The ground was devastated, riddled with craters, and dust filled the horizon. Amidst this ruin, Adrian and Side lay sprawling. Then, in an instant, a hysterical laugh erupted, filling the entire world. It was Adrian laughter.
Side stared at him in disbelief, thinking, "What's wrong with this idiot? Why is he laughing like that? Has the recent attack affected his mind?"
Slowly, Side rose, shadows spreading around him, his swords forming. He advanced toward Adrian, who still lay on the ground, his body trembling with laughter that abruptly ceased.
Silence fell. Adrian voice emerged hoarse, a mixture of shock and bitterness: "How... how could a fourteen-year-old boy... do this to me?"
The next moment, a dark energy erupted from his body, a dense, suffocating force—not mere darkness, but something older, more monstrous. Side felt it immediately, and felt a chill. "What's happening to him?" he asked.
Deep inside Adrian, a voice boomed. "Didn't I tell you, Adrian? This boy has brought you so much trouble… You must destroy him."
The speaker was the dragon within him. "What do you say, Adrian?" he asked. "Do you finally agree to the contract I proposed to you from our very first meeting?"
The scene shifts. We see Adrian amidst the wreckage, kneeling, his sword lying before him, tears of blood streaming from his eyes. A shadow stands before him, speaking to him, but its words are inaudible. Then Adrian's voice is heard, weak and resigned: "Yes… I agree. When the time comes… I will fulfill the contract. Just… help me control my power."
Back to the present. Adrian raises his head and says, his voice devoid of hesitation, "So… this is the time you meant. I will not break my promise. I… surrender my body to you."
In an instant, his eyes changed color, and dragon-scale tattoos appeared, spreading across his right arm. He slowly rose, but the figure standing was not Adrian.
Side felt a pang in his chest and thought to himself, "I don't sense Adrian presence… so who is this?"
The dragon smiled and said in a deep voice, "Side… isn't that right? Let me introduce myself. I am the dragon that inhabited Adrian's body. You may call me… Darris. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"What happened to Adrian?" Side snapped.
"Adrian is no longer here," Darris replied. "He gave me his body, as our contract stipulated. And now… I'm here to test you, Side. Or rather… I wanted to test Saruto."
Side stiffened. "Test Saruto? Why? And have you ever met him?"
Daris was about to answer, but suddenly his body tensed, and his eyes widened. He felt as if someone were gripping his heart, and blood spurted from his mouth and eyes. He fell to his knees, coughing violently and murmuring, "I… I'm sorry, sir… I didn't mean to speak…"
Side watched in stunned silence, his thoughts racing: "Who is this master he's addressing?"
Side clenched his fists and assumed a fighting stance. "I don't care who you are or where you come from. There's a feeling… that I must destroy you."
He lunged at Darius, but Darius only smiled, unleashing a deadly energy that froze Side in place. In an instant, he moved in front of him and said coldly, "I haven't finished speaking yet… but if you can't wait, so be it."
He snapped his fingers, gathering immense power in his fist. "I want to speak with Saruto. You… have no business here."
He landed a single punch. Side body flew through the air, crashing into several shattered walls before landing amidst the rubble. He struggled to his feet, feeling the fusion's power crumble. "What did that idiot do? Why... is the fusion breaking down?"
He looked up;Darius was standing before him. "You haven't broken down yet? That's okay... you're strong, Side."
He placed his hand on Side shoulder, and a darkness the likes of which he had never seen enveloped him.
When the darkness lifted, Saruto was standing there. "How... did he cancel my fusion with Void?" Saruto thought to himself in disbelief.
Darius stared at him calmly. "I don't want to fight you. Sit down... let's talk for a bit."
Saruto hesitated, then asked, "What do you want to talk about? And... will Adrian come back?"
"No," Darius replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Adrian is finished. He surrendered his body, as we agreed."
He gestured to the ground in front of him. "Now... sit down. We have a long conversation to have."