With Kapak dead, the madness that had consumed him finally came to an end.
He died at the hands of the very people his family had protected for centuries—the same people he had later sacrificed for his obsession.
The sight left everyone feeling complicated emotions.
"Is immortality really that important?"
Tonks couldn't understand it.
"Important enough to make someone slaughter a tribe his family protected for hundreds of years?"
"It is."
Lewis answered calmly.
"In fact, immortality is one of the most irresistible temptations imaginable."
"The more powerful a person becomes, the more they tend to fear death."
"Countless gifted wizards have fallen because of it."
"For example…"
He flicked his wand.
Golden letters appeared in the air.
Voldemort
The name of the Dark Lord floated before them.
Then the letters shifted and rearranged themselves.
Vol de Mort
Flight from Death.
"The rise of the Dark Lord was fundamentally a pursuit of immortality."
"He changed his name for that purpose."
"Even the name 'Death Eater' carries the same meaning."
"In a sense, he succeeded."
"He truly did transcend death to a certain degree."
"That's why I keep saying he'll eventually return."
"But he also failed."
"He chose to split his soul."
"In exchange, he became unstable, paranoid, cruel, and insane."
"He stopped being himself."
"That is the price of pursuing immortality recklessly."
Lewis looked toward the direction where Kapak's body had been taken.
"Kapak was simply another Voldemort."
"A weaker version."
"A weaker Voldemort still caused us plenty of trouble."
Jaina sighed as she slowly stood up.
Most of her magic had recovered by now.
Then she turned toward the three vampire sisters.
"Thank you."
"Without your help, defeating the dragon would've been much harder."
"I honestly don't know how we would've won."
Chavrina shook her head.
"You are very strong."
"Even without us… you would have won."
"And we only fulfilled… our agreement."
Throughout the battle, the sisters had witnessed the true strength of Lewis's group.
Tonks alone already qualified as a powerful wizard in their eyes.
But compared to the others…
She seemed ordinary.
Ciri's combat style had completely shattered their understanding.
The silver-haired girl blinked around the battlefield like a ghost.
Her enchanted sword struck with terrifying force.
Her mastery over space itself surpassed anything the vampires could achieve with their speed.
Jaina's magic was equally frightening.
Her summoned water elementals and overwhelming ice spells nearly transformed the entire battlefield into a frozen hell.
If not for the dragon's superior firepower, she might have dominated the fight alone.
As for Lewis…
The moment he transformed into a feathered serpent, he had already seemed miraculous.
But when they watched him reduce a thirty-meter dragon weighing several tons into a tiny black cat…
The sisters finally reached a conclusion.
Confirmed.
This was absolutely someone they could not afford to provoke.
That realization explained why they had obediently followed Lewis's instructions.
When he said be quiet—
They stayed quiet.
Not because they respected him.
Because they were scared.
Compared to this group…
The dragon almost seemed harmless.
Jaina blinked.
"Agreement?"
"What agreement?"
She looked toward Lewis.
"You met them once."
"When did you even have time to negotiate?"
Lewis grinned.
"The first time we met."
Jaina stared.
"The first time?"
"Exactly."
Lewis explained:
"Back then, I already felt Chavrina's warning wasn't actually a threat."
"It sounded threatening because she's a vampire, looks intimidating, and doesn't speak very clearly."
"But the intent behind it was kindness."
"Meanwhile, Kapak was all smiles."
"And I could practically smell the malice."
"When I heard how negatively he spoke about the vampires, I realized they were probably useful allies."
"So after our meeting, I sent one of my animal scouts to follow them and start a conversation."
The others stared.
Even Ciri and Tonks looked shocked.
Apparently there had been another layer of planning hidden beneath everything.
"Actually, the existence of the dragon was never a complete mystery."
"The sisters had seen it."
"They personally witnessed the dragon associating with Kapak."
"That was why they warned us to leave the village."
"Once I confirmed the dragon existed, the next step was obvious."
"I arranged a deal."
"When the dragon revealed itself, they'd come help."
"At the same time, I prepared all of you for a possible ambush."
Lewis spread his hands.
"And as it turns out, every prediction came true."
Jaina clicked her tongue in admiration.
"You really are unbelievable."
"When it comes to planning ahead and creating opportunities, you're much better than I am."
Tonks and Ciri both felt a chill.
So this had all been calculated?
From the very beginning?
Ciri narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Wait."
"How exactly did you convince them to help?"
Her gaze moved between Lewis's handsome face and the three female vampires.
Then she developed an extremely dangerous train of thought.
"Could it be…"
Smack!
Lewis immediately flicked her forehead.
"Ow!"
"What are you thinking?"
"I was negotiating through an animal scout at the time."
"How exactly was I supposed to do whatever nonsense you're imagining?"
Ciri rubbed her forehead and looked away awkwardly.
Meanwhile Chavrina and Sena stepped forward.
The two sisters bowed respectfully.
"Actually…"
"The ones who should be grateful… are us."
"You were outsiders."
"You could have left."
"The dragon was our responsibility."
"You chose to fight anyway."
"That was kindness."
"And mercy."
"We thank you."
Lewis waved his hand.
"No need."
"We all benefited."
"No."
Chavrina shook her head stubbornly.
"Good deeds deserve rewards."
At that moment, the eldest sister, Kapari, suddenly came running back from the forest.
She carried a large bundle wrapped in animal hide.
Opening it revealed a dazzling collection of treasures.
Gemstones.
Rare herbs.
Serpent skins.
Dragon fangs.
Various magical materials gathered over centuries.
"These are our treasures."
"Please accept them."
The bundle was pushed toward Lewis.
Lewis glanced inside.
Then accepted it without hesitation.
"Thanks."
The three sisters immediately brightened.
Unlike modern wizards, they had spent centuries living deep within the jungle.
Their personalities were straightforward.
Friendship and gratitude were expressed openly.
Since Lewis accepted their gift, that meant he accepted their goodwill.
"We're friends now."
Kapari grinned.
"When you come back…"
"Find us."
"We'll welcome you."
"We definitely will."
The three sisters waved.
Then vanished into the darkness of the rainforest.
With the vampires gone…
Kapak dead…
And the tribesmen departing under the chief's guidance…
The clearing finally became quiet.
Only Lewis's group remained.
Along with one final prisoner.
Four pairs of eyes slowly turned.
Simultaneously.
Toward the black cat.
The dragon who had terrorized villages, manipulated tribes, and nearly burned them alive.
The dragon who once soared through the sky with overwhelming power.
Now trapped inside a tiny body.
For the first time in her life…
She understood what weakness felt like.
And judging by the expressions on everyone's faces—
None of them intended to let her forget it.
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