Chapter 481 – Show Your Fang
A short few hours after their departure, Asterios and Noir were nearing their destination. They could have used Umbra or even their Shadow Transfer to move closer and start there, but if their secondary plan was going to work, they had to be as visible as possible. With the nest gone, if things were to go that way, a power vacuum would be created. He planned to establish himself in that hole so that others didn’t immediately sweep in to profit on the free real estate.
Therefore, the pair flew low enough for whoever might be on the ground to spot them. News would travel fast about two new True Dragons in the realm who had taken a liking to these lands. And taking out a small nest of their kin without any more reinforcements should be proof of their ferocity and might.
“According to your information, we should be able to see it in just a moment,” Noir noted, consulting the landscape with the images she had received. “Are you going to switch to black or stay like this?”
Asterios gave his red scales a languid glance before focusing onward. “I already made contact with one of them in my crimson shade. Even if he didn’t report every detail and the rest don’t know, he might still be able to recognize me. So, your suggestion is smart, but unfortunately won’t work this time.”
She grunted in acknowledgment. “Things never go according to the initial plans. It’s all about adapting to the flow. This isn’t as big of a problem as you might think. If anyone asks, just say we made a temporary truce and growl at anyone who looks at us funny.”
“That’s pretty much what I was thinking, save for the growling part.” He chuckled deeply. “I made truce with that other guy previously. My willingness to enter more of those shouldn’t be questioned.”
“It’s kind of refreshing working with someone capable of using their brain for once.” Noir let out a light snort. “Building on already established blocks instead of scrambling to clear out the crumbled ones that would cause issues for anything going forward.”
“Aren’t the members of your lineage fairly cunning? More than the other bloodlines?” Asterios glanced at her curiously.
“Generally, yes, but as I already told you, I mostly used Slaves and Servants. The majority comes from those other bloodlines,” she explained, bringing up the piece of her past she had revealed during the spar. “Blacks don’t trust each other much and thus rarely cooperate. You have to expect a claw at your throat any time.”
It was noticeably uncomfortable for her to talk about that moment of weakness, but she still did so nonetheless, choosing not to insult Ast’s intelligence with blatant denial or any other tactics.
“Well, then. Time to lay down some solid foundations.” Asterios offered her a sly smile. “Here it is.”
They directed their gazes to the ground. It was a rocky terrain full of small hills and shallow valleys. Gray colors dominated the area, with some dark browns peeking out here and there. No trees or grass could be spotted anywhere around. Nothing but a barren stone field, rough and spacious.
In a certain gathering of raised mounds, they could figure out multiple caverns and holes dug into the slopes from various angles. There was no doubt that underground tunnels connected most, if not all of them, linking up with chambers and dens somewhere in the middle of each primitive house. About eight or nine such formations were noticeable at first glance.
“I expected a crude settlement at worst, not just… burrows.” Asterios frowned as he scanned the terrain.
“Looks like this nest belongs to hatchers,” Noir commented. “Its inhabitants prefer staying in their True Form almost all the time. The chances of not starting a fight right at the doorstep have just fallen considerably.”
He sighed, already getting tired of it ahead of time. “Going in full-on Dragon, then?”
“If you want to try exchanging a few words with them, I think we might be able to work something out.” She hummed to herself, racking her brain around something. “Let’s approach in True Form until we are close enough to spot the dwellers and they take note of us. Then, we shift down to Battle Form and land between them, throwing a few glares around. When the leaders come to investigate and face us, we once again shift down to Humanoid Form and see where that gets us.”
“Wasn’t that usually interpreted as showing weakness?” Asterios questioned her.
“Usually, yeah. But, doing it like this, it’s more of a power play. You show up at full might, then display willingness to avoid immediate confrontation, and finally make a statement by going into the weakest form in front of everyone, announcing that you can go through all three stages quick enough to repel anything they might be able to throw at you,” Noir summed up her strategy. “Granted, they perceive the message the intended way. They are savages, so I wouldn’t bet all my hoard on it.”
“Hoards are a thing, then?” He raised a curious brow at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Later. Now, start diving.”
Snickering to himself, he rolled over and went down. She followed right after.
The first stage of their ploy was successful. Numerous blue True Dragons crawled out of their hidey-holes and turned their attention to the sky. The nest came alive, its residents flocking into the crude streets. It wasn’t yet possible to tell if they were readying up for a war or a warm welcome.
Coming close enough to be able to look at individual figures, Asterios changed into his Battle Form, Noir once again following his lead. They were supposed to slowly descend like that, but he had a better idea. She blinked in surprise after watching him fold his wings instead of spreading them, shooting towards the ground like a meteor. Ultimately, she did the same so as not to jeopardize the plan.
He struck the rocky terrain first, landing on one knee, and with his fist smashed into the stone, creating a respectable crater that sent chunks and pieces flying around. She had enough time to register his actions and mirrored him quickly. A second impact joined the first, once again sending tremors through the settlement.
“Show off,” Noir muttered under her breath, bringing a chuckle out of him.
As they stood up within the retreating dust and walked out of the shattered cavities, they came face to face with a gang of azure True Dragons peering down at them ruthlessly. They all looked ready to commit some murder. At least until the pair of uninvited guests was swallowed by their respective spiritual mists and reappeared in their Humanoid Forms, bearing the usual draconic features like scales, wings, tails, and horns in Ast’s case. Anxiety and hesitation flashed through the visages of a few locals.
“Who do you think you are to crash into our nest like that?!” An older voice boomed at them, and they turned to a big dark sapphire male standing in the middle of his kin.
Asterios tilted his head. “I kind of expected this from that cowardly nitwit, but it still makes me feel a tad disappointed that I haven’t been introduced properly after our brief meeting.”
“It’s him!” Another Dragon pushed through the crowd, poking his head to the front. “That’s the guy I told you about, Father!”
“Ah, so he did have enough balls to mention the reason behind his failure.” Asterios grinned at the familiar individual.
The Father let out a low growl. “So you are the bastard who deceived my son and appropriated his prey for himself.”
“Excuse me?” Asterios pressed a hand to his chest. “I told him he did a shit job and even offered advice. But did he listen? No, he ignored my wisdom and continued on his way while I gratefully accepted his offering in the form of a tiny worm hideout I feasted on.”
He then took a step forward and pointed at the acquaintance he had made with his own growl.
“I should be demanding his head for being so trash that his efforts spooked the entire region, allowing a few of those slippery snakes to escape ahead of time!” Asterios sneered to the side. “However, I don’t have all week to waste on some loser who can’t even catch a pair of maggots.”
Noir gave him a somewhat impressed look, perhaps not fully believing he had it in himself to curse his friends so openly. She had to admit, he could play the part if he needed to.
“Slander!” The offended male roared into the sky. “He came with a black in tow! This must be part of their scheme from the very beginning! I bet they came here to steal more prey from us, following the one that had eluded him last time!”
“More prey?” Ast’s forehead furrowed considerably. “Last time?”
~I detect two additional presences that haven’t been noted during my previous survey,~ Umbra chimed in, messaging both of them. ~If I’m not mistaken, they belong to Lesser Dragons.~
~That fucker got himself and his new apprentice caught, huh?~ Asterios palmed his face. ~Can’t say I’m surprised.~
~I can smell them now too,~ Noir added. ~They are alive and fairly uninjured. That requires a fair amount of luck. Hatchers are fast to feast on their captives.~
“Luck seems to be his only redeeming quality, someone somehow always coming to his rescue.” He dragged his hand down the rest of the way. “Why does it have to be me each time, though?”
“You are not getting any of our Slaves.” The Father snarled, his cronies following suit. “The two of you chose a bad time to show up. Everyone is pumped up to sink their teeth into some worm flesh. If they have to rip apart a pair of audacious fools at the beginning of the hunt, they are going to graciously accept the warm-up.”
“Hunt?” Asterios stared at him suspiciously. “What’s out there to hunt when you have two prime specimens to devour?”
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” His old associate grinned wolfishly. “Is the Great Hunter unaware of the juicy colony he has been missing out on this entire time, going after some tiny hideouts instead? And I’m supposed to be the dumb one here?”
Ah, shit.
Jellal spilled, hadn’t he?
“The jig is up.” Noir tensed, lowering her posture. “They know about the nest.”
All blue Dragons started growling in perfect symphony, slaughter glinting in their vicious eyes.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Asterios held up a hand.
The leader let out a peal of echoing laughter. “You think you can weasel your way out of this?”
“No, no, no.” Ast’s hand shook dismissively. “There’s an important prior obligation that I need to take care of before we begin this dance.”
Turning to Noir, he showed a brilliant smile.
“My dear Partner, I promised that you would get to don the finest accessory for our grand debut.” With a flourish of crimson flames, a big flat object wrapped up in dark cloth appeared in his hands. “Here is my welcoming gift to you. I hope you can use it with pride and blind every onlooker with your fierceness for years to come, choosing to grace our future enemies with the sight they won’t ever forget. If they get to live through the nightmare, that is.”
She blinked at him blankly, looking between his grinning face and the huge present, sure he had forgotten about the order or perhaps his artificers missed the deadline. Yet, he slowly stepped closer, offering the rolled up bundle to her in both hands, inclining his head respectfully. Standing in front of her, he waited for her decision, whatever it would be.
Noir was stunned, already able to feel the power emanating from the undoubtedly weapon. Swallowing heavily, she accepted the parcel, taking it by the protruding pole at the bottom. She almost dropped the gift to the ground under its weight, but something quickly passed through it and into her circuits, connecting her deeply with the mysterious item, which turned as light as a feather.
The sudden bond made her innately aware of what the object was, and she ripped into the cloth covering it like a starved predator tearing into a deer for the first time in a month. Pieces and strips floated and spiraled down as she fully uncovered the sword and raised it before her.
It was a magnificent thing.
The hilt had been crafted in the image of a True Dragon’s tail. It ended with a pommel that formed a short spiral with the charming appendage of onyx shade. Then there was the long handle, covered in matted black leather scales that enhanced the user’s grip. It had no crossguard, but there was no space for one anyway since the wide blade that connected to it fully covered the wielder’s knuckles.
As for the greatsword’s blade itself, it was almost as wide as her waist at its thinnest section, almost as tall as she was if not a bit longer, and also largely black. Its core, the central ridge, was covered from start to finish in a sculpted scale design that glimmered ominously. The edge on both sides was dark gray and formed into a serrated pattern. However, the sharp and pointy teeth were separated by inclines as thick as a male’s fist in their Battle Form, if not thicker, painting a truly frightening image for anyone it was going to be aimed at.
Yet, that was not all.
Near the beginning of the blade, where it met with the hilt, there was a flat depiction of True Dragon’s head from the profile with just its upper jaw present. It rested along the right edge on both surfaces, top and bottom, biting into the weapon with its fangs extended towards the central ridge. It was also onyx, but gleamed even more than everything else, highlighted by grayish streaks, standing out in all the darkness. The Dragon’s eye on each side was fitted with a rich crimson jewel that sparkled like crystallized blood.
Taking note of that depiction, she finally understood what the weird spike at the furthest end of the blade was. Because the greatsword ended with a slightly curved protrusion extending to the side. Now being aware of the skull, it was clear that the barb meant to represent a massive fang ready to tear into its prey as the entire weapon was some symbolic portrayal of a True Dragon’s savage head.
Noir examined her gift with her gorgeous lips slightly open, her keen gaze traveling all over the greatsword. She could feel it thrumming with power, not being just some random slab of melted metal that was meant to carelessly swing around. It hummed dangerously when she twirled it, the fang at the end cutting through the air with a quiet whistle. Thanks to the depiction of the head, the weapon could be rested atop one’s shoulder without any worries about hurting oneself or damaging any clothes.
“What do you think?” Asterios asked from the side with a cheeky smile, his arms crossed over his chest. “Would this kind of weapon be suitable for the feared Noir the Nightmare?”
“I… I…” Noir tried to work out some words, but her mouth didn’t cooperate, her wide eyes jumping between the blade and his face. “This is…”
“Did he say—” Someone’s bewildered voice tried to butt in, but the person was cut off.
“Now, the best part.” He smirked. “Shift.”
Frowning at him for a second, she then understood. Her feminine frame was swallowed by the dark mist and returned in its draconic Battle Form. She studied the now slightly smaller greatsword in her scaly hand when something triggered within its structure and a silvery gleam rolled over its length. Right before her eyes, the weapon adjusted its size to better fit her bigger shape.
“I thought to call it Devourer.” Asterios walked closer and ran his finger over the serrated ridges, which were now as wide as his head. “The Nightmare’s Devourer. Because just like nightmares consume weak-willed minds, it’s going to feast on the flesh of your feeble enemies as an extension of your terror.”
Her elongated jaws were even more agape as she listened to his introduction, caressing the glamorous instrument of annihilation with a great deal of gentleness. Their fingers ran into each other as she absent-mindedly felt the edges around, and she yanked them back, blinking back to clarity, turning to peer down at him next to her.
“Of course, it’s just my suggestion.” Asterios shrugged. “You are free to name it whatever—”
“No!” Noir yelled, then winced at the volume of her voice, meeting his eyes again. “No… The Nightmare’s Devourer… It’s… I like that…”
He wiped his forehead. “Whew. I thought it would be too cringy for someone as badass as you.”
She laughed openly before bumping her big fist into his shoulder. “It’s perfect!”
“I’m glad.” Asterios massaged the spot with a wry smile. “Why don’t you get acquainted with your new partner now? Our friends here have been getting more and more anxious since the moment I dropped your name on them. I don’t think they are going to wait any longer.”
They both turned to the gang of blues. Half of the group seemed to be panicking, the other half attempting to rally the cowards for a quick attack while the pair was distracted with each other. The leader looked the most stricken, recognizing the moniker the most out of everyone.
He was also the first one to realize that the talks had wrapped up, two pairs of quite bloodthirsty eyes turning to them once again.
“Kill them! Kill them quick—”
A sharp whiz traveled through the air, and suddenly, one of the azure True Dragons lost its head. It was the guy Asterios had interacted with before. Perhaps his disdainful attitude might have inclined Noir to pick him out from amongst the group as her first kill, the wild Dragon girl lunging for his neck to test the sharpness of her blade. To her amazement, it went through the entire thing like butter.
The whole nest stilled, their heads turning to look at her. They watched as the black-scaled female rose from her post-swing hunched position and glanced back at them over her shoulder. Every single individual shivered at once, meeting her ravenous pupil.
She was eager for more.
She was hungry to devour every last one of them.
Turn their last moments into a nightmare.
And so, she launched herself into the crowd, a feral grin on her draconic lips.
Screams filled the area as the terror of the blacks swallowed the blues in merciless darkness.
A true horror descended upon them.