The Dragon's Rebirth

The roar of the reborn dragon shook the entire world. It was no longer the living creature we had faced minutes before; now it was a monster of shadows, corrupted flesh, and dark fire. Its wings spread, blotting out the moon, and its body radiated an oppressive energy that seemed to crack the very air.
“This can’t be…!” Nara whispered, taking a step back. “We killed it, we saw it fall!”
Kiseki, from her throne of bone, smiled with delight. “Did you really think a mere dragon could die so easily? The power behind me knows no limits.”
Her voice sliced across the field like a whip. The devotees screamed in frenzy, pounding their weapons against the ground. Enemy morale surged, while fear began to seep into our ranks.
“Hold the line!” Cicilia shouted from the wall. “The castle will not fall tonight!”
Her words restored a semblance of order, but we all knew it was more wish than certainty.

The dragon advanced, beating its wings and raising a gale of ash. Its jaws opened, releasing a torrent of black fire toward the walls. Stones cracked and burned under the impossible heat.
“Shield the walls!” Lysbeth commanded, stepping forward with her shield.
I ran toward the creature, the Veil Spear in hand. The weapon vibrated with force, as if recognizing the enemy’s magnitude. But the voice within me spoke at the same time.
“The spear alone isn’t enough. Let me, and together we will bring it down.”
“Shut up!” I roared, charging at the beast.
The spear’s tip cut through the air, sinking into one of its legs. The dragon roared, raising its claw to crush me. I barely had time to roll aside before the impact carved a crater in the ground.
Rei appeared at that moment, cutting through the blackened scales with surgical precision. “Kaoru, you can’t face it alone!”
“Then what do you suggest?” I shouted, dodging another blaze.
“Do it together, damn it!”

Meanwhile, Aria from the walls summoned bursts of light to distract the dragon. Her hands trembled, but her gaze was unwavering.
“We will not surrender!” she cried, unleashing an explosion that struck the creature’s head.
Nara, beside her, raised pillars of fire, trying to counter the dragon’s black flames. “This is insane! It’s like fighting a living volcano!”
“Then let’s make it erupt!” Aria retorted, never taking her eyes off the beast.
Lysbeth joined the attack from below, delivering precise strikes to its joints. Her sword gleamed with an almost sacred edge, cutting through the corrupted flesh as if it were glass.
But the beast did not yield. Every wound regenerated swiftly, as if Kiseki herself stitched its flesh with threads of shadow.

I managed to drive the spear into the creature’s neck. The weapon shone intensely, and for a moment the dragon roared in pain. I saw hope… until the voice inside me spoke again.
“See? It’s not enough. Accept my power, and we will destroy it for real. Only I can give you the final strength.”
The dark power pulsed within me, eager to be unleashed. My hands trembled on the spear’s grip.
Aria shouted from the wall: “Kaoru, don’t do it! That’s not the answer!”
Her voice pierced the confusion, bringing me back to reality. I inhaled deeply and pushed the spear with all my might. The dragon staggered, faltering, but it still did not fall.

In the inner courtyard, civilians wept and clung to each other. Wounded knights were carried on makeshift stretchers, and Cicilia organized the defenses with a firm voice, though her eyes betrayed exhaustion.
“Hold… just a little longer,” she murmured, as if trying to convince herself.
The walls burned, towers creaked under the assault. The entire castle seemed on the verge of collapse.

The dragon roared and ascended into the sky. A black glow began to gather in its throat. We knew what was coming: an attack capable of destroying an entire wall in a single breath.
“We can’t let it fire!” Rei shouted, running toward me. “Kaoru, the spear!”
I nodded, gritting my teeth. I ran to the center of the field, the spear gleaming in my hands. Aria and Nara unleashed beams of light and fire to distract the beast. Lysbeth cut its wings, forcing it to lose altitude.
The dragon opened its jaws, and the world filled with dark radiance.
I leapt with all my strength, spear leading, and drove it straight into its throat. A blinding explosion engulfed me, and a roar tore through the air.
The blast threw the dragon to the ground, shattering it into a thousand pieces of flesh and shadow that dissipated with the wind. Silence followed.

I fell to my knees, gasping, still clutching the spear. The dragon had fallen… this time, for real.
But victory did not linger in the air. Kiseki watched from her throne, calm, as if everything had been part of her plan.
“Interesting,” she said, her voice caressing the field with cruelty. “The spear responded to you, Kaoru. Perhaps you are more than a mere obstacle. Perhaps you are the key I’ve been waiting for.”
The echo inside me laughed heartily, delighting in it. “Finally, you understand. You’re not her savior… you’re her tool.”
I stood, heart burning. The battle was over, but the war had only just begun.
Kiseki raised her hand, and her army slowly withdrew, like a tide pulling back to prepare the next wave.
The castle burned, the walls were wounded, and our people were exhausted. But we were alive.
Aria ran to me, hugging me tightly. “You did it.”
I hugged her back, though deep inside I knew the truth. It was not a victory. It was only a breath before the storm returned, darker and crueler than ever.