Cross Dragon x Devils

The arena lay silent, save for the echo of labored breaths and the metallic creak of Kazuki's fractured combat armor. Dust swirled around him in soft clouds, veiling the sight of Rito lying behind him—her wounds from Zephyr Shadowblade's ambush fresh and deep, yet her eyes still holding onto consciousness, her gaze fixed intently on her brother.

Kazuki's fingers curled into the earth, tension thrumming through his body. Each time he glanced back at Rito's injuries, something in him splintered. The air itself felt thick with the weight of his frustration and regret.

"This is all I have," he murmured, voice tight as he clenched his fists, feeling the strain against his cracked armor. "If I couldn't even protect my own sister… what good is this strength?"

Sutea stepped forward, face pale, eyes flickering with worry as she reached out to steady him. "Kazuki, don't push yourself. Your armor can't take much more."

Ayumi, standing just beside them, offered her usual carefree smile, but her eyes betrayed her worry. "Hey, Kazuki, since when did you start giving up so easily? I mean, you've got some amazing tricks up your sleeve, and we haven't seen all of them yet, right?"

His breath hitched. They were right—but it was more than just a matter of willpower now. Something inside him pulsed, a power buried deep within that begged to be unleashed, yet stubbornly held itself back, as if locked behind an invisible barrier.

As he took a steadying breath, the fragmented memories of his fight with the demon guest of the tournament flashed through his mind. The humiliating loss, the sneers of his opponents, the taunting voices that had cursed him to fail—they all lingered like echoes in the vast expanse of his psyche.

He had only his suit, crafted to compensate for his lack of natural magical prowess. Yet this armor, once his shield, felt brittle, broken, incapable of keeping up with the force within him.

Ayumi clapped a hand on his shoulder, eyes bright with confidence. "Come on, Kazuki. We're not done yet, are we? And besides…" She winked. "You still have an audience to impress."

A faint grin crept onto Kazuki's face, and his gaze moved from Ayumi to Sutea, then back to Rito. She was watching him intently, her injuries doing nothing to diminish the strength in her gaze. His chest tightened—she'd always believed in him, more than anyone else, and now, he was not about to let her down.

"Alright," he muttered, his voice steadying as he finally stood up, ignoring the protest of his aching muscles. "I'll give them a show, then."

Raising his hand, he focused on his armored suit. The interface flickered, glitching slightly as he forced a connection, mentally cycling through the suit's remaining capabilities, running calculations on how to bypass its restraints and take advantage of every scrap of energy it had left.

He felt the Void Dragon energy pulse faintly within him. It wasn't enough to trigger a full transformation—not yet. But there was a spark there, one he could ignite just enough to augment his suit.

A surge of raw, untamed energy cascaded through his armor, transforming the suit's fractured design into a rugged, imposing structure, thicker and more foreboding than before. Fragments of armor began to meld around him, shrouding his form with a dark, scaled hue. His hair flickered with a streak of eerie purple, eyes sharpening into a burning glare that held a flicker of that dragonic power.

His opponents hesitated, exchanging glances. The confidence that had been painted across their faces began to falter as the atmosphere shifted, and they instinctively took a step back.

Kazuki turned his gaze on Zephyr, whose smirk had wavered into something caught between curiosity and apprehension.

"Come on, Shadowblade," Kazuki said, his voice carrying a weight it hadn't before. "I'm not done with you yet."

The fight resumed with intensity that seemed to sweep through the arena, a clash of blade and shadow that reverberated with each strike. Kazuki moved with newfound precision, weaving between Zephyr's attacks with a fluidity that seemed otherworldly, deflecting each shadowy strike with his own counter.

Despite the impact of Zephyr's blade-like shadows, Kazuki found himself adapting, his instincts guiding him to exploit every flaw in his opponent's rhythm. Though his body was bruised and his armor cracking, the Void Dragon's presence bolstered his resolve, sharpening his focus.

The spectators held their breath, the once-critical voices quiet as they watched Kazuki unleash strength they hadn't anticipated, a force that seemed to dance between raw tenacity and an unyielding fury.

As Kazuki pressed forward, he glanced back at Rito, still observing him with unwavering pride. Her words from their past training echoed in his mind.

"You're stronger than you think, Kazuki. Sometimes, it's not about magic or armor—it's about heart."

A fresh surge of power spiked within him, his strikes gaining momentum as he began to overwhelm Zephyr. The energy around him grew more vivid, casting a deep shadow as his combat suit shimmered with remnants of Void Dragon power, pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.

But then, just as he was on the brink of victory, his armor's energy reserves hit critical. He felt his strength waver, the weight of exhaustion crashing over him. Zephyr's shadow blade struck a final blow, shattering his armor and sending him to the ground.

His body was battered, his vision hazy. Through the fog, he saw Rito rushing towards him, her face a mix of worry and relief.

"Kazuki!" she cried, kneeling beside him.

Ayumi and Sutea joined her, each lending their hands to help him up, their voices a comforting murmur.

Kazuki's breath was shallow, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. He'd fought with everything he had. Though the fight had ended in defeat, he felt a strange sense of peace.

But that peace was short-lived as regret seeped in. "I wasn't enough," he whispered, the weight of failure pressing down. "I couldn't win… I couldn't even protect any of you."

Rito's voice was gentle but firm. "You don't have to carry it all alone, Kazuki. We're here with you. And you were incredible."

Sutea nodded, her soft hand resting on his shoulder. "You gave it everything. No one else could have done what you did."

Ayumi chuckled, brushing a hand through her hair as she tried to lighten the mood. "And next time, we'll just have to work on that power of yours, won't we?"

Kazuki managed a weak laugh, their words soothing his turmoil. His gaze drifted across his friends and finally landed on Rito, who leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, her warmth easing the sting of defeat.

For now, the Void Dragon's power remained dormant, waiting for the right moment to emerge. And as he closed his eyes, surrounded by those he trusted most, he knew that when the time came, he would face it head-on—no matter what lay ahead.

End of Chapter 15