Both the Void Dragon and Alex plummeted from the sky, their bodies battered and broken. Alex's golden armor was shattered, fragments scattering through the air, while half of the Void Dragon's body was gone—yet he still wore that same unsettling smirk.
Void Dragon: "Good job, warrior. You're the first to injure me this much… I'll never forget your name."
Even as he spoke, his body began to regenerate at incredible speed. Alex's eyes widened in disbelief.
(What kind of monster is this? Even after losing half his body, he's still smiling—still praising me…)
Alex's own body slowly healed, his missing arm re-forming as they both recovered and stood once again, facing each other in silence. The air between them trembled with power.
Alex raised his hand, summoning his golden sword back to him—it had been blown away by the last explosion.
Void Dragon: "Ah, I forgot to tell you something, warrior. My dragon core… as long as it remains intact, I can regenerate from nothing. You can't kill me. And my core doesn't reside inside my body."
Alex froze, his expression blank.
Alex: "So… I can't kill you. Then tell me—what happens if I destroy every single cell in your body?"
Void Dragon: "Hahaha, an interesting question. If you do that, I'll simply reincarnate again… in a few years."
Alex nodded slowly, his face hardening.
Alex: "Then I'll destroy every cell in your body—and I'll do it again when you return."
Raising his sword high, he muttered under his breath, his voice echoing with power.
Alex: "Unique Skill — Meteorite Shower."
The entire sky turned gold. The Void Dragon looked up, eyes widening as he felt the overwhelming energy building above.
(What is this? The sky itself has changed… and this pressure—it's immense.)
Thousands of massive meteorites appeared in the heavens, each one larger than a mountain. As they began to fall, the Void Dragon smirked.
Void Dragon: "A powerful ability indeed, warrior… but don't worry. I have many skills of my own."
He raised a hand and whispered—
Void Dragon: "Unique Skill — Mirror."
In an instant, cracks spread across the falling meteorites.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
They shattered all at once, erased in a blinding explosion.
Alex stared in shock.
(What kind of power is that? I couldn't even sense his attack—it's completely invisible… yet it destroyed everything!)
Void Dragon: "Don't be surprised, warrior. That was only a fraction of my Mirror's true power. Now—let's continue."
He raised his hand, and his Void Sword flew back into his grasp. Alex nodded grimly.
They charged at each other, their speed surpassing light. Blades clashed again and again, their strikes tearing through space itself. But this time, Alex began to falter.
(Tch… I've used too much energy on Super Nova and Meteorite Shower… none of it worked. But I can't stop. I have to kill him—for my people, for my family—for everyone this monster has slain!)
His determination burned brighter than ever, and a surge of pure energy erupted from his body. Even the Void Dragon was stunned.
(He's trying to break through to the next realm—during battle? He's insane!)
Alex screamed, his voice echoing across the ruined sky.
Alex: "YAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
His power spiraled out of control, warping the air around him. The Void Dragon quickly surrounded himself with countless invisible mirrors.
(He's gone berserk. He's losing control of his mind—but if I wait too long, his power will become unstoppable…)
The dragon sighed. His smirk faded, replaced by something colder—something almost solemn.
Void Dragon: "I don't know your full name, warrior… but I will remember you—always. Now, rest."
He raised his finger.
Void Dragon: "Unique Skill — Mirror."
A beam of invisible energy shot forth faster than light, slicing Alex cleanly in half. The warrior tried to regenerate, but before he could, the Void Dragon extended his hand once more.
Void Dragon: "Unique Skill — Devour."
Alex's essence was absorbed into him.
Then, suddenly, the Void Dragon found himself standing in another space—a vision. Before him stood a young Alex, his golden eyes calm, his expression gentle.
Alex: "You defeated me, even after all my years of training. Fifty years… and still, I lost."
His tone was filled with sorrow.
Alex: "You destroyed my nation in an instant. To you, it was just another place… but to me, it was everything—my people, my family, my friends. You took them all."
The world around them shifted. The Void Dragon saw it—the memory of that day. Himself, floating in the sky, eyes cold and emotionless, as he unleashed Mirror and wiped out an entire nation.
Below, a young Alex trembled, screaming at him through the smoke and flames.
Alex (past): "Why?! Why did you destroy my nation?! What did we ever do to you?! Those soldiers attacked you by mistake—they thought you were the enemy! Why did you kill us all?!"
The Void Dragon's expression faltered. For the first time, his body trembled.
Void Dragon: "I… I don't know… I don't know why I did it. Why I destroy everything… Was it because I wanted to? Or because it's the only way I know how to live?"
He muttered to himself, his voice shaking. From birth, he had known only one truth—to fight, to survive, to destroy. He had never known love, or companionship.
The vision shifted again. Alex, alone and broken, was training endlessly, driven by vengeance. For years, he wandered the world, learning, suffering, and growing stronger—all for this one battle.
The images faded. Only silence remained.
When the Void Dragon opened his eyes, he saw the present Alex—sitting on a shattered throne, a broken crown on his head.
The dragon stared at him quietly.
Void Dragon: "A… crownless king."
For the first time in his long existence, the Void Dragon felt genuine respect—for someone other than himself.
Alex: "Thank you, Void Dragon. Even though you killed me and destroyed my nation, I'm grateful. If I'd gone completely berserk, I would've slaughtered countless innocents. You stopped me before that happened… before I became the monster I feared most."
As he spoke, Alex's body began to fade. His final words lingered in the air long after he was gone.
The Void Dragon stood alone in the sky, his gaze distant.
Void Dragon: "A monster… yes, that's what I am. Proud, arrogant, blind. I thought strength was everything. But now… now I understand. And yet, it's already too late."
He looked toward the empty air where Alex had been, his voice soft, filled with quiet regret.
Void Dragon: "Thank you, Alex… for teaching this monster something he never tried to understand."