The den was silent. Every Black Dragon soldier held their breath, eyes locked on the three figures standing amidst a graveyard of corpses.
Luv and Ayu leaned against each other, bodies battered, blood dripping from every wound. Across from them, Ryuga stood tall, his white suit shredded, his lip split, chest marked with fresh scars. Yet his grin was wider than ever.
He stretched his arms out, like a king embracing the world. "This… this is what I've been waiting for! Not rats. Not worms. But wolves who dare to bare their fangs!"
Then his voice dropped, venomous. "Now, let me show you… why they call me the Dragon."
He inhaled deeply, shoulders rising, chest expanding. A strange aura rolled off him—heat, pressure, something primal. His tattoos of dragons seemed to writhe across his skin, almost alive.
And then he moved.
One moment he was yards away. The next, he was in front of them, faster than their eyes could follow.
Luv barely raised his arms before Ryuga's palm slammed into his chest. The impact was like a cannon—he flew across the room, crashing through a stone pillar. Dust and rubble rained down, his ribs shattering like glass.
"LUV!" Ayu screamed, charging forward.
Her blades flashed, aiming for Ryuga's throat.
He caught them both between two fingers.
A flick of his wrist sent her spinning, her body slamming into the ground with bone-crunching force. Blood poured from her mouth as she tried to rise, her body screaming in protest.
Ryuga towered above her. "You're strong, girl. But strength without despair is meaningless."
Luv staggered from the rubble, coughing blood, vision blurry. Every nerve screamed at him to stay down, but his legs moved anyway.
Ryuga turned as he approached, grinning. "Still alive? Good. Show me more."
Their clash was no longer even. Ryuga's strikes were earthquakes, his movements faster than lightning. Every time Luv blocked, bones cracked. Every time he dodged, he was too slow. Blood sprayed, flesh split.
Ayu forced herself to join, slashing, stabbing, desperate. For a moment, they fought as one—but even together, they were pushed back like children against a storm.
Ryuga's laugh shook the walls. "This is the difference between cubs and the dragon!"
Finally, he seized Ayu by the hair, yanking her up. She screamed as his grip tightened, forcing her to her knees.
Luv roared, charging, but Ryuga's foot slammed into his gut, sending him crashing down beside her.
The dragon stood over them, victorious. His aura blazed like fire, his men chanting once more, louder than ever.
"RYU-GA! RYU-GA! RYU-GA!"
He leaned close, whispering in their ears. "I'll break your bodies, then your spirits. And when you've given me everything… I'll let you die."
The weight of despair settled on them. Their bodies were broken, their strength nearly gone. Yet deep inside, something still burned.
Ayu, barely able to breathe, gritted her teeth. "Luv… we can't… give in."
Luv's eyes, swollen and bloodshot, flickered with a dark fire. He clenched his fists, blood dripping, his silence louder than Ryuga's roar.
The dragon had awoken.
But so had the wolves.