All were watching with amazement. There he was. Oreon, standing in front of Meara, with both Celestia and Sylvanie behind her. Before him, a 30-meter-long giant snake, Eilist, pushed against his extended hand. Grunting and hissing, but Oreon's hand wouldn't budge.
The red glow that outlined him was thin but very present as he continued to glare at Eilist with his golden pupils.
Meara's eyes widened, her composed demeanor slipping for the first time since the battle began. "Oreon…Boy, tell me you didn't." She asked him, but Oreon kept his eyes locked on Eilist. "Please tell me you didn't—"
"—I said it," Oreon responded calmly, causing Meara to look away slightly, biting her lip a bit.
"You idiot..." Meara whispered, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic tremor. "Of all the--" She stopped herself, jaw tightening.
Celestia's breath caught in her throat. "What…what did he do?" Her eyes were fixated on the red aura surrounding Oreon. The way it pulsed. It was steady, controlled, and yet undeniably dangerous, sending a shiver down her spine.
Sylvanie, for once, was speechless. Her eyes darted between Oreon and Meara, trying to piece together what had just happened. "That…That power…That magic," She muttered, her body slightly shaking as well. "What the hell…That's definitely not possible for a human. What the hell is going on?"
Meara didn't respond right away. Her jaw remained clenched as she lowered her bow slightly while gazing at Oreon's back."You know there's no going back now…I would assume you've already accepted what would come next."
With a determined and unyielding expression, Oreon held his piercing golden gaze on Eilist's serpentine shape. "I know," he said quietly, his voice low as if only he and Meara were having this conversation. "Ever since my father took my mother and sister away from me. I've been running. Watching the Order purify and destroy countless innocent people. People that could have been saved." He gritted his teeth, his aura flaring up a bit. "Well, I'm done. I'm done watching while everyone else gives it their all. I'm done watching people suffer for some half-ass reason caused by a group of selfish bastards who think the world should bend to them." He narrowed his eyes at Eilist. "I'm. Done. Running."
Meara's expression softened for just a moment—a flicker of something almost maternal crossing her features before it hardened again. "The last time your mother and I spoke, she made me promise that I would never allow you to use that word, much less remind you of it…" She lowered her gaze to the ground and gave a soft sigh. "I don't know how you remembered it, but…But I'll say now what I told her then." She looked up at Oreon. "You won't remain a child forever. There's going to come a time when you're going to choose to stand on your own two feet and press forward in the direction you want to go in." She gave him a soft smile. One that a grandmother always gave when they were proud of their grandchildren as she nocked her arrow and held it. "I'll back you up."
Oreon's golden eyes glanced back towards Meara before quickly returning in front of him. "…Thanks." He said quietly before his hardened expression returned. "Now then…"
With a sudden surge of strength, Oreon pushed forward forcefully. The impact sent Eilist's massive head reeling backward, the serpent letting out a distorted hiss as its body coiled and thrashed. The buildings around them creaked under the strain of his movements before finally collapsing.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Eilist roared, his eyes glaring at Oreon, as his form writhed violently, his massive tail whipping through the air and smashing into what remained of a nearby structure. "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT AN INSOLENT HUMAN!" He hissed again before charging forward. "YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING!"
Oreon didn't move. He stood perfectly still, his golden eyes tracking Eilist's approach as he stuck his palm out again, stopping Eilist's in his tracks just like before, shocking the Jaegers around him.
Vexes stoic expression had finally cracked as he uncrossed his arms. "That…Power…" He said more so to himself than anyone else.
Divia, on the other hand, was snarling at the situation. "What the hell..?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched Oreon hold back the massive serpent with nothing more than an outstretched palm."That's...That shouldn't be possible. A human stopping Eilist's blessed form like it's nothing?" Her tail swished behind her in agitation as she whirled her head towards Vexes. " Vexes! What is going on?! How the hell is the human doing this?!"
Vexes could only stare at Oreon's form, his eyes narrowing at the aura that surrounded him. "That's…that power…That's…"
Yvonne, still standing on top of the nearby building, could only shiver at what she saw as the whole spectacle unfolded. "That's…that's impossible. He's just a human. He's supposed to be weak. He's supposed to be—" Her voice cracked, her composure shattering like glass. "What is he?!"
Eilist thrashed violently, his serpentine body coiling and uncoiling as he tried to push past Oreon's outstretched hand. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU ARE! I WAS BLESSED! I WAS CHOSEN! I'LL DEVOUR YOU ALL! I'LL—"
"—Shut up." Suddenly, Oreon's fist crashed into the side of the serpent's face with unbelievable force, sending the mighty beast sprawling backwards.
"Gah—!" With a massive impact from Oreon, Eilist was rendered speechless, his breath caught in his throat as Oreon vanished and instantly rematerialized above, hurtling downwards headfirst with his fist drawn back, a crimson aura coiling around it.
"I'M SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING YOU TALK!"
The impact was cataclysmic.
Oreon's fist connected with the crown of Eilist's serpentine head like a hammer striking an anvil. The impact echoed through the square—a deafening BOOM that sent shockwaves rippling outward, cracking the cobblestones beneath them in a spiderweb pattern.
Eilist's massive body slammed into the ground with such force that the earth itself seemed to groan in protest. Dust and debris exploded outward, engulfing the entire area in a thick cloud that made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.
Then Eilist let out a pitiful, wheezing sigh, eyes rolling back as the crimson glow flickered and dimmed. His coils twitched weakly before going still.
Oreon landed smoothly beside the fallen serpent, his eyes still glowing as he straightened up, the red aura around him still pulsing steadily as he looked down at the fallen, now dead Eilist.
Celestia stumbled backward, her hand instinctively reaching out to steady herself against a broken pillar. "By the stars…" she whispered, her sapphire eyes wide with disbelief as she tried to peer through the haze. "What...what kind of strength is that?"
Sylvanie stood frozen, eyes locked on where Oreon had landed. Her usual confidence wavered as she tried to process what she'd just witnessed. "That speed...That power..." She shook her head slowly, violet hair swaying. "No human should be capable of that. What kind of magic is this?"
The dust began to settle, revealing Oreon standing over Eilist's motionless form. The serpent's scales were cracked and bleeding where Oreon's fist had connected. Eilist, no longer breathing.
Meara lowered her bow completely, her emerald eyes fixed on Oreon's back. There was no surprise in her expression--only a deep, weary acceptance. She'd known this day would come eventually. She just hadn't expected it to be so soon.
"That's not magic," she said quietly. "...At least...not in the way you understand it."
Vexes finally moved, taking a step forward, his usually impassive face now showing genuine interest. "That aura...That power..." His eyes narrowed as he studied Oreon more closely. "The purifier's ability," Vexes spoke lowly. "Where did you learn this, boy? The purifier's ability can't be--"
"Wrong!" Oreon cut him off harshly. "It's my mother's ability." Oreon returned, his aura still gently swaying around him. "The ability you speak of that my father uses is nothing but a mere copy. Nothing like the real thing." He squinted at Vexes.
Vexes' eyes narrowed dangerously, his mask finally cracking as genuine surprise flickered across his features. "Your mother's…ability?" He repeated slowly, his hand moved slowly toward the blade at his hip. "You mean the half-breed witch that the purifier disp—"
Before Vexes could finish his sentence, Oreon appeared right in front of him in mid-air, body already twisted in a roundhouse kick. "Watch your mouth when you speak about my mother." Once that sentence was finished, Oreon's foot found Vexes's jaw, sending his body rocketing like a bullet through several buildings before his body slammed into a wall of the last building. His body was imprinted on the wall as Oreon gently landed on his feet.
Meara let out a long, weary sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And there it is..." She muttered under her breath. "Your mother had the same temper when someone insulted your grandmother."
Celestia's hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide in disbelief. "He…he just…" she couldn't even finish the sentence. Vexes—one of the most feared Jaegers in the Order—had been sent flying like a ragdoll.
Sylvanie's eyes were locked on Oreon, her body tense. "That speed…What the…" She muttered. "Just what the hell are we looking at?" Her gaze shifted to Meara. "Old tavern woman! You knew about this. You knew about that power. You knew he had this inside him this whole time, didn't you?"
Celestia turned her head towards Meara as well, waiting for an answer. However, Meara didn't answer immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on Oreon's back, watching the way the red aura danced around him. "I knew," She finally admitted. "But it's not exactly what you think. That power…isn't just magic filling his body. No, that aura you see around him…That's dragon aura. That boy has dragon blood in him. The same blood as his mother, the blood of a dragonborn." She finished.
Celestia's breath caught in her throat. "Dragon…Dragon's blood?" She repeated. "But that's—that's impossible. Dragonborns were purified during the first great purge. A large-scale purification. You don't mean to say that…"
"Yes…" Meara lowered her bow to rest at her side. "Dragonborn magic. The original magic that existed before the Order corrupted it. Oreon's mother was…special. Half-human, half-dragon in blood. That blood, once activated." She narrowed her eyes as she watched Oreon as he stood there waiting for Vexes. "It overtakes the human blood that was in him. Thus, his mother passed on her abilities to both her children."
Sylvanie's eyes widened. "Wait, wait, wait—" She held up a hand, trying to process what she'd just heard. "You're telling me that, that kid over there. That insufferable human…" She pointed at Oreon," …has the blood of dragons running through him? Like actual dragon's blood?"
Meara gave a single, solemn nod. "That's right. His mother was the last of her kind--at least, the last one known to still be alive after the First Great Purge." She paused. "She hid herself well. Passing off as a regular human, but she spent a lot of time with the elves and other races, seeing equality in all forms of life. However, that day when the purifier sentenced a few elven villages to be purged, he came for them as well. Trying to convince her to hand over her children and reconsider her stand against the order." Meara continued. "Of course, she refused, and they fought...But ultimately, she and his sister didn't survive."
Meanwhile, Vexes pulled himself from the imprint that his body made in the wall and looked at Oreon. "Impressive." The word stretched as he cracked his neck and glared at Oreon. "But you're going to have to do better than that, boy." With that, he unsheathed his curved blade and charged towards Oreon.
Oreon, who didn't blink quickly, opened both of his palms behind him, his daggers flying towards his hands.
The twin daggers spun through the air like deadly birds returning to their owner, slapping into Oreon's open palms with perfect precision. The moment his fingers curled around the hilts, the red aura that had been gently swirling around him flared—surging down his arms and wrapping around the blades themselves.
Vexes closed the distance in seconds, his curved blade cutting through the air with the intention of cutting his opponent down. The strike was fast, but Oreon didn't flinch. He crossed daggers in front of him, catching Vexes's blade between them with a sharp, metallic clang that rang across the square.
The two were locked for a split second before they broke apart, Vexes swinging his blade. Still, Oreon countering effortlessly as he broke through Vexes's strikes, his blade connecting with Vexes, knocking his arm away as Oreon quickly delivered another roundhouse kick to the stomach of Vexes, whose body was sent back. Still, he stopped him from going too far back as his boots skidded across the ground.
"Grrr…You won't make a mockery of the purifier's ability!" In Vexes's free hand, an orb of dark shadow energy with black lightning formed. "Grrraahh Shadow Bolt!"
"That won't work on me," Oreon spoke as his golden eyes locked onto the incoming attack. Suddenly, he sprinted towards the lightning-covered shadow ball, swinging his arm as one of his daggers cut through the ball like it was nothing. The dark energy split cleanly in two, dissipating harmlessly on either side of him as he continued charging forward without breaking stride.
Vexes's eyes widened—just slightly—but it was enough. "What—"
Before he could finish, Oreon was already in front of him. The red aura flared brighter as Oreon drove his knee upward into Vexes's gut with brutal force. The impact folded Vexes forward, air rushing from his lungs in a sharp wheeze.
But Oreon wasn't done. He spun mid-air, bringing his elbow down hard on the back of Vexes's head, slamming him face-first into the ground, causing it to crack beneath the impact.
However, Vexes didn't stay down. He quickly popped himself back up and tried to slash upward, but Oreon just gently leaned back and side-kicked Vexes in the chest, sending him sliding backwards, causing him to reset as he glared hatefully at Oreon.
Still standing on top of the building, Yvonne watched in pure shock. Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the rooftop, her knuckles turning white. "This...this can't be happening," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Vexes is...he's being pushed back. By a human." Her eyes darted frantically between Oreon and Vexes, trying to make sense of what she was witnessing. "No, no, no—this isn't right. Humans are weak. They're supposed to be weak!"
Down below, Divia snarled, her tail lashing behind her like a whip. "Tch! That damn boy!" She growled, her claws digging into her palms. "How the hell is he doing this?! Vexes—" She turned sharply toward where Vexes stood, panting slightly, his usually composed demeanor now visibly strained. "Vexes! Stop playing around and finish him already!"
Across the battlefield, Meara's gaze remained steady on Oreon, though her expression was unreadable. Celestia stood beside her, hands clasped together as if in prayer, eyes wide in a mixture of fear and awe.
"Is he…Is he really that strong?" Celestia whispered. "I know you said he had dragon blood inside him, but…but this is…"
"Overwhelming." Sylvanie finished for her sister, her eyes on Oreon as well. "He's really winning, but he doesn't look like he's breaking a sweat."
Meara's lip pressed into a thin line. "That's because he's not using all of it yet," she said quietly. "What you're seeing right now? That's just the surface. The dragon blood—it's still settling into his body, he's still adjusting…in other words. Everything he's doing right now is completely brand new to him."
"—Wait, you mean…" Sylvanie turned her gaze towards Meara.
"He's learning as he goes. He's trying to control something that he's had no time to understand. If he continues, then we may have another problem on our hands."
This time, it was Celestia's turn to look over at Meara. "What happens if he keeps going?" She asked curiously.
Meara's jaw tightened, her ancient eyes clouded with something that looked almost like…regret. "Dragon's blood doesn't just enhance strength or speed," She began slowly, choosing her words carefully. "It changes the person from the inside out. The longer he stays in that state, the more the dragon's instincts take over. His mother knew that, and she knew how to balance it—She was born with it, raised with it. She had centuries to train with it..." Her eyes narrowed as the fight continued. "Oreon's barely had minutes."
Back on the battlefield, Vexes wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression darkening. "Grr…Abomination." He growled, getting to his feet. "You're nothing but a corruption to everything sacred. An anomaly that has been overlooked." He rolled his shoulders. "You should have never existed, boy. You should have been purified along with your witch of a mother and that damn female offspring."
Oreon didn't respond with words. Instead, he met Vexes's head on, slashing his dagger downward, catching Vexes before he could jump out of harm's way, causing him to yelp in pain as a red line appeared across his chest. Vexes fought through the pain and tried to swing, but Oreon's speed was incredible; shallow cuts began to appear across Vexes's arms and torso, not killing blows, before driving him back, crashing into another building with a kick to the chest.
"Damn you." Vexes breathed heavily as he slowly lifted his body to face Oreon once again. "The purifier will hear of this! Your father will—"
"—My father knows exactly what I am." Oreon cut him off coldly. "He just hasn't told you about it."
Vexes froze at those words, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "What...what did you just say?"
Oreon tilted his head slightly, golden eyes burning with an intensity that made even Vexes hesitate. "You heard me," he said, his voice calm but laced with venom. "My father—the great purifier—knows exactly what I am. He's always known." His grip tightened on his daggers. "He just chose to keep it a secret from his precious Order. After all, how would it look if the purifier himself had a son with dragon's blood? A son who inherited the very thing he helped erase?"
Vexes slitted his eyes at Oreon. "You dare defile the purifier's name with your nonsense? You. "He pointed at Oreon. "An abomination, a half-breed who doesn't even know the first thing about what he is."
Oreon equally narrowed his eyes as well. "You think you know my father better than I do? You don't think my father wouldn't lie? Keep secrets? Never use anyone he deemed expendable?" Suddenly, Oreon vanished and reappeared in front of Vexes and gave him a hard knee to the stomach.
Vexes gasped sharply, his body folding forward from the impact. The air was driven from his lungs in one violent exhale, and he stumbled back, clutching his midsection. His face twisted in pain.
"Gah--!" He wheezed, struggling to straighten himself.
Oreon didn't give him time to recover. He charged forward again, trying to knee Vexes in the face, but Vexes quickly dodged left and swung his curved blade, only for it to be parried away, and Vexes was sent flying backwards with another sharp kick, sending him into another building. "My father is a lot of things." Oreon landed on his feet with ease. "But honest? Transparent? Trustworthy?" He glared at Vexes as a small dust cloud covered the area where Vexes had landed. "You really don't know him at all."
Silence followed for a moment, but then a dark guttural laugh could be heard as Vexes slowly stood up from the debris.
"Heh…heheheh…HAHAHAHAHA!" Suddenly, the wind blew the small dust cloud away, and this time, Vexes was standing there. A thin black aura outlined his body as the sigils of the Order appeared in his eyes. "Oh, boy…There's so much you don't know."
Oreon narrowed his eyes at the power up Vexes had, but was quickly put on the defensive as Vexes's curved blade came down with force, causing Oreon to use both his blades in a cross to block Vexes's attack.
The clash sent a shockwave rippling outward, cracking the stone beneath Oreon's feet. His boots dug into the ground as he held firm, muscles straining against the sudden surge in Vexes's strength.
"Tch--!' Oreon grunted, eyes narrowing as sparks flew from the blades grinding against each other.
"What's wrong, boy?" Vexes smirked wildly, leaning in closer, his face inches from Oreon's. "Feeling the weight of the Order's blessing now, are we?" He mocked him. "You think you have a chance just because you carry that witch's blood in you?"
Oreon's jaw tightened, his golden eyes flaring brighter. The red aura around him pulsed—once, twice—before steadying again. "I said…" His voice dropped low. "Watch. Your. Mouth."
With a roar, Oreon shoved forward, breaking the deadlock and sending Vexes skidding backward. Before Vexes could recover, Oreon closed the distance again, slashing upward with one dagger while spinning low with the other. Vexes barely managed to deflect the first strike, but the second caught him across the ribs, tearing through his cloth, drawing blood.
"Gah--!" Vexes hissed, but he charged forward again.
The two clashed, their blades bouncing off one another. Sparks flying, as a red aura and a black and purple aura bounced off each other as they continued their bout.
The battlefield became a blur of clashing steel and energy. Each strike sent tremors through the ground, each parry echoed like thunder across the ruined square. Oreon moved just as quickly as Vexes. They both clashed and bounced off each other's attack, landing on top of separate buildings.
Once they did, they both ran parallel to each other, Oreon with his daggers in both hands and Vexes with his sickening, curved blade as they both leaped off the building and clashed again. Picking up where they left off.
The impact of their collision mid-air sent a shockwave rippling outward, shattering nearby windows and cracking the stone beneath where they'd jumped from.
Slash. Parry. Spin. Counter.
Vexes swung his curved blade in a wide arc, aiming for Oreon's throat, but Oreon ducked low, letting the blade whistle over his head before driving both daggers upward in another cross slash. Vexes twisted his body just in time, the tips of the blades grazing his robes.
"Tch--!" Vexes snarled, pivoting as he brought his curved blade down in an overhead strike.
Oreon crossed his daggers above his head, catching the blow, but the force sent him shooting into the ground, creating a small dust cloud on impact.
Vexes landed gracefully, his boots barely making a sound as he touched down. His eyes were glowing with the sigils of the Order, pupils swirling with dark energy. "You're resilient, I'll give you that." He muttered, rolling his shoulders. "But tell me, boy. How long do you think you can keep this up?"
From within the dust cloud, Oreon's silhouette slowly rose, his red aura flaring brighter—almost angry now, but he was starting to breathe a bit heavier.
"Ah…There it is." He twirled his curved blade lazily at his side. "The limit. The breaking point." He took a step forward. "It seems like your human body can't handle the strain of your newfound power, boy. That witch's blood is demanding more than your body knows how to give."
He smirked at him. "You feel it, don't you?" Vexes smirk widened as Oreon glared at him. "It's hard holding that weight upon your shoulders. Power is never meant for the human body. See the truth, boy. You are way out of your league."
The rhythm in Oreon's breathing had noticeably shifted, but he vanished anyway, reappearing in mid-air beside Vexes's head. "Am I?" Oreon spoke seriously, causing Vexes to turn to his left, just in time for Oreon to nearly kick his head off, sending the dark elf crashing into two buildings, leaving a trail of destruction from the miscellaneous things that Vexes's body plowed through.
Oreon didn't even give himself time to touch the ground as he pushed forward, shooting towards Vexes like a bullet. "Don't underestimate me…" Oreon growled as he approached Vexes, but Vexes was already up and he swung his curved blade towards Oreon's speeding body, causing Oreon to quickly shift and slide under the blade and get back up to see Vexes had prepared a shadow bolt in his free hand, tossing it at Oreon, but Oreon quickly slashed it in half and then tried to slash Vexes, who blocked with his blade again.
The force of Oreon's strike sent vibrations through both of their weapons, their auras clashing once again. Vexes gritted his teeth, his feet sliding back across the broken cobblestone as he struggled to maintain his footing.
"Persistent little mongrel…!" Vexes hissed, finally shoving him off and leaping backwards to gain distance as he shot his free hand forward. "SHADOW BOLT!" This time, Vexes shot a barrage of lightning-covered shadow balls towards Oreon. But he was ready as he continued his charge toward Vexes.
"Is that all?" Oreon taunted as he began swinging his blades rapidly, slashing the energy attacks with ease, causing them to explode behind him as he pressed on Vexes again.
Vexes's eyes widened—just barely—as Oreon closed the gap faster than he anticipated. "Tch-- Damn annoying brat!" He cursed under his breath, pivoting sharply to the side as Oreon's dagger sliced through the air where his head had been a heartbeat earlier.
Vexes swung his blade downward, but Oreon sidestepped it smoothly, letting the weapon carve into the stone at his feet instead. Before Vexes could recover, Oreon drove his knee upward into Vexes's ribs—hard—earning a pain-filled grunt from the dark elf.
"Gah—!" Vexes staggered back, clutching his side.
However, Oreon didn't let up. He spun low, sweeping Vexes's legs out from under him with a swift kick. Then Oreon rotated his body, performing a spin kick to Vexes's stomach, before the dark elf could even hit the ground, sending him skipping off the ground, like a pebble skipping on water.
Meanwhile, Yvonne was still standing on a nearby building, eyes wide in shock. "He's…beating him. A human! Beating a dark elf! Vexes is actually losing!"
Divia, on the other hand, gritted his teeth. "…Vexes…" She narrowed her gaze at the battle that was going on in front of her.
Celestia and Sylvanie watched from behind Meara, their expressions a complex tapestry of emotions.
"He's...That power." Celestia murmured, her voice soft but weighted with worry. "But the strain…I can see it. His movements are beginning to—"
"—He's slowing down," Sylvanie cut in bluntly, her arms crossed over her chest now. "Not by much. But it's there." Her eyes narrowed as she tracked Oreon's movements across the battlefield. "He's forcing himself to keep going. At this rate…" She bit her lower lip.
"…He's going to burn himself out before he knows it." Meara finished as she stared at Oreon as well. "It's as Vexes said, the blood in his body, the magic that it carries. It's demanding more. More than Oreon's body is willing to give. That boy has been forcing it this entire fight." Her gaze darkened.
Back on the battlefield, Vexes finally managed to roll to his feet, finally lifting himself. His robes were torn in multiple places now, blood seeping through his fabric where Oreon's blades had found their mark. His breathing was ragged, his dark aura still stable as he looked over at Oreon. "Heh…Heh…That's it then…All that power, and this was all you were able to do."
Vexes wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, a twisted grin spreading across his face despite his battered state. "Well…I'll admit, you exceeded my expectations, boy." He cracked his neck. "But your body betrays you now. I can see it—the trembling in your arms, the sweat dripping down your face." His eyes gleamed with malice. "You're at your limit…aren't you?"
Oreon grunted as he charged forward again. "I told you not to underestimate me!"
As Oreon got closer, closing the distance as quickly as he could, but this time, Vexes was ready. No, Vexes was already three steps ahead as he appeared beside Oreon, whispering in his ear.
"No, boy. Don't you underestimate me." Vexes said darkly as his eyes were now different from before. The same sigils on his pupils appeared to be layered, one on top of the other, as the glowed a bright purple within his red eyes.
Time seemed to slow down as Oreon's eyes widened as he turned his head just in time to see Vexes draw his fist back, covering it in condensed shadow energy, before slamming it into Oreon's ribs with brutal force.
"CRACK!"