The cavern rumbled as the shadow man stepped fully into view—his mere presence draining the heat from the air.
Joe, bleeding, exhausted, and halfway to unconsciousness, planted his feet stubbornly.
Beside him, Spiritfang bared his teeth, fur bristling with primal fury.
Across the battlefield, Aigos Banger's amused smile hardened slightly.
"...So. They finally send a Warden to fetch you," Aigos muttered, his voice dark.
Joe wiped blood from his mouth and pointed a shaky finger.
"Bro. I don't even know who that is. Can we please finish our dance before the next edgelord joins the party?"
Aigos' eyes glinted.
"As you wish, Little Flame."
He snapped his fingers—and the three dark Royal Musketeers dissolved into smoke, their duty done. Only Aigos remained, the full brunt of his corrupt Aura swirling around him.
Joe's system flared alive:
> [ DANGER LEVEL: 95% ]
> [ Instinct Surge: ACTIVE (8s remaining) ]
> [ Burn Stack effect: READY ]
> [ Emotion Sync: 34% ]
Joe felt it — the red heat surging under his skin. The Red Aura Flame — burning, alive, hungry for battle.
With a thought, the twin karambits materialized into his hands.
Curved, deadly, wreathed in crimson light.
The weapons responded instantly, alive with his will — spinning, hovering near him like angry falcons.
Joe grinned, blood dripping down his chin.
"Alright, old man.
Round two.
This time, I brought knives."
Aigos raised his hand—and a black brand shimmered above his palm: the twisted symbol of a lost Bearer.
Darkness exploded outward like a shockwave.
The cavern became a storm of clashing colors—crimson flames against abyssal shadows.
Joe moved first. Instinct Surge kicking his reflexes into overdrive, he blurred forward, karambits slashing out in rapid arcs.
> [ Critical Strike Attempted! ]
> [ Burn Stack Applied! (3% HP/sec x5s) ]
One of his blades caught Aigos across the shoulder—searing through his cloak, leaving a streak of burning red. Smoke hissed from the wound.
Aigos barely flinched.
Instead, he retaliated—his shadow aura hardening into a massive spear, thrusting forward like a battering ram.
Joe twisted, a breath faster than death, narrowly evading.
> [ Evasion Successful! ] +5 Evasion Points!
He countered mid-spin, hurling one karambit like a boomerang.
The blade arced, spinning wildly — a searing red disc — forcing Aigos to shield himself.
Joe snapped his fingers mentally—and the karambit returned to his hand like a loyal hawk.
"Boomerang tech, baby!" Joe whooped.
But Aigos was faster than expected.
Dark tendrils lashed out from his wounded aura, trying to strangle Joe mid-air.
> [ Instinct Surge: 5s remaining. ]
Joe dropped low, karambits flashing in a defensive whirl—cutting through the tendrils.
"You think you're the only one with cool party tricks?!" Joe yelled.
He dashed forward again, faster, more aggressive. Every slash of his blades left Burn Stacks on Aigos, tiny infernos eating away at his health.
Aigos' dark aura flickered.
The old traitor growled — his eyes momentarily losing their calm.
"You dare—use my own flames against me?"
Joe grinned wolfishly.
"Hell yeah, Grandpa Goth."
He drove one karambit straight toward Aigos' gut — only for Aigos to catch it with his bare hand, shadow magic hardening his skin like armor.
Joe's eyes widened.
Bad idea. Bad idea.
> [ Burn Stack: Applied again. Target Resisting. ]
Aigos yanked Joe forward—and punched him square in the chest.
Joe flew backward like a ragdoll, slamming into a stone pillar.
> [ Pain Level: ] 93%.
> [ Recommended: ] Cry internally.
Joe coughed violently, spitting blood.
Spiritfang roared, lunging in—forcing Aigos to dodge a flash of silver fangs.
"Stay alive, Joe!" Spiritfang barked.
Joe staggered to his feet, wiping his mouth.
"...Easy for you to say, you don't have ribs made of Doritos."
> [ Instinct Surge: ] 2s remaining.
> [ Aura Sync: ] 35%
His vision blurred—but the fire inside him only burned hotter.
Joe called both karambits back to his hands with a thought.
The red glow around him intensified — the Red Aura Flame responding to his sheer stubbornness.
He could feel something stirring inside him.
Not just instinct.
Not just desperation.
A will to defy.
His title "Heir of Emberfang" flickered—progressing slowly toward awakening.
Aigos' aura darkened further, gathering into the shape of a monstrous black dragon above him.
Joe staggered back a step.
"...Okay. That's a problem."
Spiritfang moved to his side, tense, ready.
Joe cracked his knuckles, raising his weapons.
"No running. No bowing.
We punch the dragon.
We punch the dragon so hard its ancestors file a noise complaint."
Spiritfang growled low, his own Aura flaring.
> [ Phase Shift Triggered: FINAL ROUND! ]
> [ Adaptive Boost: ] +10% Attack Speed, +5% Aura Regeneration.
> [ Instinct Surge: ] 1s remaining.
The cavern shook again — stones falling like rain — as Aigos' black dragon aura roared overhead.
Joe tightened his grip on his karambits, feeling the Red Flame swirl, coiling like a living thing in his veins.
Spiritfang crouched low, hackles up, silver fur bristling with raw energy.
"This is it," Joe muttered. "One last dance."
Aigos lifted his hand, palm open — and the dragon above him dove downward, a tidal wave of darkness screaming straight at Joe.
Joe sprinted forward to meet it.
No hesitation. No fear. Just fire.
"LET'S GOOOO!" Joe howled, karambits crossing into an 'X' as he plunged through the black wave.
> [ Emergency Defense Triggered! ]
A pillar of red light burst from Joe, parting the shadow dragon like a blade through smoke.
He emerged on the other side—smoking, scorched—but alive.
Aigos' eyes narrowed.
"Persistent little roach."
Joe spat blood and grinned.
"Buzz buzz, bitch."
He lunged.
The two clashed midair — karambits against shadow-forged claws.
CLANG!
WHAM!
WHOOSH!
Blow after blow shook the cavern, sparks flying from every clash.
Joe ducked under a swipe, drove a karambit up — slicing a line across Aigos' ribs.
> [ Burn Stack Applied! ]
A searing pain ignited across his skin—hot, relentless, eating at him second by second. He clenched his teeth as the fire refused to fade, burning deeper with each breath.
Aigos snarled, backhanding Joe with a shockwave of force.
Joe skidded across the ground — but rolled back up instantly, planting his feet hard enough to crack stone.
His Red Flame flared, stronger now, more responsive.
Spiritfang leapt in, his jaws flashing silver, clamping onto the black dragon's shadowy tail — disrupting Aigos' form for a precious heartbeat.
"NOW, JOE!" Spiritfang barked.
Joe roared and hurled a karambit — it spun like a meteor, punching through Aigos' defenses, embedding in his shoulder.
> [ Critical Hit! +20% Bonus Damage! ]
Aigos staggered back — for the first time.
Joe didn't waste the moment.
He felt it inside him — the fire screaming to be unleashed.
Flame Pulse.
He threw his remaining karambit, then punched forward with both fists — pouring everything into the attack.
The karambits exploded in midair — a focused blast of Red Flame surging like a cannonball, slamming into Aigos point-blank.
BOOM!!
The entire cavern shook.
Dust and flame swallowed everything.
> [ Critical System Notice: ] Boss Armor Cracked!
> [ Target Condition: ] Severely Weakened.
Joe dropped to one knee, gasping, aura flickering.
Spiritfang stumbled back to his side, bloodied but standing.
When the dust cleared—
Aigos was still there.
Charred. Bleeding. Breathing heavily.
Half his face was burned, his cloak shredded.
He looked at Joe — and for the first time — not with mockery, but with respect.
"...You are...dangerous," Aigos rasped.
Joe wiped blood from his mouth, laughing brokenly.
"Yeah? Wait 'til you meet me after I've had a nap and a burrito."
Aigos chuckled darkly, raising his hand.
Shadows gathered.
Another attack?
Joe tried to rise — but his knees buckled.
Damn it... body's giving out...
Spiritfang moved protectively in front of him, teeth bared.
But Aigos... lowered his hand.
"No. Not today," the traitor said, voice rough.
"You have passed...for now."
He stepped back into the darkness — shadows swallowing him like mist.
Before disappearing completely, his voice echoed:
"Grow stronger, Red Flame. The next time we meet... You will need much more than knives."
And then he was gone.
Silence fell over the battered cavern.
Joe collapsed backward, breathing hard.
"...We lived?" he croaked.
Spiritfang flopped beside him, groaning.
"For now," the wolf muttered.
"Remind me to bite you next time you say 'let's fight a dragon.'"
Joe laughed weakly — a real laugh, even through the pain.
He stared up at the cavern ceiling, the Red Flame still burning low but steady inside him.
Still alive.
Still fighting.
And for the first time...
He felt like he was truly becoming the Bearer he was meant to be.