Ria stood before her enemy, battered but unbroken. Each blow she had endured only fueled her resolve, and though her body screamed for rest, she refused to fall. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword—a weapon forged from the very breath of a dragon. One strike. She only needed one to end this.

It had been over a year since she was crowned as the Ryuu, the dragon-born protector. But today, she wasn't just defending her title. She was facing the man who had destroyed her family.

"Had enough?" he mocked, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Not until I've avenged them," Ria answered, her voice sharp with fury. With a growl, she surged forward, her blade raised, intent on ending the nightmare that had stolen everything from her.

But as she charged, the world around her seemed to blur into darkness. The weight of the past year, the battles, the losses—they all pressed down on her, making her question if she could still go on. She couldn't die here. Not now. Not when she was so close.

"Prepare yourself," the man said coldly, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "Rubber technique: Seventh Piercing Arrow."

Ria's heart raced as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. She couldn't see him clearly. She didn't know where the attack would come from. Yet, in that split second, she realized how she had ended up here—facing this impossible fight.

It had all led to this moment. And she would see it through, no matter the cost.