The first sound was a soft metallic click.
Then another.
Ryujin's instincts screamed. He rolled just as twin daggers embedded in stone where his head had been.
From the ridge above, Valtheris descended like liquid shadow, serpent mask glinting faintly in the dying light. His movements were not just fluid, they were silent, every step coiled with lethal grace.
"I've seen enough," Valtheris said softly, his voice carrying like a blade drawn from a sheath. "You've grown claws, little wyrmling".
"Time to cut them off".
Ryujin rose slowly, spear in hand, heart pounding. "Seven days," he said through clenched teeth. "You could've killed me on day one".
Valtheris tilted his masked head, voice smooth as venom. "Prey that doesn't run isn't worth the hunt". He twirled his daggers lazily. "But even cornered, you still think you're a dragon".
Ryujin tightened his grip on his spear, heart pounding but steady. "I don't need to think it," he said. "I'll prove it".
Valtheris chuckled softly, the sound devoid of warmth. "Prove it… and die".
The assassin blurred forward.
WHOOSH!
Valtheris moved like a soundless hurricane, serpent-scale armor glinting emerald as twin curved daggers slashed arcs of venomous light.
Ryujin barely twisted aside, spear scraping against one blade in a shower of sparks. Poison hissed against stone where Valtheris' other dagger struck, melting rock like wax as Ryujin's eyes narrowed.
Nox roared, unleashing a cone of shadowflame to push Valtheris back.
The assassin dove through it without hesitation, rolling low before vanishing into swirling smoke.
Ryujin's heart raced. 'He's fast… too fast!'
Valtheris' voice echoed from the haze. "This is what it means to be hunted, boy. Poison in your veins… death in every shadow".
A throwing dagger whistled past Ryujin's cheek, grazing skin and leaving a faint burning trail. He cursed under his breath, feeling the toxin seep beneath his flesh as his breath hitched.
"Not good," he muttered in slight panic, but forcefully calming his nerves as clarity returned, knowing his life depended on it, he activated Draconic Aura.
BZZZ!
Crimson energy pulsed outward, the plateau trembling faintly as power surged through his body. For a moment, Valtheris hesitated, the aura's oppressive force making the assassin's serpent mount coil uneasily from the sidelines.
Valtheris tilted his head. "Interesting…" he murmured. "The dragon curse runs deeper than rumors". His eyes behind his mask turned ice cold, filled with murderous intent. "But aura alone won't save you".
With blinding speed, Valtheris lunged again, and the Cliffside battle erupted in chaos as the serpent's coil finally snapped shut.
The fight blurred into a deadly dance; Ryujin thrusting and parrying desperately, each movement barely keeping ahead of Valtheris' whirling blades.
Every missed strike left glowing venom runes etched into stone, pulsing like serpent eyes watching him.
And then, with a sharp whistle, Valtheris summoned his serpent mount.
The massive, scaled beast slithered into the fray, emerald eyes glowing with hunger. Its armored coils rippled as it lunged at Nox with terrifying speed.
BOOM!
The impact thundered across the plateau.
Nox roared in fury, shadowflame spewing in a blazing arc as claws raked against the serpent's armored hide.
The serpent twisted around, constrictor coils lashing around Nox's malformed wings, tightening with crushing force. Acidic venom sprayed from its fangs, sizzling against obsidian scales.
Ryujin's blood ran cold. "Nox!"
But Valtheris pressed in relentlessly, forcing Ryujin to fight without dragon support, a situation that left him extremely exposed and vulnerable.
The assassin's strikes came faster, sharper, daggers flashing in brutal precision meant to cripple and kill.
Ryujin vaulted over a sweeping blade, planting his spear into Valtheris' shoulder guard. The assassin twisted, disarming him with a fluid motion, dagger tip stopping an inch from Ryujin's throat before the boy ducked beneath it.
The clash raged across broken stone, dust and venom filling the air.
Yes, Ryujin may have been mocked as the Beastless Trash, but his combat basics were always elite. And now, fueled by adrenaline, he fought like a monster.
Despite the chaos, his mind worked furiously.
He felt Nox's struggle as if it were his own, every constriction of the serpent mount's coils, every searing sting of venom.
'Left flank!' Ryujin barked mentally.
Nox obeyed instantly, twisting violently to the left and biting down on the serpent's neck.
CRUNCH!
The sickening sound of teeth digging into flesh, crushing scales rumbled, as Shadowflame poured over scales, forcing the constrictor to recoil and loosen its grip.
System messages flared in Ryujin's vision.
DING!
~----~
[Dragon Bond Resonance: 93% ~ 100%]
[Ability Unlocked: Bonded Reflex]
>View battlefield through bonded dragon's senses.
~----~
Suddenly, Ryujin saw the serpent mount's movements from Nox's perspective. It was disorienting at first, almost letting Valtheris' daggers carve him in two, but he adapted fast.
With shared vision, their coordination sharpened like a blade honed to perfection.
Valtheris sensed the shift and adapted instantly.
"Enough," he hissed, triggering venomous runes across the battlefield.
Clouds of emerald gas burst forth, choking the air and corroding stone.
Ryujin coughed violently, vision blurring. He stumbled, desperately pulling his tunic over his mouth.
From the haze, Valtheris appeared like a phantom. His dagger pierced Ryujin's ribs with a sickening crunch, more poison flooding his bloodstream.
Valtheris leaned close, whispering in his ear. "Your father sends his regards".
Ryujin gasped, knees buckling as Valtheris threw him violently into jagged rock. Blood pooled beneath him, strength draining like water through cracked stone.
Nox screamed in draconic fury, breaking free of the serpent mount's coils and charging forward.
The assassin barely turned, venom blades flashing to hold the drake at bay, cutting deep into its flank. Shadowflame erupted, but Valtheris weaved through it with serpentine grace, striking without pause.
Pinned against the rock, Ryujin's vision darkened.
A distant echo stirred… Drakarys' voice, deep and thunderous.
"Even in death… dragons burn brighter…"
"Rise, or perish as prey".
Ryujin's trembling hand clenched into a fist. Crimson glyphs along his arms burned like molten iron, and a surge of draconic essence ignited within his soul.
System notifications exploded across his vision.
DING!
~----~
[Critical State: Mortal Vessel at 12% Integrity!]
[Eternal Dragon Legacy Awakening…]
[Dragon Soul Fusion (Tier 1) – Unlocked]
[Temporary Fusion Initiated: Ryujin + Nox ~ Hybrid Draconic Form!]
~----~
For a moment, there was silence, then…
BZZZ!