Nozrum could only stare in disbelief as the dragon girl slowly opened her eyes, but there was something different about her. It was hard for him to describe but something about her very presence seemed different. The cultist's leader looked with a hint of curiosity at the sight unfolding before her. "Well~ Well~ This certainly wasn't in the script." The woman chimed in amusement as she took a step forward and brandished the very same lance that had killed Ryuko but mere moments ago. "Not that it matters~ Can't say I ever had the pleasure of killing someone TWICE!" As she thrust her spear forwards the dragon girl raised a hand, and while for a moment it looked like she was simply grabbing a hold of the lance Nozrum saw upon a closer view something different. Small black rods punctured out of the young woman's palm, and it was clear the moment they made contact with the lance the metal started to bend and crack under the force! In an instant the entire spear shattered, to the woman's disbelief who staggered back from the recoil of her attack.

Meanwhile Ryuko lunged forward, a clawed hand reaching for the woman's throat. Slowly she lifted the woman off her feet, the sight clearly frightening the nearby cultists.

WC: 220
Total WC: 220/1500

Despite the struggling adult in her grip Ryuko felt unnaturally invigorated, far more than normally. The woman's attempts to claw at the arm restraining her was in vain, for Ryuko clearly was benefitting from the hardened scales that covered her arms. "What was that saying among mortals?" Her voice sounded soft, almost sickening sweet as she chimed softly. "An eye for an eye~" Slowly Ryuko raised her free hand toward the woman's torso. "A tooth for a tooth~" To the cultist leader it was clear what Ryuko was planning to do, and she wanted to get away as quickly as possible! "M-Master save me!" She cried out to Vortigern, but to her shock the ancient dragon merely gazed at the sight with a hint of amusement. It was clear the spectacle happening before him was nothing but a trivial entertainment.

"And a heart for a heart?" A sudden jab followed as the clawed hand of the dragon girl dug into the cultist leader's torso, a pained cry following from the woman that soon dissolved in her body turning limb. "I thought... ah here it is~" Ryuko chimed playfully as she tugged her hand back, holding what seemed to be the woman's heart.

"I think this will be a suitable tribute~" A tribute? A tribute for who?! Nozrum knew the earlier chill he felt wasn't unwarranted, especially when the heart became engulfed in black flames that soon caused a black liquid to pour from the dragon girl's hand. Slowly it formed a puddle on the surface as from within a pair of grotesque monstrous creatures emerged. Each one took a slow unsteady step toward the cultists, when Ryuko suddenly let out a dragonic roar, the sound making the creatures pounce at the cultists... It was a massacre...

"Ryuko? What in the world is going on?" Nozrum asked her worriedly as he approached her, transforming back into his human form. Yet when he reached her the girl merely shoved him to the side. "Not now old man." She stated coldly while looking up at Vortigern. "You're next Vortigern~"

The dragon huffed in amusement, watching how the girl's summons were butchering the cultists that were still remaining. "What a ridiculous notion~ A whelping thinks she can roar at me? It is time I show you the difference between us."

The dragon slowly rose, his body pushing against the walls of the sanctum till they caved. The ancient dragon's majestic wings spread far as he spoke. "You are not prepared." Yet Ryuko wanted to presume otherwise! With a swift swipe of her hand she commanded the two voidal creatures to turn their attention toward Vortigern. One of them jumped right at the side of his head, one of its arms twisting into the shape of a blade as it attempted to thrust the appendage into the dragon's head, but Vortigern turned his head and exhaled sharply! Fierce flames spread all across the battlefield, torching the cultists and forcing Nozrum to cast a defensive spell while Ryuko felt the flames wash over her skin. The heat was intense, but for some reason it stirred something in her. As the flames died down the voidal creature was charred black, and Vortigern brutally opened his jaws to tear down onto the fiend!

The remaining Anjin attempted to move to the dragon's flank, but all of a sudden the large barbed tail of the dragon swept in front of him, easily slamming the voidal creature into the distant walls of the underground settlement. So THIS was the power of a ancient dragon...

WC: 600
Total WC: 820/1500

How did it come that even when in the face of such overwhelming power Ryuko couldn't help but feel... Excited? As if some sort of adrenaline rush had come over her! Soon she raised a hand into the air once more, several pools opening in front of her from which more fiends emerged, but the sight of them merely bored Vortigern. "More pets?" He mused, yet this time he followed up by some sort of chant, wait was this the language of the dragons? As if the words themselves carried power the broken earth around him took shape, twisting and distorting into large boulders and soon he send each one rocketing toward the summons like a pitcher preparing to score a homerun! Ryuko glared in anger at how he dismissed her power, yet rushing toward her was one of the remaining boulders?! Ryuko dashed forward, hardening the scales on one of her arms and forcefully shoved the boulder away, yet it was in that moment Vortigern had lunged forward! One clawed arm went for the weakened Nozrum, while he grasped Ryuko's body in his maw!

"Grrr... you're not going to turn me into prey bastard!" Ryuko cried out in anger as several metal rods shot out of her body, impaling the dragon's mouth and sapping it of some of its strength but as if to mock her further the dragon forcefully shoved her back out of his maw by using his tongue! The girl glared in defiance at him. "That's it... Maybe in a few decades you will be a worthy foe Oblivion Whelp. But I grow bored of this charade. An old fool and a cocky whelping are not suitable for long-term entertainment. Maybe I should turn my attention elsewhere... Yes, maybe toward Caelum?" Vortigern mused, yet hearing these words Ryuko lunged back at the dragon. "We're not done here!" Ryuko yelled in anger, yet Vortigern simply swatted her aside, causing the dragon girl to collapse onto the ground, her regained vigor spend. "This will be a suitable punishment for you Nozrum."

Vortigern turned his gaze toward the elderly sage. "To see your champion corrupted, and to watch me reduce Caelum to ASHES!"

The dragon spread its wings, ascending toward the surface while Ryuko could only feebly raise a arm toward his distant figure, hatred and rage filling her being as darkness consumed her vision.

How long had it been? To her it felt like she had spend an eternity trapped in that black void, yet after what felt way too long she heard a faint sound, a voice was calling out to her. "Ryuko?" It was Nozrum, looking worriedly at her. "W-what happened?" the dragon girl asked as she looked around at the devastation inflicted upon the underground settlement.

"That is what I'd like to know! These monsters you summoned were nothin akin to the powers of the Galaxy Dragon. It almost felt like the sickening power of the void." He muttered the last part in disbelief while Ryuko raised a hand to her chest. Oddly enough the scar was gone so... it had not been a dream after all? These words spoken by the lookalike in that dreamscape... Was she truly not the type of half-breed she had thought she had been all this time? Were her parents keeping such a grim secret from her for her entire life? She could scarcely believe it. Nozrum looked in sheer disbelief as she recalled the events from when she had been stabbed, of the conversation she had.

"The Oblivion Dragon? They been gone for centuries! The name hasn't been spoken since the great battle that saw Nacht sealed." the sage mumbled softly. "Either way, we need to hurry! If Vortigern truly intends to destroy Caelum we need to warn as many people as we can!"

Ryuko nodded her head firmly in agreement, but at the same time... "But you saw for yourself how strong Vortigern was. Will we even stand a chance?" To which Nozrum declared firmly: "You will need to seek the counsel of your father, and I can only pray he will be willing to help us."

WC: 700
Total WC: 1520/1500