An hour away from Durk Town, the metallic clash of swords resonated, creating a sinister tapestry of blood that hung thick in the air.
The eerie aftermath sprawled across the earth, where fallen comrades, and promised goods lay scattered like morbid offerings.
A blade honed to a razor's edge severed the ties that bound Vivian to her companions. The one who once professed love, now a fool, drove claws into Vivian's chest, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
"And you, Hanes?" Vivian called out.
"Do not wear such a countenance; it ill befit you, my love. I am here to save you!" uttered Hanes with a heroic smile as he drove claw through the 'assailants' cavity
"...."
"What are you doing, Hanes?" Maya's words hung in the air, entwined with the frailty of her fleeting breath, while her eyes bore witness to an unfolding terror.
It was only now Hanes jolted back to a cruel reality.
The apparition before him wasn't a foe attempting to snuff the life of his beloved; rather, it was his hand protruding from his lover.
The stark realization struck Hanes like a thunderbolt, and the weight of the moment bore down upon him with relentless force.
Vivian's eyes once filled with trust and affection, now mirrored the profound betrayal she felt. Hanes recoiled, the ethereal glow of his previous assurance replaced by the shadows of despair. Hanes' heart, once pulsating with a bright future, now echoed with the haunting melody of dystopia.
Vivian's words caught in her throat as Hanes reverted from his hybrid to humanoid form. Bloodshot eyes silently bore witness to the unfolding tragedy, hoarse pleas fell upon deaf ears.
"What have I done, WHY Me…." Hanes repeated the same broken sentence like an old cassette player, as he clung to Vivian's hollow chest.
The cloak-masked assailants were struck dumb at the unexpected turn of events.
Their eyes, devoid of sympathy, mirrored the confusion etched on their faces. One moment, they exchanged blows; the next, Hanes attacked their target.
With a powerless heart, Hanes witnessed life slowly fading from Vivian's eyes.
"Damn, what do we do now?" signaled a masked man as they drew nearer.
"What's wrong with that guy? It's like he became possessed. Why did he attack her?" Another voice expressed concern, as they looked around frantically. Yet there was no one in sight.
"We have truly suffered a great loss; the contractor said nothing about battling a psychotic dragon," another complained, throwing out captive chains toward Hanes.
"Hurry and capture him, we can't have her death upon our head!" a voice cried out in fear.
As they drew nearer a Dust Breath blew them back.
Hane's bloodshot, impassioned voice resonated through the air as fragments of rocks spun around him.
"How do we proceed now? Our blades falter against his armored skin, and seizing the target risks inflicting harm," spoke a voice with a touch of femininity.
Nee's analysis proved astute; the Hanes before them belonged to an entirely novel strain of Divine lifeform, a departure from the details stipulated in their contract.
Armed only with a Rank 1 Magus, their arsenal felt disproportionately robust for the original task at hand. Nonetheless, the client insisted, dangling a tempting sum of compensation.
While Advisor Knox acknowledged that deploying a Rank 1 Magus would considerably deplete their resources, his inclination towards prudence wasn't without reason.
Hardlet, a Rank 1 Divine Blood Knight, loomed large in their path, and another variable the man with the Elixir.
The notion of Hanes sheltering an Earth Dragon's heart seemed preposterous. Despite circulating rumors, Knox dismissed them as baseless.
Anyone acquainted with Dragons, particularly Earth Dragons, recognized the daunting challenge they posed—requiring, at the very least, a Peak Rank 3 Powerhouse to vanquish an Adult Earth-Dragon.
Knox chose to disregard the speculative whispers and redirect his attention to countering Hardlet's interference.
"We're running out of time; there's no need to hesitate. Let's give it our all," the evident leader of the dwindling six declared, orchestrating their maneuver to surround Hanes once again.
The audacity with which they confronted Hanes puzzled no one. The collective intuition in the air hinted at an undeniable truth—Hanes was a recently emerged Dragon, and his every move betrayed a lack of finesse. Adding to their boldness, the assailants possessed intimate knowledge of each person within their reach.
In their fervor to close in on Hanes, the assailants remained oblivious to a pair of vigilant eyes that tracked their every move.
"How long must we linger, brother?" The two men occupied a confined space conjured by Nuu.
Throughout the ordeal, these two did not interfere.
"Kill the Water Magus, I'll handle Hanes," Oga re-directed his gaze from the assailants towards the enraged Hanes.
"Your wing retracts them and extinguishes the flame. We're leaving no traces behind. These are not ordinary thieves seeking plunder; their training and coordination suggest a different purpose….
Also, I have yet seen our serpent," Oga inquired.
Nuu gestured towards Maya. "Can you not sense the Void Snake bloodline emanating from her near-lifeless companion?"
Pondering the reasons behind his inability to detect this uniqueness, Oga considered the possibility that it might be due to Nuu's ability to detect spatial resonance.
Maya's proximity to death or a lack of control over her bodily functions, releasing the store beast within her belly Numerous questions swirled in his mind.
'Could she be a Rare Human?'Oga questioned.
"The likelihood is high. She appears to be able to confine living entities within herself." Nuu observed, both he and Oga turning their attention to the attractive slender middle-aged woman.
Oga's excitement was palpable. "Like a Flesh Pouch, but even more potent…"
Nuu nodded in agreement, only for a light bulb to go off in his mind
"Don't tell me, are you contemplating 'that'" Nuu's lips curved into a devilish grin.
"Indeed, the die has been cast with your intervention!" Oga declared with a grin.
"You're utterly shameless. Could we not have obtained them without resorting to my Thousand Eyes?"
"We could have, but I prefer this method!" Oga explained.
A sigh, tinged with curiosity, escaped Nuu's lips. "Have you, by any chance, fallen in love?" Nuu inquired as he put on his mask and retracted his wing and flame.
Similarly, Oga adorned his mask. "Love may be a stretch, but I do have my thoughts regarding Vivian."
Nuu couldn't suppress his laughter. "If I'm not mistaken, you anticipated Yanis' failure from the beginning, thanks to your actions in the Forest of Carnage. Whoever is behind this ambush inadvertently gifted our household three great boons" Nuu remarked
Oga, his expression betraying neither affirmation nor denial of Nuu's observations, dismissed further speculation with a nonchalant laugh.
"No time for conjecture; let's proceed," Oga declared.
In the original plan, Vivian and her team would have met their demise, if such a scenario played out like now, and the two variables that change everything:
Hanes and Maya. Hanes being an Earth Dragon was an unexpected boon, and Maya, a Rare Human with the ability to store living objects.
As for Vivian, all she possessed was her sensual physique—a meager offering not worth jeopardizing his clan to offend whoever was pulling the string of this ongoing play.
Bedside, these lifeless bodies scattered on the ground bore testimony to the ruthless future of Vivian, Hanes, and Maya.
Oga's Hematocrystallum Elixir sought by competing teams. The prospect of even more formidable adversaries arriving was not far-fetched.
With all these egos gathering in one spot was bound to lead to infighting, what better time for Oga to become a fisherman?
By sheer fortune or impeccable timing, the 4th Prince was absent from Durk Town. Otherwise, the ongoing Battle Royale near his domain would have escalated to unprecedented proportions.
"It's time!" Nuu said
The veils hiding their presence became undone, causing the assailants preparing to launch an all-out war against Hanes to widen their eyes in fear.
"Are they with us?" They whimpered among themself
"....."
The arrival of two Divine lifeforms caused their leader to stay on high alert
"Reveal your identity," a cautious voice emanated from the group of six.
However, the leader's hands were already laden with droplets of water, poised for battle.
"Eh, when did he?" the female assailants and the others exclaimed, eyes bulging in disbelief.
Their thoughts spiraled, realizing the horns of Hanes, Maya, and Vivian were now within this man's grasp, the surprising aspect was that Hanes missing blood arm was being used a thirst quencher.
"You need not know!" Nuu's presence caused the Grand Knights to falter, the color draining from their countenances.
"I'll leave him to you," Nuu declared, and only then did Hanes become aware of it. His arm, which had been wrapped around Vivian's waist, was now gone.
"Masked Devils, my wounds?" Vivian inquired with some difficulty.
"It has indeed been a while, Lady Vivian, and you remain as enchanting as ever. Don't strain yourself. You still require time to heal." Oga stated, signaling Nuu to commence.
A blade, drenched in crimson, emerged from the depths of Nuu's chest, an ominous harbinger of fate. Onlookers, unable to escape its influence, felt the weight of destiny shifting around them.
"Bastard, return my woman!" Hanes charged towards Nuu.
"Hanes…We're done!" Vivian fading voice
Only to be decked away like a baseball.
"You heard the Lady!" Oga smirked.
"...."
"Swallow Bonari!" Nuu proclaimed.
In mere seconds, the quintet of Grand Knights crumpled like autumn leaves, surrendering to the relentless onslaught of Nuu's Hundred Men's Death March—a ceaseless tide of metamorphosing flesh that surged with deathly vigor.
Now, only their commander lingered, battered and ensnared by unbridled terror. 'An hour' had elapsed since he traversed the threshold into this foreboding realm.
Seated upon an unseen throne, a spectral figure observed their plight, withholding direct interference. The fallen lay strewn about, even then, their bodies were not spared.
"Accursed fate! Unveil your identity at least... let me know the executor of my demise, I am Reggie of the Surging Current!"
"I don't believe I asked!" were Nuu's parting words.
The world appeared to spiral into pandemonium.
No, the world had not upended; instead, Reggie's head had been severed from his corporeal vessel, as his blood became a bead.
"Now, what I anticipated was a formidable struggle; however, they crumbled within three short breaths!" Nuu sighed as he looked upon the deceased.
Hanes' draconian arm crumbled into a cloud of delicate dust, dispersing around Maya and Vivian's open wound.
Nuu bemoaned the prolonged healing process, If Yanis was here this would have taken a few breaths.
Nuu arranged Maya and Vivian upon a cushion fashioned like hands. He deposited Yanis' six essences in each woman.
"Her physique slightly surpasses our Night Wenches but falls short of Zamira's," Nuu observed, casting another glance at Vivian.
[House Thornbrick Night Wenches City Level+ Beauties: Nylah, Sage, and Yaya]
Half an hour later….
The sound of coughing resonated, and a parched voice inquired, "Eeh, where am I?"
"Oh, you're finally awake," Nuu turned to the attractive raven-haired female and offered a bota bag.
Maya's sapphire eyes conveyed the expected emotions of suspicion.
"You can drink it. If I desired to poison you, you wouldn't be alive now." Nuu shrugged.
Maya hesitated but eventually drank, realizing then that her best friend lay beside her on a hand-shaped cushion.
Maya being the first to awaken wasn't shocking, the blood used to heal them belonged to an Earth Dragon. A lifeform notorious for its healing prowess and armored-like skin.
As Maya tried to rise, a searing pain in her abdomen halted her even her following words were extremely difficult to deliver with each word causing her to puke out blood, "Listen to me please, you must ru-"
"Your body still needs time to heal," Nuu advised not giving Maya a chance to speak, fearing her body would go into another shock.
With a swift chop to the back of her neck. Maya fell back into the cushion.
Nuu abstained from dismantling his dominion, allowing the battlefield's corpses to be devoured by the ravneous Bonari.
"It's been quite a stretch, Sir. Hanes," Oga quipped, a lightness in his tone as he pirouetted around Hanes' implacable Dust Breath—a unique power that enshrouded its victim upon impact, extracting every iota of moisture from their very being.
Not even the once-lush foliage surrounding them was immune to Hanes' relentless onslaught.
"We're not exactly on cordial terms, you unsightly masked bastard. The only utterances I yearn for from your craven lips are the whereabouts of my dear Vivian." Hanes' voice, drenched in fury, reverberated through the atmosphere, causing it to pulsate with a palpable fervor.
"Your concerns are excessive, my friend; rest assured, the lady is in no danger," Oga reassured. "Instead, join me for a moment, let's partake in a sip of tea. I have a proposal to share with you."
"Death awaits you!" Hanes continues his relentless assault
"Wait... hear me out. Become my steed, and I shall grant you the desires of your heart," Oga proposed, deflecting Hanes' cleaving attack effortlessly, sending him hurtling into boulders.
"Do you dare liken me, a dragon of pride, to a mere horse?" Hanes retorted, his voice ablaze with indignation.
"Do you truly dare to liken me, a dragon of pride, to that of a mere horse?" Hanes retorted with a voice aflame with indignation.
"Was you not just a human a few weeks prior or was I mistaken?"
"So what… I'm reborn as a pureblood," Hanes declared with a casual air. "Enough with the chit-chat. What I truly wish to know is, was it your interference that caused me to impale my dear Vivian?" His eyes narrowed, revealing a mix of curiosity and accusation.
As he emerged from the debris, a visible astonishment crossed Hanes' face. Since his transformation into a dragon, he had been impervious to both cutting and blunt assaults. Yet, with a nonchalant swing of Oga's sword, vulnerability seeped in.
The air crackled with tension as the two figures faced each other amidst the aftermath of the destruction.