Siegfried, the Dragon Slayer Part IV

Siegfried scoffed, rolling his shoulders as he processed everything we had just said. His sharp eyes studied us, particularly Zarathorak, whose demeanor had grown increasingly tense. The air between them was charged, like a storm waiting to break.

"You lot are acting real strange," Siegfried muttered, his grip tightening on Balmung. "Most adventurers hear a dragon's dead and call it a damn miracle. But you?" His gaze flicked between us. "You seem... disappointed."

Zarathorak exhaled through his nose, his arms still crossed. "Disappointed? No. Doubtful? Absolutely."

Siegfried raised an eyebrow. "Doubtful? Why? You think I made this up?"

"Not made up," I interjected before things escalated further. "But maybe you didn't kill what you thought you did."

Siegfried scoffed. "I know what I killed."

Fafnir, standing beside me, let out a low hum. "You said its body crumbled into the abyss."

"Yeah, so?"

Fafnir frowned. "Did it bleed?"

Siegfried blinked, caught off guard by the question. "What?"

"Did it bleed?" Fafnir repeated, voice sharper. "Dragons bleed. You ran your blade through its heart, didn't you? So tell me, did you see its blood spill?"

Siegfried opened his mouth, then closed it. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face before he masked it with irritation.

"Tch. It was a dark place—hard to see everything clearly."

Zarathorak let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "You didn't see blood, did you?"

Siegfried turned his glare onto Zarathorak, clearly not liking where this was going. "What's your point?"

Zarathorak's smirk was razor-sharp. "The fact that you didn't see blood means there's a good chance you didn't kill it."

Siegfried's grip on Balmung twitched. "You trying to tell me I failed?"

"I'm telling you that you fought something beyond your comprehension," Zarathorak said coolly. "Umbaxis isn't just a dragon. He is something far worse."

Siegfried let out a short, dry laugh. "Worse? You make it sound like some kind of demon."

Zarathorak's smirk faded. "Demons are predictable. Umbaxis is not."

The tension thickened. Siegfried was still staring at Zarathorak, and I could tell he was sizing him up.

Then, he let out a slow breath. "You talk like you know these creatures more than anyone else. Like you're some kind of expert." His eyes darkened slightly. "You're awfully confident for someone who wasn't even there."

Zarathorak's smirk returned, but it was colder this time. "Perhaps I know more than you think."

Siegfried's expression flickered with something unreadable. Then, in an instant, he moved.

Balmung was drawn in a flash, its edge gleaming under the dim light.

"I don't like your tone," Siegfried growled. "You trying to say I don't know how to do my job?"

Zarathorak sighed. "I'm saying that you're a fool."

That was it.

In a blur, Siegfried lunged forward, Balmung slicing through the air with deadly precision. But Zarathorak was already moving.

A shockwave burst through the clearing as Balmung clashed against the force of Zarathorak's bare palm. The impact sent dust and debris flying as the ground beneath them cracked.

Siegfried's eyes widened slightly. "What—?"

Zarathorak's fingers curled around the flat of Balmung, stopping it completely. "You're going to regret that, dragon slayer."

The air around them thickened as an invisible pressure radiated from Zarathorak. Siegfried, despite his strength, felt it. His stance shifted slightly, but he did not back down.

I stepped forward, hand raised. "Wait—"

"No," Zarathorak growled. "This fool needs to be put in his place."

Siegfried smirked, though there was a flicker of unease behind his eyes. "Big words." He twisted Balmung sharply, breaking Zarathorak's grip and leaping back. "Let's see if you can back them up."

Zarathorak cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. "You have no idea who you're picking a fight with."

"And I don't care," Siegfried retorted, settling into a battle stance. "All I see is a man who thinks he knows more about dragons than I do."

Zarathorak's eyes gleamed dangerously. "Oh, I know more than you can possibly imagine."

The wind howled between them as the tension snapped like a stretched wire. Siegfried, gripping Balmung, exuded the raw confidence of a warrior who had slain powerful beasts before. Zarathorak, however, stood with his arms loose at his sides, completely at ease. He wasn't just confident—he was certain.

Siegfried was the first to move.

With a burst of speed, he dashed forward, swinging Balmung in a wide arc. The blade hummed with energy, cutting through the air as if reality itself was splitting apart. It was a killing blow, precise and aimed to bisect Zarathorak from shoulder to hip.

But Zarathorak merely stepped to the side.

His movement was so effortless, so casual, that it was almost insulting. Siegfried's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't hesitate—he reversed his grip, twisting Balmung into a downward thrust aimed at Zarathorak's exposed back.

Before the blade could land, Zarathorak raised a single hand and caught it between his fingers.

A deafening shockwave exploded outward. The ground beneath them cracked and splintered, sending ripples of force that pushed me, Fafnir, and Ingi back. Dust and dirt billowed in all directions, obscuring our vision for a moment.

When the dust settled, the sight before me made my stomach drop.

Balmung—stopped. Its deadly edge mere inches from Zarathorak's neck.

Siegfried's face twisted in shock. "What—?!"

Zarathorak smirked, his grip tightening. "Is that all?"

With a flex of his fingers, he shattered the force behind Siegfried's attack. The dragon slayer staggered backward, momentarily thrown off balance. But he recovered quickly, pivoting on his heel and launching another assault. Balmung blurred, moving faster than even my eyes could follow.

This time, Zarathorak didn't dodge. He met the strike head-on with his bare fist.

The moment fist and sword collided, the entire area trembled. A shockwave of pure force ripped through the surroundings, sending nearby trees swaying violently. Balmung trembled in Siegfried's hands, vibrating unnaturally as if rejecting the contest of power.

And then, something terrifying happened.

Balmung—one of the legendary dragon-slaying weapons—began to crack.

Siegfried's eyes widened as he felt the shift in his weapon. "Impossible."

Zarathorak grinned, fangs flashing. "For a dragon slayer, you rely too much on your sword."

With a sudden, almost lazy motion, Zarathorak backhanded Siegfried across the face.

The impact was devastating. Siegfried was sent flying, his body crashing through three thick trees before finally skidding across the dirt. He coughed, rolling onto his knees, and wiped a trail of blood from his mouth.

For the first time, genuine uncertainty flashed in his gaze.

Siegfried had never been overpowered like this before.

I exchanged glances with Fafnir and Ingi. If this fight continued, there was no doubt in my mind—Zarathorak would kill him.

"Enough!" I shouted, stepping between them. "Zarathorak, stand down."

Zarathorak's eyes flicked to me, irritation flashing in his gaze. "Why? He's the one who challenged me."

Siegfried growled, forcing himself back onto his feet. "Don't—don't look down on me."

Zarathorak scoffed. "You are beneath me, slayer."

I quickly turned to Siegfried. "Siegfried, stop this. You don't know what you're up against."

He clenched his jaw, his pride clearly screaming at him to keep fighting. But even he wasn't so blind as to ignore the reality of this battle.

Zarathorak wasn't just stronger. He was playing with him.

Siegfried spat to the side, glaring at Zarathorak. "…Tch. You're not normal."

Zarathorak grinned. "You don't know the half of it."

The tension hung thick in the air, but eventually, Siegfried lowered Balmung. The cracks on its surface pulsed faintly, as if trying to mend themselves.

Siegfried exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Damn it..." He turned to me. "You. What the hell are you?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I simply said, "We don't need to be enemies. You said you killed Umbaxis, but there's a chance you didn't. We need to confirm it for ourselves."

Siegfried narrowed his eyes. "And if you find out he's alive?"

Zarathorak smirked. "Who knows what we're gonna do"

Siegfried didn't respond immediately. He sheathed Balmung, his eyes still burning with frustration, but he gave a single nod. "Fine. But don't think for a second that this is over."

Zarathorak chuckled. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

With that, Siegfried turned on his heel and walked away, vanishing into the darkness.

As soon as he was gone, I turned to Zarathorak. "What the hell was that?!"

He simply shrugged. "Testing his strength."

Fafnir exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You nearly killed him."

Zarathorak's smirk didn't fade. "I showed restraint."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Let's just get moving. We still have a long journey ahead of us."