The backyard of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary was bathed in warm, radiant sunlight. A gentle spring breeze rustled the leaves, making the atmosphere perfectly delightful.
A small group of onlookers had gathered, their gazes fixed on the practice field where two figures were locked in a fierce, high-speed duel.
What had begun as a casual family outing had quickly escalated into a full-blown, fiery clash between Leon and Rossweise.
"They say parents are a child's first teachers," Aurora murmured, watching the spectacle with her sisters, "but I doubt Little Muse ever imagined her first lesson would be 'How to Trigger a Family Nuclear Explosion.'"
On the field, arcs of lightning clashed with torrents of flame. The concussive bursts of energy shook the ground. Leaves from the willow tree above fluttered down, and one landed softly on little Muse's tiny nose.
The maid Milan, who was holding the baby, gently plucked the leaf away. She sighed lightly. "Do not be scared, Princess. Your parents were always just like this. There is no need to worry."
Milan had recently been practicing her speech more carefully, aiming to communicate more effectively. She certainly did not want the fourth princess's first words to be, "Daddy and Mommy are fighting again."
Since Rossweise had mostly recovered from childbirth, she and Leon had been sparring with intense frequency. The sheer power of these matches far exceeded their previous bouts. It was, perhaps, the epitome of their unique relationship: fighting was their love language, and arguing was how they showed they cared.
On the field, Rossweise unfurled her magnificent silver wings, hovering mid-air. Flames coalesced in her hands, which she then launched in a rapid, relentless barrage, a storm of fire aimed directly at her husband.
Leon did not even attempt to dodge; he simply charged forward, meeting the fiery onslaught head-on with a barrier of crackling lightning.
Despite his confident approach, his expression was far from relaxed; it was etched with a weighty seriousness.
As the last of the flames dissipated into smoke, Rossweise slowly folded her wings and descended gracefully to the scorched earth.
"How about that time?" she asked, her voice calm yet filled with a determined curiosity.
Leon shook his head gravely. "I still cannot do it. I am dodging, yes, but it is a conscious action—a decision. I cannot seem to trigger that instinctual, split-second response. My body will not move on its own."
"They have been practicing this thing called 'Ultrasense' lately," Milan explained quietly to the princesses.
Leon had first learned of the concept from Claudia of the Sea Dragons about a year prior.
"The idea is that once fully mastered, 'Ultrasense' transforms evasive maneuvers into a passive skill, like breathing," Leon had explained to Rossweise earlier. "It bypasses the brain's conscious thought entirely, making reactions faster than any decision could ever be."
Back when Leon first returned to the Empire, he had tried practicing it lightly with his comrade, Rebecca.
The results had been humbling. Even someone with reflexes as sharp as General Leon's could not react to a point-blank rubber bullet. After a whole afternoon of training, he had not mastered Ultrasense. Instead, he returned home with a mild concussion.
Since that day, he had been quietly determined to figure it out, going back to the very basics of his combat training.
However, despite his persistence, there had been very little tangible progress.
Rossweise, noticing the faint hint of discouragement on her husband's face, walked over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I think your reaction speed is already remarkable," she said sincerely. "Do you truly need something like Ultrasense to enhance it further?"
Rossweise knew her husband's capabilities better than anyone. Even without mastering this elusive skill, there were exceedingly few in the world who could match his raw speed and reflexes.
But Leon shook his head, his gaze steady. His voice was firm as he replied, "Combat is unpredictable. In certain, extreme scenarios, a pure instinctual reaction could prove far more effective—and life-saving—than a conscious one."
After a thoughtful pause, he added, "Do you know when I suffered my most definitive defeat?"
Rossweise arched a perfect silver eyebrow, thinking for a moment before a slow smile spread across her lips. "Of course. It was when I beat you into submission."
The couple shared a brief, knowing smile at the old memory.
Leon did not deny it. "Exactly. That time, I was critically wounded by a traitor in my own squad and ended up as your... guest. But if I had possessed something like Ultrasense back then, I might have sensed the ambush and avoided it altogether, do you not think?"
Rossweise nodded thoughtfully. After a moment of silence, she smirked and teased, "Then that would have robbed you of a rather medal-worthy moment, would it not? Our first meeting?"
Leon chuckled, reaching out to flick her forehead lightly. "I was not trying to glorify my failures. I am just saying that I want to be better. I want to avoid repeating the same kind of mistake."
"And honestly," he added with a shrug, "learning a new skill never hurts, does it? The more techniques I have mastered, the better prepared I will be to protect everyone."
Rossweise could not argue with his logic. She crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping thoughtfully over the training field, which was now littered with scorch marks and small craters from their repeated clashes. Finally, she said, "If you are truly serious about mastering Ultrasense, then this level of training is not nearly enough. We are approaching it wrong."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You, the Silver Dragon Queen, are one of the fastest beings alive. If even you are not enough of a challenge, who else could possibly be?"
"It is not about raw speed alone," Rossweise corrected him. "True evasion is about instinct and unpredictable adaptability. If you only train with repetitive, straightforward dodging exercises, you will never develop the complex reflexes you need."
"My speed might be sufficient," she admitted, "but I am not challenging you in the right way. I am not forcing your body to learn on its own."
Leon frowned, deeply considering her words. "So, what do you suggest? Should I go and train with Constantine again? His fighting style is certainly... chaotic."
"With all due respect to our fiery ally," Rossweise said, "he is not strong or fast enough to push you to that brink."
"Agreed."
It was a rare moment where the couple reached a complete and immediate consensus.
.
.
.
Far away, in the Crimson Flame Dragon Sanctuary, Constantine suddenly sneezed violently.
"Are you ill, Father?" Hefei asked in her soft, childlike voice.
"Of course not," Constantine grumbled, clearing his throat. "The body of a Dragon King does not succumb to petty illnesses." He straightened his posture, his voice firm. "It is probably some idiot speaking ill of me behind my back. Now, come, Hefei. Today, I will teach you how to transform your dragon flames into a whip."
"Yes, Father!"
.
.
.
Back in the Silver Dragon Sanctuary, Leon scratched his head in frustration. "If Constantine is not enough, then who? Who could possibly match the intensity and unpredictability I need to force this skill to awaken?"
"Sometimes, being too powerful creates its own problem," Rossweise mused. "Ultrasense is such a unique and refined skill that without a perfectly suited training partner, you might never unlock its true potential."
She paused, her silver eyes looking into the distance as if searching for an answer in the clouds. "There is no one among the modern Dragon Kings who fits the specific bill. But that does not mean there is no one at all."
Leon's brows furrowed in confusion. "You are not suggesting... trying to summon one of the Primordial Dragon Kings, are you? Because I think that might be overkill."
"If I could summon one of them on command, I would be the Silver Dragon Queen and the self-appointed Prime Minister of the entire Dragon Council," Rossweise said with a light laugh. Then, her expression grew serious and focused.
"No. I am thinking of the Thunder Dragon King—Odin."