CHAPTER 138: EX 138. DRAGON ART

Back at the Unit 1 accommodation quarters, the halls were quiet. Too quiet.

Leon and Elizabeth walked in side by side, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor. With two squadmates still in medical care and one detained under surveillance, the once full squad room now felt hollow. The kind of hollow that creeps in when the dust settles and silence returns too fast.

Leon glanced sideways at her. "Kinda weird, huh? Just when the squad was finally coming together... this happens."

Elizabeth didn’t answer right away, but her gaze lingered on the empty couch as they stepped into the common area. It said enough.

"Come on," Leon said, breaking the silence. "Let me show you your room."

He led her toward the back corner of the accommodation. Her own space, one he’d... borrowed while she was gone. He reached the door, hesitated for a second, then pushed it open.

The moment they stepped inside, a bead of sweat traced down Leon’s temple.

’Ah... crap.’

The floor was... cracked. The far wall had a faint dent. Even the ceiling showed the aftermath of some poorly-controlled force burst. He had trained here, no, the more suitable term was rampaged, when his Force affinity had first awakened.

Now, it looked like someone had fought a bear inside.

Behind him, Elizabeth’s brow rose slowly. "Did you... wrestle someone in here?"

Leon turned, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "It’s not what you think. I was, uh... testing some moves."

Her gaze sharpened, lips pressing into a thin line.

"I’ll pay for the repairs, I swear."

She let out a quiet breath, her eyes still on the cracks as she folded her arms. "That’s all good... but where am I sleeping tonight?"

Leon blinked, then looked around. Her bed had splinters in one leg. The wall beside it was cracked. It wasn’t exactly livable.

He hesitated.

"Well..." He rubbed his chin, then perked up. "Wanna watch a movie instead?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, amused by the sudden deflection. "A movie?"

Leon grinned. "Yeah, let’s relax; after all, we’ve both had a long day."

She gave him a long look, then finally smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "That sounds like a good idea."

Leon nodded, already moving toward the common lounge with a slight skip in his step. ’Crisis dodged. At least for now.’

****

The common room was quiet, dimly lit by the flickering light of the holo-screen. The faint hum of the base’s systems served as the only background noise aside from the movie’s dialogue. Leon and Elizabeth sat side by side on the long cushioned bench, a bowl of popcorn resting on Leon’s lap.

He wore a black tank top that clung to his frame, showing off the lean muscle earned through years of training and grind. Ash-gray sweatpants completed the relaxed look. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was in a sleek black gown that stopped just above her knees, tight in all the right places. She looked effortlessly stunning, and utterly distracting.

Leon glanced at her from the corner of his eye, only to immediately face the screen again. ’Focus. I should be resting, he told himself. No improper thoughts.’

But the universe had other plans. The movie she picked was a romance, of all things. A story about a noble heir falling in love with a Grounder girl. It was emotional, soft and full of stolen glances and forbidden touches. Elizabeth had suggested it casually, but Leon suspected she knew exactly what she was doing.

They reached for the popcorn at the same time, and their fingers brushed. Leon cleared his throat and spoke, anything to break the silence growing between them.

"I sensed it earlier," he said, eyes still on the screen. "You’ve reached E-rank."

Elizabeth nodded, her attention still on the movie. "Hmm. It’s thanks to the Dragon Art... my father left for me."

That got his attention.

"Dragon Art?" Leon turned fully to face her now, his brows raised.

"Yeah," she said casually

Leon’s heart beat faster. As his mind already started racing.

’A racial art... that means...’

Excitement lit up his eyes like a child spotting his Christmas gift under the tree. Elizabeth noticed instantly.

"Leon. You do realize it’s a racial art, right? Unless you’ve got dragon blood in you, there’s no way you can use it."

But Leon only grinned, full of that unshakable confidence that always danced on the edge of arrogance.

"I’m sure I can."

"Oh?" she asked, half-curious, half-daring. "And what makes you so confident?"

Leon leaned back, one hand brushing his silver hair as he spoke. "Because of my self-made technique. I call it Extreme Art."

Leon then told her everything about the art and how it worked.

Elizabeth turned her head to look at him fully. Her eyes were wide for a moment, then softened.

Before she let out a small, amused breath. "Every time I think you’ve hit your peak, you do something even more impossible."

Leon smirked. "So... is that a compliment?"

Elizabeth didn’t answer. She simply shook her head, turned back to the screen, and said casually, "I’ll give you a copy later."

"Thanks."

Unlike Skills, which were sealed and bound within the soul through skill orbs, that made them permanent, personal, and unsharable, Arts were different. Arts were concepts. They could be learned, written down, passed between comrades. That flexibility was why Arts remained essential to progression and why every trial taker still studied them alongside Skills.

But Leon’s Extreme Art was something else entirely. It didn’t just replicate, it adapted. And now, with the chance to test it against a racial art, one born from dragonkin blood...

He’d become a nightmare.

A walking catastrophe.

And any demon in his path?

They’d better start praying.

They continued the movie without further discussion. However, as Elizabeth’s hand reached for the popcorn bowl on Leon’s lap, it changed course, finding its way into his pants instead. Leon was jolted, feeling her warm touch on his "little brother."

"Lizzie, we’re supposed to be resting," Leon said, feeling the urge for it but believing rest was best after their long day.

But Elizabeth’s next words shattered all his hesitation "Don’t worry you won’t have to do anything" And in the next moment, her hands began to move up and down.

****

A/N: Hey guys I will try to do a mass release after my test this Monday, so I won’t be able to release three Chapters this Saturday. Hope you will understand