The city of Everhart trembled.
From beyond the walls, a roar shook the night sky. Windows rattled, chandeliers swayed, and the marble pillars of the great hall groaned under the force of it. Dust rained from the vaulted ceiling as nobles leapt to their feet, faces pale with terror.
Andy's grip tightened on his swords. "What the hell was that…?"
Nia's staff glowed faintly in her hand, resonating with an unseen force. Her eyes widened. "That roar… it's not a beast. It's a dragon."
The word fell like a curse. Gasps echoed through the hall.
"Impossible—dragons are extinct!"
"No, the scriptures… they foretold this—"
"A calamity has awakened!"
Lord Everhart rose to his feet, his cloak flaring. "Summon the knights! Man the walls!"
But even as the order left his lips, the massive doors at the end of the hall shuddered violently. A deafening boom split the air as they were torn from their hinges.
Heat swept in. Shadows fell across the chamber as wings blotted out the moon.
The dragon's head lowered into view—immense, horned, eyes blazing like molten gold. Its scales shimmered obsidian, smoke curling from its nostrils with every breath.
A collective cry of horror broke from the nobles.
Then—its voice came. Not aloud, but inside their minds. Deep. Ancient.
"The Dragon Warrior's blood… finally stirs."
Andy staggered as pain exploded in his chest, right where the shadow spear had pierced him days before. He collapsed to one knee, gasping, clutching at the scar. Glowing lines spread from the wound across his skin like veins of fire.
> [System Notification: Hidden Lineage Detected.]
[Dragon Warrior Form – Awakening in Progress.]
"Andy!" Nia dropped to his side, her voice trembling.
His scream tore through the hall as fire erupted around him. His blades glowed white-hot, runes carving themselves into the steel. For an instant, wings of flame unfurled from his back before collapsing inward.
Nobles recoiled, some crying out in awe, others in fear.
"Impossible—he's transforming!"
"A commoner… no, a Dragon Warrior?!"
Andrew froze, shock warping his handsome features. "No… it can't be him. It should have been me!"
Andy forced himself upright, his breath ragged. His hair shimmered with embers, his eyes burned molten-gold. Fire licked across his skin like a second armor. His voice, when it came, was deeper, resonant, layered with something ancient.
"…So this… is the Dragon Warrior Form."
The System thundered through their ears:
> [Dragon Trial Initiated]
Boss Encounter: Shadowbound Dragon
Condition: Survive the Awakening Battle.
Bond Requirement: 95%.*
The dragon outside roared again, shaking stone from the ceiling. Its claws ripped into the city walls, fire spewing across rooftops. Screams of civilians filled the distance.
Andy lifted his transformed blades—now twin dragonfang swords, glowing with molten runes.
Then Nia gasped as her staff flared. From her wrist, light twisted, manifesting into a silver bracelet inlaid with a sapphire that pulsed with Andy's flame. It clicked into place, perfectly fitted, resonating with his aura.
> [System Reward: Bracelet of Resonance Obtained.]
Effect: Synchronizes partner's mana with Dragon Warrior Form.
Andy turned to her, eyes wide. "Nia…"
She smiled faintly despite the fear in her eyes, lifting her arm. The bracelet shimmered. "You're not facing this alone. Not ever."
The Shadowbound Dragon reared, its chest expanding. Heat flooded the night as it loosed a torrent of flame straight toward the palace.
Andy's eyes narrowed, fire and light swirling around him. He stepped forward, wings of flame flickering into existence once more.
"Then let's give it hell."
Together, they surged forward.
The dragon's flames engulfed the hall entrance, but Andy slashed down with his twin blades, fire and starlight colliding in a storm that split the inferno apart. Steam and smoke flooded the chamber.
Nia extended her staff, starlight forming a dome that shielded the nobles cowering inside. "Andy—go! I'll cover them!"
Andy smirked, his molten-gold eyes blazing. "Don't fall behind."
He leapt into the air, fire bursting from his back, his blades catching the dragon's flames as he clashed with the ancient beast.
The impact shook the heavens.
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