I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 624

Crackle!

Blue flames and purple lightning erupted in a blinding mix, sending a tremendous shock through Ian.

Shit!

If he hadn’t fused with chaos, that impact alone would’ve killed him. Even with his tentacles anchoring him in place, the force nearly tore him free. Chaos power flared from him as he instinctively hunched down.

"-----!"

Just then, a scream erupted from the Heaven Defier above. Ian snapped his gaze up, looking past the scaled saddle. The Heaven Defier was roaring and shaking its head, its upper body pitched forward. Its massive maw spewed blazing heat and a pale blue glow.

Rumble—

The Platinum Dragon was still pushing it, its speed only slightly reduced. The impact of the direct collision must have been immense, but it had even sprouted purple, chaos-infused magic wings behind its own, adding to its propulsion. Lightning and flames flashed continuously across the Heaven Defier’s torso.

—Reckless fool!

The pale blue glow in its eyes intensified. Azure flames blazed from its horns and wings as it threw its arms upward.

—To think you would try to overpower me... with only this!

Blazing blue trails of light slammed down on either side of Ian. The Heaven Defier had brought its arms crashing down on the Platinum Dragon’s wings.

Boom!

Lightning and fire exploded together, surging in tangled bursts. The only thing keeping the Platinum Dragon from plummeting was its magic wings. Shockwaves burst from both sides, forcing Ian to crouch even lower.

Rumble, rumble, rumble—

Soon, the vibrations spreading from the Heaven Defier reached him. It had clearly planted its feet on the ground. A stifled roar escaped the Platinum Dragon, and the purple light enveloping it intensified. The same was true for the azure flames on the arms that were crushing the wings.

—Looks like it'll fall soon.

Yog whispered nonchalantly. It had already adapted to the explosions and tremors.

Ian was no different. He held his position steadily, pulling the dragon's bone closer to his chest. The moment to intervene in the monsters' brawl was fast approaching.

At this rate, Archeas is bound to lose.

The Platinum Dragon was running out of thrust. One of its wings, crushed under the Heaven Defier’s arms, was burning away despite the lightning flaring from it. It had to be enduring unbearable pain.

Rumble...

Dragon bones were now jutting up from the ground behind the Heaven Defier. It had been pushed back to the edge of the boneyard. However, pushing it all the way to the wall seemed impossible. The bones piled higher and higher behind the creature.

That was when Ian yanked his left hand free from the saddle.

Crack!

He shot out two pairs of tentacles, anchoring them firmly into the scaled ridge, while pulling the rest loose.

Creak—

Clutching the dragon bone like a spear in both hands, Ian drew back, stepping quickly until the tentacles stretched taut.

At their limit, he leaned back, eyes fixed on the Heaven Defier’s menacing head looming ahead.

Swoosh—

The stretched tentacles snapped him forward like a slingshot. Ian shot through the air like a cannonball. The Heaven Defier, which had been growling down at the Platinum Dragon, turned its eyes toward him a beat too late.

—You!

A shocked cry followed, clearly caught off guard. As expected, it clearly hadn't been paying Ian any mind.

Bending like a drawn bow, he raised the dragon bone high, pouring chaos power into it until it pulsed with violet light. His eyes met the creature’s blazing blue glare.

I hope you react just like Tahumrit.

Ian swung the raised dragon bone down with all his might. A purple streak slammed into the center of the Heaven Defier's pale blue eye.

Crunch!

The dragon bone punched deep into the Heaven Defier’s eye socket, bursting its massive, mutated eyeball with a wet crack. The Heaven Defier froze for an instant, as if time had stopped. Ian didn't let go, driving the bone into the hilt. The instant he slammed against the side of its head, the Heaven Defier’s maw finally burst open.

"--------!"

A piercing scream tore out. It thrashed its head wildly, as if in a seizure.

Yog let out a cackle at the incredibly violent reaction.

—That seems to have woken it up.

Not fatal, but pain like that usually hurts worse.

Ian latched himself tighter with his tentacles. He dug his claws into the ridges around the socket, bracing himself.

Crk...

He could feel the pressure building from within the socket, as if the Heaven Defier were trying to force the bone back out. He held on grimly, even as the Heaven Defier thrashed its head.

—You wretch! Get off me!

The Heaven Defier’s furious shout spread. It stopped moving, apparently giving up on shaking him off.

Fwoosh—

Instead, the azure flames on its horns blazed violently. It looked like it was about to engulf its own face in fire.

However, before it could, the Platinum Dragon shot its head up. Shaking off the dragon's arms with a flap of its wings, it thrust both feet into its foe's abdomen.

Zap!

Lightning flashed as its claws raked across the Heaven Defier’s dark underbelly, carving deep into its flesh. The Heaven Defier’s head reared back with another roar.

"-----!"

With the scream, the azure flames on its horns scattered wildly. Ian, still clinging to the side of its head, finally turned. He felt the Platinum Dragon looking at him.

—Thank you, Ian.

Archeas said, then opened its jaws wide and bit down on the Heaven Defier's neck. Blue sparks, heat, and lightning flashed as sharp teeth sank deep. The Heaven Defier’s massive body tilted backward, not collapsing but buckling under the force.

Rumble—

The bones that had jutted up where it was pushed back had now formed a sloping hill, propping its body up. However, the Platinum Dragon folded its wings, seemingly unconcerned. It then pinned the Heaven Defier's flapping wings by slamming down in their center.

"-----!"

The Heaven Defier let out an enraged roar and thrust its arms out. It was trying to throw off the Platinum Dragon.

The Platinum Dragon swung its arms to meet the attack, knocking them aside.

Their struggle lasted only moments before Heaven Defier’s dark blue hand seized Archeas’ wrist.

Fwoosh!

Blue flames burned from its grip, met by a flare of violet lightning from Archeas’ wrist. The air reeked of scorched flesh. They were locked together in a dead heat.

—Get back, Ian! It's dangerous!

Archeas shouted, its teeth still buried in the Heaven Defier's neck.

A brutal melee, fueled by raw chaos and magic, was about to erupt. However, Ian had no intention of simply backing down.

Crk... crk...

Gripping the cracking dragon bone, his gaze swept past the two dragons' struggling arms. Heat and light blazed from the opening, and though he had no idea how long it would last, there was enough space.

Whoosh—

The moment he decided, Ian launched himself. He shot out his tentacles, dropping onto the Heaven Defier.

—Ian?

The Platinum Dragon’s eyes widened as it let out a gasp of shock. But Ian, having landed on the Heaven Defier's chest, didn't spare a glance.

Thud, thud, thud—

He merely sprinted, as if running down a slope, his eyes fixed on the gaping hole in the dragon's chest. The area around the hole was deeply caved in, likely from the Platinum Dragon's impact. Thanks to that, the bluish, blazing heat from within was far more visible.

—Looks pretty warm in there... Let's see if we can stand it.

Yog whispered.

A sharp grin twisted Ian’s lips as he kicked off.

Fwoosh!

The bluish, heat-spewing hole rushed toward him. It was more than wide enough for him to enter. Tentacles shot down one after another.

Crk—creek—

They embedded themselves around the edge of the wound and pulled Ian toward it. The searing light grew sharper, the heat fierce enough to sting his skin, but Ian didn’t hesitate for even an instant.

He dove straight in.

Shrrk...

The tentacles following him wrapped around him, as if shielding him from the heat. At the same time, they squirmed, guiding him deeper inside. The tunnel through the creature’s chest felt hardened. He couldn't tell if it was from being impaled on the stake for so long or a result of the mutation. It might have been both.

—You bastard! How dare you?

Rakhmah’s voice thundered, having clearly realized Ian's intentions.

Rumble... Thud!

But Ian wasn’t its only concern. The jolts shuddering through it made it clear the Platinum Dragon was still attacking. Every shockwave trembled through the creature’s flesh, but Ian didn’t so much as flinch.

Rumble... Rumble...

He focused instead on the pulse running through the tentacles—the rhythm of Rakhmah’s heart. As the chaos power within him resonated with it, Yog suddenly whispered.

—Up there, I think.

Ian agreed. At his command, the tentacles halted, then spread outward, anchoring him in place. The tunnel’s core glowed faintly, veins of blue fire pulsing like living arteries.

Swoosh—

Ian raised both hands, fingers curling like a hawk’s talons. His hands were now shimmering with an ominous dark green light—Unholy Claws. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Crunch!

His hands plunged directly into the tunnel's carapace-hard surface. It was hot and hard, but the surface began to decay and melt the moment his hands touched it. Instead of waiting for it to melt, he ripped it apart with all his strength.

"------!"

The Heaven Defier roared in agony. The glow along its skin flared brighter, and the air inside burned hotter. Ian’s body hissed like boiling tar, but he didn’t stop.

Rip—

Having torn through the hide, Ian ripped wildly at the fascia within. He even pulled out some of his anchoring tentacles and shoved them inside.

Squelch! Crunch!

The tentacles ripped through muscle, and the teeth at their tips ceaselessly chewed and swallowed whatever they touched. The flesh and chaos power they consumed flooded back into Ian.

I’ve gotten used to this feeling.

It was a pittance compared to the cost, but it would help him endure the heat a little longer. Ripping through muscle, Ian burrowed deeper into the Heaven Defier's chest.

—Such... a filthy, despicable... insect-like trick!

The Heaven Defier’s shout continued. A faint fear seeped through its anger. It wasn't surprising. A demon was, after all, rummaging through its chest and approaching its heart, all while it was fighting another dragon.

Rumble—

The Heaven Defier's body heaved, and a continuous stream of explosions and vibrations followed. The power struggle was clearly still raging. Of course, Ian also pressed forward, relentlessly tearing through everything in his path. He had activated not only Hunting Time but also the Wild Fury.

Squelch!

Then, as he tore open another dense membrane, he froze. Beyond it, a massive, skull-like shape of bone loomed before him, fissured with cracks glowing faintly blue.

Thump... Thump...

The heartbeat thundered from beyond it. Pushing through the ruptured membrane, Ian caught sight of the spherical bone shell within.

So this was it—the heart’s barrier. Dragon hearts were said to be protected by layers of bone and enchantment. When they’d slain Tahumrit, the Platinum Dragon had shattered one just like it. The faint blue light flickering through the membrane came from the other organs pulsing nearby.

—Incredible. If we absorbed all that power, we could reach divinity itself.

Yog’s whisper was low, almost reverent. It had clearly sensed the power coming from beyond it.

—Of course, the chaos would devour us long before that.

I have no intention of doing that.

Ian clicked his tongue inwardly, anchoring himself with tentacles. The important thing was the bluish Mantra spreading across the bony sphere.

Thump— Thump—

The heartbeat grew louder, and the surrounding heat intensified. This was how Rakhmah guarded its heart—by turning it into a living inferno.

True. Just cooking everything inside would be an effective defense.

Ian thought, moving closer to the bone with his tentacles. He activated the Unholy Claws once again.

His claws, fists, and tentacles slammed against the bone encasing the heart. However, not a single mark appeared.

Clang!

Neither Abyssal Fangs nor Blood Blade had any effect. The blue Mantra on the surface merely shimmered. It was clearly a protection spell.

—We'd better hurry, Friend. At this rate, we’ll roast before we make a dent. Why don't we leave this to the fallen lizard and just tear up the rest of the organs? Maybe snack on a little chaos power while we’re at it.

Yog wasn’t wrong. Even now, a purple haze was rising from his body. It was a rational suggestion, but he hadn't come this far just to slice up organs.

—Right. Good thinking.

Yog chuckled as Ian stopped moving. However, Ian, flicking his forked tongue, didn't turn away. Instead, he raised a hand and grabbed his face.

—Wait. Don’t tell me you’re taking off the mask?

Yes, I am.

Ian tightened his grip, his gaze narrowing. A dragon’s armament would serve him better here—its edge could slice through that Mantra and bone alike. The heat would be brutal, and escape wouldn’t come easily, but he’d already worked out a few ways to manage both.

—Wait, Friend.

Yog cut in just as Ian’s claws dug into his face.

—Instead of that, how about you hand over the body to me for a moment? I think I can maintain this fusion for a short while, even if we separate.

Ian paused, his eyes narrowing.

—No tricks. And it might not even work. Just... worth a try, isn’t it?

Nothing to lose then.

He lowered his hand, not pushing Yog’s will away this time.

Crunch!

Just then, the extended tentacles dug deeper. As his body floated higher, his hands moved to his own abdomen.

Crkk!

The tips of his sharp claws dug deep into his abdomen. Yog spread the arms, splitting the belly open. At that exact moment, Ian's consciousness was sucked deep inside.

In an instant, his senses returned. Ian opened his eyes. He was crouched in a cool, sticky, purple darkness. He didn't need to think to know where he was.

Crunch—

A gruesome sound came from above him. Yog was still tearing their shared body in half.

—You'll be able to get out soon. It's hot, so be careful.

I can't believe this is actually working, Ian thought, checking himself over.

He was still full of the dragon's power. His equipment was also all intact. He moved his right hand to his waist, grabbed his sword hilt, and forcefully pulled his upper body upright.

Swoop—

His torso burst through the fused body’s abdomen like emerging from a cocoon. Staring out into the blazing world beyond, his eyes flared with swirling blue magic.

Fwoosh!

The moment he thrust out his left hand, a Frost Wave burst out. Even amplified by the dragon's magic, it only made the air lukewarm, but that was enough. Ian stood, shaking off the sticky residue, and drew the sword from his waist.

Shing!

A Mantra spread from the blade the moment it left the scabbard, erupting into a bright yellow blade of magic.