At that moment, Rayder and the three dragons flew at the very front—directly into the heart of a catastrophic storm. There was no escaping it this time. This wasn't nature's fury or random misfortune. It was a meticulously orchestrated trap.Three massive pillars of molten lava burst upward from the depths, soaring into the skies and exploding in a fiery storm that engulfed the skies. Rayder found himself surrounded by death—death from above, from below, from every side. And yet, strangely, his mind became incredibly clear.His thoughts moved faster than lightning. Every cell in his body screamed for survival. No time to think. No time to fear."Dive!" he roared with all his strength. "Fastest speed! Go into the water at full force! Lock together after entry!"He knew the Yan Sea was no ordinary ocean. The water below was boiling hot, capable of scalding dragon scales and even damaging internal organs. But it was still better than being directly struck by a rain of molten lava falling from the sky.It was their only chance.The three dragons heard his command, each word dripping with desperation and iron resolve. With deafening roars, they flapped their enormous wings, diving headfirst toward the sea. Their dark bodies streaked through the air like bolts of black lightning, plummeting toward the churning waters.Rayder took a deep breath, preparing himself for the unimaginable pain that awaited. He gripped tightly onto the spiked ridges along Black Dragon Im's back, holding on with white-knuckled hands as they descended at breakneck speed.And then—something unexpected happened.Kidora, the three-headed dragon, made a move that Rayder would never forget. All three of its heads gave anxious, synchronized chirps. Then, in a stunning display of agility and loyalty, the massive beast twisted its body mid-air and dropped onto Black Dragon Im's back. It folded its enormous wings tightly and lay flat, its entire body shielding Rayder like a living fortress.Each of its three heads remained alert, scanning every angle for danger. There was no trace of its usual mischievous or lazy demeanor. In its place stood unwavering loyalty, protectiveness, and courage.Rayder's heart surged with emotion. At the edge of death, warmth and gratitude filled him.And then—"CRASH!"They hit the water.It wasn't just a splash. It was an explosion—two hundred-meter-long dragons slamming into the sea at full speed. Water erupted like mountains, splashing dozens, even hundreds of meters high. The impact shook the very depths.Luckily, the seafloor at the impact site was deep, free of reefs that could have torn their bodies apart. But that didn't make it safe.The ocean responded with vengeance.As soon as they entered, the deep sea turned into a battleground. The shock of impact combined with pressure from the molten lava falling above created a deadly underwater current.Rayder felt it instantly. The crushing pressure squeezed his body like an invisible vice. His internal organs screamed in agony. His vision blurred, and the pain nearly made him pass out.Above them, the storm raged on. Molten lava, covering dozens of kilometers, poured into the sea like divine punishment. As it touched the boiling waters, it let out hissing screams—steam billowed upward, and lava began to cool, forming razor-sharp volcanic rock.But it wasn't enough. The volume of lava was simply too great. The water couldn't cool it all in time.The sea turned into a living hell.From above, it was impossible to tell where the lava ended and the ocean began. The entire surface glowed a menacing crimson red, bubbling like the inside of a volcano. The temperature surged to levels unimaginable.For Rayder and the dragons, the worst was far from over.Beneath the sea, the volcanic eruptions stirred monstrous undercurrents. Tectonic forces twisted and pulled in all directions. The deep sea became a death trap.The four of them were like twigs in a hurricane, flung about by invisible forces. Rayder coughed violently as a mouthful of scalding water entered his throat. His lungs burned. The heat was unbearable. Every movement was like being dragged across burning coals.And then—darkness.His consciousness slipped away.Rayder's grip loosened, and his body began to slide from Black Dragon Im's back. The ocean currents tugged at him, pulling him into the abyss.But Kidora had been watching.One of its heads—sensitive to every fluctuation around Rayder—noticed the danger instantly. Without hesitation, the enormous beast struck. A massive claw snatched Rayder mid-fall, then carefully wrapped him within its powerful wing, holding him close to its chest.Its other two heads braced against the chaos, steadying their descent and fighting against the overwhelming current.In this hellish underwater world, Kidora's timely rescue made the difference between life and death. The cooled lava rocks continued to rain down from above. If Kidora hadn't acted, Rayder would have been buried alive beneath layers of hardened stone on the cold seabed.But fate hadn't finished its assault just yet.Only after the explosive energy of the three volcanoes had finally spent itself did the Yan Sea begin to settle. The water, once a seething cauldron of destruction, began to calm. But the aftermath was chilling.Where there had once been open sea, three new volcanoes now stood tall above the water. These weren't ordinary geological formations. They had risen unnaturally fast—pushed up by the cooled lava and hardened ash of the eruption.More eerie still was their placement. The three volcanoes formed a perfect equilateral triangle. It was no coincidence. This was a deliberate creation, an ominous mark left behind by the unknown force that had orchestrated the trap.And then—something appeared.Above the smoldering craters, a mysterious figure flickered into existence. Made of pure flame, it hovered weightlessly, like a phantom born from fire and smoke.Silent and still, it gazed down at the sea below, as if inspecting its work.It moved slowly, drifting from one crater to another. With each stop, it seemed to search for something, its gaze deep and unreadable. The flame figure wasn't just observing—it was confirming. Testing. Ensuring.Finally, as if satisfied, it gave a slight nod—then disappeared.No sound, no warning. Just gone.Only the black smoke from the volcanoes and the still-heated sea remained, whispering the secrets of what had just occurred. The water still boiled in places, and below its surface, Rayder and the dragons drifted in darkness—alive, barely—but still trapped beneath the sea's silent rage.What force had laid such a precise trap? Who had summoned a phantom of flame to oversee it? And where would the raging currents carry them now?The Yan Sea held its silence.But something greater had just begun.---
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