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Vulcan Zebra.

His Phase 1 pattern is divided into five distinct attacks.

The first is the Petrifying Warrior.

Upon entering, he unleashes a wide-area petrification effect—a vicious technique.

This can be countered by using Steel Body, Goddess’s Wings in its second awakening, or high-output attacks like Thunderstorm Broomie.

The second is the Aria of Roar.

A pattern where he lets out a multi-directional roar, stunning all nearby opponents.

Since he immediately follows this with Corrupted Scorch, it is best to prevent its activation altogether to minimize damage.

When signs of this pattern appear, I used Xenia to launch a high-powered bombardment, forcing Vulcan into a defensive stance.

The third is the Flame Whirlwind.

This pattern targets the first person Vulcan sees, trapping them in a swirling vortex of black flames, rendering them incapacitated for an extended period.

When the signs appear, I will charge directly at Vulcan.

Thanks to my partial fire immunity and resistance to wind attacks, I can endure it.

Even if I get caught in the Flame Whirlwind, I will just break through it head-on.

The fourth pattern is Radiant Piercer.

A thin beam of light rains down like a barrage of needles.

Since the beams have piercing power, they can turn a person into a pincushion in moments.

However, due to my Steel Body, I can ignore the damage entirely.

For Xenia, Isabel's Goddess Wings provides protection.

While Vulcan is momentarily motionless after activating Radiant Piercer, it creates an opening.

We use this opportunity to rush through the barrage and deal heavy damage.

The fifth is Corrupted Flame.

Chunks of black flame split apart and scatter in all directions.

Simultaneously, pillars rise from the ground, cutting off all escape routes.

The black flames, upon contact, seep into the body and melt it from the inside.

Since this is the most dangerous pattern, Xenia and Isabel pulled back.

Meanwhile, I charged straight into the Corrupted Flame.

Shiiiiiik!

The black flame seeped into my body, but the Ice Dragon’s Frost residing within me clashed against it.

Because of my dragon magic, I can neutralize the Corrupted Flame.

Even the Ancient Dragon’s Remnants residing in me didn't let the invading flames go unchecked.

They rushed in, devouring and extinguishing the flames.

At the same time, the fire rune etched into my skin flared with increased power.

As the frost magic waned from countering the Corrupted Flame, the Fire Dragon’s magic surges even higher.

Golden flames erupted from my entire body.

Even with my fire immunity, the heat was searing—but still bearable.

The Fire Dragon’s rune kept drawing out more power.

Dragon scales surfaced on my face.

My eyes transformed into slitted, reptilian pupils.

I condensed the intense heat into the edge of my hand.

The golden-hot blade of my hand slashed through the air with a menacing gleam.

Dragonflame Mode.

Unlike the Heavenly Dragon, this was the magic of an ancient dragon rampaging uncontrollably.

“What the—”

Vulcan’s voice rang out in shock.

“What the hell are you?”

It was a voice not of anger but of terror.

I understood.

To him, I was a complete enigma—a stranger who knew every one of his hidden abilities, activation conditions, and habits.

It was disturbing, even eerie.

But it made sense, considering how many times Vulcan had defeated me.

I had raised countless Lucases, only to see them fall to Vulcan.

Vulcan was powerful.

In fact, Lucas only fights Vulcan during Act 5.

As Lucas progresses through each act, he grows exponentially stronger.

Thus, by Act 5, Vulcan is scaled to match that level—a boss befitting that stage.

However, this was only Act 4.

Even Lucas couldn’t handle Vulcan at this point.

To make matters worse, Vulcan had joined forces with the Abomination.

This raised the difficulty of the Flame Butterfly Arc to its highest level yet.

But it didn’t matter.

“Hanon Irey.”

Because right now, I wasn’t Lucas.

Even if Lucas would fail, I wouldn’t.

Sweat evaporated instantly in the dragonfire’s heat, and I smirked.

“If you want to make it sound fancy, just call me an Agent.”

Since I was going to fight anyway, I decided to put on a little flair.

Even if I was nothing but an extra in reality, it didn’t matter.

Because here and now, I was the one facing Vulcan, not Lucas.

And that meant I could win.

I kicked off the ground and charged.

Isabel spread her wings and followed closely behind, while Xenia’s magic covered the area.

Both of them were giving everything they had to bring down Vulcan.

The battle against Vulcan reached its climax.

My coordination with Isabel was honed to perfection through countless battles.

We could predict each other’s moves with a glance.

Our seamless combination of strikes, bolstered by Xenia's magic, forced Vulcan into a constant retreat, accumulating damage.

BOOM!

Vulcan was sent flying, barely managing to stay on his feet.

His entire body was riddled with wounds.

In contrast, we remained unscathed, thanks to Isabel's Goddess Wings, which provided constant healing.

As expected, it was the most broken ability in the Flame Butterfly Arc.

Once again, black flames surged through Vulcan’s battered body.

His teeth ground together with a sharp gnash.

“If you are a proxy…”

Vulcan drew forth his corrupted flames.

In an instant, his entire body was engulfed in black fire.

Flames of a magnitude unlike anything before erupted from him.

“Then fall from the stage as a proxy should.”

Vulcan stood on the opposite end of the spectrum from Lucas.

While Lucas ignited the Flame of Resolve even in the face of adversity, Vulcan's fire was consumed by it, turning to corruption.

In truth, Vulcan was once capable of kindling flames like Lucas.

But his past life did not allow it.

In his previous life, the hero Rosli loathed the world.

Though he saved it, he failed to protect his family.

Thus, upon his reincarnation, he wished only for his new self to burn with hatred strong enough to scorch the world once again.

A cycle of inherited resentment.

Through it, Vulcan awakened his corrupted flame.

A battle of fire against fire.

That was the showdown of Act 5, Scene 5.

I had no Flame of Resolve.

Instead, I tempered my body with the fire of the fire dragon, heating my steel-like frame to its limit.

The heat coursing through my palm whirled violently.

I charged through the onslaught of corrupted flames, cutting a path.

Vulcan gritted his teeth, his eyes ablaze with fury.

A massive spear had appeared in his hand.

Vulcan had underestimated us.

Only now, facing us, did he realize the truth.

That a half-hearted effort would never be enough to defeat us.

He swung the spear.

Black fire spiraled along the shaft, extending outward in a wicked arc.

The hero he had devoured, Ordo, was one of the world's greatest spear masters.

By absorbing Ordo, Vulcan had inherited his spear techniques.

Naturally, his spearsmanship was now on a masterful level.

This was Vulcan’s Phase 2.

From this point on, he wielded the skills of a hero.

But this was also a sign of his desperation.

Phase 2 only activated when Vulcan's health fell below half.

Though Vulcan, now bolstered by Ordo’s techniques, was far stronger,

there was always such a thing as natural advantage.

As his spear slashed toward me, I swung my palm in return.

In that moment, my hand pierced through the spear’s blade and passed right through it.

“What?!”

At the same time, the fire dragon’s magic surged into the spear’s core.

Crack!

From the blade to the shaft, fractures spread rapidly.

The fire dragon’s magic seeped through the cracks and erupted.

KWA-AAAAAANG!

Vulcan’s spear exploded.

A modified version of the Sword Breaker technique—

the Weapon Breaker.

Ordo's spear techniques might have been the best in the world,

but even the finest techniques were useless without a weapon.

Fragments of the shattered spear scattered in a fiery rain.

Through the rain of embers, I charged forward, closing the distance between us.

Vulcan slammed his foot into the ground.

At once, a wall of black flame surged upward, blocking my path.

But I had already anticipated this.

Thud!

My foot struck the ground, braking sharply.

In the same motion, I lowered my body into a coiled stance, ready to leap.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Vulcan slashed through the wall of flame, launching a cutting strike.

Through the rift in the flames, I caught a glimpse of his eyes widening in shock.

Until now, I had always charged straight through fire with reckless abandon.

Never once had I evaded it.

He had never expected me to do so now.

Exploiting the blind spot he had created with his own flames,

Vulcan fell victim to his own trap.

I drew all the power I could into my superheated fist.

At the same time, the ring on my right hand glimmered ominously.

The Lightning Caller invoked thunder.

But not just any thunder—

it was lightning that descended at the goddess’s call, unhindered by space.

What did that mean?

‘Even without the sky…’

The lightning would strike where the Lightning Caller directed it.

Behind me, a dark cloud began to form.

The storm was Xenia’s magic.

The cloud opened its maw,

and a blue glow pierced through it, weaving around its edges.

Come, Lightning Caller.

A blinding flash surged forth, engulfing my vision.

The magic engravings on my skin activated, enveloping my entire body in lightning.

Magic Inscription: Lightning Catcher

My body became shrouded in crackling electricity,

morphing into the form of a dragon.

The fire dragon’s magic transformed into the magic of the sky dragon.

Heavenly Dragon Form.

But I had no intention of stopping there.

Behind me, Isabel spread the Wings of the Goddess to their full extent,

unleashing her concentrated power.

The light of the goddess pierced through the storm clouds, wrapping around my body.

Isabel's ultimate move—

the divine technique that eradicated evil and amplified the power of the righteous.

Goddess’s Victory Declaration—Victory.

The corrupted flames were extinguished, and the Heavenly Dragon consumed the light.

The once blue dragon now burst forth with the radiance of the sun itself.

The Heavenly Dragon that swallowed the sun roared.

Vulcan's scream reached my ears.

But the dragon devoured even his voice, erasing it.

This was the strike containing the combined strength of all of us.

Try to withstand it.

His hatred of the world, born from his past life.

My stubborn resolve to protect it.

Was his grudge deeper, or was my determination stronger?

To prove it, I hurled my fist with everything I had.

The Sun-Devouring Dragon pierced through Vulcan’s corrupted flames

and at last, struck his abdomen.

KWA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!

The most powerful explosion yet tore through the battlefield,

obliterating everything in its path.