Endless Chaos – Chaos Void Plane: The Path of Story
Chapter 8 – The Descending Dragon
The night passed slowly.
No one in the village truly slept.
Lanterns burned until their oil ran dry.
Villagers stayed inside their homes, whispering prayers and hopes for the Dragon Slayer.
And at the center of the village…
Raphael sat beneath the banyan tree.
The glowing paper rested on his lap.
Lina sat nearby, hugging her knees.
"You should sleep."
Raphael shook his head.
"I can't."
"Because of the dragon?"
Raphael smiled slightly.
"No."
"Because my brain won't stop working."
Raphael stared at the words written on the page.
Legend of the Dragon Slayer
The paper glowed faintly in the darkness.
He could feel something connected to it.
Something alive.
Like invisible threads stretching from the page to the minds of the villagers.
Their belief.
Their fear.
Their hope.
All of it flowed into the story.
And the story flowed back into him.
Raphael exhaled slowly.
"So this is what power feels like."
The elder Garron approached quietly.
"Power… and responsibility."
Raphael chuckled.
"Yeah, that part too."
Suddenly—
ROOOOAAAAARRRRR!!
A thunderous roar split the sky.
This time it was much closer.
The entire village shook.
Doors opened.
People ran outside.
Lina jumped to her feet.
"It's here!"
Raphael slowly stood up.
"Right on schedule."
The sky above the mountains darkened.
Clouds twisted unnaturally.
Then something massive burst through them.
A gigantic winged shape.
Its body stretched across the sky like a living storm.
The villagers gasped in horror.
"It's real…"
"A dragon…"
The creature descended slowly.
Its wings beat like thunder.
Scales formed from dark mist and glowing cracks of red light.
Its eyes burned like twin suns.
A Story Dragon.
Born from fear.
Born from legend.
Born from belief.
The dragon circled above the village once.
Then it roared again.
A blast of hot wind swept across the ground.
Several villagers fell to their knees in terror.
Lina grabbed Raphael's arm.
"That thing is huge!"
Raphael stared at it calmly.
"…Yeah."
It was far bigger than he expected.
Easily the size of a small castle.
He scratched his head.
"Okay… maybe I should have written a smaller dragon."
The dragon's massive head slowly turned.
Its glowing eyes locked onto Raphael.
The glowing paper in his hand pulsed.
The dragon had sensed it.
It had sensed the Story Seed.
The source of the legend that created it.
With a powerful flap of its wings…
The dragon descended toward the village.
Villagers screamed and ran for cover.
"Run!"
"Hide!"
But Raphael stepped forward.
Toward the open field outside the village.
Lina shouted.
"Where are you going?!"
Raphael waved behind him.
"Staying on script."
The dragon landed with earth-shaking force.
BOOOOM
Dust exploded outward.
The ground cracked beneath its claws.
Its enormous head lowered.
Hot breath rolled across the field.
Raphael stood alone in front of it.
The villagers watched from behind houses and walls.
The elder whispered quietly.
"The Dragon Slayer… stands alone."
Raphael rolled his shoulders.
"Alright."
"Let's test the power of storytelling."
He stepped forward.
The glowing paper dissolved into faint light and entered his body.
Energy surged through him.
The story was now fully connected.
Raphael raised his hand slowly.
The dragon growled deeply.
Raphael smiled.
"You know…"
"In my old world…"
"People loved dragon stories."
The dragon roared in response.
Raphael nodded.
"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't care."
The dragon suddenly opened its mouth.
A burning red light gathered inside.
Lina screamed.
"Fire!"
Raphael reacted instantly.
He stepped forward.
Focused his strength.
Imagined the moment written in the story.
The hero facing the dragon.
Blade raised.
One strike meant to split the impossible.
Raphael swung his arm.
"Dragon Severing Strike!"
SHHHHHKKKK!!
A massive blade of wind erupted from his swing.
Far larger than before.
It cut through the air like a giant invisible sword.
The attack slammed into the dragon's chest.
BOOOOM
The dragon staggered backward.
A deep slash appeared across its misty scales.
Black smoke poured from the wound.
The villagers gasped in disbelief.
"He hurt it!"
"The Dragon Slayer wounded the dragon!"
Their belief exploded.
Raphael felt the power surge again.
The story was strengthening in real time.
The dragon roared in fury.
Its wound began slowly repairing itself with swirling mist.
Raphael wiped sweat from his forehead.
"…Okay."
"That worked."
But then the dragon spread its massive wings.
A terrifying storm of wind and fire gathered around it.
The elder's eyes widened.
"It's becoming stronger!"
Lina shouted.
"Raphael!"
Raphael looked up at the massive creature towering over him.
Then he grinned.
"Well…"
"That means the story needs a bigger moment."
He stepped forward again.
And raised his arm.
Because the battle between the Dragon Slayer and the Story Dragon…
Had only just begun.
End of Chapter 8