The fraction of a second felt like an eternity. The compressed spheres of dark water energy in the throats of the adult alligators grew larger, threatening to destroy everything in their path. The draconic pressure was heavy enough to bend the surrounding willow trees, crushing the spirits of the first-years who could do nothing but wait for the end.
Hayato took a deep breath. His mind completely cooled down. He looked at his trembling teammates, then at the sky where the invisible eyes of the academy board were watching.
Fine, he thought to himself. You wanted to see it? I'll give you exactly what you've been praying for.
There was no better way to defeat lesser dragons than to bring out a true, primordial ruler.
Hayato stopped suppressing his core. He unlocked the deepest seal in his consciousness, and the azure energy of the frost python was instantly swallowed by a wave of pure, absolute darkness. The sudden shift in energy didn't just push back the marshland fog, it completely erased it.
An ancient, majestic roar tore through the Black Forest, vibrating so violently that the bubbling mire of the swamp flattened instantly. From behind Hayato, the pitch-black spiritual energy shot into the sky, twisting and expanding until it overshadowed the entire canopy.
The true Dragon soul form manifested. It was a creature of absolute majesty and terrifying perfection. Its scales were a deep, obsidian black that seemed to absorb the very light of the forest, each one lined with faint, pulsing silver runes. Its massive wings stretched wide, cutting through the thick branches of the ancient trees like they were paper. The dragon's eyes were twin pools of molten gold, radiating a supreme, ancient authority that made the awakened bloodline of the six-thousand-year-old alligators look like nothing more than a joke. The sheer density of Hayato's Rank 5 Ascension Phase power crashed down on the area like a falling mountain.
The three adult alligators that were lunging at the first-years froze mid-air. The crimson light in their eyes instantly shattered, replaced by an instinctual, primal terror. Under the gaze of the golden-eyed dragon, their massive bodies completely locked up.
The battle was finished in an instant.
Hayato didn't even need to swing a weapon. With a single, casual flick of his wrist, the massive shadow dragon swept its tail across the marshland. The movement was a blur of absolute speed and destructive force.
Five consecutive explosions echoed through the trees. The three alligators threatening the first-years, along with the two adults that were pushing Murata and Shizuka to their limits, were blasted backward simultaneously. Their thick, rock-hard armor plates shattered like cheap glass under the dragon's strike. When the mud finally settled, five massive adult alligator corpses were lined up perfectly in a row on the shattered banks of the swamp, completely lifeless.
The obsidian dragon let out a low, satisfied rumble before dissolving back into Hayato's chest, the oppressive pressure vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
The silence that followed was heavy. Murata and Shizuka stood frozen, their weapons still raised, their mouths hanging wide open as they stared at the row of six-thousand-year-old monsters defeated in less than three seconds. Hasegawa Kenji and Hashibira Inosuke were completely paralyzed, their minds unable to process the scale of what they had just witnessed. Even Asuka Rei, who usually kept his cool, was completely dumbfounded, his thick-rimmed glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.
Beside them, Kobayashi Kaito stared at the massive corpses, then at Hayato, his face turning an asymmetric shade of pale. His pride, his status, and his understanding of strength were completely torn to shreds. His body trembled for another second before his eyes rolled back, and he cleanly passed out from the sheer, unadulterated shock, tumbling face-first into the soft grass.
Hayato looked around at the absolute bewilderment of his group. He scratched the back of his head, letting out a slightly embarrassed chuckle.
"Uh... well," Hayato muttered, breaking the silence with a sheepish grin. "I guess we can collect the scales now?"
Meanwhile, back at the Tenrei Academy surveillance room, the atmosphere was the exact opposite of the silent forest.
The moment the black dragon appeared on the monitor, the elder professors completely lost their academic dignity. They jumped from their seats, their faces red with excitement as the digital meters measuring spiritual power completely maxed out, triggering a series of green success lights across the console.
"Did you see that?!" one elder shouted, slamming his hand on the desk. "The authority! The scale alignment! It's a true primordial form!"
The Head Academy Director didn't say a word, but a wide, triumphant grin spread across his face. He reached down to the small refrigerator beneath the primary console, pulled out an expensive, vintage bottle of celebratory wine, and popped the cork with a loud pop.
"To the future of the Saito Clan," the Director laughed, pouring drinks for the ecstatic board members. "And to the most terrifying freshman this academy has ever seen. Cheers!"
The rest of the mission was completed with everyone still operating in a complete daze. Murata and Shizuka handled the harvesting of the adult scales with mechanical, silent efficiency, while Inosuke and Kenji carried the unconscious Kaito back to the transport vehicles. No one spoke a single word during the entire ride back to the campus.
By the time evening arrived, the five teammates were sitting in the pristine, quiet recovery room of the school's high-tech infirmary. Kaito had finally woken up, sitting on the edge of his cot with his head down, while the rest of the boys occupied the surrounding chairs. The silence in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Hayato sat on his own bed, rubbing his neck. Seeing that nobody wanted to start the conversation, he decided to break the heavy tension himself.
"Hi guys," Hayato said, offering a simple, awkward smile as he waved his hand slightly.
The four boys looked up simultaneously.
Kaito looked like he wasn't far from breaking down in tears. His hands gripped the white hospital sheets so tightly his knuckles turned white. Looking at Hayato now, everything completely clicked in his mind. He wasn't stupid. He finally understood why his uncle, Kobayashi Minato, had explicitly pulled him aside before the semester started and commanded him to lower his pride and make friends with the Saito heir at all costs. Minato hadn't been trying to secure a corporate alliance; he had been trying to save his nephew from being completely crushed by an absolute monster.
The realization humbled him instantly. Facing a power that could erase six-thousand-year-old dragon-bloodline beasts in an instant, his status as the 2nd-ranked Koba heir felt completely childish. His only logical option at the moment was to lower his head and apologize. Besides, when it mattered most, the guy had saved his life. Maybe, if he played his cards right, he could actually make a genuine friend out of this terrifying genius.
Asuka Rei was the first to fully recover his composure. He pushed his glasses up his nose, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. "I knew you were taking it easy on me during Professor Genda's class, Saito, but that... that was a bit much. I appreciate you keeping us alive."
Inosuke snorted, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. He didn't need to think too much about the gap in strength since he was already the lowest-ranked student in the recovery room anyway. To him, strength was strength, and having a powerhouse as a temp teammate just meant he wouldn't get pushed around by the upperclassmen.
Kenji, on the other hand, had a wide, uncontrollable grin stretching across his face. Ever since they arrived back at the school premises, his mood had been ecstatic. He was roommates and official best friends with a literal god-tier genius. Who cared about corporate politics when your friend could summon a mountain-sized shadow dragon on a Friday afternoon?
"Man, Hayato," Kenji laughed, breaking the remaining ice. "You really know how to keep a secret. My heart almost stopped back there."
"I didn't mean to hide it," Hayato said, keeping his tone light and friendly. "My father and I just thought it was better to keep things lowkey so we wouldn't cause a scene. I hope you guys don't treat me any differently."
"Differently?" Kaito suddenly spoke up, his voice cracking slightly before he quickly cleared his throat to regain his composure. He stood up from his cot, his innate tsundere attributes completely taking over as his face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and pride. He crossed his arms tightly, tilting his head away from Hayato so nobody could see the redness in his cheeks.
"Don't get conceited just because you saved us once, Saito!" Kaito huffed, his tone sharp but entirely lacking any real malice. He stomped his foot lightly against the polished floor, looking exactly like a spoiled noble son trying to save face. "I am the heir of the Koba Group! I only accepted your help because... because the mud back there would have completely ruined my custom-tailored uniform! It was a tactical retreat on my part!"
The entire room stared at him for a second. Then, Kenji burst out laughing, followed closely by Inosuke's roaring chuckles and Rei's quiet snickering. Even Hayato couldn't help but let out a genuine, hearty laugh at the sheer absurdity of the statement.
Kaito's face turned completely red as he glared at the laughing group, though the tight grip on his arms loosened, a small, reluctant smile hiding at the corner of his lips. The heavy, terrifying memory of the Black Forest completely melted away, replaced by the simple, noisy comfort of five friends sharing a room, ending their very first academy mission on a perfect note.