Chapter 5: Strange Magic
The Black-Horned Dragon wasn't stupid. Noticing its flame had no effect, the colossal beast ceased its attack. The smoke around them began to fade, revealing a large purple card floating in front of the adventurer. The card shrunk instantly, snapping back to its owner: the mysterious figure in the black cloak.
The adventurer lowered his hood, revealing a peculiar head of hair—a deep amethyst purple that seemed to shimmer even in the dark . Now stood before the dragon was a lean figure in a long, black coat that fell past his knees, black trousers, and boots. His inner wear was a dark, subdued purple. In his hand were stacks of cards, which he drew from one by one, his cool purple gaze fixed on the beast.
Silence reigned between the dragon and the adventurer, each waiting for the other to make the first, fatal move.
The dragon, driven by instinct and fury, made the move. It raised a huge leg and slammed it down with a terrifying force, a technique similar to Cogan's Impact Crash.
"STOMP!"
The earth-shattering impact created an immense shockwave, violently shaking the ground and sending a torrent of jagged rocks flying at its opponent.
The mysterious stranger remained standing, utterly unmoved by the ground quaking beneath him. He picked a card from the stack, twirled it expertly between his fingers, and tossed it into the air. The card pulsed with light, drastically increased in size, and hung suspended before him, a colossal shield against the incoming shrapnel.
The dragon had made its first move, but it would unknowingly be its last. Silence returned as the dust cloud settled, leaving only the giant card shield floating mid-air. The dragon grew instantly weary, its guard held high for whatever counter-attack might come.
Suddenly, two smaller cards shot out from behind the massive shield, one curving left, the other slicing right, both streaking like bolts of light directly for the dragon's head. The first card struck the dragon's left cheek, embedding itself fiercely between the hard, armored scales.
The second struck the base of its neck, finding a similar weak point. The dragon instinctively raised a claw to the spot, trying in vain to pry the card free.
Then, the large card shield began to dematerialize into tiny motes of light. The adventurer stood tall, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The embedded cards exploded. Blood sprayed as the sudden, internal attack stunned the beast. The dragon staggered backward, its massive head reeling, but there was no time for a counter-attack. The mysterious adventure threw another card, and as it spun through the air, the single card split into three separate, glowing projectiles.
The three cards zipped forward and detonated on impact with the dragon's chest:
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The relentless bombardment forced the dragon back, but its opponent gave it no chance to escape. He threw one more card. Surprisingly, this one curved sharply and flew toward the ground instead. The card struck the dragon's foot, and the beast was instantly rendered immobile. The dragon stared at the sudden stiffness, watching an unusual green energy course up its leg, freezing the limb completely.
RRRROOOOAOAAAAAARRRR! It roared in pain and fury.
The beast took a deep, rattling breath, opened its jaws wide, and unleashed a torrent of purple fire straight at the adventurer. Just like before, the adventurer drew another card, but this time, as it spun toward the dragon, it flashed bright red, and the energy surrounding it intensified dramatically.
The flame and the card collided in a massive concussive explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the dungeon, throwing both parties backward. The dragon crashed onto the ground.
GGRROOOWWWLLL
It growled, smoke puffing from its nose as it struggled to get back to its feet. With a petrified foot, however, the effort was grueling.
Across the chamber, the Healer finished her work. Cogan regained consciousness.
"What happened?" he croaked.
"Did we win?"
The Healer gently raised him to a sitting position. Cogan turned, seeing his defeated teammates groaning on the ground. He followed the gaze of the mages, who sat comfortably, spectating the fight, and his eyes widened in shock. Standing before them was a stranger, and on the ground, struggling to rise, was the seemingly invincible dragon.
"He did that all by himself," Cogan thought, stunned by the stranger's raw, calculated power.
"Uuugghhh," he moaned, trying to push himself up.
"Cogan, please take it easy. I'm not yet done," the Healer insisted.
"Who is he?" Cogan demanded.
"He's the mage we brought with us," she replied, and Cogan's eyes widened further, disbelief warring with awe.
"Who is this guy?" he wondered, his gaze fixed on the figure of the Mystic Mage.
The dragon finally managed to heave itself back onto its three good feet, its good eye fixed on the puny human who had beaten it with such ease. It was a disgrace to its pride as a Black-Horned Dragon, but its mind was set. If it was going down, it was taking the adventurer with it.
The adventurer stood with a dull expression, a look of utter boredom crossing his features.
"Let's end it," he said, and drew another card from his deck.