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"You’re going to fight, Erald, until the very last piece of you dies—because you’ve got a family to go back to! Ahia and your daughter are afraid. They’re looking for you. They love you! Why can’t you get that through your head? You’re not worthless, Erald. There are so many people who love you. You’re not pathetic. You’re strong. You have to believe in yourself. Your greatest flaw... is your lack of confidence."
"A-Ahh..."
Erald saw the faces of his family; of everyone he had ever t—his master included—and felt even more pathetic.
He had been foolish this entire ti.
The abyss around him twisted as light from above began to shower his body, slowly turning his soul golden.
"And you’re not alone right now... I’m with you."
His Demonic Alter Ego embraced him, their bodies beginning to lt together, both personalities rging.
"W-What are you doing?! Hey! Are you—?! Wait! Don’t! You’ll die!"
"You have to be strong, Erald. Take my rage—our rage—and use it to punch that bitch until she stops breathing. You hear ?!"
"No, wait! Brother...! You’re like my brother! You can’t... Stop!"
"Heh. You don’t know how happy it makes to hear that from you."
His Demonic Alter Ego smiled one last ti before his entire being dissolved into particles of red and gold energy, fusing with Erald.
BA DUM!
"AAAHHHHH!"
BA DUM!
"DAMN IT!"
BA DUM!
"AHIA...!"
BA DUM!
"ARALDHIA!"
BA DUM!
His heart pounded faster and faster, as if it were about to burst from his chest. From within, the phantom of his Demonic Alter Ego surged alongside the radiant golden light enveloping him.
"I have to do it... For them! DO IT FOR THEM, ERALD!"
BA DUM! BA DUM! BA DUM!
"STOP BEING A FUCKING COWARD AND JUST DO IT!"
RUMBLE!
The abyss vanished as Erald roared, his eyes snapping open and glowing bright gold. A-no-Uzu, believing him dead, was stunned. She drew her dagger, transforming it into a massive demonic sword and lunged at his throat.
CRASH!
She pierced him. Blood splattered everywhere. She laughed, smiling as the dragon groaned, choking on his own blood.
"Hahahaha! Too late! You woke up too late, little birdie! I’ll enjoy your feathers. I’ll wear them every single day until—"
"FUCK OFF, YOU DAMN CREEP!"
BAAAM!
"Gaaagh?!"
A-no-Uzu scread in agony as a giant, bloody fist smashed into her face, sending her flying. Her nose shattered, teeth scattered across the air.
She crashed into the ceiling, then fell back toward him. Her eyes burned with fury as she saw Erald clutching his wound, his aura glowing gold.
"What can you even do now, you damned beast?!"
"I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"
FLUOSH!
Erald’s body began to regenerate against all odds. A-no-Uzu watched in disbelief as his wounds healed rapidly, golden light flowing through him.
Yes. That spark—his master’s legacy—was still there. It hadn’t vanished.
It responded to his resolve. It had been waiting for Erald to finally act like the dragon he was ant to be.
His body overflowed with power. His scales turned gold. His feathers shimred with a tallic hue.
His horns crystallized into rainbow prisms, and a crown of holy light materialized above his head.
"{Celestial Golden Winds}!"
FLAAASH!
His aura erupted. Winds surged forth, manifesting as colossal fists rushing toward A-no-Uzu. She grinned wickedly, releasing her own aura. Her karmic winds clashed with Erald’s golden ones, explosions of darkness and light bursting with each shockwave.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Hahahaha! Don’t think that’ll make a difference! Whatever power you’ve awakened, it’s nothing compared to Hajun’s Karmic Stigma! Your winds will beco mine!"
She opened her palms, aiming to seize control of Erald’s winds as she had done so many tis before.
FLUOSH!
The winds spiraled toward her. Erald’s heart sank—it seed she had succeeded.
"Hahaha! Now they’re mine and—"
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
"Unnngghh?!"
To her shock, it didn’t work. The winds shaped into copies of Erald, ethereal and radiant, pumling her from every direction.
"I-Impossible! I can’t control them anymore?! AAAAAAIIIEEEEHH!"
She scread in horror as her body was battered, bones breaking, her flawless skin torn and soaked in blood.
"This is the true power of my Celestial Winds! Face my wrath, you damn bitch!"
Erald allowed himself to be angry, to swear, to release the emotions he had buried deep within his heart and soul.
He had wanted to be a good boy. A good son. A good dragon. He didn’t want to disappoint his family or anyone else.
But now he understood—he wasn’t going to save anyone by holding back.
In a world this brutal, against enemies this monstrous...
He can’t keep pretending to be the good boy.
As long as his heart was in the right place, he had to be fierce and unrelenting.
"{Celestial Golden Winds}: {Myriad Storming Fists}!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"GUUAAAHHH!"
A-no-Uzu scread as hundreds of golden fists battered her. She retaliated with a shockwave of karmic demonic energy.
TRUUUM!
"I WON’T LOSE TO FILTHY, UGLY BEASTS LIKE YOU!"
She spun midair, dancing and diving. Her aura transford into hundreds of sharp black daggers, slicing through the golden fists and reaching Erald. She kicked him in the head. He responded with a punch to her stomach, then slamd her with his tail. He shielded himself with his wings, deflecting dozens of stabbing attacks, then unleashed a barrage of punches to her face and torso.
But A-no-Uzu was tougher than expected. She parried his blows and countered with brutal kicks, breaking his golden scales. Blood poured from his wounds. His healing faltered—it wasn’t constant.
"Nnnggh...! I won’t lose...! I won’t fall to despair again! I can’t!"
"SHUT UP AND DIE, YOU BEAST!"
They clashed. Punches, kicks, winds—everything collided. Erald had the upper hand at first, but A-no-Uzu’s karmic energy gave her sudden boosts of power the more misfortune she endured.
Yet Erald’s resolve was unbreakable. He adapted, learning to dodge her attacks, mastering his evolved Celestial Winds.
Then she saw sothing strange within his soul—sothing erging from his aura.
A titan of steel and erald winds, wielding a massive green axe embedded with erald jewels. His body was a storm of spiraling winds, clad in silver and green steel. His helt bore sharp horns that pierced the sky.
This being... was Erald’s Archetype.
"AWAKEN! STORMBORN BERSERKER!"
RUMBLE!
Stormborn Berserker.
An unexpected Archetype. Erald had never been a berserker.
But now, having accepted his true nature and rged with his Alter Ego...
That Alter Ego who died for him wasn’t gone.
Reborn as his Archetype, the titan erged from his aura, swinging his Storm Axe at full force.
"{Storm Cleave}!"
"Eh?!"
CRAAASH!
"AAAAGGHHH!"
A-no-Uzu scread as the axe tore through her, severing her left arm and leg. Blood and entrails splattered across the battlefield.
Her aura fused with her body. Giant hands of bone and flesh tried to stop the axe, but Erald’s golden winds responded with ruthless might.
"{Celestial Golden Winds}: {Myriad Storming Fists Echo}!"
The fists rged into a titanic golden dragon, roaring as it charged toward her.
"{Heavenly Golden Dragon Fist}!!!"
"ROOOAAARRR!"
The dragon resembled his master’s form. A-no-Uzu was speechless as it pierced her chest, pulverizing her body and soul.
"UUUAAAAAGGHHHHH!"
The Storm Axe cleaved her again and again. The Stormborn Berserker roared like a beast as the goddess was torn apart.
"HAAAH!"
Erald and his Archetype roared together. A blast of golden light erupted from Erald’s jaws—his dragon breath—disintegrating her body and soul.
BOOOMMM!!!
A colossal explosion of golden light, winds, and flas tore through the castle, distorting space and ti, cracking reality itself.
"Haaa... I did it. No—we did it."
Erald looked at his Archetype and smiled. The Stormborn Berserker remained silent.
"I guess you can’t really talk—"
CLANK!
"OUCH!"
The Berserker slapped the back of his head, laughing thunderously.
"GAHAHAHAHAA!"
"You damn bastard! I knew it was you!"
Although the Archetype couldn’t speak, Erald knew deep down.
That was his brother.
"Let’s go. Our daughter’s safe back in Muspelheim, but Ahia and everyone else must be in danger. We have to hurry!"
Erald summoned his golden winds, rushing through the castle’s fractured halls. Cracks split the walls and ceilings, the aftermath of their battle still echoing through the air.
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