The inner cavern opened before Arthur, Raven and Ethan, it was the boss room and it was massive, its walls veined with rivers of molten rock, the heat was overwhelming, shimmering in waves that distorted the air and at the center of cavern, the dragon rested.
He was enormous, larger than the one they had faced in the outer chamber, larger than any dragon Arthur had seen outside of his own memories. Its scales were pitch black, dark and cracked, with veins of orange light running through them. Its wings were folded against its back, their edges ragged with age and battle. Its breath came in slow pulses, each exhalation sending ripples of heat across the chamber.
Arthur stopped at the entrance.
His eyes swept across the cavern, cataloguing every detail, the dragon's position, the layout of the chamber, the presence of any traps or hidden threats. His hand tightened on Raven's.
"This is the boss, the others are dead." he said softly.
Raven's head tilted. "What?"
"Three dragons outside," Arthur said, his voice carrying across the chamber. "H'El dealt with them. They were all above those S-Ranks in terms of power, but not even close to the dragon boss here inside."
Raven's eyes widened. "That's a relief, we don't want them to attack the team we left behind."
Arthur turned to Ethan. The young Hunter stood a few paces behind them, his face was calm but his hands trembling slightly at his sides, his eyes were fixed on the sleeping dragon, his breathing shallow.
"Are you ready?" Arthur asked.
Ethan's throat worked. His hand moved to the hilt of his sword a blade of dark metal made by the shadow Smith God, its edge gleaming with the faint blue light of his gravity powers.
"I am."
His voice wavered. Just slightly.
Arthur nodded and he stepped into the cavern.
The moment his foot touched the stone, the dragon's eyes opened.
They were massive, each one the size of a shield, their irises burning with the same fire that ran through the dragon's veins. They fixed on Arthur, and something ancient and terrible stirred in their depths.
The dragon rose and his wings unfurled a sound like thunder, his head rose high above them, its maw opening to reveal rows of teeth that could have crushed buildings.
And he roared.
The sound was not just noise, it was power a wave of pure will that crashed against them, that pressed against their minds, their souls. The cavern shook, the lava surged.
Ethan's hand flew to his face, shielding his eyes. His knees buckled. His breath came in ragged gasps.
"WHAT A PRESENCE!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar.
Arthur didn't move.
He stood in the center of the wave, his shadow armor rippling, his expression calm.
"Dragon fear," he said, "Effective on weaker, lesser enemies." He glanced at Ethan. "It has no effect on us."
The roar faded and the dragon's eyes narrowed.
"The Shadow Monarch,"he rumbled, his voice carrying across the chamber. "Never thought there would be another day where I would see you again."
Arthur scratched his head, his expression thoughtful.
"Man," he said, "even though I have Ashborn's memories, I can't seem to remember you." He tilted his head. "Who might you be, other than the fact that you are one of Antares's lieutenants of course.."
The dragon almost laughed a low, rumbling sound that might have been amusement.
"Arrogant as ever." he straightened, its wings spreading wide. "I am Veythur. And yes, formerly one of the great one's loyal lieutenants.. but no more." Its voice darkened. "I have disgraced him with my capture."
Raven leaned closer to Arthur, her voice barely a whisper. "I can't understand what he's saying, but he seems friendly..."
Veythur's eyes burned brighter.
"But perhaps," it continued, "killing you will earn me his favor once again. I would be able to leave this place and serve him like ancient times."
Raven noticed the tone change and her expression shifted. "Orrr maybe not..."
Arthur's smile returned.
"I almost admire such loyalty and devotion." He tilted his head. "I can't wait to make you my shadow soldier."
Veythur's maw opened and fire erupted in a torrent, a column of liquid flame and it rushed toward Arthur with the incredible speed.
Arthur raised his hand but Raven's barrier materialized in front of him, before he could do anything.
The fire crashed against it, spreading across its surface, the barrier held, its surface shimmering with violet light, its edges crackling with the strain of containing so much power.
Arthur smiled.
He turned to Raven, his eyes warm. "Nice one."
Raven's lips curved. "It's nothing."
Ethan moved.
He shot forward in a blur, his sword raised, his gravity powers coiling around his blade. He crossed the distance between himself and the dragon in less than a second, his weapon aimed at Veythur's eye.
The dragon's head snapped toward him.
Its wing swept across the chamber, catching Ethan mid-strike. The young Hunter was thrown backward, his body tumbling across the stone, his sword skidding across the ground.
"You are sending me this little fragile runt to battle me?" Veythur's voice was a roar of disbelief. "ME?! A creature of DESTRUCTION!"
Ethan pushed himself to his feet. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead, his hands shook.
"You coward!" Veythur's eyes found Arthur. "The Monarch was always correct about you, you truly bring shame to Monarchs!"
Arthur floated upward, his hand reaching out to Raven. She took it, rising beside him, carrying them both to a safe distance at the edge of the cavern.
Arthur settled onto a ledge of stone, his arms crossed, his expression calm.
"Give me a nice show, will you?" he called out.
Veythur's eyes blazed his maw opened, fire building in his throat,
Ethan was already moving, he appeared in front of the dragon's face, his sword blazing with gravity energy, his eyes burning with determination.
The fire erupted and Ethan's sword came up.
The blade caught the flame, deflecting it upward, sending it crashing against the ceiling with gravity. The stone melted, raining down in droplets of liquid rock. Ethan held his ground, his gravity powers warping the space around him, pushing the fire away from his body.
Veythur's eyes narrowed and the dragon moved.
It was fast, faster than anything its size had any right to be. Its claws descended, each one the size of a spear, aimed at Ethan's head. Ethan dove, rolling across the stone, his sword coming up to deflect a blow that would have bisected him.
The impact sent him flying.
He crashed into the wall, his armor cracking, his breath driven from his lungs. He pushed himself up, his sword still in his hand, his eyes still burning.
Veythur's tail lashed out.
Ethan dodged, barely. The tail passed within inches of his face, its wind-slice carving a furrow in the stone behind him.
Another lash.
Ethan sidestepped, his gravity powers making him lighter and much more faster, yet the tail connected.
Not with his body, with his arm.
The wind-slice was clean and perfect. Ethan's arm separated from his shoulder in a spray of blood, his sword falling to the ground with a clatter. He stared at the wound, his eyes wide, his mouth open.
Then he screamed.
Raven's grip on Arthur's hand tightened, her knuckles were white and her eyes were wide.
"This is bad.." she said, her voice sharp with worry. "He is clearly no match for him, We should help him!"
Arthur's eyes glowed violet.
"No."
Raven's head snapped toward him. "What do you mean NO?!" She gestured at Ethan, who was clutching his bloody shoulder, his face pale, his body trembling. "Look! He literally took out his entire arm!"
"Just wait," Arthur said. "And stay calm."
He closed his eyes.
And spoke directly into Ethan's mind.
"Is that all you've got?"
Ethan froze. His eyes darted around the cavern, searching for the source of the voice.
"The first real challenge you face, and you are in this state?"
Ethan's voice was a whisper, barely audible. "I'm not strong enough to..."
"This is only one of the Dragon Monarch's dragons. He might be one of the strong ones, but he has millions of dragons." Arthur's voice was cold, relentless. "Think about what Earth would look like if they win. If you fall here to one mere dragon."
Ethan's breath came in ragged gasps.
"He already looks down on you as a lesser lifeform. Will you give him the satisfaction of victory? He just severed your arm when he had the chance to sever your head. He is toying with you."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"I will not aid you," Arthur continued. "If you fall here, your team will die as well. And give it two days, and this dungeon will break. Veythur will be out there in the world, killing millions."
Ethan was silent, his body trembled. His eyes were fixed on the shoulder where his arm had been. The blood dripped onto the stone, pooling at his feet.
Veythur mistook the trembling for fear.
The dragon laughed. "Your soldier is weak and pathetic!" it called to Arthur. "What happened to your shadows?! Bring them here if you do not wish to face me, I will be more than happy to send them to nothingness."
Arthur smiled and he took Raven's hand.
"Let's leave," he said. "We are done here."
Raven's eyes went wide. "Leave?! What do you mean lea.."
Arthur didn't let her finish.
They disappeared in a gust of shadows, a whisper of violet light, and the ledge was empty.
Veythur's laughter echoed across the cavern.
Ethan stood alone, his arm was gone. His blood pooled at his feet. His enemy towered above him, with eyes burning with contempt.
And somewhere, in the darkness of his own mind, Arthur's voice echoed one final time,
"Prove me wrong."
Ethan's trembling stopped.
His arm, the one that was gone, the one that had been severed, the one that lay on the ground in a pool of blood, twitched.
Veythur's laughter faltered.
Ethan raised his safe arm and magic and gravity warped around the wound. The blood stopped flowing. The flesh began to heal and reforming his severed arm.
His sword rose from the ground, drawn by his telekenisis.
Ethan's eyes once wide with fear now narrowed with something else.
"C'mon monster, you have not seen the last of me."
Ethan's hand closed around his sword and he looked at Veythur with eyes that no longer held any fear at all.
/-\
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