Amphere Harrison
I have my personal reasons for creating a new faction between Arcadia and the Chevalier Unit, rooted in a deep-seated resentment towards Airi and Estoff for their past actions. Despite harboring some lingering trust in them, I cannot easily forgive them. However, there remains a glimmer of hope within me that they genuinely desire a peaceful transformation and a chance to start anew. Over the past three years, Airi has demonstrated remorse for the lives they've taken, vowing to avoid any further casualties during their operations.
To maintain the illusion of my allegiance to them, I've chosen to align myself with this alliance. Nevertheless, my ulterior motive lies in the passage of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. Once I emerge victorious in the tournament and the chaos of war subsides, I intend to sever all ties with Arcadia. Airi will be left behind, their bonds with me ruthlessly severed, so they can truly comprehend the anguish of being utilized and betrayed, just as they did to Zac Schneider.
That is why I am prepared to dedicate every ounce of my being to the upcoming battle.
"Welcome to the Quarterfinals of the Dragon Knights Tournament!" boomed the emcee, his voice resounding throughout the arena. "Today, we shall witness the confrontation of the final eight mighty dragon knights remaining in this gripping competition!"
The emcee's protracted speech droned on, filled with empty words that I dismissed as mere flattery. However, the fervent cheers emanating from the audience confirmed their readiness to accept his rhetoric. Impatience consumed me, and I found myself incessantly tapping the sole of my foot while waiting for my restless dragonoid companion. She remained confined to the women's restroom, engaged in what she called her 'final touch.' I couldn't fathom the purpose of adorning oneself with makeup before plunging into a brutal battle within the confines of the coliseum. Was this a practice shared by all women?
Suddenly, a burst of energy erupted from the crowd, drawing my attention. It was Airi! She sprinted towards me with an agility reminiscent of a nimble ninja, gracefully flipping her body mid-air. In an unexpected turn of events, she crashed into my face, locking her thighs around my neck, her bosom hovering just above my head. Her skirt shielded my vision, as the scent of an unfamiliar yet oddly comforting perfume permeated the air.
"Let's secure victory swiftly! Totally!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with determination, her arms enveloping my head in an embrace.
After Airi's exuberance subsided slightly, we composed ourselves, prepared to step into the limelight—the heart of the arena. With only eight participants remaining in the Dragon Knights Tournament, the emcee relished his opportunity to introduce each of our entrances with painstaking slowness.
"In the left corner, we have the illustrious attorney-knight, whose intellect and the formidable power of his dragonoid have vanquished every opponent they've faced! Give a thunderous round of applause for Sir Amphere Harrison!"
The crowd erupted into a frenzy of excitement, a wave of adulation that seemed unfamiliar to me. It was an odd sensation, as I had never experienced such a devoted following before. What perplexed me further was the presence of female performers passionately chanting, "Harrison! Harrison! L-O-V-E Harrison!!!" These, apparently, were my newfound fangirls—an embarrassing and somewhat bothersome situation, to say the least.
Airi explained that my fanbase had blossomed due to the display of my battle prowess, coupled with the recent court trial that had captured public attention. It had truly thrust me into the spotlight.
"Now, introducing in the right corner, we have the academy's resident playboy! His ominous aura sends shivers down the spines of his adversaries! Put your hands together for Sir Dennis Rychenn!"
Dennis Rychenn, a diminutive figure with spiky black hair, entered the stage. He perpetually adorned a white bandana and wielded a wooden bow as his primary weapon. Often referring to himself as "Cupid," he prided himself on his ability to captivate the majority of the female population within our class. Consequently, an opposing group of cheerleaders emerged, rallying with chants of "Go, go Rychenn! Handsome Rychenn!!!"
As the battle commenced, marked by the emcee's resounding declaration and the blaring of the buzzer, I couldn't help but notice the peculiarity of Dennis' dragonoid—a diminutive maid with a vivid blue-dyed bowl cut hairstyle. Although I remained unaware of her true name, Dennis affectionately referred to her as "Waifu," a term that resonated with his weeb-like tendencies. The unsettling aspect, however, lay in the fact that Waifu, at the tender age of twelve, had already unlocked the fearsome Dracaryx form—an unsettling revelation indeed.
"By the way, that dragonoid's name is Lyka. Just thought you should know," Airi reminded me, adopting a poised stance as we prepared to engage.
Taking the lead, I surged forward, brandishing my photon saber with determination. Lyka, Dennis' dragonoid, swiftly followed suit, unleashing a barrage of heavy chain swings originating from her wrists. With synchronized precision, Airi and I deflected the onslaught, seamlessly countering with a devastating hacking maneuver.
In a nimble display of agility, Lyka evaded our assault, granting Dennis the opportunity to unleash a volley of three arrows towards me. I managed to narrowly evade two of them, but they grazed my shield, diminishing its strength to a mere 70%. The final arrow was intended for a direct hit, but Airi skillfully deflected it using her photon saber. There was little time for gratitude, however, as the enemy dragonoid immediately retaliated with a ranged attack, forcing us to swiftly adapt.
With a forceful slam of her fist upon the ground, the maid dragonoid unleashed a torrent of floating debris, manipulating the chains attached to her wrists with precision akin to that of a slingshot. This twelve-year-old dragonoid surpassed all expectations, displaying an extraordinary prowess. I managed to deflect and parry ten or eleven of the incoming rocks, but the relentless barrage of arrows posed a significant challenge. Maintaining my shield while wielding a single weapon became increasingly untenable.
"Airi, lend me your sword and switch to armament mode!" I commanded, urgency permeating my voice. She swiftly responded with a resolute "Totally!" and tossed me my second photon saber. As if guided by an otherworldly mechanism, metallic appendages emerged from Airi's back, reminiscent of Doctor Octopus' robotic tentacles. However, instead of serving as limbs for mobility, they transformed into powerful cannons, their purpose to intercept the airborne onslaught of rocks and arrows.
Once my dynamos were in motion, the tide of the battle undeniably shifted in our favor. The lasers emitted by my dynamos weakened Dennis' shield, reducing its strength to a mere 50%, while rendering his arrows futile in their attempts to reach me. Faced with the mounting pressure, Dennis chose to intensify his assault.
"Activating Vesryn Pulse!"
A formidable presence emerged—an embodiment of power and majesty. This colossal lizard, standing at seven meters in height, possessed the composite features of an American eagle's bill, griffon's talon claws, and the bulletproof scales of a komodo dragon. Its body, predominantly draped in black feathers, boasted the awe-inspiring wingspan of a giant black hawk. This formidable adversary was rightfully known as the Black Feather Dragon.
Realizing that defeating the Black Feather Dragon in our human forms was an insurmountable task, I made the critical decision to activate Vesryn Pulse, enabling Airi to assume her formidable Futuretech Dragon form. The moment Airi's transformation concluded, the Black Feather Dragon launched an onslaught of innumerable black feather-arrows towards us. Attempting to counter this overwhelming barrage, I unleashed my dynamo's lasers while Airi's machine guns blazed. Yet, despite our efforts, the sheer volume of the arrows proved overwhelming, numbering in the tens of thousands.
"Activating Force Field," Airi declared, her voice resolute. A protective bubble enveloped the entirety of the Futuretech Dragon's massive form, effectively repelling seventy percent of the incoming projectiles. However, thirty percent managed to breach the barrier, causing sporadic sparks and resulting in temporary short circuits within my dragonoid's robotic body. As a consequence, her movements became sluggish.
Our opponent's strategy lay not in delivering a killing blow, but rather in utilizing their long-range advantage to incapacitate the opposing dragon. The relentless onslaught of the black feather arrows proved evasive, leaving me grateful that only a mere 20% of my shield sustained damage.
"I acknowledge your power, Amphere Harrison," Dennis sighed, a tone of resignation in his voice. "We are honored to face you. However, this battle ends now."
A chill ran down my spine as he spoke once more, his words filled with ominous intent. "DRACARYX!!! Activate Abyssal Hole!!!"
The Black Feather Dragon conjured a sphere of darkness within its talon hands, hurtling it towards us with malevolent intent. Hindered by Airi's compromised agility, she was left with no choice but to intercept the colossal sphere using her arms and wings. This sphere, measuring approximately two meters in diameter, possessed the properties of a black hole, generating an overwhelming gravitational force that not only tore the ground asunder but also devoured it into the depths of eternal darkness.
"This... is the power of Dracaryx?!" Airi exclaimed with telepathic frustration from her perch atop my head.
Meanwhile, with each passing split second, my shield plate dwindled by a single percentage point, the strain of countering the sphere's formidable force taking its toll.