RE: ZERON I will return for you, even if it takes a million

Chapter 19 : The dragonaire's burden.

​Frexia unleashed a massive aura, the air around her distorting with raw, concentrated power. She braced herself, muscles coiling like a predator, ready to lunge at Lavender, who was still struggling to stand. Lavender’s knees were trembling, her breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps from exhaustion.

​Without a second thought, I triggered Time Freeze. The world slammed into a static, colorless silence. The rustling wind died; the dust motes hanging in the air stood perfectly still. I sprinted toward Lavender, my boots crunching dully on the frozen earth as I moved to shield her from Frexia’s impending strike.

​My heart is hammering against my ribs, I thought, my mind racing. Should I attack Frexia while time is frozen, or simply parry her blow? There was a high chance her magic barrier remained active even in frozen time, making my attacks useless. Worse, closing the distance might put me in even greater peril.

​I couldn't be sure I could block her hit without taking damage. No—I knew I couldn't match her raw power. The force of her strike would likely tear right through me, and Lavender would be caught in the aftermath anyway.

​I had no more time to plan; I couldn't afford a single mistake.

​As time resumed, the world snapped back into motion with a violent rush of sound. I tackled Lavender, and we hit the dirt hard, the dry earth stinging our skin. We narrowly evaded the sudden, pressurized gust of wind from Frexia’s passing fist.

​Frexia froze, eyes wide with disbelief at our sudden displacement. "How do you move so fast? Is that another power of your Spirit Item?" she demanded.

​With a single flick of her tail, jagged walls of ice erupted around us, piercing the ground with sharp, crystalline cracks. She wasn't letting us escape; she had caged us in a frozen tomb.

​She stepped closer, the temperature dropping rapidly as she warned us that continued resistance would only lead to our deaths. Looking at her, I felt a sense of awe. Her natural draconic strength and speed, combined with a Celestial Item that controlled ice, made her the perfect "Destroyer." I realized then why no one in the future timeline could stop her from leveling entire cities.

​"Give up," she said, her voice heavy with authority. "You are no match for me."

​My energy was nearly depleted, a hollow, aching sensation in my chest, and Lavender was in no condition to fight. It seemed we had reached our limit.

​But as Frexia took another step, she suddenly stiffened. Her movements became labored, her face contorting as she struggled to lift her feet or swing her arms. I didn't understand what was happening at first, but she looked visibly irritated as she brushed away shards of ice that were beginning to encrust her own limbs.

​"It looks like your body has hit its limit, too," I panted, wiping sweat from my forehead. "You're in no condition to keep this up."

​She let out a harsh laugh, mocking my observation, but admitted that using her ice powers for prolonged periods took a toll. Her body was becoming dangerously chilled by her own element. "Even without my ice," she growled, "I can still crush you with my bare hands."

​Lavender struggled to her feet, moving to stand in front of me. "Master Aren, please... run. I can hold her for a few minutes. Save yourself."

​Despite her shaking knees, she stood her ground. I immediately moved to pull her back. "Stop it! Do you really think I'd let you throw your life away for me? You run. I’ll be the one to stop her."

​Lavender grabbed my tunic, pulling me back and insisting that I was the one who needed to survive to complete the mission. To her, it was only right for a subordinate to sacrifice themselves for their Master. I flatly rejected the idea.

​"I can hold her back with the Time Sword! Get out of here and save yourself!"

​"Master, please!" she cried, reminding me that she was the stronger one and that my energy was too low to survive another clash. "Let me do this. This is my duty as your follower. Please, Master Aren."

​"Enough!" I shouted. "It is my duty as your Master to protect and care for you! I won't abandon you here. If you won't leave, then I’m staying to fight by your side!"

​"But Master Aren, you'll die!"

​"I don't care! As long as there's a spark of strength left in me, I won't let anyone hurt you!"

​Lavender fell silent, stunned by my outburst. I knew she only wanted to help, but the thought of losing her again because of my own weakness was unbearable. Memories of failing to save her from Lazarus's clutches burned in my mind, filling me with a mix of rage and self-loathing.

​Suddenly, Ora popped out of the crystal and smacked me on the head with a sharp thwack.

​"What are you two doing?" she shrieked. "This isn't the time for flirting! You're in the middle of a battlefield, for goodness' sake! Take this seriously!"

​My face flushed deep red, heat radiating up to my ears. "I-I wasn't flirting! I'm just trying to finish the mission!"

​"Oh, really? You might as well have told her you loved her. Do you want me to marry you two right here in the dirt?"

​"M-m-married?" Lavender stammered, her face turning as red as mine. "Master Aren... I'm not ready for such things..." She couldn't even look at me, making the situation even more awkward.

​Frexia cut in, her voice dripping with annoyance. "Are you quite finished flirting in front of your enemy?"

​"I am not flirting!" I shouted back.

​Frexia stomped her foot, sending another wave of frost across the ground. "Then let's end this."

​Panic flared in my chest. Even combined, Lavender and I didn't have enough power left to win.

​But Ora suddenly jumped into the middle, signaling for Frexia to stop. "There's no need to continue this fight," she announced. "We've already won."

​None of us understood what she meant until she explained: "Our mission was to get Frexia out of the prison and away from the town of Kitam. Look around—we’re already outside the city limits. We’ve successfully broken her out."

​Frexia blinked, looking around. In her battle-fury, she hadn't realized how far we had traveled. She was now too far from the prison to simply walk back and surrender.

​"You're free now," I said. "You don't have to die for them."

​Frexia’s anger flared again. She told me to stay out of her business, insisting she had to follow her Master's orders.

​"Why follow a Master who abandoned you?" I asked. "He let you get caught. He was going to let you die. That isn't fair for you."

​I couldn't fathom her loyalty to someone who treated her like a disposable tool. I reminded her that Dragonaires were legends—warriors of myth. Accepting death at the hands of commoners without a fight was an insult to her heritage.

​She wavered, her expression softening into doubt. "You're wrong... Master didn't abandon me. I'm here to pay for my sins."

​"Your sins? What do you mean?"

​Ora hopped onto Frexia’s shoulder, introducing herself as a Prime Spirit. She explained that Dragonaires once served the Prime Spirits faithfully, which was why she didn't want to fight.

​Frexia was shocked. "A Prime Spirit? My ancestors said Prime Spirits were giants. Why are you so small?"

​Ora explained that size was irrelevant; they could change forms based on their energy levels. "Millions of years ago, the world was filled with giants, including us. It’s no wonder that’s how we're remembered." She explained that after a long slumber, her energy was depleted, hence her current form.

​"We are on a mission to save the future of the Zeron Kingdom," Ora added. "And this man was chosen to be the savior. That includes saving people like you."

​I stepped forward. "We only want to help you set your own fate. Please, trust us. I know it’s hard to trust strangers, but you have nothing left to lose."

​"Aren is right," Ora said. "Your comrades told us you were all framed as bandits."

​Frexia shook her head sadly. She explained that her comrades were only trying to protect her pride. The truth was far uglier.

​A month ago, the son of the Governor of Aksin had come for her, wanting her as his wife to "breed" her draconic power into his political bloodline. When she refused, the harassment began. Bandits attacked her village, and Aksin forces "saved" them—creating a debt of gratitude that her Master felt he had to pay. The price was Frexia.

​When her Master ordered her to go, she refused, believing she shouldn't be used as a political pawn. "I kept resisting, so they framed us. They said we were attacking civilians. Eventually, a fight broke out... and I killed the Governor's son."

​The government retaliated, arresting her for execution. She believed her death was the only way to stop them from wiping out her entire tribe for her "rebellion."

​"I regret disobeying my Master," she whispered, looking at the ground. "If I had just married him, none of this would have happened."

​I felt a wave of pity, a heavy weight settling in my stomach. She was a victim of a system that tried to own her. I reached out my hand. "It wasn't your fault. You had every right to say no. The real criminals are the ones who tried to take you from your home."

​She hesitated, fearing the government would still destroy her tribe if she fled. I promised her we would help the entire tribe relocate to a place where the government couldn't reach them.

​"Please, Frexia. Don't die for your tribe. Live for them."

​Frexia was silent for a long time. She sighed, noting that their homes were already destroyed and their happy memories turned to ash.

​I grabbed her hand, pulling her toward me to stop her spiraling. "So what if those things are gone? As long as you're alive, you can build a new village. You can make new memories and a new family."

​She stepped back, pulling her hand away, unsure if she could really lead them. I didn't let her make excuses. "We're going to help the Black Raven tribe start over," I said firmly. "They need you now more than ever."

​The ice around us slowly began to melt, the water trickling away into the thirsty soil as Frexia reverted to her human form. She looked at me, her eyes searching for a glimmer of hope. "Is there really a way to help them?"

​"Of course," I answered immediately, even if I wasn't entirely sure how yet. "First, we get out of here. We go somewhere far away, where they can never touch your people again."