The Mark of Marduk vs the Mark of Piasa

Tatsuya opened his eyes to see bright sunshine illuminating his surroundings through an open window. He looked around and found that he was resting upon a soft cot and covered with a cotton blanket. Next to him was a little stand with various bottles, cups, tubes, and equipment neatly organized on top of it. The room was quaint and comfy, and he could faintly smell the familiar scent of medicine in the air. He then turned to the window and spotted a mirror right next to it. Looking at himself through the looking glass, he noticed that his right arm, left forearm, and his head were wrapped in bandages. Other parts of his body were also patched up and a small pad was placed at the back of neck.

Judging by his condition, he had suffered a great deal of damage. If he wasn’t a Dragonborn and carried the blood of a Celestial Dragon, he would’ve for sure be dead right now. But it also told him exactly how powerful his opponent was. ‘He’s on a whole different league than Aris,’ he realized.

“Ah, you’ve awaken,” came a voice from the door. Tatsuya turned to see a light blue-haired elderly man with aqua-blue eyes and smooth bluish skin. He stood tall and walked with great vitality that contradicted his elderly appearance. He was dressed in a white doctor’s coat over a blue shirt with a stethoscope around his neck and a clipboard in his hand. Stitched on his coat was his name, though Tatsuya wasn’t able to read it at all due to his unfamiliarity with the dragon realm’s language. The man walked up to Tatsuya and brought the clipboard to his eyes. “You should be good after a few another hour of rest,” said the doctor.

“Uh, y-yes,” replied Tatsuya hesitantly.

“Your healing processes are in working order, and you haven’t suffered any life-threatening damage,” explained the doctor. “Then again, you have your nature as the Dragonborn to thank for that. If, for some reason, your ability to heal at a godly rate was somehow messed with or negated, you would for sure have died.” The doctor’s voice carried a slightly apathetic tone, but it sounded forced, as if he was trying hard to not let his emotions control his words. Tatsuya wasn’t sure if the doctor was being sympathetic to his condition or admonishing him for being hurt; he was very confused.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a chorus of familiar voices flooded in, followed by their owners. Aika and the other princesses quickly swarmed around his bed, interrupting the doctor’s work. Tatsuya, himself, found himself overwhelmed by their excited chatter and couldn’t help but feel claustrophobic.

“I am so sorry!” entered a new voice. A woman with short forest green hair and emerald green eyes, dressed in a very dated nurse’s outfit and a matching cap, quickly entered the room and ran to stop the princesses from crowding around Tatsuya. She held out her hands like a fence and bowed her head in apology to both Tatsuya and the doctor. “This has gotten out of hand. I apologize for my incompetence,” she said. She then turned her attention back to the princesses and clapped her hands. The sound sent a shudder down their backs and they immediately became silent. The nurse placed her hands on her hips and said sternly, “You guys have disrupted the doctor’s work and the patient’s recovery. Please exit the room.” She stood her ground like a mother figure and wasn’t at all afraid of putting down a bunch of royals in their place for the benefit of her patient.

The princesses hung their heads in shame and exited the room in single-file. Once they left, the nurse turned back to Tatsuya and said, “Please don’t think anything bad of them. They were worried sick for you. When they saw the doctor return back to the room, they had lined up outside with their ears eagerly listening in through the door.”

Tatsuya smiled at the nurse’s report and nodded his head. “Thank you,” he told her. The nurse responded with a nod of her own.

She then turned back to the doctor and suddenly found him crouching down near the wall with his knees brought to his chest. “Too many people at once,” muttered the doctor to himself in an anxious tone. “Don’t they know how to act in a doctor’s office? I seriously thought I was going to die from that stampede. How I didn’t die at all is a miracle! Is this the gods’ way of saying my time has come?” He sounded as if he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

“Um, doctor?” came the nurse.

Her voice quickly shook him out of his thoughts and he immediately jumped back to his feet. He cleared his throat and spoke with the same forced apathetic voice as before. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Now then—,” began the doctor.

“Um, sorry, but I didn’t get your name,” said Tatsuya.

“You didn’t introduce yourself to him yet, doctor?” asked the nurse with a raised eyebrow.

The doctor slumped his shoulders and turned around. “I forgot to introduce myself. What kind of doctor does that to an unconscious patient? Of course he doesn’t know who I am! Should I just end it now so that it wouldn’t matter if he knew my name or not?” he muttered to himself.

“Doctor!” shouted the nurse sternly.

The doctor’s body quickly shot up with a shudder at the nurse’s tone and he immediately turned back to Tatsuya. “I’m sorry,” he apologized again. “I am Dr. Iwa, Jaculus City’s preeminent physician.” The nurse made a subtle grunt and the doctor shuddered his body again. He held out his hand to the nurse and said, “And this is my assistant, Nurse Yari.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Owatatsumi Tatsuya,” greeted the nurse with a bow.

“Likewise,” said Tatsuya with a smile. His face hardened a bit as he examined the bandages on his arms. “How is my condition?” he asked the doctor.

“Nothing serious,” answered Dr. Iwa. “At least for a person of your nature. Your bones have been healed and mended and your internal organs should function properly once again. You should’ve regained more than eighty percent of your stamina by now. However, I advise you to rest for at least another hour.”

“If you get up right now and restart your fight, you may suffer worse injuries than before,” warned the nurse.

“The fight,” repeated Tatsuya in a quiet voice. A winner hadn’t been decided yet and both he and Shen had agreed to resume the fight once they’ve recovered. It was a matter of pride and honor now. Suddenly, a question came to him and he quickly looked at the doctor. “How’s Shen?” he asked worriedly.

“His condition is the same,” explained Dr. Iwa. “His injuries weren’t anymore better or worse than yours. But he woke up before you and I had just came from his room when I arrived to check on you. I told him the same thing. Both of you need at least another hour of rest before your regain back all of your stamina.”

“I see,” mumbled Tatsuya to himself with a relieved smile. They may be enemies, but that was only on the battlefield. He respects Shen for his power and strength, and he is even a little envious of the Dragonborn’s righteous heart. Tatsuya wondered if they could’ve been great friends if they had met each other back in the human realm as regular teenage boys instead of in these circumstances.

Dr. Iwa looked at his clipboard and scribbled a few notes. Nurse Yari was replacing the bandages on Tatsuya’s arms with fresh ones. Once both doctor and nurse were done, they walked to the door. Dr. Iwa turned to Tatsuya while at the door and said, “Rest for another hour. I’ll come back to clear you for discharge once you regained your full stamina back.” And then he left.

Now that Tatsuya was alone by himself, he leaned back against the bed and took in the peaceful quiet. But this little moment of tranquility quickly disappeared when his mind turned to the battle. The entire fight replayed in his head from start to finish. As he recounted how it went, the one thing that continued to repeat in his head and unsettled him was how Shen was able to access his transformations willingly. Tatsuya was never aware that such a thing could be achieved. His experience with transforming only after a certain requirement was met made him believe that there was no other way to do it. He didn’t even questioned whether or not there was and just accepted it for it was. But after seeing Shen transform without any outside trigger, he was beginning to question the true nature of the transformations and the methods to access them.

“Ah-ah, that battle was ruthless,” said a voice from in front of his bed. Tatsuya was immediately shaken out of his thoughts by the voice and saw Yong pacing back and forth in front of him. The Celestial Dragon turned to Tatsuya with a mischievous half-smile. “So, did you learn anything new today?” asked Yong, leaning on his tiptoes.

“My opponent is harder than I thought,” answered Tatsuya with a little chuckle.

“You’re right,” agreed Yong with a solemn nod. “He’s faster, stronger, smarter, and more powerful than you’ll ever be,” he added, emphasizing each and every one of Shen’s superior qualities.

Tatsuya couldn’t take the offensive tone behind each word and immediately responded with, “If you like him so much then why don’t you go be his friend?!”

“It’s not like he needs my help,” replied Yong with a shrug of his shoulders.

‘He’s so infuriating to talk to sometimes,’ grumbled Tatsuya. He exhaled and changed the subject. “Actually, there’s something that’s been bothering me about the battle,” he said, furrowing his brows in a frown. “How was Shen able to transform? How was he able to trigger it willingly?” This question had been plaguing Tatsuya’s mind ever since the first time he witnessed it in battle.

“Did your father explained to you the transformations?” asked Yong with a raised eyebrow.

“Not really,” answered Tatsuya with a shake of his head. “He only told me that because of my Celestial Dragon heritage, I possess the power to control all thirteen elements. But that’s about all he told me.”

“So much for a father figure,” said Yong with a disappointed shake of his head. “Listen,” he told Tatsuya, “the Dragonborn possess the power to manipulate all thirteen elements. However, they can only do so by accessing the different transformations. Each transformation gives you total control over its respective element and unrestricted access to its powers. But to access each transformation, you must first satisfy a requirement.”

“Like kissing?” blurted out Tatsuya carelessly.

“Nope,” quickly answered Yong. “Hopefully, by now, you are familiar with most of the dragon tribes and their characteristics, are you not?” Tatsuya answered with a nod. “Each tribe can be summarized by their natural characteristics. For example, Dracos are passionate and fiery, Nagas are emotional and docile, Quetzalcoatls are flighty and rebellious, Druks are languid and gluttonous, Pythons are stubborn and loyal, and Lindworms are greedy and proud.”

“What does this have to do with the transformations?” asked Tatsuya.

“These are the keys to activating the transformations,” revealed Yong, throwing his hands outwards like a showman revealing a grand act. “By concentrating on a particular emotion or state of mind, you can draw out the transformation willingly. However, for you to be able to do that on the first try without consistent training is impossible to conceive, even by me.” Yong made a gesture with his hand like a gentleman sending back a dish in a classy restaurant, obviously as a sign of dismissal towards Tatsuya’s lack of experience and training compared to the other Dragonborns. “They’ve been training since childhood,” said Yong, “which means that they have the upper hand against you when it comes to experience and skill.”

“What are you saying?” asked Tatsuya. “Are you telling me that I have no chance in winning this battle?”

“That’s what fate seems to be telling me,” said Yong with a shrug and a nonchalant expression.

“I don’t believe in that crap,” said Tatsuya. “I told you before, I’m in control of my own fate.”

“You’ve already resigned yourself once, so what’s wrong with doing it again?” said Yong in a disinterested voice, turning his attention to his fingers as if Tatsuya was no longer worthy of his full attention anymore.

Tatsuya couldn’t take the Celestial Dragon’s attitude and slammed his bandaged arms on the bed hard enough to ring out an audible thud. It was painful, but he didn’t care. “I won’t let fate decide for me. I am the master of my own fate,” he said in a low voice.

Yong was smiling amusedly from the corners of his mouth. “Really?” he asked in an intrigued tone. He turned back to Tatsuya and jumped onto his bed. He then pushed his face into the Dragonborn’s until they were only a few inches away from each other. “Then show me,” he whispered. Yong jumped back off of the bed and turned around. He held up his hand in a farewell gesture and reached for the door. “Remember,” he said before taking a step outside, “a fool dies by his own hand. But a wise man dies by the hands of fate.” He then left the room.

Alone once more, Tatsuya took the god’s words and mulled over them. ‘This is crazy,’ he thought once his head began to hurt after minutes of trying to see the hidden meaning behind this contradicting statement. He shook his head and looked down at his hands. Yong’s instructions about the transformations replayed in his mind and he began to wonder if he can do it. ‘If I can, it would give me the power to fight him on equal footing,’ he concluded. ‘But he’s right,’ he said, remembering Yong’s statement about the Dragonborns and their experience, ‘they’ve got years on me when it comes to accessing the powers and abilities of the Dragonborn.’ He concluded that thinking more about the idea was useless, and he let out a depressed sigh.

A knock came on the door. But before Tatsuya could answer, the door suddenly swung open and Takara entered the room as arrogantly as possible, as was her nature as a Lindworm. “Boyfriend, it’s good to see that you’re doing fine,” she began with a raised eyebrow, “but that battle was horrendous! You’re starting to remind me that you’re a good-for-nothing plebeian who doesn’t deserve the elite attention of an elite such as I!”

“If you don’t have any kind words for an injured man, then you can just leave,” he told her coldly.

His tone made her shudder and Takara immediately changed tactics. She approached his right side and stroked his bandaged arm. “Are you feeling alright, Boyfriend?” she asked him with an angelic smile. “I’ve been a good girl and I’ve been praying for your recovery!” she told him sweetly.

Tatsuya softly smiled and said, “Thanks.”

Takara accepted his gratitude and it fueled her pride. With a haughty smile, she happily told him what she had prayed. “I held my hands together,” she said, repeating each action as she told him, “and prayed, ‘Oh, great goddess Mizuchi, Mother Goddess of healing, please watch over Boyfriend and help him to heal his plebeian body! Please, have mercy on my plebeian Boyfriend and take away his plebeian wounds! I, your elite servant of the elite Lindworm tribe, beseech you for your kindness. Let my elite words reach you so that my plebeian Boyfriend’s plebeian body may be healed and return back to its plebeian self.’”

As she said the words ‘plebeian’ when referring to him and ‘elite’ when referring to herself, Tatsuya couldn’t help but get more and more annoyed with her reenactment. “Enough!” he said at the same time she had finished. “I don’t have time for this!”

Takara reeled back from Tatsuya’s sudden anger. “What did I say wrong?” she asked him. Tatsuya simply glared at her. Instead of being scared, Takara became angry with his treatment of her help and said, “You’re so ungrateful! I was trying my best to help a plebeian like you! But I guess people of your caliber do not understand the thoughtfulness of an action by an elite such as I. Just for this, you can count me out for supporting you in your next fight!” She then childishly stuck out her tongue at him.

“As if you were being helpful in the first place,” scoffed Tatsuya.

Takara was steamed by Tatsuya’s behavior. “Just for that, when we get back home, I’m confiscating all of your Ginger Sakura merchandise and selling them online so I can buy my own merch!” she told him in a tantrum.

Tatsuya couldn’t believe what he was hearing and was about to say something back but could only utter a, “You—.” Knowing Takara, she wasn’t just all bark and no bite. She would really go through with her words in spite of the consequences. Right now, Tatsuya only had two choices: apologize, or beat her at her own game. He made his choice. “Then I won’t buy you anymore of the cereals that come with prizes inside,” he said sternly. First of all, those cereals are expensive! Second of all, he knew exactly what Takara’s weaknesses were and these cereals were one of them.

“Eh?!” exclaimed Takara. “Y-You’re lying, r-r-right?” she stuttered.

“I’m serious,” said Tatsuya.

“B-B-B-But…,” protested Takara. Tatsuya, despite being the pushover he was, was also a man of his word. He could be stern and stubborn when he needs to (not like it lasts, though), and Takara knew from experience that once he says something, he will actually do it. For the first time in her life, she had met someone who was not only kind to her, but was willing to protest and rebuke her for her actions and words. She had finally learned the meaning of the word ‘no’ through living with him. And though she hated it, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat refreshed by this change.

All this time, her hands were balled up into fists and shaking by her side. She stopped them and looked down at the ground. “You’re such an idiot,” she mumbled to herself.

“What was that?” came Tatsuya’s voice with a hint of triumph.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“For?” prodded Tatsuya.

“For what?” she asked him, looking up at him with cold eyes.

“For being a brat,” he told her with a soft smile. “For once, can you try to be more polite and nice?” he asked her with a tilt of his head. “If you’re so elite, than why put on this arrogant attitude? Isn’t this the opposite of how elite people should act?” Tatsuya may’ve been annoyed by Takara’s antics, but at the same time, he was grateful for this distraction. It helped him to forget the problems that were swirling in his head regarding the fight and everything Yong had said during his visit.

“W-W-Well, I can’t help it,” she said, focusing her eyes on a corner like a child. She had her hands clasped behind her back and her cheeks had turned a light shade of red.

“I understand,” said Tatsuya with a sigh. “But just try to be less of a brat from now on,” he told her.

Takara slowly nodded her head. She then looked back up at him and was greeted by a very warm and friendly smile like none she had ever witnessed before. It reminded her of the first time she had met Tatsuya, though this time, the smile was brighter and carried a very pleasant atmosphere that made her wish for it to remain forever. She then felt her heart bounce in her chest. Again, it was similar to the first time she had felt any kind of infatuation for Tatsuya, which had led to her declaring he was her Boyfriend, but at the same time a little different. She couldn’t describe it clearly, but it somehow felt a little more painful yet desirous. ‘What could this be?’ she asked herself. It feels as if her heart was wanting to escape from her and go somewhere is, like it was desiring for something…or yearning for someone.

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness,” said Tatsuya. His words shook Takara out of her stupor. “I’m almost fully healed and ready to go back into battle,” he told her.

Takara nodded her head and turned around. She was about to leave when suddenly, she quickly turned around and her body acted on impulse. Her lips pressed onto Tatsuya’s and they kissed. However, unlike last time, this kiss felt more pure and more pleasurable to Takara. Tatsuya was beyond surprised by this ambush and couldn’t do anything as their lips were locked. Once a sufficient amount of time passed, Takara pushed herself off of him. Her cheeks became flushed with crimson and she quickly made her way to the door. “T-T-That’s a blessing for v-v-victory!” she told him as she ran off.

Tatsuya’s eyes were still widened with disbelief and surprise even after a few minutes had already passed since the Lindworm princess’ departure. And unbeknownst to him, since he was too confused about what had happened to take notice, the Mark of Marduk appeared on the back of his right hand and glowed before slowly receding back into nothingness.

Outside the room, Yong had hidden himself against the wall and witnessed the entire thing. A smile full of intrigue swept across his face. ‘This is about to get interesting.’

The battle was about ready to resume and the entire arena was once again packed with excited spectators. Both Tatsuya and Shen had regained their stamina and discarded their bandages to prepare for battle. They stood before each other with hungry eyes and got into position. “Ready?” asked Shen.

“Of course,” replied Tatsuya with a confident smile.

Shen sneered and went first. He quickly transformed into his Draco-hybrid form and rushed forward with his wings giving him an extra boost. Tatsuya was more or less ready to defend, but the quickness of the attack was enough for Shen to throw an uppercut underneath his chin. Tatsuya took the damage and flew into the air, landing back down a few feet away to his left with a heavy thud.

‘That was unexpected,’ thought Tatsuya to himself as he picked himself back up. Seeing Shen in his dragon form was enough for Tatsuya to know exactly how much of a disadvantage he had in this battle. If he wasn’t careful, he could end up the same way as the last battle; except this time, the battle would have a clear winner.

“Aren’t you going to transform too?” asked Shen in a slightly arrogant tone. “Or can’t you? he added brusquely. Tatsuya had no answer for him—he remained stone-faced and calm. Shen could tell by this silence that he had hit the mark. “This is the difference between you and me,” he announced for the entire arena to hear. He raised his hand and prepared to fire another beam of fire at Tatsuya.

Tatsuya stood very still. However, despite his calm outer appearance, his mind was in a state of anxiety. ‘I’ve got to figure this out,’ he told himself. Once again, he mulled over Yong’s words about the Thirteen tribes to try and find the hint that will help him figure out the secret to the transformations. ‘Is he saying that I should pretend to be like them? Or should I channel the same feelings? Or is there something else hidden in his words?’ His mind was struggling with the answer to his questions.

At this moment, Shen released his attack and the powerful beam shot straight for Tatsuya like an arrow. Tatsuya knew his time was running out. In desperation, he closed his eyes and did his best to apply the Celestial Dragon’s words, even if they still didn’t make any sense to him right now. As of this moment, the only thought running through his head was his desperation to win this battle. And to do that, he needed to make this work. He can’t let his opponent have the last laugh. His pride was at stake. ‘I have to win this!’ he told himself, ‘I’ve got to prove myself!’

The beam of fire finally reached its target and quickly enveloped Tatsuya in a sea of flames. Everyone in the arena drew in sharp gasps. Their view on the battle was quickly obscured by the smoke that quickly filled the battlefield. Shen, looking satisfied with himself and his victory, turned around with his back to his defeated opponent. However, there was also a part of him that wished for this battle to not end this way. He yearned for it to continue and he was actually having an interest in someone else for the first time in his life. Though his expression was filled arrogance and triumph, his eyes told another story. ‘That idiot,’ he thought to himself. He then took a step forward.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him that sent a shudder down his spine and forced him to stop. “I’m not finished yet,” said Tatsuya. With wide eyes filled with disbelief and a small smile of relief, Shen quickly turned around to see his opponent rising back to his feet. But his opponent was not the same person. Actually, it is more correct to say that his opponent had changed forms.

‘No way,’ gasped Shen. ‘How can he master that without years of training?’

Tatsuya, standing tall and straight on his feet, had transformed himself into a dragon-hybrid. Scales like freshly-minted gold coins covered his forehead and the sides of his face. His eyes had become gold with silver slit pupils, and triangular fins ran down his back from his head to the giant needle-tipped tail that now protruded from his backside. A pair of thin leathery wings protruded from his back. His mouth had also protruded outwards like an alligator's and his teeth were replaced with rows of sharp fangs. His fingers became tipped with sharp talons. Tatsuya had now assumed the form of a Lindworm hybrid. And this was his first time using this transformation too.

He knew that the Lindworm tribe’s element was luck, but that didn’t give him much to go off on as to how to use his powers. He wasn’t sure what he could do with this power or what it’s actually capable of. It’s not like fire or water or the other elements, which were kind of self-explanatory and easier for him to grasp since they were material elements. Luck, on the other hand, was something that he could not see or touch, so it was hard for him to visualize it. ‘I know I transformed into this hybrid form, but I’m at a total lost as to what to do,’ he bemoaned internally.

From the sidelines, the princesses couldn’t believe what they were seeing. But the one who was the most surprised by this development was Takara, the group’s resident Lindworm. She had only heard stories before about Tatsuya transforming to battle the Yellow Terror, but to actually witness it herself was too shocking of an experience for her. And to see him transform into a Lindworm too, she had no words to describe the awesomeness of the sight before her.

Both Manami and Daiki were also surprised by their friend’s new ability. But despite the many questions popping up in their heads, they were nevertheless supportive of this and smiled, knowing that their friend had grown yet again and can now have a better chance at winning this battle. Percy and Micky couldn’t hold in their amazement either and was stunned silent by Tatsuya’s quick learning of an ability that had taken them years to perfect.

On the top row, Yong, Alita, and Shori watched this new development with impressed and awestruck expressions. Both Alita and Shori exchanged glances of disbelief, yet they couldn’t hold back their admiration for how quick Tatsuya was able to master this skill. They couldn’t believe that what was once considered an impossible event to even conceive happened before their very eyes. Alita was shocked speechless, and she very much enjoyed it. A smile full of intrigue now spread across her face.

Yong silently applauded Tatsuya’s growth with his eyes. Though he was also aware that the hero hadn’t thought it through and was now in a brand new predicament regarding how to exactly make his new form work. ‘Geez, that hero is really too much work,’ thought the Celestial Dragon with a smile.

Shen had recovered from his shock and prepped himself for battle. But one look at his opponent’s confused expression told him that he still had the advantage when it came to experience. ‘Does he not know how to use his powers?’ wondered Shen. Deciding to take this advantageous moment, he coated himself in hot flames and dashed forward with the speed of a raging wildfire.

Takara took notice of Shen’s assault and shook off her surprise at Tatsuya’s transformation. She cupped her hands around her mouth and quickly shouted out, “Use his luck!” Her words made Tatsuya turn his head in her direction, but his expression only became more confused.

‘The princess is trying to help him out,’ noticed Yong with an amused smile. He brought his arms up above his head and stretched, yawning loudly. Alita and Shori became distracted by his display and shot him unamused glances. “This fight looks like it’s going to end the same way,” said Yong, smacking his lips with a tired expression on his face. “I think I might just go to sleep.”

“What are you talking about?” questioned Shori. “This is a brand new development!”

Yong turned sideways and made a dismissive gesture with his right hand towards the fight. “Do you really think that it’ll change? I only made the bet because I thought that the Dragonborn of the human realm can give your chosen one a challenge, but it looks like I was being too cocky. If you want, I’ll admit defeat right now.”

“Stop with this foolishness!” snapped Shori. “A victory without honor is meaningless!”

“So you still want the bet to continue despite knowing that your victory is for certain?” asked Yong with a raised eyebrow. He then let out a groan and said, “Geez. You upright gods are so uptight when it comes to your morals.”

Alita sighed and smiled. “You’ve always been a very enigmatic one, Imoogi,” she said with an affectionate tone.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” said Yong with a displeased expression. When Shori and Alita turned their attention back to the fight, a mischievous smile swept across Yong’s face. His plan was a success. He turned his eyes to Tatsuya and his eyes began to a glow a very ethereal green color.

On the battlefield, Tatsuya, still at a loss as to what he should do, had gotten into a defensive position to block the oncoming attack. This was the only option he have. Suddenly, a very familiar voice rang inside his head. ‘Oi, can you hear me?’ called the voice.

‘Yong!’ cried Tatsuya. ‘Wait, how are you doing this?’

‘I’m speaking to you through your mind,’ explained the Celestial Dragon.

‘You mean telepathy?’ asked Tatsuya.

‘Just call me Professor Y,’ joked Yong. ‘Anyway, listen to what I’m going to say. It seems that you’ve transformed into a Lindworm, but you have no idea how to use their powers. First of all, do you know what Lindworms are?’

‘They’re dragons of luck,’ answered Tatsuya. ‘But how can I manipulate luck? It’s not a materialistic element like fire or earth. And it’s hard to imagine a pure abstract concept.’

‘Luck is more than just an abstract concept,’ informed Yong. ‘Although you can’t see it or hear it or smell it, you can feel it. Like any other element, materialistic or not, luck is a form of energy. It is the energy responsible for cause-and-effect relationships. It is a fundamental element that is important in regulating universal balance.’

‘Even with that explanation, I don’t see how that makes it any easier to imagine it,’ said Tatsuya. That’s when a flashback to a conversation a few months ago flashed in his mind. In this conversation, Takara had explained to him the theory behind her powers. ‘The universe is ruled by chance. By manipulating this chance, this probability, I can control luck. Luck is the energy behind universal probability.’ An epiphany struck him. Armed with a smile of undaunted confidence, Tatsuya was ready to make his dream of controlling destiny a reality.

Yong noticed the Dragonborn’s change in expression and smiled. “Looks like you figured it out,” he said with an approving nod.

Tatsuya opened himself back up and stood his ground. Shen, taking quick notice of his opponent’s change, was a little taken aback. However, he still pushed on with his assault. And just when Shen was a few feet away, Tatsuya held out his left hand and closed his eyes. When he quickly opened them back up, his left hand began to glow a solid golden color and a wave of the same hue shot out towards Shen. Caught up in the momentum of his own attack, Shen’s couldn’t react accordingly to Tatsuya’s attack. The wave washed over him and the flames around his body quickly disappeared as if they were never there in the first place.

With his opponent now open and vulnerable, Tatsuya quickly followed with a strong uppercut below Shen’s right jaw. Shen was sent flying backwards into the air before falling headfirst to the ground below. The endurance from his transformed form helped to lessen the pain, but he still felt a shock run through his body and let out a groan. Shen slowly got back up on his feet and spat out a glob of blood. “What did you just do?” he asked.

“I just thought about how your flames should go out like a bunch of candles,” answered Tatsuya tauntingly.

“Oh? Don’t get too smug from that little victory,” said Shen with a smile of contempt.

The two engaged in a fierce battle. Shen attacked with blinding speed and intense power, switching between physical and ranged attacks every second. Tatsuya countered by using his newfound abilities to his utmost potential. He did everything he can to manipulate a punch’s aim, a projectile’s trajectory, a kick’s force; but the constant stream of unyielding attacks from his opponent quickly began to overwhelm him.

Shen was about to land a very hard-hitting punch on Tatsuya when the latter had another epiphany. ‘What am I doing manipulating his luck alone?’ he realized. If he can control his opponent’s luck, then surely he can control his own too. And just before Shen’s punch connected with his abdomen, he turned to the side and blocked with his shoulder. Shen was pushed back by the impact and his hand was in pain.

‘What was that?’ wondered Shen as he shook off the numbness that was beginning to settle in his hand. ‘It felt like I was punching a wall of draconite!’ That’s when the realization struck him. It appears that Tatsuya had manipulated his own body’s durability against all impacts via probability. ‘He’s a quick learner as always,’ thought Shen to himself with a scowl. “Well then, I guess I have no choice,” he said aloud for his opponent to hear.

Tatsuya was a little unsettled by his opponent’s words. ‘Just what is he planning?’ he wondered anxiously.

“It’s starting,” Yong told his friends with a giant smile.

Shen raised his right hand and a strange mark began to appear and glow a bright black color. The glow was strong and forced everyone in the arena to shield their eyes. This feeling, this intensity, was very familiar to Tatsuya. Once the glow subsided, the mark on Shen’s hand became visible for all to see. The image was that of a dragon-like bird with large wings, antler-like horns, and a lizard-like beak.

Tatsuya recoiled back a bit upon laying eyes on the mark on Shen’s hand. ‘That’s just like mine,’ he thought to himself, ‘Except, the image is different.’ As he was thinking about the similarities and differences between his mark and Shen’s, it hadn’t occurred to him that his opponent had disappeared before his very eyes. When he finally realized, Shen appeared before him and landed a hard punch to his left cheek, sending him crashing into a wall.

“Never take your eyes off your opponent,” said Shen.

Tatsuya coughed as he got back up to his feet. He pointed at the mark on Shen’s hand and asked, “What is that?”

Shen raised his right hand and displayed the mark for Tatsuya to see. “This is the Mark of Piasa,” answered Shen.

“Mark of Piasa?” repeated Tatsuya in confusion.

“Unlike your Mark of Marduk, the Mark of Piasa houses a different power,” explained Shen. “Perhaps I’ll show it to you if you prove to be worthy of it,” taunted the Dragonborn with a sneer.

‘That bastard,’ grumbled Tatsuya with a scowl. He shook off the pain and proceeded to rush forward with a punch. However, Shen quickly moved out of the way and appeared behind him with a hard kick to the side. Tatsuya fell on his opposite side and quickly got back up on his feet. The quickness of Shen’s counterattack told Tatsuya that he had anticipated this attack. Tatsuya knew that that attack was easy to read and thought nothing else of it. He shrugged his shoulders and made another dash at Shen. He pulled back his hand for a punch. Once again, this attack was quite easy to read and Shen dodged out of the way. ‘Got you!’ thought Tatsuya triumphantly. He quickly switched tactics and brought up his left leg for a side-kick. However, Shen reacted accordingly to this move and grabbed his leg. ‘What?!’ exclaimed Tatsuya in pure disbelief. Shen threw Tatsuya backwards and sent him crashing into a wall.

What Tatsuya hadn’t noticed at all during the entire fight was that Shen’s Mark of Piasa had glowed every time before he had the chance to successfully land a hit on his opponent. “You can’t defeat me when I have the Mark of Piasa on my side,” announced Shen.

“So that’s the Mark of Piasa,” mused Yong.

“The Mark of Marduk grants it’s holder the power to project protective barriers and nullify magic,” explained Alita. “But the Mark of Piasa possesses a different power.”

“Foreknowledge,” finished Shori. “The Mark of Piasa gives its holder the power to see into the future and the ability to change it in the present.”

“But both marks are also capable of preventing their holders from death, hence the immortality of the Dragonborns,” said Yong. “Although, I’ve heard that there are special ways to circumvent this ability.”

Throughout the entire battle ever since he brought out the Mark of Piasa, Shen had indeed used it’s power to look into the future and read all of Tatsuya’s moves. The power manifests as flashing visions that give him just enough clues as to what is going to happen and how to avoid/change it. The visions appear in his head moments before the actual occurrence of the projected events, giving him enough time to act accordingly. Moreover, if he wills it, he can see as far as a few days into the future. Otherwise, he typically sees visions of immediate events.

“You can’t win against me now that I can see into the future and read all of your moves,” said Shen.

‘See into the future?’ said Tatsuya in surprise. However, he wasn’t going to back down right now. He brushed off the dust on his shoulders and stretched his neck. And then, quicker than lightning, he rushed forward with his hands clenched. Shen shook his head at his opponent’s stubbornness but responded accordingly to his wishes. The fight quickly switched in Shen’s favor. Everyone of Tatsuya’s attacks, whether they were easy to read or not, were countered by Shen as if they were the actions of an inexperienced child. Meanwhile, Shen’s responded with unexpected attacks that caught Tatsuya off-guard at every moment throughout the battle.

Battered and bruised from the attacks, Tatsuya hadn’t dealt an attack to his opponent at all since his transformation and he now looked like a beaten-up boxer about to be knocked-out at any moment. In fact, the difference in visible injuries between him and Shen was like comparing pond-water and lake-water.

Shen knew just how stubborn his opponent was. He rushed forward with his arm poised for a jab to the face. Tatsuya quickly brought up his hands in defense and a miracle happened. The Mark of Marduk appeared on his hand and created a protective barrier that sent Shen flying back. Tatsuya looked at the mark on his hand and a smile appeared on his face. “Looks like we’ll be fighting mark with mark,” he told Shen.

“Do you really think that the Mark of Piasa is inferior to the Mark of Marduk?” asked Shen spitefully.

“Want to find out?” prodded Tatsuya.

Shen and Tatsuya engaged each other in battle once again. Shen used his Mark of Piasa to dodged every one of Tatsuya’s attack. Tatsuya used his Mark of Marduk to block every one of Shen’s assault. Both Dragonborns were relentless in their attacks and defenses that it wasn’t soon before a standstill was reached between them. Shen couldn’t let all of his hard work be for naught. He decided to find a way to outsmart the Mark of Marduk, if that was even possible. Using his mark, he switched between attacking Tatsuya with projectiles and exploiting the cracks in his opponent’s defense whenever he blocked an attack. At first, Tatsuya was quick in switching positions, preventing Shen from successfully landing an attack on his opponent. However, Shen’s quick switching between tactics was beginning to wear down on Tatsuya’s stamina. After a few more blocked attacks, Shen was finally successful in finding and exploiting the weakness in Tatsuya’s defense, forcing his opponent to block an attack from the front while quickly appearing behind him and attacking him with a strong kick to the spine.

Tatsuya fell on his face with a groan. Shen appeared in front of him. “Surrender and resign yourself to your fate of losing,” Shen told Tatsuya.

“Don’t give me that bull,” groaned Tatsuya in protest.

“Do you still think that you can avoid fate? You’re the one speaking bull if you still believe in that naïve wishful thinking,” argued Shen.

“I—,” began Tatsuya unsuccessfully.

“Do you still believe that you’re controlling your own fate? Are you telling me that this is you taking control of your life?” asked Shen in an angry voice. “How are you controlling your own fate? What made you think that you are capable of doing it? All I saw throughout this entire battle ever since our first meeting was a man who was all talk. You talk about fate but all you’re really doing is running away.”

Anger began to boil inside of Tatsuya. He couldn’t take anymore of his opponent’s berating, and he wanted to deny everyone of his words. However, this anger wasn’t entirely aimed at his opponent—it was aimed at himself. Now, lying there on the ground in pain, Tatsuya couldn’t do anything but accept his opponent’s words. In fact, he knew all along that he was running away. But he refused to see it as escaping and tried to unreasonably justify it as him rebelling against fate in his own way. But now, he couldn’t justify it anymore. He just couldn’t.

“If you were really trying to take control of your own fate, then you would twist it with your own hands into a fate befitting of yourself, instead of surrendering,” said Shen.

Those words settled in Tatsuya’s ears and brought back a conversation he previously had with Yong. The Celestial Dragon had told him: “A fool dies by his own hand. But a wise man dies by the hands of fate.” After hearing Shen’s words, Yong’s piece of advice was beginning to make sense. All of the pieces of the puzzle was finally together and Tatsuya now had his answer.

Tatsuya slowly got back up. “You’re right,” he said with a smile. “A friend once told me, ‘A fool dies by his own hand. But a wise man dies by the hands of fate.’ You know, at first, I didn’t understand what he meant by that. But now, thanks to your words, I understand it. I was a fool for thinking that I can escape fate. I was running away. I had already lost against fate by thinking that I can outrun it. And because of that, I was suffering a fate worse than death. I was losing against the world, losing against you, but also losing against myself. I deluded myself into thinking that this was what I wanted to do. But it isn’t. I understand now that you can’t truly escape fate, but you can take control of it. And the first step in taking control of fate is by deciding your fate for yourself. In the end, you are still bound by fate, but a fate that you chose for yourself. That way, when you die, you will die by a fate of your choice and not by some circumstance that fate had decided for you once you lost yourself to its influence.”

‘Oh? Has he finally understood?’ thought Yong with a smirk.

Shen was a little surprised by his opponent’s sudden recovery and took a step back. Tatsuya brushed the dust off of his body and shook off the daze. “I only have one thing to say to you,” he told Shen. He then got into position and began to execute Technique 100: Wrath of the Dragon God. Shen quickly reacted by jumping out of the way. A mysterious golden wave emanated from Tatsuya’s hands as he was about to complete the move. The wave washed over Shen, though it didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, and so he disregarded it as something insignificant. And then, feeling hostile energy coming from behind him, Shen turned around. What awaited him was a surprise that made his bones shudder.

As if by some supernatural means that Shen wasn’t able to predict, Tatsuya appeared behind him. But that wasn’t the worse of it. Tatsuya, while in the air, had completed executing the necessary stances for Technique 100: Wrath of the Dragon God. The beam of pure energy was aching to be released from Tatsuya’s grasp. With a smile, Tatsuya announced the following words before unleashing his final attack: “I am fate!”

The beam of energy surged forward and consumed Shen. As he was being consumed, everything began to make sense in his mind. ‘He used the power of the Lindworm tribe to mess with my power of foreknowledge. By manipulating the probability of the accuracy of my visions, he was able to find my weakness and exploit it. My foreknowledge had always been susceptible to manipulations of probability, save for the foreknowledge of events over a longer stretch of time.’ The wave of gold energy that Tatsuya had shot was indeed the power of the Lindworms. Once the energy consuming him disappeared, Shen smiled as he fell back down to the ground. The beam would’ve fatally harmed the average human or magical being, but Dragonborns such as him can survive it with heavy injuries. ‘I lost,’ he told himself. As he crashed into the ground, his body reverted back to his normal self.

Tatsuya had landed back down on the ground. He transformed back into his usual self and stumbled. He had never been transformed for long periods of time before, and all of his stamina was almost gone. ‘Who would’ve thought that these transformations would consume a lot of energy?’ he asked himself with a small laugh. He was about to fall down when a figure appeared next to him and caught his shoulders. He turned to the person and saw that it was none other than Prince Nobi.

“You did well, Tatsuya-kyun,” said the prince.

King Rexus had also come down to the battlefield and announced the results. Tatsuya’s victory was met by thundering applause and cheers. His friends and the princesses all gathered around him. They all congratulated him and showered him with praises. Amidst it all, Aika grabbed Tatsuya’s hand and pulled him aside. “You did it,” she told him with a smile.

Tatsuya answered back with a smile of his own. “Yup.”