The black dragon roared, a sound that shook the entire cliffside. Rocks tumbled into the abyss below, and the echo carried like a death knell.
Ryu's tiny heart pounded, but a reckless grin spread across his face.
"Alright, big guy," he muttered, gripping the Dragon Fang Katana with both hands. "Time to earn my first cool story for Nyx."
---
WHOOSH!
The dragon lunged, claws like curved scythes slicing through the air.
Ryu barely rolled aside, the wind pressure alone nearly ripping him off his feet.
"Too close!" he yelped, hiding behind a jagged stone pillar.
The beast's tail whipped around—BOOM!—the pillar shattered into rubble, sending shards across the cavern. Ryu leapt into the air, swinging his katana at the dragon's neck—
CLANG!
The blade bounced off the dragon's scales, leaving only a faint black scratch.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Ryu groaned.
The dragon's eyes glowed red. Then, without warning, black fire erupted from its mouth, a wave of heat and death rushing toward him.
---
Ryu sprinted for his life, boots slipping on the stone floor.
He dove behind a rock, but the flames still grazed his arm, leaving a stinging burn.
"This… is bad. I can't win like this," he muttered, panting.
Then, his black aura flared to life. Shadowy energy coiled around his feet, making his body lighter, faster.
"Alright… let's try speed!"
---
He became a blur.
Ryu zigzagged between the dragon's legs, slashing and striking. Sparks flew with each hit, leaving faint burns on the dragon's scales.
The beast roared in irritation and slammed its claw down.
CRASH!
The ground cracked, a shockwave knocking Ryu into the wall. He coughed blood, stars spinning in his vision.
"Damn… he's not even serious yet…"
---
The dragon crouched low, muscles tensing. Black lightning crackled across its body.
Then—WHOOM!—it charged, faster than Ryu expected.
"Ah crap—"
SLAM!
Ryu was smashed into the cavern wall, pain screaming through his ribs. His katana clattered to the ground.
The dragon loomed over him, its jaw opening, black fire gathering like a miniature sun.
"This is it… I'm dead…" he whispered.
---
But deep inside, something snapped.
His aura erupted, black flames coiling around him like a living shadow.
"Not… YET!"
Ryu shot forward at inhuman speed, narrowly avoiding the dragon's blast. He snatched his katana and leapt onto the dragon's snout, slashing down—
SLASH!
For the first time, the dragon bled. A thin line of dark red dripped down its scales.
The dragon howled, shaking the cave.
---
The cavern quaked as the dragon spread its wings, a storm of wind and black lightning swirling around it.
Ryu's aura responded instinctively.
Shadowy wings burst from his back, spreading wide, and his eyes glowed pitch black. The katana hummed in his hands, alive with dark energy.
"Oh yeah… now we're talking!"
---
The final clash began.
The dragon dove with fangs bared, fire trailing from its mouth.
Ryu soared upward with his new wings, cutting through the air like a phantom.
Katana met claw, black aura clashing against black lightning.
The cave became a hurricane of destruction.
Rocks shattered. Fire and shadow twisted together, painting the cavern in chaos.
Finally, both combatants paused, their strongest attacks building.
The dragon gathered a massive sphere of black fire.
Ryu raised his katana, his black aura forming the shape of a dragon behind him.
"DARK DRAGON SLASH!"
The two attacks collided.
The explosion of fire and shadow swallowed the cavern, shaking the cliff to its core—
---
When the dust settled, the cliff crumbled.
Neither Ryu nor the dragon could be seen.
To be continued…