In the arid lands of the world Drakaryon, the crystal was becoming increasingly unstable, creating waves that were increasingly powerful and frequent. The crystal had gathered about a hundred dragons, doing nothing but circling around it in a chaotic and threatening dance.
In the distance, Kael and Harris had sheltered themselves to remain discreet and far from danger, but still able to observe and act in case of emergency. They were about a hundred meters high on a hill to have an overview of the entire scene.
They took turns making observations that lasted two hours. While one observed, the other would go train or find food to survive. A routine had been established to maintain their constant vigilance.
While Harris was monitoring the ravaging dragons and the fragile crystal, Kael arrived from behind, returning from his training. In a calm but slightly breathless voice, he said. "So any news, Harris? Has anything changed while I was away?"
Harris stood up and turned to Kael, his eyes betraying a certain anxiety. "It's been two weeks since Aria and Shinrei left. The only change is the instability of the crystal. I don't know how much time we have left before it breaks completely."
Kael stepped forward and sat down on the edge of the hill, his tired and worried gaze scanning the distant horizon. "What will happen when that damn crystal breaks? Given the pitiful state it's in, it's only a matter of days, or even hours. Let's hope the others arrive in time."
Harris answered him, his voice grave and determined. "We better prepare for the worst. Whatever happens when the time comes, we need to be ready."
Kael let out a small laugh and with a small confident smile. "Don't worry, I'll cover your back. These dragons, I'm going to make it a personal matter. I need to blow off steam for several weeks now."
Harris took Kael's words as a provocation. "As if I needed you to." They looked at each other in the distance in silence, as if to prepare mentally. Their adventures in this world had indeed matured them. The lightness of youth had given way to grave determination and an acceptance of danger.
Meanwhile, Aria and Shinrei traveled through the world Drakaryon as fast as possible, running with all their strength while reinforcing their bodies with aetherium. They tried to reach the kingdom of the dragons as quickly as possible, each stride being a battle against time.
As they ran, Aria addressed Shinrei, her breathing difficult but her determination intact. "Shinrei, I'm slowing you down. You should use your powers. You'll get there much faster. It's been days since we traveled the world Drakaryon, making as few stops as possible, but even that's not enough."
Shinrei, still looking straight ahead, answered Aria with a serious air, his eyes reflecting an unshakeable resolution. "I'm not going to leave you behind. We don't know what could happen to you. I don't want to take that risk."
The two of them remained silent, continuing to move forward, their hearts beating in unison with fear and determination. After a few moments, Shinrei spoke again, his voice trembling slightly. "Besides, I need you. Without you, I could never convince them."
Aria looked at Shinrei with a sad expression, in a low voice tinged with compassion. "You underestimate yourself too much, Shinrei. You are capable of much more."
The danger seemed imminent. Time was running out before the great tragedy. The tension was increasing more and more, and the mental pressure weighed heavily on the young heroes. And yet, the young heroes remained calm-minded, maintaining their composure and their cool. It was a strength that the trials had instilled in them.
As for Nozomi, he had no knowledge of the events on the surface. He was trying his best to find a way out, but the task, despite all the determination in the world, remained complicated. Finding himself in these underground passages filled with tunnels leading to dead ends or connecting to other tunnels, finding himself in this giant labyrinth was not an easy task.
Nozomi in the company of Nyx were exploring the tunnels when suddenly an earthquake was felt throughout the underground. These earthquakes were frequent, occurring because of the waves of the crystal's instability. Each tremor was a reminder of the inevitable approach of chaos.
Nyx curled up in a ball, his head on the ground, covering himself with his giant wings. You could see that he was terrified and trembling all over, his green eyes clenched shut. Nozomi knelt down next to Nyx and caressed him to comfort him. Nyx was used to being easily frightened by these earthquakes, as if he felt a deep and existential danger.
Nozomi caressed him with infinite tenderness, which had the effect of soothing him and reassuring him. He whispered softly to him, in a soft and protective voice. "It's going to be okay, Nyx. I'm with you."
The tremor did not stop as he reassured Nyx. Nozomi continued. "It's lasting much longer than usual. Don't worry. I'm by your side."
Suddenly, Nyx got up and ran away, leaving Nozomi behind him, alone and confused. Nozomi quickly got up and ran after him to catch him, while desperately crying out. "Nyx! Come back! Where are you going like that?"
After a few minutes of running, Nozomi arrived in an underground cavern that he had never discovered before. He looked around and saw in one corner Nyx moving in all directions, letting roars come out of his mouth and hitting his head on the ground. He looked extremely distressed, his movements becoming erratic and panicked.
Nozomi approached him calmly so as not to frighten him further. Once within reach, he grabbed his head against his chest and sang him the song he often sang to him in the evening, hoping his voice would calm him down.
Nyx let him, the voice and words of the song managed to relax him and he gradually regained his composure. Once calm, he had become the Nyx that Nozomi knew. After a few moments of silence, with Nyx lying on the ground to rest, Nozomi stayed by his side to reassure him, gently caressing his cold scales.
Nyx got up and looking him straight in the eyes, then with a nod of his head, he told him to follow. Nozomi followed him from behind, not knowing where Nyx was trying to take him, but trusting him without reservation.
Suddenly, Nyx stopped abruptly and Nozomi could see his body trembling again, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was something more serious.
Nozomi could see a light emitting down the path, diffuse and strange. He passed in front of Nyx to see what was in front. He was surprised to fall into a huge hall ten meters high that descended to twenty meters below. With multiple paths leading to this main hall. At the top, a magical barrier that blocked access to the outside, shining with a spectral glow.
In this hall was an army of monsters that Nozomi had never seen. Beings with piercing eyes inspiring fear, standing on two legs, with hands equipped with sharp claws and terrifying fangs that seemed capable of tearing through steel.
Nozomi murmured, amazed and horrified. "What is this? I've never seen monsters like them."
He raised his head, looking at the barrier. His vision was blurred by the distance and faint light, but he could see that the barrier was cracked. Through the cracks, he could see a crystal standing just above the barrier.
It was not difficult to understand that these creatures were trying to destroy this barrier and escape. There were too many of them, abnormally gathered in the same place. Suddenly, Nozomi was surprised to hear a voice coming from the mouth of these monsters. They apparently had the ability to communicate. He heard one of the monsters speak in a guttural and threatening voice. "It won't be much longer. Once this barrier is destroyed, we'll finally be able to find our freedom."
Nozomi turned around to see Nyx trembling all over, his fear being palpable. Nozomi whispered so no one would hear them and notice them. "Nyx, are you afraid of them?"
Nyx made a movement of his head to affirm Nozomi's words. "If you brought me here, it's to stop them, isn't it?"
Nyx didn't answer, but his silence said enough. These creatures were clearly far too numerous for Nozomi to stop them alone. Especially since he no longer had complete access to his powers. And in its current state, Nyx wouldn't be able to help him by fighting at his side, he was clearly terrified by these beings.
Nozomi took a few moments to think about the situation and the actions to take. The pressure was enormous. He knelt down and caressed Nyx, whispering softly to him. "Stay back. I'll handle them. If you decided to show me this place now, it's because you were worried about me and didn't want to put me in danger. Know that it makes me happy. But the situation seems very critical. I can't ignore the danger that's being prepared."
Nyx, despite his hesitation and his desire to help, stayed back, leaving him to handle the situation. They are numerous and Nozomi still hadn't regained his powers. He wasn't looking for death. If Nozomi wanted to have a chance of getting out, he had to use cunning and altitude. He was betting on his hand-to-hand combat enhanced with aetherium.
Nozomi took a breath and concentrated intensely. All of a sudden, he threw himself forward and jumped into the void onto one of these monsters. Once on it, he grabbed its hand and threw it against one of the walls in a brutal impact. The noise alerted all the other monsters. Once they saw him, they let out roars that echoed throughout the hall and charged at him en masse.
To manage to move, Nozomi relied on them. Once on them, he propelled them against the walls while propelling himself onto another in a deadly dance. This wounded them but not enough to knock them out of the fight. They came back to charge right after getting back up, their rage fueling their strength.
Thanks to aetherium, he managed to slide along the walls thanks to his feet, using the surface to gain altitude. He dodged as best he could all their attacks. Between those who charged at him with their sharp claws and fangs and those who sent him attacks, the hall quickly became a chaotic battlefield and the space to move became increasingly difficult.
However, Nozomi managed to get by. His hand-to-hand combat training had borne fruit because once at a convenient distance, his punches and kicks did not leave them unmoved. His movements were precise, each attack calculated.
Nozomi alternated between evasion and attack, trying to keep his distances and watching around him to avoid getting hit in his blind spots. While some got back up after a few hits, others stayed down, defeated. He had defeated almost twenty, but the number only increased. Several monsters came from the tunnels, reinforcing the enemy ranks. If Nozomi didn't do something, he would never finish.
To block the tunnels, he used their attacks to create rockfalls, thus blocking access to the hall. It was a desperate but necessary strategy. He was getting by as best he could, but fatigue was starting to set in, his muscles burning from the effort.
Suddenly, an enormous pressure pressed on his entire body. It was impossible for him to move. Nozomi raised his head as best he could and saw that the monsters had also stopped moving, as if frozen by the same force. An immense pressure that crushed everything.
Nozomi could feel a presence getting closer and closer. An aura that froze him in place, impossible to move or even speak. This presence was ancient, terrifying and crushing, far exceeding anything he had encountered so far.
On the surface, Kael and Harris also felt this murderous aura. Harris murmured in a trembling voice, his hands shaking violently. "Kael, that aura…" He didn't have the strength to finish his sentence as fear had invaded his entire body.
Kael lifted his head to the sky and saw in the distance in the clouds a shadow approaching the crystal. All of a sudden, this shadow came out of the clouds falling in a dive onto the crystal, hitting it with a destructive force that reduced it to pieces, causing a huge explosion of light and power.
Kael came to his senses and cried out, galvanized by the danger. "Harris, come on! We have to get closer!"
Once the crystal was destroyed, a cloud of dust formed. It was impossible to see anything, but a roar was heard that resonated for kilometers, a sound so powerful that it seemed to make the earth itself tremble. The dragons that surrounded the crystal, after hearing the roar, the cry of a majestic and ancient creature, set off in the same direction. They all flew towards the kingdom of the dragons, as if called by a superior force.
Upon arriving at the gates of the kingdom, Aria and Shinrei were about to enter when suddenly several cries were heard in the distance. An ominous rumble that chilled the blood. As they tried to look into the distance, they saw nothing, but Aria's instinct and intuition put doubt in her mind.
She turned directly to Shinrei, her gaze grave and determined. "Shinrei, go alone."
Shinrei, in total confusion, said to her. "Huh? But what are you talking about? We've arrived at the door and it's right there."
"I know. But my instinct tells me that danger is approaching. It's not that I don't trust the boys, but some dragons might escape them. You, go ask for help. Me, I'll take care of holding them back and buy you time."
"I need you to convince them. On my own, they won't want to listen," Shinrei protested, full of doubt.
Aria came closer and hugged him. She told him, in an affectionate voice. "You are more than capable of it. You just have to believe in yourself. Speak sincerely and they will listen to you."
She stepped back and told him, without giving him time to respond. "Meanwhile, I'll buy you time."
She made a circular platform of pure energy appear. Aria climbed on top and flew towards where the cries were coming from, disappearing into the sky. Shinrei watched her leave in the distance, seized by profound doubt. He clenched his fists hard, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened the gates of the kingdom of the dragons.
Once inside the kingdom of the dragons, he was face to face with two large dragons of fifteen meters high. Their presence was imposing, their scales shining under the magical light of the place. Shinrei cried out, gathering all his courage. "I come in peace! I have a message and important information! Please, let me see your king!"
One of the two dragons jumped on Shinrei. From its mouth came a threatening roar. "You! How dare you enter our kingdom without permission? You will be judged by our king for your actions!"
The dragon grabbed Shinrei in its massive hand and spread its giant wings, flying into the air, carrying him towards the inside of the royal castle.
Meanwhile, I was in the underground hall. After the destruction of the crystal on the surface, the hall was covered in dust, I couldn't see anything anymore. As the dust began to disperse, I opened my eyes wide. I was in shock, paralyzed, motionless.
In front of me, a giant piercing gaze and a murderous and destructive aura. A dragon over a hundred meters tall, our gazes crossed. This creature was ancient beyond all comprehension, its presence crushing everything around it. I couldn't move or even flee, paralyzed by fear and the power that emanated from this being. All of a sudden, it opened its mouth and a purple light came out of it. Straight at me, it launched a huge sphere of pure energy, an attack that could have destroyed an entire mountain. Seized with fear, I couldn't move, facing what I believed to be the end.
The impact was gigantic, causing rockfalls and earthquakes in the surrounding area. But as I slightly opened my eyes, I understood that I was still alive and without any injury.
I raised my head and caught the silhouette of black scales and wings covering me. It was Nyx who had interposed himself between the orb and me, to protect me from this colossal dragon. I could see that he was trembling violently, his small body bruised by the blow, but despite that, he stepped forward against this gigantic dragon and roared with all his strength, as if to say that he defied it.
This dragon of extraordinary power was facing this small dragon of two meters who protected the one he loved.