[Jasmine's POV:]
I've heard countless stories about Senior Hades.
You could walk into the common hall at any time of day, and chances are, one in every five groups would be discussing him—his battles, his madness, his terrifying strength.
In an era where even students of dragon-slaying academies struggle to face a single Solitary-ranked dragon…
…he fought a group of them. Alone.
And even more impossibly—he defeated an Elder-ranked dragon. All by himself.
But what intrigued me the most wasn't just his strength—it was his hatred.
His pure, unwavering hatred toward dragons.
I've heard so many stories about why he despises them so deeply.
Some say he was traumatized as a child, forced to face a colossal dragon when he was too young to fight back.
Others whisper that he lost someone he loved—someone taken by dragon fire or talons. That grief, they say, is what forged him into the man he is today.
I don't know which version is true. Maybe none of them are.
But there's one thing everyone agrees on—Senior Hades is ruthless.
Right now, I was standing at the edge of the battlefield, with Senior Taylor guarding me, yet my gaze kept returning to him.
To Hades.
He fought like a man possessed—relentless, savage, almost inhuman.
Tearing through dragon flesh as if their very existence was an offense to his soul.
Every strike, every spell he cast, carried a single, undeniable purpose:
To hurt them.
To break them.
To make them bleed.
I didn't believe my eyes when he released his sword just to drive his fingers straight into the eye of a wounded dragon, ripping it out without hesitation.
That wasn't strategy.
That was hatred. Raw, burning hatred.
He hated them with every breath in his body. As if his life depended on their extinction.
And that fire, that devotion to his cause—no matter how terrifying—was what made me admire him.
....
The battlefield was pure chaos.
On one side, Graham stood like a wall—shielding the healer and the main attack squad with his massive frame.
On the other, Cedric sent sharp ice crystals flying at every creature that tried to sneak around or escape.
His face was pale, sweat dripping down his forehead, but he didn't stop. Not even once.
"Cedric, watch out!"
A sudden shove pushed him aside—just before a wave of scorching flames came rushing at him.
He spun, eyes wide, but the fire didn't reach him.
The flames were meant to burn them alive.
But they vanished—sucked in, swallowed whole—by one man.
Their team captain.
Hades stood where the flames had hit, completely unharmed. Not even a flinch. Not even a wince.
The moment the dragon stopped breathing fire, Hades shot into the air—his fist glowing bright.
The dragon saw him coming and opened its mouth again, trying to fire one more blast.
But Hades never gives a second chance.
BOOM!
His fist slammed into the dragon's skull, and the world seemed to shake.
The beast's head exploded, its insides torn apart by the force. Blood sprayed through the air as the lifeless body dropped to the ground.
One punch.
That was all it took.
Hades landed hard on his feet, staring down at his fist.
It was still glowing—burning with leftover energy—but slowly, the light began to fade.
"Captain!"
He heard the shout and snapped into motion.
His hand shot up just in time to catch a massive shield flying toward him. With a sharp twist, he slammed it into the ground.
DOOOOM!
A dragon crashed into him, its full weight slamming into the shield and pushing him back.
Hades gritted his teeth, muscles straining as the ground cracked beneath his heels. The beast was too heavy.
A brute force struggle like this wasn't in his favor.
"Need a hand?" a voice called out.
A blur leapt into the air—the team tactician—twin daggers flashing.
With a swift spin, he slashed down, unleashing a cross-shaped wave of energy.
SHRRAK!
The blades carved into the dragon's side, scorching its scales. The beast howled in pain.
Hades didn't waste the chance.
He hurled the giant shield into the air.
"GRAHAM!"
The massive tank launched upward, catching the shield mid-air before coming down like a meteor.
KRAAACK!
He smashed the shield into the dragon's skull, activating his hardening skill at the last moment.
SPLASH.
Blood exploded across the ground as the dragon went limp, crushed under Graham's force.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then Hades and Graham shared a look—and a grin.
Their timing was perfect. Their trust, absolute.
They didn't need words.
They were a team.
"Is it over? Do you guys need a medic?" Jasmine rushed towards them, actively looking at their bodies.
However, "It's okay, we aren't injured." Hades assured her before his eyes traveled towards the cave.
"Some of them went inside to hide " Graham spoke with a huff, as he swung his shield to remove the dark blood.
"They are hiding despite their eggs being destroyed?" Jasmine asked with shock clear in her eyes.
"Regardless of their reasons, we must finish this." Hades spoke as he took out his sword and prepared to advance—
—only to be interrupted, "Are you sure, Captain? There can be something dangerous in there?" Cedric called out.
Hades and the other turned towards him with a questioning look.
The blond one continued, "Maybe an elder rank or something might be in there waiting for us to step into its territory?"
"And you believe a strong dragon would have seen his nest getting destroyed?" Grahama rebuked.
Cedric growled, "I am just letting him know the possible danger."
Hades contemplated for a moment...should he go back?
If he does so, the remaining dragons would come out and this time they might attack the nearest civilisation to take revenge.
"What should we do, Captain?" Jasmine asked after a brief pause.
Hades's grip tightened around the blade as he said, "We will proceed."
At that time, he didn't have any idea how much he was going to regret this decision.
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.