Who?

The once beautiful forest, filled with tall green trees, bright red flowers, and a thriving ecosystem, is now in ruins. Flames spread across the forest, consuming everything in their path. Trees that once stood tall are now flattened under the immense pressure emitted by Darius. The sky, once bright and clear, is now dark and cloudy, with lightning striking down intermittently. The cliffside crumbles, sending piles of earth cascading downward. The former military camp is a wasteland, riddled with craters and scattered debris.

"W-Who are you!?" Nio yells, his voice shaking as goosebumps spread across his body. The old man turns to him, a curious grin on his face.

"Are you a monster?" Darius asks, taking a step closer. His half-closed eyes glow with a dark red hue. "What a funny child, both human and chaotic in nature," he remarks, his smile twitching. He lowers his arm with a sigh. "Too bad I'm busy," he mutters, raising his left arm.

BOOOM!

The ground behind him shatters, sending shockwaves that spread through the forest. Trees are uprooted, and the earth cracks open. As the dust settles, Darius can be seen yawning. Nero's beautiful jade blade touches his bare skin, emitting a dark green hue and shooting sparks everywhere, unable to penetrate his flesh.

"W-what the hell," Nio stutters, falling on his rear. "How can you call me a monster? Look at yourself," he mumbles, unable to stop his body from trembling.

"Not you, you're different. I'm talking about the girl back there," Darius says, casually flicking the sword away and pointing at Ryua. "She has a—"

"Oi, I asked you where that damn dragon is," Nero clicks her tongue before biting a nail. "Ugh, I want to switch back already," she murmurs, opening her hand. In an instant, her sword reappears in front of her. "Shit... I need to end this." She turns to Ryua, her eyes freezing. "Bite," she mumbles, pointing at Ryua.

Darius smirks and points down. "Oh, he said he wanted to kill that pet of yours."

"Shit!" Nero's eyes widen. "Get back, Berry!"

BOOM!

"W-what," Ryua's eyes twitch, staring up as she feels a breath against her skin.

The ground next to Ryua shatters open, molten lava shooting out and engulfing the area. A massive creature emerges, its body a grotesque blend of molten lava and reptilian features. Half of its body is composed of constantly dripping lava, and its wide mouth drools the molten substance at all times. Its skin is slick and amphibious, with frilled gills along its neck that glow with the heat of the lava inside it. Its eyes are dark and piercing, exuding an aura of ancient power.

As the creature bursts out of the ground, its mouth gapes open, biting at the air. Suddenly, the invisible pet's form is revealed—a massive, legged black wolf with an ethereal, almost spectral quality to its fur. Its eyes burn with a malevolent red glow. The molten creature bites into the wolf's leg, melting half of it away and sending the wolf flying across the forest, howling in agony.

The wolf crashes into the ground, its once formidable presence now diminished. Its mouth, which had been inches away from biting half of Ryua's body off, now hangs open in pain. Ryua watches in stunned horror, her breath catching in her throat.

The wind blows through the area, the temperature dropping instantly. Ice crystals begin forming around the dead plants, and the broken wood turns ice cold as mist surrounds the area, swirling into a spiral. From the center of the mist, a figure emerges. His hair is straight and falls to his shoulders in a sleek, black and blue cascade, each strand shimmering in the dim light. A tattoo runs down his cheek, and though his clothes obscure much of his body, the scales on his skin are visible, constantly shifting between black and blue. Two large, ethereal blue and white horns branch out from his head, their elegance defying comparison to any animal. He wears dark blue and gold robes, his body gradually becoming more visible as he steps out of the mist.

"Good job, cupcake," the man says, petting the molten creature affectionately.

"That's a bitch move, Valthor," Nero clicks her tongue, glaring at the dragon before her. "I thought dragons had a code of honor."

"Code of Honor?" Valthor smiles, slowly opening his eyes. They are beautiful, light blue with misty grey pupils, unmistakably dragon eyes. His gaze overlaps Darius's pressure, completely freezing the fire in place. All creatures within range stand completely still. Birds flying above fall, the rain freezes mid-air, and the strike of lightning reverses, going back into the clouds. Taking several steps forward, he looks at the pool of blood. "Honor cannot be upheld in this blood pool you created."

"Oi," Darius takes a step forward, his pressure suddenly skyrocketing, forcing the rain down. The frozen creatures crash into the ground, each leaving a crater before becoming a goop of blood. "Are you trying to compete with me?" he murmurs, walking up to Valthor with a cold smirk.

"Compete?" Valthor smiles, his dragon eyes glinting. "You wanna try me, old human?"

The air grows thick with tension as the two powerful beings face off. Valthor's presence radiates an icy chill that seeps into the very bones of Nio and Ryua, while Darius's raw power pushes down with overwhelming force. The forest, already in ruins, feels the weight of their impending clash.

Nio, still reeling from the recent chaos, struggles to his feet. "W-Who's side are you on," he asks, his voice trembling.

Valthor doesn't even glance at him, his focus entirely on Darius. "Run off" he murmurs, almost dismissively.