**Anderson didn't offer a word in response to his father's question.** His expression remained calm, almost indifferent, as he turned on his heel and strode toward the palace doors. His boots echoed sharply against the marble floor, each step deliberate and unhurried, as though the weight of the entire hall's gaze meant nothing to him.
**The Dragon King, Cadmus, watched his son closely,** his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as Anderson walked away without a word. Then, without hesitation, **he stood from his throne,** his towering form radiating authority. The previous Dragon Kings, who had remained seated in quiet contemplation, rose in unison, following Cadmus's lead.
Their robes whispered against the stone as they moved, their movements measured but purposeful.
**The sudden movement drew the attention of everyone in the hall.** Murmurs rippled through the air as the assembled dragons exchanged confused and curious glances. The idea that all the kings—both past and present—would follow Anderson outside left many unsettled.
**The children of the current Dragon King stood frozen for a moment,** exchanging tense, bewildered looks. They hadn't expected their father or the previous kings to take such a direct interest in Anderson.
"I can't stand that bastard," **growled a burly dragon named Vargos,** one of Cadmus's sons. His voice was a low, simmering snarl as he glared at the door through which Anderson had just exited. **His fists clenched at his sides,** his thick, clawed fingers curling tightly until his knuckles turned white. His emerald-green eyes burned with barely-contained rage.
"I just can't control myself from charging right at him and ripping his head off."
**His jaw twitched,** and his muscular form seemed to vibrate with barely-suppressed violence, the scales along his arms rippling like the surface of a disturbed lake. The tension in his body made it clear that it wasn't just idle talk.
**Nearby, another figure shifted in her seat, her movements graceful and deliberate.** This was Alara, the only one of Cadmus's children who hadn't shown any visible hostility toward Anderson. **Her eyes, a cool shade of silver, flickered briefly to Vargos,** but she remained composed, her expression unreadable.
"And surprisingly," **Alara said softly,** her tone as calm and sharp as the edge of a blade, "you managed to keep yourself from getting yourself killed." **Her eyes didn't leave the door,** though there was a faint glimmer of amusement in her voice.
**Vargos's head snapped toward her,** his expression twisting with anger. "What does that mean, Alara?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom. **His eyes narrowed, and his body tensed** as though readying for a confrontation, even with his sister.
**Alara finally turned her gaze toward him,** her silver eyes meeting his without a trace of fear. Her lips curved slightly, but it wasn't a warm smile—it was the kind that spoke of knowledge and understanding that others lacked. **Her expression remained serene,** almost mocking. "It means, Vargos," she said evenly, "that if you had acted on your anger, you wouldn't be standing here now."
**Her words hung in the air like a challenge.** The rest of the dragon kin in the hall watched the exchange with bated breath, eyes flicking between the siblings, sensing the rising tension.
Vargos's face twisted further in anger, but for a brief moment, **his eyes flickered with uncertainty.** "You think he's that strong? That *he*—"
**Anderson's eyes narrowed, the storm of chaos in the sky reflected in the icy calm of his gaze.** His body stood as a pillar of stillness amid the frenzy, but the subtle twitch of his fingers betrayed the deadly energy building within him. **The air around him thickened with heat,** rippling as the aura of raw power gathered at his command.
Slowly, he raised one hand, his palm facing the swarm of monsters as they descended, their grotesque forms screeching and twisting in the air. **His expression remained cold, focused, his jaw tightening as his gaze locked onto the approaching horde.** There was no hesitation in his movements, only the deadly precision of a warrior who knew his own strength.
With a low, almost whispered voice, he spoke the name of the technique: **"Inferno of the Dragon King."**
The words were barely audible, but the moment they left his lips, the very atmosphere seemed to ignite. **A rush of scorching heat exploded from his hand,** the temperature rising so sharply that the ground beneath his feet cracked and blackened. Flames burst forth in a wave of fiery destruction, roaring to life as they surged forward with the fury of a dragon's breath.
**The flames spread in an arc, growing taller and more violent with each passing second,** their color shifting from bright orange to deep, searing crimson. The heat was unbearable, distorting the air and turning the sky into a blazing inferno. The roar of the fire drowned out the screeches of the monsters, its sheer power obliterating the sound of their approach.
**Anderson's face remained impassive,** his gaze cold and unwavering as he watched the wave of fire tear through the sky. His outstretched hand did not tremble; his control over the flames was absolute. The fire moved as though it were alive, a sentient force bending to his will, and with a single, devastating sweep, it crashed into the swarm of creatures.
The result was immediate and catastrophic.
**The flames consumed the monsters instantly,** their twisted forms disintegrating upon contact, reduced to nothing but ash in mere moments. Their screeches turned into high-pitched wails, but even those sounds were swallowed by the roaring inferno. Winged creatures, once ferocious and terrifying, were now nothing more than smoldering embers falling from the sky, their bodies erased from existence.
**Anderson didn't blink as the flames engulfed the swarm,** his expression one of deadly focus. His fingers curled slightly as he directed the inferno, ensuring that not a single creature escaped its wrath. The sky, once filled with the hideous forms of monsters, was now a sea of red, the flames stretching out as far as the eye could see, devouring everything in their path.
In a matter of moments, it was over.
The swarm, the tear in space, the threat—they were gone. **The flames flickered for a moment longer before slowly fading,** their intensity diminishing as Anderson lowered his hand. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and burnt flesh, and the ground still radiated heat from the aftermath of the attack.
**Anderson's eyes remained cold,** his expression unchanging even as the silence settled around him. He didn't look at the destruction he had caused—there was no need. He knew the extent of his power, knew that nothing could survive what he had unleashed.
Behind him, **the Dragon King and the others watched in stunned silence,** their eyes wide as they struggled to process what they had just witnessed. The sheer force and precision of the technique left them speechless, a stark reminder of the strength Anderson wielded so effortlessly. Even the previous Dragon Kings exchanged glances, their once amused expressions now tinged with quiet respect.
**Cadmus's face remained stoic,** but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes as he watched his son. He knew Anderson was powerful—has always known—but seeing it firsthand, seeing the way he wiped out an entire swarm of creatures without so much as breaking a sweat, only reaffirmed what he had feared all along.
"And that's what I would do."