Only I Awaken The Forbidden SSS-Rank Dragons

Aleron sighed softly, his gaze fixed on the system's notification lingering in his line of sight, a cold weight settling in his heart.

[Detected trigger of karmic backlash.]

'This is why I told you not to interfere. You acted too impulsively, and it cost the lives of those two. Who knows? They might have survived.'

He addressed Veldora with a calm yet heavy tone, then began to explain to both dragons the nature of his curse.

As soon as he finished, Ashkar's eyes flared with fury.

Roarrrrrrr.

The sound tore through the skies, shaking the air itself. The force of the roar sent the wind into a frenzied swirl, rustling leaves, and startling birds into panicked flight as though they sensed an ancient predator had awakened.

Veldora's expression also darkened. For the first time since her birth, she felt true anger.

How could people be so vile?

Being raised with her father's love, she had believed the world to be kind, yet this truth shattered that naive belief. To think someone had placed a curse on Aleron, her father, was almost too much to accept.

Both dragons' hearts churned with turbulent emotions they struggled to suppress.

Aleron, sensing their feelings through the bond they shared, offered them a faint smile.

He remembered clearly the same crushing weight when he had first learned of the curse. Over time, he had learned to accept it, though the wound it left never truly healed.

'Do not let it consume you. Given time, we will break this curse and destroy whoever placed it on me,' Aleron said, his voice steady, trying to ease their rising rage.

Although their anger did not fade entirely, his words took some of the edge off.

'Father, I want to burn every single one of them. I want to reduce them to nothing but ash,' Ashkar growled, his deep voice carrying the heat of his resolve. Aleron could feel the absolute sincerity in those words.

Veldora hesitated, her voice soft but uncertain. 'Brother, isn't that too much? Perhaps not all of them were involved.'

Ashkar slowly turned to her, his eyes narrowing. 'Sister, you have learned nothing. Sigh… you are hopeless.'

With a powerful beat of his wings, he surged forward, disappearing from sight in an instant.

'Hey! Do not fly off without me, big brother!' she called after him through their mental link.

'Try to keep up,' Ashkar's voice echoed in her mind.

Veldora's wings beat furiously, the air hissing around her as she closed the gap. Fortunately, Ashkar was not flying at full speed, allowing her to catch up. Even so, it took effort, her chest rising and falling from the strain.

'Ashkar, do not be so harsh on your sister,' Aleron said, reaching out to rub Ashkar's head as he spoke in a tone that was half admonishment, half fondness.

…

Time slipped by quickly, and a day and a half passed.

In that time, they had encountered two hordes of abominations. Although certain areas still retained some safety, the chaos and destruction the abominations had wrought were undeniable.

Aleron had swooped down mid-flight to kill several of the creatures, using their meat to prepare thick, sizzling steaks that kept the group well-fed and energized.

After leaving the second horde behind, a familiar silhouette appeared in Aleron's sight.

It was the city where he had once stayed before heading to the barrier city after a life-and-death encounter.

He slowed, gazing at the distant skyline. The faint image of a kind couple surfaced in his mind, their memory stirring a mix of warmth and sorrow.

But now, the streets were empty of life. All around, abominations prowled freely, their guttural growls echoing off shattered walls as they tore down buildings and left only ruin in their wake.

Aleron shook his head and exhaled, then urged Ashkar to increase their speed. They were closing in on a branch of the Genesis Coil.

His heartbeat quickened. The same organization that had once called him a thing rather than a person was about to face the consequences of their cruelty.

…

Deep within a secluded building, people in pristine white lab coats moved briskly, focused on their work. The air held the faint tang of iron, the sharp bite of medicinal herbs, and the damp musk of moisture that clung to the walls.

In one room, a team was gathered around an operating table, performing delicate procedures on a young girl who looked no older than twelve.

Elsewhere, experiments were being conducted on various lifeforms, each chamber filled with quiet suffering.

Inside the control room, a young man's fingers danced across a keyboard, entering strings of data, his eyes scanning lines of code and records with detached efficiency.

To them, it was just another routine day.

That changed the moment a low, vibrating hum echoed through the air.

A faint whooshing followed, almost imperceptible, yet those at the Origin Initiate Realm stiffened. Their contracted summons had sharpened their senses enough to catch the sound.

Before confusion could spread, the sky above erupted in blinding light.

Roarrrrrrrrrrrr.

The roar crashed over the building like a tidal wave, carrying a primal, oppressive force that sent chills through every soul present.

From the heavens descended a torrent of searing flames, the air itself writhing under the unbearable heat.

Panic erupted.

"What's happening? Is that a portal opening?" someone shouted.

"Move! Get the important subjects to safety first. The rest are expendable!" another voice barked, cold and decisive.

The intercom crackled to life with a feminine, mechanical voice. "All units evacuate immediately. Detected… unprecedented danger…"

The announcement sent fear clawing at their chests.

The sky was too dark to reveal the intruder's form, the figure cloaked in clouds.

The whooshing returned, louder this time, and then something massive broke through. Ashkar descended, his colossal form slamming into the building.

Crash!

The impact rattled the ground, dust billowing out in thick waves, obscuring the view.

People froze mid-step, staring into the settling haze.

"What is that? Did someone summon a breakthrough?" a middle-aged man asked, his eyes wide.

"I doubt it. Could it be an experiment gone wrong?" another replied.

As the dust thinned, two glowing red eyes with streaks of black emerged, locking onto them.

The sight struck their hearts like a hammer. An unnatural chill gripped them, and instinct screamed that this was no ordinary creature.

"What… is that thing?"

"Why does it feel like death itself is looking at me?"

The wind shifted, clearing the last of the dust to reveal Ashkar's towering form, every scale glinting with a dangerous sheen.

Atop him sat Aleron, his expression calm, his presence oppressive.

The father of all dragons had arrived, and his vengeance was about to begin.