Drakonids.
One of the many races that came to Earth through the arches twenty-five years ago.
Drakonids weren't hostile to humans, but they weren't particularly friendly either. To them, we were curiosities—lesser beings to be observed rather than true allies.
We were no more than a means of entertainment to them, and I could understand why they felt that way. Still, I hated the way they watched us—like scholars dissecting a failed experiment.
This was the same way the Drakonid in front of me was observing me. It wore an amused look, like it was waiting for me to attempt to run away from its gaze.
That's when it hit me: I never had the element of surprise; it knew exactly where I was and was just waiting for me to make a move.
It really pissed me off.
The wind whipped against my face as I crouched at the edge of the branch. My fingers gripped the rough bark, the texture digging into my skin, grounding me. The earth below seemed a world away, a blur of green and brown. I took a deep breath, my heartbeat loud in my ears, and in one fluid motion, I sprang.
The ground slammed into me with a shock of impact, my knees bending to absorb the force, and my breath escaped in a sharp exhale. My body jolted, but I stayed upright, heart pounding in exhilaration.
I was about to fight a Drakonid!!
But something was weird. It was just staring at me. Did I look that interesting?
"Human. Where are your manners?"
"Don't you know it's rude to interrupt someone during a meal?"
I furrowed my brow. 'What's it saying?'
"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll kill you before the meat spoils."
It finished its sentence before disappearing from my sight.
Shocked, I tried to defend. But before I could react…
*BANG*
A punch landed with a sickening thud, a muffled crack as knuckles sank into my flesh. My chest buckled inward, the air knocked from my lungs in an explosive gasp. My eyes widened, and my mouth opened in a silent plea for breath, but no sound escaped. For a brief moment, I seemed to hover, suspended in shock, before my body crumpled back, feet scraping across the floor as I staggered, struggling to stay on my feet. My hand shot to my chest, fingers splayed wide, but the pain flared, sharp and burning, with every ragged inhale.
My consciousness threatened to slip away, and it took all my willpower to fight against the fog overtaking me.
Gathering strength in my legs, my muscles coiled like a spring, and without a second thought, I launched myself backward. My feet left the ground in a blur, my body twisting mid-air as the world around me seemed to stretch and warp. The ground beneath me felt solid, but my pulse raced, every nerve still buzzing from the jolt of movement.
Bringing my eyes to match the Drakonids, a smirk no longer occupied its face. Instead, another emotion took its place.
Disappointment?
Pity?
I couldn't tell, nor did I care.
Steadying my breath, I prepared for an attack. The cool metal pressed against my palms as I yanked both pistols free, their weight familiar, steady. My fingers coiled around the triggers, taut like a predator ready to strike. Breath steady, heartbeat hammering, I squeezed—muzzles flashing, each shot splitting the air with sharp, concussive cracks. The recoil jolted up my arms, but I barely noticed. My focus locked, my aim unwavering.
With a guttural snarl, the Drakonid tore a tree from the earth, roots snapping with a wet, splintering crack. Dirt and debris rained down as it swung the massive trunk in a wide arc, the air howling with its force. Instinct took over—I hurled myself sideways, feet skidding against the loose soil. The impact came a second later, a shockwave of force slamming into my raised arms. Pain flared through my limbs, my stance buckling as I struggled to stay on my feet, breath ripping from my lungs.
"You'll need more than just toys to beat me Human."
I ignored its jabbering and tossed my pistols, they were useless in the face of this lizard.
Fingers tightening around the chain, I whipped my kusarigama forward, the blade whistling through the air in a silver arc. The Drakonid barely reacted, lifting its arm with sluggish indifference. The sickle snapped around its forearm, the chain rattling as it cinched tight. It glanced down, unimpressed, lips parting in a slow, drawn-out yawn.
Muscles coiling, I wrenched the chain forward. The links groaned under the strain, and the Drakonid lurched toward me, its body shifting against its will. Its eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief flashing across its face—this wasn't supposed to happen. Before it could react, I drove my fist forward, knuckles tightening as the momentum carried me straight toward its jaw.
*BANG*
The Drakonid's body rocketed backward, a blur against the landscape before slamming into a distant stone with a thunderous crack. A shockwave rippled through the air, sending dust and debris spiraling. A sharp, searing pain shot through my hand—wrong, broken. My fingers throbbed, already swelling, but I exhaled through clenched teeth. At least the hit landed.
The dust hadn't even settled, but I knew—it wasn't over. My fingers slipped into my pocket, brushing against the smooth surface of a pill. It wouldn't fix my broken hand, but it might dull the throbbing ache spreading up my arm. I brought it to my lips—
"That's the way!!"
The voice rang out, cutting through the haze.
From the rubble, the Drakonid emerged, a grin stretching across its face, sharp teeth glinting beneath the settling dust. My jaw tightened. The impact had done nothing.
Clicking my tongue, I watched as it wiped a streak of dark, matted blood from its face—bear's blood, not its own. Bit by bit, its features came into view, untouched, unbothered.
The Drakonid was… a woman??
Her sleek, dark hair spilled over her shoulders, strands catching the light as they framed her face. Crimson eyes shimmered, deep and hypnotic, like polished rubies glinting under firelight. A slow smile curved her full lips, sultry and effortless, a silent promise laced with danger. Something in the air shifted—heavy, intoxicating. She didn't need words; the sheer gravity of her presence was enough to make weaker men falter, their wills bending before they even realized it.
'I've seen better.'
"Enough playing around. Let's get serious."
She lifted a hand, fingers curling with effortless grace. At her fingertips, a flicker of light ignited, swelling into a small, pulsing orb of fire. The air around it shimmered, waves of heat distorting the space between us. Her lips parted, and this time, I understood.
"Bang."
The pill slid down my throat in one swift gulp as I pushed off, darting to the right. Too slow.
A searing heat slammed into my shoulder, an explosion of pain ripping through my nerves. Even with the pill dulling the worst of it, fire licked at my flesh, my body betraying me as I crumpled to the ground. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself up—
But she was already there.
A blur of movement, a shift in weight—then her leg cut through the air like a blade. The impact hit like a sledgehammer, lifting me clean off my feet. The ground fell away, wind howling in my ears as I was sent soaring—higher, higher—until the world below became a dizzying blur.
She was there again—too fast, too relentless. My fingers tightened around the hilt as I wrenched my sword free, the cold steel singing against its sheath. No time to think.
Her fist rocketed forward. I swung.
Air cracked as metal and flesh met in a violent clash. A shockwave erupted from the impact, blasting through the battlefield. The force sent us both hurtling downward, gravity pulling us like falling stars, the ground rushing up to meet us.
Pain anchored me, every breath a reminder that my body was reaching its limit. One more hit, and I wouldn't get back up. But I had no choice.
Planting my feet, I raised my sword, the weight of it grounding me as I steadied my stance. She would come—she always did.
And just like that, she was there. A flicker. A blur. A breath too fast for the eye to follow.
But this time, I was ready.
My blade was already in motion, slicing through the air the moment she appeared. A sharp hiss—steel biting into flesh. A flash of red. Then pain exploded in my gut, her kick folding me in half before I could savor the hit I had finally landed.
"Not bad Human. You actually managed to draw blood."
She kept talking, her voice a distant hum, but I wasn't listening.
The kick had been weak—her balance thrown off by my strike. Even if it had landed clean, it wouldn't have changed a thing. This fight was already over.
She tensed, ready to lunge, but I didn't bother lifting my blade. Instead, I slid it back into its sheath and lowered myself to the ground.
Her steps faltered. Confusion flickered across her face, her brows drawing tight.
Then it hit her.
A sharp inhale. A tremor in her limbs. Her muscles seized, her body refusing to obey. Staggering, she collapsed to her knees, eyes wide with shock.
I exhaled, tilting my head back to the sky.
I had done it. I had beaten a Drakonid.