CHAPTER 66: DARK SAMURAI DRAGON

XENON WINGATE

11 MONTHS AGO

The dazzling morning sunlight spread out, lighting everything in the arena. Hope and excitement filled that audience’s faces as they wait for the impending battle of my fourth Pentagram Knight battle. 

Every key person is here, including my friend dragon knights Alphonse, Danielle and Major General Valesmith, and they are with their dragonoids Z, Nathaniel, and Rius. The Emperor of Alterra, Sirius Elkyria, is also present, and he’s together with his empress and the princess. Even the annoying Serenatics are here, and the much more irritating Duke Corasell. There are also some media men who are covering this battle for their newspaper. 

Unlike last time, there are not many people in this arena. The massacre of humans during the Operation Drunken Whaler destroyed Serena and Duke Corasell’s reputation, so there are much fewer people that support their cause now. Some dukes and duchesses believe that equality between humans and dragonoids might threaten the human race, so the funds on the Dragonoid Rights Bill has been massively cut.

“It’s a lot less lively than the last,” Serena whispered as she frowned. “It makes me feel bad that the Psychic Amplifier incident happened. I even got my own self mind-controlled.”

“It’s not your fault.” I patted my sorrowful dragonoid’s head. “It’s all on Cheng Du. There is nothing you could have done.”

“I don’t understand. My intentions are purely good, but there is always something that is going to ruin my plan for happiness for everyone. Both humans and dragonoids should work together, but instead, it’s getting worse.”

“Hey, cheer up.” I chuckled at Serena. “Don’t be so emotional. Everything will work out. I’m sure if we win this Fourth Pentagram Challenge, we will acquire the funds and the fans you have lost.”

I honestly don’t care about the bill, but I’ll be doing my best in this fight. Throughout the history of Alterra, there was only one person who has beaten four Pentagram Knights. If we manage to pull this off, we will match the record on the Dragon Knight Academy’s books. And the Emperor would trust me more if I show him my strength in this very battle.

“Oh!” Serena’s face brightened as if she’s a flower who had just been watered. “Your promise to me! Don’t you dare break it!”

“What promise?”

“Hmmmph!” Serena pouted her face with a blush, like an exploding pufferfish.

“Oh yeah, yeah…” I said as I scratch my head. “We will have a date.”

“Yes!” Serena raised her index finger and pointed at me. “Win or lose! Win or lose, you promised!”

“Yes, yes, madam.” I forced a smile.

“Good~” Serena finally returned to her normal lively self when she gave me a satisfied smile.

Suddenly, the platform at the center of the Arena opened, revealing the fourth Pentagram Knight I’ll be proving my strength with. He is a man with a slightly macho-yet-chubby body build, wearing an iron-clad armor that originates from the eastern side of the world. Despite being a white man, he looks composed in displaying his long katana with a centered samurai stance. He is no other than Christian Reines, the infamous haywire knight. He is well known for having no mercy on every battle, even on Pentagram Challenges.

Together with him is a bulky fat man with terrifying biceps. This man is wearing a white cloth that is tied on his forehead, and he’s equipped with a pure white judo uniform. He also displays a judo stance, which means that he will be fighting unarmed in this fight. This must be his dragonoid Garaga who is an expert in breaking bones of his enemies.

The enemies are silent. Unlike the first three Pentagram Knights who became comedic relief before the fight, this person looks like he’s too serious in this world. Well, considering that Sir Christian Reines is told to have a moody bipolar attitude, it would be best not to talk to him at all. It will be bad if I piss him because he’s currently my upperclassman in one of my subjects in the academy.

The screen on the arena started the countdown from twenty seconds.

“Forge,” I muttered to myself. Then, a tower shield materialized on my right hand, readying myself in this fight. Serena also used the same magic to materialize her longbow and an arrow and pointed her weapon towards the enemy.

As the countdown went into a single digit, the tension thickens. Sweat crawled on my neck, giving me a warning that this fight should not be taken lightly.

“Let the battle begin!” The announcer shouted. The crowd went nuts when the buzzer blasted.

“Rrroah!” The enemy dragonoid Garaga stomped his left foot with a smash on the ground, then he did the same on his right foot. After that, he flexed his butt and bent his knees to gain energy, and charged towards us.

“Ha!” Serena immediately unleashed a series of arrows with her bow, aiming at the charging sumo-esque judo dragonoid. Serena’s aim is superb, but that’s not enough to hit the enemy. Garaga used his reflexes to catch all the arrows with his hand, elbow, knee, and even teeth.

In a matter of three seconds, the enemy judo master closed the distance with his reckless speed. He charged with full power, aiming at me, but I already have my tower shield block him. There was a loud metal clanking noise as the judo dragonoid crashed on my barrier, but as a result, my tower shield has been shattered completely.

Now that the charging force has been reduced after making his last attack, it is my opportunity to fight back! I snapped my fingers, and my futuretech glove created a giant hammer. I used the hammer to smash the judo dragonoid upwards like a golf ball which made him flying five meters above, only landing on his feet, suffering from minimal damage.

“Guh…” Garaga muttered in pain as his bare foot slide on the dusty arena floor.

I do not intend to stop the fight nor give the other party a chance to break. I snapped my fingers and created five short swords in midair, and I commanded it to fly straight to the enemy dragon knight. Since I’m still being accustomed to the futuretech glove, my aim in launching swords are a little bit sloppy. The first two swords only hit the ground beside the Pentagram Knight. But the other three swords are spot on and is sure to hit the enemy.

Sir Christian Reines did not move an inch. He had no intention of evading or parrying the swords either. He just finally opened his mouth and muttered magic that could counter all my attacks.

“Negate.” The Pentagram Knight muttered. In an instant, his voice spread like a ripple in the air, erasing all the magical traces around him. The three swords that are about to hit him immediately dissolved into thin air, leaving nothing but golden dust that mixed in the wind.  

“So this is the power of a mage-killer, huh?” I muttered.

Sir Christian Reines was once an assassin of a mysterious religious organization that specializes in killing witches, mages, warlocks, and even elementals. He is dubbed as a mage-killer since no mage has ever stood a chance on him. The most powerful anti-mage magic, which is Negate, renders all magical forces nullified. In short, there is no way you can beat Christian Reines with magic.

That’s a bit of a problem for me because I rely on weapons created by my Forge magic. Serena greatly relies on it too, so it’s safe to say that our current enemy is the perfect counter for both of us.

“Senpai, we don’t have any chance of fighting back. Please transform me into a dragon!” Serena said.

I nodded then I held my chest. “Activating Vesryn Pulse!” I shouted as I synchronized the beating of my heart with Serena. An explosion blasted in the area as I gave my dragonoid sufficient magical energy to transform into her more powerful form, which is the white-and-blue Nexus Dragon.

“You could not fight me normally, so you’re going to rely on your dragon form, huh?” Christian Reines laughed. His mood immediately changed from serious into a serial killer, and that is quite unsettling. In response to Serena’s transformation, the Pentagram Knight also held his chest to transform his dragonoid. “Activating Vesryn Pulse!”

Garaga the judo dragonoid became a humongous dragon with ten meters in height, complete with horns, wings, and a tail. This dragon is covered with black-and-red samurai armor that originates from the eastern countries. Its wings are giant iron shields. Its head is covered by a spiked helmet that covers everything except its crimson eyes which continues to glow. Its hands magically created two long katana blades that are eight meters in length. There is a glowing black orb on the dragon’s chest armor, which makes it distinguished from a normal armored dragon that uses swords. He is now a Dark Samurai Dragon.

“Senpai, we have to match their strength!” Serena telepathically talked to me. “Please transform me into a Nexus Saber Dragon! Sword versus sword! I have trained my sword arts for this!”

“Well then!” I smiled as I touched my dragon’s forehead with my futuretech glove. “Limit Release! Exceed! Forge into the sharpest blade!” I shouted out loud.

Just when my Nexus Dragon started to bath with golden light, a peculiar thing happened. The enemy made a counter-move, not physically, but verbally.

“Negate.” Christian Reines muttered. And in an instant, my Nexus Dragon’s transformation failed.

“What the-!!!” Surprised, I couldn’t do anything but to be stunned. Now that my Nexus Dragon cannot change forms, we will be put at a great disadvantage!

But it’s too early to be shocked. The enemy Pentagram Knight still can play his ace on his sleeve.

“Negate.” Christian Reines muttered again. And then, my Nexus Dragon reverted back to a cute and adorable Serena in her human form.

“E-Eh!?” Serena muttered in surprise. My jaws hanged too. We never have thought that the enemy can also negate Vesryn Pulse transformations!

Now that Serena and I can’t use magic and Serena can’t turn into a dragon at all, we really think that this fight is a cheat. How are we supposed to fight a dragon that dual-wields a giant katana and a knight that can cancel all magic!?

Suddenly, Serena turned to me with a forced smile. 

“Senpai… we’ll have a date after this, right? Win or lose…”

“Wait, don’t give up just yet!” I cried to my dragonoid.

Suddenly, the humongous Dark Samurai Dragon slashed down its katanas, aiming towards me.