Chapter 25 – Return of the White Dragon

The battlefield was drowning in despair.

The Black Dragon spread its wings, roaring as flames swallowed the ruins of Beijing. The surviving soldiers, bruised and bloodied, could do nothing but raise their weapons in vain. Rika, Eva, Seo, Meiyun, and Agnes stood shoulder to shoulder—ready to face death together.

And then, the world trembled.

A blinding light split through the clouds, followed by a deafening roar that shook the heavens. A massive claw struck from above, slashing across the Black Dragon’s face and hurling it backward.

From the rift in the sky descended the White Dragon—a divine, radiant beast that illuminated the battlefield with holy light.

For a moment, everyone froze.

Tears fell. Soldiers dropped to their knees. Civilians clasped their hands.

“The gods… they’ve answered us…” someone whispered.

“The White Dragon…” Meiyun gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.

From the Dragon’s glowing body, Yolanda appeared, her presence shimmering with celestial energy. Everyone could see her now—not as a vision, but as a being of pure grace.

“Meiyun!” Yolanda called out. “The talisman—quickly! Its light is reacting to his soul!”

The charm in Meiyun’s hand pulsed wildly, glowing brighter with each heartbeat.

“What’s happening!? Why is it glowing like this!?” she cried.

Yolanda’s expression softened. “Because his soul hasn’t left yet. There’s still time. You must place it on Kohaku—now!”

Meiyun and the others rushed to Kohaku’s lifeless body. Agnes trembled as she carefully set the talisman on his chest. For a second, nothing happened—then the ground pulsed, and light engulfed them all.

Kohaku opened his eyes to a vast white plain. The air was calm. The sky was endless.

He looked down at his hands, unscarred and glowing faintly.

“Am I… dead?” he muttered.

A voice, ancient and gentle, echoed through the mist.

“No, not yet. Your time has not come, Kohaku.”

The fog parted, revealing the massive form of the White Dragon—its scales glimmering like starlight.

“Who are you?” Kohaku asked.

“I am the ancestor of Meiyun. Names no longer matter. I am here to offer you a choice.”

“A choice?”

“Two paths stand before you. You may rest—find peace and fade into the afterlife… or return to the world, burdened with the greatest responsibility of all: to guide humanity against the Soul Beasts, and rebuild what was lost.”

Kohaku fell silent, watching the memories flicker before him—cities burning, people crying, children smiling under makeshift shelters. He saw Rika’s tears, Agnes’s loyalty, Eva’s determination, Seo’s fire, Meiyun’s faith.

He clenched his fists.

“I can’t rest. Not yet. Not while they still fight.”

The White Dragon smiled. Its form shimmered and slowly transformed into Yolanda once more.

“Then I am proud of your choice, Kohaku. Walk the long road ahead—and never give up on hope.”

As her voice faded, light enveloped him once more.

On the battlefield, Meiyun gasped.

“Look—his wounds… they’re closing!”

Everyone turned. The hole in Kohaku’s abdomen glowed with the same light as the talisman. His breathing steadied. His fingers twitched.

Then, his eyes opened—burning crimson once again.

“He’s alive!” shouted Seo, tears welling in her eyes.

Kohaku stood, clutching his chest. Above them, the White and Black Dragons clashed violently, their roars shaking the earth. Yolanda, watching from above, nodded silently—reminding him of the pact he had made.

Lightning crackled in the clouds.

Kohaku looked around, spotting a sharp steel beam half-buried in the rubble. He grabbed it, eyes focused.

“Agnes! Fire the Railgun—aim for its chest!”

Agnes hesitated. “That shot… we only have one left! If this fails—”

“Then we make it count!” he shouted.

Agnes aimed. The Railgun’s core lit up with a blinding blue charge.

SHOOOOOT!

The blast struck the Black Dragon square in the chest, ripping through its scales and muscle. The beast howled in agony, thrashing wildly.

“Not as strong as I thought,” Kohaku growled, driving the steel beam into the creature’s throat, twisting it upward toward its skull.

But the monster refused to die. It reared back, roaring, wings beating with hurricane force. The beam dislodged from its head as it lunged toward Kohaku.

The White Dragon dove in, slamming into the beast and sending both crashing through the air.

Then—

A blinding bolt of lightning struck the steel beam still lodged in the dragon’s neck.

Electricity surged through its entire body. The sky exploded with thunder. The ground shook. The Black Dragon screamed as its body began to char and burn.

“It’s working! It’s working!” soldiers and civilians shouted from below.

The light faded… and the Black Dragon fell silent.

For a moment, it seemed over.

But then—its eye flickered open again.

The burns vanished. The flesh restored.

“No… no way…” whispered a soldier. “It healed itself… it can’t die!”

“We’re finished…” another muttered, despair creeping in once more.

The Black Dragon let out a low, rumbling growl that shook the heavens. Its voice thundered once again—

“I… AM… ETERNAL.”