Solaris was still breathing smoke. The fires Ashens left behind clung stubbornly to broken stone and charred timber, coughing sparks even when buckets of water smothered them. The city's heartbeat was uneven—some districts trembling in silence, others echoing with desperate chants from the clergy.
Andy walked with Nia through Ember Market, once a bustling square of colors, now reduced to ash and ruin. The Resistance trailed behind them, weary but armed, their faces smeared with soot and determination. The people who peeked from broken doorways did not call them saviors, not yet. They whispered their names instead, as if saying them aloud might bring punishment.
The System was colder than the smoke, cutting across Andy's vision:
[Public Sentiment: Shifting — Fear ↓ / Hope ↑]
[Bond Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆]
[Progress: 5%]
Andy's jaw tightened. Hope was growing, but so was fear. The city was balanced on the edge of both.
---
From the shadows of a shattered shrine, voices rose—zealot chants, guttural and sharp. Andy's grip on his twin blades tightened even before the zealots emerged. They were unlike the ones he'd fought before: their armor charred black, their swords wrapped in chains that glowed with fire and pulsed with shadows. Their eyes were hollow, not human anymore.
"They sent their best," Nia whispered, her staff humming with light.
Andy took a stance, fire already licking across one blade. "Then let's show them ours."
The zealots surged. Fire whipped across the market, shadow binding it into spears. Resistance fighters scattered, trying to shield civilians.
Andy lunged, blades crossed to block the first strike. The impact shook him to his bones—this wasn't zealot strength. It was Ashens' will, hammered into flesh.
The System pulsed:
[Enemy Detected: Zealot Elite Squad]
[Threat Level: High]
[Objective: Neutralize the Node Anchor]
"Andy!" Nia's voice cut sharp. Her chains of light lashed outward, catching one zealot by the throat, searing his skin even as he screamed oaths to the flame. But three more pressed toward her, faster than she could recover.
Andy's instincts screamed—too many, too strong.
The fire in his blood roared. His scales itched beneath his skin. But this time it wasn't enough.
He met Nia's eyes, and she nodded once, no hesitation. Their rings burned in unison.
And the System answered.
[Form Activation Possible: Dragonlight Form]
[Condition: Bond Synchronization Required]
Andy's chest seized, then released in a surge of light and flame. Fire that should have burned him wrapped around instead, woven with threads of Nia's holy aura. His vision exploded into gold and blue.
When the glow dimmed, the market gasped.
---
Andy's body was cloaked in scales of fire traced with veins of light, his blades glowing as if forged from the sun itself. Semi-transparent wings unfurled from his back—part dragon, part seraphic flame. Nia stood at his side, her staff blooming with radiant arcs, her hair shining like strands of dawn itself.
The zealots faltered. Even they could feel it—something Ashens had never taught them.
Andy raised a blade, his voice rough but steady. "Dragonlight Form… let's test it."
The System confirmed:
[Form Activated: Dragonlight Form]
[Skill Unlocked: Dragonlight Resonance Slash]
[Effect: Fire + Light fusion attack]
---
The first zealot charged. Andy swung.
The slash tore the air in two, a streak of gold and crimson that shattered the zealot's chain-blade and his chestplate in the same motion. The man fell screaming, flames and light devouring his shadow aura.
Another zealot lunged, shadows twisting into a spear. Nia's staff flared—chains of pure radiance caught the spear mid-thrust, dissolved it, then bound the zealot long enough for Andy to cut him down with another Resonance Slash.
The market lit up with fire and brilliance, every strike painting the ruins with hope. Civilians hidden behind rubble gasped, some covering their mouths in awe, others whispering "They can fight him… they can fight Ashens…"
The System bled new text:
[Bond Progression: 5% → 8%]
[Passive Effect Strengthened: Shared Conviction]
Andy felt it too—every synchronized movement with Nia was easier now, cleaner.
---
But it wasn't simple. The zealots fought harder, desperate, their voices cracking with prayers to Ashens even as their bodies broke. Andy's wings faltered mid-sweep, his muscles screaming. Dragonlight Form drained more than he expected.
Nia's hand brushed his, energy flowing into him. Her eyes glowed, lips firm. "You don't fall while I stand."
The System chimed:
[Support Effect: Mana Tether Active]
[Drain Reduced 15%]
Andy forced a grin, his teeth flashing in firelight. "Then I guess I'll stand a little longer."
He drove both blades into the ground, Resonance Slash bursting outward in a shockwave of flame and light. The last zealot was thrown against the ruined shrine wall, his armor shattering as the shadow left his body.
---
Silence followed.
Ash settled in the air, glowing faintly with embers. The Resistance stared, civilians dared to step closer. For the first time, the zealots had been beaten in open combat.
Nia lowered her staff, exhausted but steady. Andy dismissed the form with a gasp, his body trembling but alive.
The System concluded, its tone colder than the cheers rising around them:
[Sub-Objective Complete: Zealot Elite Squad Neutralized]
[Node Suppressed: Unstable Ember Node (Non-Shrine)]
[Quest Status: Main Shrines — 4/5]
Andy sheathed his blades, glancing at Nia. She smiled weakly, brushing soot from his cheek.
"We did it," she whispered.
Andy shook his head, looking at the ruin around them. "No. We've only just begun."
And Solaris, broken but not bowed, whispered their names like prayer—not to Ashens, but to the two who had just shown them that gods could bleed.
---