Chapter 4:

Chapter 4

Record of a zenith

“Tsk.”The dragonoid’s face twisted with disappointment as blood flowed down his spear—buried deep into the captain’s shoulder, piercing the muscles near the collarbone.

SWINGGG—BOOM!

A blinding slice tore through the air, followed by a deafening explosion.

When the smoke cleared, the dragonoid had vanished once more.

"I struck the shaft just before the spear hit me… the captain thought, grimacing in pain. I nearly died…"

Tack. Tack. Tack.

The sound echoed—stone cracking, pillars shattering—each step of the dragonoid’s retreat was too fast to follow. He was a blur, tearing across the battlefield, fleeing from the grasp of even an expert’s perception.

With movements so fast they left blurs in the air, the dragonoid’s voice echoed—disembodied, elusive.

“Your swordsmanship… techniques… even your innate magic capacity—you're enough to be on par with the powerhouses.”

His tone was calm, almost admiring.

“Yet…”

A pause, as shifting shadows seemed to carry his words from every direction.

“…you lack mobility.”

“What a shame…” the dragonoid’s voice drifted, each word tinged with regret.

“If only I had found you first… I would’ve taken you as my squire—by force if necessary. Whether you agreed or not.”

A brief pause.

“Instead of that prince… now we stand as enemies.”

The captain’s voice rose in defiant roar, cutting through the air:

“What’s the use of regretting the past now!?Your kin wasn’t the one who saved me!”

Sui…

The wind whispered sharply in his ears.

In that instant, he dropped his center of gravity—

Then exploded forward, launching himself with tremendous force.

CRACK!

The ground beneath him shattered, unable to withstand the sheer power of his dash.
He dashed towards the rear of the pillars, his feet pounding the ground in quick succession.

Suiiiii..........BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted, striking the pillar with an ear-shattering force.

“I can’t track him,” he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice strained. “generating this much vibration… it’s putting an enormous strain on both my body and my ability to control my magic power.”

he runs again trying to escape the onslaught of bombs from directions that shouldn't be possible

He dashed forward once more, narrowly avoiding the relentless barrage of bombs that seemed to come from impossible directions.

BOOM! BOOM! The shockwaves rocked the ground beneath him, but his focus never wavered.

Suiiiiiii... BOOM!

In the chaos, his sharp eyes caught a brief glint of light—something out of place amidst the destruction. Without hesitation, the captain leaped into the air.

"HAHH!"

With precise fluidity, he swung the sword in his left hand horizontally

SWUSHHHH!

A massive gust of wind erupted in the wake of the strike, cutting through the explosive chaos.

In one seamless motion, he followed up with a powerful swing of the sword in his right hand vertically.

The resulting roar was deafening, the air itself seeming to tremble as an enormous explosion detonated in its wake.

BOOMMMM!

The floor beneath him cracked, and the ceiling above disintegrated into dust and fragments, pulverized by the sheer force of the captain’s attack.

Debris rained down from every direction, the shattered remnants of the battlefield cascading like a storm of destruction.

The air itself seemed to shudder, the shockwave of the blow reverberating across the entire field, shaking the very ground beneath his feet.

Sunlight broke through the massive hole in the ceiling, casting a harsh, unforgiving light onto the captain’s face. The world around him seemed to still, the chaos of battle momentarily fading as he sank to one knee, his breath ragged.

Blood drips from his shoulder and stomach, blood gushes from his mouth.

He drove Velmorran into the cracked floor with a forceful motion, the blade embedding deep into the stone. Releasing Zha’vorran, he gripped Velmorran with both hands, his fingers trembling from exhaustion.

Panting heavily, he struggled to steady himself, feeling every ounce of his body protesting against the strain.

“You deprived the air around me… used that moment to kill me, as if it were just one of a thousand chances,” his voice echoed—faint, breathless, laced with bitter realization.

“I am bleeding… burned through my magic power… torn my body…”

His tone wavered with regret as heavy footsteps approached from behind.

“I couldn’t even get close to you…”

Behind him, a towering figure emerged—

A monster clad in armor, with silver scales jutting from the gaps like jagged blades.

“You were strong,” the dragonoid said flatly. “But just not enough.”

He raised his jet-black spear, its tip poised at the back of the captain’s neck.

“Any last words?”

"Why...If only I have been stronger"

The dragonoid smiled

Shluck....the captains vision blacked out before he received the killing blow