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Chapter 19 – Chase

Shuddering like jello, he dashed to his feet, trying to keep calm amid the chaos and a clear head amidst the storm. The dragon rushed forward, snarling as a wave of flames erupted around its mouth. Adrenaline shot like electricity through Kyrios' nerves. He pivoted to his left to avoid the incoming burst of flames before leaping upward on the rocky ground. As if carried by sheer momentum, his feet pushed further above before gliding through the air while shrieking at the lava lake underneath. "Shit, shit, shit!"

His hand raised a mere centimeter and his muscles recalled his encounter with the horde, activating his mantis claws. He struck his elbow into the ceiling and dug his blades inside. There, he hung precariously while his hands clutched onto his claws for dear life. His legs swung sideways to regain balance before lifting his hands upward and latching onto the rock, digging his mantis claws deeper. "Yes! It worked," Kyrios shouted inwardly. "Seems like I learned to use them now, but..." he shifted his focus back, his eyes locking onto the enormous dragon hot on his heels. "I've still got that to worry about. Got damn it, I'm getting tired of all this running; can't I get an opponent of my strength for once?"

As the dragon approached, Kyrios hoisted himself up and leaped out of harm's way, only to find the dragon swooping down to snag him midair. It slashed at him with a claw strike, missing narrowly as he dodged downward in an amateurish somersault. He barely landed on solid ground, his arms windmilling wildly to steady himself. "Oh, I—! Safe!"

The dragon's wing slashed the surface, sending a shower of hot embers raining above his head as he bounded from the searing heat. But Kyrios found himself too quick on his feet to let panic get in the way as he darted underneath a rocky overhang, taking shelter. Fortunately, the heat didn't touch him, nor did the dragon's flames reach. As long as there was a stalemate between the two, his chances of survival rose steadily, but his bags were beginning to hold him back. Even the lizard tucked under the shoulder strap looked exhausted and was starting to shake profusely. He picked it up by the tail, comparing it to the monster beyond him. "Looks like a bigger, scarier version of you. It seems like she had come for her child. That's why she's attacking me out of nowhere. I hope, at least," he said under his breath as he placed the lizard on the ground. "Shoo, shoo. Go back to your family. I don't want to fight your mother."

Frozen in place, the lizard remained motionless while Kyrios sprinted away as the relentless thunder of the pursuing dragon's steps echoed behind him. With an incredible burst of speed, he hurled himself off a ledge and launched over a field of lava while keeping an eye out for any nook and cranny to hide in. "Bye, bye, lizard thing...?"

His horror intensified as the dragon's gaping maw fell upon the defenseless lizard, its cruel hunger overpowering any empathy for its child, and in a swift, brutal motion, the lizard was consumed. "No! D-don't tell me it's one of those filial cannibalism creatures?!" Kyrios' mouth was agape as he kept on running without sparing the lizard another glance. His head ducked low, avoiding any stray attacks. "Dammit! No time to mourn! Where do I go now?"

His eyes scanned the surroundings, and there, in his periphery, he spotted the entrance leading to the glacial realm—a potential escape from the looming threat.

"There!" Kyrios dived under another shadowy crevice and latched onto it, scaling the steep surface like a spider before plucking it onto another shelf. He looked ahead, and there it lay: the entrance beckoning him toward the icy realm, where he had the terrain advantage. With the dragon already starting to pry after him again, his speed only increased in pace until he finally jumped into it with abandon, sliding off while keeping his belongings safe as a snowstorm of volcanic ash swept over him. "Damn, hot, hot!!"

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Though not exactly comfortable for a long-term visit, the frozen tundra presented ample protection against the blazing hellfire. Each side made you crave the other with time. But even though he made it through, with an ominous presence, the dragon continued to pursue him into the frigid expanse of ice: there was no time to rest.

The dragon's piercing footsteps broke the silence on both the glaciers and magma fields with frightening ease as it tore through anything obstructing it while Kyrios continued to lead as it gave chase. It was only when a large lump of ice rested to his right that he made the conscious decision to change directions, giving it one more push before bolting toward the icy shelter in the hopes of ending their eternal war of attrition. In desperation, the dragon struck his flank with its tail. It smashed apart several ice blocks and sent shrapnel exploding at its tip. Kyrios took aim and thrust his mantis claw onto a slab in front, lodging it deeply in before springing him away in one agile move.

He dove and vaulted toward the air, with arms grasping the rock while leaving him perpendicular to the icy surface, holding on for dear life while the dragon's attack skidded far ahead and destroyed what once was a towering wall of frost. The fissure now left them on the other side, within Kyrios' desired escape route. Toppling below, the blocks of ice exploded upon the beast's contact, carrying a loud shattering echo across the open glacial abyss.

Now, it became a game of tag; one misstep could cost everything if the dragon managed to swipe him with its sharp teeth, incinerate him with its powerful fires, or toss him off to a deep, unfathomable ravine of flames. It was a desperate, exhausting tactic, but one that could very much work under the right conditions. All Kyrios needed was a smidgeon of hope.

One more leap propelled Kyrios off a steep slide, landing with an ear-splitting crash before plopping down toward the icy base below. He tumbled forward before stopping, sliding farther off the side while desperately clinging his claws to the ground. A long and anguished groan flowed from his gaped-open mouth from the exhaustion, sweat dripping down his nose. "Gaahh! Ow, ow, ow... My acrobatic luck has run out. Damn it, just because I have some decent agility now doesn't mean I know how to run and maneuver all the time."

His neck swiveled before freezing upon sensing the nearby roar overhead. Still high off his own dash for life, Kyrios could make out a great shadow in pursuit, like a winged demon casting its malevolent gaze downwards from the skies. At such speeds, a single breath felt too late before disaster struck, each thudding stride like drums ringing out its forewarning melody. By now, it was too obvious what would come next.

With a thunderous roar, the dragon plummeted earthward, shattering the dense ice chunks above. In a tight and cold room like this, Within the confines of the frigid chamber, the dragon's strength waned, constricted by the icy environment.

It drew nearer while Kyrios ran onward, attempting to close the gap, but its monstrous wings whirled through the open space and blew a vortex of raging winds and ice shards at him, blocking off Kyrios' way. The dragon let out a deafening roar, and its long, snake-like tail lashed out like that of an angry feline. With his claws unsheathed in defense, Kyrios struck with all the force he could muster before feeling it pierce through the monster's flesh with his two forearm daggers.

A swirling crimson haze erupted from its wound, wrapping around Kyrios' body like a soothing embrace. Within its ethereal embrace, his weariness ebbed away, replaced by rejuvenating energy. A look of astonishment flickered in his eyes, his face twitching with disbelief. "Wait, this aura is the same as that Scythera insect. It's healing me?! I see why it's called Rejuvenating Claws now."

Dodging another tail blow by inches with a swift duck, he pulled against his claws, tearing its wounded hide apart as it spazzed in pain. His knees and arms strained, trying to stop its momentum. In an explosion of dust, they parted, collapsing as the dragon recoiled with spouted wounds, albeit minor ones. Kyrios stumbled, his arms stretched outward while standing like an oversized crab. Its tail had smashed against the floor in a cacophonic mess of thuds, screeches, and grinding surfaces.

With one foot in front of the other, he lunged back, stumbling through the rubble as the air filled with smoke and freezing dust. Despite the deafening rumbles, only a lone sound reached his ears—the beating of his own heart throbbed rapidly against his chest. Adrenaline had taken over, and he couldn't stifle the craving for his prey.

The dragon had to be taken out. No hesitation.