It's hard to breathe.

My heart pounds like a war drum.

The acrid, sulfuric stench of molten lava fills my lungs, burning with every inhale.

I watch it as it towers before me, poised to crush me any way it can.

I stomp hard, channeling my waves into my gauntlets to generate the momentum I need.

Its tail is already moving, whipping through the air with such speed it threatens to break the sound barrier.

But I saw it coming.

I shift to dodge, but then I notice its jaw beginning to open.

It's going to roar.

I shield my mind with my waves and propel myself to the side.

The roar comes, followed immediately by the tail whip.

The roar crashes into my mind like a tidal wave, while the tail smashes into the ground with explosive force, sending me rolling across the dirt.

I grit my teeth, recover my stance, and rush forward.

Its left wing comes swinging, trying to bash me.

I fire a bullet, striking a magma vein at the wing's root where it meets the body. The impact disrupts its flow, creating a gap for me to slip through.

Behind me, the ground erupts in a fiery explosion, but I'm already closer.

I suddenly receive a transmission. Finally.

I grin, feeling the taste of blood on my lips.

I stare at its eyes, and I feel it staring back.

I laugh, taunting it, as I grind to a halt just a couple of meters from its chest.

I extend my arms wide.

"Do your worst!"

I shout at it as its jaw opens wide, leaning closer to finish me off.

The stench of its fiery breath hits me. I can see the razor edge of every one of its fangs.

My heart pounds like a war drum. I know it's pure madness, but the thrill…

Laughing in the face of such an abomination.

I receive a second transmission.

See you later…

BAM!!

A thunderous shockwave slams into me as the big projectile smashes into the dragon's chest, forcing it back.

The beast staggers, its roar splitting the air, vibrating through my bones.

Molten lava spills from the massive crater in its chest, cascading like a fiery fountain, hissing and bubbling as it hits the ground.

The dragon sways, its claws digging deep into the earth to steady itself.

Is it enough?

I watch calmly as magma keeps pouring from its chest, but the creature still hasn't fallen.

Can it survive this?

I narrow my eyes.

Let's not take any chances.

I ready two bullets and rush forward, aiming at its eyes. I fire.

They strike true, bursting through the molten orbs in a sickening spray of lava. The beast roars, thrashing weakly. Its movements are sluggish and unsteady now.

I easily sidestep its clumsy claw swipe.

Gripping my sword tightly, I dodge the droplets of lava spilling from its chest as I close the distance.

Using my tendrils, I slice through its exposed lava veins, tearing through as much as I can.

But the damn thing still won't fall.

And then I see it.

The wings.

It's preparing to fly away!

I grit my teeth, refusing to let it escape.

I lunge forward, stabbing and slashing wherever I can. Magma splashes in thick, burning waves, some eating through my mask and clothes. The searing pain bites deep, but I keep going, hacking relentlessly.

Then the wings flap.

The gust of wind slams into me, pushing me back.

It roars, breaking my rhythm, forcing me to stumble.

It's taking off.

No. No, not again.

A primal roar tears from my throat as I surge forward.

I hear a voice in my head shouting for me to stop, but I can't. I won't.

I sprint ahead, thrusting my sword into a magma vein above its claws, driving it in with all my strength.

And then I feel it—a powerful flap of its wings. We're airborne.

I need to move before it gains too much momentum.

Using my tendrils, I start climbing its leg, pulling myself upward with every ounce of strength I have.

It thrashes, trying to shake me off, but I cling tightly, refusing to let go.

I can feel its weakness now. Its movements are unsteady, and even staying airborne seems to strain it.

I seize the moment and climb faster.

As I scale its body, I fire bullets toward its wings, aiming to tear through them. The shots land, but they can't pierce deep enough.

Maybe they should've aimed the big shot at its wings instead.

No. No time for what-ifs.

The dragon climbs higher and higher, the air growing sharper with every second.

I keep firing, keep climbing, pushing myself closer to its chest.

It begins to thrash harder, swinging its body wildly to dislodge me.

But I'm not going anywhere.

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I thrust my sword into another gap, carving through the molten surface. Lava trickles down, flowing over my gauntlets, some of it hitting my arm and making me clench my teeth.

Just a bit more.

I keep damaging it all I can, but the creature simply refuses to die.

We climb higher and higher, the dragon gaining terrifying speed.

The fast winds whip around it, slamming into me and forcing me to cling tighter as it starts spinning in the air, trying to fling me off.

I thrust my sword and tendrils as deep as I can, anchoring myself in place, but the violent movement keeps me locked, unable to advance.

Dammit.

I glance downward. The ground is impossibly far away, a hazy blur below. Transmissions filter into my mind, urgent and loud, but I can't focus on them now.

The air grows colder as we ascend, each breath harder to pull into my lungs.

I don't know how high this thing can go, but I know one thing—I need to finish this. Now.

I pull one tendril free, slamming it into a magma vein along its side. The damage is slow, agonizingly slow.

No. This isn't enough.

I need to move. I need to get to its chest.

Focusing every ounce of power into my tendrils, I root them deep into the dragon's molten surface, anchoring myself tightly. My body presses flush against its searing heat as I wait, biding my time.

I wait for the moment its rotation slows... and then—now!

I yank my sword free and thrust it into the next vein along its side. My body threatens to slip, but my tendrils hold strong, keeping me steady.

The blade plunges deep, and the dragon roars again, its cry of agony muffled by the deafening winds.

We keep climbing, the altitude suffocating, but then it happens.

The inertia shifts, pulling me hard against the creature.

It's going to dive.

My eyes widen. I take the brief moment of stillness to move, forcing myself closer to its chest. Two more thrusts, and I'll be in range to end this.

But—

It dives.

The acceleration is immediate, terrifying. The gain in speed presses me flat against its molten scales, forcing every ounce of my strength into holding on.

And it only gets faster.

The wind howls, a relentless force cutting into me like blades. Magma trailing from its wounds streams past, some splashing against my thighs and arms, scorching deep into my skin.

I grit my teeth, refusing to scream, bottling the pain inside.

Then the wind rips my already broken mask from my face.

No!!!

I feel my wave output falter, my tendrils weakening.

The dragon hurtles faster and faster, the ground below a distant blur rushing toward us.

How... how is this creature so resilient?

My thoughts scramble. My strength wanes.

I... I have to do something.

I see the ground rushing closer and closer.

I know its intentions.

It wants to use the momentum shift to break me off—either smashing me against the ground or forcing me to hold on until my arms break.

I... I need to let go before that happens.

But now, without the mask, I can barely counter gravity, let alone reduce the fall speed in time if I wait too long.

No... I have to let go now.

I close my eyes, letting my mom's and Ayu's faces flash through my mind.

I wrench the sword free. I pull back my tendrils.

The wind catches me, slowing me slightly as I'm pushed back behind the dragon, which keeps diving below.

I stretch my body wide, increasing wind resistance to slow myself further.

I start channeling my waves, forcing them upward to reduce the downward velocity.

The ground is not far.

I grit my teeth.

I need to slow down as much as I can before impact.

Seconds pass, and I feel my speed steadily decreasing. I can make it.

But then, out of the corner of my eye, I see it.

The dragon has stopped its dive. It's turning around.

It's coming at me.

But how? It's blinded… unless… it's detecting me using waves?

What can I do?

If I push down, I'll be crushed to death from the fall. If I keep slowing, it'll reach me first.

I take a deep breath.

I need to stay calm.

Ok. I have to choose the lesser of the two evils. I can't survive the fall, but the dragon… maybe.

Alright.

I keep channeling my waves, steadily decreasing my speed as the wind drags me closer to terminal velocity.

The ground becomes clearer now. I can even spot the others—tiny dots below—locked in battle with Screechers. I catch sight of Ayu among them.

Don't worry. I'll be back. I promised.

I shift my gaze to the dragon.

It's already here.

I channel my waves into two bullets behind my back, shielding them from the wind's interference with my body.

As the dragon edges closer, I release one, aiming for the root of its wing. The bullet strikes, but it barely flinches, shaking off the impact.

I fire the second one, hitting the same spot.

This time, its body jerks slightly, its head lowering as its balance shifts. I seize the opening, twisting my body away from its snapping jaws.

My side scrapes against its rough, scalding surface, sending me spinning in the air.

Then, I feel it—the powerful flap of its wing. It bashes into me, the force like a hammer blow.

I manage to mitigate the impact, but pain shoots through my shoulder—a sharp, cracking sensation.

Probably fractured.

I ignore the pain, grit my teeth and stabilize my descent, steadying my waves to stop the spin and slow myself again.

But the dragon isn't done.

It turns sharply, wings carving through the air as it comes at me again.

I ready two more bullets.

But… the dragon stops mid-flight.

What…

It hovers right above me.

I frown, my waves tracking its movements.

I see it open its maw.

Is it going to roar?

No. Something feels wrong.

Then I notice it. The magma coating its body starts to shift, flowing upward, concentrating on its chest. The bleeding intensifies, molten streams pouring from its wounds, yet the magma keeps surging toward its throat, draining the rest of its body.

You… you have to be kidding me.

Without hesitation, I fire my bullets. They streak toward it, but they're too far. They hit the open maw without causing any significant damage or reaction.

The magma concentrates further. I watch as its neck bulges, turning a deep, pulsating red.

I swallow hard.

Is this it?

"I'll be running the Dual-Overdrive Protocol. Give it your best shot," Houston's voice echoes in my head.

The… no. Houston… but…

I grit my teeth, my hands trembling slightly as I watch the magma concentrate further, the tension snapping into release.

Suddenly, my senses explode.

Colors warp and bleed together, the edges of reality twisting, melting into something incomprehensible.

The air tastes sharp, like metal and fire, each breath slicing through me. My vision pulses, red overtaking everything.

I see it. A massive ball of red. A sun. Blinding, alive, unstoppable.

The end.

My thoughts fragment, spiraling out of control, but one thing anchors me.

Avoid it.

I channel everything I have. My waves swirl into a chaotic spiral, pulling at my gauntlets, my tendrils, every fiber of my body.

The force tears at me, pushing and pulling, my veins burning like molten fire.

But the sun comes closer.

It's all-encompassing.

It's hot—unimaginably, impossibly hot.

And it's here.

It's upon me.

I won't be able to.

I failed.

I…

Suddenly, my vision blurs. Something slams into me—hard.

I'm pushed away, my view spiraling into a mess of colors and lights.

The sun… it's far now.

No.

It passed through.

I don't understand.

What…

"Sorry for being late," a voice echoes in my head.

That voice…

Wait…

"Let's work together and get the fuck out of this Tower."

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