The wind shifted directions violently.
Along the riverbank, the waters of the Bach Dang no longer ran still. It vibrated. Faintly at first, then growing increasingly violent.
Inside the shrine, Van Thien sensed it. Bao Uyen felt it too. The two immediately stepped out of the temple.
Outside, the wind had grown much stronger, and the waves slammed against the shore with relentless fury.
Van Thien could feel that something was deeply wrong. A wave of anxiety began to ripple through the crowd inside the temple grounds.
Suddenly, a massive tidal wave surged toward them from the distance. Seeing the danger, everyone scrambled desperately toward higher ground. Because the torrent rushed in too fast, several people—including Van Thien and Bao Uyen—could not outrun it. Right before the wall of water crashed down, Van Thien yanked Bao Uyen into his embrace.
"Bao Uyen!"
He shielded her tightly. The wave collapsed upon them.
BOOM!
After a long moment, the torrent receded. Everyone was safe. Van Thien kept his arms locked around Bao Uyen, his gaze piercing toward the river before them. He thought it was over, but his eyes suddenly went wide.
Out in the distance—
BOOM!
A heavy, low rumble echoed from deep within the riverbed. It wasn't loud, but it carried a crushing weight, like a colossal entity shifting its massive weight below.
The water began to form a whirlpool. Slow at first, then spinning faster and faster.
Without a second thought, Van Thien scooped Bao Uyen up in his arms, catching her completely off guard. He carried her swiftly up onto the elevated bank, his eyes never straying from the rushing torrent.
CRACK!
The space right before them fractured.
Right above the surface of the river, a pitch-black rift ripped open. From within the tear, a hand emerged, followed by a silhouette stepping out of the fracture.
Slow.
Yet with every step he took, the water beneath seemed compressed by sheer weight. A long black robe, jet-black hair falling loosely, and crimson eyes that burned like a deep fire.
Red-Eyed Black Dragon.
"…At last…" His voice rang out. Low. Frigid. "…I finally face you."
The air grew heavy. Van Thien set Bao Uyen down, stepping forward to shield her completely. His gaze did not waver.
"…Are you the one pulling the strings behind all of this?"
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon tilted his head, a faint, cold smirk playing on his lips.
"…Not entirely."
"…I am merely the one… who will end it."
A dead silence fell as the wind ceased.
"…This river… does not belong to you."
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon locked his gaze onto him, his eyes flickering with a spark of genuine amusement.
"Is that so?"
He stepped down, his boot touching the surface of the water, yet he did not sink. It only sent a ripple cascading outward.
"Then…"
FLASH!
With no warning, no sign, he vanished.
"LOOK OUT!!"
BOOM!!!
A cataclysmic collision exploded.
Van Thien intercepted the strike, his bare hands locked tightly against the incoming fist. The ground far behind him fractured completely.
"…?!"
The pressure was immense, crushing—unlike any enemy he had ever faced before.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon's eyes flickered with surprise.
"…Not bad."
THUD!!
A sudden burst of force. Van Thien was deflected backward, skidding heavily across the ground. Before he could even steady his stance—
FLASH!!
The dragon materialized right behind him. Van Thien spun on his heel instinctively. Blocked. Sparks flew, fast—too fast. The two silhouettes blurred out of sight, leaving nothing behind but the raw, deafening IMPACTS.
BOOM!!
THUD!!
CLANG
With every collision, the earth trembled, and the river water surged upward in violent bursts
Bao Uyen stood behind them. She could not step forward, nor could she leave. She could only watch from afar, her hands trembling violently as the necklace around her neck began to flare with light.
In the center of the battlefield, Van Thien breathed heavily, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"…He's incredibly strong…"
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon stood just a few paces away, completely unfazed.
"…You've progressed further than I anticipated," he spoke, his voice entirely calm. "…However…"
His gaze darkened.
"…it is still not enough."
BOOM!!
He stomped his foot, causing the ground to rupture. His entire body lunged forward like a black spear.
Van Thien clenched his fists, energy erupting into a blinding glare.
BOOM!!!!!!!!
A head-on clash. The cyan-pink light slammed violently into the pure darkness. The shockwave blew everything back, sending the river water sky-high. Then, both of them abruptly stopped.
Silence.
The two stood facing each other, a distance of mere meters between them. No one had fallen; no one had won.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon stared at him, his eyes curling up as if he were laughing.
"…Excellent."
"…Only this… is worthy."
He stood tall.
"…It seems… I must…"
"…get a bit more serious now…"
The wind returned, and the surface of the water slowly calmed.
Van Thien stood his ground, his breathing ragged, his gaze locked tightly onto his opponent.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon smirked. Behind him, the river waters churned in a violent frenzy. From the center of the massive vortex, a pitch-black battleship slowly breached and rose above the surface, towering behind his back.
Van Thien narrowed his eyes, tightening his fists. Behind him, Bao Uyen gripped her necklace tightly. The waves… kept crashing.A distinct sensation lingered in the air—the river was remembering something.