“I haven’t noticed any snake monsters around the perimeter. What’s going on?” Finnian asked with a frown, his eyes scanning the horizon as he tried to make sense of the sudden stillness.
“We don’t know the details yet,” Celestia replied, her voice tight with worry. She glanced up at the sky, where dark clouds still brimmed with ominous energy, ‘Even the Principal is struggling with that damn monster…’ A shiver ran down her spine as she gently adjusted her hold on Aqualina, who was still unconscious, lost in a deep, unnatural sleep.
Nearby, Helena, Aria, Selene, and Lia huddled together, discussing the chaotic events that had transpired during the recent game.
Nyx had gone off to ‘retrieve’ something, while Kai and Vesperine sat quietly off to the side. Vesperine was gently comforting Kai, who was visibly shaken by the loss of a friend. Though his body was still, his ears perked toward Lia’s group, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.
Meanwhile,
Ashara had led Aether away from the others, taking him to a more secluded spot. She eyed him thoughtfully, her gaze lingering on him as though she were sizing him up. “You know,” she said, breaking the silence, “I think white hair suits you far better than black.” She nodded, seemingly pleased with her observation.
Aether frowned.
Ashara was acting… strange and weir–
“I’m not weird, though,” she suddenly said, as if reading his mind.
Aether blinked in surprise. ‘What?’ His surprise only grew when Ashara chuckled—a sound that sent a shiver down his spine. His body reacted instinctively, a wave of heat rising from deep within him.
Ashara’s grin widened, her raspberry-coloured eyes gleaming with dangerous intent. She let her gaze fall deliberately to his groin, licking her lips seductively. “Would you mind,” she began, her voice sultry, “if I had a little… taste of that?”
[+10 AP]
Aether flinched, instinctively covering himself with his hands, “What the hell, Ashara?! What’s gotten into you?” he exclaimed, his confusion and discomfort evident.
Inwardly, he frowned. ‘Wait… didn’t she give me 200 AP earlier? Why has it been reduced to 10? This has never happened before.’ He glanced at Ashara, whose lips were now curling seductively, her eyes locked onto his groin.
Something was seriously wrong. Ashara had never acted like this. In fact, she had never paid much attention to anything below his neck, and now…
“Hahaha…” Ashara’s laugh was light and carefree, but it made Aether’s skin crawl. ‘What the hell is happening to me?’ he thought, panic creeping in as his body reacted to her presence in ways he couldn’t control.
Ashara leaned closer, deliberately showing off her deep cleavage as she winked at him. “Nothing’s wrong,” she whispered, her voice dripping with sensuality. “I’m just being… me. The true me.”
Aether frowned. “True you?”
“Yep,” Ashara replied casually, her eyes dark with mischief. She moved even closer, her fingers just inches away from his bare chest. “Aren’t you curious how I know your real identity?” she asked, her tone teasing.
Though the question was important, something else weighed on Aether’s mind. “Are you really Ashara Nightfire?” he asked, his voice low, suspicion lacing his words.
Ashara laughed again, the sound sending heat surging through Aether’s body. Her eyes glittered with amusement as she licked her lips. “My name is…. Nightfire,” she said, her voice taking on a more dangerous edge.
“Hmmm… Ashara Nightfire? I kno—” Aether began, but before he could continue, Ashara placed her fingers gently against his lips, silencing him.
“I am Nightfire~” she whispered hotly in his ear, her breath warm against his skin, “and she is Ashara,” she added, pointing to herself. “Understand?”
Aether nodded slowly, the realization dawning on him. ‘So… a dual personality, huh?’ he thought, warily watching Nightfire, who stared at him with a predatory gleam in her eyes. He took a step back, unsettled.
Nightfire laughed again, clearly enjoying his discomfort. “Don’t worry, Aether,” she purred, her voice low and intimate. “I would never touch…” She trailed off as her hand slid down to his groin, her fingers gently massaging the area. “…unless you wanted me to, of course~”
Aether’s heart raced, but he quickly stopped her hand, pushing it away. “Please refrain from touching me,” he said firmly, trying to maintain his composure.
Nightfire smirked, unbothered by his rejection. “Even though I saved your friend?” she teased.
“Hmm?” Aether frowned, confused.
“To be honest,” Nightfire continued nonchalantly, “I never cared about saving that girl. I just happened to be passing by when I saw her about to die. Ashara told me she was your friend and basically forced me to save her…” Nightfire trailed off, her expression thoughtful as if the memory amused her.
Aether sighed heavily. ‘Why am I always dealing with these weirdos?’ he thought before finally asking, “What do you want?”
Nightfire’s grin returned, wicked and sharp. “Nothing much,” she said, her eyes gleaming with dark amusement. “Just… fuck Ashara.”
“…Pardon?” Aether’s eyes widened, completely taken aback. ‘What the hell is she talking about?’
“Well… She’s a half-succubus,” Nightfire explained casually, “Not full-blooded like the others, which means she—”
BOOOOOOMMMMM!
The ground shook violently as a deafening explosion echoed in the distance.
“The monsters are swarming now!!” someone shouted, panic rising in their voice.
Aether and Nightfire whipped around to see a massive snake monster appearing, but this time its rainbow crystals bore two stars, a mark of greater power.
‘It’s getting worse…’ Aether thought grimly, his heart sinking as the situation spiralled out of control.
He immediately rushed to regroup with the others.
“Where the hell are these bastards coming from?!” Kai shouted, his voice trembling with fear as more monsters appeared. There were thousands of them, swarming like a plague, each one around level 30 with rainbow crystals glittering ominously. It was a nightmare come to life.
“What about the soldiers?” Aria asked desperately.
Celestia shook her head, “They can’t keep up. Only the top-levelers can kill these things, and even they’re getting exhausted. There are just too many.”
“S-Should we run?” Vesperine asked, her voice filled with fear. “It’s not like this is our fight, right?”
“I don’t—” Kai started to object, but Aether interrupted.
“Let’s run,” Aether said, his voice steady but urgent.
Kai stared at him in disbelief, “What?!”
“We can’t handle this,” Aether explained, his face serious. He didn’t care if others thought him a coward. There were bigger things at play, and right now, survival was paramount.
He needed to avoid Delphine’s vision at all costs!!
Seeing the sheer number of enemies, Aether knew the outcome could turn disastrous. Even if he tried something drastic, it wouldn’t be enough to turn the tide. Someone had already died, and there was no word from the Principal or the Dragon Emperor.
Though a few hesitated, they ultimately decided to run.
But then—
BBBOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
The ground trembled violently as something massive landed from the sky, leaving a colossal crater in its wake. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring everyone’s vision for a moment.
When the dust settled, all eyes widened in terror.
A colossal dragon, its scales shimmering in deep sapphire blue, slowly rose from the crater, its massive body exuding both raw power and overwhelming fatigue…. Its wings were tattered, the once proud membranes ripped in places, yet they still stretched wide enough to cast a shadow over the entire battlefield.
“DRAGON EMPEROR!!” the soldiers screamed, horrified by the sight of their Emperor’s beaten, bloodied form.
The Dragon Emperor let out a furious roar, his glowing blue eyes blazing with murderous intent, “I WILL KILL YOU!!! YOU FILTH!!!” he bellowed, his voice echoing across the landscape.
His gaze shot upwards, where the true horror descended from the sky—a black-scaled lung dragon, sinuous and menacing.
The lung dragon…. its elongated body more serpentine than the traditional dragon’s bulk.
Its scales glistened in a dark, iridescent sheen that reflected shades of crimson and black depending on how the light hit it.
Each of its enormous scales seemed edged with razor-sharp spikes, adding to its dangerous appearance.
A row of wicked, jagged spines ran down its back, ending in a whip-like tail tipped with a deadly barb that gleamed in the light.
The Dragon Emperor, undeterred, surged into the sky with a powerful beat of his wings, dark blue flames already gathering in his throat. He opened his maw and released a devastating torrent of flames.
The lung dragon didn’t flinch. It met the attack with equal ferocity, its crimson-red flames bursting forth like an inferno….
SSSSSHHHHHNNNNNGGGGGG
The clash of their firepower sent shockwaves through the air, the collision of blue and red flames tearing through the battlefield, scorching the earth and sky.
The pressure from their attack sent snake monsters flying, their bodies disintegrating mid-air as the sheer force obliterated everything in their path.
“Everyone, hold on to something!” someone screamed as the ground quaked, threatening to throw them off their feet.
Amidst the chaos, someone shouted, “H-Hey… I-It’s Thalia!!”
Aether’s gaze snapped toward the sky, where he saw Thalia…. her body impaled on one of the lung dragon’s massive, serrated teeth. Her lifeless form dangled helplessly as the monstrous creature descended, its deadly maw clamping shut around her.
Aether’s heart froze in his chest, shock!! and disbelief!!!