Chapter 1 - The Unknown Letter
Two months had passed since the night of possession.
Life had slowly returned to normal, at least on the surface.
The village was different now because everyone knew the truth.
The quiet baker was not just a baker.
He was the Dragon Knight.
Some people hated him for hiding demons among humans. To them, monsters would always remain monsters.
Others believed in the man behind the helmet. They had seen enough to know that the demons beside him would never harm innocent people.
And then there were those who envied him.
People who looked at his power and convinced themselves they could have done better.
None of them understood what that power had costed him.
The morning was peaceful.
Golden sunlight spilled across the land as Strom walked toward the ruins of his old village.
The place had been abandoned long ago, yet people still visited it.
Flowers.
Food.
Letters.
Small gifts left behind by strangers who believed the Dragon Knight would eventually return one day.
Sometimes he did.
Today was one of those days.
As he passed the remains of his old house, something caught his attention.
A letter.
It rested carefully beside the broken doorway, he picked it up and unfolded it.
The handwriting was rushed.
Almost desperate.
Letter:
"Things are getting strange here now this place feels cursed."
"People are disappearing at night."
"We need our hero.
Please, Knight... help us. Please."
"Isabella from The Land of Sable Woods"
"The Island of Knowledge"
Strom lowered the letter slowly. The name meant nothing to him.
But the request did.
He still remembers the trip of Elarion Vale and when he went to the mysterious village.
Toward another mission.
Toward another trap.
One journey had been a desperate attempt to save innocent lives.
The other had been carefully designed to kill him.
His grip tightened around the paper.
Strom: "No... Not again."
Chapter 2 – Not an Option
Strom walked home with the letter still in his hand.
The words refused to leave his mind.
"We need our hero."
"Please, Knight... please."
It made no sense.
There were no servants of the Demon Lord left. No armies. No invasions.
So why would someone need help now?
The thought irritated him.
Without warning, he crushed the letter in his palm and threw it away.
Strom: "Not my problem."
He continued walking toward home.
One step.
Two steps.
Three...
Strom: "Why do people need help?"
Then he stopped.
Not because someone forced him, not because of duty. But a memory surfaced.
A small boy standing outside a dark cave crying and begging for help.
Back then, he had been the one who needed saving.
And the person who answered that cry...
Was the same person who destroyed his life.
Strom stared at the ground.
Strom (annoyed): "People ask for help..."
A pause...
Strom (exhaling): "...because they still believe someone cares."
He turned around, walked back, and picked up the letter.
Later that day, everything inside the house was peaceful.
Unfortunately, the front door was not.
Because Strom needed a partner for the mission.
And bringing the entire team was practically inviting chaos by himself.
Wraith feels uncomfortable and insecure in new places.
Astrid was too violent.
Zyphus was too aggressive.
Violet wasn't suited for this kind of mission.
Nia lacked patience.
And bringing Dravyss anywhere automatically turned the situation into a disaster.
Which left only one option.
Sam...
The garden:—
Nia (watching the front door): "Why are they arguing like a married couple?"
Violet (shrugging): "I don't know."
Meanwhile in the front door:—
Strom (trying to stay calm): "Come on, Sam. Be useful, man."
Sam (offended): "I am very useful."
Strom: "Really? Name one useful thing you've done this week."
Sam (confident): "Don't believe me? Ask Aunt Dravyss."
Strom (confused): "Why are you involving her?"
Sam (proudly): "I cleaned the entire garden by myself. Without magic."
Then he pointed at his cheek where a faint pink lipstick mark rested there.
Sam (proud): "She said I'm sweet as a cookie."
Strom stared at him.
Absolute silence followed it, even the wind seemed to stop.
Then...
Strom (dead serious): "Bro... the garden you cleaned is going to look like shit again by the next Friday."
Pure silence.
Sam blinked.
But Strom kept staring.
Sam (offended): "Hell nah. I'm not coming with you."
From the distance, Nia slowly nodded.
Nia: "Yeah... that's definitely a couple argument."
Chapter 3 – Why Not Us?
Even after dozens of rejections, Sam eventually agreed to help.
Not because Strom had a convincing argument.
But because, in Strom's mind, this was simply how friendship worked.
Meanwhile, Sam was packing his things when the door opened.
Wraith and Astrid entered, the chaotic sisters themselves.
Astrid (crossing her arms): "So only you two?"
Wraith (offended): "Why not us?"
Before Sam could answer, they continued speaking.
Astrid: "A mission with boys only? The friendship can't be that serious."
Wraith: "What are you guys planning? A party? A bar? More girls?"
Sam (panicking): "No! Nothing like that. We're investigating a village. It's a mission."
Astrid: "And you're still not taking us? That's rude."
Wraith suddenly snapped her fingers.
Wraith: "Guess what, Astrid? I think romance is nothing in front of bromance."
Astrid (nodding): "Yeah, I agree."
Sam opened his mouth but nothing came out.
The two immediately turned around and left but Astrid closed the door with enough force to leave small cracks in the wall.
Pure Silence...
Sam stood there processing the emotional damage.
Then his eyes slowly moved toward Zyphus, who was peacefully eating chips nearby.
Sam stared at him like this entire disaster was somehow his fault.
Zyphus (innocent): "Bro, what have I done now?"
Sam didn't answer.
Because honestly, he didn't know either.
Later that evening, Strom and Sam stood at the harbor waiting for their ship.
Sam (asking): "So... not kidnapping any princess this time?"
Strom (Casual): "It's out of fashion now."
Sam: "Good."
Strom: "Only almost killed us anyway."
Sam: "That doesn't make it better."
The ship horn echoed across the harbor.
Sam (adjusted his bag): "So where are we going?"
Strom: "The Land of Sable Woods."
Sam: "The Island of Knowledge?"
Strom nodded in yes.
Sam: "They better have a library."
Strom: "I don't know."
Sam: "An island called the Island of Knowledge without a library would be Lame."
For the first time that day, Strom laughed.
The ship began moving.
Neither of them knew what waited beyond the horizon.
But somewhere on that distant island, hidden beneath stone, forgotten names, and unfinished paintings...
Something was already waiting for them.
Chapter 3 — The Sable Woods…
It took a full day of travel to reach the Land of Knowledge.
And when they finally arrived, the name felt less like a title and more like a warning disguised as one.
Dark oak structures stretched across uneven ground, built over ancient black stone. The sky above was permanently bruised with storm clouds, refusing to clear even at what should've been evening.
Sam (looking up): "Damn… darkness."
Strom (calm): "What a start."
They adjusted their bags and moved forward. No distractions now. No detours.
Their objective was simple.
Find Isabella.
And strangely enough, the island didn't make them search long.
A girl was already walking toward them, as if she had been waiting.
Stranger girl: "Are you the Dragon Knight?"
Strom: "Yes. And I'm guessing you're Isabella."
Isabella: "Yes… I'm glad you actually came."
Sam: "So what are we fighting this time?"
Isabella: "And you are?"
Sam: "I'm Sam."
Isabella: "Nice to meet you… but the truth is, we don't even know what's happening here."
Strom (flat): "No lead."
Isabella's expression darkened immediately as she remembered.
Isabella (low): "People disappear at night… no sound, no trace."
Her voice trembled as the memory pulled her under.
Isabella (tears forming): "At first… nobody cared. Even I didn't."
Her breath broke, she started Crying.
Isabella: "Then they took my brother… and I was left alone. No one ever tried to find him."
Sam (soft): "Don't worry… we're here now. We'll find him."
Strom didn't respond immediately but not sadness.
Not apathy.
Something sharper. Controlled. Observing.
Then—
Strom: "May I ask you something?"
Sam immediately nudged him with his foot under the assumption that this was not the moment.
But Isabella still nodded.
Strom: "What's your brother's name?"
Silence.
It didn't just fill the air—it stalled it.
Isabella froze for seconds.
Not confused.
Not emotional.
Just… empty in a way that didn't match grief, she didn't answer.
She just stared at him like the question itself didn't belong in her memory.
Strom (walking forward): "Come on babe! Just tell me his name?"
Then—
A single strike.
No scream. No collapse.
Isabella simply turned to ash where she stood, dispersing into the wind like she had never existed.
Sam (shocked): "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Strom (calm): "Experience matters, bro."
Because this wasn't the first time before Strom has seen this pattern before.
Angela—his earliest connection—once spoke about her mother being chased by demons… but never completed whether she was truly killed or not. After that, she never spoke of her family again.
Rose—the thief who helped him in that forgotten village—once mentioned a best friend who was killed… but she never said the name. Never showed a memory. Nothing concrete to hold onto.
And there were others. Different places. Same pattern.
Fragments designed to trigger emotion, but never anchor truth.
Strom: "Created people only say enough to trigger emotions… or enough to make the story sound real."
Sam: "Okay… I'll note that. But what now?"
Strom: "I don't know. Next ship leaves in four days."
Sam: "So we just wait here?"
A pause.
Then Sam's frustration snapped.
Sam: "So now we need help to find out who NEEDS HELP?!"
Strom: "God is messing with us, bro."
Sam: "No doubt."
Silence followed after that not a peaceful silence.
Waiting silence.
The kind that feels like the island is listening.
Because now, the ones who came to help…
were stranded here long enough to need help themselves.
Far beyond the dark woods—
A voice drifted through the distance.
??? (distance): "I expected you to come alone… but no problem."
Chapter 4 — The Steps Outdoor…
Since the first person they met in this land turned out to be a fake lead… they had no choice but to pause.
They needed shelter.
A place to stay until morning.
And tomorrow… they would decide whether this island truly needed saving, or if they were just being pulled deeper into something else.
Strom: "Can't believe bro… Isabella pushed us into a dry wella."
Sam: "Rhyming won't help you find an inn."
The streets were nearly dead.
Most houses stood empty, windows hollow, doors slightly misaligned like they had been opened and never properly closed again. No lamps. No warmth. Even the moonlight failed to reach the ground, swallowed by thick black clouds hanging too low.
They kept walking.
And walking.
And walking.
Until finally—
Someone answered.
A middle-aged woman stood near a dimly lit house, holding a key.
Woman: "Two boys… I hope you aren't planning anything terrible here."
Strom: "Don't worry, ma'am. We just need a place to stay."
Sam: "Yeah, we're from far away. No trouble."
The woman studied them for a moment.
Woman: "Far away… what brought you here?"
Strom: "People are disappearing at night. We're here to help."
The moment those words left his mouth, her expression changed.
Not relief.
Not curiosity.
Just urgency.
She immediately unlocked the house.
Woman (quickly): "Good night."
And left.
Fast.
Too fast.
Like staying any longer would make her part of the problem.
The house was old, but strangely maintained.
Dust existed, but not enough for abandonment. Furniture was intact. Rooms were arranged too neatly for something left for years.
Sam: "Okay… progression update: we got a letter, a fake guide, a panicked woman, and a suspiciously clean abandoned house. We are speedrunning paranoia."
Strom: "Stop listing. We just started."
Sam: "Going anywhere with you is basically trouble with extra buff."
Strom: "Then why did you come?"
Sam had no answer, so he defaulted to the only defense mechanism he had. Jokes.
Sam: "Bromance."
Strom stared at him, pure disbelief in his eyes.
Strom: "You're sleeping on the floor."
Sam (immediately): "Bro I was joking."
Strom: "Hell no."
They settled in anyway.
A small meal. A few jokes. A brief illusion of normality.
And eventually… silence.
Not peaceful silence.
The kind that settles when a place stops pretending to be empty.
Thunk.
Thunk.
Thunk.
Footsteps.
Not loud. Not rushed.
But deliberate enough to feel wrong.
Both of them opened their eyes at the same time.
Sam (whispering): "Did you hear that?"
Strom (low): "Yeah."
Another step.
Closer.
Then nothing.
Sam (sat up): "Who's there?"
Strom (already stood.): "Let's check."
Lamp in hand, he moved toward the door.
Outside—
No movement.
No shadow.
Nothing.
Just darkness thick enough to feel physical, he stepped out for a moment, scanning the street.
Still nothing.
He returned inside.
Sam: "One more thing added to the list."
Strom: "Yeah. We better count."
Sam: "Maybe it was that woman. You saw how fast she left."
Strom: "No."
A pause...
Strom: "That wasn't her."
Sam: "So what, now there's someone out there trying to rob us? Great."
The silence answered for the island.
And it didn't sound reassuring.
Chapter 5 — The Fortress of Papers
The next morning arrived with something they had both been waiting for.
Light.
Real, clean daylight—breaking through the heavy sky like it had finally remembered how.
They packed their things and returned the key. The woman accepted it with a soft smile. Nothing unusual. Nothing out of place.
And yet…
Something about her felt different this time.
Sam: "Hmm… she feels different this time."
Strom: "Looks like we weren't the only ones waiting for light."
When they reached the market, the atmosphere had shifted.
People were outside.
Not panicked.
Not hiding.
Just… relieved.
Like sunlight itself was an event they had been denied for too long.
Some looked up at the sky like they were seeing it for the first time in years.
Sam: "Let's see what we can find."
They split up.
Asking questions. Following leads. Searching for anything connected to the letter, the disappearances, the night incidents.
But the answers never came.
People either didn't know…
or refused to know.
Some ignored them. Some shouted them away. Some simply turned and walked like the conversation never happened.
By the time they regrouped, both had the same result.
Strom: "This needs to stop."
Sam: "Actually… I think I found something."
Strom followed his gaze.
In the distance stood a structure.
A fortress.
Old. Heavy. Silent. Its shape cut against the sky like it had been standing there long before the town agreed to exist around it.
No movement.
No guards.
No sign of life.
Just presence.
And that alone felt wrong.
Without a word, they both started running because waiting suddenly felt useless.
---
A long road.
A long staircase.
And finally—
Two massive doors.
Closed.
No guards. No markings. No resistance.
Sam: "It's closed?"
Strom: "We make our own way."
He pushed and strangely doors opened without effort.
Too easily.
Like they were expecting this moment.
---
Inside—
Silence.
And books.
Stacked in shelves.
A world of books.
Thousands… no—millions.
Ancient, modern, ruined, preserved. Every direction filled with written history like the building itself had swallowed knowledge and never finished chewing it.
Sam (breathless): "It's… heaven."
Strom: "It's just books, bro."
Sam: "You think I could read all of this?"
Strom: "Bro, you don't have enough life for that."
Sam: "Three months. Easy."
Strom (shocked): "Bookworm."
They moved deeper inside and then Sam stopped because he noticed something small.
Something wrong.
Sam: "What if someone just grabs a book and runs away?"
Strom: "What?"
Sam: "No guards… no warden… nothing."
Silence followed that thought.
Because a place like this shouldn't exist unprotected.
Sam (turned his head): "Did you feel that?"
Strom: "What?."
Sam: "A wind just passed through."
Strom (looked around): "Inside?"
Sam: "That book's pages just turned… by themselves."
A pause...
Sam: "Five pages."
They approached the table, A single book lay open.
No text.
Only an illustration.
A drawing where two figures inside a library.
Moving a bookshelf.
And behind it—
A hidden passage.
A tunnel that shouldn't be visible unless someone already knew it was there.
Chapter 6 – The Hidden Tunnel
Finding that particular bookshelf wasn't hard because it was right in front of them.
They both pushed the shelf aside and then there it was.
A dark tunnel...
A cold wind passed through but they didn't speak just walked forward.
Sam lit up a torch and they moved in.
At first everything looked clean and dark until they reached a wall.
Names were carved deep into the stone and a single line cut through each one, countless names, but they didn't pay attention and simply walked away.
After some time another wall appeared with something strange.
A drawing of a Knight carved into the stone.
One hand holding a spear and one hand holding a pendant, and beneath it there was a label.
"Only a suitable body can become a Dragon Knight..."
Nothing much was shown here but something felt very wrong. Sam stayed deep in thought after seeing it but eventually walked away. He didn't want to think about that again.
Further ahead there were more walls where sentences were carved in something dark. It felt like guilt and obsession had completely taken over whoever wrote them.
"He is still a child..."
"He isn't useful for me, at least not now."
"MY EXPERIMENTS, MY RULES."
Then after a few walls there was a painting.
A forest.
Two people fighting while a child slept behind them.
The next wall contained another painting.
A child standing beside one man while the sun was rising.
The next wall had words carved so deeply it felt like the stone itself was bleeding.
"My spells could kill him."
"His body isn't strong enough to be the Knight."
"I DON'T CARE."
Sam (disgusted): "It's pure obsession... what do you think?"
But Strom was already walking ahead, he didn't want to talk about this.
And at last they reached another wall.
The same drawing again.
A Knight with a spear and pendant.
But this time—
There was no label.
Nothing written.
Sam: "Why is there nothing written?"
Silence answered him until Strom finally spoke.
Strom: "Because after that... he started seeing me as a failure."
Without saying anything else Strom suddenly ran.
Not toward the darkness.
But back toward the very first wall.
He reached it and immediately started searching.
Moments later—
He found it.
Among all the names violently crossed out there was only one that remained untouched.
"Strom"
Sam: "Why is your name here? And why is it the only one unharmed?"
Strom (cold): "Because I'm the only one who survived this academy."
To make sure, he searched again.
And suddenly—
He stopped.
Because of one name.
"James"
Crossed in half, Strom didn't say anything he just stood there.
Even Sam had nothing to say now.
Everything suddenly felt suffocating.
Without speaking they both started running toward the exit.
Sam reached it first.
He turned back then froze in terror.
A man in a dark robe stood there, holding an iron rod.
Waiting.
But Sam called out—
Sam: "Strom wait."
Too late.
Strom barely stepped outside—
THUD!!!.
He dropped to his knees and held his head in pain.
It was something else.
Sam rushed forward to pull him back—
One punch.
A crushing psychic force knocked him unconscious instantly.
Sam collapsed while Strom was still trying to recover.
Then the iron rod dropped.
The robe fell.
And an unexpected face appeared.
Darkius: "So you finally know!"
Chapter 7 — The Clash
Fairness ended the moment he ambushed them. Sam was no longer conscious enough to fight, and Strom was trying his best to stand up again but...
Every time he tried, he received another strike.
Darkius: "You don't know how much I waited for this..."
Another kick, but Strom grabs his foot.
And before the table flips, Darkius punches him hard, smashing his head onto the shelf, then delivers another strong strike that shatters the entire shelf.
Strom collapses again.
Darkius: "This all happened only because of that bitch... Angela."
Strom (low but cold): "Shut up."
Darkius: "Oh! Still love her, huh? I think Wraith will be so disappointed when she learns that she is still in your heart."
Another strike was so strong it cracked the floor a little. He wasn't giving him any chance to recover.
Because he knew if Strom got a chance, he might actually lose again.
Darkius: "The so-called Dragon Knight... the one most people hate."
Strom's head hits the table so hard it feels like his skull breaks.
Darkius: "Tell me... why do you save others?"
And before he could speak, a crushing blow lands.
Darkius: "I never taught you kindness. I even erased your memories and... Dravyss isn't that kind to teach you this."
He pushes him, then kicks his face with pure hatred.
Darkius: "Why do you save people?"
But Strom stays silent even while still conscious. He doesn't reply.
Because even he doesn't know why he saves others.
Darkius: "I built this place to find a perfect body for Dragon Aura... and yet the one who never came here becomes the holder."
After that, he rips out his pendant and wears it himself. A dark, pure chain forms in his hand, glowing with violet magic.
Then he wraps the chain around Strom's neck and the other side around his hand.
Darkius: "Give me the powers you borrowed from me."
After that, the process starts. The chains begin burning, but not with heat—it is ripping out Strom's powers from his soul.
At first, Strom tries to resist, but then he simply can't. Darkius is too strong. Even though Strom survived this type of spell before, this was different.
Because when Zanis tried to take his powers and only took Dragon Aura. But Darkius is something else.
He is ripping out everything he can—Dragon Aura, mana, spell mana, etc.
Strom's pendant slowly starts losing influence over him but...
A book smashes into Darkius's face.
Sam: "Get the fuck out of here."
Darkius (cruel smile): "Nice try."
A dark spell bursts out that throws Sam back. He hits the shelf so hard that he collapses again.
But then...
A single strike almost breaks his jaw, lips starting to bleed.
Strom (voice fading): "Fuck off."
But before Strom could land another punch, Darkius grabs his collar, throws him away, then pulls the chain back and steps on his chest.
Darkius: "Remember this!
Chapter 8 — Biggest Mistake
Strom struggles beneath his pressure, but the pendant is glowing violently, like it isn't just a spell—something else.
Darkius: "You were my finest creation ever... but my biggest mistake also."
Strom: "Then try to focus on your work more."
Darkius pauses for a moment, stunned, then teaches him manners again with a kick to the jaw.
Darkius: "I'm still your master."
Strom: "Not now."
His weight crushes him as the spell activates again, and this time, without any warning, Strom's body gives up.
Blood starts coming out of his mouth because as he loses Dragon Aura, his body begins to fail him.
Darkius: "Dravyss will be mine again, and this world will end."
Strom can't even reply anymore because of pain. The spell completes, and the chains turn pure white, then turn into ash.
Darkius doesn't gain any powers yet because everything is stored back in the pendant.
His grip tightens on the gem as he can feel the energy just by holding it.
Strom is lying on the floor, his hand trying to reach for the pendant, but it is too far.
Darkius (smiling): "Now she'll be mine."
Just then, a blue flash of light tears through the room, breaking the window. It is too fast.
Strom's spear.
But...
Darkius catches it mid-air before it can cut his arm.
Strom (low): "Shit!"
Darkius (smiling): "Nice old trick."
But he casts a spell and throws it away, and after that Strom is no longer able to call it back.
Darkius: "You are never going to hold the powers I carry, kid."
And before leaving, he does something strange. He pets Strom's head slightly, like the old days—not killing.
Darkius: "You'll die slowly when I free The Demon Lord."
After that, he casts a spell on the pillar. The place starts falling apart—shelves collapsing, walls breaking, and the entire structure begins to crumble.
And Darkius just teleports away.
That time Sam finally regains consciousness. He opens his eyes as everything is breaking apart and Strom is already lying broken.
Sam: "Strom!!!"
He rushes to wake him up but falls to his knees. The spell's effect is still lingering, but he reaches him.
Sam: "Strom, wake up."
Strom: "It's over, Sam. He really won."
Sam: "What?"
Strom: "He ripped out everything. He has my powers. He'll steal my mother and free the Demon Lord... We really fell into his trap."
Sam: "We can't give up. We have to go."
Just then, the whole castle shakes as something massive arrives.
Then an unbelievable force—a blue claw rips out the entire roof.
Dravyss...
She is breaking everything, throwing debris aside, desperately searching for them, until she finally sees them.
Her eyes finally calm. Her heartbeat finally steadies.
Dravyss (try to act casual): "Need a ride home?"
Sam (eyes filled with tears of joy): "Aunty Dravyss!!! You really came to save us."
Without another word, she extends her claw. They prepare to climb, but then...
Strom's eyes catch a dark ancient book—a bestiary. "The Grimoire of Ashura."
Strom (whispering): "Guess what! Reading is actually good for your health."
He picks up the book, climbs onto her claw, and they leave the place.
Sam is already wondering how they are going to leave this hell, and Dravyss truly arrives like a saving angel.
Strom: "I don't even have my pendant or my powers... How do you know we'll be here, mom?"
Dravyss: "Because that stone isn't my heart—but you are."
Sam: "Thank you so much, Aunt Dravyss! Now let's get him. Let's go towards the Seal of Eternity."
Strom (remembered something): "No need, he won't succeed in it."
Sam: "Are you sure? He literally took everything from you."
Dravyss: "Once I get the pendant, I'll give your powers back!"
Strom: "Right now I need to rest. Let's go home."
Dravyss (nodded): "Okay!"
All three start flying toward home. Darkius no longer feels like an immediate danger.
Chapter 9 — Not a Good Timing…
By the time Darkius reached the seal, it was already night time. The place was silent—too calm, too still.
Darkius: "Finally."
He transforms into a massive 250-foot Dark Dragon form, wearing Demon Lord armor and the Birzoker Stone embedded in his chest.
The pendant also scales with him. As he wears it, all the stolen power surges through his blood. Dark and light-blue energy collide violently.
Meanwhile, while flying toward the house, Strom sees his spear fly past them at full speed.
Strom (confident): "Yeah, he is done."
At the ground of the seal—
Darkius takes one step forward, and suddenly Strom's spear strikes into the ground.
Darkius is shocked. He looks up for Dravyss, but the sky is clear.
Then a voice echoes.
Yhustal (calm & cold): "You better leave this place before I ask again."
Darkius's eyes lock onto him. A demon, 10 feet tall, red-skinned, with sharp horns and a body of metal-like muscle.
Yhustal: "Last warning."
Darkius feels no threat from him. He assumes he can crush him easily due to his massive size.
Darkius: "I think it will be better if you leave. Go run away and save your life."
Yhustal (tried): "These people never learn anything."
He recalls his spear. It immediately matches his size, and Yhustal attacks.
Darkius does not hold back because his plan is nearly complete.
They clash with force. Darkius's claws grab him easily, then he throws him to the ground and tries to crush him beneath his foot.
But he cannot. Yhustal stops him with only one hand.
Darkius applies more pressure, but nothing works. Then a spear strike lands like a spike to the foot—except it is actually painful.
Darkius (angry): "You stubborn pest!!!"
He stops using strategy and begins attacking violently without calculation. Almost every hit lands on Yhustal.
Darkius is winning now.
Then he attempts to end it—a single bite—but Yhustal steps on his jaw, holding his tooth and preventing his mouth from closing.
Then—
Kayle (distance): "Dad, dinner is ready!"
Yhustal (calm): "Yeah sweetheart, just give me a second."
Darkius is clearly shocked. Yhustal is no longer struggling. He is responding casually.
Yhustal (to Darkius): "It's nice to meet you, friend. But I can't let my family wait. Sorry."
One punch is enough to stagger him back, shattering his helmet from the force.
Then his spear drives into Darkius's skull, piercing through until it exits, tearing through his throat.
Darkius's body hits the ground, lifeless.
Yhustal never even treated it as a serious fight at first. He was simply passing time until dinner.
After that, he takes the pendant and spear and walks straight back to his home...
Aftermath:—
The next morning was too calm, and the sun was shining brightly.
A knock came at Yhustal's door.
He opened it, and Strom was standing there.
Strom: "Hello sir, may I have my spear and pendant back?"
Yhustal (polite): "Of cour—"
He doesn't even get to finish his sentence when Wraith comes running at full speed, shouting.
Wraith: "DAD!!!"
She rushes in and jumps on him, wrapping him in a tight hug. He catches her mid-air.
Instead of making the moment awkward, Strom simply asks what he needs.
Strom: "Sir, where is that big black lizard?"
Yhustal (with Wraith on his shoulder): "Yeah, his corpse was taking up too much space... so I pushed him over the cliff."
After that, without another word, Strom walks away toward the cliff.
A few steps later, he reaches the edge. He looks down.
There he is—lying dead.
Strom knows his soul is immortal, but his body isn't.
Strom (firm voice): "Just stop making mistakes in your experiments... Master."