Chapter 30 - The First Flame
The Dragon's Heart Cavern shook violently.
Ancient pillars collapsed one after another.
Dust and glowing crystal fragments filled the air.
The Seven Holy Hunters advanced together, their beasts surrounding the chamber like an unbreakable wall.
Kai placed both hands against the crystal prison.
The first crimson chain had shattered.
Nine remained.
The Book of Infinite Beasts glowed.
---
Seal Progress
Broken: 1 / 10
Time Remaining: 09:13
---
Azrael raised his hand.
"Kill the fox."
"Capture the Sovereign alive."
The Heavenly Chimera roared.
The six Mythic Beasts charged simultaneously.
---
The Crimson Flame Fox stepped forward.
For the first time since Kai had met it...
Its playful smile disappeared.
Its crimson eyes became calm.
Ancient.
Regal.
"Kai..."
"Don't look back."
"Leave them to me."
Kai hesitated.
"They'll kill you."
The fox smiled gently.
"Didn't we promise?"
"Partners until the end."
Kai clenched his fists.
"I'll free the dragon."
"I swear it."
---
The fox turned toward the Seven Holy Hunters.
Its body became surrounded by a vortex of crimson fire.
The Book reacted immediately.
Bloodline Resonance
Crimson Flame Fox
Hidden Bloodline: Primordial Nine-Tailed Flame Sovereign
Bloodline Awakening:
15% → 25%
---
Azrael's eyes narrowed.
"So..."
"It wasn't an ordinary fox after all."
---
The Titan Bear charged first.
Its massive paw crashed downward.
Instead of dodging...
The fox stood perfectly still.
Just before impact—
FLASH!
Its body split into three identical crimson foxes.
The Titan Bear struck only stone.
"What?"
Magnus stared in disbelief.
"An illusion?"
"No..."
Azrael whispered.
"Afterimages."
The fox had moved faster than the eye could follow.
---
Kai focused on the crystal.
A second chain shattered.
CRACK!
The Eclipse Dragon slowly opened one eye.
"Good..."
"Again."
---
Behind him...
Battle erupted.
The Moon Phoenix filled the cavern with silver fire.
The Thunder Roc unleashed bolts of lightning.
The Abyss Serpent spread poisonous mist.
Yet every attack missed.
The fox danced between them like a living flame.
It wasn't stronger.
It was simply untouchable.
---
Selene frowned.
"It predicts every attack."
Azrael shook his head.
"No."
"It trusts its master completely."
"The Book is guiding them."
---
Kai smiled faintly.
He could feel everything.
Every movement.
Every heartbeat.
Even while concentrating on the seal...
His connection with the fox had never been stronger.
Another chain cracked.
Three.
Then...
Four.
Golden light spread across the crystal.
The Eclipse Dragon's wings twitched.
---
Suddenly—
The Heavenly Chimera leapt over the battle.
It ignored the fox completely.
Its target was Kai.
"Now!"
Azrael shouted.
The Divine Beast opened its jaws.
A sphere of black-and-gold energy formed.
Kai couldn't move.
Breaking the seal required total concentration.
If he stopped now...
The chains would regenerate.
The fox saw the attack.
Without hesitation...
It turned.
It abandoned its perfect defence.
It sprinted toward Kai.
"NO!" Kai shouted.
The Chimera fired.
A beam of destructive energy engulfed the fox.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion illuminated the entire cavern.
Silence followed.
Smoke slowly drifted away.
Kai's eyes widened.
The Crimson Flame Fox stood before him.
Its body was covered in burns.
Blood dripped onto the stone floor.
Yet it still stood.
Still smiling.
"You're... almost there..."
Kai felt something inside him break.
Not in despair.
In resolve.
Golden flames erupted from the Book of Infinite Beasts.
Every page turned at once.
A single sentence appeared.
The Heart of a Beast Sovereign
A Sovereign never asks a companion to bear a burden alone.
Kai slowly removed one hand from the crystal.
The remaining chains began to glow.
The Eclipse Dragon looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
Kai walked to the fox's side.
He gently rested a hand on its head.
"We finish this..."
"...together."
For the first time since the Book had chosen him...
Kai's own body became surrounded by crimson-gold flames.
His aura merged completely with that of the Crimson Flame Fox.
Across the cavern, every Holy Hunter instinctively stepped backwards.
Azrael's voice trembled.
"No..."
"He's entering..."
"...the Sovereign State."
Far beyond the Dragonbone Frontier, the Four Divine Guardians simultaneously looked toward the north.
Aurelius smiled.
"The boy has taken his first true step."
And within the crystal prison, the Eclipse Dragon opened both eyes.
"The Tenth Chain..."
"...will not survive what comes next."