Simo

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Ynos didn't immediately heed my words. His spirit was roused, and his aura surged, the mana oozing off his body dyeing his scales with a bright golden hue.

I shifted my attention to him, speaking with unwavering seriousness as I released my own pressure to compel him to come back to his senses. "Ynos, stand down," I emphasized each word.

His eyes darted between Essie and me, locked in uncertainty.

"I'm not going to repeat myself again, little brother. Now is not the time," I continued, allowing my aura to surge, causing the air to stiffen and the elements to churn in response.

After a few seconds of agonizing silence, Ynos forcefully closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Reluctantly, he descended below the mountain and toward the forest.

I followed his descent with my eyes, the distant sounds of explosions marking his trail as he vented his anger and adrenaline by uprooting large areas of the forest. I shook my head and made my way down to rejoin the others.

"Is it okay to let him do that?" Immy asked, her concern evident.

"Leave him," I replied with a sigh. The destruction he was causing was indeed ridiculous, but it was better for him to vent his frustrations this way than for the siblings to fight amongst themselves.

"Still, I'm surprised, Essie. When did you get so strong?" Immy asked with a rare smile. Sidus's ears perked as he turned to her as well, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"A-Ah, it was thanks to Grandmother's training," Essie replied with a shy smile. Her tail and ears quivered with happiness, clearly enjoying the compliments.

As we sat there, the distant echoes of Ynos's explosions gradually faded into the background, leaving us with a heavy silence. Each of us was preoccupied with our own thoughts, grappling with the harsh reality that Father was gone.

I knew that this day was a constant risk ever since we joined the war efforts. Over the past year, I had witnessed countless Dragons and Deities fall in battle, but it always felt distant, like a story told from afar. There were challenging battles, even the one where I lost control, but I always had this sense that victory was within reach, that I was invulnerable. It was as if I had an invisible shield that separated me from the horrors of war.

And then there were the pillars of strength in my life: Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother, and Father. In my mind, they were invincible, towering walls that protected me. They were beings of such immense power that I couldn't fathom them ever being defeated. They were akin to a massive wall, one so high, it would take me decades if not more to climb over.

But now, one of those walls had crumbled. It didn't make sense. How could it? Even if an army invaded, even if they outnumbered them, how could Father die? He had the power to heal himself; it was a fundamental ability all dragons possessed, varying in proficiency depending on their element. He was overwhelmingly strong, and that's what made it so difficult for me to comprehend.

How did he fall?

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as we sat on the edge of our floating mountain, a somber cloud over our heads.

As the weight of Father's absence continued to press on my mind, a sudden realization struck me. A Dragon's greatest strength and, paradoxically, his greatest vulnerability lay in his soul space. Could it be that Father's demise was somehow linked to his soul space? The questions swirled in my thoughts, unanswered and troubling. I couldn't help but glance in the direction of the cave where Mother and Grandmother remained in conversation. What secrets or revelations were they discussing in there?

Just then, Ynos abruptly flew over to our group, his eyes still ablaze with an unquenchable desire for combat. He fixed his gaze on me and issued his challenge, "Fight me, brother! No need to use any spells or any elements, just use our bodies! Fight me!"

I couldn't help but sigh. There was the impulsive, headstrong Ynos I knew so well. It was strange how he had been more composed and thoughtful lately, but it seemed inevitable that his fiery spirit, would rekindle.

"So be it, Ynos," I responded, accepting his challenge with a resigned tone. "It appears I need to remind you of your place, little brother."

I rose to my feet and used my mana to gently place Essie on the ground, her curious eyes watching the impending duel. Immy, in her usual pragmatic manner, rolled her eyes and found a spot to rest. Sidus remained silent, while Breta continued to tinker with her spear, seemingly oblivious to the brewing confrontation.

We both flew high above the mountain and began our fight without any pause or hesitation. There was no need for any words, anything that needed to be said would be conveyed in battle.

Ynos rushed with his head down aiming his horns at me. Usually, I would avoid his attack and counterattack, after all, there was no need to face his freakishly strong body head-on. Not now, however.

I rushed forward meeting his attack with my claws as I aimed and grabbed his horns. Our clash ended up with me getting pushed backward, but I had successfully grabbed a hold of his horns and managed to stop them from causing any serious damage.

Before he could do anything, I forcefully redirected his charge and twisted his head, using my wings to propel us downward. I was using my claws to keep a tight grasp on his horns as I flew like a meteor toward the ground, dragging him along with me.

Ynos trashed and tried to attack me, but I used my back limbs to deliver swift kicks that kept him at bay. Once we almost reached the ground, I used every ounce of my strength to throw him at it head-first.

His eyes widened slightly as he quickly twisted his body and turned to his back falling down. A massive boom sound followed as a large crater appeared in the middle of the forest with dozens of trees uprooted.

I didn't give him any chance to rest, and followed right after aiming for his stomach. Ynos saw me coming and tried to counterattack, but I had the advantage. I evaded his claw strike, although not fully as he managed to draw blood from my side, before I smashed my tail at his face. The force of the attack deepened the crater.

"Stay down, little brother. You are still not my match."