Chapter 55: The Call of the Silver Dragon

The steady hum of hospital machinery filled the air.
Morning sunlight crept through the blinds, painting faint lines across Kanata’s bed.

Then, the air shifted.
His right arm twitched—and dark scales began to crawl up his skin again. The once-healed hand turned draconic, pulsing with black energy.

Naomi’s eyes widened. “I knew it. It was only temporary!”
Her voice trembled between anger and worry.

Kanata stared at his arm in silence as the black scales shimmered.
The mark of the curse had returned.

He sighed softly. “So it’s not gone after all… figures. A curse like this doesn’t vanish that easily, does it?”

Despite his words, there was no despair in his tone—only quiet resolve.

Naomi’s expression softened. Even after being expelled from the academy, the boy still carried that unbreakable spark.

By afternoon, the news had spread.

In Class D, desks were empty, replaced by buzzing chatter.

“Hey, did you guys hear? Kanata-kun’s been expelled from the Academy!”
“What!? You’re kidding—he saved Tokyo last week!”
“They said it’s official. He’s gone.”

Another voice chimed in.
“Maybe Celestine-san should take his place for now.”

The room filled with uneasy murmurs.

Nagisa clenched her fists, trying to stay calm.
Itsuha slammed her hand on the desk, shaking the entire table.
Celestine’s face twisted in quiet frustration, while Aine’s eyes burned with fury.

“Those cowards… how could they expel him without the academy’s approval!?” Aine shouted, slamming the table so hard it split in half.

The room fell silent. Even the air seemed to flinch.

Meanwhile, inside a black vehicle cruising through the rain, Reiga and Kobayashi sat in grim silence, the radio echoing with the same announcement.

Reiga tightened his jaw. “What the hell are those fools doing? Are they just going to wash their hands of it?”

Kobayashi exhaled deeply. “They want to cover everything—Caine, Vlad, the arena incident. Kanata’s the perfect scapegoat.”

Reiga slammed his fist against the window. “Then it’s Igor. It has to be Igor’s doing.”

Kobayashi shot him a side glance. “You’re jumping to conclusions, but… yes. He’s the one who kept accusing Kanata in the Council. Always looking for a reason to push him out.”

Their car continued down the wet road, thunder rumbling in the distance.
Neither spoke again. The silence said everything.

Back in the hospital, Kanata’s eyelids grew heavy.
No matter how much he fought it, the weight of exhaustion pulled him under.

And when he opened his eyes again, the world had changed.

He stood on a fog-covered island—silent, cold, and endless.
The air was thick with mist, and the faint scent of the sea lingered in every breath.

Kanata froze. “This place… no way.”

A strange force pulled at his body, urging him forward. The fog parted as if obeying unseen hands.
He followed it until a shimmering glow emerged ahead—an ancient fountain, clear as glass and glowing with soft blue light.

The Fountain of Eternity.

“So you’ve finally arrived, Vessel of the Black Dragon.”
The voice that spoke was soft yet commanding, echoing like a melody through the mist.

Kanata’s eyes widened. “That voice… Asuna? Show yourself!”

A silver radiance emerged from the haze, forming into the shape of a woman—long silver hair cascading down her back, eyes burning crimson like two suns.

“Asuna?” he whispered.
The woman smiled faintly. “No. I am Astrellia Weissflügel.”

She stepped closer, her wings of light spreading behind her. When she took her human form, she resembled Asuna almost perfectly—except her eyes glowed red, and her aura was calm, divine, and ancient.

“What do you want from me?” Kanata asked cautiously.

Astrellia’s expression grew serious. “I came to warn you… and to ask for your help.”

Mist swirled around them, faint echoes of battle and screams hidden within it.

“Soon, the world will wage war,” she said, her voice trembling like ripples across still water.
“Nations will fight and slaughter one another, all to claim this fountain—to claim immortality.”

Kanata’s eyes darkened. “Humans fighting for eternity… some things never change.”

Astrellia looked away. “When greed blinds the heart, even purity can be tainted. That is why I’m here—to prevent the world from repeating the same sin.”

She met his gaze again. “I need your strength, Kanata.”

Kanata let out a dry laugh. “You? Asking me for help? You nearly killed me last time.”

The Silver Dragon chuckled lightly. “Kanata-kun, you really are amusing.”

“What’s so funny about that?” he asked, irritated.

“It’s a tradition among dragons,” she said. “We greet old friends through combat. I used the holy water only to test the strength of your curse—and to see if the Black Dragon within you still held control.”

Kanata frowned.
From deep within his mind, Obsidian’s rumbling voice broke the silence.

“I planned to explain that later… but I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

Astrellia turned toward the mist. “And you, Obsidian—you didn’t tell him the truth he deserves to hear, did you?”

“Don’t start, Astrellia.”

Kanata blinked, confused. “Wait—what are you talking about!?”

Astrellia gave a sad smile. “So he doesn’t know… I see. But the secret won’t stay buried for long.”

Kanata felt his chest tighten. “What secret!?”

Astrellia’s voice softened.
“That you were never truly alone, Kanata.”

The mist thickened. His surroundings vibrated as if his heart itself had echoed the words.

“I have… a father?”

A long pause. Then a familiar, resonant voice rumbled from within his soul.

“Yes, Kanata. You do.”
“I am your father.”

Kanata’s knees buckled. He sank to the ground beside the fountain, shaking.

“All this time… while I was suffering, hated, treated like a monster… you said nothing?”

“Because I wanted to see how far you could endure.”
“Hatred is cruel—but it can teach strength, change, and compassion.”

Kanata clenched his fists. “That’s enough…”

“If your mother could see you now, she would be proud.”

Kanata’s breath hitched. “Mother? You know where she is!?”

Astrellia’s expression dimmed. “Your mother is still alive… but sealed within your right arm, alongside the curse. I’ve searched across worlds, but her soul remains hidden.”

Kanata fell silent. The sound of the fountain’s flowing water became the only thing left between them.

Finally, he looked up.
“Then tell me… what do you want from me, Astrellia?”

Her crimson eyes reflected the fountain’s light.
“Destroy it.”

Kanata’s heart skipped. “What!?”

“The Fountain of Eternity must be destroyed before humanity’s greed turns the oceans red with their blood. You alone possess the power to end this.”

“Why me?”

“Because only the blood of both the Black and Silver Dragons can purify or annihilate divine energy. I am bound by my oath to protect it… but you, Kanata—you are the balance between light and shadow.”

Obsidian’s voice rumbled again.

“She’s right, Kanata. The choice will soon be yours.”

A new sound echoed—heavy footsteps approaching through the fog.
A deep, masculine voice followed, calm yet commanding.

“Indeed. The choice… will determine the fate of all worlds.”

Kanata spun toward the sound. “Who’s there!?”

The voice chuckled softly.
“It’s not time for you to see me yet.”

With a single snap of his fingers, the dream began to shatter—like glass breaking under divine force.

Kanata gasped awake, drenched in cold sweat.
Naomi rushed to his side. “Kanata! What happened!?”

He stared blankly at the ceiling, the echo of that deep voice still ringing in his mind.

It was familiar.
Too familiar.

Outside the hospital window, thunder rolled across Tokyo’s sky.
And for just a moment… the clouds glowed silver.