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The main heroine, Isabel Luna.

I never imagined that I’d face her in my very first match of the international singles tournament.

Apparently, Isabel felt the same way; her face was marked with surprise.

Still, this kind of situation had to be anticipated.

Opponents in the main rounds are determined randomly.

It was no surprise to meet someone like her in the Round of 64.

From afar, I could see Isabel taking a deep breath.

She was regaining her composure, realizing the same truth I had.

How strong had Isabel become?

Since the boycott incident, I hadn’t had the chance to properly gauge her skills.

And even during the boycott, I fled before we could settle things.

Isabel must have been grinding her teeth in frustration ever since that day.

Eyes full of interest gathered here for the first match.

Among them, I spotted a familiar face.

Someone watching with an amused smile, as if here for another good show.

Duke of Whitewood.

Raksid Anubecia.

Even the Empire’s hero had come to watch this international singles tournament.

Judging by her expression, she was greatly anticipating what I’d show her this time.

‘I’ll show you.’

My gaze locked onto Isabel.

At the same moment, Isabel also looked straight at me.

Earlier, she had been avoiding eye contact, but now she was staring at me squarely.

“Hey, you.”

Was she about to declare victory before the match even started?

I had to prepare a sharp retort.

“Are you dating Seron?”

“What?”

But her next words made me forget everything I had been planning to say.

Was that something to say in this setting?

“What are you talking about?”

I asked again, completely baffled, and Isabel hesitated for a moment.

“...I saw you with Seron this morning.”

So, she saw that?

I thought we were alone.

For a moment, I felt awkward, but I tried to maintain my expression.

“Yeah, so? That doesn’t mean we’re dating.”

“Then why is Seron treating you differently than before?”

Isabel persistently pressed on.

To be honest, Seron’s recent actions were noticeably different from before.

To anyone observing, she looked like a girl in love.

“And you too,”

Isabel added, pointing out my own behavior.

Had my actions changed as well?

I wasn’t sure.

But one thing was clear: this situation was not heading in a good direction.

The look in Isabel’s eyes was no longer the cheerful sunflower I once knew.

Instead, there was a desperate pleading in her gaze.

Isabel was seeing me as Lucas.

In a way, I had partially intended for that.

I had once declared that, even if I couldn’t be a sun like Lucas, I’d become her moon.

“But you once said it yourself—you’re not planning to date anyone.”

Still, I didn’t want Isabel to rely on someone else to find her footing.

I believed she would eventually stand on her own, overcoming her insecurities.

‘Maybe it’s selfish of me.’

Having experienced the collapse of dreams myself, I knew how crucial it was to rise on one’s own.

Relying on others to alleviate fear is unstable and dangerous.

She was, after all, the main heroine of my favorite game.

I didn’t want Isabel to live a life like that.

That’s why I intervened when she was on the brink of suicide, even cursing Lucas in front of her to save her life.

“Isabel.”

I tapped my toes lightly on the floor to warm up.

“Even if I were dating Seron, what does that have to do with you?”

Isabel flinched.

Our relationship was complex and difficult to define.

From the entrance ceremony until now, Isabel and I had been entangled in countless ways.

If I had to label it, we were rivals.

A relationship built on proving who was right.

That was how I saw us.

But lately, that relationship had been shifting.

The line that once defined us was being crossed, repeatedly.

And it was Isabel herself who kept crossing it, unconsciously, as she saw Lucas in me and followed that image.

“We were supposed to be rivals, debating what was right and wrong.”

My gaze fixed on Isabel, who stood frozen.

“...I don’t know.”

Her murmur was hollow, as if even she didn’t understand herself anymore.

“I don’t know why I’m like this.”

Her trembling eyes met mine.

I decided to ask the question I had been holding back.

“Isabel, are you seeing Lucas in me?”

Her face froze completely.

She hadn’t realized it herself until now.

“No way!”

Isabel shouted.

Fortunately, we were far enough from the audience that her voice didn’t carry, but her reaction was visible.

Spectators likely assumed it was just pre-match banter.

“Th-there’s no way...”

Her voice faltered, growing weaker as her pupils quivered violently.

She was starting to realize the truth behind my question.

“Now, let’s begin the first match of the international singles tournament, Round of 64!”

The announcer’s voice cut through, signaling the start of the match.

There was no more time to continue our conversation.

Cheers erupted from the crowd, excited for the match.

But Isabel, seemingly deaf to it all, stared at me with wide eyes.

“Isabel.”

I raised my hand, palm forward.

If Isabel was seeing Lucas in me, then I would shatter that illusion today.

I might be able to become her moon, but I could never be the sun she wanted.

Because I wasn’t Lucas.

“I’m not Lucas.”

At that moment, an icy aura exploded from me.

Crack-crack-crack!

The arena began to freeze rapidly under the overwhelming cold.

At the same time, my right eye, which had been shut, opened, revealing a glowing yellow reptilian iris.

The remnants of the ancient dragon within me had awakened.

“!”

In the distance, Eve, one of the other competitors, shot to her feet in shock.

Of course, she hadn’t expected me to wield the ancient dragon’s magic in the tournament.

Those who wield the power of ancient dragons are considered dragonkin.

And by law, dragonkin are sentenced to death.

It was an explicit rule across the Empire and other kingdoms.

Far off, Sharin massaged her temples and sighed.

“Hmm?”

“What’s that?”

The ignorant spectators cheered, but those knowledgeable about magic began murmuring in growing alarm.

The confusion among the mages was palpable.

Except for one person.

Duke of Whitewood was laughing uncontrollably, slapping her chair in amusement.

After all, she was the one who had granted me immunity under the Hero’s Special Law.

Ancient dragons are classified as mythical beings.

Which means...

‘Might as well make this count. Just one more time, please let it slide.’

Though I had other cards to play, relying on Duke of Whitewood was the fastest way to resolve this.

‘It’s not like I planned to hide this forever.’

And so, I decided to make things clear for Isabel.

Unlike Lucas, who wielded Flame of Resolve, I controlled the chilling power of an ancient dragon.

“Y-you...”

Amidst the spreading cold, Isabel’s face filled with shock.

“What?”

A smirk crept across my lips, one I hadn’t worn in a while.

“Do I look a little different from the Lucas you imagine?”

As always, I enjoyed provoking Isabel.

Hearing my mocking tone after such a long time, Isabel bit her lips tightly.

A chilling cold crept up to her feet.

It was distinctly different from Lucas' heat.

"…You’re really something."

But thanks to that, the wavering in her eyes shifted.

Whether or not Isabel had overlapped me with Lucas was a separate matter.

What she had always harbored was the desire to surpass me.

That resolve was etched firmly into her for this match.

"…Once this match is over, there’s something I want to ask you."

Isabel gripped her sword tightly.

At the same time, a white light unlike anything I’d seen before began to radiate from her.

"That’s why, no matter what happens, I’ll give it everything I’ve got."

The moment I saw it, a smile spread across my lips.

She’s made it.

Whoosh—

Behind Isabel.

Wings of pure white, unlike anything I had ever seen, unfolded.

The spectators, who had been murmuring about my ancient dragon magic, collectively widened their eyes.

Shock painted their faces without exception.

What Isabel had unveiled were wings no one had anticipated.

The Wings of the Goddess.

Long ago, a warrior who had sealed the Demon Sovereign in the underground abyss bore those sacred wings.

It is said that after the warrior confined the Demon Sovereign, they left these words:

「One day, when the Demon Sovereign bares its fangs at the world once more, there shall emerge another who bears the Wings of the Goddess, just as I once did.」

On the day the Demon Sovereign threatens the world,

Wings will bloom behind a chosen one.

That was the legendary Wings of the Goddess.

And now.

Those very Wings of the Goddess had blossomed on Isabel’s back.

This was the reason I had to protect Isabel at all costs, and why she was the main heroine of The Flame Butterfly.

The warrior destined to annihilate the Demon Sovereign.

Isabel Luna.

This was the moment of her true awakening.

The combination of the ancient dragon magic and the Wings of the Goddess threw the arena into utter chaos.

Among those in an uproar, the nobles were the most agitated.

As the pillars of the world, they were well-versed in history and understood the profound significance of the Wings of the Goddess.

Meanwhile, the mages were in turmoil over the ancient dragon magic.

Aware of its destructive potential, they clamored to halt the match immediately.

"Silence."

"Be quiet."

Two voices cut through the uproar, silencing both the nobles and the mages.

One belonged to a woman with snow-white hair and a commanding, charismatic gaze.

A hero of the highest order and the pinnacle of the empire’s authority, second only to the emperor.

Raksid Anubecia, the White Wood Duke.

At her words, nobles from not only the empire but also other kingdoms immediately fell silent.

The other voice belonged to a middle-aged man clad in a blue cloak.

With hair as blue as the sky and piercing eyes, his warning shut the mouths of the mages.

The Archmage of the Blue Tower, the most powerful magical institution in the world.

Emperadion Sazaris.

As two figures at the pinnacle of nobility and magic, their commands were unchallengeable.

The White Wood Duke and the Blue Tower Archmage exchanged glances.

Each had aligned themselves with a different individual in this match.

The White Wood Duke supported Isabel Luna.

The Blue Tower Archmage backed Hannon Irey.

They intervened to ensure that the two figures at the center of this heated match would not be dragged into unnecessary chaos.

The White Wood Duke leaped lightly toward the Blue Tower Archmage.

Though her movements were audacious, no one dared to criticize her.

Only her attendant sighed quietly, adjusting her dress as she landed.

"Blue Tower boy."

"How long do you intend to call me ‘boy’?"

"Hahaha! To my eyes, you’ll always be a boy, no matter how old you get."

The mages were stunned at her audacity in calling the archmage a boy, but the Blue Tower Archmage seemed used to it.

"What do you think of that audacious boy’s magic?"

The White Wood Duke’s question brimmed with curiosity, and the Blue Tower Archmage cast a cold gaze toward the match.

"That boy is controlling his magic for the sake of the match."

The mages collectively widened their eyes.

The sheer power of ancient dragon magic was unparalleled.

To control such magic meant the birth of an extraordinary force.

"And I know who’s involved in this."

The Blue Tower Archmage shifted his gaze toward the participants.

Among them stood his adopted daughter.

His daughter, who possessed the “Mirinae,” a talent even he lacked.

It was evident she had a hand in this.

Since his daughter was involved, the Blue Tower Archmage couldn’t allow Hannon to be executed.

Doing so would implicate Sharin under the system of collective punishment.

"This works out well. If you stand with me, I can push the laws before the emperor with a little more audacity."

"So, this was your intention from the start?"

The Blue Tower Archmage revealed his displeasure.

"Hmm, a young hero who qualifies under the special laws of heroes. If I don’t protect them, who will?"

Even as she spoke, her gaze turned somewhat sharp.

"Of course, that boy over there is a cheeky one, deliberately orchestrating this."

The White Wood Duke’s lips curled into a grin.

"As adults, we should praise a child’s boldness rather than dismiss it."

Such audacity truly deserved recognition.

"Besides, it brings back memories."

She smiled wistfully.

"There was another madman who meddled with ancient dragon magic in the past."

At those words, the Blue Tower Archmage furrowed his brow slightly.

He knew precisely whom she was referring to.

Zerion the Transcendent Sage.

A figure who had mastered every form of magic in history, even the divine and ancient dragon magic.

But historical records were unclear on whether he had truly wielded ancient dragon magic.

"That’s a stretch."

"Heh, indeed. Compared to the Transcendent Sage, that boy is just a fledgling. But."

The White Wood Duke’s eyes gleamed sharply.

"Even the great Zerion the Sage was once a fledgling."

What kind of path would the boy tread?

The White Wood Duke chuckled, already anticipating the answer.