Inside the private quarters of Nuru Castle, the air was a chaotic mix of domestic madness and lingering tension.
Having just swept through the hallway and knocked out the immediate wave of invading soldiers, Flink stood near the splintered doorway, catching his breath.
Across the room, Princess Olivia leaned against a polished pillar, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
In the center of the nursery stood her husband, Railer Dragesta.
Railer was attempting to manage their two-year-old son, Tez, but the task was proving far more difficult than facing an entire battalion.
Young Tez held a bottle of milk in both hands, turning it sideways and making aggressive engine noises as he sprayed milk continuously across the floor, treating it like a loaded energy rifle.
“Pew! Pew! Boom!” Tez shrieked with toddler delight, spraying a fresh stream directly onto Railer’s boots.
“Tez! No! Stop shooting the milk!” Railer pleaded frantically, trying to grab the bottle without getting sprayed in the face.
“Olivia, help me out here! He’s using basic martial alignment to increase his bottle pressure!”
Olivia didn’t even turn her head.
“Fix it yourself, Railer. You’re supposed to be a warrior, not a victim of a toddler’s breakfast.”
Meanwhile, out in the central plaza of the city, the battle was reaching a destructive climax.
The confrontation between Kazama Shatilion and Commander Hanji Shoto had escalated into a pure clash of fundamental forces—an unyielding collision between ultimate speed and absolute strength.
Hanji, possessing one hundred percent Strength Mastery and eighty percent Endurance, flexed his enormous frame.
Every step he took left deep fissures in the stone, shockwaves rippling out into the surrounding buildings and shattering glass windows for blocks around.
On the opposite side stood Kazama, his blade weaving through the air with fluid precision, his Unique Sword Style and ninety percent Speed Mastery making him look like a blur of golden light.
Hanji swung his massive war axe, cutting a deep trench into the earth.
Kazama slid effortlessly past the blade, his boots gliding over the dust as he landed lightly on a ruined wall.
Kazama glanced down, his tone icy.
“I don’t think you’ve even touched me yet.”
Hanji sneered, his chest heaving as his aura flared violent red.
“Keep talking, prince! Just think—if I catch you even once, I will tear you apart like a piece of paper!”
Hanji roared, unleashing his unique skill.
He slammed his massive fist directly into the ground beneath him.
BOOM!
The entire stone street shattered into a crater, tearing open a massive hole in the earth that collapsed inward.
Debris, stone slabs, and dust erupted into the sky.
Kazama barely escaped the rising chasm, using Ultimate Acceleration to leap backward onto a high ledge.
Before he could stabilize his stance, a bloodied Kazama soldier sprinted into the alley below, screaming in sheer panic.
“My prince! Some crulers have bypassed the main front! They are attacking the castle nursery right now!”
The news hit Kazama like a physical strike.
His focus shattered.
His eyes widened, his heart hammering against his ribs as thoughts of Rihasa and Ahasha flooded his mind.
He froze, caught in a agonizing dilemma—stay and defend the citizens, or abandon the line to save his newborn sons.
Hanji caught the hesitation instantly.
A wicked grin spread across the commander’s scarred face.
“Hey, you bastard! Now what are you gonna do?!” Hanji taunted, taking a heavy step forward.
Kazama’s expression hardened into pure, terrifying intensity.
The hesitation vanished, replaced by an urgent, deadly resolve.
“I have to finish you as fast as possible,” Kazama said, his voice dropping to a low whisper.
Hanji laughed.
“In real life?! You think you can—”
Before Hanji could finish his sentence, Kazama channeled his Solar Absorption power directly into his blade.
SWOOSH!
A blinding solar beam splash cut through the air in a fraction of a microsecond, striking Hanji square in the chest with explosive force!
“WHAT?!” Hanji bellowed, stumbling backward as smoke rose from his cracked armor.
“That… that actually hurt! How did you break through my endurance?!”
Kazama landed softly on the ground, his blade held ready, his eyes burning with absolute determination.
“Because I have responsibilities that are far more important than my own life.”
“SHUT UP!” Hanji screamed in pure fury.
Hanji pumped his strength mastery to its absolute maximum, his muscles swelling as he charged forward like an unstoppable mountain.
Kazama attempted to leap clear using his acceleration, but his brief hesitation had drained vital split-seconds.
Hanji’s massive, vice-like hand shot through the dust and grabbed Kazama’s sword arm!
Kazama’s heart sank.
“This is the worst…”
With a terrifying roar, Hanji slammed Kazama straight into the cobblestones!
Hanji picked him up and whipped him violently against the stone walls, beating Kazama like a ragged handkerchief.
The sheer, mountain-shattering weight of Hanji’s attacks broke Kazama’s ribs and shattered his armor.
Within seconds, the prince was left in terrible condition, bleeding heavily, his sword falling uselessly from his limp fingers into the dirt.
Back in the castle nursery, the storm of battle had cleared.
Flink was calmly pouring fresh herbal tea into small porcelain cups, serving them to Railer and Olivia.
The room had been cleaned of immediate danger, and on the soft velvet cushions in the corner, two-year-old Tez, infant Rihasa, and infant Ahasha were all fast asleep, lying side by side in peaceful silence.
Olivia took a sip of tea, her face stern.
“I told Malisa to come to my domain for her delivery… but she refused. She insisted on giving birth here with her fucking husband, who clearly couldn’t care less about his own children’s safety!”
Railer quickly held up his hands, trying to defuse her anger.
“Hey, don’t say it like that, Olivia! Kazama is a good father!”
Flink set the teapot down, bowing respectfully.
“Actually, Princess Olivia, the prince is currently out on the front lines laying down his life to save the citizens of Nuru.”
Olivia scoffed, looking away.
“And who saves his children if I don’t show up?”
Railer smiled proudly, pointing to himself.
“We came! Yes, we saved them!”
Olivia turned a sharp glare toward her husband.
“Your appearance isn’t much of a profit here, Railer… Though I suppose you’re a decent babysitter.”
Railer’s posture instantly deflated.
He slunk over to a dark corner of the room, sitting down on the floor to cry quietly to himself while hugging his knees.
Suddenly, a wounded castle guard burst through the door, clutching a shoulder wound.
“Princess Olivia! Mr. Flink! A crisis has occurred in the central plaza! Prince Kazama has been defeated and imprisoned by Commander Hanji! Hanji has raised his axe—he is going to execute the prince any second!”
Flink stood up immediately, grabbing his sword.
“We must go there right now to save the prince!”
“Nope,” Olivia said bluntly, taking another sip of tea.
Railer looked up from his corner, wide-eyed.
“Don’t be so cold-hearted, Olivia!”
“Please, my princess!” Flink begged.
“Save Prince Kazama!”
Railer scrambled to his feet.
“Olivia, go! Please!”
Olivia set her cup down, rolling her eyes at her husband’s panic.
“You idiot… your father is down at the market right now, you know.”
Railer froze.
His panicked expression completely wiped clean.
“My father…? Then… I think we can just stay here and take a rest.”
Flink stared at Railer in utter bewilderment.
“What?! What is your father going to do there? He is an old man now!”
Olivia looked out the window with a faint smirk.
Out in the central plaza, Kazama lay battered and broken in the rubble, unable to lift a finger.
Blood pool around him as Commander Hanji stood over his body, holding a massive executioner’s axe high in the air with both hands.
“I asked you to join us long ago, Kazama,” Hanji sneered, his voice filled with sadistic delight.
“But you declined simply because of your pathetic royal ego! Now, die here in the dirt!”
Kazama closed his eyes, tears mixing with the blood on his cheeks.
I am so sorry, Malisa…
Kazama thought, his heart breaking.
I couldn’t save you… and now I am unable to save our children.
I wasn’t a good father after all…
Hanji swung the heavy axe downward with lethal, terrifying speed to sever Kazama’s head!
SWOOSH!
Suddenly, the blade stopped dead in mid-air—mere inches from Kazama’s neck.
Without a single second of warning, the entire temperature across the city shifted dramatically.
A suffocating, scorching heat wave swept through the ruins, and a colossal, divine pressure slammed down onto the plaza.
Every single cruler and invading soldier felt an overwhelming weight crush their lungs, falling to their knees as their hearts hammered against their ribs in pure terror.
Hanji’s arms began to tremble violently.
Cold sweat drenched his entire body.
“W-What… what type of aura is this…?!”
Walking down the dust-covered street at a slow, leisurely pace was an unassuming old man.
He leaned lightly on a basic wooden walking stick, his body draped entirely in a loose black coat.
Hanji tried to mask his sheer terror, yelling out, “Hey! Old man! Stay outside if you know what’s good for you! Step any closer and I’ll kill you before I finish this prince!”
The old man kept walking forward, pausing briefly to tilt his head.
“Are you shameless? Literally… you are going to kill a weakling old man?”
Kazama weakly forced his eyes open, gasping through the pain.
What?!
No… this aura…
I felt it years ago…
It’s the Old Master!
Dragesta!
Suddenly—in a moment that gave everyone on the field goosebumps—Dragesta vanished.
FLASH!
Before Hanji’s eyes could even register a shadow, Kazama was gone from the street!
In less than a microsecond, Dragesta had scooped up Kazama and placed him safely on the roof of a nearby building.
Hanji stood frozen, his mind completely failing to comprehend a speed that surpassed light itself!
Panicking, Hanji spun around and threw his heavy war axe with all his physical strength straight at the old man!
The axe flew like a missile, but the very instant the steel blade touched Dragesta’s loose coat—CRACK!—the heavy weapon shattered into thousands of harmless metal splinters!
Dragesta slowly unbuttoned his coat and let it slide off his shoulders.
His true, terrifying physical form was revealed.
He stood an imposing eight feet tall, possessing immense biceps, triceps, mountain-like shoulders, a broad back, and defined abs.
His long, brilliant white hair flowed down his back, and his pure white eyes radiated absolute dominance.
Even at the age of sixty, Dragesta R.
Jaff was an unstoppable, primordial monster!
Hanji collapsed onto his rear, his face pale as paper.
“WHAT?! No… don’t tell me… You are that Dragon Master?!”
Dragesta looked down at him, his deep voice vibrating the earth.
“I am not the Dragon Master… I am the MASTER OF DRAGONS!”
DREGESTA R.
JAFF — STATS
* Strength: Ø (Unmeasurable)
* Speed: Ø (Unmeasurable)
* Endurance: Ø (Unmeasurable)
* Technique: Ø (Unmeasurable)
* Agility: Ø (Unmeasurable)
* IQ: Ø (Unmeasurable)
* Aura: ØØ (Beyond Boundaries)
* Technique: Solar Dragon (80% Mastery)
Dragesta pulled back his massive right fist.
CRUNCH!!!!!
He threw a single solid punch into the air.
A blinding, sun-like shockwave exploded outward, a 10km bright light enveloping the entire city in a fraction of a second!
When the blinding light faded, the city stood completely unharmed.
Not a single building was damaged, yet every single invading soldier—including Commander Hanji—lay completely unconscious on the ground, their fighting spirit instantly wiped out.
Kazama watched from the roof in total awe.
“Unbelievable! A systematic attack… a fully controlled move!”
Dragesta struck his iconic combat pose, throwing his head back with a boisterous laugh!
“BAHAHAHA! It’s so easy!” Dragesta chuckled, dusting off his arms.
“Well, I am actually here for some fruits! Hey, Kazama! Long time no see!!”
Kazama coughed, smiling weakly.
“Good to meet you, Old Master… But my children are in danger at the castle!”
Dragesta grinned.
“Don’t worry! My children were already there!”
Kazama gasped.
“You mean… Olivia?!”
“She came!” Dragesta said with a nod.
“Let’s go there! Oh, but before that, let me heal you!”
Dragesta placed his hand on Kazama, channeling his technique: Cherish Dragon!
A brilliant golden energy washed over Kazama.
In an instant, his deep bleeding stopped, his broken bones reconnected, and his stamina returned to peak condition.
Kazama looked at his hands in utter disbelief.
“What?! I am feeling completely good… How?!”
Dragesta winked, laughing out loud.
“Not ‘how’—just WOWWW! HAHAHAHA!”
Moments later, inside the castle nursery, Kazama arrived alongside Dragesta.
The moment Kazama saw Olivia, he dropped down near her legs, lowering his head in profound sorrow.
“I am really sorry, Olivia!! Please forgive me…”
Olivia looked down at him coldly.
“I don’t care about you. I care about my sister, and I care about my sister’s children.”
Kazama kept his head bowed.
“I am really sorry… Please forgive me…”
Railer stepped up, waving his hands nervously.
“Hey! Just forgive him already, Olivia!”
Olivia turned an icy gaze onto her husband.
“It’s not your matter, scumbag.”
Dragesta stepped into the center of the room, looking down at his daughter.
“Hmm! Actually, Olivia, you have to forgive him, and ask him that question you asked me earlier!”
Olivia hesitated, looking away.
“But Dad… I haven’t made my decision yet!”
Kazama looked up in confusion.
“What type of decision…?”
Olivia turned back to Kazama, her tone absolute.
“Okay. I forgive you… but you have to give me something in return.”
Kazama didn’t hesitate.
“Tell me what it is! Even my very life is yours if you demand it!”
Olivia stared at him.
“Your children.”
Kazama froze, his blood running cold.
“What… what type of question is that?!”
Dragesta placed a warm, massive hand on Kazama’s shoulder.
“Let me explain! Hey Kazama, how long do you want to live like this, and how do you want your children to live like this—constantly hunted by war? I have found a way to end this cycle and start a brand-new Generation Era. But for this, I want to help all of those who remain loyal to the Powerverse! Do you want to join us?”
Kazama looked at the sleeping infants, then back up at the legendary master.
“Yes… I believe in you, and I want to end this! But what about my children?!”
Dragesta offered a secretive, confident smile.
“I have a way!”
Olivia looked at her father anxiously.
“Dad… do you really want to do that?”
Railer stepped out from his corner, his tone serious.
“Dad… I think this is not a good idea…”
Dragesta looked at them all, his white eyes shining with calm resolve.
“Please… just trust me!”
PRESENT DAY
Back in the tournament infirmary, the long history lesson finally came to an end.
Tez, Ahasha (Sha), Rihasa, Weza, and Huma sat in absolute, stunned silence.
Mr. Flink took a deep breath, finishing his tale.
“And after that day… Prince Kazama, young Rihasa, and young Ahasha left the castle alongside Master Dragesta, and they never came back to Nuru again.”
Rihasa and Sha sat processing the heavy reality, clutching their heads in disbelief.
“We… we still aren’t able to believe it!” Rihasa stammered out.
“So… who was that man who raised us in the real world?!”
Flink bowed his head regretfully.
“I do not know how or where you went in the real world, young prince.”
“And why did Dragesta send us to the real world in the first place?!” Sha shouted, completely overwhelmed by the mysteries.
Yet, even with all this information revealed, the truth remained heavily clouded.
Because Dragesta had used an alias when sending them away, neither Rihasa, Sha, nor Tez realized that the eccentric, grumpy old man who raised them in the mountain cabin—the old man they simply called “Jaff”—was actually Dragesta R.
Jaff himself!
To them, “Dragesta” was a legendary 8-foot-tall titan of Powerland, while “Old Man Jaff” was just their silly real-world grandfather figure.
The dots remained completely unconnected, preserving the hidden truth of their upbringing.
Tez scratched his head, looking over at Flink.
“Hey! Flink, do you know anything about myself also?”
Flink looked at Tez gently.
“Sorry, child, I do not know you. By the way, what are your father’s and mother’s names? Maybe I might recognize them.”
Tez looked down, kicking his foot against the floor.
“I don’t know… My grandpa always said they died in an accident when I was a baby. My grandpa’s name is JAFF RAIDOR.”
Flink thought deeply for a moment, then shook his head.
“Sorry, child… I don’t know anyone like that in Powerland.”
Tez looked up with a warm, unwavering smile, his eyes filled with absolute sincerity.
“Literally, I don’t care about things anymore… Grandpa Jaff never left me alone, and he never made me feel like I didn’t have parents… I can very proudly say that my grandpa is my real hero!”
Rihasa and Sha looked at Tez, nodding in warm agreement.
“Yes…” Sha added softly, a gentle smile breaking across his face, “Grandpa always made us feel joy… and he never let us feel alone out there.”
Weza crossed his arms, smiling at Tez.
“That means you aren’t natively from Powerland at all, Tez! But you both—Rihasa and Sha—you have officially come back to your true home, and that is very good.”
Sha gripped his hair in frustration.
“I don’t have enough answers! I have so many questions floating in my head!”
At that exact second, Flink and Tez spoke at the exact same time in perfect harmony:
“When the right time comes, you’ll get all your answers!”
Flink blinked, looking at Tez in shock.
“Who said that to you, Tez?!”
Tez smiled casually.
“RAREA said this to me!”
Huma, who had been sitting quietly near the door, suddenly stood up and shrieked in total shock!
“WHAT?!” Huma yelled, pointing a finger at Tez as if he were insane.
“You mean the Powerverse God, Rarea?! You MET him?! HOW?!”
Tez laughed nervously, scratching his cheek.
“Uh… well… it’s a really long story!”
BZZZZZZT!
Before Huma could interrogate him further, the arena intercom speakers blasted across the entire medical wing:
“ATTENTION PARTICIPANTS! PREPARE FOR THE NEXT SECOND-ROUND MATCH OF THE DEATH GAME TOURNAMENT! PARTICIPANT TEZ VERSUS PARTICIPANT HUMA! PLEASE REPORT TO THE MAIN ARENA IMMEDIATELY!”
Huma’s shock instantly melted away, replaced by a fierce, competitive grin as she tightened her gloves.
“Prepare yourself, Tez!” Huma declared sharply.
“Don’t assume for a second that I am going to show any mercy on you out there!”
Tez grinned brightly, adjusting his headband.
“Alright!”
Sha and Weza waved cheerfully.
“Best of luck, Tez!”
Rihasa pumped his fist, yelling at the top of his lungs, “MAKE THAT LITTLE BITCH CRY, TEZ!!”
Tez whipped his head around, glaring at Rihasa in annoyance.
“HEY! Don’t talk rubbish!”
FAR AWAY — THE REAL WORLD
In a peaceful, sunlit garden where pink cherry blossoms drifted softly through the air, an old man sat quietly on a wooden porch, sipping a hot cup of tea.
Dragesta R.
Jaff lowered his cup, gazing up into the endless blue sky with a mysterious, knowing smile.
“There is something that is far beyond your imagination, my child…” Jaff whispered softly into the wind.
“…TEZ!”
TO BE CONTINUED
Hey Readers, Unfortunately, my health hasn’t been great over the past couple of days, and I’ve been advised to take some rest.
Because of this, I won’t be able to drop a chapter this week.
I hate missing uploads, but I want to make sure I’m well enough to give you the quality chapters you deserve.
Thank you for your patience and for continuing to follow the story.
I will see you soon.