The island of Luluhawa had become a sanctuary for the weary dragon slayer. Far removed from the confines of Era and the demands of the Rune Knights, Tōga found solace on the sunny shores. He would sit peacefully on the beach, isolated in the middle of the vast ocean, free from the worries of the world. The warm rays of the sun enveloped him like a comforting embrace as he basked in their glow. Digging his toes into the soft, golden sands, he relished the heat radiating up from below. His auburn eyes were transfixed by the azure expanse of the sea stretching endlessly before him. Here on the island's tranquil shores, Tōga had found a respite, a place to call home, if only for the moment. The rhythmic crash of the waves washed away his cares, leaving behind a sense of belonging.

Having been granted a few extra days of leave, Tōga was determined to savor every last moment on the island before returning to his duties. Though he had tired himself with the endless quests and missions assigned by the Rune Knights and Luluhawa patrons, the dragon slayer now relished the chance to rest and rejuvenate.

As he gazed out across the serene seascape, a gentle breeze rolled in, ruffling his pink, spiky mane into a tamed whirlwind atop his head. The salty air filled his lungs, invigorating him. The soothing sounds of the waves washing over the sandy shores calmed his weary mind. He closed his eyes and tilted his face towards the sun, feeling its warm rays reenergize his spirit. For these precious, fleeting days, Tōga could forget about reality and just be at one with the island. The demands of the knights and patrons seemed part of another world entirely. Here, there were only the rhythmic tides, the wheeling gulls, and the light caress of the ocean spray. He vowed to appreciate every sunset, savor every swim, and breathe in the tranquility before returning to duty.

"This is l-" Tōga's words halted abruptly as his nose caught a familiar scent. From the dense forest behind him, the dragon slayer sensed a presence approaching. He turned, keen auburn eyes scanning the tree line yet finding nothing amiss in the emerald shadows. However, his heightened sense of smell told a different story. Though unseen, Tōga knew with certainty that someone or something was drawing near. The faint disturbance in the island air prickled his awareness like a looming storm.

---

Suspicion danced a delicate waltz, both alluring and ominous. At times, it whispered lifesaving warnings, urging escape from destructive forces that lurked within the world and within our own minds. Heeding those invisible messages allowed people to see another day. Yet suspicion also sang a siren song of distrust, urging us to view even potential friends as enemies. This fickle companion offered protection, but also isolation. We had to listen carefully to know when to embrace its guidance and when to resist its barbed embrace. Suspicion was a necessary, if troublesome, traveler on life's journey. With care, we could accept its aid without letting it poison our view of humanity.

Tōga had long learned to trust the instincts that flowed through his body like muscle memory. So when the shadows beneath the forest canopy stirred, he turned calmly, unsurprised as they birthed both man and companion into the open air. Unrushed, he began closing the gap, crossing the beach with steady strides. Tōga's gaze remained relaxed yet focused, taking in each new arrival. While they emerged from darkness, he walked in light, guided by an inner voice that had yet to lead him astray. He listened to its familiar refrain once more as the distance narrowed and their paths converged. Whatever stories these strangers carried with them, Tōga knew his instincts would unveil the truth. He had faith in the silent songs that only he could hear.

"I'm fine," Tōga declares with an easy smile. Though his words are light, his senses remain sharply tuned to the newcomer. An eyebrow lifts in curiosity as he asks, "You're a dragon slayer too?" While his tone holds only interest, Tōga's mind churns with quiet analysis. He brushes excess sand from his clothing unhurriedly, buying time to study the stranger. Tōga keeps his face friendly, not betraying the swift calculations behind his gaze. There is power here beneath the surface, a simmering magic he recognizes in his blood. But its nature remains veiled, hidden beneath the cloak of civility they both wear. Tōga will continue this delicate dance - conversation flowing over carefully chosen steps - until the truth is revealed. For now, he keeps his words weighted only with a simple, disarming smile.

“I guess we smelt each other than – nice to meet ya,”

---

wc: 382 [794]

The beach fell under the shadow of the enigmatic stranger, whose presence exuded a foreboding benevolence. Though the sun hung high in the sky, its warmth paled against the sweltering intensity that emanated from this imposing figure standing before Tōga. An aura of might enveloped the man like a haze, as stifling as it was merciless.

"I'm Tōga – and you are?" the dragon slayer introduced himself cordially, though his muscles tensed beneath his smile, bracing for the confrontation to come. His gaze followed the strange man's companion as it leapt down from its perch, withdrawing to a safer distance. The intent behind this encounter now seemed clear - this was no friendly visit. Tōga's pink hair fluttered as he watched the mysterious figure warily. He had crossed paths with others of his ilk before; this man marked the fourth dragon slayer to challenge Tōga's strength. But it was the next words uttered in that ominous voice that put the Rune Knight on high alert, confirming that a clash was imminent.

"You do what?" Tōga echoed incredulously, blindsided by the implication. This mysterious dragon slayer had a draconian ability the likes of which Tōga had never encountered - the power to rob others of their dragon slaying magic. Though the stranger claimed their meeting would not deprive Tōga of his own gifts, the very prospect unsettled him deeply. Tōga met the man's bold proclamation with widening, wary eyes. The casual certainty in that ominous voice betrayed his absolute control here on this beach, heightening the dread creeping over Tōga. He was ensnared, that much seemed clear; no simple escape awaited him from this predicament.

"Tell me this," Tōga pivoted, toes sinking into soft sand as he strode ten meters back towards the lapping tide. He turned to face the ominous stranger once more, eyes glinting. "Are you really giving me a choice?" His smile belied the flame smoldering within. Here on this deserted beach, there was no one to overhear the damning words just spoken - no one to intervene. The stranger had revealed his ruthless purpose and singular might. Such knowledge was not freely given, but taken as one takes a prize. This isolated shore was not meant for idle conversation. It was a dragon's hunting ground, and Tōga's fate had already been sealed. Though his blazing spirit rebelled against the inevitable, the hunter had cornered its prey. The outcome was certain - the only question was how long Tōga could stave off the looming eclipse of his power.

"But a good fight sounds fun - I accept." Tōga's words rang with defiance, seizing some small agency in the face of his inevitable outcome. The stranger had orchestrated this rendezvous from the outset, yet Tōga refused to let his acquiescence appear forced. If his fate was sealed, he would meet it with fiery spirit unbroken. The terms were no longer his to dictate, but he claimed this one concession - feigning free will in the face of inexorable defeat.

Only ten meters spanned the distance between the two dragon slayers, their arena the endless golden shore stretching beyond sight. Tōga surveyed the tranquil expanse, picturing the destruction soon to be unleashed by their warring gifts. The beach would bear the scars of their brewing battle, its sands churned and scattered by the fury of their attacks. How would the landscape appear when their duel finally came to its bitter end?

---

wc: 570 [1364]

Drakkon, an apt name for one entranced by the arcane powers of the elusive dragons seldom seen in Earthland. Tōga gazed across the sandy shore at his unlikely companion, who elaborated further on his purpose. This only brought a smile to the Rune Knight's face. "Well I hope I only don’t just see ya for the occasional fight and new spells --- we can be friends too, ya know?" Tōga offered as he limbered up, the two continuing their discourse unhurriedly. Finally, with a dramatic flourish, Drakkon strode onto the beach, signaling that the time for talk was over. The duel was at hand.

Tōga's auburn eyes watched intently as Drakkon drew a katana from his belongings. In response, Tōga tensed, magic swirling within him, poised to unleash at his command. But the wait was brief, as Drakkon rushed forth, blade in hand, attempting a sweeping horizontal strike. An invisible frosty force tugged at Tōga, slowing his reactions. Though not fully impeded, Tōga had but one option - he dropped down, the singing steel slicing overhead as his fists surged with fiery magic. The duel had begun in earnest, occult forces tangling with martial prowess. Now it would come down to skill and guile to decide the victor. As he ducked, magic circles blazed to life on Tōga's knuckles in tandem.

Dodging directly would leave Tōga exposed to a counter-attack, with Drakkon's freed right hand making the left-handed slash clearly a feint. Unconventional action was required. Karyū: Honō no Tsubasa! comes to life. Flames erupted from Tōga's hands, scorching the sand as if a ship taking flight. Propelled forward, Tōga sought to press his advantage, driving his shoulder towards Drakkon's chest to launch them skyward in a fiery eruption, their duel ascended. If the blow connected, the pair would be rocketed aloft, disengaging in midair - such was Tōga's gambit. Resolve and improvisation collided in a contest of will and cunning, far removed from the earthbound start.

---

wc: 324 [1688]

Log:

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The inferno raged around them as Tōga lunged, excitement flaring in his eyes as his shoulder met its mark. Drakkon flew backwards amidst the explosion, orange flames billowing in his wake. Seizing the opportunity, the dragon slayer readied his next attack, recognizing he had the upper hand. As Tōga inhaled deeply to unleash another fiery blast, the flames around his hands flickered and faded, as if being slowly sucked away. Shock widened his eyes as realization dawned - Drakkon was devouring his fire. Tōga could only watch helplessly as the dragon gulped down the inferno, the crackling heat and smoke disappearing into the cavernous maw. The tables had turned in an instant, and now it was Drakkon's eyes that glinted with feral anticipation, while Tōga was left grasping at embers. The hunter had become the hunted.

"Tch!" Tōga clicked his tongue in annoyance as gravity seized him, their ascent cut short. He plummeted before Drakkon, eyes tracking the dragon's every move. When Drakkon drew his sectum weapon, Tōga was ready. "No problem!" He grinned fiercely, firing his propulsion technique just as the slash cleaved the air where he had been. For a moment he thought he had evaded the attack. But as he shot away, shock froze his features.

The air tore open without warning, a tempest of infinite blades assaulting them from all sides. Tōga's eyes widened as the mystical slashes closed in, crisscrossing through the skies. He twisted and turned, desperately maneuvering through the maelstrom, but the attacks were relentless. Blades glanced off his armor in sparks as he narrowly dodged and weaved. But it was only a matter of time. With a cry of pain, the slashes found their mark, bombarding Tōga from all directions. He was buffeted by the merciless strikes, unable to defend against their overwhelming onslaught. Again and again the mystic blades slashed into him, a hurricane of sharp edges hungry for violence. Blood sprayed amidst the chaos as Tōga's cries echoed through the eye of the storm. Trapped within the vortex of lacerating steel, it felt as though an eternity passed before the tempest finally dissipated.

Tōga slammed into the sand, his battered body carving a furrow into the dunes. Shredded cloth and skin bore testament to the barrage of dimensional slashes. He struggled to rise, fingers clawing at the grains beneath him for leverage. "W-What happened?" he gasped, shakes wracking his frame. Drakkon touched down nearby, his descent complete. Tōga's mind reeled, trying to make sense of the onslaught. The mystic blades had descended so quickly, slicing through his defenses with ease. He had been utterly unprepared, outmaneuvered and outmatched.

"You're tough..." Tōga panted, rising to his feet. "Those attacks...I've never seen anything like them. And you - a dragon slayer that consumes other dragons. Amazing!"

A glint entered Tōga's eyes as he regarded his foe anew. All the pain and humiliation seemed to slip away, replaced by fiery excitement. Here was a truly worthy opponent, one who could push Tōga to his limits and reveal new heights of power. He straightened, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Well don't hold back now, Drakkon! Show me what else you've got!" Tōga slid into a ready stance, muscles coiled, a grin stretching his lips. His mind raced ahead, formulating plans, searching for an opening.

This was the thrill of battle he lived for. To be challenged, to innovate, to evolve. With an opponent like this, Tōga knew he would find the edge he needed. Drakkon had awakened something within him. The true battle was only just beginning.

---

wc: 593[2281]

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Tōga's chest heaved with laborious breaths, each inhalation a struggle, each exhalation a relief. Blood seeped from countless gashes, his body a battered patchwork of cuts and bruises. The vicious barrage of dimensional slashes had pushed him to his limit, sapping his strength as crimson pooled beneath his feet. Yet through sheer force of will, the wounded Dragon Slayer remained on his feet. Across from him stood the mage, magic swirling menacingly around his hands. Tōga keenly felt the vast gulf between their power, as wide and deep as the ocean at their backs. He had given his all, but it was not enough. The difference in their strength was an unbridgeable chasm. Like the relentless waves beating against the shore, defeat crashed toward Tōga in an ireful surge. But in his eyes burned the last embers of defiance, refusing to waver before the storm.

Drakkon's pride was evident in his willingness to converse, unaffected by his decisive advantage. He entertained Tōga's questions with a magnanimity as unnatural as the yawning gap between their might. Perhaps this was his twisted way of repaying Tōga for the futile struggle, for the hopeless stand against oblivion.

Their paths crossing this day had sealed Tōga's fate. The outcome was decided from the moment they met upon the lonely beach. Any future encounter would likely end the same - with Tōga broken and bleeding before the might of Drakkon. What madness had driven Tōga to this? What compelled him to stand alone before the roiling magic and pitiless power of Drakkon? He was one man challenging the tide, knowing full well he would be swept away. Yet some inner fire refused to let him flee, refused to let him bend the knee or cower in fear. That same flame flickered in Tōga's eyes now, defiant to the last. Come what may, he would face it on his feet, unyielding as stone. This day may see his defeat, but it would not see his surrender.

Tōga banished the dark doubts from his mind, steely focus returning as he watched Drakkon sheathe one sword and grip the other in his left hand The blade still shimmered from its previous impossible onslaught. Tōga braced himself as magical energy coalesced around Drakkon - the prelude to another devastating attack.

With a roar, Drakkon unleashed the power he had summoned, intent on ending the battle with a single decisive strike. The world seemed to warp and twist as the attack tore through the air toward Tōga. He stood firm, beholding the lethal beauty of the magic that sought to end him. This was the moment. Victory or defeat hung by a thread, pivoting on his response to Drakkon's attack. All his will, all his power was bent toward withstanding the blow through sheer force of spirit. This battle was not yet finished. Tōga's flame still flickered, diminished but not extinguished.

Flames burst forth in a glowing spell circle at Tōga's feet, a pillar of fire erupting upward in a desperate bid to intercept Drakkon's attack. But the oncoming magic cleaved through the fiery shield as though it were paper, scattering embers in its wake. “Argh!” Tōga's cry of pain rent the air as the attack slammed into him, its force hurling him backward. For a heartbeat he was airborne, suspended motionless as the sea loomed behind him. Then he fell, trailing smoke and ash, to plunge beneath the chilling waters. The surface foamed and roiled where he disappeared into its inky depths.

Above, the last flickers of Tōga's defensive spell guttered out, rendered insignificant by Drakkon's power. Its caster now lay somewhere in the darkened waters, broken and sinking. Yet even as the icy ocean rushed to embrace him, Tōga's spirit burned on.

---

wc: 624 [2905]

Log:

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Tōga fought valiantly. It was all he could do, all he knew. To admit defeat, even against insurmountable odds, would be a blemish on his character, and a contradiction to his spirit. In his mind, going out in a blaze of glory, smiling as death approached him would be infinitely more fulfilling than cowering away, evading death in the process.

As the frigid waters enveloped him, Tōga surrendered to the consequences of his folly. The crushing depths dragged him into murky oblivion, yet he felt no fear in this midnight realm. His body went limp, racked by injuries and drifting into quiet slumber as his consciousness faded. This seemed an end befitting of his proud warrior's heart. But fate had other plans, it seemed. Drakkon, his new friend and enemy, snatched Tōga's limp body from the depths in an unexpected act of mercy. Though Drakkon had been the one to lay Tōga low in the first place, some glimmer of conscience compelled him to now preserve the life he had nearly extinguished.

Tōga awoke later in an unfamiliar place of healing, saved from drowning by the very foe who had sealed his defeat. Drakkon, for his part, had accomplished what he came for, claiming new power while leaving Tōga battered in mind and body. A strange balance was struck that day between the two rivals, bitterness and mercy entwined. Though Tōga survived, the battle left him diminished as Drakkon's might grew. An odd twist of fortune from their fateful encounter.

---

THREAD END