Sophia

Enzo and Sophia stared at each other, both having their own thoughts on the other.

Sophia stepped forward, making the first move.

"I don't know who you are, but I, Sophia of the Edin Clan, will be no one's slave. You have a better shot at claiming the World Spirit than convincing me to betray my Clan and the Conglomerate."

Enzo's grinned playfully as he assessed Sophia's words. Without warning, he spun around and delivered a swift chop to the neck of the other person in the room. They crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Sophia's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly shifted into a fighting stance. "You'll regret touching my subordinate," she hissed.

"I doubt it," Enzo replied coolly. He raised his hands, ready for her attack.

Sophia lunged forward, her fist aimed at Enzo's face. He dodged, feeling the air whoosh past his cheek. She followed up with a kick, but Enzo blocked it with his forearm.

They exchanged blows, and neither landed a solid hit. Sophia was skilled, her movements fluid and precise. But Enzo had the advantage of his enhanced abilities from Beast Evolution.

"You're good," Enzo admitted, ducking under another punch. "But not good enough."

He feinted left, then struck right, catching Sophia off guard. His fist connected with her ribs, knocking the wind out of her. She stumbled back, gasping.

Enzo pressed his advantage, launching a flurry of strikes. Sophia blocked some, but others slipped through her defense. She fought back fiercely, landing a few hits of her own, but Enzo barely felt them.

The fight continued, both combatants pushing their limits. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, their breathing heavy. But Enzo's stamina seemed endless, while Sophia began to tire.

Finally, Enzo saw an opening. He swept Sophia's legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor. Before she could recover, he pinned her down, his forearm across her throat.

"Yield," he commanded.

Sophia struggled for a moment, then went limp. "Fine," she spat. "You win. What do you want? I still won't betray the Congl-"

Enzo eased off her throat but kept her pinned. "Shut it," he said. "I'm not interested in your Clan nor the Conglomerate."

'At least not specifically.' Enzo thought, remembering the Conglomerate was on the list of enemies on his Clan page.

Confusion flickered across Sophia's face. "What?"

"I'm not going to make you betray the Conglomerate or your Clan," Enzo explained. "I need information on descendants and the current situation on Earth."

Sophia's brow furrowed. "Why? Did your Clan not tell you?"

Enzo groaned. "Don't tell me you think I'm a descendant?"

Sophia snorted with disdain. "You might be stronger on this planet because you've awakened earlier than the rest of us, descendant of the enemy, but don't play the fool. It's unbecoming of your race."

Enzo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, descendant of the enemy?"

"Are you a shadow dragon or something? You dragons usually don't play these petty tricks. Has your Clan really fallen that far? I know the Mythic Alliance is threatening to remove you, but-"

Enzo released a snarl that made Sophia's words catch in her throat. She was about to continue, but as she glanced up from the floor where she had been looking, her eyes met Enzo's.

Deep icy-blue eyes stared back at her. The teasing demeanor Enzo had shown earlier was gone, replaced by a furious expression that sent a shiver down Sophia's spine.

Sophia opened her mouth to take back her words, but nothing came out. Enzo's eyes boor into her and made her gulp and reflexively try to scoot away from him, but Enzo had her pinned.

"Answer my questions, girl. Or I swear on my nonexistent Dragon Ancestors I'll tear you apart here and now."

Enzo's words were soft, but in the enclosed room, they might as well have been a shout, for Sophia's attention was captured by them.

She didn't dare turn away as she shakily nodded her head and squeaked, "W-What d-do you want to know, sir?"

Enzo closed his eyes, slowly relaxing his grip on Sophia as he brought the emotions brought on by his Dragon side under control. He kept his hand right by her neck in case she tried anything while maintaining his piercing gaze on her. "First, tell me about the descendants. What are they? What is their purpose?"

Sophia swallowed hard, her eyes darting nervously. "Descendants are... they're the prodigies of the five Tier-9 factions. They sent us here to claim unique titles available during the integration and fight for control over the World Spirit for our faction."

Enzo's mind raced as he took in this new information. "When did they send you exactly?"

Sophia bit her lip, appearing hesitant. "About five years ago, I believe? It was different for each faction, but I was sent here five years ago."

"And why do you think I'm one of them?" Enzo pressed.

"I know you're one of them," Sophia responded immediately but clamped her hand over her mouth as soon as she realized what she just said.

Her eyes started to water as she looked at Enzo's hardening expression. "I-I didn't mean that! I-It's just that I have an artifact that lets me notice other dependents. We all do…" Sophia's words trailed off as she cocked her eyebrows.

She now appeared more confused than scared as she wiped away her tears and stared at Enzo.

"Come to think of it, why are you asking all these questions anyway? Where is your tracker, I don't sense it on you? And how in the twelve hells did you awaken this early? Just how much did your Clan spend to awaken you in the first week?" Her voice was steadier now as she regained some calm.

She seemed interested in Enzo's story.

Too bad Enzo wasn't interested in sharing.

"I guess we can continue this conversation elsewhere."

Enzo sent a quick chop at her neck, incapacitating her in an instant.

Enzo sighed. "Everyone just wants to waste my time. Can't you just answer my questions without all that blabbering?"