Elemental Transformation.

It was one of the most mysterious powers known to Immortal Practitioners — a state only the most gifted and enlightened could achieve.

When an immortal practitioner with a Fire Affinity reached the Divine Seeker Stage, their entire body could transform into pure elemental essence — flame, in that case. They could become intangible, avoiding physical damage entirely. They would no longer be bound by mortal flesh, existing instead as a living embodiment of their element.

But not everyone could reach such a level.

Elemental Transformation was among the most difficult arts to master. Only those with unmatched control over their spiritual essence — and absolute harmony with their element — could achieve it.

And those who possessed multiple affinities could, in theory, shift between several elemental forms. Yet even then, mastering just one form was a near-impossible feat.

Which made the Mist Dragon before them nothing short of a genius.

---

"Master is serious this time..." said Veronica, watching the battlefield through a glowing formation inside the hut. "But she won’t be able to maintain that transformation for long. A few minutes at most. When it breaks, the battle will be already over."

Beside her, Moeko, the ghostly girl floating lightly in the air, tilted her head. "You really think they’ll win?"

Veronica sighed. "That artifact of theirs... it absorbed and reflected a Divine Seeker’s dragon breath. But still can they stop Master?."

Outside, the Mist Dragon glared down at her opponents. Her serpentine body coiled through the air, the mist thickening around her as she focused on Tyla and the others.

"An artifact that can stop and even return my breath... a fine treasure indeed," she said, her voice echoing across the clouds. "I’ll take it — along with that pocket dimension pearl!"

Her claws sliced through the air, slashing down like crescent blades of mist.

Tyla and Zuzia darted aside, barely avoiding the strike. The ground split open where the attack landed, leaving deep scars in the island’s surface.

"Hey, Tyler," Zuzia called mid-flight, her voice calm despite the chaos. "Can I use my full power now?"

"You were holding back this whole time?" Tyla asked incredulously.

Zuzia grinned, her fiery eyes flashing. "As long as they’ve got dragon blood, I can finish this quickly."

Tyla sighed. "Then why are you asking for my permission?"

Zuzia blinked. "Oh, right... you lost your memories." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "I keep forgetting."

Myrtle’s calm voice came from behind, resonating through their shared communication link. "Tyla already got what she wanted, right? So it doesn’t matter, Princess. There are no witnesses here. You can let go."

"Hmm," Zuzia smirked, rolling her shoulders. "Alright then."

She cracked her knuckles, her grin widening. "My turn now."

---

Zuzia stepped forward, slamming her fist into her palm. "My turn now,"

The Mist Dragon stopped midair, narrowing her eyes. "Oh? You want to continue this? If you plan to surrender, now’s your chance. I’m feeling generous."

"Heh..." Zuzia chuckled softly, the sound echoing across the battlefield.

The Mist Dragon frowned. "You little Dragonion. Even if you can transform into a dragon, even if you’ve reached the Divine Seeker Stage, you haven’t awakened your Elemental Transformation. You can’t fight me. You’ll lose the moment I get serious."

"Dragonion?" Zuzia’s grin widened. "Me?"

She placed both hands behind her back, her voice turning cold and regal.

"Kneel."

For a moment, the Mist Dragon was confused. Then — her eyes widened.

A terrifying pressure burst from Zuzia’s body, heavier than mountains, sharper than blades. The air distorted. Even the clouds trembled.

The Mist Dragon gasped.

"What—what is this pressure!?"

Even Myrtle, who was standing behind Zuzia, felt her legs weaken and instinctively dropped to one knee. Only Tyla remained standing, merely feeling a faint pressure brushing against her.

The Mist Dragon roared in defiance, but her body refused to move. The weight pressing down on her was absolute — ancient, divine, commanding.

Her transformation shattered in an instant. The mist peeled away, revealing her true form — a woman with green hair, scales on her cheeks, and red eyes wide with terror.

Her body slammed against the ground, pinned as though by invisible chains.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even speak.

Inside the hut, Veronica’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible... only high-level dragon bloodlines can suppress other dragons and Dragonions like that. And only four practitioners in the entire Dragon Territory can do this."

Moeko floated closer, blinking curiously. "Four? Who?"

Veronica’s tone grew solemn. "Obviously, the Dragon King, the supreme ruler of dragons and dragonions. Then the Palace Masters of the Sky Dragon Palace and the Sea Dragon Palace. And the fourth one is..."

Before she could finish, a trembling voice came from outside.

"...The Dragon Princess!"

The Mist Dragon’s words were weak, filled with terror.

Realization struck her like lightning. She had tried to steal from the one being she should never have provoked — the rumoured daughter of the Dragon King, the rightful heir to all dragon bloodlines, a being who could crush any dragon or dragon-blooded creature with sheer presence alone.

Zuzia smirked. "Hehehe... now I don’t have to hide it anymore."

She lifted her hand slightly. The pressure intensified, making the ground crack beneath the Mist Dragon.

"Y-you... you’re...!" the Mist Dragon stammered, unable to finish the sentence.

Zuzia’s eyes glowed with molten orange light, like twin suns burning through the mist. "You should’ve known better than to mess with me," she said, her tone calm but laced with lethal intent.

The ground rumbled violently. The Mist Dragon screamed as her body trembled under the invisible weight.

"Like hell I’ll give up!" the Mist Dragon roared, her voice echoing through the shattered island. "Veronica —use that array!"

But before Veronica could respond, her body shuddered. Her eyes rolled back, and she suddenly went limp, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Huh? She’s dead?" Zuzia blinked in confusion, staring at the fallen creature.

"Impossible..." Myrtle muttered, sensing something strange.

Only a heartbeat later, Zuzia saw it — a faint wisp of mist rising from her mouth, twisting rapidly into the sky.

"She separated her Nascent Divinity from her body and escaped," Myrtle said grimly.

The Mist Dragon had used a forbidden art — Mist Escape Technique, a rare ability that allowed her to abandon her physical form and flee as pure divine essence. It was risky but fast, and she was already darting toward the island’s edge like lightning.

"Heh, nice try," Zuzia growled, her lava-colored eyes narrowing.

The escaping wisp thought it was free. But just as it passed over the outer barrier, it suddenly hit something invisible and stopped with a thunk.

"Huh?" the Mist Dragon’s spirit looked up, and her expression froze.

Floating above her was a girl — short, with twin tails, faintly glowing blue eyes, and an innocent, almost playful smile.

Mana.

"Hehehe~ Then it’s Mana’s turn now," she said sweetly, spinning in the air like a child about to play a game. "As long as you’re in soul form, you can’t escape from mana."

"W-what...? A ghost spirit?" the Mist Dragon’s voice trembled, realizing too late who — or what — she was facing.

Mana reached out, her small hand closing around the mist wisp like catching a firefly. The Mist Dragon’s Nascent Divinity screamed silently as it was trapped inside Mana’s palm, the surrounding air pulsing with eerie energy.

"Oh... Tyler turned back to normal," Zuzia said, noticing something.

Indeed, with Mana no longer possessing him, Mode: Ghost was automatically deactivated. Tyler’s body shimmered and reverted back to his true form — his familiar features returning, though his expression showed he wasn’t thrilled to have been dropped into chaos mid-battle.

Mana giggled, holding the struggling mist like a piece of candy. "Hehe~ Mana is sure you’ll taste good." She brought it close to her lips, licking them teasingly.

The Mist Dragon’s spiritual form froze in terror. "W-wait! You— you wouldn’t dare—!"

But Mana only smirked. "Mana would dare."

Yet she didn’t eat it. Instead, with a mischievous pout, she turned and floated back toward Tyler and the others.

"Here," she said cheerfully, dropping the captured spirit into Tyler’s hand. "You decide what to do with her."

"Use the Random Teleportation Formation! Now, Veronica!!" the Mist Dragon shouted, desperate to escape through her disciples.

The air trembled for a moment — and then... nothing happened.

Everyone on the island fell silent, tension thick in the air.

Then — creak.

The door of the hut slowly opened.

A woman stepped out, her movements quick and frantic. She wore a long white robe and a thin veil over her face, her aura unstable but powerful.

Before anyone could even speak, another presence rushed past her — a glowing spirit girl who shot straight toward Tyler and threw her arms around him.

"Brother Hero!" the ghost girl cried, her voice trembling with emotion. Tears — or what looked like them — streamed down her faintly transparent cheeks.

"Moeko..." Tyler murmured in surprise, recognizing her faint spiritual aura.

The veiled woman stopped just a few steps away from them, her eyes locked on Tyler. Slowly, she lifted her hand and removed her veil.

Underneath was a stunningly beautiful face — soft features, clear eyes, and a faint smile that carried joy.

"Junior Brother..." she said softly, her voice trembling. "We finally meet again." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Veronica removed the last of her disguises. Her elegant hairpin fell from her head, her long dark hair cascading down freely.

The disguise spell broke completely — and her true identity was revealed.

"You are Priscilla..." Mana whispered, her eyes widening.

Everyone else was confused.