Jin's eyes widened as Draven's massive greatsword came slashing down.
But it never reached him.
A deafening CLANG echoed through the battlefield.
Something massive had blocked the strike.
A low, rumbling growl filled the air.
Jin's breath hitched as he looked up.
Towering over him, a dragon, a beast of crimson scales, glowing like molten magma, eyes burning like the brightest stars. Its massive wings unfurled, casting an overwhelming presence that made the entire forest seem small.
Draven, instead of looking shocked, merely smirked.
"Heh…" He lowered his sword, amusement flickering in his red eyes. "So, you've finally shown yourself."
Then—
He spoke her name.
"Tristan Azrya Valtheris... The Princess of Flames."
Jin's heart skipped a beat.
What?
His mind darted between the towering dragon and the girl he had been fighting alongside this whole time.
Memories resurfaced.
The time he had accidentally seen her in the forest, her clothes missing, a faint glow of light lingering in the air. The strange sensation that something had happened just before he arrived.
He had dismissed it back then.
Now, everything clicked.
Jin sat up weakly, coughing. Blood dripped from his lips.
Even in her monstrous form, the dragon's glowing eyes were filled with worry.
Jin's voice was hoarse. "T-Tristan…?"
The dragon lowered her head, her voice echoing in his mind.. soft, yet firm.
"Don't speak. Just rest. I will handle this."
Jin felt his exhaustion weighing down on him, but Draven's voice pulled him back.
"You…" Draven exhaled sharply, his smirk fading. His eyes darkened with hatred.
"You took everything from us."
The air grew thick with malice.
"The kingdom your foolish king destroyed… the kingdom of MY ancestors."
Jin's fingers twitched.
Draven's grip on his greatsword tightened.
"My father, my forefathers… they were laughed at, ridiculed, called madmen because we knew the truth." His voice dripped with venom.
"We tried to hunt every. Last. One of you."
Jin felt a cold chill creep up his spine.
Draven's aura surged.
"We could've wiped you out. But no, you fought back."
His red eyes gleamed with madness.
"And so I learned. I delved into the forbidden arts. I embraced the darkness. And now…"
Dark energy pulsed around him.
"I WILL FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED!"
A twisted chant left Draven's lips.
The sky darkened.
Hundreds of dark spears materialized in the air.
Then—
They launched.
"TRISTAN, MOVE!" Jin shouted, pushing himself up.
But—
She didn't dodge.
The dark spears pierced into her scales.
Jin's breath caught in his throat.
Blood dripped.
The mighty dragon stood tall, unmoving.
She had taken the hit.
For him.
"No… no, no, no—!"
A deep pain swelled in Jin's chest. His fists clenched, trembling.
Then—
A voice echoed in his mind.
[Deep emotional distress detected.]
[Warning: System unable to heal user's injuries.]
[User is losing consciousness.]
Darkness swallowed his vision.
{{A Dark Void}}
When Jin opened his eyes, he was standing.
But where?
His mask… was gone.
Before him, a figure approached.
A man clad in royal garments. A heavy crown sat upon his head. But his expression was sorrowful.
As the man walked closer, Jin felt something.
A deep, overwhelming rage.
And—
Familiarity.
The man stopped a few feet away. His piercing gaze locked onto Jin's.
Then, he spoke.
"Many lives have fallen by your hands."
Jin's chest tightened.
"No… no, who are you?"
The man exhaled.
"A king from the past. A fool in the present. But what will you become in the future?"
Jin clenched his fists.
"What are you talking about?!"
The man's voice remained calm.
"Choices have been made. The lives of many… for the greed of one lonely man."
Jin's breath grew unsteady.
"Who are you?!"
The man looked at him, through him.
"I am the past you cannot escape."
His voice deepened.
"You are the present who must choose."
A heavy silence.
"But your choice… will shape the future."
Then—
Darkness swallowed him once more.
{{Forest}}
Jin gasped, his eyes snapping open.
His hands shot up to his face, his mask was still there.
Then—
He saw her.
Tristan.. back in her human form, but…
Her body was covered in dark spears.
She lay on the ground, barely breathing.
"No… Tristan—!"
Then—
Laughter.
Jin slowly turned his head.
Draven stood there. Smirking.
Jin felt it.
A raw, unrelenting rage.
Then—
His wounds healed.
He didn't know how.
Didn't care.
He moved.
Faster than ever.
Draven's smirk faltered.
Before he could react, Jin's red aura blade pierced his side.
"Gah—!"
Blood splattered.
But Draven grabbed Jin's arm, holding him in place.
A dark energy surged in his free hand—he was about to strike back.
Then—
Draven froze.
His eyes widened.
Jin's aura was no longer red.
It was—
Blue.
Draven's expression twisted in confusion.
"No… that's—there's no record of a blue aura—"
Jin didn't let him finish.
He moved.
Fast.
Each strike was a blur, each impact an explosion.
Draven..
Fell to his knees.
Panting. Weak.
He gritted his teeth, catching Jin's blue aura blade in his hands, dark energy coating his grip.
"You…" he spat, voice hoarse. "You're running out of time."
His lips curled into a twisted grin.
"But before that—"
His gaze flickered to Tristan's barely moving body.
"I think I'll finish her off first."
Jin's mind blanked.
His aura flared.
A blinding, blue flame-like energy surged around him.
He gritted his teeth.
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
He rushed.
Draven barely had time to react—
BOOM.
BOOM.
Each strike sent shockwaves through the battlefield.
Draven was being overwhelmed.
Then—
A final slash.
Draven staggered.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
He chuckled weakly.
"…Maybe… I was the weak one."
THUD.
He collapsed.
Silence.
But Jin didn't stop.
He ran.
He tore off a cloth from his infinite storage pouch, covering Tristan's wounds.
Then—
He carried her.
And ran.
The town of Veridale was still far.
But he would not let her die.
Not today.