Moments earlier

The gates of Morath, reduced to rubble before the people’s eyes. A slew of drakes breached the city, with another wave well on the way. A pirate man tucked away behind the wreckage observed the corpses littered around him. Atop buildings, crushed into the dirt. His chest convulsed as he clung to a rifle in his arms as if it were his lifeline. “They’re dead… They’re all dead!” With an exasperated gasp, he glanced to his left and saw the trampled bodies of his former colleagues. To his right, the gnawed limbs of the same men and women. A tear burst from the corner of his eye as the parading steps of a horde of forty drakes rattled his cover to shambles, exposing him for all to see. Dreadful roars hit his body like a hammer, triggering a warmth between his legs. The thud of his pulse turning louder than their overbearing steps. From the corner of his eye, a red essence crashed into the fray. A red-haired man, shirtless, with cuts and wounds covering his body.

Shrouded in red ether, Zio touched down in the horde’s path. A caress of his spearhead turned it into a bright orange and trailed a haze as he held the spear behind him. “Monsters. That’s all you’ll ever be.” He thought back to a different time. Where he stood below a larger red haired man before a crowd of familiar faces. A flash and suddenly he looked the man eye to eye. Blood on his face, a fading smile that weakened his muscles. You killed her! It’s all your fault! You killed him! It’s all your fault! The argument rampantly rang in his ears, tightening his chest and sharpening his focus. Never forget… Your pride. Thrusting the spear until his arm stretched as far as it could, he exhaled. “Dragon’s Pride!” A ray of heat exploded from the spearhead. Its vast size consumed the gate and sundered the center row of the horde, leaving behind a trail of flame. Tension left his chest, leaving him gasping. “Time to clean up.” Zio threw the spear over his shoulder, the trembling of the man behind him stealing his attention. “Still alive? I cleared a trail on the way here! Take the path until you find some others!”

Legs frozen in place, the man’s upper body swayed. His arms stiffened around his rifle as he gawked at Zio. “W-What? Try speakin’ common!”

“I am speaking in common, you idiot! Run!” An unforeseen roar drowned out Zio’s word. A drake reached him, overtaking his position and flinging its head into him. Zio fastened tight to his scales with his free arm, burying his feet in the dirt while it forced him into the city. The drake came to a halt as Zio pressed against it. Its scales securely in his grip, he tossed it into the air, drawing back the spear and slicing the beast’s underbelly. The spilling blood sizzled as it came in contact with his ether, spilling on the ground after he charged back toward the gate. “About twenty more.” The lasting drakes had infiltrated the city, the few with their sights on the bystander, and tackled him. “No!” Before his eyes, the man’s arm was ripped from his body. The drakes tumbling over him as if he were a rag doll. Zio dropped his head, a shadow cast over face. His chest bulking, Zio released a terrible howl. Stabbing a drake through its scales and bursting the spearhead from his body, before he jumped into the air with a front flip and plunged the spear into another’s head. The other drakes spread, establishing a boundary around him. With another howl, Zio pummeled his chest and rushed into battle. Dragging his spear through the burn, the blazing spearhead leaving a trail of flame through the dirt, he sliced through the neck of a drake. Twirling the spear, he jumped into the air, crashing down on the back of a drake. Shattering its scales and killing it on impact. The heated breath of a drake came beside him, its jagged teeth closing in on his chest. Ether surrounded Zio’s hands, grasping onto the teeth before its jaw could snap, then inhaled, expanding his chest. Fire flowed from his lips into the drake’s mouth, tossing it to the side as smoke billowed from its mouth.

***

“Deadly as ever.” said Nomu as he observed Zio. “Though his strength pales compared to his ancestor, avoiding a prolonged conflict with him was wise. There’s nothing more dangerous than a beast that has tolerance. They’re far less predictable. Unwilling to give into the urges that compel them to unleash the dragons ether. And yet, he walks about with uncertainty. Like he could lose it at any moment. Doubt perhaps? Could this be from the murder of his father?” Nomu chuckled, caressing his hand across his chin. “With enough pressure, he’ll fold. Setting the stage.” Nomu pondered, turning away from Zio’s battle. A glance over his shoulder and he found himself caught in a vocal train of thought. “The heir is the greatest obstacle to reach the boy. And to break a rock, you must chip at it piece by piece.” He spun back in Zio’s direction. “I’ll gamble with the chance. Destroying him now will secure our victory.” Nomu slowly descended from the sky.

As Zio plucked the spear from the drake’s spine, he gathered red ether in his hands, pausing when he realized the drakes were fleeing. Sensing a presence behind him, Zio lashed the spear around and pointed it. “You again!?” The spearhead followed a descending Nomu. Touching down out of range of Zio, and promptly opening his arms before swaying one in front and the other behind him. “Mistake me with Tsuna? I know our ether is similar, but I would’ve thought your kind would be smart enough to tell the difference. Hell, even the hair should’ve given it away.” As Zio spoke, his eyes bounced around the area, to Nomu, to his sides, then back to Nomu.

“Has your exile dulled your common sense? Was there nothing you developed when you deserted that faction of dragon killers, except for a flawed sense of humor and a heroic facade? Traits you’ve honed to replace the failure you feel in your heart for what made you what you are.” Nomu strolled over to the body of the pirate man, who gasped for his life. “It’s clear in your ether and even clearer on your face. Death follows you, no matter how hard you try to prevent it.”

Zio’s grip on his spear loosened, biting his bottom lip, then quickly tightened up. “What is it you want? First Tsuna, now me? Are wyvern too far beyond saving that you need one of us? Or did some hidden elder dragon put you up to this?”

Nomu shook his head. A straight face remaining still on his lips. “A compromise.”

Zio’s mouth hung open, then closed as his teeth clashed, hearing the response. “Compromise?! Death, destruction. The people’s suffering. All for a fucking compromise! That didn’t cross your mind before all of this happened?”

“It had. But what does any of it matter when you lack the strength or authority to make the call?” Nomu tilted his head. The pirate’s eye opened, staring directly into Nomu’s. “Is it that hard to believe that I do not want a fight?” Zio’s easing brought surprise to his face. Now with his head held high, standing upright.

“Then stop dancing around the question and tell me what you’re here for. Skulking around with a handful of wyvern does little to support your point.”

“Hmph.” Nomu’s attention went back to the man. “In a battle of prideful fools with more power than they deserve, all one can do is wait until they destroy themselves.” Nomu kneeled to the pirate and placed a hand on the man’s face. Pressing his jagged nail on the man’s cheek, he slowly dragged it, drawing blood that shifted from a red to a purple color. “Talion will not stop. Not until he has what he wants, and who am I to stop him? Better, who are you to stop him? Son of Infernus, in all ways except soul, marching to repeat the course of history. Plunging the world into another war it may not recover from should he wake the sleeping Tiamat. Dragons will die, Humans will die. Will you stop him or run as you always have?”

“See…” A smile cracked on Zio’s lips. “That’s what you don’t get. This isn’t my story.” Striding over the corpses, he chuckled at the confusion on Nomu’s face. “You’re right about me. I’m a murderer and a phony. With my stained past, I could never be the hero.” He watched as Nomu’s face became tense, Zio smirking as he came closer. “Self-awareness is a hell of a thing. If you thought I’d spend my whole life running… You miscalculated. Death is in my ether because I’m the one who causes it. I want nothing more than to live in a world without war, like everyone else. But who’s willing to kill monsters like you for the greater good? Without rules or restrictions, it’s all too easy for me.”

Nomu stepped further back the closer Zio came. “You foresaw this, didn’t you?”

“Heh. I am a descendant of the First Tarragon, after all. Infernus’ ether runs in my veins. That said, I can sense anything of draconic ether.” Zio pointed. “Even you.”

Nomu grinned, raising his hands to his sides, then swung his jagged nail to his chest. “I underestimated you, Zio. You’re no beast with control, but one with patience. Anticipating my arrival being the exception, the true Zio is no better than those of which he murders.” Zio stopped walking towards him, his sudden pause giving Nomu a chance to jump back.

Zio focused on Nomu, peering at the deep red color that sounded his body and the violet aura within his hand. Suddenly, his eyes darted to his left, toward the docks. “Talion’s here!”

“And you won’t have the chance to get in his way!” Instantly, Nomu pierced his chest with his nail, unleashing a flurry of energy that burst from under his robe and exposed the purple veins coursing throughout his body. “This is the beginning of the end!” The pillar of violet energy climbed into the sky, scattering around the city. A stray beam flew downward, striking the pirate, causing him to scream. His body shifted as he wailed, slowly encasing in a purple shell that spawned from the injury.

Shielding his face for what else might come, Zio peered at the monstrous egg that appeared from the pirate. It flashed as powerful tremors shook from within. “No… How!? Is that?!” He looked at Nomu. “Who the hell are you!?” In his ear, shrieks burst from all over the city, followed by the egg before him burst. The newborn wyvern exploded out of its shell, joining along the monstrous chorus.

Nomu covered his body under the robes, ensuring his hood remained secure over his face. “I… am a Son of Ebon!” As the words left his lips, he vanished. Leaving Zio with the enraged wyvern.

***

Limping along a wrecked street, Tsuna stumbled into an alleyway, out of breath. His labored breathing turned into coughing, planting his back against the wall. A group of fleeing townsfolk passing him in his weakened state. “H-Help…!” He heaved before his lungs gave out. His pleas unheard, the people continued running. Someone. Anyone. I can’t die here. Head collapsing in defeat, Tsuna became still. He nearly closed his eyes until the violet pillar penetrated the sky. What is that…? The pillar pique his curiosity, but reinvigorated him. Could that be Zio’s doing? If so, then… Tsuna used to wall to balance himself. I can’t stop here. I have to keep going! Now back on his feet, Tsuna trudged toward the oceanfront. Following this should take me back to Infinity… What’s happening in the ocean? A ship sank in the distance, releasing a wind that knocked him off his feet and sent the smell of the salty ocean around him. Another cough whipped from his throat, his body losing strength again. This is pointless! I can hardly go ten meters without running out of gas! As he lay on his back, more footsteps came to his ear. Straining, he bent his neck, spotting a family of Minhki dashing by him. Why aren’t they hurting like me? Wait… If they aren’t being affected by the ether, maybe it has something to do with me! They can’t see the fog, so it doesn’t hinder them? Maybe. Infernus would know how to deal with it, wouldn’t he? He said he wouldn’t be able to talk to me, but what if I went to talk to him? Hell… What do I have to lose? Tsuna inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he held his body still. The tips of his finger went numb, and the sensation crawled to his head. A wave of white washed over his sealed eyelids. Please work! A feeling of weightlessness filled his mind, similar to a sense of floating on water and being taken into the sea. His sense suddenly went numb. The feeling of everything gone.

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***

A gentle current brushed between his fingers, shocking his eyes open to a lifeless, blank sky. Tsuna jolted forward, breathing erratically in a pool of crystal water that left him dry. The pool was deep. Far deeper than where Tsuna sat, but something held him above. “I made it! This is where I talked to Infernus before!” Gingerly placing a foot on the water, he stood up and searched around. “Infernus?” He took a wary step, assuring that his foot would not sink, and proceeded walking atop the vast pool. “Infernus!?” His call went unanswered. A small distance aside, a glass fragment levitated above the pool. Its glint urged him closer, as an image of a cloudy sky exhibited. Tsuna grabbed onto its jagged edges, dragging it closer and observing what lied within. The sky opened, a man falling from the clouds as splintered pieces of ice spread across his body. “I’ve seen this before… It’s what I saw when I was shot at The Crossing!” Waves fluttered below his feet. The pool resounded as a voice reverberated throughout the area.

“Talion.”

Tsuna’s heart bolted as he recognized the voice. “Infernus! Where are you?” The fragment went on, showing the man clash in the peaks, the ice encasing his body wholly. Fire burst from Tsuna’s mouth, the whir in his rib cage stuffing his ears with a ringing that thumped in his head. A flame burning on his chest beneath the Tachibana crest forced him to his knees as his vision faded to black.

***

Tsuna opened his eyes to reality, a shadow shrouding his body, and a hand at his throat. So tight that a breath couldn’t slip away. The assailant hoisted him above his exposed body and held him level with his crimson eyes. The lengthy black hair, an icy glare, he was almost sure he stared Infernus in the eye. But he knew better. Tsuna latched onto his arms, clawing away at his aggressor to break free. Tsuna coughed his name. “Talion…”

Nose flaring as if he were getting the odor of his body, he altered his head in disgust. A sneer displayed his sharp canines. “A man?” His powerful voice reverberated through his body. Enough to cause Tsuna to tremor from his words. “He’s taken sanctuary in a man? Oh, how unwise of you, Creator.” He bore his fingers into Tsuna’s neck as he struggled. “Dragons are a menace to man. As we should be. If the world would dominate us, then why should we buckle to their whims? You never could argue that question. If you cherish the race of man so much, perish like them. Pass the torch and renounce what you rejected. No, he wouldn’t do that. Dragon are too unstable. The populace of the world would quiver if his power were in the wrong hands.” Talion grinned. “Life’s not fair, is it not?”

“W-wait!” Tsuna said, struggling to breathe. “I’m not Infernus!” The statement kindled curiosity in Talion’s eyes, but did nothing to ease his grip. Tsuna went on. “Infernus disappeared… And I don’t know where he is! Just let me go and I’ll help you find him!” Though the lack of air made him dizzy, he noticed the gem in his hand flashed from the inside of his glove. Adrenaline pushed through his body, the roar of his chest heating him. It was then, the voice of Infernus returned.

“Meet the flame. Let it inside. Break free.”

Talion’s grip tightened. “Lies. If you were a regular man, your windpipe would be crushed. An ether this durable can only be his. Unless you’re a distraction.”

Tsuna’s expression turned serious. A light twinkling from his tongue provoked Talion’s eye, diverting him from the balling of his fist as he felt his strength overflowing from the gem. Energy surged, concentrating into a punch he hurled into Talion’s face. Fire coursed through Tsuna’s arm. A booming explosion broke into the air as an outbreak of flame burst from his punch. Sparks sprayed around him, setting the buildings on fire, and swallowed them in a rampaging blaze. In an instant, every house on the street was on fire. Tsuna, now loose from Talion’s grasp, stepped back. His heart plummeted into his stomach. I did this?! A bead of sweat dropped from his head and his gaze dropped to his hand. The glove no longer there. So this is Infernus’ power!

Talion slid back, burying his face behind his forearm, unscathed by Tsuna’s attack. “Bold. Fire from the body rather than from the mouth. I’ll admit you fooled me.” Talion rubbed the ash from his arm. “Had that been an attack from the creator, he’d have caused considerable damage. However, I’m not willing to conclude you’re a decoy now.”

I’ve seen him before this. But where- it’s him! The one who fell from the sky! Tsuna hesitated, Talion’s unfazed body stepping from the fire. “I.. I’ve seen what happened to you. When you fell from the sky and froze on that mountain. Is that what started this? Is that the reason people had to die today?”

Talion’s grin lingered, extending their deadlock before crossing his arms. “So you know?” Talion asked. “How I was tried in my home and found guilty in the eyes of the council. Do you too believe my war to be some crusade for the fallen deity who led us astray?” He paused, scanning Tsuna’s unchanging, fearful posture. It made Talion take a breath. “As the only dragon who can consider himself a direct scion of the deity himself, the burden of rule is mine to bear. They stripped me, the White dragons, cast me off because of Infernus’ choice to become man rendered me incapable of returning to my prideful form. Imagine, the person who made you what you are rejecting you for his own failure. Created in his image, but deemed as a failure. At face value, one would question their own inadequacies and, soon or later, their own existence. However, few take into understanding that maybe he was the imperfect one. Man, Tengu, Kobold, Raijin, Slyph, perhaps they’re all imperfect. And they smote what they saw out of scope for themselves, the excellence of the Dragon. Dragons, my kin, suffered from their resentment and I, as the Son of Ebonwing, will save them from more suffering. As it is up to me alone.”

Fire roared around them, the cackling of burning wood collapsing the inside of the building behind Tsuna and pushing him forward. Tsuna’s legs quivered as his forehead pounded, images of a battle between man and dragon ensuing. Back into a corner where even other dragons turned their backs. “What do you want from me?

“Our lives turned to struggle and to struggle isn’t to live. As proud and happy as other races did.” Talion continued. “Others cursed us, but we reveled. Damned by the world, we prospered. Until we were damned by our own maker, that is when we slipped from grace.” Talion lowered his arms, stepping toward Tsuna. “To reconstruct what was lost, I require the Creators ether. So that my people can live anew. That is my purpose. Even if you’re just a decoy, I will find him.”

Fear overwhelmed Tsuna, instinctively jerking his torso and driving him to perk up. There’s no way I can take him! That was the strongest punch I’ve ever done, and it didn’t even scratch him! Tsuna paced as Talion approached him, keeping a distance and scanning for an escape. “I’m sorry for what happened to you. I-I doubt an apology is what will fix this.” Tsuna said. “But war is not the answer to getting back what you lost. It will be the end of dragons.”

“You’re not the first to tell me this. Alone, you would be correct. But with the ether of Ebonwing Infernus, I can make the unachievable a reality.” Talion’s murderous intent exuded from his body like heat. “No one will stop me once his power is in my possession.” The stomping of a drake echoed from the buildings. Coming clearer as it headed in their direction. The Building behind Talion collapsed, sending soot and embers into the air. Talion stopped, listening for the sound of Tsuna’s footsteps as an anticipation of his next move. The sound of rustling of chains placed him on guard, now scanning for the origin of the clamor. A barbed metal ball emerged from the smoke above him, crashing into the ground and kicked up dust that blinded him further. “A trick?”

The dust obscured Tsuna’s vision, but he could hear the events that transpired. A cool grasp wrapped around his ankle. What the?! Then yanked him into the dust. Swiftly, he was flung into the air and dragged down, landing on the back of the drake. An Elven girl tightly gripped onto a chain around its neck. Steering it through the flames, the bomber jacket she wore stood out to him. “The girl from Infinity?” Cassandra peered at him, then promptly analyzed behind him. It took a moment for him to realize the bomber jacket was shredded at the arms. Her forearms coated with gravel. She snatched the barbed ball back to her rocky hand, then allowed it to dangle on the side.

“Are you alright, Tsuna?” She asked with a dullness in her voice. “Leora sent me to find you.”

“Yeah, I’m good.” Tsuna glanced back at the clearing smoke. Talion disappeared from where he last stood, making Tsuna gulp. “For now.” He turned his regard to their mount. “How the hell did you get one of these monsters? These things haven’t come across as the type to let anyone just pony up.”

“That’s funny. This one did literally that. I came across it trapped in an alleyway. Before I gave it a killing blow, it bowed its head. I’d never tamed one of these before, so I tried to ride it. And here we are.”

Tsuna raised an eyebrow. It must be her scary eyes! Powerful enough to make dragons bow. “Does Leora have a plan about what to do from here? That guy back there is the one behind all of this. Maybe we can stop this if someone like Zio came and took him down.”

Cassandra instantly shook her head. “No can do. You’re the one we have to get out of here. If fighting were an option, Leora would’ve said so. We’re heading straight for Infinity and not stopping for anything else, so don’t be in shock and try to do anything heroic because of what you might see on the way.”

A piercing feeling struck his chest. What does she mean by that? “Why are you being vague? There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“Dunno. You can figure out what I mean after you think about those late night shenanigans you had earlier.”

Tsuna thought back. Rylen!

Cassandra sighed. “Don’t worry. Zio, Natsumi, and Rylen are all fine, according to Leora. You were the only one not accounted for. Rushing you back is a priority, since Infinity is barely holding out. The pirates have helped a bit, but things have turned for the worst.”

“Cities on fire, monsters running through the streets. How much worse could it have gotten in this little time?”

“A helluva lot.” Cassandra said. “After that thing showed up in the sky, people started transforming into wyvern. Bad for us, we planned on helping innocents escape and had them gather near Infinity. Many of them were infected, some minor cuts across their body turned them. They began attacking everything in sight. Alec and the pirates, with the help of Leora, have held out, but they won’t last forever.” A wall of fire blocked the road ahead, leading Cassandra to steer the drake toward a deadend. “Hold on!” She pulled at the chain, lifting the drake up before it hit the wall. The drake slowly climbed up the building using its claws, shortly reaching the top of the building. The dock was in sight, Cassandra leading the drake to descend to a lower building. “Pretty mobile, right?”

Tsuna acknowledged with a smile, a shadow developing over them that wiped the smile away. Talion drifted in the air, curling his knuckles as he reached for the drake’s tail. In that instant, a concern ran through Tsuna’s head. If he grabs that tail, Cassandra will die! But I can’t do anything to hurt him! I… His body moved independently of his thoughts, placing his feet on the drake’s back. I have to try! “Cassandra, go!”

Cassandra whirled around, seeing Tsuna and Talion headed towards one another in the air. The drake descended as she stared on at Tsuna launching into the air, using the fire from his fist to propel himself at Talion and swung a blow across his face.

“A weak strike!” Talion answered, jabbing his fist into Tsuna’s stomach.

The single punch sent ripples of pain through Tsuna’s body, but he pressed on. “Fuck off!” Another punch flew, landing on Talion’s throat, exploding after a delay. Talion’s hand reached through the smoke, grabbing onto Tsuna’s arm. I have to break free! Tsuna shook and fought. The force of Talion’s fist pressed into his face, pulling him back by his arm before repeating the attack. Talion pulled his fist back for another strike, Tsuna moving his free arm to stop the attack. However, instead of punching again, Talion opened his palm and grabbed Tsuna by the head, then drove him into his knee. As Tsuna’s head ricochet up, Talion grabbed onto his face and thrust him towards the building they were falling toward. Fire spewed from Tsuna’s mouth, slipping from the sides of Talion’s hand and ceased once his head crashed through the building. The two slammed through several floors, coming to a halt as they hit the ground. The black patches in his vision made Tsuna was positive his skull had been cracked. Talion released Tsuna’s face, whose vision was blurry and unable to process their surroundings. The blood from his head trickled to his neck, the feeling of its moisture disappearing as his body went numb.

Talion paced around the burning building, locating a stray piece of wood, before stabbing it into Tsuna’s abdomen and stomping it deeper. “As you die, your ether will be surrendered to The Crossing, however that won’t pass with me here. As another variant of you, your ether will acknowledge me as the host and store itself with me. So my true journey can begin as the savior of the dragon race.”

Tsuna didn’t hear any of what Talion spoke. Unsure if it was because of his damaged cranium or because of his dying body. Every action he made answered with pain, rendering him helpless to move at all. I fucked up. He tasted his blood on his tongue as tears welled in his eyes. Tsuna’s hand twitched as the gem’s light went rampant, though he still could not move. I lost then? I let everyone down. Emiko, Mom, Zio, Rylen, Natsumi, Leora… Infernus. Tsuna’s vision turned blood red, drawing his final breath until he could no longer feel anything.