The Unrivaled Holder: Rise of the Dragon Monarch

Zarathorak's massive frame remained tense, his molten gaze locked onto Ingi with an intensity that could crush stone.

His voice, though still dripping with anger, now carried something else—hesitation.

"Who… are you?!"

His claws flexed, his wings twitched, and for the first time, uncertainty flickered in his eyes.

But Ingi did not answer.

Instead, he stepped forward—his expression unreadable, his movements slow but deliberate.

While Ingi was walking towards Zarathorak, Zarathorak carefully watch him as he stood right infront of him. Then, without a word, Ingi placed his hand against Zarathorak's massive scales.

And in that instant—

Memories surged through Zarathorak's mind.

The world shifted.

The oppressive darkness of Duskveil Hollow vanished, replaced by a scene long buried in his heart.

Zarathorak found himself small again.

A hatchling.

His scales were still dull, his body frail, his wings underdeveloped.

Beside him was Fraener—Fafnir. Even then, his brother had been bigger, stronger. A protector.

And they weren't alone. All around them, smaller dragons played and tumbled, their laughter filling the air.

It was a time before war, before blood, before betrayal.

It was… peace.

At the center of it all stood two figures.

One of them was Ingi.

The other…

A woman.

Her face was blurred, impossible to make out. But her presence—warm. Gentle. Safe.

Zarathorak felt a deep, unshakable familiarity with her, like an instinct buried deep within his soul.

The woman's touch was soft, her voice filled with kindness. She was not just a caretaker. She was family.

She and Ingi stood together, watching over them, protecting them, raising them.

She was their mother.

The time where Ingi had to leave them..

The scene shifted again.

The warmth dimmed.

Zarathorak saw Ingi standing apart from them, his face shadowed with an emotion he couldn't name.

Something heavy. Something final.

The blurry-faced woman was nowhere to be seen.

His younger siblings—so small, so full of life—gathered around Fraener and Zarathorak, looking up at them with tearful, confused eyes.

A young dragon sniffled, voice trembling.

"Brother… why is Papa leaving us? Where is mama?"

Fraener stood tall, his golden eyes unreadable.

But he did not answer.

Zarathorak, beside him, could only watch.

Another sibling whimpered, their voice breaking.

"Did we do something wrong?"

The questions came faster.

"Papa will come back… right?"

"Mama will be here, right?

"Why is he walking away?"

"Why are they leaving us?"

"Why… Why isn't he saying anything?"

The young dragons sobbed, their tiny bodies trembling as they called out for their father and longing for their mother.

But Ingi—he didn't turn around. He kept walking. And walking.

Until his figure faded into the distance.

Zarathorak could still remember the choked cries of his younger siblings. How they wailed, begging for their father to come back.

And how he and Fraener, despite the burning pain in their hearts, did not cry.

Because they were older brothers. They had to be strong. For the others.

Even if it hurt more than anything. Even if, deep inside, they wanted to scream just as much.

The last thing he saw before the memory shattered—Fraener, staring at the empty horizon, his eyes filled with an emotion Zarathorak had never been able to name.

Back to Reality

Zarathorak's body jolted as the visions vanished.

The cavern returned.

The suffocating presence of Duskveil Hollow came rushing back.

But everything had changed.

His breath came in slow, uneven bursts.

His chest ached. Not from battle. Not from fury.

But from something far deeper.

His wings lowered slightly. His claws, which had been clenched in rage, loosened.

For the first time in centuries—He remembered.

He turned his gaze toward Ingi, his voice almost a whisper.

"You… You left us."His molten eyes darkened. "Why!?"

The cavern trembled under the weight of the silence that followed.

Zarathorak's molten gaze burned with fury, his claws flexing as he awaited an answer.

Ingi met his gaze, his expression unreadable at first. Then, slowly, he exhaled.

"I had to leave, Son" Ingi murmured, his voice heavy with something unspoken. "To protect you. To protect all of you."

His words hung in the air, but they only seemed to ignite Zarathorak's fury further.

"Protect us?!" Zarathorak's lips curled into a snarl. "You call abandoning your own children… protection?!"

There was something else in his voice now—something raw. Something broken.

His tail lashed violently against the stone floor, sending a tremor through the cavern.

"Why?!" His voice boomed, shaking the very air.

Then—his next words cut deeper than any blade.

"Why, Father?! After you left us, my older brother left us too! so why?! Why do we have to go through that?! Because you had to protect us?! From what? What could have been the problem?! Tell me!!" The weight of every single word seemed to press down on the entire cavern.

I felt the suffocating intensity of his emotions, the betrayal and longing mixed in his voice.

Ingi's face twisted—not in shock, but in pain.

But before he could answer—Zarathorak struck.

BOOM!

The impact was devastating.

Zarathorak lunged with a force that shattered the very ground beneath him. His mightiest attack, fueled by rage and betrayal, struck Ingi square in the chest.

A shockwave exploded outward, sending Ingi flying across the cavern.

He crashed into the ground near Fafnir's unconscious body, the stone beneath him cracking from the sheer force.

I didn't hesitate—I rushed toward them. "Ingi! Fafnir!"

He groaned, struggling to move. His body trembled from the impact, but he was still alive.

I dropped to my knees beside him, but before I could check on him—A shadow loomed over us.

I looked up—just in time to see Zarathorak descend upon us.

With a deafening crash, he stomped down on Ingi.

CRACK!

The ground beneath us fractured.

Ingi barely had time to react—he lifted his arms to block, but even then, he was still taking damage.

The force of Zarathorak's crushing weight pinned him down.

I barely managed to roll away, avoiding the same fate.

The air felt heavy, thick with the scent of blood and rage.

Zarathorak pressed his claw deeper into Ingi's chest, his voice trembling with fury.

"Why did you leave us?!" he roared. "Why did you abandon us?! You were supposed to protect us!"

I watched, frozen in place.

Ingi—the mighty dragon who had always carried himself with unwavering strength—was trapped beneath his own son's wrath.

But still, he did not fight back.

He didn't try to resist.

He just… endured it.

And that infuriated Zarathorak even more.

"ANSWER ME!" Zarathorak bellowed, slamming his claws down again.

I couldn't watch anymore.

"Zarathorak, stop!"

My voice echoed through the cavern. For a moment, everything was still.

Then—his eyes snapped to me.

And suddenly, his rage shifted.

His piercing gaze bore into me, and his expression twisted into something between amusement and disgust. He stared at me like I was something unnatural. Something wrong.

Slowly, his lips curled into a sneer. His nostrils flared as he took in my presence fully.

Then, with a mocking laugh, he spat—"Half-blooded filth."

My hands clenched into fists, but before I could say anything—He pressed down harder on Ingi.

Ingi coughed, his body shaking from the pain.

And Zarathorak… just kept going.

"You won't fight back, will you?!" he taunted, his voice laced with venom. "Because even now, after everything, you still see me as your son!"

His claws dug deeper. "You, and your pathetic son disgust me!." Ingi's breath hitched, but still, he didn't move.

Zarathorak kept pressing down on Ingi, his molten eyes filled with nothing but rage. The sickening crunch of stone beneath his claws rang in my ears.

Ingi gritted his teeth, trying to endure the pressure, but his body trembled under the overwhelming force.

I couldn't just stand there that's why I lunged forward, Magicore surging into my hands, aiming straight for Zarathorak's head. But—He noticed.

In an instant, Zarathorak's gaze snapped toward me. His instincts, honed by centuries of battle, reacted before his mind even processed my attack.

His tail lashed out with monstrous force, cutting through the air like a whip.

I had to counter. My body twisted midair, dodging the sweeping tail by inches. The sheer wind pressure alone sent cracks through the stone beneath me.

With a burst of Magicore, I kicked off the air itself, launching myself even higher.

Zarathorak's eyes flickered with momentary surprise—he hadn't expected me to be this fast.

I cocked my fist back, Magicore surging into my hands, condensing into a glowing mass of raw energy. I came down fast, aiming directly for his skull.

Zarathorak snarled, raising his clawed hand to intercept.

At the last second, I shifted my momentum, twisting my body in midair.

Instead of aiming for his head, I redirected my punch—Straight to his outstretched arm.

The impact exploded through the cavern. The force of my blow collided with his limb, sending a visible shockwave rippling through his massive frame.

Zarathorak grunted, his balance shifting ever so slightly—But I wasn't done.

I twisted again, using the force of my own attack to spin around, landing a second punch to his shoulder.

His massive body reeled, but he recovered instantly. A spark of annoyance flashed in his crimson eyes.

Then—he attacked.

His claws swiped toward me in a blinding arc, faster than something that big should not be able to move.

I barely managed to shift my body, letting the tips of his talons graze past my side instead of tearing through me completely.

The force of his swipe sent me flying backward.

I twisted midair, flipping to regain control before landing on my feet.

My arms tingled from the impact. He was strong. Overwhelmingly strong.

Zarathorak, now fully focused on me, lowered his hand from Ingi. His eyes gleamed with newfound intrigue. "You dare to strike me, half-blood?!" he sneered.

I exhaled sharply, shaking off the lingering shock from our clash. Then, I raised my fists again. "You're damn right I do. Leave them alone!"