Chapter 1: The Walking Corpse
It had been six months since the volcano incident.
The village slept beneath a pale moon. The night was unnaturally still.
Not even the dogs barked.
Only silence.
A few elderly villagers sat outside their homes, passing the time with quiet conversation, when a lone figure appeared at the far end of the road.
He staggered forward.
His skin was ghostly pale.
His eyes were hollow, empty of life.
His body looked completely drained, as though every drop of blood had been stolen.
Step by step, he dragged himself closer, moving less like a man and more like a corpse that had refused to stay dead.
The villagers slowly fell silent.
One by one, their conversations stopped as every pair of eyes turned toward the stranger.
Then...
He collapsed face-first into the dirt.
Several villagers rushed over and carefully turned him onto his back.
His face told the entire story.
His mouth hung open in frozen horror.
Black veins spread across his neck like cracks in stone.
One of the villagers reached out with trembling hands.
Villager 1: "S-sir... are you alright?"
Another checked for a pulse.
But Nothing.
His face turned pale.
Villager 2: "No... he's gone... He's dead."
Before anyone could react...
A thin stream of black smoke slipped from the corpse's mouth.
It curled through the air like a living serpent before spreading into a thick cloud above the villagers.
Then...
A deep, distorted laugh echoed through the night.
"My destination... is not far now."
Every villager dropped to their knees.
The voice wasn't merely heard.
It pressed against their minds, as if invisible claws were scraping across their skulls.
The black smoke drifted away with eerie purpose, gliding toward a forgotten temple at the edge of the village.
Without slowing, it seeped into an ancient stone statue.
Crack.
Crack.
Thin fractures spread across the weathered stone.
A voice rumbled from within, deeper than before.
"Piece by piece... my true body will return."
The temple trembled when air grew unbearably heavy.
And the night became silent once again.
Chapter 2: Forge of Metal
Morning arrived peacefully. Birds sang across the village as the warm sunlight painted the rooftops. For once, everything felt calm.
Knock... Knock...
Wraith walked to the door, expecting to see Sam as usual. Instead, an unfamiliar middle-aged man stood outside, quietly staring at her.
Wraith: "How may I help you?"
Unknown Man: "Who are you?"
Wraith (blinking in confusion): "Excuse me?"
Just then, Strom walked out of the kitchen while sipping a cup of tea. The moment he saw the visitor, his eyes widened.
Without hesitation, he placed the cup on the table, gently pulled Wraith behind him, stepped outside, and locked the door.
Strom: "Morning, sir."
The man was none other than his landlord.
Landlord: "Can we talk somewhere... a little more private?"
Both of them walked into the front yard and after a brief silence...
Landlord: "So... she's the one."
Strom (confused): "What?"
Landlord: "Some villagers told me you're living with a girl."
Strom's heart skipped a beat. He still remembered the landlord's one condition when renting the house.
"No girls allowed."
Strom (awkwardly): "Ah... no, sir. She's just a friend from far away. She's leaving this evening."
The landlord narrowed his eyes.
Landlord: "Don't lie, Strom. And since when do friends have blue skin?"
Strom sighed. There was no point hiding it anymore.
Strom: "Honestly, sir... she's a demon."
For a moment, everything went silent, his landlord simply stared at him.
Landlord (worried): "Strom... what happened to you?"
Strom: "Yes... she's a demon. But... we're living together. I... I just couldn't leave her alone."
The landlord folded his arms.
Landlord: "Anything special about her?"
Strom: "Nothing really. I bought a ring... and she came with it."
Landlord: "Anything else?"
Strom answered without even thinking.
Strom: "She talks too much, burns my breakfast, cleans the house, teases me every day... and she's terrified of thunderstorms."
The landlord listened carefully to every word before placing a hand on Strom's shoulder.
Landlord: "Strom... just marry her at this point."
Strom: "..."
He stood there speechless.
Moments ago, he had prepared himself to become homeless.
Instead...
This.
Not wanting the conversation to continue in that direction, Strom quickly changed the topic.
Strom: "But... she still hasn't paid my twenty coins back."
Landlord (smirking): "What?"
Strom: "Twenty coins for the ring."
The landlord chuckled.
Landlord: "Now I understand."
Still smiling, he waved at Wraith, who had been secretly watching through the window, before walking away.
Strom returned inside and immediately noticed Wraith pretending she hadn't been spying on them.
Strom: "Is it really necessary to answer the door every time someone knocks?"
Wraith: "I thought it was Sam."
Strom: "Now half the village knows we're living together."
Wraith quietly pointed toward the table.
Wraith: "Your tea is getting cold."
Strom: "Thanks."
Neither of them said another word.
Even if they never admitted it...
Neither of them could imagine living alone anymore.
____
Later That Night...
The forge burned like the heart of a volcano. Even though the night outside was cold, the heat inside was almost unbearable.
Every strike of Strom's hammer sent sparks flying through the darkness like drops of burning blood. Sweat poured from his body as the furnace roared behind him, turning the forge into a miniature sun.
Little by little...
Piece by piece...
The armor began to take shape.
A dragon-headed helmet, fierce and unyielding.
A chestplate patterned like overlapping dragon scales.
Shoulder guards layered like folded wings.
A deep blue silk cape rested behind it, ready to be enchanted with protective magic.
Finally...
Strom lifted his newest weapon onto the anvil.
A spear.
Its shaft had been forged from enchanted steel reinforced with demon bone, making it nearly impossible to break. Its blade, carved from a rare blue diamond, possessed an edge sharp enough to rival any legendary sword.
The armor was indomitable.
The spear was deadly.
And for the first time...
Strom truly looked like the Dragon Knight reborn.
Outside the forge, Wraith sat against the wall with her arms crossed, clearly annoyed by the endless hammering.
Wraith: "Couldn't you do this in the morning?"
Strom (still hammering): "Morning is already busy."
Wraith: "I'm trying to sleep."
Strom: "Try harder."
Wraith: "Hmm... maybe I'll ask Sam for some magic dust that puts people to sleep."
Strom: "Sure."
Silence returned.
Although Strom remained focused on his work, Wraith spoke again.
Wraith: "Still got your dragon mom inside that pendant?"
For the first time all night, Strom stopped hammering. A genuine smile appeared on his face.
Strom: "Yeah. We still talk... She's actually pretty cool."
Wraith: "Cool? I'd call her terrifying... Though I admit she's got a good look."
Strom (smiling): "She has plenty of stories too. Especially about the Dragonic Wars."
Wraith (grinning): "Someone sounds way too happy."
Strom: "Yeah."
Hours later, the final strike echoed through the forge.
Then...
Silence.
Strom slowly stepped back.
Before him stood a complete suit of armor.
The dragon helm.
The chestplate.
The shoulder guards.
The gauntlets.
The leggings.
The boots.
Every piece fit together perfectly, covering him from head to toe.
For the first time...
The Dragon Knight had his own identity.
Chapter 3 - The Nightmare
Seventeen people were slaughtered in a single night.
Their killer not a man.
Nor a demon.
It was the once-proud Golden Knight, now nothing more than a hollow corpse animated by Kaizer, the black smoke parasite.
From inside the dying body, Kaizer whispered with disappointment.
Kaizer: "I need a stronger vessel... This one is already breaking."
And so...
He killed.
He fed.
He spread despair.
Soon, rumors reached even Kaizer's ears.
Somewhere, an unknown knight had defeated an entire pack of Dominic Beasts alone.
Kaizer's hollow eyes slowly narrowed.
Kaizer: "Hmm... that might be useful."
Following the lingering traces of dragon aura, the Golden Knight eventually arrived at the battlefield. Broken trees, shattered earth, and the corpses of the beasts still lay scattered across the ground.
Kaizer looked around before letting out a quiet laugh.
Kaizer: "Yes... perfect."
The trail led him straight to Strom's house.
Without hesitation, the black smoke slipped from the Golden Knight's body and drifted silently through the walls.
Inside, Strom slept peacefully.
The smoke hovered above him for a moment...
...then rushed into his body.
Strom's eyes snapped open.
They glowed crimson.
Then...
Pure black.
A second later, they slowly closed again as if nothing had happened.
That night...
The sky burned crimson.
Cold winds howled across a land soaked in blood.
Strom stood silently in his Dragon Knight armor, spear resting at his side.
Blood dripped from his gauntlet.
It wasn't his.
His spear still carried fragments of bone and torn flesh.
Dark stains covered every piece of his armor.
Before him...
Dravyss lay broken.
Massive crystal shards pierced through her body, pinning the great dragon to the earth.
Not far away, Sam lay unconscious, his staff shattered beside him.
But...
Wraith was nowhere to be seen.
Then...
A familiar voice echoed through the crimson sky.
A voice that should no longer exist.
Wizard: "She is the reason..."
A long pause...
"...Dravyss is the cause of your pain."
The words echoed again and again until they became impossible to escape.
"She is the reason..."
"She is the cause..."
Strom suddenly woke up when his entire body was drenched in sweat, heart pounded violently against his chest like it wanted to escape.
His breathing refused to slow.
Strom: "What... the hell was that?"
He sat there for several moments before instinctively grabbing the pendant around his neck.
Strom: "...Mom?"
Silence.
The blue glow had disappeared.
No voice answered.
Whether Dravyss couldn't hear him... Or something had cut their connection...
He didn't know.
Trying to calm himself, Strom walked toward Wraith's room.
She slept peacefully beneath her blanket, completely unaware of the nightmare that had just unfolded.
Relief washed over him.
Quietly...
Almost desperately...
He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Only then did he leave for the washroom.
Cold water splashed across his face and he slowly looked up.
Only his own reflection stared back.
Nothing else.
He let out a slow breath.
Then...
The reflection smiled.
A dark shadow suddenly emerged from the mirror and grabbed his neck.
CRACK!
Strom stumbled backward in terror.
His heart nearly stopped, he spun around... but nothing.
He looked back at the mirror when only his own reflection remained.
Breathing heavy he took another step back...
His foot slipped.
THUD!
The back of his head slammed against the stone floor.
Everything went black.
A thin stream of blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Then another...
From his nose.
The silent battle inside his body had already begun.
Chapter 4: The Art of Possession
Morning light seeped through the windows.
Wraith froze when she found Strom lying unconscious on the cold stone floor, blood running from his nose and the corner of his mouth.
Wraith (panicking): "Strom! Wake up! Please... wake up!"
Strom's eyes slowly fluttered open. He sat up, breathing heavily as if he had just escaped drowning.
Strom: "W-what... happened?"
Wraith: "That's what I'm asking! Why are you bleeding?"
Strom wiped his mouth, his fingers coming away stained red. His heart sank.
Strom (thinking): So... it wasn't just a nightmare.
Wraith: "Strom!"
Strom (lying): "I think... I slipped on the floor."
Wraith let out a relieved sigh, though the worry in her eyes remained.
Wraith: "You really scared me..."
____
Later That Afternoon...
Strom sat beside the window, absentmindedly turning the dragon pendant in his hand.
Strom (thinking): What... happened last night?
A voice suddenly echoed inside his head. It wasn't coming from outside or from the pendant.
It came from within.
Kaizer: "What a sweet girl you've got."
Strom (eyes widened): "Who are you?"
From the kitchen, Wraith looked up.
Wraith: "Strom? Did you say something?"
Strom: "Ah... no. Nothing."
Wraith: "Okay."
Silence returned.
Then the voice spoke again.
Kaizer: "She really cares about you... and you? Just a waste."
Strom clenched his fists.
Strom (low): "Get out of my head."
No answer came. Instead, his vision darkened. For a brief second, his eyes turned completely black before returning to normal, leaving only a faint smirk on his face.
He slowly walked into the kitchen where Wraith was busy cleaning the dishes. Without warning, he reached over and pinched her arm.
Wraith: "What are you doing?"
Strom: "Nothing... just bored."
She frowned and continued cleaning.
A moment later, Strom suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist.
Wraith immediately pushed him away.
Wraith (angry): "Strom! I don't like this."
The smirk disappeared.
Strom: "...Sorry. It won't happen again."
He quietly walked back toward the hall, but halfway there his knees buckled. Blood suddenly streamed from his nose.
Strom: "What the..."
He quickly grabbed a cloth, wiped away the blood, and hurried into the forge before Wraith could notice.
Once alone, he slammed a fist onto the workbench.
Strom: "What are you doing to me?"
A soft laugh echoed inside his mind.
Kaizer: "Interesting... Something inside you is resisting me."
"...But not forever."
And that's how days Passed...
For Wraith, everything seemed almost normal. Strom simply acted... differently.
For Strom, nothing felt normal anymore. Some mornings he woke shaking from nightmares. Sometimes ordinary shadows felt like they were watching him. Sometimes whispers followed him through empty rooms, and sometimes he couldn't even tell whether his thoughts were his own.
The dragon pendant remained silent. No matter how many times he called for Dravyss, there was no answer.
He wanted to speak with Sam.
But Sam had been away for weeks, helping another village.
So Strom endured it alone.
Some days he would leave the house without saying a word, only to return hours later. Other days, blood would suddenly run from his nose. Sometimes he even coughed blood into his hand before quickly hiding it from Wraith.
Each passing day...
It became worse.
—One Week Later...
Wraith: "Strom!"
Strom: "What?"
She pointed toward his face.
A fresh trail of blood slowly ran beneath his nose.
Wraith: "It's happening again."
Strom casually wiped it away like it's nothing.
Wraith: "Please... tell me what's happening to you."
Strom: "I'm fine."
Wraith: "You're not."
Strom: "It's probably just the heat."
Wraith (worried): "It's October... What heat?"
Strom (looked away): "Relax. It happens sometimes... Dragon blood is weird you know."
She wanted to argue.
But seeing the tired look in his eyes...
She stayed silent.
Day after day, the dragon blood flowing through Strom's veins continued fighting the darkness invading his body. It was the only thing preventing Kaizer from taking complete control.
But every battle has its limit.
And slowly...
That limit was beginning to break.
Chapter 5 - The Unwanted Guest
Later that afternoon, Strom stood alone inside the forge. His eyes rested on the armor he had spent nights creating. Dragon helm, dark cape, shining steel... it should have filled him with pride. Instead, it filled him with unease.
Strom (thinking): "That black smoke... maybe it entered because of the demon bones. If that's true, I need to replace them before something worse happens."
He slowly put on the armor. The weight felt heavier than usual.
A voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
Kaizer: "Want to see a trick?"
Strom: "No."
Kaizer: "It's not optional."
A sharp pain shot through Strom's skull. His vision blurred, his fingers twitched, and for a brief moment his eyes turned completely black before returning to normal.
The forge door creaked open.
Wraith stepped inside carrying a plate of food, smiling proudly.
Wraith: "Strom, here's your lunch. Don't worry... my cooking has improved."
A smile slowly spread across Strom's face and something about it felt... wrong.
Strom: "I don't believe you."
Wraith (pouting): "Come on! At least try it first."
Strom quietly took a spoonful. For a few seconds he ate in silence.
Then...
CRASH!
The plate slammed into the wall, shattering across the floor.
Strom: "Who the hell puts this much salt in food... bitch."
Wraith froze in disbelief and confusion because the dish wasn't salty.
It was sweet...
Wraith: "What... did you just call me?"
For a split second Strom blinked, as if waking from a dream.
Strom: "...Sorry. I mean... it's just not as good as you said."
Wraith: "If you didn't like it, you could've just said so. Throwing it wasn't necessary."
A whisper crawled through Strom's mind.
Kaizer: "She talks too much."
Before Strom could react, his hand shot forward and wrapped around Wraith's throat.
She gasped, grabbing his wrist as her feet struggled against the floor. His grip tightened, and little by little the air left her lungs.
Inside, Strom screamed.
With every bit of strength he had, he fought against his own body.
Finally...
His fingers loosened.
Wraith dropped to her knees, coughing violently while Strom stumbled backward in horror.
Strom (terrified): "Wraith... I'm sorry... I... I didn't want to..."
Wraith (furious): "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Strom: "Please... it's not because of the food."
Wraith: "Then what is it? Tell me... who am I in your life?"
Kaizer: "I'd like to know too."
Strom grabbed both sides of his head.
Strom (shouting): "You are just a parasite... killing me from the inside... every single day!"
The words echoed through the forge.
Then silence.
Strom slowly realised there is no one listing that except her...
Wraith stood frozen, tears quietly rolled down her face.
Wraith (broken): "I think... people were right."
Strom: "Wraith... no, please."
Wraith: "I forgot my place. Demons are meant to kill... not to be loved."
She turned toward the door.
Strom (desperate): "Please! There's someone inside my head!"
She stopped.
Wraith: "Really? Then who is it?"
Strom: "I... I don't know."
Wraith (bitter smile): "I know... It's the real human inside your head talking."
Strom: "Please... try to understand."
Her voice trembled before talking.
Wraith: "Understand? Like you understood me? You promised we'd build a better future together."
Silence filled the room.
Wraith: "Is this your better future? Becoming a hero by killing demons?"
She looked directly into his eyes.
Wraith: "Using me... Was this your better future?"
Strom wanted to answer but no words came out.
Wraith: "I thought I was finally special to someone but... I was wrong."
"...From the very beginning."
She walked outside. After a few steps she stopped, but never turned around.
Wraith: "Just do me one favour. If someone ever starts trusting you again... kill them before you break them."
She lowered her head.
"...It hurts less."
Then she walked away.
This time...
She never looked back.
Strom tried to run after her, but a violent pain exploded inside his head. His vision went dark, his legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed onto the floor.
When Strom finally woke that evening, the forge was silent. He dragged himself into his room and found a folded letter waiting on the table.
His trembling hands unfolded it.
Wraith's Letter:
"Thank you, Strom... for every happy moment you gave me. Even if it was all a lie, they were still the happiest days of my life.
Maybe you were right.
Humans and demons were never meant to walk the same path.
Goodbye.
-Your unwanted parasite."
The letter slipped from Strom's hand.
Strom (whispering): "No... please."
He rushed toward the door, but his body refused to move.
Kaizer: "Nice try."
Strom (angry): "You're the reason... She left me."
No answer came.
The silence only made him angrier.
With a roar, he slammed his fist into the stone wall.
BOOM!
Cracks spread across the stone as blood ran down his knuckles.
Strom (screaming): "ANSWER ME!"
The house remained silent.
Only the sound of his ragged breathing echoed through the room.
Chapter 6: Best Friend Forever
Evening bled into night. The forge stood dark, save for the faint glow of dying embers.
Sam pushed the door open.
Inside, Strom sat in full armor, the dragon helm casting a shadow over his eyes.
But Sam felt it immediately.
The aura was wrong.
Twisted.
Heavy.
It's not Strom.
Sam: "Fuck no!"
He immediately backed away, sprinted outside, dove into the bushes, and cast a spell that concealed his presence.
Strom (Kaizer): "Time to finish my work."
Strom stepped out, spear in hand, then disappeared into the darkness. Every footstep sounded as heavy as steel, and the very air around him felt suffocating.
Only after he was gone did Sam return to the house.
He searched desperately for any clue.
Then he finally found it.
A letter resting on the table.
Its edges were stained with demon tears.
Sam: "Where are you, Wraith?"
He closed his eyes and focused on the lingering mana.
A faint trail appeared when he followed that... It takes him beyond the village.
Beneath a lonely tree, under the moonlight, Wraith sat hugging her knees, tears quietly streaming down her face.
Sam rushed toward her.
Sam: "Wraith! Thank God... you're safe."
Wraith: "Get out of here."
Sam: "What?"
Wraith: "I said get out! You humans are all the same."
Sam: "No! Listen to me. What you saw wasn't Strom."
Wraith let out a bitter laugh.
Wraith: "You think it's easy for me to leave?"
Silence shattered like broken glass.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Sam: "Even after learning about Angela... how could you leave him when he needed you the most?"
Wraith (frowned): "Angela?... Who's Angela?"
Sam (uncertainty): "...He never told you?"
Wraith slowly shook her head.
Wraith: "No."
Sam lowered his gaze.
He had accidentally uncovered the one memory Strom had desperately tried to hide.
Wraith: "Sam... tell me. Who is Angela?"
Sam took a long breath before speaking and after that he told her everything.
How Angela had entered Strom's life.
How neither of them ever admitted their feelings.
How they slowly fell in love.
And how, one day...
...she disappeared forever.
Sam: "She was created to manipulate him... but they both fell in love."
He takes a deep breath.
Sam: "...And that's why she had to die."
She remained silent for a long time.
Wraith: "Then... why didn't he ever tell me?"
Sam: "I don't know."
He looked straight into her eyes.
Sam: "But we have to help him. Believe me... if you leave him now, there'll be nothing left worth living for him."
"...Please."
Wraith slowly lowered her head.
Wraith: "How stupid I am... He told me there was someone inside his head...
I didn't believe him. It's my fault."
"I should've tried to understand."
Sam gently shook his head.
Sam: "No. It's not your fault. It's Kaizer, he loves playing mind games."
Wraith: "Kaizer?"
Sam: "A parasite-type sprite. I'm sure he's behind all of this... I've been hearing rumors about him for weeks. That's why I traveled to the nearby villages..."
"...but I was already too late. He had already finished his game there."
Wraith: "But we can't defeat him. Not while he's wearing Strom's skin."
Sam (sighed): "You're right... But we still have to try."
Suddenly, Wraith's eyes widened as she remembered something.
Wraith: "Wait. Was he wearing his pendant when he left?"
Sam thought back trying to remember then.
Sam: "No! Why?"
A small smile slowly appeared on Wraith's face.
For the first time since that horrible night...
...hope.
Wraith: "I know someone... who can do this."
Chapter 7: Not Like This
The village square had become something else entirely.
Villagers worked together in terrified silence, laying bricks, stacking stones, and raising a grim structure no one wanted to finish.
A platform.
A drainage channel.
A heavy iron cage at its center.
An execution ground.
Not because they wanted it...
But because he wanted it.
Every hammer strike echoed with fear.
The elders were told,
"Refuse to work... and the children die."
The children were told,
"Refuse to work... and your parents die."
No one knew who would be executed or how many would die.
They only knew that someone would.
Meanwhile, inside Strom's house...
Sam looked around in confusion.
Sam: "I know Strom's at the village square... so why are we still here?"
Wraith: "Help me find his pendant!"
The two searched frantically through the house, throwing open drawers and digging through shelves.
Finally...
Sam: "Got it!"
Wraith: "Good... let's move!"
Without wasting another second, Wraith grabbed the pendant and sprinted into the storm, Sam closed behind.
At the execution ground...
The villagers knelt before Kaizer.
He slowly walked among them, deciding who would die first.
Kaizer: "Hmm... I've heard of ladies first."
Before he could finish...
BOOM!
Sam slammed his staff into the ground.
Lightning exploded across the square and crashed directly into Kaizer's face.
He staggered back.
Smoke rose from his armor.
Sam: "Not so gentleman now."
Without hesitation, Sam turned toward the villagers.
Sam (shouting): "What the hell are you all waiting for?! RUN!"
The spell had bought them only a few precious seconds and that was enough.
Within moments, the square emptied.
Only Strom...
Wraith and Sam remained.
Kaizer slowly lifted his head.
His eyes burned with fury.
Kaizer: "You'll pay for that."
Wraith stepped forward with the smallest smile.
Wraith: "I still haven't paid those twenty gold coins."
Kaizer lunged.
His spear crashed toward them, but both dodged at the last possible moment.
At the same time, Sam cast a hindrance spell, slowing Kaizer's movements just enough.
Wraith seized the opening.
She leaped high into the air, repeating the exact same attack she had used the night they first met.
Kaizer caught her wrist effortlessly.
His grip was like iron.
Kaizer: "Old tricks... A blade to the throat? Pathetic."
Wraith (smiled): "Yeah... it's out of fashion. I know."
At that exact moment...
She let go of the pendant.
The chain slipped over Strom's neck.
Kaizer's eyes widened as he sensed the power, his entire body froze.
Wraith: "Sam... your turn."
Sam raised his staff.
Lightning gathered around its tip before erupting into a blinding beam that struck the pendant directly.
The celestial seal shattered.
The pendant exploded with radiant light.
A deafening roar echoed across the night sky.
A colossal dragon descended from enormous light.
Her white and Azure scales shimmered like starlight with heavy blue fins like blades.
Wings stretched across the sky, casting the entire village beneath their shadow.
Every living soul looked up.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Dravyss slowly lowered his head, eyes locked onto Kaizer.
Dravyss: "Last warning."
Kaizer looked up...
Then laughed.
Kaizer: "I don't think so."
The Battle ———
The earth trembled as they clashed.
Dravyss's colossal tail swept across the battlefield, launching Strom through three stone houses. He slowly rose again, his armor cracked and dented, yet Kaizer only laughed louder.
Strom charged with his spear, its blade burning with corrupted energy, but it wasn't enough. The moment it struck Dravyss's scales, the attack shattered without leaving so much as a scratch.
Dravyss was far stronger than anyone had imagined.
Every strike was overwhelming. Claws tore through enchanted steel, fangs shattered his defenses, flames scorched his armor, and her wings and tail struck with enough force to send him crashing across the village again and again. Against her, the Dragon Knight's legendary armor felt no stronger than paper.
Strom barely managed to stand before another tail strike sent him flying. A claw followed. Then a powerful swing of her wings threw him through another house.
Watching from a distance, Wraith's face turned pale.
Wraith (shocked): "She's going to kill him!"
Strom hadn't even recovered before Dravyss was already standing above him, raising one massive claw.
Just before it came down...
Wraith stepped between them.
Wraith: "Not like this! Please"
Dravyss looked down at her with cold determination.
Dravyss: "Move."
Wraith: "You're killing him!"
Dravyss: "I must protect the Power from corruption. I won't allow darkness to claim it."
Before another word could be spoken, Strom suddenly lunged toward Wraith with murderous intent. Sam reacted instantly, pulling her aside as Dravyss slammed Strom back into the ground with one crushing blow.
Dravyss: "I'm ending this."
The battle began once more.
There was no comparison between them.
Strom couldn't even force Dravyss onto the defensive.
Yet despite everything she had said...
She was still holding back.
Every strike could have killed him.
But none of them did.
She refused to show it...
Yet inside, she was crying.
Wraith grabbed Sam's arm.
Wraith: "Please... we have to stop this."
Sam searched through his pouch before pulling out a small bag filled with shimmering silver dust.
Sam: "It's purification dust. It won't hurt Strom, but it should weaken Kaizer's hold."
Wraith nodded.
Sam: "Just make sure it touches his bare skin."
Wraith (smirking): "Why not."
She poured some of the dust into her palm and slowly walked toward Strom.
When he was lying on the ground, barely moving. Above him, Dravyss had already raised her claw.
She could have finished him.
But she waited.
One last chance...
If he stood us as Strom or the strom...
He slowly rose to his feet with an unnatural smile spread across his face, that told everything.
That was all Wraith needed to see.
Without hesitation, she tore the dragon helmet from his head.
For a brief moment...
Their eyes met.
There was nothing left inside them.
Only darkness. Then...
SLAP!
The sound echoed across the battlefield like thunder.
Sam (blinked): "...What?"
Dravyss (disbelief): "...What in the world?"
The silver dust scattered across Strom's face the moment Wraith's hand struck him. Already weakened by weeks of blood loss, his body could no longer resist.
A violent scream echoed from within him.
Black smoke burst from his mouth and chest, twisting wildly through the night sky as Kaizer desperately tried to escape.
Kaizer: "No! This body is mine!"
Dravyss: "Not anymore."
She inhaled deeply before unleashing a torrent of blazing dragon fire.
The flames swallowed Kaizer whole.
His screams echoed through the night...
Then vanished.
Nothing remained.
No sound.
No presence.
No darkness.
Not even ashes.
Aftermath
Silence returned.
Moments later, Strom slowly opened his eyes. His face was ghostly pale, blood still trickling from his mouth.
Strom (weakly): "Ah... what happened?"
Dravyss looked away awkwardly.
Dravyss: "I... suddenly remembered I have something important to do."
Without waiting for another word, she dissolved back into the pendant.
No one knew whether she truly had somewhere to be...
Or simply didn't want anyone to see the tears in her eyes.
Wraith immediately threw her arms around Strom, burying her face against his chest.
Wraith (crying): "Please... don't ever leave me again."
Strom weakly rested a hand on her head before noticing Sam standing nearby with the biggest grin imaginable.
Strom: "Sam... Not with that smile."
Sam: "Ha! A great warrior-"
Strom: "Sam no!"
Sam: "A one who survived dragons, demons, giant beasts, and nightmare creatures..."
He pointed at Wraith.
Sam: "...but couldn't survive his girl's slap."
Strom: "Please don't tell anyone."
Sam: "Nah, man... I'm writing a whole damn book about this."
"This is legendary!"
For a brief moment...
Everything felt normal again.
Then Wraith stood and offered Strom her hand.
Wraith: "Come on. Let's go home."
Sam nodded.
But when Strom tried to stand...
His legs gave out instantly.
He collapsed back onto the ground.
Both of them froze.
Weeks of blood loss had left his body completely exhausted. Kaizer's possession had been the only thing forcing him to keep moving.
Now that Kaizer was gone...
Strom's body finally gave in.
Like a wagon without its horse...