Chapter 62 – The Sealing Ritual Begins

Light from the ancient scroll shot skyward, piercing through the storm-choked night. Ancient runes spun around Zareen in a brilliant spiral, each glowing sigil humming with power that shook the very air. Energy surged through him—warm yet unbearably heavy—so intense it felt as though his soul was being crushed under the weight of history.

In the whispering gale, he almost heard Gifa’s calm, stern voice: *“This is the moment, my student. Do not waver.”*

The Ice Dragon roared, a sound that split the night like a living earthquake. Its colossal body twisted violently, shaking off snow and stone. Sari’s chain went taut, sparking with dark light, the links groaning under the pressure.

“Chain Bind—kuh!” Sari’s teeth clenched, blood running from the corner of her lips. “I don’t know how long this will hold!”

Doni was panting hard, hands trembling as he notched the very last arrow in his quiver. “Zareen, do it now! I—” he coughed, nearly collapsing, “I can’t keep this up much longer!”

Above them, Yuna stood balanced on the back of her dark dragon summon, her cloak whipping in the wind. Her black sword glowed like a fragment of the night sky. “Zareen!” she shouted. “If you have a plan, now is the time!”

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### The Seal Awakens

Zareen drove his staff into the earth with all the strength he had left. The scroll in his hand disintegrated into threads of pure white light that flowed into the ground.

A giant magic circle erupted beneath the Ice Dragon, runes blazing like stars. The snow was blown back as though the mountain itself had bowed to the ritual.

Words Zareen did not understand spilled from his lips, as though someone—or something—was speaking through him.

“**Segratus Lux, Claustrum Eternum!**”

The ground quaked. Light from the circle coiled upward, forming radiant chains that wrapped around the dragon’s legs, then its tail, its wings, even its horns.

The beast bellowed in fury. The black crystals embedded in its body pulsed wildly, flooding the plateau with choking waves of darkness.

And then came the voice—deep, ancient, rumbling directly inside their heads:

*“Child of man… you dare to imprison me once more? I am the reflection of your world’s sins! I cannot be erased!”*

The aura exploded outward like a tidal wave. The sealing circle cracked under the force, runes shattering and scattering like broken glass.

Zareen was thrown backward, his back slamming against the snow. His staff rolled from his grasp.

“Hold on, Zareen!” Yuna leapt down from her dragon, catching him before he could tumble further down the slope. Her golden eyes glowed fiercely in the storm. “Don’t you dare stop now!”

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### The Final Push

Zareen gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet. *No. If I falter here, everything ends. The raid, the guild, this entire world—everything we’ve fought for will be lost.*

He grabbed his staff again, stabbing it into the ground. “**Buff Renewal! Regen All! Magic Resist!**”

Warm light washed over the battlefield, mending cuts, closing wounds, and refilling the flagging strength of his friends.

Doni’s face twisted into a grimace of determination. “Then I’ll fire my last shot! This one’s going to count!” He drew his bow until the string threatened to snap. “**Meteor Rain Shot—Overdrive!**”

The night sky split open as thousands of burning meteors rained down in a storm of fire and light, slamming into the dragon’s back and shattering more of the black crystals.

Sari roared, twisting her chain until her hands bled. “**Chain of Despair!!**”

Her chain shot forward, anchoring deep into the dragon’s chest, piercing the largest crystal. A surge of dark magic pinned the dragon to the ground.

“Dark Doppelgänger!” Yuna’s voice rang like a war drum. Three, then four shadowy versions of her appeared, each wielding a copy of her black blade. Together they struck in perfect synchronization, slicing into the dragon’s wings and shoulders, forcing its body to the ground completely.

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### The Seal Complete

Zareen stood in the center of it all, breathing hard, his arms trembling violently. He raised his staff overhead, channeling every last drop of magic he had.

The ancient scroll burned away into motes of light, which swirled and merged with the glowing circle. The mountain glowed white, the storm overhead parting as if the heavens themselves were watching.

“With the name of light,” Zareen said, his voice no longer just his own but resonant, echoing with a thousand unseen voices, “I bind your darkness.”

His final shout shook the air:

“**SEAL!!**”

The circle erupted in a blinding flash. Chains of light tightened around the Ice Dragon, snapping the black crystals one by one until they shattered like glass.

The dragon’s roar filled the plateau—not of rage this time, but of pain… and perhaps something else.

When Zareen dared to look into its eyes, he saw blue again. Pure, clear, almost gentle.

*Thank you.*

The thought was faint, but he heard it.

The last of the black aura was sucked into the seal like smoke into a vacuum. Then, silence.

The dragon’s massive body stopped thrashing, its scales shining with a faint, holy glow. The corruption was gone.

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### The World Holds Its Breath

For a moment, nothing moved. Then—

**BOOOOM!!!**

A pillar of pure white light shot into the heavens, scattering the storm. The howling blizzard ceased as if cut by an invisible blade. Snow began to fall softly, peacefully, blanketing the battlefield like a white shroud.

Zareen fell to his knees, his strength spent, his staff clattering beside him. His chest rose and fell with ragged breaths, his entire body screaming in exhaustion.

“Zareen!”

The others rushed toward him.

“Did we… did we do it?” Sari whispered, afraid to break the fragile quiet.

Zareen lifted his head, looking at the Ice Dragon’s still form. Its chest rose and fell slowly, no longer radiating malice. “Yes,” he said hoarsely. “The seal held.”

Doni collapsed backward into the snow, staring at the now-clear sky. “I’m done. I’m never joining another raid as long as I live.”

Sari barked a laugh despite herself, then quickly wiped at her eyes.

Yuna stood a short distance away, her sword still planted in the ground. For a long moment, she simply watched Zareen. Then, she gave a single, rare nod.

“Well done,” she said quietly. “None of this would have been possible without you.”

Zareen smiled weakly, gripping his staff as though it were the only thing holding him upright.

*Sensei,* he thought, closing his eyes, *I did it. The Ice Dragon has been freed. The world… has another chance.*

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Zareen allowed himself to breathe.