Arc O – The Dragon Knight
Chapter 1 – The Night Everything Ended
The forest was silent that night, unnaturally so.
Eight-year-old Strom lay curled between his parents near the campfire. He felt safe… until a faint sound woke him.
"Mom? Dad?" he whispered, rubbing his eyes.
No answer.
He reached out—cold skin, lifeless faces. His tiny hands shook them desperately.
"Wake up… please wake up…", his voice cracked, but his parents were gone, eyes empty.
Tears blurred his vision as he screamed into the dark forest until his voice broke.
Hours later, stumbling through the woods, he met a figure in long robes, face hidden under a hood.
"You're safe now, boy," the man said softly, kneeling.
Strom clung to him, sobbing.
"They won't wake up…"
The man patted his back. "You're not alone anymore. I'll take care of you."
Chapter 2 – Power and Death
The robed man, revealed as a powerful wizard, became Strom's guardian and teacher. For five years, Strom learned swordplay, survival, and magic under his care.
On his thirteenth birthday, the wizard placed five glowing stones before him:
Red – Fire
Green – Earth
Purple – Dark
Yellow – Gold
Blue – Dragon Aura
"Choose wisely… this will shape who you are."
Strom's hand reached instantly for the Dragon Aura stone, a power feared by all.
The wizard smiled faintly, forging him a pendant to control the aura.
"A brave choice… or a dangerous one," he said.
That night, while Strom forged his own sword, a demon attacked the home. By the time he returned—
"M-Master…!"
The wizard lay dying, bleeding out on the floor.
"Strom… live… be better… than me…", then silence.
A demonic figure grinned from the doorway. "Nice experiment, boy. See you soon." It vanished before Strom could attack.
He fell to his knees, clutching his master's body, rage and grief boiling within.
Chapter 3 – Tower of Slayers
Strom's thirst for power led him to the Tower of Slayers, where only proven warriors could enter.
The test: Bring back a demon's head.
Strom didn't just bring a head—he dragged an entire demon corpse, torn to pieces.
The crowd whispered in shock: "What is he?"
That day he met:
Sam, a skilled mage who respected Strom's raw talent.
Knull, a knight who mocked him: "Drop the sword, boy. Let's see what you've really got."
Strom agreed. Barehanded, he fought Knull and nearly killed him in rage before others pulled him off.
"You're dangerous, kid," someone muttered as Knull gasped for air.
Sam, however, smiled slightly: "Or just determined."
Chapter 4 – The Demon Hunt
Information came—a demon matching the description of the one that killed his master was seen near the southern jungles.
Strom prepared to leave. Sam warned him: "Don't let rage guide your blade. It will eat you alive."
Strom tightened his grip on his sword. "If rage kills it faster, I don't care."
He set out, his Dragon Aura growing stronger with each step, leaving behind whispers of fear.
Chapter 5 – Angela
In the jungle, Strom found a girl trapped under debris, weak and crying.
"Please… help me…", she begged.
Her name was Angela, her family slain by demons. Strom hesitated, but her tears reminded him of his own pain.
"You're safe now. I'll protect you," he said, lifting her free.
Angela stayed with him, helping heal his wounds and easing his pain. For the first time since his master's death, Strom felt warmth again.
Chapter 6 – The Demon Dies
They tracked the demon to its lair. The beast laughed, mocking Strom: "Another child seeking revenge? Pathetic."
Rage consumed him, Dragon Aura igniting—blue flames surrounding his sword, his eyes glowing gold.
"This is for my family… for my master… for Angela!"
He fought like a storm, breaking the demon's spine with brute force, leaving it helpless. Angela delivered the killing blow, avenging her own family.
"It's… finally over," she whispered, tears in her eyes.
But Strom's hands shook, his breath ragged. He questioned for the first time: Am I becoming a monster?
Chapter 7 – A Fragile Peace
Strom and Angela built a quiet life in a small hidden cabin.
"You've changed, Strom… you're calmer now," Angela smiled.
He smiled back. "Maybe I'm learning to live again."
For a brief time, Strom believed he had found peace.
Chapter 8 – Capture & Change
One day, Strom returned to find their cabin destroyed and Angela gone. Blood marked the floor, but there was no body.
Following tracks, he was ambushed by guards shouting:
"It's him—the dragon-eyed killer!"
They chained him with enchanted steel, ignoring his cries: "Where's Angela?!"
That night, Angela appeared, but something was different—her eyes empty, movements mechanical. She freed him without saying a word, then walked away into the shadows.
Chapter 9 – The Truth Revealed
The throne room was unnervingly quiet, its cold stone echoing every step Strom took.
On the throne sat the wizard—the man he thought was long dead.
"You… it's you…", Strom whispered, his voice trembling.
The wizard smirked, eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "Ah, my greatest experiment walks in alive. How poetic."
Strom's fists clenched, Dragon Aura humming faintly around him.
"What did you do to Angela?" he shouted.
The wizard waved his hand. Angela stepped forward… but her eyes were empty, mechanical.
"She was never real, Strom. Just a puppet I crafted to keep your heart intact until I needed it broken. And look—perfect result."
Strom's breath caught. "No… no, you're lying!"
"Oh, I never lie about perfection," the wizard said casually.
He stood and slowly walked down the steps, hands behind his back.
"You want the truth about your parents? Fine… let me gift it to you."
---
The Night of Blood
"Your mother begged for you, Strom. She knelt on the floor, clutching you, tears streaming down her face.
'Please,' she said, 'take me if you must, but spare my son.'"
The wizard chuckled darkly.
"Your father tried to fight me—brave, foolish man—but he was no match.
Your mother… she thought mercy existed in my heart. She didn't know what I was building."
He leaned forward, whispering with venom:
"I ended their lives because weakness breeds weakness. You were my answer. A blank slate forged from tragedy."
Strom's knees trembled, rage surging up his spine. His vision blurred, his breathing sharp and shallow.
"You… made me an orphan… for an experiment…", he said through clenched teeth.
The wizard smiled. "And look at you now: exactly what I wanted."
"NO!" Strom roared, Dragon Aura bursting out like an explosion, shattering the magical chains binding him.
"I'm not your monster… I'm your executioner!"
---
Chapter 10 – Dragon vs. Dragon
The wizard's grin widened unnaturally as his body shifted, bones cracking, wings tearing through his back, black scales replacing flesh. In moments, he was a massive dragon, eyes glowing crimson.
"Fight me, creation!"
Strom's aura blazed gold-blue. "I'll end you!"
He charged, leaping high, swinging for the dragon's head—
CLANG! His sword bounced off unbroken scales.
The dragon's tail whipped around, hurling him into a pillar. He groaned, wiping blood from his lip.
"The head's too strong… chest protected… need a new approach."
---
Breaking the Beast
Strom sprinted low, dodging a wave of fiery breath. He leapt—not for the head, but the left wing.
SLASH! The membrane tore, one wing crippled.
The dragon shrieked and swung its tail again, but Strom rolled under and sliced the tip clean.
"That's for every life you ruined!" he roared.
Climbing its back, he jammed his blade into the ear slit, a soft spot. The beast howled in pain, thrashing wildly.
"This is for my mom!" Strom yelled.
Finally, he saw the chest stone glowing faintly. He leapt and slashed—CRACK! but not enough. Again—CRACK!.
"BREAK, damn you!"
On the third strike, he poured everything—rage, grief, and raw strength—into one blow.
SHATTER! The stone cracked and burst, the dragon collapsing, shrinking back into the wizard's human form.
---
The Pendant
The wizard lay broken, gasping. "S-Strom… we can rule… together…"
Strom ripped the Dragon Aura pendant from his neck and threw it onto the wizard's chest.
"This stone saved me. Let's see if it can save you from me."
He stepped forward, fists tightening.
"For my mom!" (Punch)
"For my dad!" (Punch)
"For Angela!" (Punch)
"For every lie you told!" (Punch)
Each strike landed heavy with grief and fury until the wizard lay still, eyes glassy.
His final breath came with a whisper:
*"You'll… be like me…"
Strom, shaking, answered softly: "No… I'm nothing like you."
---
Aftermath
The pendant cracked on the floor as Strom stood over his fallen foe, chest heaving.
From the shadows, the secret protector stepped into the room.
"You've carried enough pain, Son. Rest now… your war's just starting."
Strom collapsed, unconscious but victorious, as the throne room crumbled behind them.