Illusionary Feather and his companions drove after their quarry, taking the road at a leisurely pace. Along the way, they passed numerous merchant caravans. As their Magic Vehicle overtook them, the merchants’ eyes clearly showed reverence. At Dragon Tamer Academy, such vehicles might be commonplace, but elsewhere, they were symbols of status—sometimes unattainable even with wealth.

By the time they exited the forest, dusk had fallen. They’d tracked the road but spotted no enemies. It seemed their quarry had taken the forest path instead.

Not long after entering Cloudfall Kingdom, a mounted patrol charged toward them, encircling their vehicle. Above, three dragon tamers hovered—Frost Dragon on the left, Wind Dragon in the center, Thunder Dragon on the right. They clearly mistook Illusionary Feather’s group for enemy spies or invaders.

"Yote, handle this. You’re from this country, after all," Illusionary Feather said, suspicious but willing to let Yote take the lead.

Yote’s response? He gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to fight.

Silence filled the vehicle until a young yet authoritative voice rang out: "I am Pyrus de Holre, border guard captain of Cloudfall Kingdom. You have trespassed on our territory. I arrest you on charges of invasion. Do you have anything to say?"

"Of course," Illusionary Feather replied calmly. "One of us is a citizen of Cloudfall. We’re here as students of Dragon Tamer Academy for a visit. Does that count as invasion?"

The two girls in the back stayed quiet, sensing the tension but knowing they couldn’t help.

"Hmph. Even if you’re from the Academy, trespassing requires detention. You’ll wait in our prison until your instructors claim you," Pyrus insisted, stalling.

"Then I won’t hold back," Yote growled, his voice thick with barely contained fury.

"Yote, take the three dragon tamers. I’ll handle the foot soldiers. Girls—stay in the vehicle," Illusionary Feather ordered, his patience fraying.

"Hey! Are you two boys just itching for a fight? They’re border guards! Attacking means real invasion!" Lily snapped.

"That’s why you don’t move. Yote’s Cloudfall-born. I’m stateless. It won’t matter," Illusionary Feather explained. "Yote—on my count."

Lily and Kerdling fell silent at his words.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

Both doors slammed open. As Pyrus assumed the students were surrendering, the two boys leaped out. He hadn’t doubted their Academy ties—the Magic Vehicle bore its emblem: a dragon with a rider.

One figure locked eyes with the guards, then shouted, "Ironwing!" A metallic dragon materialized beneath him. Un-evolved but massive, its black scales faintly glowed crimson in the sunset. Rider and dragon charged. The border guards reacted swiftly—Pyrus signaled his lieutenants to split, forming a triangle around Yote.

Illusionary Feather dashed toward the foot soldiers. His black flexible sword whipped out like a lash, striking shields. Where it hit, dents appeared; arms went numb, shields clattered to the ground. The fallen bought time for others. Soldiers leaped behind Illusionary Feather, shields poised to crush him. He stood on one leg, spun like a top with the sword gripped in both hands—and sent them flying, landing flat on their backsides. The remaining troops encircled him but dared not advance. Their captain was already down, and no one knew what to do.

*If not for sparing them,* Illusionary Feather thought, *this would be over in seconds.*

Above, Yote’s battle reached its peak. Pyrus rode an azure Wind Dragon—fast, dangerous. The Thunder Dragon on his left was no easier. Yote targeted the weakest: the Frost Dragon. Ironwing lunged. Sensing danger, the Frost Dragon cast an ice spell, slowing Ironwing as it retreated. But Ironwing unleashed its long-prepared Roar of the Iron Dragon—a jet of metallic-black magic. The Frost Dragon barely countered with its own Roar of the Frost Dragon.

Ironwing’s roar shattered the ice blast, slamming into the Frost Dragon’s head. It nearly crashed before stabilizing mid-air, its rider lightly wounded.

As the Frost Dragon descended, Pyrus and his Thunder Dragon lieutenant closed in. Ironwing lacked ranged magic beyond its roar, but its close combat rivaled even Black Dragons. As they approached, Ironwing’s tail swept out, forcing both dragons back.

Yote and Ironwing dove toward the grounded Frost Dragon. Pyrus and his lieutenant couldn’t intercept. Ironwing rammed the Frost Dragon, sending it crashing down. Yote leaped off, grabbing its rider to prevent injury from the falling beast.

The Frost Dragon vanished into its rider’s Contract Seal to recover. Yote tossed the lieutenant aside—then froze. Ironwing shuddered, soaring upward with him.

Pyrus signaled his men below. Receiving an "all clear" for his lieutenant, he advanced with the Thunder Dragon rider toward Yote and Ironwing.

Illusionary Feather shouted, "Yote! Ironwing’s evolving! Guard its back—I’ll handle those two small fry!"

*Small fry?* Pyrus bristled. *Is he talking about us?*

Illusionary Feather sprinted to the vehicle’s rear seat. "Kerdling, Lily—I need to borrow your dragons. May I?" After a confused pause, both girls nodded.

He sheathed his sword, then chanted. A colossal iron dragon emerged—far larger than Ironwing’s thirty-meter frame. This one stretched over forty meters, wingspan even wider. It crouched beside the vehicle. "Steelplume," Illusionary Feather commanded, "guard the car. Kerdling stays inside." Steelplume gave a human-like glance, then roared. Border guards flinched back.

As Pyrus and his lieutenant neared Yote, a blue-haired boy appeared between them. Illusionary Feather’s fist slammed into the Wind Dragon’s flank—pulling his punch to avoid killing it. The dragon spiraled away. The Thunder Dragon rider retreated instantly.

"Scarlet!" Illusionary Feather called.

A fiery crimson dragon materialized beneath him—same size as Steelplume below, sixty-meter wings spread wide. Lily’s dragon. A mighty beast with a girl’s name.

"Scarlet—go!" Illusionary Feather ordered. Scarlet shot after the fleeing Thunder Dragon. At point-blank range, she unleashed a Roar of the Fire Dragon. The Thunder Dragon vanished into its Contract Seal. Its rider plummeted—but from a survivable height. Pyrus and his Wind Dragon fared worse. Illusionary Feather’s fist crushed the Wind Dragon’s defenses. It crashed, shielding Pyrus with a levitation spell before vanishing, gravely wounded.

Night fell. On Scarlet’s back, the blue-haired boy sat silhouetted against the moon. Behind him, on Steelplume’s dark form, Yote watched anxiously. Dragon evolution was rare. Success uncertain.

The border guards stood frozen. None dared approach while iron dragons loomed. Steelplume radiated an aura that warned: *One wrong move, and you fly.* Inside the vehicle, the girls stayed alert—except the youngest, curled asleep against the blonde one.

Silence reigned until midnight. A roar shattered the stillness. Night predators scattered in panic.

Moonlight revealed Ironwing—hovering quietly until now—rapidly growing. Its thirty-meter frame stretched toward forty. Wings broadened, lengthened. Soon, it spanned fifty meters. Even Scarlet instinctively drifted farther away.

"Ironwing... you evolved?" Yote whispered, disbelieving. Ironwing answered with a proud roar. Illusionary Feather smiled.

"Recall Ironwing. We leave now. Staying till dawn invites trouble," he called. They landed. Illusionary Feather dismissed Scarlet and Steelplume, climbing back into the vehicle. Yote followed, Ironwing vanishing into his Contract Seal. The girls exhaled in relief—but their view of Illusionary Feather had shattered. *How could he summon others’ dragons? One punch to down a dragon? What power is this?*

Illusionary Feather ignored their stares. He started the Magic Vehicle and drove into the night.