Chapter 34: The Wrath of the Awakened Dragon

  The battlefield was chaos incarnate. The midday sun burned high, casting long shadows across the sky as titanic forces clashed. Solarion-Lupus Revise and Direhound-Command weaved through the air, relentless in their assault against Soldraknirr.

  Lyrius moved like a specter, his reaction time so precise it was almost prophetic. Every strike Leona attempted was dodged at the last possible moment. Every arc of Garett’s plasma blade was parried effortlessly by Soldraknirr’s razor-sharp claws.

  Leona growled, frustration creeping into her voice. “Hold still, you slippery bastard!” She swung her greatsword in a downward arc, aiming to cleave through Soldraknirr’s chest plating.

  Lyrius twisted his mech’s body mid-air, evading by inches, and with a violent counterattack, Soldraknirr lunged forward.

  A sickening CRUNCH echoed through the battlefield.

  In an instant, Direhound-Command’s legs were torn asunder by Soldraknirr’s mighty maw. The metallic limbs fell away, crashing into the battlefield below. Leona barely had time to register the sudden lack of support before her mech plummeted toward the ground.

  “Shit!” she hissed, deploying her emergency thrusters just in time to slow her descent. She landed hard, digging Direhound-Command’s sword into the ground to stabilize herself.

  Above, Garett wasn’t faring much better. His Mithrititanium plating, the only thing keeping his mech from crumbling under Soldraknirr’s onslaught, was beginning to crack. Fine lines of weakness spiderwebbed across Solarion-Lupus Revise’s once-impenetrable frame. Another direct hit, and it would all be over.

  Lyrius smirked, raising a hand. “Ventus Fornori!”

  The air vanished in an instant. A vacuum of silence swallowed the battlefield as Ventus Fornori took effect, amplified by Soldraknirr’s SES. The very breath was stolen from the lungs of those caught in its radius. The deck of The Steadfast groaned as pressure warped its metal plating, threatening to collapse inward.

  But before it could reach her, Lyra’s eyes glowed with power. With a flick of her wrist, the storm unraveled. The winds, once raging with destructive intent, were silenced in an instant, as if they had never been called at all.

  Lyrius' smug expression faltered. He narrowed his eyes at Lyra, clearly irritated. “Tch. That’s becoming annoying.”

  A sharp beep echoed in Garett’s cockpit—his Azeroth Drive was primed. He wasted no time. No chants. No warning.

  “Ymiris Aeternum!”

  The world froze.

  The god-tier frost spell erupted, an expanding dome of absolute zero racing outward. Ice crawled up Soldraknirr’s wings, biting deep into its golden plating. The very air crackled as Lyrius' mech locked up, momentarily frozen in time.

  Lyrius’ mind barely registered the attack. No incantation? No preparation? Impossible!

  Leona took the opening.

  With a roar, she unsheathed her greatsword from her shield-scabbard, igniting her battle aura to reinforce her blade. With a single, devastating swing, Direhound-Command’s blade cleaved through Soldraknirr’s wings.

  The sound of metal rending filled the air.

  Lyrius barely had time to process it before gravity took hold.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  He was falling.

  His mind screamed commands, trying to slow his descent. He pushed his magic to the limit, summoning gale-force winds to cushion his impact, but the force was too great.

  Soldraknirr crashed into the earth, the impact creating a crater of dust and debris. Lyrius’ vision swam, his body numb from the shock. He tried to move, but for a moment, he could only lay still.

  Then—

  A memory surfaced. A distant voice, echoing through time.

  Years Ago – House Draconis Estate

  The halls of House Draconis were vast, lined with towering banners of obsidian and gold. A young Drakon Vaelinor, barely in his pre-teens, stood in the grand courtyard, wooden training sword in hand. Lyrius, much smaller, watched him from the edges, hesitant.

  “Come here, Lyrius,” Drakon called, his tone warm.

  Lyrius shifted uncomfortably. “Are you sure we should be playing together? Mother said… since my blood isn’t pure—”

  Drakon laughed, shaking his head. “You’re my brother. That’s all that matters.”

  Lyrius hesitated before stepping forward. “Drakon… is it true? The legend of Aldric, the first dragon rider?”

  Drakon’s eyes gleamed. “Of course. Aldric tamed the great dragons of Drakonheimr Omega and conquered the continent. He rode upon their backs, fought alongside them, and in the end, they accepted him as one of their own.”

  Lyrius fidgeted. “They say… he became a dragon himself.”

  Drakon chuckled, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Some say that, yes. Perhaps it’s just a story. Or maybe there’s a truth buried in legend.”

  Lyrius looked up at him with wide eyes. “Do you think… someone like me could ever do something like that?”

  Drakon’s smile softened. “You’re a Draconis, Lyrius. There’s nothing you can’t do.”

  The memory faded.

  Lyrius’ fingers dug into the earth. A tremor ran through his body, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

  Something deep within him stirred.

  A power—ancient, buried within his bloodline—awoke.

  His heart pounded like a war drum. His veins burned with the force of something primeval, something forgotten by time itself.

  His lips curled into a slow, knowing grin.

  And then, Soldraknirr moved.

  Faster than thought, faster than their senses could register, Soldraknirr surged forward. A golden blur of destruction, it slammed into Solarion-Lupus Revise with a force that sent the mech careening backwards, tearing through the battlefield like a comet. The impact nearly shattered Garett’s restraints, his vision blackening at the edges from the sheer G-force.

  Before he could recover, Lyrius was upon him.

  A clawed hand, wreathed in draconic energy, gripped Solarion-Lupus Revise’s arm and ripped it free with a grotesque SNAP. Sparks and hydraulic fluid sprayed from the torn limb, the once-mighty plating crumbling in Lyrius’ grasp like brittle parchment.

  Garett barely had time to react before Soldraknirr spun and launched the severed arm like a missile—straight into Direhound-Command.

  The impact caved in Leona’s cockpit shielding, sending a deafening screech of metal through her comms. Alarms blared inside her HUD as her mech tumbled backward, barely able to maintain balance with its already severed legs.

  Lyrius’ laughter echoed through the battlefield, dark and exultant.

  “You thought you had won?” His voice was layered, distorted—not entirely human.

  Garett’s controls screamed at him. His mech was barely responding. He forced it to stand, but it was too slow—

  Soldraknirr was already behind him.

  The golden mech’s tail whipped around like a battering ram, slamming into Solarion-Lupus Revise’s torso. The plating shattered. The reinforced mithrititanium frame buckled, cracks webbing out from the point of impact as the mech was sent flying once more.

  Garett’s body slammed against his harness. A coppery taste filled his mouth—blood. His mech’s HUD was flickering, systems failing.

  Leona roared in defiance, forcing Direhound-Command forward, her greatsword blazing with golden energy. She swung, aiming for Soldraknirr’s exposed flank—

  —but Lyrius was too fast.

  He twisted mid-air, catching her sword between his teeth—Soldraknirr’s maw clamped down like an apex predator locking onto prey. With a sickening crunch, he bit down, snapping the blade in half.

  Leona’s heart nearly stopped. “No—!”

  Before she could react, Soldraknirr’s fist smashed into Direhound-Command’s torso. The force crumpled armor plating, crushing internal mechanisms. Warning runes flared violently across her cockpit.

  She was losing power.

  And she knew—if he struck again, it would be the end.

  Garett fought to regain control. His mech wasn’t done yet.

  With a desperate surge, he activated his elemental cycle. His plasma blade flickered—Blaze, Ice, Gale—switching between forms as he charged. He brought the sword down, aiming to cleave through Soldraknirr’s exposed backside—

  —but Lyrius turned at the last second.

  His golden hand caught the blade mid-swing.

  The energy flickered against his palm—but did not cut through.

  Garett’s breath hitched. What…?

  Lyrius grinned. And then—

  CRACK.

  With a single crushing motion, he shattered Garett’s sword in half.

  Silence. Garett barely registered the pieces of molten steel falling from his grip.

  Lyrius exhaled, golden mist curling from Soldraknirr’s vents. His voice was almost bored.

  “Pathetic.”

  Solarion-Lupus Revise staggered, its power reserves dangerously low. Direhound-Command was barely standing, leaking fuel, its core systems failing.

  Lyrius raised a clawed hand, preparing to deliver the final blow.

  Not by mechanical function, not by piloting expertise—

  —but by something far older.