Ryuga's hand hung above Luv, fingers curled like a claw, ready to crush the life from him. The chanting of his men thundered through the den:
"RYU-GA! RYU-GA! RYU-GA!"
Ayu dragged herself across the broken floor, her body trembling, lungs burning. Her fingers brushed against Luv's blood-soaked shirt. She shook him desperately.
"Luv! Stand up! You can't… you can't fall here!"
But his eyes were half-lidded, his breath shallow, crimson running from his mouth.
Ryuga's grin sharpened. "Pitiful. You came roaring into my den, and yet you break like toys." He crouched low, almost gentle, and cupped Ayu's chin in his bloodstained hand. "I think I'll keep you alive. Watch your friend rot in the dirt while you warm my throne."
Her eyes blazed with fury, tears cutting lines through the soot and blood on her face. She spat at him.
Ryuga only laughed, a sound so deep and cruel it shook her soul.
Luv stirred. His hand twitched against the floor, curling into a fist. His chest rose, shallow but steady.
Through the haze of pain, voices swirled in his mind—every betrayal, every sneer, every lie. The laughter of those who had mocked him, the cold eyes of those who used him. He had been broken once before. He had gone into the shadows. He had risen.
And now, Ayu's voice pierced the storm.
"You can't fall here!"
His black eyes snapped open.
Ryuga turned just in time to see Luv rise, staggering but unbowed. Blood dripped from his face, his body barely holding together. Yet his presence had changed—an aura colder, heavier, a silence that seemed to choke the air.
Ryuga's smirk faltered for the first time. "Oh?"
Luv spoke, voice hoarse but filled with steel. "Touch her again… and I'll rip you apart."
The men laughed, jeering, but their laughter wavered under the weight of his gaze. It wasn't a boy standing before their king—it was something else, something darker.
Luv lunged, his movements no longer the same. His fists were sharper, his speed unnatural, every strike fueled by the storm inside. Ryuga blocked, countered, but with every blow, the dragon's grin faded.
Ayu, clutching her blades again despite her pain, joined the fray. They moved together, not perfectly, not seamlessly, but with one will: survive. Protect. Destroy.
Ryuga roared in delight, blood finally trickling down his jaw. "YES! That's it! Show me your true teeth, little wolf!"
The clash shook the den, stone cracking, men silenced as their god bled. Luv's knuckles broke anew, Ayu's arms nearly gave out, but they did not stop.
Finally, Ryuga caught Luv's arm mid-strike, twisting until bone cracked. Luv screamed but drove his head forward, smashing into Ryuga's face, splitting his lip wide.
Blood sprayed. Silence followed.
Both staggered back.
Ryuga touched his mouth, staring at the blood on his hand. His laughter returned—louder, crazier. "Magnificent…! You can bite!"
But his eyes gleamed with promise. "Then I'll make sure to break you myself."
Luv collapsed to one knee, vision swimming, Ayu dragging herself beside him. They leaned against each other, broken but burning.
Ryuga stood tall, scarred but smiling, the dragon awakened.
The battle was far from over.