Carlos began to stagger from his place under the shockwave caused by the explosion, debris and smoke covering the entire area. At that moment, it was possible to hear a coughing sound from within the thick smoke.
"Ahhh... Ahhh... You really are annoying, mutants. Were it not for the organization's ultimate goal, we would never have dared to clash with you to this extent. But no matter, this will end soon."
These were the words spoken by the sorcerer, dust surrounding him.
In another corner of the scene, there was another person whose appearance radiated unmatched anger and hatred, expressions of disgust and revulsion—these were the emotions Ryan held for his fiercest enemies, the remnants of Aerobus.
When Ryan appeared in the scene, the sorcerer's expression changed; he looked at him seriously, astonished, as if he had known Ryan before. What followed the expressions of surprise was a cunning smile and a wicked laugh:
"Hahahahaha, it seems today will be very special! It so happens that I am the one among all the organization's members to meet you! Hahaha, this is truly a miracle. I did not care about finding you, but for you to come to me yourself—that is a great act of generosity."
Surprise overtook Ryan's face upon hearing the sorcerer's words, and he asked firmly:
"Hey, you scoundrel, what do you mean by that?"
"Huh? What do I mean by that? It seems you are unaware of anything, my dear little one. But let me tell you a little... look at yourself, seeing that you are a mutant carrying dragon genes."
Ryan replied, astonished:
"Really? And is it strange for there to be a mutant with dragon genes?"
The sorcerer responded in a tone filled with false affection:
"No, that is not the point. What I mean... is that you carry the genes of one of the Crimson Dragons."
Ryan's astonishment grew even more, then he said:
"And what of that? Aren't the Crimson Dragons among the dragons that inhabit the Dragon Continent? Haven't you seen a Crimson Dragon before?"
The sorcerer replied:
"Truly, you are unaware of anything... you are the child of that person!"
"What do you mean by that? Who is that person?"
The sorcerer answered:
"No, no, do not be hasty in judgment. You are not his real son; you are a mutant born from his son's genes."
At that moment, Ryan's memories from two years ago surfaced, when he was on the brink of death inside the abyss, about the small dragon he rescued from it, the place where he had been imprisoned for seven years, and the dragons that had destroyed that place.
The sorcerer's expression was insane and joyful, as if he had found a treasure.
"Hey, mutant, do you realize who the dragon is whose son's genes we used to create you?"
He addressed Ryan mockingly:
"Hehe, had you known, perhaps you would have died of fear right where you stand!"
Ryan replied:
"I don't know, and I don't want to know. But don't worry, if you mean the dragon who burned me alive in that place, I have already sworn to taste him from the same cup!"
The sorcerer's laughter rose even more, this time mockingly at Ryan:
"Hahahahaha! What did you say? Taste him from the same cup? It seems you are delusional, boy! That dragon is the King of Dragons and the strongest being in this world! And by what you said, he considers you an enemy... How pitiful you are, boy, to be the enemy of that beast at such a young age! But do not worry, I will make you an offer... Come with us, we will protect you from him when the Continental Wall is opened. By that time, our plan will have been executed. If you join us, we will protect you; even the Dragon King will think twice before attacking you!"
During the conversation between the sorcerer and Ryan, Carlos stood in his place listening to the event, having heard many strange things… could it be that Ryan was connected to one of the strongest entities in the world?
The discussion between Ryan and the sorcerer continued, but the result remained the same—Ryan refused to join an organization like theirs.
"I do not want to be one of you, so do not expect much from me."
The sorcerer replied:
"Ah, it seems you have left me no choice but to force you to return with me, even by power. Boy, you do not belong to yourself; you belong to that person, who is the reason for your existence, so you have no choice. I must return you to the organization!"
Finally, the discussion ended, and the two charged at each other, clashing fiercely, holding each other's hands, trying to push one another.
"It's okay, boy, considering your age!"
"Hah, and you too, sorcerer, you are the strongest dark sorcerer I have encountered so far!"
After this tense collision, both were thrown several meters back, then resumed their fight again.
At that moment, an air blade struck the sorcerer's back.
"Ughhh!"
He turned slightly backward:
"You are really annoying as well!"
The sorcerer rushed away from Ryan slightly, then struck his hands together and opened them wide; small black spheres emerged from his palms, growing in size until they were the size of a human head, then shot rapidly toward Ryan and Carlos.
Carlos was fast enough to avoid these attacks, but Ryan was not like him; he was slower, yet sturdier. He could not avoid all the attacks, so he decided to destroy the rest.
While Ryan was occupied with the previous attacks, arms of black energy shot from the sorcerer, grabbing Ryan's leg and propelling him upward, while another hand shot toward Carlos.
The sorcerer launched an exploding black energy ball at Ryan, who was restrained above. The collision was imminent; Ryan could not dodge it and was not balanced enough to launch a fire strike to destroy it.
In this case, Ryan poured all his strength into defense; his aura became more focused, surrounding him like a shield to reduce the explosion's force.
The exploding ball struck Ryan, and the black hand that had been holding him collapsed as well.
Meanwhile, while the sorcerer was occupied with Carlos, he smiled, saying:
"It seems your friend has finally fallen!"
Carlos struggled against the black arms rushing toward him, attempting to grab him, but at that moment, as the sorcerer enjoyed seeing Carlos suffer, a faint spark shone past the sorcerer like a meteor, moving extremely fast. The sorcerer looked at the spot where it stopped—it was Ryan, back in the battle at last, holding something in his hand and throwing it at the sorcerer.
The sorcerer looked down slightly; his expression had changed, he was extremely annoyed. What the sorcerer saw was his hand! Ryan had cut it in that attack as he passed like lightning by his side, and the sorcerer had not realized he had lost his arm until now. He turned to it and stopped the bleeding, then looked at Ryan with intense irritation.
"Very well, you have left me no choice. The orders were only to capture you alive; cutting off some of your limbs was not forbidden!"
End of Chapter.