Around the 666th session, during the time of the Summer Spirit Festival.
"No way, I can't go with you two!"

The silver dragon declared as such, then beat her massive wings against the air and kicked down from the peak of a rocky mountain with her powerful legs.
Her name is Leila.

Then, the black dragon Lyra, in response, entrusted her master, her closest friend, and the friend who had become her subordinate to the following Maya, taking flight to intercept them in the sky.
"Diane... I'll leave both of you in their care."

Dragon against dragon.
And the guardians of this world's last stronghold, sworn to one another.

Clad within their hearts with mutual understanding and fueled by the pride that they are the strongest, Lyra unleashed a roar, driving her own massive black form into the silver giant soaring upward from below at an unhesitating speed.

"…Dreams?"
Lyra muttered softly.

Dragons do not sleep. They have no need to.
Many other races believe this—and it is nearly true.
One can live without sleeping; one can rest while standing or sitting, even while flying through the sky.
They require little time for sleep—awakening after just a few minutes at most, rarely exceeding an hour.

Sleep isn't driven by biological necessity as with humans. It may be akin to that human sensation of simply "zoning out."
Yet, for a dragon, it holds deep significance as a form of self-exploration.

Dragons possess power far beyond anything in this mortal realm—power so overwhelming that they seem unconstrained by any limits. For such beings, allowing their consciousness to surrender into the darkness and sensing what lies beyond is profoundly important.
Experiencing dreams offers one perspective; feeling the moment of self-dissolution without dreaming offers another. Both are quietly regarded as crucial steps in objectively understanding the value of one's own existence.

"Do I dwell on my own glorious deeds…? By my own standards, I am still quite pitiful."

The fierce collision shattered both dragons' scales, sending them scattering through the air.
The armored carapace of a dragon, difficult for even a human to injure, offers little protection when one dragon strikes another.

Yet beneath that lies muscle coiled with unimaginable strength, bones supporting its form, and above all—a miraculous healing ability that regenerates before their very eyes.
Amid the sheer power of dragons, scales are merely skin-deep.

The two beasts rebounded from the impact. Lyra bounced upward like a ball returning to the sky; Leila descended vertically under the force of gravity.

In aerial combat, attacking from above is inherently advantageous—but Leila was fully aware of that.
"What a pain."

Against the silver dragon who had just barely avoided direct ground impact, Lyra relentlessly dove downward with zero mercy.
Physically, she held the upper hand as a fire dragon. It was foolish for her opponent to stand on the ground waiting in defiance.

Lyra unleashed her frustration in full force.
Leila evaded the crushing blow by deliberately maintaining her falling velocity until the very last moment, skimming just above the earth and kicking off from the ground like a bird gliding low.

The black dragon's talons gouged deeply into the rocky mountainside—but—
"So you thought you could get caught this way?"

Using the claw embedded in the earth as a fulcrum, Lyra swung her entire body in a semicircle before landing smoothly, then instantly sprinted with the agility of a beast. She chased down Leila—who had become unsteady from using the ground while airborne—and pounced again, slamming her down to the earth at last.

Of course, accelerating rapidly is faster than pushing against soft air—it’s far quicker to kick off solid ground.
Still, most dragons besides Lyra might never have managed the shift from sensing flight like soaring birds to moving like running beasts on land.

"I've got you!"

"Not yet!"

Leila pressed her four legs firmly into the earth, leaped upward once more, and attempted to soar back into the sky.

But Lyra seized her tail, folded her wings, and wrapped them around herself in a spin, driving the silver dragon back to earth once more and smashing beneath its weight.

The wasteland where two colossal bodies, stretching sixty meters each, engaged in hand-to-hand combat continued to tremble from the impact.

Yet Lyra's second strike still hadn't inflicted truly effective damage on Leila.

A battle between dragons renowned for their regenerative capabilities doesn't end simply because both suffered deep wounds twice or thrice; these were barely mere probes, never even reaching the depth of serious injury.
"Showy takeoff now, but once I close in, all you do is run."
"Nonsense... Black Dragon, I'll bring you down for my master's sake."
"Hmm."

Leila severed her own tail. Spewing blood as she fled, the silver dragon escaped; this time, Leila regenerated it and launched herself powerfully into the sky to unleash a Blizzard Breath.
"Ugh!"

Dragons are immune to breath attacks from their own species. However, for Lyra, a fire dragon, ice—the opposing element—while more enduring than ordinary races can handle, certainly isn't ineffective.

Her limbs began freezing solid, strength failing her almost instantly. For an ordinary race, this would be catastrophic; such intense cold could shatter flesh and tissue in the blink of an eye.

But that was true for both of them.
"Don't underestimate me."

Lyra muttered, unleashing her own flames.
The fire erupted from her mouth caused the frozen world to expand violently, triggering an explosion.
Moisture condensed in the air instantly transformed back into steam within the inferno, enveloping the space between the two dragons in a thick curtain of white vapor.

Since the damage from freezing couldn't be undone merely by warming up, Lyra poured her own vitality into healing herself while chasing Leila through the sky.

This time, Leila took the high ground.
Ice dragons tend toward superior flight capabilities; she must have assumed that if she secured a commanding position in the air, she wouldn't lose to Lyra.

But Lyra chased her down while sneering.
"Do you think I'm merely a simple fire dragon? Or just a plain black dragon?"

Ice dragons are reputed to excel in flight not due to physical attributes, but because their perception allows them to sense wind currents and atmospheric shifts more keenly.

It's an ability crucial for long-distance soaring; slight differences accumulate over time, resulting in a massive gap.

But if it only involves flying fast and maneuvering the body, that's another story entirely.

Lyra forced herself to fly even faster, outpacing Leila's movements.
"Ugh!"
"I commend any will to act cunningly in hopes of victory. But—"

Lyra's claw pierced Leila's belly.
"A dragon's power is violence. Only by living true to our nature, fueled by the fervor needed to crush impossibility, can we make the impossible possible."
"You're saying things you know nothing about."
"I've witnessed miracles. And I've continued to watch."

Even while taking Leila's counterattack upon herself, Lyra pressed another blow, inflicting further damage.

Before crashing to the ground, they separated, casting blood and scales in their wake, continuing conversations between dragons that sounded like roaring shouts to any bystanders.
"It's not just mere chance; what calls itself a miracle requires far more than that to manifest. Unless you're prepared to transcend even your own limits."
"A 'miracle' won't suffice. What I can do... is what I can do."
"I will create a miracle. We shall create miracles. Regardless of what you become, follow Andy Samson."

Once again, they clashed.
Straight on, at equal altitude, head-on.

And at that moment, the disparity in their power became unmistakably clear.

The black dragon's raw power overwhelmed the silver dragon, which was clearly pushed back and repelled.

"If you dedicate yourself to your own fate, then so be it. Such a one would never rival us anyway; it is an easy battle."
"Leave me to say what I wish."
Leila righted her posture and stood in defiant opposition against the black dragon hovering above with haughty grace.
Claws capable of shattering stone houses at will, teeth strong enough to consume a horse in a single bite—she strained mightily to knock Lyra down with those very weapons.
Yet Lyra's claws struck faster; her biting jaw was repelled by hardened fists lifted upward. Just as the black dragon cowered from a close-range fire breath that seared its face, Lyra delivered a vertical spinning tail strike that slammed Leila back down to earth where the silver dragon had just shaken the ground itself before rebounding.
Lyra then plummeted downward with accelerated speed from the air, stomping twice like she was gouging out Leila's neck and side in one fluid motion.
Still, despite those wounds, Leila healed them and rose again.

"Still... I cannot retreat yet."

"As you wish," came the reply.

Instant separation.

Leila, launching from a frantic gallop, threw her body forward using her front legs as an axis, and unleashed an attack by sweeping her tail diagonally toward Lyra.

Lyra met it head-on; the silver dragon's body lifted off the ground only to roll across the terrain afterward.

"My turn now."

Chasing after the rolling silver dragon, Lyra copied its move with a tail strike of her own. That single blow swung horizontally and landed cleanly, sending Leila catapulted away in a surprisingly lively arc.

Even so.

Even then, Leila rose once more to face the black dragon.

Her attacks did find their mark; they were not ineffective. They reached their target without fail.

Relying on that certainty...

As though she were praying...

"...Or perhaps, in a way, there was something fascinating about how it lived as a dragon. No, no."

Lyra scratched her head, looked around the vicinity, and smiled gently.

"After all, battles are merely foolish instincts. The present moment is far better."

She gazed at the figures of women who appeared blissful, held close by their own keepers.

For a fleeting instant, she wondered if that dragon, too, knew such joy.

Around the time of Chapter 666, during the "Summer Spirit Festival" arc.
"So, I can't go with you!"
With those words, the silver dragon beat the air with its vast wings and launched itself downward from the summit of the rock mountain, kicking off with its powerful legs.
Her name was Leila.
And in response, the black dragon Lyra handed her master, best friend, and loyal servant to Maya for care, rising into the sky to intercept.
"Diane. ...I leave the two of them in your care."
Two dragons.
And they were also the last guardians of their master's world, a role they had chosen for themselves.
Harboring mutual respect in her heart and burning with the pride that she was the strongest, the black dragon Lyra let out a roar. She slammed her massive black body into the silver giant as it ascended toward her from below at an unwavering speed.

"....Was it a dream?"

Lyra murmured softly.

Dragons do not sleep. There is no need to.

Most other races believe this to be true, and it is close enough to fact.

They can live without sleeping. They can sleep while standing, sitting, or flying through the sky.

They require little time for it as well. Even when they do slumber, they wake up before a mere few minutes pass, or at most, within an hour.

It is not driven by a physiological urge for rest. It might be comparable to a human simply zoning out or spacing out.

However, for dragons, sleep was also a vital process for self-exploration.

They were stronger than anything in this world, capable of bending reality to their will. For dragons possessing such power, entrusting their consciousness to the dark and sensing what lay beyond was essential.

Dreaming was one thing; feeling the moment when the ego dissolved from the body without dreams was another. It was secretly considered a crucial step in objectively evaluating one's own worth.

"Am I nostalgic for my own glorious exploits? ...Even I admit, how shallow and despicable that is."

The violent collision shattered scales from both sides, scattering them into the air.

The armor of a dragon, difficult to wound even with human strength, offered little protection against the impact of another dragon.

However, beneath lay muscles holding unimaginable power, bones supporting them, and most importantly, a miraculous regenerative healing ability that restored their forms in the time it took to look at them.

In the overall strength of a dragon as a creature, scales were merely superficial.

The two beasts bounced off each other from the impact.

Lyra rebounded back into the upper sky like a ball striking the ground and ricocheting up; Leila fell straight down, pulled by gravity.

In aerial combat, attacking from above was still advantageous. But Leila was fully aware of that.

"Annoying."

Against the silver dragon, which had barely managed to avoid crashing into the earth, Lyra dove mercilessly at her.

Lyra held the advantage in physical durability, being a fire dragon. To fight back from below even as a show of resolve was foolish.

Lyra drove her frustration down upon her.

Leila avoided the heavy blow by deliberately maintaining the speed of her crash, skimming so close to the ground it was millimeters away before kicking off the earth to evade.

The black dragon's claws dug deep furrows into the cliff face. However—

"Think that will catch me?"

Using the claws stabbed into the ground as a pivot, Lyra swung her body in a semicircle to land, immediately sprinting with beastly agility. She caught Leila, who was unsteady from using the ground to take flight, pouncing on her and finally slamming her into the earth.

Naturally, for rapid acceleration, it was faster to kick off the solid earth than to push against the yielding air to fly.

That said, other dragons besides Lyra likely would not have been able to switch so abruptly from the sensation of a bird soaring through the sky to that of a beast sprinting across the land.

"I've got you."

"Not yet."

Leila planted her four legs and tried to rebound back up into the sky once more.

However, Lyra seized the tail, folded her wings against herself to create a vortex, and spun horizontally. She slammed Daydream Nightdream back into the ground, crushing and vaulting over the massive frame.

The wilderness, where two bodies of sixty meters engaged in close combat, continued to tremble from the shockwave.

But Lyra’s repeated slams had not yet landed effective blows on Leila.

A battle between dragons, who possess superior recovery abilities, is not ended by taking a deep wound twice or three times. This has not even reached the stage of inflicting serious damage; it is merely a warm-up exercise.

"So you fly up with such bravado? Only to retreat when things get serious?"

"Naturally not... Black Dragon, I will fall for my master."

"Hm?"

Leila severed her tail. Shrouded in flying blood, the silver dragon escaped. Having finally regained her footing, Leila regenerated her tail, soared powerfully into the sky, and exhaled a Blizzard Breath.

"Mngh"

A dragon’s breath is ineffective against its own kind. However, while ice is an opposing attribute to the fire dragon Lyra, who can endure it better than ordinary races, it is not without effect.

Lyra felt strength draining from her limbs as they froze before her eyes. For a normal race, this would be far worse; the cold air was enough to shatter their bodily tissues in an instant.

However, that applied equally to both of them.

"Don't look down on me."

Lyra murmured and unleashed her own flame.

The fire spewed from her mouth rapidly expanded and detonated within the abruptly frozen world.

Moisture condensed from the atmosphere in an instant was turned back into vapor by the blazing hellfire, enveloping the space between the two dragons in a white smoke screen.

The damage from being frozen could not be erased merely by warming up, so Lyra poured her own vitality to recover while pursuing Leila in the sky.

Leila now took the upper position.

Ice dragons tend to excel in flight. She must have believed she would not lose to Lyra if she could secure a sufficient stance in the air.

But Lyra, while chasing, scoffed at that notion.

"Did you think this Lyra was just an ordinary fire dragon, just an ordinary black dragon?"

The reason ice dragons are said to be strong in flight is not due to physical ability, but because they possess a relatively superior perception of wind patterns and atmospheric changes.

It is a crucial ability for long-distance flight, where slight differences accumulate into significant ones.

However, if it were just about flying fast and maneuvering, that would be a different story.

Lyra forced herself to fly faster, surpassing Leila’s movements.

"Guh!"

"You have the will to scheme cunningly to try and win; I acknowledge that. But—"

Lyra’s claw pierced through Leila’s abdomen with a single strike.

"Being a dragon means brute force. Without the madness to crush the impossible by fulfilling one's duty, how could you push through what is impossible?"

"You speak as if you know."

"I have witnessed miracles. I have continued to witness them."

Lyra took Leila’s counterattack on her body while landing another strike to inflict further damage.

Before falling to the ground, they separated from each other, scattering blood and scales, continuing their dragon-to-dragon conversation that would sound like mere roars to an outside observer.

"Simply by chance is not enough; what I call a miracle requires more than that. Even with resolve, if you cannot surpass yourself, it cannot be achieved."

"It doesn't have to be a miracle. I am... I will do what I can."

"I will bring about a miracle. We will bring about a miracle. No matter how you feel about it, obey Andy Smison."

Once again, the two collided.

Straight ahead, at the same altitude, head-on.

And at that moment, the difference in power became clearly apparent.

The silver dragon was clearly pushed back and blasted away by the black dragon’s raw power.

“If she chooses to die for her own fate, so be it. A creature of that caliber will never be my match. This shall be an easy fight.”

“Let me tell you something—!”

Lyra steadied herself and confronted the black dragon hovering in the air with arrogance. She swung claws capable of easily blowing apart stone buildings and bit down with fangs strong enough to crush a horse in one gulp, fighting desperately to bring Lyra to her knees. However, Lyra’s claws pierced faster; her bite was met by a hardened fist that swatted her upward. Just as Lyra flinched from the fire breath scorched at point-blank range, a vertical spin of Lyra’s tail struck again, slamming her back to the ground.

As the silver dragon hit the earth with a force that shook the ground, Lyra accelerated in mid-air and descended, delivering a stomping blow with both hind legs that gouged into Lyra’s neck and flank. Yet despite this, Lyra healed those wounds and began to rise again.

“I’m not… I’m not giving up yet.”

“That is well, then.”

In an instant, they parted ways.

Shifting from a frantic charge, Lyra launched her body using her front legs as a pivot, unleashing a diagonal sweep of her tail at Lyra. Lyra intercepted it with a headbutt. The silver dragon’s body went airborne and rolled across the ground.

“Your turn now.”

Lyra chased after the rolling silver dragon and mimicked her tail attack. A horizontal swing connected with a clean hit, sending Lyra flying away with satisfying precision.

Even so.

Even still, Lyra rose again to challenge the black dragon.

It wasn’t that her attacks weren’t landing. It wasn’t that she couldn’t reach him.

She relied on that.

Like a prayer.

“…Or perhaps, in his own way, he simply finds such a life interesting as a dragon. No.”
Lyra scratched her head, then looked around and smiled.
“After all, battle is but a dull instinct. This is better now.”
The sight of women cradled by their owners, looking happy.
Suddenly, Lyra wondered whether that dragon knew the taste of such joy.

Around chapter 666, during the time of "The Summer Spirit Festival."
"So I can't go with you guys!"
The silver dragon said that and flapped her large wings, pushing against the air. She kicked off from the peak of the rocky mountain with her powerful legs.
Her name was Leila.
And black dragon Lyra accepted this, leaving behind her master, best friend, and newly made companion to Mia in the sky to face it alone.
"Diane... I'm entrusting them to you."
Dragon against dragon.
And between those who had declared themselves as the last guardians of their masters' worlds.
With shared understanding in their hearts, and pride burning within that they were the strongest, black dragon Lyra let out a roar and met the silver giant's unhesitant ascent with her own massive body.

"...Was it just a dream?"

Lyra murmured softly.
Dragons do not sleep. They have no need to.
Many other races believe this, and it is close to the truth.
They can live without sleeping, standing or sitting, even while flying through the sky.
Sleeping for long periods isn’t necessary; they wake up after just a few minutes or at most an hour.
It’s not something driven by a desire for sleep. Perhaps it’s akin to what humans call “daydreaming.”
But for dragons, this was also important in their quest to understand themselves.
For those who possess such power that nothing can resist their will—dragons who have the strength to say they are beyond any earthly thing—it is crucial to entrust one’s consciousness to darkness and feel what lies ahead.
To dream or not to dream, to experience a moment of self-loss from one’s body—that is secretly seen as an important process for objectively assessing one’s own value.
“Are you reminiscing about your glorious achievements…? Even I find myself still so base.”

The violent collision shatters their scales, sending them flying.
Even the dragon’s armor, which is difficult to damage with human strength, offers little protection against such a clash between dragons.
But beneath it lies muscles of unimaginable power, bones that support them, and an astonishing regenerative healing ability that repairs itself before your eyes.
The scales are merely one aspect of a dragon's strength.
They bounce off each other from the impact.
Lyla rebounds into the sky as if she were a ball bouncing off the ground, while Rayla falls straight down due to gravity.
In aerial combat, attacking from above is advantageous. However, Rayla knew this all along.
"Displeasing."
While barely avoiding collision with the ground, Lyla mercilessly attacks again in a steep dive.
She has an advantage in physical durability as a fire dragon. To meet her head-on at such a disadvantage on the ground would be foolish, even if it was to show resolve.

Lyra smashes into her opponent, venting her frustration.

Leila avoids the blow by keeping her descent speed to a minimum and gliding just above ground level. The black dragon’s claws dig deep into the mountainside. But then,

“Did you think I’d be caught?”

Lyra uses the claw embedded in the ground as a pivot, swings her body in a half-circle arc, lands, and immediately sprints forward with feline agility to catch up to Leila, who is still reeling from using the ground for propulsion. Of course, when it comes to sudden acceleration, running on the ground is faster than pushing through the air.

Still, if Lyra were any other dragon, she might not have been able to transition so smoothly from flying like a bird to running like an animal.

“I’ve got you now.”

“Not yet.”

Leila pushes off with her four legs and tries to leap back into the sky.

However, Rila grabbed its tail and spun horizontally, rolling over the silver dragon as she wrapped her wings around herself to slam it back into the ground once more.

The wasteland where two such massive bodies fought shook from their impact. But even after Rila's repeated blows, they had yet to land a truly effective hit on Leila.

A battle between dragons with superior regenerative abilities would not end simply because of a few deep wounds; these were merely preliminary strikes that did not amount to serious damage.

"You flew off confidently but now you're just running away."

"Not at all. …Black Dragon, I will have you fall for my master's sake."

"Huh?"

Leila severed her own tail. The silver dragon escaped as it bled profusely; this time she had regained her footing and was regenerating her tail while flying strongly into the sky to unleash a Blizzard Breath.

"Nuuu!"

Dragon breath is ineffective against other dragons, but ice attacks are not completely harmless to fire dragons like Rila—they can still be somewhat damaging.

Her limbs, frozen solid before her eyes, were losing their strength. For any normal race, this would be the least of their worries; the cold was so intense that it could tear apart bodily tissues in an instant.
But the same went for both of them.
“Don’t underestimate me.”
Lyra muttered and unleashed her flames.
The fire she breathed out expanded and exploded into the world around her, which had frozen over rapidly. The moisture condensed instantly from the air was turned back into steam by the scorching heat, filling the space between the two dragons with a thick white smoke screen.
The damage caused by freezing couldn’t be completely healed just by warming up; Lyra poured in some of her own stamina to aid the recovery while chasing after the airborne Lyra.
This time, Lyra took to the skies.
Ice dragons were known for their superior flight capabilities. Perhaps she thought that if she could get enough altitude, she wouldn’t lose to Lyra.
But as she chased after her, Lyra mocked her thoughts.

"Do you think I'm just a Fire Dragon or a Black Dragon?"

The reason why Ice Dragons are considered strong in the air isn't due to their physical abilities, but rather because of their superior sensory perception that allows them to detect changes in wind flow and atmospheric conditions. This ability is crucial for long-distance flight, as small differences can accumulate into significant ones over time.

However, if all it takes is flying fast and dodging attacks, then that's a different story.
Ryira forced herself to fly faster, outpacing Reila’s movements.
"Kuh!"

"I’ll give you credit for trying to outsmart me. But..."
Ryira’s claws pierced into Reila’s stomach.

"To be the Dragon of Dragons is to wield violence. Without the fanaticism that allows one to bend impossibilities to their will, how can anything be accomplished?"

"You talk as if you know."

"I have seen miracles. I've kept on seeing them."

Even as Rila took the counterattack from Leila, she continued to deliver another blow and inflict damage.

As they fell to the ground, they separated from each other, spreading blood and scales around, continuing their conversation that sounded like roars to anyone listening.

"Without more than just a stroke of luck, without something worthy enough to be called a miracle, it cannot be done. Even if you are prepared, unless you surpass yourself..."

"I don't need miracles. All I can do is..."

"I will create miracles. We will create them. Regardless of who you are, follow Andy Smayson."

Once again, the two clashed.

Straight on, at the same height and directly facing each other.

And this time, their power difference was clearly visible.

The silver dragon was clearly outmatched by the black dragon's strength and was flung away.

"If you wish to die for your own fate, then so be it. Such a one is no match for me. An easy battle."

"Let's see about that."

Leyra straightened her stance and defiantly resisted the black dragon hovering in mid-air.

She swung her claws, easily blowing away stone houses, bared her fangs to bite into horses, and fought fiercely to bring Rila down to earth. But Rila’s claws stabbed first, her fists blocked Leyra's biting teeth, and when she was burned by a close-range fire breath, Rila struck again with a spinning tail strike that sent Leyra plummeting back to the ground.

As the silver dragon shook the earth with its leap, Rila accelerated from mid-air and landed on both hind legs, stomping Leyra’s neck and flank. But even so, Leyra healed her wounds and rose up.

"Not yet... I'm not done."

"Very well."

In an instant, they separated.

Reila launched a spinning attack, swinging her tail diagonally at Rilla from the momentum of her wild charge.
Rilla met it head-on, sending Reila’s silver body flying and rolling across the ground.
“Your turn now,” she said.
She followed up with an attack of her own, mimicking Reila's tail strike. The blow landed cleanly, sending Reila flying a good distance.
Even so,
even then, Reila got back to her feet and challenged the black dragon once more.
The attacks were not ineffective; they did reach their target.
Rilla relied on this,
as if praying for it to be true.

"...Or perhaps she found that way of living as an interesting one for a dragon? No."

Lyra scratched her head and then looked around, smiling.
"It's just a pointless instinct to fight. I prefer this."
She thought of the women in her master’s arms, looking happy.
Suddenly, she wondered if that dragon knew such joy.

Around chapter 666, during the season of the "Summer Spirit Festival."

"That is why I cannot go with you!"

With those words, the silver dragon beat the air with her massive wings and kicked off from the mountain peak with her powerful legs.
Her name was Leila.
Upon receiving this departure, the black dragon Lyra left her master, her best friend, and the friend who had become a servant—Maya—to the latter, and rose to intercept her in the sky.

"Diane... I leave the two of them to you."

Dragons, meeting dragons.
Those who had each become the final guardians of their master's world.
Harboring a deep sense of empathy while burning with the pride of being the strongest, the black dragon Lyra let out a roar and slammed her dark, massive frame against the silver colossus ascending from below at an unhesitating speed.

---

"...A dream, then."

Lyra muttered softly.
Dragons do not sleep. There is no need for sleep.
This is what most other races believe, and it is close to the truth.
Life is not hindered by a lack of sleep, and one can rest while standing, sitting, or even while flying through the sky.
Even when they do sleep, it does not take long. Whether they drift off for a few minutes or up to an hour, they wake quickly.
It is not a biological drive like the human need for sleep; it might be closer to the sensation of "daydreaming" or "spacing out" for a human.
However, for a dragon, this was a vital part of self-exploration.
For a dragon possessing power so great that nothing in the physical world could resist it, surrendering one's consciousness to the darkness to sense what lies beyond was of great importance.
To dream was one method; to experience the moment the ego dissolved within one's own being without dreaming was another. These were regarded as secretly vital processes for objectively assessing the value of one's own existence.

"Are you reminiscing about your own glorious exploits...? Even I... am still so base."

---

During the violent collision, scales from both sides shattered and scattered like snow.
A dragon's armor, which is difficult for even human strength to wound, provides little protection against a collision between two dragons.
However, beneath that armor lies muscle possessing unimaginable power, the bones that support it, and, above all, a miraculous regenerative healing factor that works even as one watches.
In the hierarchy of a dragon's strength, scales are merely a fraction of the whole.
The two beasts were repelled by the impact.
Lyra was bounced upward again, like a ball striking the ground, while Leila was driven straight downward by the force of gravity.
In aerial combat, attacking from above is inherently advantageous. Yet, Leila knew this.

"How insolent."

Lyra dove relentlessly toward the silver dragon, who had barely avoided a fatal crash into the earth.
In terms of sheer physical durability, the advantage lay with herself, a fire dragon. To meet the attack from below, even as a display of resolve, was foolish.
Lyra unleashed her frustration through the strike.
Leila avoided it by skimming the ground, maintaining her terminal velocity until the last possible moment and kicking off the earth.
The black dragon's claws gouged deep into the mountainside. However—

"Do you think that caught me?"

Using her claws, which were embedded in the earth, as a pivot, Lyra swung her entire body in a semi-circle to land. She immediately sprinted with the agility of a beast, catching the wobbling Leila—who had lost stability from using the ground for leverage—and pounced, slamming her to the ground this time for certain.
When it comes to rapid acceleration, pushing off the earth is naturally faster than pushing through the soft air.
Of course, a dragon other than Lyra might not have been able to transition so abruptly from the sensation of a soaring bird to that of a sprinting beast.

"I have you."

"Not yet."

Leila braced all four limbs, leaping to take to the sky once more.

However, Lyra seized that tail and, with her wings still folded, swung herself around in a lateral rotation to wrap it around the beast, slamming the silver dragon into the ground once more, crushing it as she overran it.

The wasteland, where two massive bodies of sixty meters each clashed, continued to tremble from the impact.

Yet, Lyra’s two successive slams had not yet become effective blows against Leila. In a battle between dragons possessing such superior regenerative abilities, a fight does not end simply by inflicting a wound or two. Since these blows hadn't even reached the level of deep wounds, this was nothing more than a warm-up.

"You took off with such bravado, yet when faced with the real thing, you do nothing but flee."

"Hardly... Black Dragon, I shall have you fall for the sake of my master."

"Hah!"

Leila severed her own tail. As the silver dragon escaped amidst a spray of blood, Lyra—having regained her footing this time—soared powerfully into the sky while her tail regenerated, unleashing a Blizzard Breath.

"Nngh!"

Dragon breath of the same species is ineffective against dragons. However, for Lyra, a fire dragon, ice is an opposing element; while she could endure it better than most species, it was not entirely harmless.

Before her very eyes, her frozen limbs began to lose their strength. For an ordinary race, it would have been far worse—the cold was intense enough to shred their very tissues in an instant.

But the same applied to her opponent.

"Do not underestimate me," Lyra muttered, releasing her own flames.

The fire exhaled from her maw caused the rapidly frozen world to expand and explode. The moisture that had instantly condensed in the atmosphere turned back into steam within the scorching hellscape, enveloping the space between the two dragons in a thick, white shroud of smoke.

Since the damage from the freezing could not be erased simply by warming the area, Lyra poured her own vitality into the recovery process as she pursued Leila through the sky.

This time, Leila took the high ground.

Ice dragons tend to excel in flight. Had she calculated that she wouldn't lose to Lyra if she could maintain a proper position in the air?

But Lyra mocked that very thought as she gave chase.

"Did you think this Lyra was merely a common fire dragon, a mere black dragon?"

The reason ice dragons are considered strong in the sky is not due to physical prowess, but because their perception—their ability to sense wind currents and atmospheric changes—is relatively superior. It is a vital ability for long-distance flight, where slight differences accumulate into massive advantages.

However, if the matter is simply flying fast and maneuvering one's body, that is a different story.

Lyra forced herself to fly with extreme speed, outstripping Leila’s movements.

"Kh!"

"I shall praise your cunning attempt to maneuver and win. However..."

One of Lyra's claw strikes pierced Leila's abdomen.

"...The essence of a dragon is violence. Without the madness to push through with one's true nature and overpower the impossible, how could one ever force their will upon the world?"

"You speak as if you know..."

"I have seen miracles. I have continued to see them."

Lyra took Leila's counterattack upon her own body, even as she drove in another strike to inflict damage. Before they fell to the earth, the two parted, continuing their conversation—which, to an outsider, would sound like nothing but roars—as they scattered blood and scales.

"To attract something worthy of being called a miracle, rather than a mere coincidence, that way is insufficient. Not if you cannot transcend yourself even when prepared for the worst."

"It doesn't have to be a miracle. I... whatever I can do..."

"I shall cause miracles. We shall cause miracles. Regardless of what happens to you, we follow Andy Swamson."

Once again, the two collided.

Straight, at the same altitude, head-on.

And in that moment, the difference in power became unmistakable.

The silver dragon was clearly overwhelmed by the black dragon's power, sent reeling by the impact.

"If you intend to die by your fate, so be it. One of your caliber could never hope to defeat me. This will be an easy battle."

"Don't you dare talk down to me!"

Leila steadied herself, resisting the black dragon as it hovered arrogantly above.
She swung her claws, capable of easily blowing away stone houses, and lunged with fangs that could swallow a horse in a single bite, fighting desperately to bring Leila crashing to the ground.
However, Leila's claws struck faster; she parried the biting fangs with a hardened fist, and as she recoiled from the heat of a fire breath searing her face at point-blank range, a spinning strike from Leila's tail sent her plummeting to the earth once more.
As the silver dragon leaped, shaking the very ground, Leila accelerated from the air in a descent, bringing both her hind legs down in a stomp intended to gouge Leila's neck and flank.
Yet, even then, Leila rose, healing her wounds as she did so.

"I... I'm not retreating yet!"

"Very well, then."

In an instant, they parted.
Transitioning from a frantic dash to a leap launched from her forelegs, Leila unleashed a diagonal tail strike.
Leila met the attack with a full-body tackle. The silver dragon’s body was lifted off the ground and sent rolling.

"My turn."

Leila pursued the rolling silver dragon, mimicking her own previous technique with a tail attack. The strike swung horizontally landed a clean hit, sending Leila flying back with such force it was almost rhythmic.
And yet.
Even then, Leila stood back up to challenge the black dragon.
It wasn't that the attacks weren't working. It wasn't that she couldn't reach him.
She relied on that.
As if in prayer.

"...Or perhaps, I couldn't help but think that their way of life... was quite fascinating for a dragon. No."

Leila scratched her head, then looked around and smiled.

"In the end, battle is nothing more than a dull instinct. This is better."

The sight of women looking so happy, cradled in the arms of their masters.

She wondered, for a moment, if that dragon knew such joy.

Around chapter 666, during the "Summer Spirit Festival."
"That is why I cannot go with you!"

The silver dragon declared this before beating her mighty wings against the air and kicking down the rocky mountain peak with her powerful legs.
Her name was Leila.
And the black dragon Laila accepted this, entrusting her master, her best friend, and the friend who had become her servant to the following Mia for protection.
"Diane… I leave them in your care."

Dragon against dragon.
And those who had defined themselves as the world’s final guardians of their masters.
With empathy in their hearts and the pride that they were the strongest burning within, the black dragon Laila roared and slammed her own massive black form into the silver giant rising from below at an unhesitant speed.

"…A dream, then."

Laila murmured softly.

Dragons do not sleep. They need not sleep.

Most other races believe this. And it is close to the truth.

They can live without sleep, and they can rest standing, sitting, or even while flying through the sky.

The time needed for sleep is also not long. Even if they do sleep, they awaken in a matter of minutes, at most an hour.

It is not driven by a desire to sleep. It might be akin to what humans call "spacing out."

But for dragons, it was also something precious—a form of self-discovery.

For a dragon with power so great that nothing in this world could surpass it, and who could do as they pleased without hindrance, surrendering their consciousness to the darkness and sensing what lay beyond was an important thing.

To dream was one thing, and to feel the moment their sense of self vanished without dreaming was another. It was secretly considered an important process for objectively assessing the value of oneself.

"Are you longing for memories of your glorious deeds…? Even I am still so shallow."

The violent collision shattered scales from both sides, sending them scattering.
A dragon’s hide, impervious to even human weaponry, offers little protection in a clash between dragons.
But beneath it lies unimaginable strength in their muscles, the bones that support them, and above all, the astonishing regenerative power that heals them in an instant.
Scales are but a small part of a dragon’s strength.
The two beasts rebounded from the impact.
Laila was sent back into the sky as if a ball had bounced off the ground, while Leila was driven downward by gravity.
Attacking from above is still advantageous in aerial combat. But Leila was well aware of this.
"Pathetic."

The silver dragon barely avoided crashing into the ground, and Laila mercilessly dove down to attack.
In terms of physical resilience, she had the advantage as a fire dragon. To meet her attack from below, even as a show of defiance, was foolish.
Laila hammered that frustration into her.
Leila evaded the heavy blow by deliberately maintaining near-fall velocity, skimming just above the ground and kicking off the earth to change direction.
The black dragon’s claws gouged deeply into the mountain face. But—
"Did you think that would hold me?"

Laila used the claw she had driven into the ground as a pivot, swinging her entire body in an arc to land, then immediately sprinted with the agility of a beast, not missing Leila as she staggered from using the ground mid-flight, and leaped to finally slam her down to earth.

A sudden burst of speed was naturally faster than flying by pushing against the soft air—kicking off the ground was quicker.

Though, for any dragon other than Laila, the transition from the sensation of a bird taking to the sky to that of a beast racing across the land might not have been possible so abruptly.

"Got you!"

"Not yet."

Laila stretched her four legs, leaped, and tried to soar back into the sky.

But Laila grabbed her tail, folded her wings, and spun sideways, wrapping herself around the silver dragon, slamming her down again, crushing her beneath her weight before surging over her.

The wasteland where these two sixty-meter giants clashed continued to tremble from the impact.

Yet even Laila’s twice-repeated blows had not yet been effective against Laila.

A battle between dragons with superior recovery wouldn’t end after inflicting wounds just twice or thrice. This was merely a warm-up, far from causing any serious harm.

"So eager to take flight, yet when the moment comes, you only flee."

"Impossible… Black Dragon, I shall have you fall for my master."

"Hoh?"

Laila severed her own tail. The silver dragon fled, scattering blood, but now readjusted, she took to the sky powerfully while regenerating her tail and unleashed a Blizzard Breath.

"Nyuu!"

Dragon breath has no effect on its own kind. But for Laila, the fire dragon, ice—her opposite element—wasn’t entirely harmless. She could endure it better than ordinary races, but it still affected her.

Her limbs froze instantly, losing strength. For a normal race, that would be the end of them. The cold was enough to shred their tissues in an instant.

But the same applied to Laila.

"Don’t underestimate me."

Laila muttered, unleashing her flames.

The fire she spewed expanded and exploded through the rapidly frozen world.

Water vapor instantly condensed from the air, turning back into scorching steam, enveloping the space between the two dragons in a white smoke screen.

Simply warming the frozen damage wasn’t enough to erase it, so Laila poured her own vitality into healing it while chasing after Laila in the sky.

This time, Laila gained the upper hand.

Ice dragons tend to have superior flight capabilities. Perhaps she believed that if she could establish a proper stance in the air, she wouldn’t lose to Laila.

But Laila scoffed as she pursued her.

"Did you think this Laila was just some fire dragon, some black dragon?"

The reason ice dragons are said to be strong in the sky isn’t due to physical prowess but rather their relatively superior perception of wind currents and atmospheric changes.

That’s a vital ability for long-distance flight—small differences accumulate into significant ones.

But if it were merely about flying fast and maneuvering, that would be another matter entirely.

Laila forced herself to fly faster, surpassing Laila’s movements.

"Kuh."

"I’ll commend your cunning tactics and will to win, even if you’re just a little clever. But—"

One of Laila’s claws pierced Laila’s belly.

"The true dragon is violence incarnate. Without the fanaticism to overcome impossibilities with one’s own nature, how could anything be forced?"

"You talk big."

"I have witnessed miracles. I continue to witness them."

While still taking Rayla’s counterattacks upon her own body, Laila delivers another blow, inflicting further damage.

Before either of them falls to the ground, they separate, scattering blood and scales as they continue their conversation—a roar-like exchange that sounds like nothing but bellowing to any outsider.

"Not mere coincidence, no. To draw forth something worthy of being called a miracle requires more than that. A resolve beyond what you can surpass."

"I don’t need miracles. I… I only need to do what I can."

"I will create miracles. We will create miracles. Whether you like it or not, follow Andy Smythson."

Once again, the two clash.

Straight, at the same altitude, head-on.

And at that moment, the difference in power becomes clear.

The silver dragon is clearly overpowered by the black dragon’s strength, sent flying backward.

"If you wish to die for your own fate, then so be it. A being of such caliber can never best me. An easy fight."

"Let me finish this!"

Rayla regains her footing and defiantly resists the hovering black dragon.

She lashes out with claws that could easily shatter stone, snaps at her with fangs that could swallow a horse whole, and struggles to bring Laila crashing down.

But Laila’s claws strike faster, her bite is repelled by a clenched fist, and when she recoils from the fire breath scorching her face at close range, Laila’s vertical-tailed sweep sends Rayla plummeting once more.

As the silver dragon bucked from the impact, Laila accelerates downward from the air, using both hind legs to stomp down on Rayla’s neck and flank as if tearing them away.

Yet even so, Rayla heals her wounds and rises again.

"Not… not yet. I can’t back down."

"Good."

In an instant, they separate.

Rayla launches from a desperate sprint, using her forelegs to vault into the air, then swings her tail diagonally downward in an attack aimed at Laila.

Laila intercepts with a body slam. The silver dragon’s form floats and rolls across the ground.

"Now, it’s my turn."

Laila pursues the rolling silver dragon and mimics her with a tail strike. The blow lands cleanly, sending Rayla bouncing away in a satisfying manner.

Yet still…

Even so, Rayla rises again, challenging the black dragon.

It’s not that her attacks fail to connect. It’s not that they don’t reach their mark.

She relies on that.

As if praying.

"...Or perhaps, that is… an interesting way of living for a dragon, I suppose. No."

Laila scratches her head and smiles as she looks around.

"War is nothing but a tedious instinct in the end. This is better."

The sight of women being held by their masters, looking happy.

For a moment, she wonders if that dragon knows this kind of joy.

Around episode 666, the time of the "Summer Spirit Festival."
"Therefore, I cannot go with you!"

The silver dragon spoke these words, then beat its massive wings against the air and kicked down from the peak of the rocky mountain with its powerful legs.

Her name is Leila.

And Black Dragon Lyra, in response, entrusted her master, her closest friend, and the companion who had become her subordinate to the following Maia, and met them in the sky.

"Diane... I'll leave the two of you in your care."

Dragon against dragon.
And those who have sworn themselves as the final guardians of their own world.

With empathy hidden within their hearts, and burning with the pride that they are the strongest, Black Dragon Lyra let out a roar and slammed her black massive body into the silver giant rising from below at an unhesitating speed.

"...A dream, is it?"
Lyra whispered softly.

Dragons do not sleep; there is no need for them to.
Many other races believe this, and it is close to the truth.
They can live without sleeping, whether standing, sitting, or flying through the air.
The time needed for sleep is also not long; even if they do sleep, they awaken after only a few minutes at most, never exceeding an hour.
It is not driven by a desire for sleep. For humans, it might be akin to the sensation of "zoning out."

Yet, for dragons, this was something important as a form of self-exploration.
Dragons possess power so great that they can claim to be stronger than anything in the mortal world and capable of achieving anything their will dictates. For such dragons, surrendering their consciousness to the darkness and sensing what lies beyond it is a crucial matter.

Dreaming is one thing; feeling the moment when one's self vanishes from within oneself without dreaming is another. This process is secretly regarded as profoundly important for objectively evaluating the value of one's own existence.

"Am I reminiscing about my own glorious exploits...? Truly, I am still quite pitiful."

The fierce collision shattered both dragons' scales, sending them scattering through the air.
Dragon armor, which even human strength struggles to wound, offers little protection in a clash between dragons.
Yet beneath it lie muscles harboring unimaginable power, bones supporting them, and above all, a miraculous healing ability that regenerates before one's very eyes.

Among the strengths of creatures known as dragons, scales are merely a superficial layer.

The two dragons bounced off each other from the impact.
Lyra rose back into the sky like a ball rebounding to the ground, while Leila descended straight downward under the influence of gravity.

In aerial combat, attacking from above is indeed advantageous. However, Leila was fully aware of this.

"What an annoyance."
Against the silver dragon who had just barely avoided crashing to the ground, Lyra relentlessly dove down upon her.

Physically, she holds the advantage over herself as a fire dragon. Yet, for someone to meet her attack from below merely to show resolve is foolishness.
Lyra unleashed her frustration with a crushing blow.

Leila evaded this heavy strike by deliberately maintaining her falling speed until the very last moment, skimming just above the ground and kicking off it as she flew.
The black dragon's claws gouged deeply into the mountain's surface. However—

"Did you think that would catch me?"
Using the claw embedded in the ground as a pivot, Lyra swung her entire body in a semicircle to land, then immediately sprinted away with the agility of a beast. She did not let go of Leila, who was stumbling from using the ground while flying, and leapt forward to slam her down to the earth once more.

Of course, when accelerating rapidly, it is natural that kicking against the earth yields greater speed than pushing through soft air.

Though for dragons other than Lyra, shifting abruptly from the sensation of a bird soaring in the sky to the rush of a beast running across the ground may have been impossible.

"I've got you!"

"Not yet."

Leira strained all four limbs, leaped upward, and attempted to rise into the air once more.

But Lyra seized her tail, folded her wings, wrapped herself around them in a horizontal spin, slammed the silver dragon back onto the ground, pinned her down, and crushed beneath her own weight.

The wilderness where two colossal bodies, each sixty meters long, engaged in combat continued to tremble from the impact.

Yet even Lyra's repeated strikes had not yet delivered a decisive blow to Leira.

A battle between dragons renowned for their resilience would not end after one or two severe wounds; this was merely a preliminary skirmish, falling short of inflicting true damage.

"You took off with such bravado, only to flee when the moment came."

"Impossible... Black Dragon, I shall bring you down for my master's sake!"

"Hmph."

Leira severed her own tail. As blood sprayed around her, the silver dragon escaped; now regaining her footing, she regenerated her tail and soared powerfully into the sky, unleashing a Blizzard Breath.

"Ugh!"

Breaths from the same species are ineffective against dragons. Yet for Lyra, a Fire Dragon, ice—the opposite element—was not entirely useless, though it could be endured better than by ordinary races.

Her frozen limbs gradually lost strength. For an ordinary being, such cold would be unbearable; in moments, their very tissues would crumble apart.

But the same applied to both.

"Don't underestimate me."

Lyra muttered, releasing her inner flame.

The fire expelled from her mouth caused the rapidly frozen world to expand and explode.

Moisture condensed in the air instantly turned back into steam within the inferno, enveloping the space between the two dragons in a thick veil of white smoke.

Since the damage from freezing could not be undone merely by warming up, Lyra poured her own vitality into healing herself while pursuing Leira through the sky.

This time, Leira gained the upper hand.

Ice Dragons tend to excel in flight; perhaps she believed that if she secured a proper position in the air, she could match Lyra.

But as Lyra pursued her, she mocked her resolve.

"Did you think this Lyra was nothing more than a mere Fire Dragon, or just another Black Dragon?"

The reason Ice Dragons are said to dominate the skies lies not in physical prowess, but in their superior perceptual ability to sense wind currents and atmospheric shifts—a crucial skill for long-distance flight, where even minor differences accumulate into significant advantages.

However, if one simply flies fast and maneuvers well, that is a different matter entirely.

Lyra pushed herself beyond her limits, flying faster than ever before, surpassing Leira's movements.

"Ugh!"

"I commend any dragon who schemes cleverly and strives to win. But—"

One of Lyra's claws pierced Leira's abdomen.

"A dragon's true power lies in violence. Without the fervor to overcome impossibility by fulfilling one's own nature, how can one ever succeed?"

"You speak as if you know something I don't."

"I have witnessed miracles. I have continued to witness them."
While taking the counterattack upon herself, Layra delivers another blow, inflicting further damage.

Before they crash to the ground, they part ways, scattering blood and scales as they continue their dragon-like conversation, which sounds nothing more than roars to an outside observer.

"It is not mere chance that draws forth something worthy of being called a miracle; it requires resolve beyond what can be achieved even with full determination."

"A miracle isn't necessary. All I need... is what I can do."

"I shall create the miracle. We shall create the miracle. No matter how you act, follow Andy Smythe."

Once again, they collide—head-on, at equal height, directly facing one another.
And at that moment, the disparity in their power becomes unmistakably clear.
The silver dragon is decisively overpowered by the black dragon's might and sent flying backward.

"If you are willing to sacrifice yourself for your fate, then so be it. Such a being can never stand against me. This will be an easy fight."

"Leave me to speak my mind!"

Layra regains her footing, defying the black dragon that hovers above with arrogant composure.

She swings claws capable of effortlessly blowing away stone houses and bites down with fangs strong enough to crush a horse in a single snap, striving to bring Layra crashing to the earth.
Yet Layra's claws strike faster, piercing through; her bite is countered by a solid punch that sends her flying, only for her to be scorched on the face by a fire breath from close range and cower—right then, Layra's vertical spinning tail strike knocks her down once more to the ground.

As the silver dragon rebounds, shaking the earth beneath her, Layra accelerates mid-air and descends, delivering a stomp that tears into Layra's neck and ribs with both hind legs.
Still, even so, Layra heals her wounds and rises again.

"Not yet... I will not retreat."

"Very well."

In an instant, they separate.

Layra leaps forward from her frantic charge, throwing her body off balance using her front legs as an axis, and unleashes a diagonal tail swipe aimed at Layra.
Layra meets the attack with a direct collision; the silver dragon's body lifts into the air before rolling across the ground.

"Next time, I'll take the lead."
Chasing the rolling silver dragon, Layra mimics her own move and strikes with her tail. The horizontal blow lands cleanly, sending Layra airborne in an almost satisfyingly high arc.

Even so...
Even still, Layra rises and challenges the black dragon anew.

Her attacks are not entirely ineffective; they do reach their mark.
Relying on that.
As if in prayer...

"...Or perhaps, in its own way, I find such a life fascinating for a dragon. No."
Layra scratches her head, surveys her surroundings, and smiles.

"After all, battles are merely boring instincts. This moment is far better."
The sight of women being held by their masters, looking blissfully content.
Suddenly, she wonders: does this dragon truly understand such joy?

Around the 666th episode, it was the time of the "Summer Spirit Festival."
"So, I cannot go with you!"
The silver dragon said this and, with its large wings, struck the atmosphere and kicked down the top of a rocky mountain with its powerful legs.
Her name was Leila.
And then, the black dragon Leila, accepting this, entrusted her master, friend, and servant to the following Maia while taking to the sky to meet the challenge.
"Leina... I leave them in your care."
It was a battle between dragons.
And it was a battle between those who had sworn to be the last protectors of their respective worlds.
While harboring mutual understanding and burning with pride as the strongest, Leila let out a roar and descended at full speed from above, slamming her black body against the silver giant that had risen from below without hesitation.

"...Dreams, huh?"

Leila muttered softly.

Dragons do not sleep. They have no need to.

Many other races believe this. And it is close to the truth.

They don’t need much sleep, and they can sleep while standing, sitting, or even flying in the air.

Their sleep is also short—just a few minutes or, at most, an hour before they awaken.

It’s not something done out of the desire for sleep. It might be closer to the sensation of "spacing out" for humans.

But for dragons, it was also a crucial process for self-discovery.

Stronger than anything in this world, nothing could stand in their way. With such power, it was important for them to surrender themselves to darkness and sense what lay beyond.

Whether dreaming or feeling the moment when their own selves vanished—both were considered secretly significant processes for objectively evaluating their own worth.

"Perhaps I am reminiscing about my glorious deeds... How petty of me."

Their scales shattered violently in the intense collision, scattering everywhere.

The armor that even human strength could barely scratch was no protection at all in a battle between dragons.

But beneath it lay unimaginable power—muscles, bones, and most of all, their astonishing ability to regenerate while being observed.

For dragons, their scales were just one part of their strength.

The two dragons, now colliding with each other in the shockwave.

Leila was sent back into the air like a ball bouncing off the ground, while Leila, under the force of gravity, fell straight down.

In an aerial battle, attacking from above was naturally advantageous. But Leila knew this well.

"How petty."

Leila mercilessly dove at the silver dragon, which had barely avoided crashing into the ground.

Her body was stronger than that of the fire dragon herself. To fight from below, even if it was to show resolve, was foolish.

Leila unleashed her frustration.

Leila, deliberately maintaining her descent until the very last moment, slid along the surface of the ground just above it and kicked off to evade.

The black dragon’s claws dug deep into the rocky mountain. But...

"That’s how you think you’ve caught me?"

Using the claw embedded in the ground as a pivot, Leila swung her entire body in a semicircle and landed, immediately charging forward with the agility of a beast. Seizing the opportunity created by the instability caused by using the ground while flying, she pounced and finally slammed the black dragon back to the earth.

If it were a sudden acceleration, it would be faster to kick off the ground than to push through the soft atmosphere and fly.

However, for dragons other than Lyra, it might have been impossible to suddenly shift from the sensation of flying like a bird to that of running like a beast on the ground.

"I’ve got you."

"Not yet."

Lyra braced her four legs and tried to leap back into the air.

But Lyra grabbed her tail, rolled sideways while keeping her wings folded and wrapped herself around it, slamming the silver dragon back to the ground and crushing her.

The desert, shaken by the impact of the two massive bodies colliding, continued to tremble.

Lyra’s repeated strikes were still not effective against her.

Fights between dragons, with their superior regenerative abilities, did not end after just a few shallow wounds. This was merely a warm-up, barely even touching the surface.

"Rising boldly into the air, only to flee at the first sign of danger."

"Never. …Black Dragon, I will make you fall for my master’s sake."

"Hmph."

Lyra severed her tail. Spattering blood, the silver dragon escaped and, now fully regaining her composure, began to fly powerfully back into the air while unleashing a Blizzard Breath.

"Grrr."

Breaths from the same species were ineffective against dragons. For Lyra, the fire dragon, ice—the opposite of her attribute—was more tolerable than for ordinary creatures but not entirely ineffective.

Lyra’s limbs began to freeze and lose strength. For ordinary creatures, this would be unthinkable. The cold was so intense it could tear apart their tissues in an instant.

But that was mutual.

"Underestimate me."

Lyra muttered and released her fire.

The flames she exhaled expanded and exploded in the rapidly freezing world.

The water vapor condensed from the atmosphere in an instant and turned into scorching steam, enveloping the space between the two dragons in a white smoke screen.

The damage from the freezing could not be fully healed by simply warming up, so Lyra poured her own strength into recovery while chasing the airborne Lyra.

This time, Lyra took the high ground.

Ice dragons tended to excel at flight. Perhaps she had judged that she could outfly Lyra if she could secure a favorable position in the air.

But Lyra scoffed as she pursued her.

"Do you really think I’m just a fire dragon, just a black dragon?"

The reason ice dragons were said to be strong in the air was not due to their physical abilities but rather their superior sense of perception, allowing them to detect wind currents and atmospheric changes more easily.

This was an important ability for long-distance flight, as even small differences could add up over time.

But speed and agility alone were a different story.

Lyra forced herself to fly faster and surpassed Lyra’s movements.

"Ugh."

"A little cunning and the will to win—commendable. But…"

Lyra’s claw struck Lyra’s abdomen.

"The essence of being a dragon is violence. Only with the fury to crush the impossible can you force your way through what seems insurmountable."

"Don’t act so high and mighty."

I have seen miracles. I have kept seeing them.

While taking the counterattack of Leila’s claws on her own body, she delivered a powerful strike to deal damage.

Before falling to the ground, they parted ways, scattering blood and scales as they continued their conversation, which from an outsider’s perspective would sound like roaring dragons.

"It was not mere coincidence. It was something worth calling a miracle. Yet, if I could not surpass myself even with that resolve…"

"A miracle is not necessary. What I can do…"

"I will create miracles. We will create miracles. No matter how you are, follow Andy Smison."

Once again, the two clashed.

Straight on, at the same altitude, head-on.

And there, the difference in power became clear.

The black dragon was clearly overpowered by the silver dragon, being sent flying.

"If you wish to die for your fate, then so be it. A being of that caliber would never be a match for me. What an easy battle."

"Let them speak."

Leila regained her footing and defiantly opposed the arrogant black dragon soaring in the sky.

Swinging her claws that could easily destroy stone houses and biting down with fangs that could swallow a horse, she fought to bring Leila crashing to the ground.

But Leila’s claw struck first, her bite was deflected by a solid fist, and as she faltered from a fire breath at close range, the silver dragon’s vertical tail strike sent Leila back to the ground.

As the silver dragon shook the earth with a leap, Leila accelerated from the air and descended, stomping down with both hind legs to tear apart Leila’s neck and flank.

Yet, even so, Leila rose again while healing her wounds.

"I will not… I will not retreat yet."

"Very well."

In an instant, they separated.

Leila threw herself into a spin using her forelimbs as a pivot, unleashing a tail strike diagonally at Leila.

Leila met it with a body slam. The silver dragon’s body floated and rolled across the ground.

"This is my turn now."

Pursuing the fallen silver dragon, she followed suit with a tail attack. The sideways swing landed cleanly, sending Leila flying with a satisfying ease.

Even so.

Even still, Leila rose and challenged the black dragon.

It was not that her attacks didn’t land. It wasn’t that they couldn’t reach.

It was because of that.

As if praying.

"...Perhaps, in its own way… that dragon lived a fascinating life as a dragon. No."
Leila scratched her head and then smiled as she looked around.
"Warfare is merely a dull instinct in the end. This is far better."
The sight of women being held by their masters, content and happy.
Suddenly, she wondered if that dragon knew this joy.