Chapter 48: The turn of the dragon
1. War March of the Wounded
Khur Zhal stood upon a jagged cliff, wrapped in fresh obsidian armor and a newly forged demonic-steel arm—gleaming, brutal, and humming with cursed energy. His eyes glowed a deep red, no longer with fury but purpose.
Behind him stood hundreds of demon elites, cloaked in shadow-fire, blades twitching with bloodlust.
> "Today," he growled, "we take the altar. We break the beasts. And we find the boy."
A roar answered his declaration. The army surged forward.
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2. The Sky Burned
As they approached the ruins where the altar had landed, the battlefield changed.
The fog of the altar had thinned.
The protective barrier pulsed—weakening after days of turbulence.
Just beyond it stood Vyren, the Tier 7 Flame Tyrant.
Its mane rippled with fire, its tail dragging molten cracks across the ground.
High above circled the two eagle guardians, their shrieks slicing the clouds.
Khur Zhal smirked.
> "Let's begin."
The demons charged.
Vyren roared, unleashing a volcanic blast.
The eagles dove, tearing through soldiers with razor winds.
And Khur Zhal—he leapt directly at Vyren, their second duel erupting in the air like a clash of gods.
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3. The Demon's Advantage
This time, the demon general was prepared.
His new arm deflected Vyren's claws.
A blast of abyssal energy cut through the Flame Tyrant's wing.
Demonic captains joined in, bombarding the eagles with enchanted chains and spikes.
> "Victory is ours!" Khur Zhal howled.
The altar began to crack.
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4. But Then… The Sky Split
From the mist above the altar…
A low rumble shook the world.
Then, a burst of emerald lightning—
And the Green Dragon descended.
Massive. Regal. Ancient.
It did not roar.
It exhaled a slow, controlled breath—
And a wave of wind and life exploded outward.
Hundreds of demons were flattened, their bodies thrown like twigs.
Khur Zhal froze mid-strike as a green-scaled tail swatted Vyren aside—and slammed into him with divine force.
He crashed into the black earth, carving a deep canyon with his body.
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5. The Shift in Power
The battlefield turned silent.
Even Vyren stepped back.
The eagles perched upon broken spires.
The Green Dragon circled the altar slowly, its body coiled like a celestial guardian, eyes glowing like twin suns.
Its presence was different from the other beasts.
Not just powerful—but intelligent.
> "This dragon," Khur Zhal muttered through blood, "was not part of the prophecy…"
He rose to his feet shakily.
> "What is it guarding?"
The altar pulsed behind the dragon.
And faintly… the echo of a heartbeat.
Ash's heartbeat.
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6. A War Deferred
Khur Zhal signaled retreat—for the first time in his life without shame.
His army, stunned and broken, withdrew.
He looked back only once, where the dragon now lay coiled, watching him with unblinking awareness.
> "Next time," Khur Zhal whispered. "I come with a weapon that slays gods."
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