Chapter 57 – The Mechanical Dragon
From Damian and Kana's side:
The labyrinth vibrated like an enraged heart. Its corridors were alive, twisted, and unpredictable. The heat from the stones seemed to pulse with every breath of the intruders. In the midst of this burning maze, Damian and Kana faced each other. From the beginning, their duel had started as a small squabble… and now, it had become a serious confrontation.
— You really think you can beat me with that? sneered Damian, confident despite his clothes already partially burned by previous skirmishes.
Kana squinted, a spark of anger lighting up her gaze.
— Oh, believe me, you're going to regret this, she replied. This time, I'm not joking.
Damian shrugged.
— Well, if you want to play… Come on… I'm ready… doll…
She summoned magical runes beneath Damian's feet, and with a precise gesture, a circle of flames opened around him. Damian leapt backward, but the wave of heat made his clothes sizzle. The rags of his top fell off, leaving his torso exposed to the intense heat.
— Huh! he shouted, his face red with anger. Are you trying to kill me or what?!
Kana chuckled, proud.
— Oh, you'd better be more careful, idiot.
Damian leapt, dodging a second attack. He rolled on the ground, raised his sword to strike back, but Kana anticipated his move and the sword melted instantly. In a flash of flames, she burned not only his clothes but also his labyrinth map, reducing the landmarks to ashes. The explosion was colossal and threw Damian backward.
He rose, covered in burns and completely in his underwear.
— NO! No! No! No! he shouted. Anything but that…! MY MAP! MY ONLY MAP!
Kana crossed her arms, satisfied.
— You should have been more careful.
Damian, red with rage, leapt at her to try and grab her. Kana dodged, sending a jet of flames that slammed Damian into the wall.
— You idiot! she shouted, flames dancing around her.
— IDIOT, you first! he replied, getting up, his voice hoarse, teeth clenched. You'll pay for this!
Their attacks collided, the labyrinth trembling around them, stones cracking under the force of fire and blows. Every dodge from Damian, every counter from Kana, transformed the corridor into a blazing battlefield.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Seth stood cautiously, facing Reinard.
He had barely caught his breath, eyes still wide from the intensity of what he had just dodged. Reinard's attack speed had been astonishing… surpassing everything he had encountered until now, yet he had managed to avoid it. His heart pounded, and every breath felt like a challenge.
Reinard, silent, brows furrowed, muscles tense. Anger still simmered beneath the surface, but something in Seth's gaze made him hesitate.
— The human… murmured Reinard, his voice lower, calmer. I… I think I underestimated you, he finally said, his tone heavy with apology.
Seth blinked, surprised.
— Underestimated…?… Well… he repeated, still panting.
— Yes, said Reinard, shaking his head slightly. I was too… arrogant, too angry… and I judged you wrongly. I apologize for that… Human… if I had been more serious, this wouldn't have happened.
Seth gave a small smile, still tense but relieved.
— Well… thank you, he murmured. But I suppose we need to focus.
Reinard nodded, his eyes hardening again.
— Exactly. Now… I will act seriously, I will show you what dragons are really worth… he said, clenching his fists. This time I will annihilate you.
But suddenly, a deep rumble shook the ground beneath their feet. Seth and Reinard looked up, alert. The room vibrated, the walls seemed to move, and gigantic gears turned in the floor.
— W… what is that? murmured Seth, incredulous.
— Not me… I… I didn't do anything! exclaimed Reinard, frowning. The labyrinth… it started moving again!
Before they could react, the floor deformed, and moving walls began to pull them into an uncontrollable whirlwind. Damian and Kana, still fighting a little further away, were also sucked in. Alma and Noël screamed as they fell into the moving void of the labyrinth.
— Damn! shouted Seth.
The labyrinth carried them through its shifting corridors, twisting, extending, and contracting at a furious speed. The six heroes found themselves thrown into total chaos, their screams blending with the metallic roar of the living structure. Seth, still riding the adrenaline of his dodge, felt his mind sharpen… it might be their only chance to finally escape the labyrinth.
The six fell into a new chamber.
The room was immense, circular, and the six heroes had barely recovered from the labyrinth's projection. Damian, still in his underwear and half-burned, awkwardly got up, while Kana panted in rage, flames dancing around her.
— Where are we? murmured Seth.
— What is this thing now… muttered Alma, trying to catch her breath.
— I swear Vulcan needs a psychologist… murmured Noël.
The room fell into tense silence, only punctuated by the six heroes' breathing. Suddenly, a metallic creak resonated through the walls. Glowing cracks appeared on one of the wall panels, and a holographic screen lit up with a high-pitched buzz. Vulcan's image appeared, floating in the room like an omnipresent presence. His bright eyes and metallic voice resonated throughout the walls.
— Congratulations… he said with relentless coldness, you've managed to survive this far, but… you have no victor.
The six heroes exchanged cold glances, still shaken by the moving labyrinth.
— Since no one completed the challenge within the allotted time, Vulcan continued, I've decided to implement a… more… radical solution to finish things.
The screen glowed a burning red, revealing a complex diagram. Giant gears, lava conduits, and metallic shapes came to life through the projection.
— You thought this labyrinth would just be a game of strategy and reflexes… but it's time to move to the next phase, explained Vulcan, a cruel smile in his voice.
— Solution? asked Alma, wary.
— Yes, said Vulcan. Since no one won, I will offer you a… little gift worthy of your failure to complete the challenge.
A metallic roar shook the room. The six heroes looked up, and a massive silhouette emerged from the depths of the floor, spewing smoke and shards of lava.
Vulcan let a faint smile show.
— Here is… my final toy, announced Vulcan. "Mecano-Vulcan," his voice booming like thunder. A mechanical dragon, a fusion of lava stone and steel. A true state-of-the-art model. You will all face it… and your survival will depend solely on your victory. The key to the treasure lies within it… and if you do not destroy it, the labyrinth will not disappear.
The dragon raised its massive wings, each beat sending heat and sparks across the room. Its red eyes glowed with a cruel light, and the roar it let out made the floor tremble beneath their feet.
— Good luck… concluded Vulcan. With a mocking smile, the screen vanished.
— Seriously?! shouted Damian, already looking for cover behind a pillar. That wasn't part of the game originally?
Kana shot him a glare.
— You should already be dead! she sneered, but the flames in her eyes betrayed her fear nonetheless.
The dragon spewed a jet of lava toward Damian, who rolled on the floor screaming:
— NOT MY UNDERWEAR! NOT MY UNDERWEAR!
Reinard and Kana exchanged a glance. The situation was critical.
— We have to act, grunted Reinard. Even if it's huge, I can hinder it…
Before anyone could protest, Reinard concentrated his energy, and his body transformed into a massive golden dragon, crackling with electricity, roaring in the room. Lightning crackled across his wings.
— But… that's really a dragon?! shouted Damian, half fascinated, half panicked.
Kana, not to be outdone, unleashed her magic and transformed into a red fire dragon, her blazing scales illuminating the room.
— This is finally getting interesting! she exclaimed, charging at the mechanical dragon.
The battle erupted. Both dragons lunged, claws and flames striking the creature. Damian rolled everywhere to avoid claws and lava jets. Alma and Noël tried casting spells to slow the mechanical dragon's movements, but the heat and noise made their attacks hard to coordinate.
— Watch out! shouted Seth, it's too strong to rush in headfirst!
Damian dodged a lava blast and shouted:
— Vulcan wants to kill us or what?!
Kana roared, spewing flames at the mechanical dragon, but despite her attacks, the monster showed no sign of weakness. Reinard, as a lightning dragon, leapt and struck the enormous creature head-on. The impact shook the room.
— Humm! exclaimed Seth, observing the dragon's forehead. That stone… what's it for?
His eyes widened. He realized the weak point of the dragon was there, on its forehead, but the chaos of battle prevented anyone from targeting it directly.
— We have to keep distracting it! he shouted, trying to coordinate attacks.
Kana continuously spewed flames, Reinard struck with lightning, Damian ran around shouting and teasing the dragon, Alma and Noël multiplied spells to create openings. The mechanical dragon roared, sweeping the room with its paws and lava jets, but with every strike from Reinard or Kana, the red stone seemed to tremble slightly.
— I understand! murmured Seth, determined. It seems this stone absorbs the damage it receives…
The human dragons attacked simultaneously, in a dance of fire and lightning. Damian, in his underwear, dodged awkwardly, throwing insults at the dragon and Kana:
— Hey, Kana! Stop shooting everywhere and focus!
Kana shot him a glare:
— Idiot! Focus on the dragon, not me!
Seth began mentally forming the plan: he needed to coordinate Reinard and Kana's power to destabilize the red stone, create an opening, and then he would strike to destroy it.
The mechanical dragon roared louder, sending waves of lava across the room, but the heroes continued dodging and attacking, reinforcing the idea that each blow from Reinard or Kana affected the stone.
— That's it! shouted Seth, fist clenched, that's the weak point!
Reinard, in golden dragon form, lunged forward, claws crackling with electricity. He struck the mechanical colossus's left shoulder, tearing off a burning piece of metal. The beast took a step back, but its gears immediately resumed turning, fusing the plates of metal with lava and steel.
— Tch… it's regenerating! grumbled Reinard.
Kana, meanwhile, roared, her fiery breath engulfing the monster's front paw. Flames licked the steel heated to white-hot, but the mechanical dragon only roared even louder, sending
shockwaves that made the ground tremble.
Damian rolled clumsily to the side, narrowly avoiding a lava blast.
The mechanical dragon flapped its wings, creating a whirlwind of flames and dust. Alma joined her hands and shouted:
— Ice Wall!
Immense crystalline spikes shot up in front of the group, partially blocking the lava breath. The barrier melted before their eyes, but it gave them a brief moment of respite.
— Damn, it won't hold! It's way too strong! cried Alma, her arms trembling as she channeled even more energy.
Noël rushed to her side, hands on her back.
— I'll transfer my energy to you… together, we can do this!
— Thanks, Noël, she said softly, then cast a second spell: Physical Enhancement, deus aqua!
Seth and Damian were shocked. It was the first time they had seen Alma use magic.
A blue-silver aura covered Reinard's and Kana's scales, as well as Seth and Damian, amplifying their strength and speed. The two dragons roared in unison and struck the mechanical dragon's flanks head-on, creating a shockwave that staggered the creature.
Seth ran toward the dragon, slipping into blind spots.
— Well done! he shouted, eyes fixed on the red stone embedded in the monster's forehead. Keep going, it has to give way!
But the mechanical dragon, as if understanding their strategy, recoiled in a leap, its red eyes glowing like twin suns. Lava cannons burst from its shoulders, pouring streams of molten magma.
— Move! shouted Seth.
Damian zigzagged in panic, while Alma erected new ice walls, which shattered almost immediately under the heat. Noël traced circles of light on the floor, creating protective zones that absorbed part of the impact.
— It's not enough… moaned Alma, arms trembling. If we keep going like this, it will turn us to ashes!
Seth furrowed his brow. His eyes followed the dragon's internal conduits. With each regeneration, lava circulated inside, converging toward the red stone before spreading throughout the body.
— I've got it! he shouted. If we seal the conduits, the stone will overload!
— And how do you want to do that?! yelled Damian, still half-naked and burned.
— With us! replied Noël, determined. Alma, prepare an ice prison around the conduits. I'll reinforce the spell to make it hold!
Alma nodded, gathering her strength despite the sweat running down her forehead. She cast a spell, and a chain of ice surged from the floor, encasing part of the mechanical dragon's torso. Noël immediately transferred his magic to reinforce Alma's attack.
The mechanical dragon roared in pain, striking against the chains, but this time they held. Its movements became heavier, its gears groaned, and the red stone glowed brighter, as if overheating.
— Don't let it escape! shouted Seth.
Kana and Reinard, still in dragon forms, leapt on either side of the creature. Kana sank her flaming fangs into the monster's metallic neck, while Reinard electrified it with his claws. Arcs of electricity ran throughout the dragon's frame, further pressuring the red stone.
Damian, seizing an opening, grabbed a molten metal shard from the ground and shouted:
— Take this, you pile of scrap!
He hurled the improvised projectile at the dragon's left eye. Against all odds, the impact briefly caused the red sensor to flicker.
— Huh?! It worked?! he exclaimed, surprised.
But the dragon exploded its energy with such force that it hurled the six heroes backward into walls, which shattered under the impact. Seth, wounded, through the dust cloud, could see the dragon's eyes pulsating bright red. He realized this monster had yet to reveal its full power.
To be continued....