Saruto sat up, surprised, his eyes widening as he absorbed the story the First Founder had told him. He thought to himself:
— So this is the origin of the Luin family's power… Dragon + Human + Darkness.
He stood up quickly, his eyes glowing with excitement, and said:
"Thank you for the story, Founder, but… how will this help me defeat the Second Founder?"
The First Founder smiled, chuckling, and said in a calm voice:
— And that's where I come in.
Suddenly, a dark orb appeared in the Founder's hands, its violet beam filling his world. He released it to the ground, and a small dragon emerged. The Founder said:
— This is one of the dragon's offspring with whom you merged. You formed an unbreakable bond with it, just as I did.
Suddenly, the dragon appeared before Saruto, and they felt an uncanny connection, as if the dragon's soul and Saruto's body had become one in an instant.
Without thinking, they both uttered the same word:
— Fusion!
Their eyes glowed, light emanating from their inner cores, and Saruto's body gradually transformed. His eyes became like those of a dragon, a clear sign of the fusion's completion.
Saruto began to hear a voice echoing in his mind:
"Congratulations, Heir, on merging with me now… Let's test our strength."
Then, the voice continued, "But first, give me a name, Heir of Darkness."
Saruto said,
"What do you think of Void?"
The dragon smiled and said,
"Void sounds good."
Then the First Founder interrupted, saying, "Now, why don't we conduct a small test to see how strong you two, Saruto, really are?"
In an instant, the battle between Saruto and the First Founder began. The maneuvers intensified, and Saruto pushed his power to its limits. He activated the third level of Darkness Ascension, while his armor rose to the second level.
The battle was fierce; lightning bolts of energy shot out in every direction, the ground trembling under the force of each strike. Then, with a calm smile, the First Founder unleashed a crushing, incredibly powerful blow that sent Saruto crashing to the ground with devastating force.
Saruto, despite pushing his strength to its limit, felt the immense pressure exerted by the First Founder and realized he had a long way to go to surpass him.
The First Founder said, "Your skills and strength are good, Saruto. None of the Founders reached this level of power at your age. But you must align yourself with the tanning I gave you to unleash your true power."
The First Founder's world began to fade, and both noticed. The Founder said, "It seems your time is up, Saruto. Go and defeat the Second Founder so you can come to me whenever you wish. And remember, to reveal your power, you must align yourself with the dragon in everything."