The incoming danger did not just come from the ferocious demon ape. The abomination that had been pursuing them earlier had finally caught up.
The moment it appeared in front of Aleron, the abomination's disfigured form lunged forward and swung its massive hand at him.
Boom!
A thunderous sound split the air like a lightning strike, resonating in everyone's minds with the sheer intensity of the blow. The force behind the slap could shatter bone and pulverize stone.
Fortunately, Ashkar had not flown too far away.
The instant he sensed the disturbance, his gaze snapped toward Aleron. His draconic eyes widened in shock as he saw Aleron spiraling uncontrollably through the air, plummeting toward the cold, unyielding concrete ground below.
Rroarrrrrrrrrrr!!!
Ashkar's roar tore through the heavens, thunderous and overwhelming. It was even more powerful than his previous one, shaking the very skies with its force.
Simultaneously, a voice echoed deep within Aleron's mind.
"Dad!!!"
Even as he fell, the desperate, trembling voice of his dragon rang out inside him, filled with emotion. Aleron's fading eyes, once brimming with despair, flickered with light.
"Ashkar! That's right… my dragon!"
"I may not be able to rely on anyone else, but my dragons… they are my blood. They are not affected by the curse. Nothing will ever happen to them… right? Right?"
His thoughts raced frantically, and without hesitation, he grasped at the one thread of hope he had—Ashkar.
The forbidden dragon.
Aleron finally registered his descent. The ground was rushing up toward him with terrifying speed. Cold wind whipped past his face, stinging his skin. His body, already battered, struggled to respond, but his instincts screamed at him to survive.
Glancing around, he searched for something—anything—to slow his fall. His arms thrashed in the air, hands stretching out as if trying to claw the atmosphere itself. But there was nothing. No building close enough. No ledge. No salvation.
Then an idea struck him. His eyes burned with a sudden burst of clarity.
"Ashkar! We have to fuse!"
According to everything he understood about their bond, distance was irrelevant the moment fusion was initiated. The moment their origin energies connected, the dragon would find him—no matter where he was.
Ashkar, having received his thoughts, replied instantly.
"Yes, Dad…"
Without hesitation, they linked their origin energy. That mysterious force, unbound by space, wove together like a thread of fate itself. In the blink of an eye, they were connected.
Ashkar, who was only a few meters away from Aleron's trajectory, beat his wings violently and accelerated. The wind shrieked around him as he tore through the sky, surpassing the speed of both the demon ape and the abomination in an instant.
Aleron's figure had already struck the ground.
Thud!
A tremendous sound rang out. Dust billowed into the air in thick clouds.
But at that exact moment—
Fusion was completed.
Fusion mode activated.
Boom!
As the fusion took effect, the combined attacks of the demon ape and the abomination slammed into Aleron's location.
Bang!
A shockwave burst outward, blasting through the air and shaking nearby structures. Dust and debris blanketed the area, obscuring the sight of Amira and the young man. They instinctively raised their arms to shield their eyes, struggling to pierce through the veil of smoke.
"He's dead… right?" Amira asked, her voice low and tense. She glanced at the young man beside her, her face etched with a mixture of shock and suppressed fury.
The young man didn't respond immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the dust cloud.
He couldn't say for sure.
Falling from that height alone should have shattered every bone in Aleron's body. Now, adding the simultaneous attacks of two terrifying enemies?
There was almost no chance of survival.
Almost.
The presence of that one word in his thoughts—almost—revealed a lingering doubt. A suspicion that somehow, Aleron might still be alive.
As the dust gradually cleared, their eyes widened.
Amira gasped aloud, stumbling backward slightly.
Aleron was still standing.
In the center of the ruined battlefield, surrounded by the remnants of destruction, he stood tall. Blood dripped from several cracks along his body, which was now coated in thick, interlocking scales. His hands were outstretched, holding back both enemies.
His right hand gripped the abomination's monstrous arm, preventing the slap from connecting. His left hand seized the demon ape's punch mid-air, muscles trembling from exertion but refusing to yield.
Neither the abomination nor the demon ape could advance an inch further, nor could they retreat.
As they struggled, the cracks along Aleron's arms and chest slowly began to close. The scales mended themselves before their very eyes, healing at a pace visible even from a distance.
Amira and the young man watched in stunned silence as Aleron slowly lifted his head, his lips curling into a wide grin.
"What kind of monster is that…?" Amira whispered, voice trembling as she stared at Aleron.
He no longer resembled a human being.
Dark crimson and jet-black scales covered his entire form. They were thick and hardened, like the armor of an ancient creature. Though cracked in several places, the regeneration had already restored many of them to perfection.
Two obsidian horns protruded from his skull, twisted and sharp, giving him the appearance of a devil from a myth.
A surge of raw power coursed through Aleron's body. His senses sharpened, and his limbs trembled not from pain, but from the overwhelming urge to release that power.
With a primal, guttural roar, he brought both of his hands together.
Bang!
The abomination and the demon ape collided with a deafening impact. Cracks appeared on their bodies as they recoiled violently.
The abomination began regenerating immediately, its flesh writhing grotesquely. The ape, however, was in worse shape, staggering backward with fractured limbs.
But its recovery was swift.
Roarrr!
The demon ape let out a furious cry. Its eyes glowed crimson, and its already-massive frame expanded further. Its muscles swelled. Bones cracked and reformed. Its height shot up until it towered above three meters—just slightly taller than Aleron's current fused form.
The abomination, not willing to fall behind, gave its own piercing screech. Its shattered hand cracked violently. One half remained clenched in Aleron's grip, while the other half still protruded from its stump of an arm.
Even as black blood oozed from the wound, it began regenerating at astonishing speed.
Aleron narrowed his eyes at the abomination. With a low growl, wings burst out from his back. With one powerful flap, he shot forward, appearing directly in front of the regenerating creature.
He raised his massive, claw-like fist and launched a devastating punch toward the abomination's core.
Boom!
The air cracked and shattered like glass as the punch sailed forward. The abomination, refusing to back down, punched out in retaliation.
In the blink of an eye, their fists collided.
Bang!
The abomination's arm fractured on contact. The next moment, it exploded into a black mist. The shockwave surged through the abomination's entire body, causing chunks of its flesh to rupture violently. Within seconds, it was left with only half its form intact.
Aleron wasted no time.
He inhaled deeply, then released a low roar. Flames gathered in his throat. A blazing inferno erupted outward.
Roarrr!
A column of fire burst forth, scorching the battlefield. Waves of blistering heat rolled outward, incinerating everything in their path.
The abomination, caught mid-regeneration, was engulfed.
Its eyes burned with hatred as it glared at Aleron, but there was no time left. The flames devoured it entirely. Its body disintegrated, falling apart until only ash remained.
The demon ape, now fully transformed, finished its evolution. Its cold, intelligent eyes locked onto Aleron. Without a second thought, it lunged forward, its fist already pulled back.
Aleron sensed the attack before it reached him.
The power behind the strike was terrifying—far greater than anything he had experienced before. The speed, too, was overwhelming.
He moved to counter, throwing a punch in defense.
Boom!
Their fists collided, releasing a thunderous explosion. The surrounding air warped and cracked. A pulse of pressure shot out like a cannon blast, flattening the ground nearby.
But even as he blocked the strike, Aleron's instincts screamed at him.
Something was wrong.
And it did not come from the demon ape.