”Lyle, are you okay?!”

"Brother ... don't die!"

"As if I'm going to die just because of this, you stupid kid. Don't kill me just yet! And hey, you too Misuzu, I’m severely injured. Just give me some break will ya? Atatata, ei, not there ... that hurts oi!"

Being hug suddenly by two girls, Lyle couldn't help but feel flustered.

However, Lyle was displeased for some reason. If he wasn't wounded badly and had a trouble of moving he would have already given them a chop on their heads.

“Why are you still here?” Lyle asked, frowning. Feme and Misuzu did not listen to his words and stayed.

“I whash worried that youh willsh dhie, youh idiosht, bashtard ...sob ...!”

Feme answered while crying.

Her face filled with tears and snot and was obviously disgusting in any way but right now, Lyle wasn't disgusted by the least. Instead, his heart was filled with warmth and love.

Extending his hand, he gently patted her back to appease her.

After a long time, Feme finally stopped crying, but her body still occasionally twitched.

Shaking his head, he turned his gaze at Misuzu who was quietly crying beside Feme.

"You too Misuzu, didn't I asked you to drag Feme out of here ? Why didn't you liste---"

"No!" Misuzu looked at the bloody wounds on Lyle's body, and her face showed expressions of concerns.

Misuzu's eyes’ reflected with no fear as she stared back at him. Resolutely, she said, "I decided that even if I die ... I don't care. I will fight together with you!"

After saying so, she stood up and faced the black dragon. The moment she did so, her whole body trembles while staring at it with fear, but she didn't stepped back as she grit her teeth.

Her face radiated extreme determination.

Still, Lyle realized that she seemed so much more mature compared to before. It was kind of intimidating for him.

I mean, sure, she'd always been cute, but she was starting to be seriously beautiful.

Lyle couldn't help but feel that way.

"That's why I will ---"

"Are you princess Misuzu, by any chance ?"

"---fight, eh ? Y-Your majesty ?!"

Hearing Ileana's voice from the side, Misuzu and Feme finally noticed that they were actually not alone.

Dragonfang's king and Queen was there standing beside them while looking at them incredulously.

"It seems like I'm right ..." Ileana showed a smile yet not a smile.

"It seems like my son was really getting popular."

Without waiting for Misuzu's reply, Ileana turned her gaze and smile at her beloved son.

However, the moment Lyle saw it, for some reason cold sweat appeared on his forehead and even his spine had felt a cold chill.

Ileana smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile. It was more like, you're dead Lyle, you really are.

"I keep hearing about this ... headmaster of yours," Ileana muttered. "There were also some girls I still haven't met and now here comes another princess ---"

Before she could finish her words, a voice boomed, "YOU PESTS!!! How dare you ignore me!!!"

"... Lyle, can we have some time after this ?"

Hearing the enraged black dragon which was insulted by their 'casual' reunion, Ileana smile turned into a sneer.

Her face began to radiate an intense killing intent that even Augustus couldn't help but stepped back.

Lyle couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva, "We'll see," Lyle promised. "After this is over, you, dad, and me: coke float and fries ?"

Ileana made a face as she didn't seemed to understand what Lyle was talking about. However, she didn't seemed to mind it and turned around to face the black dragon.

"I'm going to pay this beast for hurting my son!!"

After saying so, Ileana's beautiful golden hair floated in the air and a golden light enveloped her whole body. The atmosphere around her crackled and golden lightning covered her whole body.

In the next moment, Aside from Augustus, Lyle and the rest were left dumbfounded.

The black dragon which was standing proudly was blasted with a bolt of golden lightning.

Ileana had long vanished on her original position and was as if she teleported beside the black dragon and kicked its huge body flying. The dragon didn't even have the strength to cry out.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY SON!!!" Ileana bellowed.

She was shining with golden light. Her golden eyes flickered with killing intent. She didn't stop and blasted one golden lightning after another.

Lyle wasn't sure how long he had sit there while watching Ileana's rampage. Probably not more than a few seconds but it seemed like an eternity.

Finally, Lyle regained his senses as he cast his eyes towards his father and choked back a sob.

"Dad ... please remind me in the future not to anger mom."

"Now, you know how I feel ?"

Lyle wiped his cold sweat, saying,

"Yeah, I'm sorry about things I've done in the past dad ..." At this moment, Lyle seemed to feel that the distance

between him and his father became even more shorter. "...You've suffered."

"Thanks son. "

At this moment, King Augustus and Prince Lyle; Father and Son, both had an expression as if a heavy burden had been released from them.

Their gazes held absolute sympathy towards each other.

Lyle finally understood the suffering his father might had experience all these years. He remembered how he teased his father in the past using his mom, and now he felt that he really did a very bad thing.

Besides the two boys were Misuzu and Feme. At this moment no one can tell what they were thinking but one thing surely past their minds.

Their future is scary~

... ...

Although the battle seemed going on Ileana's side but Lyle and the others know that this was in fact a lie.

Ileana lobbed another lightning. However,

"Mom, look out!" Lyle screamed.

This time, the black dragon wasn't fazed by the lightning. It suddenly struck its hard scaly tail immediately --- and it surely wouldn't miss. Its tail would hit like a wrecking ball.

Bang!

However,

"Are you okay ?" A little girl asked.

She was standing in front of Ileana and on her front was a wall made by countless bones.

"Ah, yeah ... Thank you." Surprised, Ileana slowly calmed her fury down.

"Calm down, although he was fake, he was certainly in a different class."

It was a fellow trying to molt into a dragon by training a lot and eating tons of high level beasts for a long time.

A Black lesser dragon who transpired to become a true dragon.

Seeing that she was okay, Lyle couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

However, he knows that the situation wasn't getting any better. He immediately sat cross-legged and enter meditation.

One with the world.

Invisible mana immediately revolved around him without anyone noticing.

"I'm going as well. You two girls, stay with Lyle." Augustus said. His expression calm and collected.

"""Y-Yes, you majesty!""" Feme, Aster and Misuzu immediately nodded as they bowed their heads simultaneously and then positioned their selves in front of Lyle.

Aster stood in front of Lyle, though his body couldn't hide the trembling, but still he stood his grounds. "I won't let anyone hurt my brother!"

Extremely vigilant, even Feme who was crying just now immediately changed her expression into a serious one as she stood in front of him.

She exuded an aura that seemed to express that she wouldn't let anyone touch even a strand of hair on Lyle's body.

After saying so, Augustus nodded his head and together with the black robed middle-aged man, entered the battle.

... ...