Chapter 85: A Friend
Before anyone else could react.....
The rubble shifted.
CRR... CRACK...
A broken slab of concrete rolled aside as a familiar figure slowly pushed himself back to his feet.
"...Tch..."
Champagne wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and pressed a hand against the deep slash across his ribs. Crimson seeped steadily through his torn clothes, staining the ground beneath him, but despite the pain...
He smiled.
Not because he enjoyed the fight,but because he had made up his mind.
"...Relax..."
His voice remained calm as he rolled his neck from side to side.
CRACK... CRACK...
"...I've got this."
From across the battlefield, Daito watched him carefully.
For a brief moment, their eyes met. No speeches. No unnecessary encouragement. Only understanding.
"...Don't die."
The words were quiet, but they carried more weight than any shouted command.
Champagne chuckled softly.
"...Not today."
Then—
WHOOOOOSH!!
He disappeared once more.
This time...He moved even faster.
The broken streets became nothing more than streaks beneath his feet as he chased the ghostly samurai through the ruined city.
Ahead of him, Zachia continued his relentless charge.
His phantom horse galloped through everything in its path without slowing.
Every swing of his blade carved another path of destruction.
Walls collapsed.
Streetlights shattered.
The terrified civilians ahead had finally noticed him, but it was too late since there was nowhere left to run.
Champagne inhaled slowly.
"...Alright..."
His breathing steadied, his posture lowered, and his entire body relaxed.
"...Guess I gotta remind you who you are."
He planted both feet firmly in the middle of the ruined street directlyy in Zachia's path. The ghostly horse thundered toward him.
Each hoofbeat shook the earth.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Its rider lowered his blade. The killing strike had already begun.
Champagne closed his eyes.
"...Savage Power..."
The wind suddenly stopped.
For one heartbeat...Everything became still.
Then—
"...Mystic Dragon Form."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A colossal eruption of spiritual energy exploded from Champagne's body.
The pressure blasted outward in every direction, sweeping debris from the street like leaves caught in a hurricane.
Broken vehicles rolled backward. Smoke was torn apart. Even the phantom horse slowed beneath the overwhelming force.
A magnificent dragon materialized around Champagne.
Not flesh nor bone.
Pure aura.
Its enormous serpentine body coiled protectively around him, shimmering with flowing streams of
green-ish blue energy.
Its scales resembled dancing flames. Its mane moved like rushing water. Ancient golden eyes slowly opened.
Then, It roared.
ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!
The sound shook the battlefield.
Everyone watching instinctively looked toward the source of the overwhelming power.
Brandon smiled.
"...There it is..."
Wei-Wan narrowed his eyes.
"...He's serious."
Champagne opened his own eyes.
They now glowed with the same calm golden light as the dragon surrounding him.
Unlike Zachia...His aura wasn't violent, it wasn't unstable, it was disciplined, controlled and balanced.
He slowly raised one hand toward the approaching samurai.
"...Come on..."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"...Let's talk."
The ghostly horse never slowed.
Zachia answered with action alone.
He vanished.
Then reappeared directly before Champagne.
The blade descended.
CLAAAAANG!!
Champagne caught it.
Barehanded.
The dragon's aura wrapped itself around his arms, absorbing most of the impact before it reached his body.
Even so...The sheer force pushed him backward several meters.
SKREETCH!
His boots carved deep trenches through the broken pavement.
"...Still..."
He gritted his teeth.
"...Hits like a mountain."
Zachia remained silent.
He attacked again.
One slash. Then another. Then another.
Every strike became faster, heavier, and more relentless.
The terrifying nature of his technique revealed itself once more.
One swing.....Contained many.
Invisible slashes overlapped within every attack, striking from impossible angles.
Champagne twisted beneath one strike.
Blocked another.
But the third—
SHINK!!
A thin line of blood appeared across his shoulder.
"...Damn..."
He leaped backward, creating distance between them.
For the first time since the battle began...He truly looked at Zachia.
Not the armor, not the ghostly horse, and not the sword.
His friend.
"...You're not even seeing me..."
His voice softened.
"...Are you?"
No answer only silence yet something changed. Zachia's grip tightened slightly around the sword.
His ghostly aura surged.
Then—
SWOOSH!
He vanished upward.
Champagne barely looked up before the samurai descended from above.
His sword carved downward.
"...SLASH!"
The first invisible strike tore through the air.
ZWIM!
Then another.
ZWIM–ZWIM–ZWIM!
And another.
Layer upon layer.
An entire storm of overlapping cuts descended toward Champagne.
This time...He didn't dodge.
He stepped forward.
"...ZACHIA!!"
The dragon roared.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Its enormous body wrapped completely around Champagne as the countless invisible slashes crashed against the aura.
SHAAAAAA!!
KRRRRR!!
Golden scales shattered. Emerald flames scattered. The dragon trembled beneath the relentless assault.
But it endured barely.
Champagne pushed forward through the storm. His hands reached the descending blade.
He grabbed it.
GRAB!!
The sharpened steel immediately tore into his palms.
Blood streamed between his fingers.
DRIP... DRIP...
Yet he refused to let go.
His eyes remained fixed on Zachia's.
"...Remember..."
His breathing grew heavier.
"...Gregor Naught..."
The sword trembled.
"...The prison..."
A faint flicker crossed Zachia's empty eyes.
Champagne noticed immediately.
"...You told me..."
"...You'd handle your own battles."
The ghostly armor pulsed.
"...You hate losing control."
Another pulse.
"...You hate becoming someone else's weapon."
The dragon's aura flared brighter once more.
Its roar echoed behind his words.
"...So why..."
Champagne's voice thundered across the battlefield.
"...WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ACTING LIKE ONE NOW?!"
Everything...Stopped.
For only a heartbeat. Zachia's sword froze. His empty eyes trembled.
Deep beneath the layers of possession...Something stirred.
A memory, a voice, a fragment of the man buried inside.
Champagne saw it.
"...That's it..."
He whispered.
"...Come back."
Then—
Fwoosh....
The ghostly horse screamed.
NEEEEEEEEEIGHHHHH!!
The terrifying cry echoed across Kingsville.
The phantom armor suddenly pulsed with dark energy. The ghostly symbols covering its surface burned brighter than ever before. The ancient warrior refused to release its vessel.
The darkness tightened around Zachia once again.
"...OOOORAAAAAAHHHH!!"
A savage roar erupted from within the armor.
The hesitation vanished.
The sword exploded forward with overwhelming force.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Champagne was thrown backward like a ragdoll.
His body slammed violently into the ground before bouncing across the shattered street.Concrete exploded beneath every impact.
He finally rolled to a stop several dozen meters away.
"...Tch..."
He slowly pushed himself upright. His breathing had become noticeably heavier. Blood continued dripping from both hands. His shoulder burned. His ribs screamed in protest.
Even the dragon surrounding him had begun to flicker.
"...Stubborn..."
He laughed quietly despite everything.
"...You're stubborn as ever."
He closed his eyes.
The dragon responded immediately. Its enormous body contracted, wrapping tighter around him.
The wild aura condensed.
Every ounce of its power became sharper, denser and more focused.
Champagne slowly opened his eyes once more.
Their golden glow had become even brighter.
"...Alright..."
He lifted his gaze toward the ghostly samurai.
"...If words aren't enough..."
A calm smile spread across his face.
"...Then I'll drag you back myself."
His foot touched the ground.
Then—
WHOOOOOOOSH!!
He vanished.
This time...He moved faster than ever before.
Not toward victory, not toward defeating an enemy, but toward saving a friend who could no longer save himself.
To be continued....