Valieon vanished from thin air. Not a gust of wind, not a shimmer—just gone. The poison dragon halted mid-roar, confused. It sniffed the air, its venomous breath clouding the shattered trees, its massive yellow eyes twitching.
Then—CRACK!
A deafening impact echoed through the forest as Valieon appeared atop the dragon's head like a phantom. In each hand, a piece of its own broken scale. Without a word, he drove one deep into the creature's skull and the other into its eye. The beast screamed in agony, its cry shaking the poisoned skies. Before it could thrash, Valieon leapt into the air, spun like a celestial storm, and shouted—
"Celestial Echo!"
A pulse of raw, vibrating power exploded from his body. The dragon's ears burst in a splatter of black venom, and its huge body convulsed. Valieon landed back with divine grace, tore another scale off the thrashing beast, and shoved it into its gaping mouth—
Then, with a savage cry, slammed its massive skull to the ground.
The land cracked.
The wind screamed.
The Hyperverse trembled.
Silence followed. The dragon lay motionless. Valieon stood tall, a silver glint in his eyes, not a single scratch on his skin.
But the calm didn't last.
FWIP!
An arrow flew from behind—sharp, swift, and silent. Valieon's hand moved faster than sight—he caught it without even looking.
He turned.
A tall woman stood before him, long hair dancing in the foul breeze. She was stunning, dangerous, and calm like moonlight before a storm. Her bow lowered as her lips curved into a sly smile.
"You're brutal," she said softly.
Valieon's eyes darkened. "You threw this?"
"Yes."
In a flash, his hand was on her throat. Her feet rose above the cracked earth. She gasped, clutching his arm.
"W-Wait… please…"
He didn't blink.
"I-I'm sorry!" she cried out, eyes wide. "I thought you were a threat! Everything here is! Please—I didn't mean to provoke you!"
Valieon stared into her soul for a long, heavy moment. Then he dropped her.
She coughed and gasped, holding her throat. "You're… not from here."
"I came for a reason," he said coldly. "Tell me—do you know anything about the Cosmic Sovereign?"
Her eyes flickered. "You… you know about him?"
He nodded.
Before she could ask how, he spoke again. "The Eternal Blades. Do you know where they are?"
She bit her lip, hesitated—then slowly smiled.
"I do. But I won't give away such ancient secrets for free."
He frowned.
"I want something… more," she purred, stepping close, pressing a hand to his chest. "How could I give up a chance to be embraced by a man so… perfect?"