Andy exhaled, steady, ready. Nia's staff flared brighter, Aurelia's dagger gleamed hungry. Villagers fell silent, breath caught in their throats.
The Corrupter lifted his hand, and the earth groaned. From fissures spilled black flame, sprouting more dragonlings — smaller, but endless, each shriek adding weight to the night. His laugh was jagged.
"You think three bonds of flesh can stand against corruption?" His voice slithered. "We devour bonds. We break them."
Andy stepped forward, three blades humming with elemental resonance, their combined song loud enough to drown fear. "Then you'll learn what it means to strike something that can't be broken."
He blurred forward — Ember Edge whirled, conjuring a spiral inferno that enveloped the frontline beasts. Aqua Fang thrust through the flames, spearing a second wave. Stormbreaker Fang sliced clean, its gale scattering ichor into harmless mist.
The Corrupter countered, shadows lashing like tendrils, catching Andy mid-spin. Andy gritted teeth — until silver light poured in.
"Constellation Mage Form: Activate!"
Nia's voice rang, sharp and sure. Her form flared — gown shifting into constellation-lined robes, glyphs shimmering like stars. Her staff burned brighter than moonlight, channeling lines of cosmic mana that traced the ground like constellations drawn on soil.
Her spell burst wide: Starlight Cascade. Light fell like rain, purging shadows, villagers gasping in awe.
Then Aurelia stepped in, lips curling in playful challenge. "Don't think you'll hog all the attention, sweetheart."
She leapt, aura flaring crimson-gold, her dagger extending into twin spectral blades that curved like hunting fangs.
"Huntress Form: Awaken!"
Her eyes glowed wild amber as she spun midair, unleashing Predator's Dance, slicing through corrupted wings. When she landed, dust shook, and three dragonlings fell in halves around her.
---
System chimed, invisible to all but Andy:
[Constellation Sync: Orion]
[Nia ⭐ 46% → 51% | Aurelia ⭐ 41% → 45%]
[Shared Inventory Auto-Sync → Active]
Andy felt them. Nia's steady starry flow bolstering his strikes, Aurelia's untamed rhythm pushing his momentum. Their bond pulses struck through him, lightning in veins.
The Corrupter snarled. "So… the Constellation lives. Then you must be devoured first."
His corrupted dragon spirit lunged forward, its maw snapping. Andy didn't hesitate. He drew his blades together, aura pulsing.
"Flame Spiral!" Ember Edge roared crimson.
"Aqua Fang!" Tide-Singer speared blue.
"Gale Rift!" Stormbreaker Fang shrieked white.
The three-elemental arc merged midair, colliding with the spectral maw in an explosion that cracked heaven and earth. Villagers shielded their eyes, seeing dragon-shaped lights clawing through shadow.
"The Dragon Warrior… he's no longer fighting alone. The stars themselves are moving with him."
"A new bond… two women at his side. The legend breathes again."
Amid their awe, Andy landed lightly, chest heaving but gaze steady. Shadows writhed where the Corrupter stood, yet his laugh echoed.
"This is only Tier I. You haven't seen hunger yet."
System chimed again:
[Bond Sync Surge]
[Orion Constellation – Tier I Progress → 70%]
Andy looked back once, meeting Nia's calm sapphire gaze and Aurelia's fiery amber smirk. Their threads of light curled tighter into his core. His heart steadied.
"They'll see it through with me," he murmured. Then louder: "I don't need to see what Tier II looks like. Because I'll crush you here."
The battlefield pulsed once more, and the clash raged forward.