The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 43

A colossal shadow blotted out the sun.

Beneath it, Aiden tilted his head back, his eyes narrowing against the sudden gloom. Feathers like needles of black steel filled his vision. The creature was immense, its wingspan a seventy-yard expanse that eclipsed the sky. A pair of enormous talons, their black tips glinting with a cold light, were tucked beneath its body.

A name surfaced in his mind, dredged from the depths of the Dragon's Heritage.

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Name: Skyrazor

Type: Magical Beast

Rank System: Judged by the color of its plumage.

Max Potential: ★★★

Description: A hunter of the open skies that preys on other flying creatures. A pair of broad, black wings grant it exceptional speed. Even young hatchlings are considered highly dangerous and should be avoided.

Abilities:

· Ice Breath: Can unleash a breath attack of freezing energy. (Tell: Opens its beak wide before use).

· Deadly Beak: Its thick, hooked beak is a formidable piercing weapon.

· Sharp Talons: Its claws are powerful and sharp.

Weakness:

· Fire

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As the information flooded his mind, Aiden's gaze sharpened. Black feathers. This was a Skyrazor of the two stars.

The creature lowered its hook-beaked head. Its round, blue eyes shone with a predatory excitement. It was a look he knew well; it was the same look Bianca got when she saw prey.

So, that's it. It sees me as a meal.

Flames ignited in Aiden's crimson pupils. A mere beast of the two stars dares to hunt me? His body began to swell, scales shifting as his power surged. A crown of pure fire erupted into existence above his head.

…

The weak-looking prey had suddenly expanded. And now it was wreathed in that detestable flame. The Skyrazor's round blue eyes showed a flicker of confusion. Something was not right with this meal. Its aura had flared, its power leaping to the one star in an instant.

…

Aiden's pupils constricted. With a beat of his red wings, he shot forward. In terms of size, it was the charge of a child against an adult. But sometimes, size meant nothing.

They collided in mid-air. Neither was sent reeling.

“AOWW!” a pained cry tore from Aiden's throat. The Skyrazor's talons had pierced the scales of his abdomen.

The flames in Aiden's eyes doubled in intensity. He ignored the pain, his gaze fixed on the beast's neck, which was covered in fine red feathers. His maw snapped open, and he bit down hard. The coppery tang of hot blood flooded his throat. His foreclaws dug deep into the creature's flesh, and he hung there, inverted beneath its belly.

“SCREE!” The Skyrazor shrieked in pain and fury.

This is not over.

Aiden's red pupils narrowed. Flames began to leak from the corners of his mouth. The next second, a torrent of red fire erupted from his jaws.

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“SCREE-SCREEE!”

Feeling the searing heat on its neck, the Skyrazor panicked. Its cries became frantic. It began to thrash, shaking its neck violently. The claws buried in Aiden's belly twisted, sending waves of agony through him. The pain was immense, but he would not let go. He only had to hold on a little longer, and this damned bird would burn. His fire breath continued to pour forth.

“SCREEEEE!”

The thrashing intensified.

Sssshhhk—

With the subtle sound of tearing flesh, Aiden was ripped free. He fell away, two chunks of meat clutched in his claws, another held fast in his teeth.

Having lost three pieces of its own flesh, the Skyrazor rapidly put distance between them. This prey was too dangerous. Its scales were too thick. Even after shattering the outer layer, its talons could not pierce through to the vital organs within. It needed a new target.

Its round eyes darted about, quickly landing on the other two dragons—the white one and the blue one. Their auras were still weak, merely low-tier. It locked onto its new targets. With a powerful beat of its black wings, it dove.

…

Aiden glanced down at his own belly. The scales were shattered, but they hadn't fallen off. Threads of red fire held the broken pieces in place, fusing them to his hide. Chewing on the meat in his mouth, he looked up. The Skyrazor was in a steep dive, aimed directly at the hovering forms of Azure and Bianca.

Changing targets?

Two jets of red flame snorted from his nostrils. With a beat of his wings, he shot after it. He would not allow this creature to succeed.

…

Azure's body went rigid as she felt the predator's gaze lock onto her and Bianca. This was a Skyrazor of the two stars. Against such a beast, they stood no chance.

…

This damned vile breed dares to see ME as food? Today, you will learn the meaning of a dragon's might!

While Azure was still calculating, a white form shot past her.

Azure froze again. Bianca, what is she doing?! Does she have a death wish? Don't throw your life away!

Bianca's white pupils were cold with indifference. Her eyes tracked the Skyrazor's every move. As it closed in, the beast raised its sharp talons. At the last possible moment, Bianca beat her wings, swerving to stay close as the talons flew past. Then, turning her back, she slammed her full weight against the creature.

The Skyrazor's massive body shuddered from the impact. But in the next instant, its long, red-feathered neck snapped down. The sharp, hooked beak struck like lightning.

Bianca sensed the attack, but it was too fast.

Pffft—

The beak plunged into flesh. A gaping hole was torn through Bianca's wing, and a spray of crimson dragon blood filled the air.

Just then, a red figure landed on the Skyrazor's back. Feeling the sudden, intense heat, the beast's blue eyes filled with panic. It quickly retracted its beak, trying to flee, but it was too late.

Standing on the broad expanse of its back, Aiden glanced at Bianca. Just a hole in her wing. Not a major problem.

His gaze returned to the Skyrazor beneath him. His eyes, though burning with fire, were filled with a piercing cold.

Now, you cannot escape.

Pffft—

With the sound of plunging flesh, his claws sank deep into the creature's powerful wings. This time, unless the damned bird chose to sever its own wings, there would be no escape.

The Skyrazor twisted its head, aiming its open beak at the figure on its back. A blue light began to flicker within.

Breath attack?

The Skyrazor's maw opened wide, and a torrent of frigid blue breath poured out. At the same instant, Aiden unleashed his own red torrent. The two opposing elements collided.

Hisssssss—

A massive cloud of white steam instantly vaporized into the air. The blue breath faltered for a second, and the red torrent pressed forward. But in the next moment, the flow of ice returned to normal.

What happened?

Ignoring the steam, Aiden's peripheral vision glanced downward. His eyes met a pair of white, slitted pupils. It was Bianca. She had latched her jaws onto the Skyrazor's neck. Her eyes blinked rapidly, as if to say: See? Aren't I amazing? I can kill this thing!

That fool. A strange feeling rose in Aiden's chest. But… not bad. At least she did not flee.

Just then, his eyes caught another movement—a blue blur flashing past. Its speed was on par with those unnaturally fast fish.

Splshhh—

A great gout of dark red blood sprayed from the Skyrazor's neck. Aiden's pupils narrowed. The blue figure flashed past again.

Splshhh—

Another spray of blood. This time, Aiden saw it clearly. Azure was far more ruthless than Bianca. With each pass, her sharp claws carved another long, deep gash into the Skyrazor's neck.

Standing on its back, Aiden could feel the massive creature's body begin to tremble. It was afraid.

The flow of fire from Aiden's maw intensified. Feeling the red breath grow more ferocious, the Skyrazor grew desperate. It knew that in its current state, it could not afford to stop its own breath attack. The moment it did, the fire from the beast on its back would pour down onto its neck, seeping into the grievous wounds. Death would be certain.

But even with this understanding, the outcome was inevitable.

As the blue blur streaked past again and again, the Skyrazor grew weaker and weaker. Without any warning, its blue breath collapsed.

Aiden's red torrent surged forward, overwhelming the beast and pouring directly onto its head. The flames streamed down, seeping into the open wounds on its neck.

“SCREEEEEE!”

With one final, agonized cry, the Skyrazor's colossal body began its long plummet to the earth below.