Wilhelm stood in the middle of the cave, staring at his own reflection on the smooth surface of a crystal.

  He slowly tilted his head.

  Then the reflection tilted its head too.

  "...So this is my body."

  He took a step forward.

  His claws clicked against the stone floor.

  Only then did he truly begin to examine himself.

  His body clearly had the structure of a western dragon.

  Four powerful legs.

  Two large wings.

  A long tail.

  Two curved horns emerging from his head.

  Sharp claws.

  Long fangs.

  Everything about his form radiated the natural majesty of a dragon.

  Yet… it was also undeniably something else.

  His mouth, for example.

  It wasn't a normal dragon snout.

  The shape was a strange mix between a bird's beak and the jaws of a reptile.

  The upper part curved slightly like a beak, but it still had powerful reptilian jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth.

  A weapon made for both tearing and piercing.

  Then there were his wings.

  Wilhelm slowly stretched them.

  One beat.

  A gust of air spread through the cave.

  His wings possessed the membrane structure of a dragon, thin but durable.

  But at the same time, long elegant feathers grew from the upper side, forming something that resembled the wings of a giant bird.

  Dragon wings.

  Phoenix wings.

  Both at the same time.

  His body was covered in jet-black scales, smooth and extremely hard.

  But above those scales grew countless feathers.

  Beautiful feathers.

  Their colors were strange and mesmerizing.

  A mixture of green, white, and gold.

  They shimmered softly as if alive.

  But the strangest part was the faint flames dancing around them.

  Tiny flames made of the same colors.

  Green.

  White.

  Gold.

  They didn't burn him.

  Instead, they radiated a gentle warmth.

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  Wilhelm blinked.

  "...Am I on fire?"

  The flames flickered quietly as if answering.

  Apparently, this was normal.

  He slowly lifted one of his claws.

  Five claws.

  Not four.

  Five sharp talons on each limb.

  Even his hind legs had five.

  His tail was equally unusual.

  At the center, it was completely reptilian, covered in black scales.

  But from the lower part of his back, long elegant feathers extended along the tail like those of a magnificent bird.

  The feathers trailed behind him like a flowing banner.

  The overall result was strange.

  But also… incredibly majestic.

  Wilhelm stared at himself for a moment.

  Then he muttered.

  "...I look expensive."

  His stomach suddenly growled.

  Loudly.

  Wilhelm blinked.

  Right.

  He had just been born.

  That probably meant he needed food.

  His gaze slowly moved toward the broken pieces scattered on the ground.

  The eggshell.

  Instinctively, a strange feeling appeared in his mind.

  Food.

  Apparently, dragon and phoenix instincts agreed on one thing.

  Eggshells were extremely nutritious.

  Wilhelm hesitated for half a second.

  Then he grabbed a large piece with his claws and bit into it.

  Crunch.

  His eyes widened.

  "...Not bad."

  The shell was surprisingly rich in energy.

  Warm power flowed through his body as he ate.

  Piece after piece.

  As he continued eating, something unexpected happened.

  Fragments of memories began to surface in his mind.

  Not his own memories.

  But echoes left inside the egg.

  Images.

  Emotions.

  Pieces of the past.

  And slowly… Wilhelm began to understand how he had been born.

  His mother was a Life Phoenix.

  A being that valued life above all else.

  Life phoenixes were known for protecting living creatures.

  They rarely entered battle because they disliked killing.

  Even when threatened, they preferred healing and protecting rather than destroying.

  There was only one exception.

  Undead.

  Creatures that mocked the natural cycle of life and death.

  Undead were an insult to everything life phoenixes believed in.

  So when his mother learned about a Death Dragon living in a desert filled with undead creatures…

  She immediately went to destroy him.

  Wilhelm slowly continued eating as the memories unfolded.

  Ironically, death dragons were known for being extremely calm beings.

  They understood something very simple.

  Everything that lives… eventually dies.

  Because of that, death dragons rarely fought over possessions or territory.

  If they wanted something that belonged to someone else, they simply waited.

  Eventually, the owner would die.

  And then the item would naturally become theirs.

  It was a very patient philosophy.

  However, there were two types of beings that death dragons absolutely hated.

  Creatures with life affinity.

  And creatures that could defy death.

  Life phoenixes fulfilled both conditions.

  They embodied life itself.

  And through Nirvana, they could resurrect after death.

  Naturally, they were the most hated enemies of death dragons.

  Still, the death dragon that lived in that desert had no intention of starting a fight.

  But when Wilhelm's mother attacked…

  He defended himself.

  The memory showed flashes of a devastating battle.

  Black death flames clashing against radiant life fire.

  A sky filled with destructive magic.

  A battle between two supreme legendary races.

  The fight lasted a long time.

  Until finally…

  Both of them were fatally wounded.

  But the memory didn't end there.

  The death dragon realized something.

  The life phoenix would not truly die.

  Through Nirvana, she would eventually be reborn.

  But he…

  Would not.

  So with the last of his strength…

  He performed a secret method.

  A forbidden technique.

  A final act of revenge.

  He forced a reproduction process before dying.

  His goal was simple.

  To ensure that a Death Dragon descendant would be born from the body of a Life Phoenix.

  Normally, when two legendary bloodlines mixed, something predictable happened.

  In 99.999999% of cases, the child inherited only one lineage.

  Not both.

  Therefore, the death dragon was almost certain of the outcome.

  A Death Dragon born from a Life Phoenix.

  What greater humiliation could exist?

  The memory shifted again.

  When Wilhelm's mother realized what had happened…

  She became furious.

  She intended to destroy the egg immediately.

  But then she felt something strange.

  Inside the egg…

  There was life.

  Not the cold emptiness of death.

  Not the unnatural energy of undead.

  But pure life.

  Weak.

  Fragile.

  But real.

  And as a Life Phoenix, she could not destroy a living being.

  It went against everything she believed.

  Yet she also refused to raise the child of her mortal enemy.

  So in the end…

  She chose a third option.

  She flew far away.

  To a remote place.

  A hidden cave.

  And she left the egg there.

  Her reasoning was simple.

  If the egg died…

  Then no enemy would be born.

  But if it survived…

  Then perhaps it would become a new form of life.

  The memory slowly faded.

  Wilhelm finished the last piece of the eggshell.

  Silence returned to the cave.

  "...Wow."

  He sat down.

  "So my father tried to humiliate my mother."

  "And my mother tried to abandon me."

  He paused.

  Then shrugged his wings.

  "...Family is complicated."

  Still…

  Wilhelm looked down at his body again.

  Life.

  And death.

  Both perfectly balanced inside him.

  Somehow, against all odds…

  He had inherited both bloodlines.

  He slowly smiled.

  "Well…"

  "If both of you hated each other that much…"

  He spread his wings.

  "...then I'll just become something neither of you expected."