CHAPTER 58 – HARPY’S FEATHER BLADE
HIRAYA MISTELTEIN
As the radiant energy from the Mark of Vesryn permeated the atmosphere, a profound transformation swept over Kate, Charlotte, and Gaeun. The crimson glow seemed to penetrate the very essence of their being, breaking the chains of control that had bound them moments before.
Confusion and bewilderment painted their expressions as they grappled with the sudden shift in their surroundings. Kate's fiery sword dimmed as she addressed me, uncertainty evident in her voice. "Hiraya?"
Charlotte, lowering her sniper rifle, echoed Kate's confusion, her voice tinged with apprehension. "What just happened? Why were we...?"
Gaeun, clutching her chest, met my gaze with a mixture of relief and concern. "U-Ummm?" she murmured, her eyes searching mine for answers, clearly bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.
The bonds of control had been shattered, but the aftermath left a lingering tension, a silent acknowledgment of the challenges and uncertainties that still lay ahead.
The intense emotion on Johnny Wolvesbane's face spoke volumes, a seething rage evident as his influence over my friends dissipated. The Harpy Dragon, equally infuriated, emitted a deafening roar, signaling their aggressive descent, intent on unleashing their full fury upon us.
"Brace yourselves!" I shouted, anticipating the impending assault.
Despite the gravity of the situation, the odds were stacked against us. The speed at which Johnny and the Harpy Dragon closed in left little room for maneuverability. My three dragonoid friends, still disoriented from their release from Johnny's control, were vulnerable, unaware of the imminent danger hurtling toward us.
"Raaaaah!" Johnny's defiant battle cry echoed ominously, a testament to his determination to assert dominance. The impending clash promised to be fierce, with no clear path to safety in sight.
The sudden manipulation of energy by Johnny Wolvesbane was startling. Using the unique properties of the Vesryn Pulse, he momentarily halted the Harpy Dragon's heart, seizing the opportunity to summon a formidable weapon. The manifestation of the massive green sword was a menacing sight, its size and aura suggesting catastrophic potential.
"Dracaryx! Activate Harpy's Feather Blade!" Johnny's commanding voice echoed, accompanied by the dark green flames that enveloped the sword. The impending strike was imminent, a deadly arc of destruction aimed directly at us.
For Kate, Charlotte, and Gaeun, the looming threat was clear, and the odds seemed insurmountable. Yet, beneath the facade of impending doom, a calculated plan brewed in my mind, a strategy poised to turn the tide in our favor.
Lysander, in his transformed state as the Trailblazer Dragon, was not merely a passive participant in this grand scheme. He had been patiently biding his time, channeling his energies, and preparing for this decisive moment. As I felt the mounting power building within him, it was evident that he was ready to unleash his most potent attack, a culmination of our collaborative efforts to turn the tide of this perilous battle.
The Trailblazer Dragon's resounding roar heralded the unleashing of its devastating attack, a potent blue-colored nuclear blaster that surged forth with unparalleled force. Johnny Wolvesbane, caught off guard and unable to evade in time, faced the impending cataclysm head-on.
However, in a poignant display of sacrifice, the Harpy Dragon, Maggie, intervened with a swift tilt, diverting the trajectory of the nuclear blast aimed at Johnny. The consequence of this selfless act was severe, as her midriff to tail disintegrated into atoms, leaving behind a poignant trail of destruction.
"Noooo! Maggie!" Johnny's anguished cry echoed through the battlefield, a lament for the sacrifice made to protect him.
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The subsequent blinding flash of light and the ensuing explosion marked the culmination of the Trailblazer Dragon's overwhelming attack, a turning point in the turbulent conflict that unfolded in the skies above.
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The aftermath of the devastating attack left Johnny Wolvesbane on the ground, sobbing beside the remnants of Maggie's disintegrated form. Lysander, in his Partial Dragon Form, landed gracefully, a palpable sense of relief evident in his demeanor. As I rushed to his side, concern etched across my face, I couldn't help but inquire about his well-being.
"Are you okay, Lysander?" I questioned, my grip firm on his arms.
"I... I'm fine," Lysander replied, his response carrying the weight of the recent battle. My concern shifted to Johnny, and I probed further about his fate.
"What about Johnny?" I inquired, seeking insight into the aftermath of the Trailblazer Dragon's formidable nuclear breath.
Lysander, his gaze directed toward the left, where Johnny mourned Maggie's shattered humanoid remains, remained silent. The poignant scene underscored the collateral damage wrought by the intense clash of forces in the skies above.
My keen elven ears caught snippets of their heart-wrenching exchange.
"Maggie, stay with me! Please!" Johnny's voice cracked, his hands tenderly cradling Maggie's weakening grip.
"Johnny," Maggie whispered, managing a fleeting smile through her pain. "Thank you, truly, for standing by me... for believing in my ideals."
The weight of emotion pressed on Johnny's chest, his voice quivering as he murmured, "Maggie..." Gently, he pressed his cheek against her hand, tears streaming down his face, each drop a testament to their shared agony.
Tears pooled in Maggie's crimson eyes, reflecting guilt and longing. "I regret pulling you into this conflict," she whispered, voice frail. "If only I'd heeded your words, if only my stubbornness hadn't clouded my judgment... We could've escaped together, finding solace in a distant haven, living out our days in undisturbed peace."
Johnny's desperate pleas filled the air as he clung to the dying remnants of Maggie. The anguish in his voice echoed through the battlefield, a poignant symphony of grief and loss.
"I love you, Maggie! Please stay with me!" Johnny's cries reverberated, his face pressed against the ground in a futile attempt to shield himself from the harsh reality unfolding before him.
Maggie, in her final moments, summoned the last vestiges of her strength to reciprocate Johnny's embrace. "I will be with you, Johnny... Whatever you do from now on, please remember... that I will always love you too," she whispered, her words a bittersweet promise etched in the air.
As Maggie's words faded, so did the remnants of her vitality. Her crimson eyes, once vibrant with life, dulled into a vacant stare. Her arm, which had briefly clung to Johnny, now lay limp on the unforgiving ground.
"Nooooo! Maggie!" Johnny's panic intensified, a soul-wrenching lament for the love he had lost. The battlefield, once a stage for conflict and confrontation, now bore witness to a heart-wrenching tragedy of love extinguished.
He pressed hard on Maggie's chest, each compression desperate and forceful. With every effort, he tried to breathe life back into her, their past moments together flashing before his eyes. As his breath met hers, the silent air between them was a cruel testament to the futility of his actions. The depth of her injuries made it clear: hope was slipping away.
Tears streamed down Johnny's face, each drop reflecting the horror of the scene before him. His cries pierced the silent battlefield, echoing a pain too profound to grasp. The world around him blurred, but the torment in his voice remained sharp, a piercing reminder of his shattered reality.
Lysander's eyes hardened, his jaw set in grim determination. He'd once known a different Johnny, one full of vigor and defiance. Yet, the present demanded sacrifices Lysander had never imagined. The weight of their shared history pressed on him, driving his actions, however heart-wrenching they might be.
With measured steps, Lysander approached the fallen Dragon Lord Centurion. Each footfall echoed a purpose, a resolve to see the task to its end. Knowing Johnny's vulnerability without his dragonoid partner, Lysander saw an opportunity, a moment to reshape their destiny with his own hands.
I stepped in front of Lysander, extending my arm to halt his advance.
"Hiraya..." he began.
"There's no necessity to end his life," I asserted. "He's lost his will to fight. I can employ my Dragon Lord Commandment to neutralize Neo Arcadia's forces."
"This isn't just about defeating a Dragon Lord, Hiraya," Lysander replied, shaking his head. "It's about ending the suffering of a dear friend. I want to offer him a swift and painless death."
"No," I said, locking eyes with Lysander. "If you truly want to save Johnny, do it the right way. Save him, not just physically but spiritually as well. Didn't you make a promise to save him in the previous timeline?"
"Hiraya, it's impossible," Lysander insisted.
"You saved me, didn't you?" I reminded him with a soft smile. "Even when it seemed impossible, you led me to side with humanity. The same can happen for him."
Lysander's piercing blue eyes bore into his distraught best friend, who remained weeping beside his lover's lifeless body, torn between choices.