Veldora erupted once again into his booming, unmistakable three-stage laugh.
"MUHAHAHA! GYAAHAHA! BUWAAHAHAHAHA! You've got spirit, Varvatos! You really want a real challenge after stomping your way through the monsters of this cave?! You're something else!"
His voice thundered through the caverns like a miniature earthquake. Stones vibrated, dust rained from above, and the residual magicules in the air quivered under the weight of his voice. His eyes gleamed with anticipation and frustration.
"If only it weren't for this cursed seal, I'd have shown you what a true dragon is made of!"
Varvatos had been silent for a moment, simply staring at the wall of divine energy imprisoning Veldora. His eyes shimmered, not just with curiosity, but calculation—his mind already deciphering the layered magic.
He stepped forward, slowly, until his palm hovered just inches from the seal. It pulsed softly, a lattice of golden runes spiraling through the air like celestial code etched into the world itself.
"This seal… it's not crude," Varvatos murmured. "No. This is ancient magic—divine class, possibly cast by a transcendent or a god-like being."
He placed his palm directly on the barrier.
A low hum began to resonate through the chamber.
[Astral Archive] activated instantly. Streams of light, runes, glyphs, and divine patterns flowed into his consciousness. He stood perfectly still, his cloak fluttering as if caught in a breeze that didn't exist. His expression was serene—but behind it, he was analyzing tens of thousands of threads of spellcode simultaneously.
"Multi-layered divine binding… interwoven with temporal suspension, space-looped energy cycling, and identity suppression enchantments. Designed not just to trap—but to isolate your very existence from the world."
Veldora's gaze sharpened. "…You can read it?"
Varvatos nodded once. Then, his hand shimmered with subtle runes—the result of his Unique Skill: [Sigilcraft]. His touch left invisible ink-like trails of counter-sigils on the seal. He wasn't attacking it. He was re-writing it.
"I can do more than read it. This… is my domain."
With his other hand, he summoned [Varnakiel — The Authority of Dominion], channeling the pure force of spatial magic, ancient arcana, and elemental fusion. The magic didn't clash with the seal—it wrapped around it, coaxing it open like a lock being picked by the hand of a god.
As the energy intensified, the glyphs on the seal began to flicker. Some resisted. Others dimmed and vanished, as if fading in submission.
"Wait… are you actually trying to break it?" Veldora's tone was mixed with shock and hope.
Varvatos didn't answer yet. His body began glowing, his voice echoing slightly with layered resonance.
"Divine Layer… unraveling. Reality loop… severing. Identity filter… neutralized."
He began drawing a sigil in the air—dozens of strokes at once with magic-infused fingers, crafting a spell so precise and ancient, even the world seemed to hold its breath. The runes hovered, then embedded themselves into the surface of the seal, one by one.
"You said this was made by a hero, right? I doubt even she could comprehend the scale of magic I wield. I've broken bindings carved by gods themselves."
The seal shuddered violently. A deep, resonant crack echoed through the chamber like lightning splitting the sky.
Veldora's eyes went wide.
"It's… working?!"
Varvatos stepped back, holding a sigil between his fingers like a master unlocking a gate. His voice turned solemn, calm.
"Seal of isolation… release."
He placed the final sigil into the air—gold and violet light flared outward in a brilliant ring of magic. The seal trembled, groaned—and then shattered like breaking glass.
Magic exploded outward in a silent pulse, illuminating the entire cavern with an ethereal glow. Veldora's body shone, magicules flooding into the space like a broken dam.
Then—a roar.
A thunderous, primal roar echoed out of Veldora's chest, shaking the very cave walls as he rose fully for the first time in 200 years. His magicules surged into the world, a vast, spiraling storm of draconic power reclaiming its space.
"MUHAHAHA! FREEDOM!!! AFTER CENTURIES!!! I'M BACK!!!"
The Storm Dragon stood tall, wings unfurling in full majestic glory, his eyes locked onto Varvatos.
"You did it. You actually did it!"
Varvatos turned, his expression calm but satisfied.
"I told you—I'm a master of magic. Seals are just stories written in the wrong language. I simply chose to rewrite yours."
Veldora grinned widely, his body glowing with renewed strength.
"Then it's only fair that I give you the battle you asked for. Let's see if you can handle a true dragon at full power!"
Varvatos raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"I've tamed gods. Let's see how a dragon compares."
Their eyes locked. Sparks of magic and anticipation filled the air. The cavern, now brimming with power, seemed too small to contain what was about to unfold.
As the final remnants of the divine seal crumbled into fading light, Veldora stretched his wings, his colossal body casting shadows that danced along the cavern walls like ancient spirits awakened. His aura surged—raw, ancient, and untamed. Magicules twisted in the air around him like roaring winds caught in a storm.
The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure of his release.
"MUHAHAHAHA! At last! I've returned to the world! You have my eternal gratitude, Varvatos! But I won't hold back—I can feel it in you… the thrill of battle calls to both of us!"
Varvatos, standing calmly with his cloak fluttering behind him, raised a hand gently, his voice calm but absolute.
"Not just yet."
Veldora paused, a clawed foot mid-step.
"Eh?"
"If we clash here, your magicules storm alone could wipe out entire regions. I can already sense other powerful presences beyond this cave. Watching. Listening. Curious."
He slowly spread both arms outward.
"Before we fight… I will create a Worldframe Isolation Barrier—a sealed zone detached from this world. No one outside will sense our battle. No interference. No consequences."
Veldora's brows lifted with surprise. "A dimension-class barrier? You can cast one of those solo?"
Varvatos didn't answer. Instead, his Ultimate Skill: [Varnakiel — The Authority of Dominion] shimmered to life.
Runes swirled in the air, forming intricate mandalas of light and shadow. He raised a single hand, his fingers tracing glowing sigils into reality.
A booming hum filled the space as reality began to fold.
From the tip of his finger, rings of ancient text and dimensional glyphs exploded outward. Light and shadow braided together, forming a titanic dome that encompassed the entire battlefield.
The space warped.
The cave shimmered—and was gone.
In its place stood an endless expanse of floating crystal platforms suspended in a twilight void. Rivers of magic flowed across the sky like auroras. Time slowed. Gravity obeyed no rules. This was no longer a cave.
They were in The Frame of Dominion—a pocket dimension forged by Varvatos' will.
Veldora slowly turned in place, taking it all in.
"So you weren't bluffing… This isn't just a barrier—this is a realm. And you made it with a snap of your fingers."
Varvatos cracked his neck slightly, finally drawing his blade—a strange weapon composed of both steel and pure condensed spellwork.
"Here, we can fight to our limits."
A slow grin crept over Veldora's face. He reared his head back, wings spreading wide, and let out a roar that seemed to shake the very fabric of the dimension.
"YES! FINALLY! A fight without limits!"
Flames burst from his body, his draconic form wrapped in cyclones of electric-blue magicules. His claws sparked. His tail coiled. His fangs gleamed.
Varvatos raised his hand once more—and behind him formed three orbiting sigil-rings, glowing with multicolored energy. His eyes sharpened.
"Come, Storm Dragon. Show me why this world fears the name Veldora."
And with a single beat of his wings—
Veldora charged.
Their clash began with a deafening explosion of magic, wind, and raw force, echoing across the false realm they now stood in.