Charles turned his gaze upward. Behind him, the celestial Sword Maiden shimmered like a divine spectre, her presence sustained by the very flames of his dwindling life force. Each breath he took scorched his lungs, yet his eyes held unwavering determination.
Then he looked at Adaeze, who hovered in the sky with arms folded, his body wreathed in a storm of lightning.
"If my life is the price to take down one of the Ten Heavenly Dragons," Charles said with a weary smile, "don't you think it's worth it?"
Adaeze raised an eyebrow and then let out a booming laugh, sharp as thunder. "Just because you left a scratch on me… You believe you can take my life?"
His Qi surged violently. Bolts of black lightning danced across his body before coalescing above him into the monstrous form of a dragon, sleek, serpentine, and brimming with destructive intent. Its eyes crackled with malice, and each beat of its wings tore the clouds apart.
