~??? POV~

Solice Continent; Verion Mountains

The warmth of the chill breeze crossed my path at the tops of the Verion Mountains.

I stood tall and firm around these parts, filled with the presence of both wyverns and dragons alike, seeing as this came to be their common home. Climbing further into the highest elevation brought a colder temperature to my skin, but did not harm me whatsoever.

The constant growls of the dragons yearned in my ears as they sought me prey to their hunger despite their lack of power and strength to even rival my power.

Snow slowly appeared although melted from the lower points compared to the highest in comparison. Further ahead would bring intense suffering for one that may be mortal and untrained.

Dragons and wyverns dispersed seeking their way to attack me before I reached the highest parts even if it was futile with their small fractions of power. Their wings released gusts of air in my direction. even then, their control of the wind lacked its full potential.

Others that breathed fire exhilarated surges of flames, overflowing or as simple fireballs. This also proved worthless in the demonstration.

Reaching a balanced standing on the ground below me, I widened my very eyes which strike terror into their whole attitude against me. My eyes, resemble the very eyes they hold within themselves as scales formed around the circular area. My face, firm and stale as the seriousness lowered their wings from their constant grasp of the wind weakening their very muscles.

They disappeared sooner right after, seeing that my power unrivaled their own. They would only seek death if their provocations against me continued any further from my goal in these mountains.

"They've grown weak."

I continued my climbing as my heavy coat began its effect of warmth further ahead into the large mountains. My vision was obstructed but remained vigilant as ice particles scattered the area harming me with the wrong movement into any location.

Suddenly, a strange unforeseen feeling captured my movements from a very far distance. I turned abruptly as my sight turned to a different direction leading into an entirely different continent across the sea.

It had laid dormant for thousands of years, or so the story tells. Yet the dragon of the ancient past would soon spread its wings and demonstrate its terrifying power that even I would be unable to put up a proper fight. This sense was strong and not to be taken lightly, but the civilians closer in distance seemed to be losing their life sources only signifying their deaths.

Pointless to head in that direction, even now of all the times. But my goal was nearer rather than farther so I would continue up ahead in search of the answers I sought for countless years in the past and future.

"Hmm?"

Something else entirely caught my attention, the sky in the area was odd and malevolent. An overgrowing fraction of mana quantity dispersed that area, similar to the likes of demon-god Laplace.

"What could it be? Doesn't matter, that olden dragon will tear it apart anyway."

My path ahead continued as I avoided the presence lit by the dragon and the shift of the skies that roamed that secluded area. Even so, I worried as I had never reached that sort of event in my countless attempts.

~Elysia POV~

Things had shifted for the worst now that father himself had turned into an enormous and dangerous monster. The children under mothers and Reya's protection all hold fear from the events that unfolded before our very eyes.

Things were meant to be different today, mother would've had to take care of herself and my newborn sister. Yet the actions of the priest and the appearance of the countless number of monsters shifted the regular events to those of a grim leading future.

Not even I was sure of what my future may have, after all, I might as well be dead at this given point.

"Young master, I am afraid that our fates intertwine together to the misleading events of a similar calamity. After all, your father lost a lot of blood and the blood of the hounds came to transfer into his very mortal body. With that done, he has become a Demonic Hound and a more powerful one considering his human former state."

A human turned monster, that alone was something to fear considering the amount of strength they come to possess compared to the regular beasts that share their similar characteristics.

Events such as this one we came to experience had already been recorded before in history even in ancient times. But the timing and location for this one were sudden and truly unbeknown considering the location of it inside kingdom territory rather than a more wasteland place.

"Is there a way to avoid confronting father? For us all to lead an escape from the village and make way to the capital or more nearby village." Scared, the very first time I came to fear something in this life.

"No, much like any monster. He would have to chase his prey around and that would only mean one of us to act as a decoy for the others to escape."

"I see."

"Then you must be the one to get out of here, you demonic creature of Laplace." Spoke a voice hidden under the very floors of the building.

We rummaged around clearing the very ground to find the entrance of the person who spoke aloud with their familiar tone and ignorant beliefs. We broke the ground floor of where they stood and found it to be the chubby priest and several of his lackeys to be the ones perfectly hidden away from the sight of monsters.

His body trembled, while he showed a more sture demeanor as the children dissed his ways and soiled his clothes with the drinks and trash that remained in the vicinity.

"You all stop these foolish actions. Idiotic children of the devil! You are all being led astray by the fiend, do not let yourselves be led into the wrong direction!"

His subordinates left his side taking the children under them and holding them all back as he took his exit from the most cramped place in the entire building.

His body took much more space than all the children and us combined and his smug face wasn't any better. Mother hold Naria in her arms, as Reya stood in front of me avoiding me from getting caught by the priest and his lackeys.

The room went silent and the children struggled to be liberated from their hands as they fought back in protest, even if they failed in their attempt to do so. The priest took his steps closer to Reya as he examined her body and developed drool all over his mouth. Sweat coursed his face driving down to his large chin as he cleared it all off proceeding with an attempt to sexually touch Reya.

"Keep your dirty hands off of me!" Reya governed in a more sture tone than ever came from her usual kind voice.

"Are you ordering me around, you foolish girl!" The priest released a surge of his power, but even that did not affect Reya.

He hesitated as his steps went backward seeing as his power did not affect Reya, mother, or even me. He signaled one of his men to take hold of me from behind, yet even they were too slow on Reya's movements of action.

She swiftly grabbed a tended knife from her knee and threw it in the direction of the lackey who made his movement in our direction. The knife pierced through his skin in the neck, as the knife went through only to hit and land on the side of the wooden wall.

The priest shrieked and his subordinates were all weak in their behavior liberated several of the children from their grasp.

"You imbeciles! Why did you all release the hostages."

His motives were foreseen as the other children acted in response and took deep bites into the hands that hold them prisoner and rushed behind Reya and me.

They were all large in number and strength compared to the majority of weak undeveloped in skills and training children. If we were all to live from these events, the reputation built by this priest would be tarnished instantly which was his reasoning for staying behind and making sure none of us made it out.

"Damn it, all for that demon child. Why?! Do you not see the demonic eyes he holds in his presence, do you not know what they hide! His evil sides will awaken at some point, he will destroy this world if we don't deal with him!"

"Do not speak of my master in such a tone. He is Elysia Straga, son of Philip and Sonia Straga much more a descendant of the famous Arthur Straga." Reya let out with pride.

The old fool instantly shrieked under the names of my parents and the new name to ever come into my ears, Arthur Straga. His movement backend alongside his subordinates as he sought an exit away from us, but not in approach to the monster that awaited outside.

"Even if it is to be an honorable descendant, he is still a demon." The priest let out in anticipation.

The children panicked with the growing howls and tumbling pieces of wood that came from the roof as the monster that was father wreaked havoc once more. Claws of two hands entered from the roof, while the roof sustained itself from the iron and metallic structure. It would still break apart in a matter of an instance if we were to not move away from some point forward.

"Know what, why don't you join me. I am sure I can give you plenty in many ways. Will it be money, fashion, food, children just state your wishes-" His greed took over but was intercepted by Reya who couldn't take more of his idiocy.

"Like I have stated many times, I only serve a single lord now and his name is Elysia Straga." She stated firmly without hesitation.

The old grunt stood his ground as he unveiled his staff and cast a holy light in our direction.

"You will see, he is nothing but a demon hidden under human flesh!"

[Exodus Ray]

A gleam of white light illuminated us which would inflict harm to only monsters and demonic beasts compared to humans and other regular races. As the skill dissipated we stood our grounds seeing his claims perish down into lies he led many to believe. His lackeys all stepped back in disbelief at what they came to believe was true as the priest continued using the same skill over and over again.

His motives were futile and the men that followed him saw the blasphemous acts committed against another human by a sinful priest. They took action and took hold of his staff and kept him tied from any attempted escape as they approached mother, Reya, and me.

"We apologize for the cause trouble. We were blinded by the evil doings of the former priest, and therefore we have sinned gravely in every action we had taken. In accordance, we ask of you all to make an escape exiting through that door in the back, meanwhile, we offer our souls and bodies as a sacrifice to the beast that inhabits the area at present time."

They walked off without a need of turning back and plan out a different outcome. We did as they told and stopped by the door awaiting their signal to leave and march away from the zone of calamity. They stepped out and the monster that was father reacted and moved in that direction marking our moves to start.

As we moved outside the screams and cries of the monks echoed in the air as we ran far until the buildings from the village were left behind.

We didn't stop for a second, and our legs tired off as the distance remained close but very distant. Relieved we were, but it was only briefly until the howling commenced once more from behind. Turning back I saw him rushing our way with a red left eye and arm.

Fear struck deep, but our movements marched onward to see tomorrow's light, rather than cloudy heaven.

Suddenly the land below crumbled as something made its way to the beast and scaled its way out from underground revealing its large and rough form. It breathed fire and released a large flow of it into the body of the large hound.

Its legs stomped down the creature that first terrorized us keeping it on the ground as it took its stance as the strongest being in proximity. Its skin shined in gold, pure white, and darkness, and its eyes emitted a tint of silver as its sharp claws dug deep into the hounds' flesh.

"Nobody leaves my territory."

It spoke loud and clear as it released a spell that brought forth an enormous barrier in a large portion that not only covered the wilderness outside the village but perhaps reached further into a city and more villages far away from here.

A dragon, that was what it was and the power it would come to possess rivaled even the gods.

Then I remembered the enormous door from a week or so back in the hidden passageway underground. Could it be that the dragon was imprisoned inside there shackled away from seeing the surface of the earth?

"Impossible such a high caliber domain. Is this the land of such an ancient dragon?"

Mother spoke in fright, as we stared upon the creature that took down the monstrous father I remember and had an enormous height much like a titan. It leaned closer to us, seeing as the hound, who was father, had given up on escaping and released itself under its liege.

The dragon seemed to shrink in size as it fast approached us and closed in proximity as a human form took shape with him bearing only underwear. His body seemed more painted than anything else, and his eyes shined brightly as they extinguished a golden light.

"Would you bunch happen to serve as my dinner?"

Nobody raised their voices as it took a glare at each of us very briefly but saw nothing that reached its curiosity.

Mother was shaken as she continued to see father's current state as a beast and the appearance of an ancient dragon only mentioned in books. Naria remained asleep making it easier for mother to not worry over every single thing that had happened thus far.

"Grr."

The hound had returned once angrier and against the human-formed dragon believing it weak in comparison to its larger true form. Even then it only cost a magic shield to separate himself from the hound with very little effort and zero incantation.

"You'll serve me well."

He took his dragon form back as he began a storm of flames all over the hound's body inflicting burns that still didn't kill it off or harm it gravely. The dragon was amused and continued onward with a fight as the hound prepared its fangs and claws to withstand itself against the dragon that had come out of its eternal slumber.

The dragon bit through the flesh of the hound giving it no chance to even put up an equal footing fight as it crisped its flesh with the releasing vapor of fire that came from its throat. The skin of the hound burned all over as it fell to the ground scratching itself trying to relieve the pain of the ongoing burns that continued to spread.

We could only see, as our bodies would not answer our calls to move a single muscle from the spot we laid our legs upon. The dragon had paralyzed our very bones and has yet to liberate them even in the current events of it fighting the hound.

"Do not worry, master. I will make sure you and everyone else are safe." Reya let out as she cast a spell slowly within the span of a few seconds.

[Purge]

A white lightning strike came from the sky inflicting damage on both the dragon and the hound. And while we were glad at first as the dragon had fallen it only lifted itself back up with an intense glare of anger.