The blood still dripping from its mouth and the still open wounds made Urgerross' appearance no less worthy of a demon of its caliber. The great white dragon closed its eyes and exhaled its last deep breath.

Yoichi, with Ryutaro's katana clutched in his hands, looked up at the sky and thought back to his friends. Enatsu, Shioko, the warriors of the Nightblades, and Princess Sui. All of them, along with his masters had, directly and indirectly, helped create the warrior he had become.

​​

Under Therion's eyes, without continuing to think about the consequences of his gesture and reflecting on the fact that with his sword he could release the spirit of Urgerross even in his subconscious, Yoichi plunged the sharp blade of the katana into its neck.

*splat* - The katana slithered between the dragon's hard scales and penetrated the thick layer of skin beneath them as if it were made of butter. An inch at a time, Urgerross narrowed its eyes and clenched its jaws, accepting the defeat.

As soon as Yoichi felt the tip of the blade touch the dragon's windpipe, he made one last quick lunge and then spun the sword on itself. *track* - The dragon's throat bone broke under the blow of the young tamer, who with surgical precision made sure to kill it without causing it further suffering.

The black clouds that had covered the arena for the duration of the fight suddenly disappeared and the sun began to shine in the sky again. The fog dissipated and the beautiful valley below the Sanctum of Infinity became visible under its rays.

Yoichi held the blade of the katana tightly and, with the skill worthy of a master swordsman, drew it from Urgerross' neck. The sword blade retraced the same path to exit as that it had followed to enter, leaving the blood to drip only from that very spot.

When the sword was back in the hands of its owner and when he stepped back to honor the death of his opponent, the scales of Urgerross' back began to crumble.

Its one wing, then its tail, neck, limbs, and head. The thunder dragon had been defeated by the only human capable of wielding the powers of the supreme Therion, who looked on smugly at the work of its heir.

"I... I made it, Supreme Therion!" Yoichi rejoiced. He turned to his mentor and completely deactivated Kenji's enhancement skill. Also, the wounds on his arm and back had disappeared.

"I managed to defeat Urgerross! I just defeated one of the Guardians of the Whole! Whohoo!" the human warrior shouted in delight again, hopping next to Therion and twirling his long blond hair in the air, still smeared with draconic blood.

"You've managed to awaken some of my power, my son. You activated the primordial flame without my consent, proving that you have a pure heart eager to increase your power," the Dragon King admitted. "You have successfully completed your first test. The first part of the cultivation of your draconic power is achieved," he added.

"What now? What should I do now? When do I have to face the next enemy? Who will it be?" - Yoichi felt a vortex of strong emotions. The adrenaline from the heated confrontation was still coursing through his veins, but the happiness of having succeeded outweighed everything. The young warrior flooded his winged mentor with questions, fearing that the vision would end before he knew all the answers.

"Your next opponent will be much stronger than Urgerross. Although not what I led you to believe, the thunder dragon was the youngest and most inexperienced of the Guardians of the Whole," Therion affirmed.

Yoichi was shocked by that statement and tried to imagine the power of a dragon more experienced than Urgerross. He had never fought against such a strong being and he knew that if he faced it in the real world, he would not last a moment.

"What is its name? What about its power? Let me prepare for the fight, Supreme Therion!" he begged.

"The power of my Tear allows you to travel through space and time with the sole purpose of entering your subconscious and cultivating your inner powers. What training would it be if I already described your next opponent to you?" the dragon replied in a sarcastic tone. "Do you think perhaps your enemy declares his weaknesses before attacking you? Do you think Valgoth advised me how to save the lives of my warriors?"

Yoichi's gaze darkened and he sensed that his questions had annoyed Therion. Like a son scolded by his father, the young tamer lowered his gaze, waiting for new instructions.

"When you are ready, I will be the one to call you. Of course, I won't be able to physically call you, but... I'll find a way to let you know that the time to face your next opponent has come," the King of Heaven spoke.

The black dragon lowered its face towards Yoichi and crossed its terrifying gaze with that of its heir. Yoichi shyly looked into Therion's blood-red eyes. "Someday you will be able to surrender to the primal instincts that burn fiercely in your heart, as you have done today. When that day comes, you will have reached a level of training and strength sufficient to proceed," it stated.

Intent on showing himself strong to the last, and sheathing his sword in its scabbard, Yoichi bowed before the most powerful of Lumya's dragon demons. "I will think of your teachings every day, my lord. I will protect Tentochu at the cost of my life and level up Kenji, using its power to pursue my mission."

Therion flared its nostrils and blew warm air through its nose, enveloping Yoichi's body and giving him a pleasant feeling. "Yes, I'm sure you will," the Dragon King said, smiling at its only heir and looking at Kenji out of the corner of its eye.

In the next instant, standing up and flapping its wings, Therion kicked up the dust that had accumulated on the white tiles of the arena, creating a thick cloud. Yoichi was forced to close his eyes and hold his nose to avoid being blinded or asphyxiated.