They had only heard the stories.

Stories of a legendary dragon that descended alongside the Awakeneds, crushing breakout beasts and protecting the Academy's students and civilians.

But hearing and seeing were two very different things.

So when Ash stood before them now in his full glory, shock struck them deeply.

As for the children and students nearby, awe burst out of them without restraint, their voices filled with pure, childish excitement.

"Whoa… it's huge!"

"That's a real dragon… a real one!"

"So cool… it's way cooler than I thought it would be!"

One girl from Lily's class tugged at her friend's sleeve, eyes sparkling.

"Isn't that Lily's small dragon?! She really has a dragon that can turn big!"

Not all of them saw the dragon entrance moments back during the dungeon outbreak, so their reactions were a bit different.

Another boy clenched his fists, barely containing himself.

"If I get stronger like her brother, maybe I can have one too!"

"I wanna ride a dragon someday…"

Lily puffed out her chest proudly, her eyes shining as she looked at Ash.

Bruce, however, only smiled.

He didn't like attention. Never had.

But it couldn't be helped.

He had already given Lily his word, and he wasn't about to go back on it.

The next second, he bent down, lifted Lily into his arms, and leaped smoothly onto Ash's back.

"Whoah!" Lily exclaimed as her view suddenly opened up from atop Ash's massive, fourteen meter tall frame.

"You like what you see?" Bruce asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Lily nodded eagerly, her eyes shining, her heart still racing with excitement for what was coming next.

"Hold tight," Bruce said gently. "This is just the start of it all."

Lily nodded and wrapped her arms around him. As she did, her small hand brushed against Ash's smooth black scales. She froze for a moment, staring in awe. Even when she placed her palm flat against it, her entire hand didn't cover even a fraction of a single scale's surface.

"Ash… you're so cool," she couldn't help but exclaim.

Ash let out a low, pleased growl in response.

At Bruce's signal, Ash spread its massive wings and began to flap, lifting them slowly off the ground. Normally, Ash could accelerate far faster, fast enough to turn the world into a blur, but this time was different. Lily's body was fragile, unawakened. Even a slight burst of speed could have crushed her under air pressure alone.

So Ash flew carefully.

Gently.

This time, it wasn't carrying Bruce.

It was carrying Lily.

"Whoah!" Lily exclaimed again as she peered over Ash's neck, watching the ground grow farther and farther away.

The sight stirred something strange in her chest. A flutter of nerves crept in, sharp and unfamiliar. She quickly looked away and hugged Ash's neck tightly, squeezing as if that would push the feeling out of her heart.

Bruce noticed immediately.

He smiled softly and patted her back reassuringly. "My cute little Lily… are you afraid of heights?"

"No!" Lily retorted instantly, puffing her cheeks in a pout.

To prove it, she leaned forward and looked down again. The ground was already distant now, her classmates reduced to tiny dots staring up in silence.

Her resolve wavered.

Just a second later, she looked away again.

Bruce chuckled quietly. "It's okay to be afraid of heights, Lily. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not afraid!" she insisted.

This time, when she looked down again, she forced herself to keep her gaze there. The nervous feeling surged, but she clenched her teeth and endured it. The wind whipped through her hair, tugging at her clothes, but she didn't turn away.

Her face was serious now.

Determined.

'Big brother is strong,' she thought. 'So I have to be strong too. I can't show weakness.'

Her will pushed back against the fear.

And this time,

She held on.

Bruce saw it and smiled warmly. "Nice one, Lily. You did really good."

Lily beamed, pride lighting up her face as Ash carried them higher into the sky.

Once they reached a height that gave Lily the widest view without making her uncomfortable, Ash flapped its wings steadily and began to move forward at a moderate speed. The city stretched out beneath them, rooftops shrinking, roads turning into thin lines, the world suddenly vast and beautiful from above.

Lily gasped softly.

"Big brother… everything looks so small," she whispered, eyes sparkling. "Is this what you see all the time?"

Bruce chuckled. "Pretty much."

"That's not fair," she pouted. "You get to see all the cool things first."

Ash let out a low, amused growl, tilting its head slightly as if listening.

Lily noticed and immediately leaned forward. "Hey! Ash! Are you showing off on purpose?"

Ash flicked its tail.

"That means yes, doesn't it?" Lily giggled. "You're such a show off."

Ash snorted softly, wings flapping with exaggerated pride.

Lily laughed even harder. "Big brother, Ash is proud! Look at him!"

Bruce smiled. "Of course he is. He's carrying someone important today."

Lily puffed her chest out proudly. "That's right. I'm important."

She reached forward and gently patted Ash's neck. "You're doing a good job, Ash. Don't drop me, okay?"

Ash let out a playful growl in response.

"Hey! That sounded suspicious!" Lily said, narrowing her eyes. "You wouldn't drop me… right?"

Ash's wings beat once harder, making the air ripple.

Before Lily could say anything else,

Ash suddenly dipped.

"AHHHH!"

The world tilted violently as Ash descended in a smooth, arcing dive before pulling up just as smoothly, like a massive roller coaster in the sky. Bruce tightened his hold instantly, anchoring Lily securely against him as her scream echoed through the open air.

Her hair whipped wildly in the wind, laughter and terror mixing together as Ash dipped again, downward, then back up, gliding in long, exhilarating arcs through the sky.

"ASH!" Lily yelled, half laughing, half screaming. "YOU'RE CHEATING!"

Ash roared playfully, wings slicing through the air as it dove once more.

Bruce laughed softly, holding Lily firmly in place. "Hold tight."

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