Meanwhile, at the palace entrance. All knight were busy defending against the attackers.
"HOLD THE LINE! DON'T LET THEM GET INSIDE THE PALACE!"
The sounds of battle can be heard everywhere. The first calm night turned into chaos.
Shing! Boom!!
An explosion occurred, Lucas finally join the battles.
"ALL MAGES READY YOUR STAFF AND ATTACK! SHOW THEM WE WON'T LOSE THIS TIME!!" He commands, his speech managed to lift everyone spirit.
Despite his calm and collected appearance, Lucas can't help but feel uneasy. The scene infront of him, reminds him of the past. So he close his eyes and pray, that none of his peoples will die tonight.
"Father! The ranger squad in your command!" Valix said after arriving with his people.
"Help our people and help the unprepared guards." He commanded.
"Yes your majesty! All squad spread out!" Valix and his members immediately went to duty.
Back to the battle between Nein and Lisan.
"GRAHH!!! STOP DODGING!!" Lisan shouting furiously.
Nein been evading every hit coming at him instead of finishing it quickly. All because his ability turns out useless against him. No matter he done, his smoke doesn't works, making him only able to buy some time until help arrived.
"Tch, a bit tricky aren't you? What are you anyway?"
"Hah! Now you finally interested in me?"
"What? Hell no, I'm asking what are you made off. I don't care about who you are."
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"
Their fight continues with Nein keep buying time by feeding Lisan a cheap taunt that surprisingly worked.
"That's him!" The guards finally arrived at his location.
Seeing that, Nein immediately retreating to their location in a blink.
"I thought you guys already left. Perfect timing though since it seems I'm not built for him." Nein explain briefly.
Hearing him sudden explanation, they shift their attention toward his opponent and immediately widen in terror as they saw a familiar face who supposed to be dead five years ago.
"L-L-Lisan?" Said one senior guard, terrified by what he sees.
"Who again?" Nein asked, wondering what happened.
"He's the one... Who betrayed us five years ago..." Said the other tensed guard.
"HAH! FINALLY! Someone remember about me. Thank you." Lisan shout proudly.
It's finally make sense for Nein, this is probably a way to pay back for five years ago. But one thing bothering him, Lisan supposed to be dead yet here he is now. So he assumed someone resurrected him.
And based on what he reads about this situation, there's one thing he should do.
"You guys hold him. I'll find the magician's controlling him." Nein said to the guard.
"No need to bother friend. You're looking at one now." Lisan interrupted, spreading his arms open with mocking grin.
"Well, shit." Nein curse under his breath at the revelation.
The guard, although armed and ready, stay still and silent due to their trauma. Seeing that, Nein decided to take care of this.
"I'll borrow this for a moment." He said, taking the sword from one guard and unsheathing it.
"Heh, what could be possibly-"
Slash!
It all happened so quickly that he doesn't even feel the pain when he saw his hand fall to the ground.
"AHH!!!! MY ARM!!" He shouting in pain, clutching his wound as he collapse to his knees.
"Well, that's work. Seems you're still organic. Say guys, do you need him alive?" Nein said with a mocking grin toward the stunned guards.
"DON'T MESS WITH ME!!"
BOOM!!
Another explosion occurred but Nein manage to escape from it and watch how Lisan body slowly enveloped by a hard shell until her turned into an egg.
Clink clink
"Well, this egg sure is tough." Ne remarks while tapping on the egg with his sword.
"Nein!" Lucas arrived.
He came here in hurry after hearing the news. Only to see Nein standing next to a dragon egg.
"Nein, stay away from that egg. It's a dragon egg, I'm sure of it." Lucas said anxiously.
"Dragon? I thought Lisan is an elf."
"J-Just stay away from it. It might be a tra-"
Stab!
The sound of flesh being stabbed linger in the air as the egg hatching and releasing a hard spikes that piercing through Nein's body.
The sight of it, causing the memory of his daughter to play again. Filled with despair of losing someone Infront of him he moved instinctively to grab him.
But something unexpected happened.
"Woah! That was close. Suck to be that guy." When people thought he was dead, he suddenly standing beside the king, holding him and preventing him from getting closer to the egg.
"Nein! Are you okay w-what just happened?" Lucas said, worried and confused.
He's grabbing Nein's shirt and lifting it up to check the wounds, there's none.
"Ehem, I'm fine your majesty. Thanks for your concern, but we have something bigger to address." He said, pulled down his shirt and watching the egg cracking open.
Lucas shake off his thoughts and turn around to face the real danger.
"Lift your weapon! Our enemy full of tricks, don't let him fool you and make him pay for what happened five years ago." He command.
The knights taking their position, ready to fight. Nein decided to take a step back and let them talking care of this.
Crack.
It's only a matter of time until the big fight happens. Everyone's nervous, especially when they know what inside the egg. The very source of their trauma and what make them they're now.
Crack.
Nein sense something off and cautiously preparing for the worse. That is when he saw a flash of light coming from the egg and immediately move to the front.
"GET BEHIND!" He yells.
BOOM!!
"{Veil of protection}!"
He managed to use his smoke to create a wide shield before the explosion reaching their place. With his fast act, he protect everyone behind him.
"Hgn!!! Aaahhh!!"
The shockwave strong enough to take away the smoke slowly while he keep adding more to it as long as he can.
The rest only able to witness the scene unfold before them with awe.
"STOP SPACING OUT AND HELP HIM!!" Lucas snap everyone back as he begin casting his own spell to help.
Yet, despite the combined power, they're no match against a dragon, the shield rapidly reduced and there's nowhere to run that the explosion spread out to all directions.
"Ngh... Fuck it! {Distortion}!"
Nein use his last resort, grabbing everyone with his smoke and drag them away by turning them into smoke. It's a risky move since a slightest mistake can turn them into a lump of living flesh.
He take everyone to safety, overworking himself to reform back everyone to their original state.
"Gurp... hwekk." some of the knight throwing up from the sensation of it.
While Nein collapse from overheating. His body burning, smoke coming out as he breathes.
"Nein! Are you okay?" Lucas said, worried after he tried to grab Nein's shoulder.
"I-I'm fine... Just need to cool down a bit." He replied, voice hoarse and keep emitting black smoke.
As they're recovering from earlier escape, the explosion gradually settling down and reveal the dragon form.
"Corpse dragon..." One of the knight whisper.
"HAVE THE TASTE OF DEATH" The dragon, Lisan speaking with intensity as he soar to the sky.
"What is that...?" Said the guard who saw the dragon from different locations.
The sight were terrifying, even though the dragon is imperfect, it still bear the power of one. And it's ready for it's breath attack.
"Spear." Nein said suddenly.
"Wha-"
"I said spear!" He raise his voice.
Lucas do what he said and hand him the spear one of the knight uses. He force himself to stand and take his stance.
"I don't know if this will work. But let's pray me speculation is right."
He fuse the spear with his smoke, creating javelin. He take a deep breath before throwing it toward the dragon with all of his strength.
Stab!
The javelin dragging the dragon away, making it breath attack to miss and aimed to the sky. Unlike before, this time his smoke able to function normally and it makes him grins widely.
"... Nein?" Lucas called him anxiously. It's his first time ever seeing such terrifying smile from Nein.
"Ah... Sorry. This is just the face I made when I'm right. Now all I need is-"
"BOY!!" A familiar voice calling for him from the distance. It was Sidir.
"Old Sidir? What are yo-uakh!" Sidir shove Lucas off his way to meet with Nein.
"Heh, that's much faster than I thought. Are this...?"
"YES IT IS! NOW GO GET THAT LIZARD AND TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS!" His voice filled with spirit as usual as he hand him the weapon.
"Wait, Sidir. He's not-"
Fwush.
Before Lucas can stop him, Nein already vanished. Presumably to the location the dragon fell.
"You're well aware that he's not doing well. Why are you-"
Sidir simply shove his hand to Lucas face to shut him down.
"You should know that, he'll still going anyway. All I do is to provide him with the best equipment possible." His voice somehow sounds so genuine.
"Sidir..." Lucas surprised by his response and decided to trust his judgement.
"NOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? DO YOUR JOB AND LEAD YOUR PEOPLE!" He turned to his self and start barking orders to change the topics.
His shout somehow help Lucas to clear his mind and looking at his men with authority of the king.
"Gather all forces. We'll help our savior."
Meanwhile, at the secluded area deep in the forest. Lisan landing with hard hit to the ground, causing his body to dismembered before he heals again.
"GRAHH!! DAMN IT!! BUAGH-!!"
Nein arrived shortly, landing a hard kick to his face and land gracefully.
"You!! I'll kill you!!" Lisa said furiously.
"What a coincidence... I also have the same plan." His demeanor changed. Due to overheating, he can't stop grinning while talking in a funny way.
With rage taking the best of him, Lisan immediately charged toward Nein, raising his claw to rip him off.
Despite the intense situation, Nein remain calm and lost. The fresh weapon slowly revealing itself along with the smoke coating it's form.
"{Anchor of destruction}"