Jareth's body coiled with tension as the spikes hurtled down like jagged spears, shattering the ground with devastating force. He could feel the immense power radiating from Yggdrasil, the Demon Tree, its monstrous form twisting and writhing with an unnatural malice. The air around him was heavy, thick with corrupted mana, pressing on him like an invisible weight.
"Jareth! Use the power!" Bahamut's voice thundered in his mind. "There's no other way to survive this!"
Jareth's claws clenched, his hesitation lingering. He had used the Dragon God's power before, and while it had saved his life, it had also left him with a deeper awareness—one that he couldn't ignore. He wasn't the same as he had been before. The transformation wasn't just physical; it was reaching into his soul, altering him in ways he wasn't prepared to confront.
"Bahamut," he growled, dodging a massive spike that splintered the ground beneath him. "I'm not human anymore, am I?"
The silence in his mind lasted only a moment before Bahamut responded, his voice steady but grave. "No, Jareth. You're not. Not entirely. As you've noticed, your soul is changing, just as your body has. You're becoming a dragon—not just in form, but in spirit."
Jareth froze for a fraction of a second, his chest tightening. He glanced down at his hands, the black scales glimmering with fiery, pulsing veins. He could feel it in the way his heart beat, in the fire that coursed through his veins, in the sharp, primal instincts that guided his every move.
"Is that… a good thing?" Jareth muttered, his voice low, almost to himself.
"Sometimes it will be," Bahamut replied, his tone both encouraging and firm. "The strength, the power, the instincts—they will make you a formidable force. But there will be times when the dragon within you will clash with your human side. You must be vigilant, Jareth. Do not lose yourself to the beast."
Jareth's eyes, burning with a crimson glow, narrowed. "Then what am I now? If I'm not fully human, and not fully a dragon… what does that make me?"
Bahamut's voice softened. "You are Jareth Dragonheart, champion of the God of Gods—Almighty Bahamut. You are more than human, but you are not less. Remember this: the dragon within you is not your enemy, but it is not your master either. You are the one who chooses who you will become."
The Transformation
Yggdrasil roared, its corrupted branches creaking and groaning as they writhed. "Even the Gods have forsaken us!" it bellowed, its voice resonating through the twisted forest. "The holy lands are now an abomination. My roots, my branches, my children—we are all lost, and I… I am nothing but a weapon of destruction!"
Jareth shook his head, his grip tightening. He knew what he had to do. There was no more room for hesitation. He closed his eyes, reaching deep within himself. The Dragon God's power stirred like a blazing inferno, waiting to be unleashed.
With a guttural roar, his body began to shift. Black scales rippled across his arms and legs, their fiery veins pulsing brighter than before. His fingers lengthened into razor-sharp claws, his chest expanded, and his entire frame exuded raw, primal strength.
His transformation wasn't just physical. He felt his emotions sharpen, his instincts take over. Fear and doubt dissolved, replaced by an intense, almost overwhelming confidence. But beneath it all, he felt the pull—the dragon within him, fierce and commanding.
The Battle
Yggdrasil's colossal arm morphed into a hammer-like appendage, its gnarled wood glowing with malevolent energy. The tree swung it with terrifying force, the ground trembling as it obliterated everything in its path. Jareth darted forward, flames erupting from his legs as he dodged the blow by mere inches.
"Bahamut!" Jareth growled, his voice guttural, almost unrecognizable. "I need more power!"
"Not yet," Bahamut's voice cut through his mind, firm and commanding. "You need to get closer first. Save the ultimate attack for the perfect moment."
Jareth roared in frustration, his fiery claws slashing through the roots and branches that lashed out at him. His movements were fluid, instinctive, as if the dragon within him was guiding his every step.
Yggdrasil snarled, its corrupted voice laced with pain and rage. "You think you are righteous, champion? You think your power is holy? You are no different from me—a beast wielding the will of a higher power!"
Jareth's fiery eyes locked onto Yggdrasil's core, glowing with dark, corrupted energy. "Then let me show you the difference," he growled.
The Ultimate Attack
As Jareth closed the distance, he felt the energy around him—the corrupted mana that saturated the air, the remnants of the dying forest. It surged and swirled, ready to be harnessed.
"Bahamut," Jareth called, his voice steady and resolute. "Now."
"Do it, Jareth!" Bahamut roared. "Gather the mana and aura around you—channel it all into a single strike. End this!"
Jareth's claws dug into the ground as he focused, his fiery veins glowing brighter, pulsing with energy. The air around him began to shift, the corrupted mana swirling toward him in a vortex of light and darkness. His scaled body radiated an intense, fiery aura as he drew the power inward.
Yggdrasil let out a guttural roar, sensing the energy building around Jareth. The tree's hammer-like arm swung down in a desperate attempt to stop him, but Jareth leapt into the air, his flaming claws trailing behind him.
Hovering above the Demon Tree, Jareth roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "This ends now!"
With a final burst of energy, Jareth unleashed the gathered mana and aura in a blinding explosion. The fiery inferno engulfed Yggdrasil, the corrupted land quaking under the sheer force of the blast.
The Aftermath
As the flames subsided, Jareth stood amidst the destruction, his dragon-like form still emanating faint wisps of smoke and energy. His crimson eyes glowed with a quiet intensity as he looked down at his scaled hands.
"You see, Jareth?" Bahamut's voice echoed in his mind, calm and resolute. "The dragon within you gives you strength, but it is your will that defines who you are."
Jareth nodded slowly, the weight of Bahamut's words sinking in. He wasn't just a man anymore, but he wasn't fully a dragon either. He was something in between—a champion, a warrior, and a force to be reckoned with.
He took a deep breath, the primal instincts within him simmering, but still under control. "I am Jareth Dragonheart," he said quietly, his voice steady. "Champion of the God of Gods. And I will finish this fight."