That afternoon, countless airships and flying dragons ascended from the grounds of Dragon Tamer Academy. Why only mention flying dragons? Because students riding with dragon-owning friends could only use flying dragons—anything else meant either slowed progress from obstacles or complete inability to reach the teleportation point. Many rivers along the route were broken, and water dragons lost speed and direction once away from water, becoming slower than earth dragons.

Past incidents of students arriving late, getting lost, or even dying while riding non-flying dragons led the academy to enforce strict rules: non-flying dragon riders must board academy airships with teachers. Violators faced expulsion.

For dragon-less students, this was a monumental day. Nearly all buzzed with excitement—except for one individual so lethargic that even blinking felt troublesome, utterly immune to the hype.

“Ugh, what a hassle,” Illusionary Feather grumbled, sprawled atop Swift’s back, eyes closed. “That rickety airship crawls while we’re forced to trail beside it. And look at these clumped-up squads gathering around us—killed all my enthusiasm.”

This time, his complaint carried farther. Not only Belka heard him—the girl seated elegantly beside him, smiling ahead while holding a long-handled parasol of white fabric edged in pink—but also Leilo Henry and his friend flying just behind them, lagging by two or three dragon-heads.

At their current speed, Leilo’s unevolved Ironscale Dragon (late-stage, pre-evolution) could match Swift, the agile Azure Dragon (late-stage, first evolution). But dragon pride forbade a lower-tier dragon from matching—or worse, surpassing—a higher-tier one.

When they first took off, Leilo had yelled, “Ironwing, overtake them!” His Ironscale surged ahead. Swift seethed at being outpaced by an inferior dragon. Had Belka not restrained him, he’d likely be nursing injuries now—no defense could withstand a higher-tier dragon’s enraged strike.

Swift’s furious roar snapped the overexcited Ironscale to its senses. It slowed and fell back. Students on nearby airship decks watched with wary respect.

That distance held steady.

“Illusionary Feather,” Leilo called from his dragon’s back, “it can’t be helped. Even if you flew alone, you couldn’t activate the teleportation array at the point.”

Illusionary Feather ignored the pointless remark. He’d only vented, expecting no reply.

“The sun’s nearly set. Why aren’t we there yet?” he muttered later, ignoring Leilo. The boy turned to chatter excitedly with his friend as airships from the Mechanical Campus and surrounding flying dragons gradually converged in formation. The sun dipped westward. Belka had already folded her fringed parasol.

“Young Feather~” Belka chimed, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “riding the airship means arriving deep into the night. And for safety, we rest until morning before entering.”

*—Trying to rattle me? Ignored.*

“Ugh… but seriously…” Illusionary Feather paused, deflated. “I’m starving.”

He rolled over, jaws parting as if to bite Swift’s scales.

“Bite him, and I’ll have no choice but to make you Swift’s dinner,” Belka warned sweetly.

“I’m *really* hungry!” He flopped onto his back, rubbing his stomach with pitiful eyes fixed on Belka.

“Young Feather, stop being so adorably pitiful,” Belka sighed, fighting the urge to scoop him up and cuddle him. Instead, she produced a basket from nowhere. Inside lay sandwiches layered over bread rolls.

Illusionary Feather sat bolt upright, shooting her a grateful look. “I’ll dig in, then.”

He began eating.

Leilo, watching from his Ironscale, realized it was dinnertime. He moved to join them—only to be yanked back by his silent friend’s grip on his collar. “Cross over now,” the friend muttered coldly, “and I won’t save you when you become that Azure Dragon’s meal.”

Leilo froze. Right—dragons didn’t tolerate random riders. His shoulders slumped. “Yote… where do *we* eat? Did you bring a bento?”

“If I recall,” Yote said flatly, “the airship provides free meals. Head there.”

“Ironwing, slow down! Circle behind the Azure Dragon and head to the airship!” Leilo ordered, revived.

“Roaaar~” The Ironscale complied, veering toward the ship.

“That’s *my* dragon,” Leilo added weakly.

Near midnight, magic-engineered lamp beads—tiny bulbs glowing brighter with infused mana—lined the airship’s rails. The dragons needed no lights; their keen eyes pierced the dark.

In the distance loomed an ancient, colossal structure. Cracks and vines marred its surface under the lamplight, yet its grandeur remained undeniable. Endless grasslands stretched around it.

All airships descended in unison, flying dragons following. Upon landing, teachers took roll call before assigning rooms. Rest was crucial for tomorrow’s Dragon Rearing Mountain entry—students needed peak condition to attract interested dragons. Though dragons sensed true strength beyond fatigue, most preferred thorough preparation.

Calculations proved perfect: Illusionary Feather’s airship cabin held exactly enough beds. An unspoken rule placed dragon-riding friends in shared rooms. Hence, Illusionary Feather slept on the floor while Belka occupied the bed.

“Young Feather, won’t you share the bed with your sister?” Belka cooed from the mattress, clad in a pink nightgown.

“No. Too troublesome. The floor’s spacious and cool.” He refused bluntly—truthfully fearing her allure.

“Belka-nee,” he asked after a silence, “where did you hide your sword, that parasol, and today’s bento? I never saw you carry them.”

“All stored in my contract sigil with Swift,” she answered freely. “You’ll understand soon enough.”

He asked no more.

The next day, dragon owners and teachers remained outside. Only dragon-less students entered Dragon Rearing Mountain. The teleportation array required massive external energy to activate. After three days, it would reset, ejecting all humans and newly contracted dragons.

Now, students gathered inside the ancient building—empty except for walls and a massive central teleportation array. Eager bodies crowded its surface, desperate to become true Dragon Tamers.

Teachers placed energy-filled crystal orbs into circular wall sockets, then exited with the dragon-owning students.

Confused newcomers questioned the veterans: “Why must bonded students leave?”

“The array rejects those with existing dragon contracts. Even one bonded person inside can jam it. Rumor says it was built a millennium ago… to *contain* dragons.”

“What?! Who’d cage dragons a thousand years ago?!”

“Who knows. They say it was designed to protect bonded humans too. Far beyond our understanding.”

“Illusionary Feather!” Leilo bounced over, oblivious to his indifference. “Excited for your dragon? I’m dying for an Ironscale like Yote’s! He’s my friend from yesterday—got his dragon two years ago. His dragon even likes me…”

He prattled on, ignoring Illusionary Feather entirely.

Blinding white light flooded the chamber. Illusionary Feather’s vision swam. He collapsed.

He awoke on a beach. Leilo and classmates lay scattered nearby—he recognized only a few. Rising, he scanned the horizon: grasslands ahead, low mountains beyond teeming with flying dragons. Earth dragons grazed peacefully on the plains, some already interacting with students.

Turning seaward, he saw only a curtain of golden hair blocking his view. “You’re in my way,” he told Leilo, who’d stood up with his back turned. Their similar heights made Leilo a perfect human wall.

“Oops! Sorry!” Leilo scrambled aside.

Beyond him stretched a sapphire sea dotted with island-like Water Dragons and rare Serpent Dragons. Students skilled in swimming had already plunged in—some even wearing swimsuits.

Soon, many students around Illusionary Feather had already bonded closely with their dragons. Most at Dragon Tamer Academy knew that acquiring a flying dragon was the hardest—only rivaled by spirit serpents. Students owning such dragons were exceedingly rare in the main academy, making up barely 1-2% of the student body. Their strength could all reach Level Seven or beyond.

Now, none of the students near Illusionary Feather were his classmates—likely from lower-tier schools.

Higher-level students had already rushed toward the peaks of Dragon Rearing Mountain, where flying dragons gathered. Take Leilo for example: he sprinted ahead, shouting without a shred of dignity, "Flying dragons! Whoa~ Celestial dragons! Ah~ That’s an Ice Crystal Blue Dragon! And that Earth Dragon—*that’s* my ideal partner!" People beside him edged away, as if silently declaring, *We’re not in his class.*

"Guess I should look too," Illusionary Feather mused unrealistically. "Would be nice to find a Crimson Flame Dragon or something."

Crimson Flame Dragons had likely gone extinct on Dragon Rearing Mountain. Such dragons couldn’t be contained by any mere Teleportation Array.

Though Belka’s Agile Azure Dragon had reached late Stage One—seemingly close to its ultimate evolution—countless dragons stalled at this level, dying without ever evolving.

For five hundred years, no one had seen a dragon reach its highest form. None had ever evolved to that peak.

Lost in such fantasies, Illusionary Feather kept walking. What baffled him was that not a single dragon bumped into him—not even with his eyes closed.

He noticed earth dragons and swiftclaws alike sidestepped him, trembling as they watched him pass. It was the reverence of commoners before royalty. Even dragons bonding with other students mirrored this reaction.

*—Why? Am I really that terrifying?*

Now nearly alone, he saw climbers swarming the mountain peaks. Within this formation, only Dragon Clan magic worked. Sorcerers were just ordinary teens here, barred from carrying extra gear. Everyone was reduced to raw physical strength.

And in that regard, Swordsmanship Campus students reigned supreme.

The fastest climbers wore Swordsmanship Campus uniforms. Though designs varied by school, each campus shared a unified emblem: Mechanical Campus bore a wrench-and-hammer circle; Swordsmanship Campus displayed three swords—heavy, light, and cross; Sorcerers wore a rainbow ring of elemental magic.

Just as some reached the summit, the sky darkened. Illusionary Feather felt heat flare in his chest.

Dragons circling overhead swooped toward the climbers. Most students cheered, thinking the dragons sought *them*. Instead, the flying dragons seized their clothes and carried them down.

Once every climber was returned to the base, Illusionary Feather sensed a silent call in his heart. No voice, no face—just a clear pull toward the mountain’s highest peak, now sealed by an invisible barrier and utterly deserted.

He knew the caller waited there. But the searing heat in his chest rooted him in place.

*—Guess I’ll have to try.*

······

When Illusionary Feather appeared on a floating boulder atop Dragon Rearing Mountain’s peak, his mind was hazy. His chest burned as if doused in lava—yet his face showed no pain. His body made no move to shield itself.

He was simply too lazy to bother. Let the pain torment him.

Below, crowds stood frozen all day, straining to see the lone figure on the peak. First, the sky had blackened. Then dragons had carried everyone down. Finally, one person had appeared at the summit—impossibly.

*—Were the dragons’ actions just to welcome him?*

The thought paralyzed everyone into silent staring.

They watched for a full day. When some finally blinked, they realized the ground dragons weren’t alone anymore. Every flying dragon had descended, lying quietly below—as if subdued by the presence above.

Braving that pressure, many tried bonding with nearby dragons.

Take Leilo again: crouched low under the unseen aura, he cooed to a young-looking Earth Dragon, "Hey there, little iron-scales! You seem young—just like me! Wanna be friends? I’ll spoil you with treats!"

To his shock, the dragon beamed like a child. Leilo pressed his advantage: "Contract with me, and I’ll buy you all the steaks and pork chops you want."

Unable to resist, the dragon licked Leilo’s palm. Golden light flared from both, weaving together.

"*Agh!*" The engraving pain made Leilo yelp.

But it faded quickly.

"*Yes!* Success!" he whooped when the mark settled.

Like a lotus effect, others copied him. *Why just watch when you can try?*

Thus began the Great Flying Dragon Seduction Campaign.

Near dusk on the third day—as the Teleportation Array neared activation—the darkened sky above the seated figure split open. A long-haired girl floated out, hovering midair.

Illusionary Feather, eyes closed for three days, finally opened them. He met pupils like black holes. Shifting his gaze, he saw delicate features, skin like clear crystal, knee-length raven hair—and a completely bare, childlike frame.

He held no lustful thoughts. His eyes locked back onto hers.

Her crimson lips parted slightly. "*Master*," she whispered. As confusion flickered in him, her lips met his. Softness flooded his senses, stirring his rarely-flustered heart. The three-day burn in his chest cooled, replaced by a pitch-black mark—an eerie rune he didn’t recognize.

When they parted, Illusionary Feather could only stare, dazed.

Below, onlookers saw nothing—dark mist now shrouded the pair.

"Master... a name?" the girl prompted when he stayed silent.

"Shall I give you one?" he confirmed.

She nodded.

Illusionary Feather closed his eyes briefly, then smiled. "Phantom Night Emberheart. Do you like it?"

She nodded again, expressionless.

*—Can’t tell if she likes it. Whatever.*

"Master. Let’s go." Unaware of his thoughts, she took his hand and pulled him into the rift.

Lightshadows then swept everyone on Dragon Rearing Mountain—and their newly bonded dragons—away.