CHAPTER 39 – DISLOCATED TRUST AND SHOULDER

LYSANDER FARADEISS

The air crackled with tension as I attempted the Baryon Blaze incantation. A sharp, unexpected pain pierced through my chest, as though a fiery arrow had struck me. My fingers twitched, trying to channel mana, but the remnants of the Anti-Mage Arrows left my magical circuits in disarray, rendering them useless.

My focus shattered, I reached out with intent, but instead of striking a decisive blow, my hand landed awkwardly on Hiraya's chest. The weight of failure settled on me, overshadowed only by the realization of how this must look. A mix of shock and confusion played across my face.

Hiraya's cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, her eyes widening in surprise.

Hiraya's golden eyes darted momentarily to her left. Without hesitation, she delivered a swift kick, propelling me out of harm's way just as Maggie's Anti-Mage Arrow whizzed past where I'd been standing. In that instant, my failed intentions were overshadowed by the debt I now owed Hiraya.

"What's gotten into you, Lysander!" Hiraya's cheeks flushed with exasperation. "There's a time and place for your antics! You can grope me later after this battle!"

Heat rose to my face. "Shut up! It wasn't intentional!" I stammered.

Hiraya sighed deeply, her expression morphing from frustration to determination as she refocused on Maggie, who seemed unshaken by the unexpected interruption.

Amidst the chaotic clash, Johnny, the werewolf warrior, withdrew from the fray, seeking solace beside his harpy dragonoid companion. Similarly, the junior detective took a step back, gravitating back towards Hiraya's protective stance. Alris, engrossed in the battle's intensity, seemed to overlook the tension unfolding between Hiraya and me.

Maggie, cradling her injured shoulder, met Johnny's gaze with urgency. "This Lysander has drained us," she remarked. "Engaging both Hiraya and that detective would tilt the odds against us."

"We'll carve a path to escape," Johnny asserted, his form transitioning from a werewolf back to human. Placing a hand over his heart, a radiant glow emerged. "Activating Vesryn Pulse!"

Without hesitation, Maggie morphed into her majestic Harpy Dragon form, her green wings shimmering with renewed vigor. With Johnny poised atop the dragon's head, they soared upwards, their intent clear: escape at any cost.

Hiraya's resolute voice cut through the chaos, her chest radiating a brilliant golden glow. "You won't escape me! Activating Vesryn Pulse!"

Simultaneously, Alris underwent a transformation, evolving into the incandescent blue Nova Dragon, its head dipping low. Positioned atop the dragon, Hiraya extended her hand toward me.

"Get on!" she insisted, determination etched on her face.

I shook my head. "No, go on without me."

"Quit being so stubborn, Lysander. Your safety is at stake if you stay here," Hiraya implored.

"Have no fear, Mister Lysander. I shall ensure your protection," echoed the reassuring telepathic message from the Nova Dragon.

I hesitated, eyeing Hiraya's outstretched hand—a gesture of trust I wasn't sure I deserved. Despite our temporary alliance, she remained unaware of the hidden motives lurking behind my actions. Alris, the Nova Dragon, seemed equally unaware, caught up in the urgency of the moment. Yet, staying close to them, playing the role of the reluctant ally, offered a strategic advantage: an opportunity to confront Johnny and Maggie and, perhaps, fulfill my dark intentions towards Hiraya. Balancing on this precarious edge between friend and foe, I chose proximity.

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Grasping Hiraya's offered hand, a warm smile illuminated her face, easing the tension. We settled atop the Nova Dragon, its fiery wings beating rhythmically as it ascended into the vast expanse above. While we trailed the escaping Harpy Dragon, I noticed Hiraya's discomfort, her breathing strained. A subtle grimace crossed her features, her left shoulder seeming to trouble her.

"What's wrong?" I probed, sensing her attempt to mask the pain.

"It's nothing," she quickly deflected, trying to veil her evident discomfort.

Disregarding her attempt to brush off the pain, I gently pried Hiraya's hand away from her left shoulder. Beneath her fingers, a protruding bump marred her otherwise smooth skin—a glaring indication of a dislocated joint. Faint scratches crisscrossed the surface around the injury, silent testimonies to the fierce battle she had faced.

A wave of realization swept over me. While Dragon Lords boasted near-immortality, Hiraya's wounds painted a different picture. She hadn't yet achieved that pinnacle status, leaving her subject to the vulnerabilities of mortality. Though elves were biologically immortal, their lives still hung in the balance when faced with fatal harm. This newfound knowledge injected a cautionary note into our fragile alliance.

"Stay still. I can set it right," I assured her.

"...Alright," came Hiraya's subdued response.

Placing my hand strategically beneath her armpit, I applied steady pressure to the protruding bump. A faint, but distinct, snap resonated, indicating the bone had realigned itself. The process appeared deceptively simple, likely due to the delicate nature of elven skeletal structures.

"Thanks, Lysander. We're even now," Hiraya acknowledged, her voice tinged with gratitude.

Offering a smile and a nod, I masked my ulterior motives beneath a façade of cooperation.

Without warning, a flurry of green-feathered arrows sliced through the air, narrowly missing my head as I instinctively dodged. Reacting swiftly, the Nova Dragon swerved and dipped, evading the sudden barrage of projectiles.

"Their intentions have shifted to confrontation!" The Nova Dragon's telepathic message surged into my consciousness. "Brace yourself!"

Above, under the silvery glow of the moon, the weary Harpy Dragon emerged from the clouds, its fatigue palpable from its prolonged flight. Johnny, its armored rider, fixed a piercing gaze upon us, his lethal intent clear and unyielding.

With a swift motion, Johnny raised his arm, conjuring a sprawling magical circle. "Harpy Storm!" he bellowed, unleashing a relentless volley of green arrows hurtling toward our position.

Hiraya responded in kind, arms outstretched, invoking a spell that only a knight empowered by the Vesryn Pulse could muster. "Nova Flarewave!" As the Nova Dragon's bluish flames intensified, it beat its wings with fervor, sending forth a shockwave of azure fire that rippled ominously through the heavens. The impending clash between the Harpy and Nova Dragons promised to escalate into a fierce aerial duel.

The Harpy Dragon's arrows met their end, reduced to ashes by the protective flames of the Nova Dragon. Johnny's expression soured, his frustration palpable in the air.

"Hiraya, they're vulnerable now! This might be our moment!" The Nova Dragon's urgent telepathic message resonated in our minds.

"Understood," Hiraya replied with determination. With a graceful flick of her golden hair, she began channeling mana, preparing another potent spell.

Yet, her concentration shattered abruptly. Her keen, knife-edged ears twitched involuntarily, and beads of cold sweat materialized on her forehead. A primal shiver coursed through me, an innate alarm echoing the sense of impending danger. Our shared apprehension crystallized as an immense shadow eclipsed the moonlight, casting a foreboding darkness upon us.

Lifting my gaze skyward, I locked eyes with a formidable foe I hadn't anticipated encountering.

Eclipsing the moon's glow was a colossal dragon, standing an imposing fifty meters tall. Its body gleamed with a sheen of obsidian-black metal, interlaced with pulsating green magical circuits that traced intricate patterns across its form. Rather than conventional wings, its appendages appeared inverted, while its armor boasted irregular, elliptical designs. Luminescent green orbs punctuated its wings, forehead, and chest, casting an eerie glow in the night.

A sense of déjà vu washed over me, recalling encounters from a different timeline. We had christened this formidable behemoth the Alientech Dragon.

Yet, what truly unnerved me were its eyes—piercing crimson set against an abyssal black sclera, unmistakably housing the dreaded Eye of Deus. A wave of dread washed over me, realizing I stood face-to-face with a power for which I was woefully unprepared.