As I headed towards Hiryo, the dragon saw me.
"Who the hell are you? And why couldn't I sense your presence before?"
Our gazes locked as if two monstrous entities were facing off against each other. The stares were full of menacing intent. Neither of us wanted to be the first to blink or show any sign of weakness.
The atmosphere became tense and thick with anticipation as if time had stopped.
I walked ahead of Hiryo, shielding his body with my left arm as I stood beside him.
"I apologize, dragon, but I have decided that I cannot allow this elf to die at this time. Therefore, please step the fuck away."
My tone was soothing, as if I was talking to a close acquaintance, yet I spoke with assurance and certainty.
The dragon was astonished that a human would make such a boastful statement, "Are all humans like this?"
His eyes began to gleam as his tone grew more serious, "Don't you remember they were the ones who bargained with me in my home?"
"They agreed to a bargain with me and I am fulfilling my obligations."
I stared defiantly into the dragon's fiery eyes, my face expressionless. I taunted, "Yeah thats right." I couldn't help but smirk, "Am I suppose to care?"
The dragon shut its eyelids as the environment around us started to become heavy, its sinister and wicked aura radiating even more intensely and ferociously.
"You know, in the ten thousand years that I've lived."
The dragon opened his eyes with a rush of energy, causing a strong wave of pressure to fill the room. A deep rumble emerged from its throat as it slowly rose up, its enormous wingspan stretching out to its full length.
"I HAVE NEVER FACED SUCH A NARROW MINDED HUMAN!"
Its scales glittered in the light, and its eyes burned with a fierce intensity. Its tail whipped around, sending a gust of wind through the room that caused some of the the torches to flicker.
The dragon stood tall, its presence now looming over the room.
*FLAP* *FLAP*
His thunderous cries reverberated through the dungeon as he flapped his wings, each flap like a devastating twister as he lifted off into the air.
As he hovered in the air, his mouth gaped open, exposing his long tongue and razor-sharp fangs, "Humans such as yourself are the most bothersome!"
Suddenly, a dark fireball began to take shape in his mouth, with a black hue enveloping the fire and a few streaks of purple running through its center.
As it grew, the heat emanating from it became intense, and the surrounding area was illuminated by its glow.
The fire slowly expanded outward, forming a large sphere that hovered in the air. The sphere was almost mesmerizing, its swirling black and purple flames creating a hypnotic pattern.
As I looked at Hiryo, who was unconscious but still breathing, I thought to myself, "I could endure this attack without getting hurt, but it could put Hiryo in danger of being engulfed in flames."
Them suddenly I recalled the moment when Mileanna had utilized her ice magic earlier.
"It's the best option for defense right now!"
As the dragon hurled its ball of darkfire in my direction, I shut my eyes and the next moment felt as if time had come to a crawl.
Focusing my mana, envisioning ice as my power source and I am its master. I command all aspects of it and shape it to my will.
I was seized with a sudden chill that ran through my body, "That's it!" I exclaimed. I concentrated, drawing mana from my body and directing it to my right palm.
I sensed the mana surging through me as the chill dissipated from my body and into my hands. My hands felt tingly and almost as if the cold was trying to flee from them.
It felt like only a few moments had passed, though in reality a second had gone by, as the dragon's menacing dark flame flew towards me.
Just as the flame was about to reach me, I put my right arm down on the floor.
By putting an exorbitant amount of mana into the spell, it achieved maximum power.
"Ice Immersion," I whispered
I opened my eyes and peered toward the place where the flame's direction, and suddenly an icy and jagged shock shot up out of the ground.
*GLING*
The ice crackled like shards of glass as it grew in size, its spikes protruding from the ground and becoming larger and larger.
The ice crept up to the black fire, completely engulfing it, and now it was headed in the direction of the dragon.
"What? Impossible!"
The dragon bellowed in rage as the flames dissipated in the ice and the ice moved closer to him.
He tried to move away but the ice was too powerful and he was soon completely engulfed by it. He was frozen in place, unable to move or breathe.
His body was slowly encased in a hard, icy shell. He was now a part of the frozen landscape.
The dragon resembling an animal from the Ice Age trapped in the frozen landscape.
The ice glittered like gems, with the energy coursing through it. It was like a million tiny diamonds reflecting the sun's rays, each one radiating its own intense beauty.
"Using an extraordinary amount of mana when casting basic spells can produce remarkable results."
The room was silent as I was the only one speaking. There was a slight chill in the air as I could feel the cold emanating from my hands after I had used a basic spell at such a high capcity.
I lifted my arms up and spun around so that I was facing Hiro on the floor.
Hiryo's eyes flickered open slowly and he spoke hoarsely, "I...I need to take revenge on them," he stammered.
Our gazes met and I said to him, "You are close to death's door, but I can give you the strength to fulfill your revenge."
"Please... I need s-strenght."
This elf had been through similar struggles as I had. I experienced an emotion I hadn't felt in ages and something that is missing from this world, 'empathy.'
"Okay Hiryo."
"I will provide you with the necessary power to exact your revenge."
I raised my arm and used a finger to scratch the surface of my forearm, causing a cut which allowed a trickle of blood to come out.
I pondered to myself while doing this, "Didn't the doctor make use of my blood to create potions that improve health and increase strength and magical power?"
"Besides, even if he were to take on the form of a humanoid, I would still kill him immediately afterwards."
I held my arm above Hiryo and turned it so that a few drops of blood spilled onto his lips.
*TAP*
A drop of blood brushed against his lips before dripping into his mouth.
A few moments of quiet passed, and nothing occurred. My eyes stayed fixed on him.
"Those feelings of betrayal can evoke powerful emotions such as rage, animosity, sorrow, and despair. You may even start to doubt yourself and your perception of reality."
"Don't let your emotions overwhelm you; use them as a source of drive. Discard the unnecessary and use it as a weapon to rebuild and take revenge on those who hurt you."
"Rise to your feet," I said in a low, quiet, and gravelly tone.
"Get up."
"Get up and fight."
The wound on his head started to heal gradually, and his breathing sped up.
His veins became visible as his muscles bulked up and his eyes were full of vitality and energy.
*PANT* *PANT*
He rose quickly, his previously worn down and anxious demeanor now replaced by one of comprehension. He glanced in my direction and seemed to relax, now that he was aware of what was happening.
The door to the dungeon abruptly appeared again, likely because the dragon had been vanquished.
Hiryo was aware of what he needed to do and gave me a slight nod in gratitude.
Hiryo rose from the ground and clutched his katana tightly. His demeanor was grave and menacing as he made his way to the dungeon's door. The atmosphere of the room was heavy and quiet.
"I'll let him know about the transformation into a humanmoid once he has exacted his revenge. It's best to stay out of his way and not let his thoughts wander."
Hiryo's strode with authority and fury as he went.
He had a dark, menacing expression on his face, which was markedly different from the one I had seen when I first met him. No longer clueless, I could feel he was no longer innocent, yet he was not a monster.
A beaming grin spread across my countenance, "He has transformed into someone completely different."