As Rein penetrated further into dragon territory, he heard whispers of the Dragon King—a potent ancient being so feared that even dragons trembled at the mention of his name. He was the ruler of the dragon empire that had launched war against humanity four centuries ago. The King remained almost elusive, never revealing his face, always hiding behind surrogates, and playing puppeteer in the shadows.
But Rein knew that it was either him or the Dragon King for the war to cease once and for all. With each passing breath, he was drawing closer to dragon empire territory; with every kill, he was growing in strength. It was now hard to deny the bond that existed between him and the crystal; the dark energy thrumming through the very core of his being constantly fed him, propelling him forward.
He tracked the Dragon King in the great fortress built into the side of a volcano. The air here was thick with magic, and Rein could feel the oppressive aura now suffocating the land. The moment he crossed the threshold of the fortress, an earth tremor shook the ground. The King was there waiting for him.
"You have come far, small warrior," the voice of the Dragon King boomed in the deep halls. "But you are not ready."
Rein's heart burned in fury. "I am ready. I have always been ready."
The Dragon King emerged from the shadows, scales glimmering in unnatural light and huge, towering over Rein like a mountain. The eyes of the Dragon King were cold and ancient and saw into Rein. "You are nothing but a pawn in a game which you do not comprehend," the King hissed. "I have seen your kind before—driven by rage, blinded by vengeance. And I have crushed them all."
With a roar, the Dragon King unleashed flames with such fury that the very air around Rein sizzled and began to contort. But Rein was speeding away, conjuring a wall of stone and shadow, diverting the blazing torrent of the King. That clash was nothing that Rein had ever encountered before; the King was more powerful than any dragon he had faced in combat, and his sorcery was absolutely beyond anything Rein had met.
Rein's determination, however, was firm. He would not give up. Strengthened by the dark force of the crystal, he pressed on. Each attack by the King re-energized Rein. Finally, with a final outpouring of wrath, Rein pierced through the Dragon King's barriers, smashing down the beast in a conflagration of flame and magic. The enormous carcass of the King's body tumbled down onto the earth, dead.
Rein stood panting, heavy breaths, heart racing, towering over the King prostrate on the ground. In his palm, the crystal throbbed, its dark energy almost too much to bear. The King was dead, but at what cost? A hollow victory had taken the place of a sense of exultation. The emptiness inside was swelling with every moment. He had killed, wrecked, and won-but it tasted hollow.
The Spirit of Revenge then whispered to him, its voice frosty as glass: "You are not done yet. There is more to destroy. There is always more."