The Forgotten Dragon Kingdom had changed. What once was a wild and chaotic land ruled by Milim's unbridled spirit had become a symbol of strength, discipline, and harmony.
And at the heart of it all was Yujiro Hanma.
Every morning began the same. The sound of fists hitting stone, feet slamming against the dirt, and roars of effort echoed across the mountains.
Yujiro stood in the center of the training fields, arms crossed, eyes like steel, watching the dragonkin and warriors of the kingdom go through their drills. No magic. No shortcuts. Pure effort.
"Again!" he barked.
Dozens of soldiers dropped to the ground, their bodies drenched in sweat, muscles sore, but hearts burning with pride. They no longer feared the training—they craved it.
Milim watched from the palace balcony, resting her chin in her palm and smiling.
"He's turned this whole place into a temple of strength," she whispered. "Uncle Yujiro… you're crazy… but I like it."
Later that day, a scout arrived at full speed, skidding to a stop near the castle gates.
"Message! From the skies!"
Yujiro, sitting cross-legged by a waterfall, cracked one eye open as the scout approached.
"A dragon… a True Dragon is headed this way. Red scales, fire aura—it's Velgrynd, Milim's aunt!"
The air tensed immediately.
Milim blinked. "Auntie Velgrynd? Huh… now this'll be interesting."
Yujiro didn't move. He simply stood up, cracked his neck, and said in that deep, grounded voice—
"Let her come."
The skies turned red as Velgrynd descended like a meteor from the heavens. Her power blanketed the region like wildfire, sending ripples of heat across the ground. The warriors of the kingdom stopped what they were doing, eyes wide with awe and fear.
She landed gracefully outside the castle, the ground steaming beneath her boots.
The guards immediately dropped to one knee.
Milim flew out of the castle, a bright grin on her face.
"Auntie!"
Velgrynd cracked a rare smile and pulled Milim into a warm hug. "You've grown stronger, milim i missed you."
Milim giggled. "Yeah! I've been training every day—thanks to Uncle Yujiro!"
Velgrynd's smile faded, curiosity flickering in her golden eyes. She looked past Milim.
Yujiro stood alone, arms crossed, towering, unmoved by her divine presence.
Their eyes met.
And for a moment—just a heartbeat—everything else fell silent.
So Velgrynd stepped forward.
The battlefield fell into a heavy silence as the crimson-haired True Dragon made her presence known. Her eyes glimmered with a regal fire, and the air grew warmer, as if her very existence radiated heat.
Velgrynd's gaze locked onto the man standing just ahead — Yujiro Hanma. He stood with that usual arrogant smirk carved across his face, hands buried lazily in his pockets, his back relaxed, chest slightly puffed out. He didn't bow. He didn't even blink.
Velgrynd's brow furrowed. So this is the human… she thought. The one they call "the strongest creature alive."
She scanned him instinctively. No aura. No energy flow. No divine pressure. Nothing. He was just… human. And yet, something about him screamed dangerous.
Just then, Milim skipped over with her usual carefree grin and motioned Velgrynd to follow. "Come on! I'll introduce you!"
They approached, and Yujiro didn't break eye contact with Velgrynd for even a second.
"Auntie Velgrynd," Milim chirped, "this is my Uncle Yujiro Hanma! And Uncle, this is my Auntie Velgrynd, one of the True Dragons!"
Yujiro took one step forward. His smirk grew wider.
He looked Velgrynd up and down — slowly — and then scoffed.
"Another overgrown lizard," he said flatly.
Milim's grin immediately dropped. Her eyes widened.
"Oh no," she muttered. "It's happening again…"
Velgrynd's eyes twitched. Her fists clenched.
"You dare…" she whispered.
Being a True Dragon meant being above all creation, above all and demon lords alike. She was the Emperor of Flames, a being beyond comprehension — and this human just insulted her like common trash?
The soldiers and generals nearby felt the air tense. Midray, standing with his arms folded, sighed.
"Another fool tempting death," he muttered. "But… why do I feel like it's not Velgrynd who's going to win this?"
Velgrynd stepped forward. Her heat intensified, cracking the stone beneath her feet. "What… did you call me?"
Yujiro, still calm, took one more step, and repeated louder:
"I said — you're an overgrown, arrogant lizard. Just like your brother and your sister."
Velgrynd's eyes lit up in fury. Her aura exploded outward, forming a fiery dome that sent everyone nearby stepping back.
Milim jumped back in shock. "W-Wait, Auntie! Don't—!"
Velgrynd didn't listen. She flung Milim to the side and roared, raising both arms. Her attack, Burning Embrace, ignited around her — a golden inferno meant to melt through entire mountain ranges. Without another word, she hurled it toward Yujiro with a fury never seen before.
The attack screamed through the air.
But… Yujiro was gone.
The instant the fire left Velgrynd's hands — he was already there.
No sound. No warning.
CRACK!
Two lightning-fast Dim Mak strikes — one to her throat, the other to her right wrist.
Velgrynd's attack fizzled out mid-air. She staggered back.
She tried to scream — but no voice came out. Her right arm dropped uselessly at her side. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"W-What…?"
Yujiro stepped back and tilted his head.
"I thought True Dragons were smart," he said casually. "Guess I was wrong."
She growled, teeth clenched. She forcefully began channeling her divine energy to heal her throat and arm. Yujiro watched her calmly, giving her time.
"You can fix yourself," he said. "I want to break you again."
From the sidelines, Midray was tense. "He's playing with her…"
Milim stood in disbelief. "H-How…? Auntie's never been hit like that before…"
Velgrynd healed enough to move again, and vanished in a burst of speed, dashing toward Yujiro. Her fist was coated in divine flame as she threw a punch straight at his jaw — but Yujiro simply leaned back an inch. The punch missed.
Then…
SMACK!
A slap.
Then another.
Yujiro's hands moved with a rhythm like a dance — using the art of Subak, a martial art built around slaps, strikes, and joint manipulation. But in his hands, it was a weapon of humiliation.
Every strike made Velgrynd's skin sting.
Every slap rang across the battlefield.
He slapped her face, her sides, her legs — all with precision. Then came the elbows, the Muay Thai strikes to her pressure points — her knees, her back, her neck.
"What's the matter?" Yujiro mocked, stepping around her like a predator circling its prey. "Can't keep up? You're supposed to be a dragon."
Velgrynd tried to retaliate with a tail swipe in her partial-dragon form — but Yujiro ducked, caught her tail, and slammed her into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth cracked. Dust flew. Soldiers shielded their eyes.
Yujiro let go and stood over her, grinning like a devil.
"You all think power comes from being born into it," he said, speaking to the soldiers now. "No. Power… is earned. Through pain. Through war. Through suffering."
Velgrynd gasped and tried to stand, but Yujiro struck three more pressure points — her collarbone, her lower back, and her thigh.
Paralyzed.
She couldn't move.
She couldn't breathe properly.
She couldn't speak.
Midray looked horrified. "H-He disabled her… completely…"
One soldier whispered, "im still not used to this, are we sure Yujiro sama is human?"
"No," said Milim softly, staring with wide eyes. "That's Yujiro Hanma. He's beyond."
Velgrynd's mind was racing. Her body wouldn't respond. The pain from each strike was excruciating — yet it wasn't just pain. It was humiliation.
She was the Flame Dragon. A being of legend. A cosmic apex.
And now she was on her knees — silent, frozen, broken — her pride shattered.
Yujiro leaned down, right beside her ear.
"You dragons need to stop looking down on humans," he whispered. "Or the next time… I won't stop at pressure points."
He straightened up and turned around, cracking his knuckles.
Milim cautiously stepped forward, eyes darting between Yujiro and Velgrynd.
"U-Uncle… was that really necessary?"
Yujiro smirked. "I showed her mercy. She'll thank me later."
As Velgrynd trembled, barely holding back tears, the truth settled in.
She wasn't just defeated.
She was humbled.
The silence that followed was thick and cold.
No one dared speak.
And in that moment — even the gods watching from afar realized:
Yujiro Hanma… was not a man to be underestimated.
He was a force of nature.
And even dragons could be broken.