Both of them were battered, and bruised, their bodies speaking volumes of the brutal exchange that had taken place.
Mavislin's pulse quickened, but she forced herself to steady her breath. She couldn't afford to lose control, not now. Composing herself, she murmured a command for Venom's staff to evacuate the room and fetch medical assistance.
As they hastily moved out, Mavislin stepped further into the room, her presence unnoticed by the two combatants who remained locked in their fierce standoff. Tension thickened the air, heavy and palpable, as she approached them, ready to intervene.
"How amusing. To think it would take so little to awaken that berserk side of you. Once again, you managed to surprise me. And I must say, I welcome it—this bloodthirst, this ferocity, this seething hatred for me. It is... truly a sight to behold," choked out the blonde.
The rabbit remained silent, his grip tightening, yet Zenos barely reacted. A small, amused cough escaped him, his gaze steady as if the pressure on his throat were nothing more than a fleeting distraction.
The tension in the air deepened, but the Viceroy seemed unphased, his smirk never wavering.
"You do not know how much she means to me. And you have absolutely no clue about her," bellowed Mattheos, with a voice that was foreign to the dragoness.
Was it Matt? Or was that the Mad King?
"Ah... But are you aware of her insatiable thirst for destruction on the battlefield? Her desire to utterly annihilate her enemies? It is a most thrilling display, to say the least," continued the blonde, ignoring the rabbit's claims.
"Shut up! She isn't the same as you! She's not a warmonger or a heartless creature!" snapped Mattheos as he tried to bury his free fist into Zenos' abdomen.
The Viceroy's grip on the broken sword tightened, poised to drive it into the rabbit's cheek. But both males froze, eyes widening as Mavislin appeared between them, an unexpected barrier.
The air was thick with the scent of dragon blood, and the sound of Matt's fist connecting with flesh echoed in the room.
Zenos immediately released the broken sword, while Matt let go of the Viceroy's neck, his breath ragged with tension. The rabbit's form trembled, eyes wide with fear before his Alter form began to fade away.
In his panic, Matt jerked his arm back, inadvertently pulling out from Mavislin's abdomen. The dragoness cried out, but before she could react, Zenos stepped forward, his hand firm as he grabbed Matt's arm, halting its movement.
"Do not move. Your arm is the only thing keeping her from bleeding out. Any sudden shift and you will only hasten her demise. Stay still," commanded the Viceroy.
"Looks like I need to attend Raven's reflex classes again. I was only able to stop the blade..." mumbled Mavislin, as blood trickled down her chin.
"What, pray tell, is the meaning of this chaos?!" shouted Venom as he dashed into the room.
"I-"
"Silence yourself. I've no interest in hearing excuses from someone who dares bury their entire fist into my youngling. Step away, blondie—unless you possess the gift of healing, I strongly advise you to place several continents between us."
"Now," growled the dragon male as he placed a gentle hand on Mavislin's back.
A warmth blossomed beneath her palm, gradually spreading through her entire body, suffusing her with a calming heat.
"Good. Your solar plexus remains untouched. Either fortune favors you, little dragon, or your bunny companion has an abysmal aim, managing to miss every vital organ under the heavens." said Emmett as he took off his hand.
He then snapped his head toward the rabbit and glared.
"Remove your arm from her. One fluid motion, no delay. Should I detect even the faintest hesitation, I will not hesitate to sever that arm myself. Understood?"
"Wait. Won't I bleed out? This is a huge injury..."
"Quiet now, my dear. Place your trust in me," cooed Venom, smoothing her hair and carefully lowering her to sit on the ground.
"Pull your arm out now!" continued the male, shifting his voice from calm to outright terrifying in a split second.
The rabbit, clearly valuing his own arm, squeezed his eyes shut and yanked it free, causing Mavislin to cry out in pain once more. But the agony was fleeting, replaced by a soothing warmth that enveloped her wound like a comforting blanket.
As her eyes fluttered open, the dragoness was taken aback.
Dark, pitch-black strands of mana swirled around the injury, weaving in and out as if they were stitching her flesh together, each thread pulling the wound closed with eerie precision as though she were a delicate doll in need of mending.
"And since when did you know how to heal a gaping hole?!" exclaimed the confused dragoness, staring at Venom.