Years had passed since Velgrynd had returned from the Forgotten Dragon Kingdom. What began as a silent ripple caused by a man who wielded no magic and had no supernatural aura, had now surged into a tidal wave of change across the entire Cardinal World.
Yujiro Hanma — once viewed as an anomaly — was now a name spoken in every kingdom, empire, and war camp. His brutal and raw philosophy of strength had spread like wildfire. His students, once obscure warriors of no name, were now senseis, mentors, and masters running dojos across the continents, teaching martial arts that rejected magic and embraced pure body mastery.
Fighters from all walks of life now trained by Yujiro's Creed — "No magic. No shortcuts. Just you, your will, and the body you own."
It was reshaping everything.
Even the Demon Lords had noticed the shift.
Back at the ice continent....
The heavy double doors of Guy Crimson's throne room exploded open, shards of enchanted wood spiraling like confetti into the frost-kissed air.
BOOM.
Rudra marched in proudly, a smirk of confidence on his face, arms crossed like a showman walking into his own ring. Behind him, walked Velgrynd, calm and firm — her stride deliberate, posture upright, her presence like a sharpened blade rather than a blazing inferno.
Guy Crimson, sitting casually on his throne, lifted a lazy eyebrow and grinned wide.
"Rudra, just the one I wanted to see. I haven't had a decent fight in months."
Rudra chuckled.
"Well, today won't be your lucky day — you're not fighting me."
Guy tilted his head. "Oh? Then who?"
Rudra stepped aside and nodded toward Velgrynd.
"Today… you're going to fight her."
Guy's eyes narrowed. His grin stayed, but his pupils dilated slightly — a subtle flicker of instinctual caution. He turned to Velgrynd and scanned her.
She stood silently, arms behind her back like a soldier, eyes focused forward.
Her aura wasn't flaring like it used to. There were no surging waves of heat or energy.
No overflowing pride or impatience.
It was… controlled. Compressed. Stronger — in a way that made Guy's skin prickle.
Her body was leaner. Not muscular in a bulky way — but sculpted like a perfect warrior, forged from constant pressure and movement. Her shoulders, once regal and loose, were now coiled and firm. Her stance gave away nothing — but said everything.
Guy: "Ooh… Really now. Something's changed."
He grinned wider. "This could be fun."
Velgrynd: "I came to try something out."
Guy: "Well then. I hope you're not just warming up for Rudra. I'm not in the mood to carry a spar."
Velgrynd smirked — a sharp smirk that reminded everyone in the room of something deadly.
Velgrynd: "You'll see."
Meanwhile, Guy casually waved to his maid, Rain.
"Go fetch Velzard. She'll want to see this."
Moments later, the Queen of Ice stepped into the throne room, regal and calm, white-blue hair flowing like winter silk.
She raised a brow. "What's all this noise?"
She caught sight of Velgrynd and smiled softly. "Sister. You've come."
Velgrynd walked toward her, embracing her briefly.
"Good to see you again, Velzard."
Guy stepped down from his throne, laughing.
Guy: "Velzard, you won't believe this — I'm fighting your sister today."
Velzard: "...What?"
Velgrynd turned to her.
"I want to test something. Something I've learned."
Velzard: "Since when are you part of their rivalry?"
Velgrynd, softly but firmly:
"I'm not. Not really. I just… need to see something. I've changed, sister."
Velzard's eyes flickered.
She studied her sister carefully. She too could feel it — something was off.
No longer a blazing dragon of fire… but a molten sun held in restraint.
As Guy and Velgrynd stepped out into the courtyard — now surrounded by Velzard, Rudra, Rain, Mizari— the air was thick with expectation.
Rudra whispered to Velzard:
"She trained under Yujiro Hanma for three months."
Velzard's eyes widened ever so slightly.
Velzard: "...That man!!"
Rudra nodded.
"The same. She didn't just train — she endured him."
Velzard looked at Velgrynd again.
"So that's why… you feel different."
Mizari whispered to Rain:
"She seems quieter than usual… like she's holding something back."
Rain replied:
"It's not just quiet. It's control. Like every muscle she moves is calculated. She's… grown."
Rudra crossed his arms.
"Yujiro doesn't just teach strength. He teaches identity. Who are you… without your magic? Without your status? Without the power you were born into? He makes you start over, that is what he thaught Velgrynd "
Velzard: "So… what does she want to prove today?"
Rudra: "That she's no longer the Velgrynd we knew."
Guy cracked his neck and stepped into the center of the courtyard.
"Alright, no magic. No skills. Just fists?"
Velgrynd stepped forward.
"No. Use everything. I want you at your best."
Guy grinned.
"You sure about that?"
Velgrynd narrowed her eyes.
"I trained under a man who doesn't know what holding back is. I'm not afraid."
The wind howled as the two stood face to face.
No words. Just presence.
And for the first time in ages, Guy Crimson — the strongest of Demon Lords — felt a flicker of excitement... and perhaps, a flicker of challenge.
The tension in the air was heavy, like the calm before a volcanic eruption.
Snow fell silently over the wide, circular courtyard—its surface reinforced with ancient runes to withstand the unimaginable destruction of Demon Lords. Around the edge stood the onlookers: Velzard, calm but watchful, Rudra, arms crossed in anticipation, and Rain and Misery, Guy's loyal attendants, with eyes wide in silent awe.
At the center, stood Guy Crimson — the Monarch of Pandemonium, his crimson cloak swaying, eyes locked onto his opponent.
And standing across from him was Velgrynd — no longer just a dragon of fire, but something more… sharper, colder, and paradoxically, more controlled.
She didn't flare her aura. She didn't posture or smirk.
She simply waited.
[Rudra's Voice]
"Begin."
[The First Exchange]
BOOM!
The ground cracked under Guy's feet as he vanished in a blink, leaving behind only a fiery afterimage. His speed — ridiculous, terrifying, honed from countless battles — carved a path straight toward Velgrynd.
Yet she didn't flinch.
Her eyes tracked him effortlessly. Her stance adjusted with perfect timing. When Guy appeared just inches before her, launching a straight right aimed at her solar plexus—
She moved.
A small sidestep. Minimal, efficient. She slapped the punch aside with the back of her palm and ducked under his left hook.
Then—pop!
A sharp jab to Guy's ribs. Not devastating, but clean.
Guy's eyes widened.
"...She matched my speed?"
Rain whispered: "She saw through his opening move. I've never seen anyone react to Lord Guy's speed like that."
Misery nodded, eyes sharp. "She's not fighting with power. She's reading him."
Guy grinned now. "Good. Very good." He twisted his body and began launching a flurry — a barrage of rapid hand strikes, elbows, and knees, blending high-speed martial arts with Demon Lord strength.
Velgrynd's body flowed like water.
Parry. Step. Deflect. Counter.
Her movement was flawless. She wasn't wasting a single motion. Each deflection rolled off her forearms, and she absorbed the momentum into a counter-strike.
POP!
A swift elbow to Guy's jaw.
THUMP!
A judo-style foot sweep almost knocked him off balance.
She followed with a reverse spin-kick, aiming for his temple, but Guy leaned back at the last second.
He skidded backward, blinking.
Guy: "You've improved."
[Flashbacks in His Mind]
His thoughts flashed to a past battle.
Yujiro Hanma.
The man who didn't use magic. Who beat Guy with pure, terrifying human strength. Who read every move like a book.
This… feels the same.
Guy's fist trembled for a second. Then he growled.
"I'm not going through that again."
WHOOSH.
Guy's aura exploded outward, flames spiraling, snow evaporating into steam.
He blurred forward again — this time faster, stronger — adding bursts of magic into each strike.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
His fists came at Velgrynd like meteorites. The ground shattered beneath their feet.
But Velgrynd didn't falter.
She moved with precision. Her hands, now glowing with a red-orange aura, deflected the attacks while keeping her center stable.
[Martial Arts Fusion]
She raised her right hand in a vertical guard — karate style. When Guy punched, she trapped his arm and pulled it inward — a classic judo maneuver — using his force to flip him over her shoulder.
Guy spun midair and landed on his feet, now breathing heavier, his expression shifting.
Velzard: "That… was a redirect. Not brute force."
Rudra nodded. "She's applying martial arts with control over her dragon power. Not just strength… but discipline."
With a shout, Guy summoned his crimson blade, flames dancing around its edge.
"You've earned this."
Velgrynd didn't summon a weapon. Instead, she channeled her power through her arms — her aura tightening like steel along her forearms, condensing her dragon flames into blades of her own flesh.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Let's finish this."
The sounds were deafening.
CLANG! SPARK! THRUST! SWIPE!
Each time Guy slashed, Velgrynd blocked with her reinforced arms, sliding to the side and countering with open palm strikes and low sweeping kicks. She ducked under a flaming arc and retaliated with a spinning elbow — her moves blending kickboxing, karate, and grappling techniques.
[Guy's Frustration Grows]
His hair was now slightly scorched, his clothes nicked.
He shouted, launching an overpowered slash.
Velgrynd spun to the inside of his guard, slammed her palm into his chest — a precise strike to his diaphragm — then followed with a jumping knee to his jaw.
Guy reeled back. He snarled.
"Enough!"
He roared and charged with reckless force — no longer calculating, now furious.
Rudra's voice echoed in the courtyard:
"He's slipping. He's letting his emotions take over."
Velgrynd's eyes remained cold. Focused.
She used a leg sweep, caught his sword arm in a jiujitsu-style lock, twisted, and slammed him to the ground with a modified fire-enhanced hip throw.
The ground cracked.
She didn't gloat. She didn't mock him.
She simply stood over him, ready to continue.
Velzard and Rudra stepped forward.
Velzard: "That's enough!"
Rudra: "Before you both reduce this entire continent to rubble!"
Guy lay on the ground, breathing hard, then laughed.
"Haa… Damn. I really did see Yujiro in you for a moment there."
Velgrynd offered her hand.
"I told you I wanted to try something."
He took it and stood.
Velgrynd's fire had evolved.
It was no longer wild.
It was lethal discipline. Precision.
Even Velzard, usually reserved and composed, couldn't hide her quiet pride.
"You've changed, sister."
Velgrynd turned, her voice soft.
"I've only just begun."