentment and disbelief.The team leader hesitated, then said, "He's…severely injured in combat. He was overzealous and overconfident in a recent expedition, resulting in serious damage to himself and his team.""Of course. That's why he's worried about me now…Fine. I'll humour him and go back." He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping as if bearing an invisible weight. His brow furrowed, and his eyes, once sharp, now looked dull and tired. His lips pressed into a thin line, twitching slightly as if holding back a retort. "Lead the way."'You're going back home, huh, Sire? Haha,' I laughed as I sat on the ground, looking up at him."Haha, shut up," he replied, extending his hand. I grasped it and pulled myself up."In all seriousness, thanks. You saving me back in that alley that day probably led me to improve this much in such a short time… I'm grateful."He pulled me into a hug, patting my back. 'All in a day's work,' I said, returning the gesture."Well... I think it's time you attend to your significant other... This is where we part ways," Hugo said, releasing the hug."Haha… See you, Yonu.""See you next time!" I yelled and waved as I ran towards Kana.'Kana! You did it!' I said, leaning into her line of sight."Come here, you!" She pulled me closer, our foreheads gently touching. The warmth of her skin against mine sent a comforting wave through me. There was no exchange of mana this time, but the connection felt more profound and more meaningful. Our eyes closed, savouring the quiet closeness.As I lifted my head and she turned, I heard the two words I never would've wanted to hear."Mom! Dad!"I turned my head, but the only thing I saw was the face of a middle-aged man glaring at me.'Haha…' I tried to laugh it off."Who's this, Kana?" he asked sternly.'Haha… I'm Yonu Hachin-' I started, trying to sound confident."How about you get off my daughter first," he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument.'Yeah…'###Mana of different attributes cannot coexist in the same space. When mixed with the blood of a beast, this creates immense pressure that normal blood vessels cannot withstand. It can also damage mana cores if the different attributes reach them. Therefore, after the evolution of mana, only humans with the same attribute can safely copulate.