###Chapter 18: Awakening

The battle raged on as the Princess continued her relentless assault against the dragon. Her movements were swift and precise, her blade striking at the gaps between the beast's thick scales. She dodged its fiery breath, weaving through the arena with the skill of a seasoned fighter.

The crowd watched in awe, their cheers and gasps filling the air. Yet, a new tension began to ripple through them as they noticed something strange—Arie still hadn't moved.

The dragon roared, its massive tail swinging in a deadly arc, but the Princess leaped aside just in time. "Arie!" she shouted, her voice ringing with both concern and desperation. "Do something! I can't keep this up forever!"

But Arie stood frozen, his head still slightly lowered, his hands twitching as if trying and failing to summon magic. His terror was written all over his face, and the crowd began to murmur in confusion.

"What's wrong with him?" someone whispered.

"Why isn't he helping her?" another voice called out.

The dragon's golden eyes locked onto the Princess again, and it reared back, its chest glowing faintly as it prepared another attack. The Princess braced herself, her sword raised high, but the dragon unleashed a burst of energy too fast to dodge. A pulse of bright, crackling magic struck her, sending her flying across the arena. She hit the ground hard, her weapon clattering out of reach and her arm, broken, and bleeding.

The audience collectively gasped, their shock echoing through the air. "The Princess is down!" someone exclaimed.

All eyes turned to Arie, expecting him to spring into action. But instead, he stood there, trembling and unresponsive. His gaze wasn't on the Princess, nor the dragon—it was somewhere far away, lost in the past.

The Princess groaned as she struggled to her feet, blood trickling from a cut on her forehead and arm. She glared at Arie, her voice raw with concern and pain. "Arie! What are you doing?!"

The crowd's confusion turned into outrage. "Why isn't he helping her?" "Is he a coward?" "What's wrong with him?" Their voices grew louder, filled with disbelief at his inaction.

But Arie didn't hear them. The dragon's presence consumed him, dragging him deeper into the memories he had tried so hard to forget. All he could see was his village in flames, all he could hear were the screams of people he couldn't save. Even as the Princess fought for her life, even as the crowd shouted for him to act, he remained trapped in his mind, unable to break free.

The Princess, still struggling to get back on her feet, watched the dragon preparing for another attack. This time, it raised its massive claw, the sharp talons glowing faintly with magical energy. Her breath hitched as she realized she might not be able to dodge in time. Fear crept into her voice as she called out, louder and more desperate than before.

"Help... Arie!"

Her plea echoed through the arena, her voice trembling with a mix of terror and desperation. The words pierced through the fog in Arie's mind, cutting through the layers of fear and memories that had held him captive. In that instant, a vision flashed before his eyes—a vivid memory from the past he had tried so hard to bury.

Sara.

He could see her face clearly, the way she had stood in front of him, shielding him from danger. She had been terrified too, but she hadn't let that stop her. "Be strong" she had shouted all those years ago, her voice carrying the same fear yet unyielding determination. He remembered how she had sacrificed herself to protect him, how her courage had given him a chance to live.

The memory struck him like lightning, shattering the chains of fear that had held him back. The trembling in his hands stopped, and his breathing steadied. His eyes, which had been filled with terror, now burned with a newfound determination.

"No more," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible at first. Then louder, with conviction: "No more running!"

He raised his head, his gaze locking onto the dragon. The creature's glowing claws were descending toward the Princess, who could barely lift her weapon in time. But before it could strike, in an instant, his body vanished, moving with the speed of a flash. One moment, he was standing frozen; the next, he was between Lea and the attack blocking it using his weaponer technique. His teleportation magic left a faint ripple in the air as he reappeared.

The audience gasped as the once-paralyzed Arie suddenly sprang into action. With a powerful gesture, he unleashed a destruction spell that collided with the dragon's claw mid-swing, forcing the beast to recoil with a deafening roar. The Princess looked up in shock, her wide eyes meeting Arie's.

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"Arie?" she whispered, barely believing what she was seeing.

Arie stepped forward, his fear replaced by a fiery resolve. "Sorry, took me a while" he said firmly, his voice steady. "I won't let it happen again."

The crowd erupted into cheers and murmurs of disbelief, their earlier doubt replaced with hope as Arie, finally free of his trauma, prepared to face the dragon head-on.

Arie now stood in the the battlefield, his heart a maelstrom of emotions. The sense of loss, the burning anger, the sadness and loneliness he felt that day. He knew he couldn't push these feelings aside; instead, he would harness them, transforming them into the overwhelming desire for vengeance. His adversary, the formidable dragon, stood tall, its scales glistening with an ominous sheen. The beast had already caused so much destruction, but Arie was determined to put an end to its reign of terror.

With a deep breath, Arie called upon his unique power, "Weaponer" the ability to manipulate slime. Arie raised his arm, and the viscous substance appeared in front of his palm. His eyes glowed with an intense light, a manifestation of his fury and resolve. The slime morphed into a massive bow, he raised his hand to the side, and gathered fire with destruction energy combined, and with a fluid motion, he drew back the string, forming an arrow and preparing to unleash this skill.

"Arrow of Destruction!" Arie shouted, his voice echoing across the battlefield. The arrow, pulsating with a dark, destructive energy, flew straight toward the dragon. The beast, however, absorbed the attack effortlessly, its scales seeming to swallow the energy whole. But Arie was undeterred. He knew this was only the beginning.

Determined not to give the dragon a moment's respite, Arie launched a relentless barrage of arrows, each one imbued with his aura of hatred and vengeance. The air around him crackled with energy as arrow after arrow streaked toward the dragon, striking its scales with resounding force. The beast roared in anger, feeling the impact of Arie's unyielding assault. Gradually, cracks began to appear in its seemingly impenetrable armor.

But it wasn't enough. Arie knew he had to do more. Amidst the chaos of the battle, he cast a glance toward the fallen princess from a far, her body lying still. A pang of guilt surged through him, but he quickly pushed it aside. He couldn't afford to be distracted. With a fierce determination, he continued his onslaught, while firing, he casts a healing spell to the Princess. The dual focus was taxing, but Arie was resolute. He couldn't let the dragon win, but he can't do it alone.

The dragon, sensing the shift in the battle, unleashed a torrent of flames toward Arie. He dodged nimbly, the flames licking at his heels but failing to catch him. His movements were a blur of speed and precision as he continued to fire arrows, each one hitting its mark with deadly accuracy. The dragon's roars grew more frantic, its confidence waning as its scales continued to crack and splinter.

Undeterred, Arie nocked another arrow, his aura crackling with hatred. He launched another Arrow of Destruction, and another, each one more potent than the last. The dragon continued to absorb the attacks, its scales glowing brighter, but Arie noticed something—tiny fractures beginning to appear on its otherwise impervious hide.

Arie's onslaught was relentless. Arrow after arrow flew from his bow, each one propelled by the intensity of his emotions. The fractures in the dragon's scales spread and deepened, but still, it wasn't enough. He could feel his strength waning, yet he refused to yield. As the barrage continued, Arie split his focus, drawing upon his inner reserves of power to heal the princess who lay nearby.

With one hand, he sent arrows screaming towards the dragon, while with the other, he channeled healing energy into the princess. Her wounds began to close, her breathing steadied, and color returned to her cheeks. The dragon roared, sensing its prey slipping away and its own invulnerability cracking under the strain of Arie's attacks.

The dragon lunged at Arie, its massive claws slicing through the air. But Arie, fueled by a desperate resolve, dodged with his teleportation magic. He continued to fire, arrows striking with unerring accuracy, each one driving deeper into the dragon's weakening defenses.

As the princess stirred, her eyes fluttering open, Arie felt a surge of renewed determination. He fought with everything he had, his arrows now glowing with a fierce, radiant energy. The dragon's scales began to crumble under the relentless assault, pieces falling away to reveal raw, vulnerable flesh beneath.

The princess, regaining her strength, rose to her feet. Arie's fury had reached its peak. With the princess now standing by his side, he could feel her resolve—an energy that matched his own. The dragon roared, its eyes seething with malice, but Arie was beyond fear. "Ready to end this?" he shouted over the chaos, his voice trembling with anger.

The princess gave him a grim nod, gripping her sword tightly. "We fight together."

Without another word, they charged forward. Arie fired an Arrow of Destruction, the force of the shot powerful enough to shake the ground. The dragon absorbed it, but the crackling energy left a visible scar across its scales. It was weakening, but not fast enough. Arie pulled another arrow from his quiver, his eyes narrowing in focus.

"Keep it distracted!" he yelled.

The princess was already on it. With a fierce cry, she leaped into the air, her sword raised high. "Come at me, you oversized lizard!" Her blade collided with the dragon's scales with a loud clash, sparks flying as the monster recoiled, its eyes narrowing in fury.

Arie took the opportunity to launch another barrage of arrows, his hands moving in a blur. Each shot seemed to land with greater precision as the dragon's defenses began to crack. The beast roared, thrashing wildly to shake them off. "You think this will stop me?" it bellowed, but Arie was unyielding. His aura was filled with hatred, a fire that could not be extinguished.

The princess gritted her teeth as she dodged one of the dragon's massive claws. "I'm tired of hearing you talk. Let's see how well you do without your pride!" She lunged again, slashing deep into the dragon's hide. The monster let out an enraged screech, but its movements were becoming slower, more erratic. Arie's arrows had taken their toll.

"Almost there, princess! Keep pushing!" Arie shouted, his eyes locked on the dragon's weakest points.

The princess didn't need encouragement. With a battle cry, she dodged another swipe, using the dragon's momentum to strike its exposed side, leaving a deep gash. Blood—black and thick—began to ooze from the wound. The dragon snarled in pain, but it wasn't enough to stop the onslaught.

"Arie, now!" she yelled, her sword crackling with energy.

Arie's eyes burned with determination as he felt his inner power surge. He closed his eyes for a moment and summoned his weaponer technique. His bow deformed, replaced by a massive, gleaming blade formed from the very energy that pulsed through his body. The blade's size was immense, radiating with an intimidating aura. Arie's black aura grew more and more

"Get ready," Arie called out, his voice heavy with focus. "We're ending this."

The princess nodded, rushing to his side. Together, they combined their magic—Arie channeling his intense vengeance, and the princess infusing the blade with her own magic. The blade crackled with both their powers, glowing brighter with each second.

The dragon staggered back, eyes narrowing as it realized the danger. It lunged, its claws extended to strike—but Arie and the princess were ready.

With a battle cry, Arie swung the massive blade with all his might. The sheer weight and power of the strike, amplified by their combined magic, cut through the air like a thunderclap. The dragon's roar was drowned out by the sound of the blade cleaving through its massive body.

In one clean, vertical cut, the blade sliced the dragon in half. The beast's roar turned to a strangled cry as it was bisected, its massive form collapsing into a heap of lifeless flesh and blood. The earth shook as the dragon fell, its reign of terror ending in a single, devastating blow.

Breathing heavily, Arie and the princess stood together, the remnants of their powerful attack still crackling in the air around them. Their bodies were battered, their energy spent—but they had done it. The dragon was dead, its body split in two at their feet.

"Nice work," Arie said, his voice hoarse but filled with relief.

The princess gave a weary but satisfied grin. "Not bad for a pair of underdogs."

They shared a moment of quiet triumph, the weight of the battle lifting from their shoulders. Together, they had ended the dragon, their combined strength proving unstoppable.