The Dracus I had let crawl away had no idea I was following him.
He moved sluggishly, dragging his ruined leg across the dirt, leaving a trail of blood behind him. His breathing was ragged, uneven. He was broken—mentally and physically.
But I wasn't done with him yet.
I kept my distance, silent as the wind, my body moving like a shadow between the ruins. I let him lead me, let him show me where his comrades were holed up.
He had said there were more coming.
I needed to know exactly how many.
I needed to kill them first.
The moon hung low in the sky, casting long, jagged shadows over the ruins. The night air was cool, but my blood burned hot.
As I followed him through the broken streets, I took stock of my own condition.
I was still sore from the fight. My muscles ached, my ribs throbbed with each breath, and I could feel the dried blood sticking to my skin.
But pain was irrelevant.
Pain was fuel.
I focused on my surroundings. Every step, every breath, every tiny movement was controlled, calculated. My heartbeat slowed, my senses sharpened, and my pulse matched the rhythm of the night itself.
Then—
The Dracus stopped.
I crouched low behind a collapsed wall, watching. Listening.
A faint glow flickered ahead—firelight.
Voices.
Four of them.
I shifted, peering through the cracks in the rubble. There they were.
Four Dracus sat around a makeshift fire, their armored bodies illuminated by the dancing flames. Weapons resting at their sides, talking amongst themselves.
The wounded Dracus limped forward, his body sagging with exhaustion. One of them—a larger one, broader than the rest—turned to him, golden eyes narrowing.
"Where's the rest?"
The wounded Dracus coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. "Dead."
A beat of silence.
Then—low growls rumbled through the group.
"You're telling me a single human killed two of our own?" Another voice, sharp, laced with irritation. "And you ran?"
The injured Dracus hesitated, his body trembling. He opened his mouth—
And I struck.
I moved in from the shadows like a phantom, Voidscar flashing in the dim firelight. Before any of them could react, I was already behind the wounded Dracus.
He barely had time to realize I was there.
I grabbed his jaw, yanking his head back—and drove Voidscar straight through his skull.
The blade slid between the ridges of bone with a sickening crunch, silencing him instantly. His body jerked once, then went limp.
The other Dracus barely had time to process what had happened before I kicked the lifeless corpse forward—straight into the fire.
The camp erupted into chaos.
I didn't hesitate.
The largest Dracus recovered first, his snarl tearing through the air as he lunged for me, his massive blade slicing toward my head.
I ducked low, feeling the wind whip past my face as the blade missed me by inches.
I moved fast.
I shot forward, slamming my elbow into his ribs before twisting my dagger upward, aiming for his throat.
He blocked just in time, my blade scraping against his armor, sparks flying.
Another Dracus moved in from my left, trying to flank me.
I dropped low, sweeping my leg beneath him and sending him crashing to the ground.
The moment he hit the dirt, I was already on top of him.
Voidscar plunged into his shoulder, pinning him down before I twisted the blade, shredding through muscle and bone. He screamed, his claws scrambling to push me away.
Too slow.
I yanked the blade free and buried it in his throat.
Blood sprayed across my face as I ripped the dagger out, spinning just in time to block a downward strike from the third Dracus.
Steel met steel.
My arms shook from the impact, but I held firm.
The force pushed me back a step, but I **let it happen—**using the momentum to pivot, dragging Voidscar across his ribs.
He snarled in pain, stumbling back.
That's when the fourth one attacked.
I barely saw the punch coming before it slammed into my ribs.
A shockwave of pain erupted through my side. A second blow caught my jaw.
White-hot agony burst behind my eyes.
I staggered back, tasting blood.
I barely had a second to recover before the third Dracus charged again, swinging his blade in a brutal arc.
I had no time to dodge.
Instead—I met him head-on.
The word left my lips like a command to the universe itself.
And the universe obeyed.
The air around me vibrated, an invisible force rippling outward from my body like a pulse of raw energy. Essence surged, coiling around my limbs, sinking into my muscles, amplifying every fiber of my being.
The world around me slowed.
The two remaining Dracus moved, but I could see them before they even completed their attacks. Their muscles tensed, their claws flexed, their feet barely left the ground— but I was already calculating their next steps.
The biggest of the two, the leader, let out a guttural roar and rushed me.
I stood my ground.
A blur of movement—he was fast, but now? I was faster.
His massive sword came crashing down toward my skull, an attack meant to split me in two. I pivoted at the last second, letting the force of his own strike throw him off balance. His blade hit the dirt with a resounding boom, the sheer impact sending cracks through the ground beneath us.
Before he could recover, I moved in.
My dagger found his ribs, but his thick armor took most of the impact. He growled, spinning violently, his tail whipping out toward me.
I barely ducked in time, feeling the wind slice past my face.
But the moment I dodged—the second Dracus struck.
From my right, a blade arced toward my side. I twisted mid-motion, catching the blade against my dagger, redirecting the force just enough for it to miss my torso. The steel scraped against my arm instead, a sharp sting of pain blooming where it cut.
I gritted my teeth.
Pain didn't matter.
Not now.
The leader recovered fast. Too fast. He came at me again, swinging his weapon like a battering ram. This time, I caught his movement out of the corner of my eye and planted my foot firm against the dirt.
As his blade descended, I threw Voidscar up in defense.
CLANG!
The weapons collided, Essence against raw Dracus strength. The force sent shockwaves through my arms, my knees bending from the impact, but I didn't yield.
I twisted Voidscar, deflecting the weight of his sword just enough to slip inside his guard.
Then—I drove my knee into his gut.
The impact cracked something inside him. His body lurched forward from the force, his breath leaving him in a violent cough.
I pressed my advantage. I struck.
Voidscar shot forward like a viper, aiming for his throat—
But before it could land, a third force entered the fray.
A brutal force slammed into my back, sending me flying.
I crashed into a jagged stone wall, my ribs screaming in agony. White-hot pain erupted across my spine, my lungs struggling to expand as I hit the ground with a hard thud.
I barely had a moment to breathe before the second Dracus was on me.
He descended fast, aiming to impale me through the chest.
Instinct took over.
I rolled—just in time.
His blade speared into the ground where I had just been, stone shattering under the force. Without hesitation, I kicked upward, my boot slamming into his elbow, forcing his grip to loosen.
He snarled, jerking back—but I was already moving.
I grabbed the hilt of Voidscar, pushing through the ache in my ribs, and lunged forward.
I drove the dagger deep into his side.
He let out a pained roar, but his sheer bulk kept him standing.
His claws raked across my shoulder in retaliation, flesh tearing open as pain flared through my nerves. Blood splattered the ground beneath me.
But I refused to stop.
I twisted the dagger. Hard.
His growl turned into a sharp gasp, his body convulsing as the blade severed something inside him. His grip loosened just enough for me to wrench Voidscar free—
And then I buried it into his throat.
A spray of blackened blood erupted from the wound as his body buckled forward. His golden eyes widened in disbelief before his form crumpled into the dirt, lifeless.
One down.
One left.
The leader—the strongest of them—watched his comrade fall.
His lips curled into a snarl, his body shaking with barely contained fury.
"You," he spat, venom lacing his voice.
He threw his sword to the ground.
"I don't need a weapon to kill you," he growled.
I exhaled sharply, shaking the blood from Voidscar.
"Then come and try."
He exploded forward, moving faster than I had anticipated. Before I could brace myself, his fist slammed into my stomach.
The impact was like being hit by a battering ram.
My feet left the ground.
I was launched backward, crashing through debris before skidding to a stop against the dirt. My vision blurred, my body screaming in protest as I tried to force myself up.
But he didn't give me time.
I barely dodged as he drove his knee into the space where my head had been.
The sheer force left a crater in the ground.
He was stronger than the others. Much stronger.
I coughed, tasting iron in my mouth, and forced myself up to one knee.
"You're durable," he admitted, rolling his shoulders. "But not enough."
I wiped the blood from my lips and let out a slow exhale.
Then I lifted Voidscar.
"Shut up and fight."
He came at me again.
Faster.
I met him head-on.
His fist shot toward my face—I leaned back, dodging by a hair's width. I countered instantly, slashing my dagger upward toward his throat.
He caught my wrist.
His grip was like iron.
Before I could twist away, his knee drove into my ribs again.
Pain exploded through my body.
But this time—I ignored it.
Instead, I used the momentum, twisting midair, and brought my elbow crashing down onto his collarbone.
A sickening crack rang through the night.
He stumbled.
I exploited the opening.
I lunged—Voidscar piercing straight into his abdomen.
His growl turned into a pained snarl, his claws raking across my back in retaliation.
Agony erupted across my skin.
I clenched my teeth, gripping Voidscar tighter, and with one final push—
I twisted the blade and ripped it through his torso.
The Dracus staggered backward, gasping.
Blood poured from the massive gash across his chest, his strength rapidly fading.
He dropped to his knees, breathing heavily, his golden eyes locking onto mine.
"You…" he rasped, voice trembling.
I stood over him, panting, blood dripping from my wounds.
"You were supposed to be erased."
I said nothing.
His body swayed—then collapsed.
A heavy silence followed.
The battle was over.
I exhaled slowly, my grip on Voidscar loosening.
Then—I felt it.
A presence.
Someone watching.
I turned my gaze toward the darkness.
A shadow moved.
A low chuckle echoed through the night.
And for the first time, I realized—
The real threat hadn't even revealed itself yet.
I turned sharply, Voidscar still dripping with the lifeblood of the fallen. My grip tightened.
Then, from the darkness—he stepped forward.
Tall. Broad. Scarred.
His scales were darker than the others, almost black, his golden eyes glowing with amusement rather than fear. He wasn't afraid. Not even a little.
The leader of this squad.
The one who had let his subordinates die just to see how I fought.
He exhaled slowly, tilting his head, a grin tugging at the edges of his reptilian mouth.
"Now, that… that was entertaining," he mused.
I didn't answer. I just stared him down. Waiting. Calculating.
"You fight like something unnatural," he continued, stepping closer, his massive boots crunching over the remains of his fallen comrades. "That power of yours… it's not Null, and it sure as hell ain't normal. That makes you… interesting."
I raised Voidscar slightly. "If you're trying to flatter me, try harder."
He chuckled. "Flatter you? No, no, I'm just curious. You killed my men, after all. That means I have to kill you now… but you see, that's not what excites me."
His golden eyes burned with a dark thrill.
"It's how long you'll last against me before you break."
Then he moved.
He was fast.
Faster than the others.
His clawed fist shot toward me with inhuman speed. I barely had time to react, raising Voidscar in defense—but the impact still sent me flying back.
CRACK!
My body slammed against a stone pillar, the force rattling through my bones. I gasped, the breath stolen from my lungs.
He didn't give me time to recover.
He was already on me.
A second punch came—I twisted at the last second, barely dodging as his fist obliterated the pillar behind me, sending cracks splintering through the rock.
This wasn't like before.
The others had been strong, but this one? This was a whole different level.
I rolled forward, narrowly avoiding a kick that would have shattered my ribs, and slashed at his leg with Voidscar.
A clean hit.
Or so I thought.
The blade barely nicked his flesh, glancing off his hardened scales. His grin widened.
"That tickled," he taunted.
I moved.
I struck out again—but he caught my wrist mid-swing.
His grip was like a vice, squeezing so hard my fingers nearly dropped Voidscar.
Then, he lifted me off the ground—one-handed.
Before I could react, he slammed me into the dirt so hard the earth cracked beneath me.
The pain was blinding.
I barely had time to cough before his foot came down, aiming to crush my skull.
I rolled, barely escaping death, but my vision blurred from the force of the impact.
I needed an opening.
I needed to counter.
I needed—
"Release."
The second the word left my lips, everything changed.
Essence erupted from my core, crackling like an untamed storm. My veins burned with raw power, my senses sharpening to a razor's edge.
The Dracus staggered back, golden eyes flickering with the first hint of surprise.
"Ah… there it is," he muttered. "That's what I wanted to see."
I launched forward.
Faster. Stronger. More precise.
I slammed my knee into his ribs, feeling something give beneath the impact. His body lurched sideways, but he caught himself and retaliated with a swipe of his claws.
I ducked.
His hand tore through the air where my head had been—and I countered with an upward slash, Voidscar slicing across his chest.
This time, it cut deeper.
He hissed, his grin faltering as black blood dripped from the wound.
I had his attention now.
"You really are something different," he muttered, wiping at his chest. "But… let's see how long you last."
He surged forward, faster than before.
I matched him.
The fight became a blur.
Fists clashed. Steel met flesh. Blood painted the ground.
I dodged. I countered. I struck out, again and again, Voidscar drinking deep with every hit.
But he wouldn't go down.
Even with his injuries, he kept laughing.
He was enjoying this.
The battle wore on, my body growing heavier with every second. The high from my Essence use was waning, the recoil creeping in.
I needed to end this.
Now.
He lunged again, but this time—I didn't dodge.
I stepped forward.
His claws ripped into my side, pain exploding through me—but it was a trap.
With his arm buried in my flesh, he was vulnerable.
I grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply—SNAP!
A roar of agony tore from his throat as his arm bent the wrong way.
Then, before he could react—
I drove Voidscar straight into his throat.
The laughter stopped.
His golden eyes widened in shock.
I twisted the blade.
A choked gurgle escaped him.
He staggered backward, clutching at the wound, blood spilling over his hands. His knees buckled. His massive form trembled—and then, finally, he collapsed.
Dead.
I stood there, swaying slightly, Voidscar still lodged in his throat.
My breath was ragged, my limbs felt like lead. Every inch of me screamed in pain.
But I had won.
I had killed them all.
I reached down, yanking Voidscar free, flicking the blood off its darkened blade.
Then, I exhaled.
The wastelands were silent once more.
The fight was over.
But deep down, I knew this was just the beginning.
They had been hunting me.
Now?
They would be fearing me.