Such an unpleasant sensation... Despite being still conscious, it was as if her entire body refused to head the commands her brain tried to send to it. Was this what people who were paralyzed tended to feel? The anger, the feeling at being so helpless... The Master of the Cult smirked at the duo as she descended from the back of the room. "Frustrating isn't it? Took us a lot of time and money to restore these ancient 'Dragon Killer' traps."

Ryuko's eyes narrowed. "Dragon killer?" The cultist leader's eyes widened in surprise. "You can still speak even with the trap active? Amazing! Or perhaps I should expect nothing less from the descendent of a divine dragon?"

Nozrum seemed to be in a similar state as she was, struggling against the restrains of the trap but it was a futile effort.

"Dragon killer~ In older days Dragon Hunters used to modify ballista with their projectiles using the same technology. If a Dragon got hit by one of these, even the slightest injury would paralyze their entire body making them ripe for the butchering~"

Such a vile invention! Ryuko's anger was clearly visible on her expression. "Of course at a place like this constructing a trap is more efficient, especially ever since Dragons started adopting human forms to conceal their true selves."

WC: 220
Total WC: 220/2000

Was this the end? Would they fail to stop the cult simply because she had been too reckless? If she had taken heed of Nozrum's warnings this would never have happened! Arrogance had gotten the better of her... "Well~ Truth to be told I'm glad the two of you came here to try to stop us. If you didn't we would never have been able to complete the ritual."

Wait what? Seeing their disbelief the master of the cult started to laugh. "Although the master was close to being resurrected, we never were able to gain enough power for the sacrifice to truly bring back his body at its peak. No... no amount of sacrifices could help us accomplish that. All because we were missing one vital ingredient..."

The master's eyes turned toward Ryuko, a step closer and she was almost affectionately stroking the dragon girl's cheek. "You see~ The one thing we were missing... was 'you'. A living dragon in the prime of her life. With your essence we will finally revive Vortigern!"

The woman reached for a scarlet spear that was impaled into the ground at the center of the sanctum. Just a mere glance at the spear suggested it was some sort of relic, a weapon with a magical power but what? Wait, that uneasy feeling... Was this the weapon of a Dragon Slayer? Not even her scales would help her protect from such an attack.

"Any last words?" The Master chimed in amusement, brandishing the crimson spear. Ryuko merely glared at her, but to her surprise she heard feeble whispers from beside her. "P-please don't! Take my life instead!"

The Master turned her gaze toward Nozrum, a thoughtful frown on her face as she stepped closer toward the duo. "Hmm, as tempting as killing Vortigern's nemesis would be... The master wants you alive~ So nope! Can't do~"

And with these words the master of the cult made a violent thrust with the crimson spear. The moment the spear impaled itself into her chest Ryuko could feel a sharp agonizing pain coursing through her entire being. Something... something was being drained from her... Was it the blessing of the Galaxy Dragon? As the spear finally withdrew pulsing red with life, her life Ryuko's body felt on the ground with a harsh thud. The last thing she could see before her vision turned black was Nozrum letting out a piercing cry of grief and anger as his body became consumed by rage and he transformed into a gigantic dragon, severing the restrains of the trap...

Was...
this...
the end?

WC: 440
Total WC: 660/2000

Darkness... Darkness as far as her eyes could see. And yet despite that it wasn't like a pitch-black darkness. Rather it could be easier described as being among the stars. There was the faint illumination of the stars in the distance, and yet to her surprise, she was standing on a solid surface. Was this surface made of rock? Did that mean she was standing on a meteor?

"You're thinking of so many questions, but none of them are the ones that matter~"

A soft giggle resounded from behind her, and turning around Ryuko spotted the sight of a figure that made her freeze on the spot. For a moment she almost even forgot to breath. If it had been the reflection of a mirror, or the surface of a lake she would have understood. But since it was neither she had to admit she was quite unnerved. To see a woman resembling her almost identically aside from the fact her scales, horns and wings were a obsidian color was confusing to say the least.

"Who are you?" Ryuko's question earned a grin from the lookalike. "Now that is a question in the right direction~ You could say that 'I' am 'You'. Or rather the you that was sealed here for the longest of times."

Sealed? Why in the world would someone seal a part of her in this place? If anything what even was this place? "Your soul~ Or close to it, you see~ when that cultist bitch impaled us with her stick she also ended up draining the powers of the Galaxy dragon from us. Which... by the way was what empowered this seal."

Ryuko dropped her shoulders in defeat. "Wait, did that mean I really died?" The lookalike chuckled in amusement. "News flash: People die when they are killed Ryuko~ Getting your heart impaled by a Dragon Slayer weapon is one hell of a way to reach the bad end."

Ryuko couldn't help but find herself growing frustrated. "You mean I'll never be able to snuggle Maple again? Now that I finally found such a lovely person to stay with?!"

Ryuko clearly seemed angry, or was it desperate? She fell onto her knees, hands to the side of her head where her horns were and groaned in protest. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE AS A VIRGIN!!!"

To which the lookalike looked briefly flabbergasted but soon started laughing hysterically. "That is what you're upset about? Your 'father' kept such secrets from you, some cultist no-name bitch ended up killing you and what your most upset about is the fact you didn't get to enjoy invading Maple's pillow fortress? God I dunno what to do with you~"

Ryuko couldn't help but glare at the lookalike: "If you're me, then that means you're still a virgin as well..." To which the Lookalike merely snickered. "Point taken~ so what do you propose for me to do? Shall we finally stop this nonsense and go onto the topic of why you're here? You do realize Norzum is fighting a losing battle at this moment?"

WC: 520
Total WC:1180/2000

Finally having calmed down Ryuko nodded her head lightly in response to the lookalike's words. "You see Ryuko, the reason you're here right now is because as mentioned before is that the seal that was placed upon us is finally broken."

Ryuko tilted her head to the side in bewilderment. "Why was there a seal placed upon me?" Upon hearing these words the lookalike merely scoffed in annoyance. "If I had to make a guess I would blame fear for it. You see Ryuko, all this time you been lied to when it comes to your origins. They say you're the child of the mighty Shinryu, and a demigoddess mother, but that is merely a fable. They are your foster parents."

Foster parents? That made no sense! "That is ridiculous! Then how do you claim the fact I struggle to maintain my dragon form? I can't sustain my true form because of the fact I'm a half-breed."

Yet the lookalike shook her head firmly. "Another logical lie, the reason you can't sustain your true form is because of your true identity. Haven't you wondered why despite being such a goodie two shoes you sometimes get overwhelmed by a rush of bloodlust that feels out of place?"

While she didn't exactly feel happy about being called a 'goodie-two shoes' Ryuko had to admit there had indeed been moments like these in her life...

WC: 240
Total WC: 1420/2000

"That is because of who you truly are. You aren't carrying Shinryu's legacy, nonono." The lookalike shook her head lightly. "You are the Oblivion Dragon." The words hit her like a brick, she had never even heard of that dragon before! What even was the Oblivion Dragon? Did it even matter now that she died? But in response to these thoughts, the figure chuckled softly. "Yeah, most would have their epilogue right about now. However, in your case one of your powers allowed you to steel the muscles around your heart, making it so that rather than outright killing you, the spear only destroyed the seal that was formed from the Galaxy Dragon's blessing that came in the form of a Lacrima."

Tilting her head slightly to the side in bewilderment Ryuko understood at least a few things: First and foremost: She didn't die yet, which meant she could still do certain important things. The second thing was the fact she seemingly was not who she thought she had been all this time?

"That's part of it aye, the rest you'll have to uncover yourself. But before you can even hope to accomplish something like that you will need to gain control over your impulsive desire to bring destruction. If you can't do that then you will become a walking calamity that will threaten all you hold dear."

Ryuko nodded her head firmly in agreement. There was no way she would allow such a thing to happen! "Well, your body has recovered enough, so try to avoid returning here anytime soon, okay?"

As if on cue the dreamscape started to shift and distort again. Meanwhile in the sanctuary legions of cultists rallied to their master, hoping to overwhelm the dragon that was rampaging through sheer numbers.

It didn't seem to be an effective strategy, but at least it was buying their master enough time to reach to the frozen corpse of Vortigern. Once more that sickening sensation came, of a wave of energy that coursed through the air, a dragon's roar. Nozrum turned toward the direction the master was in, attempting to break free from the cultists warming around him like gnats.

However, it was at the same time he sensed something else. A small pulse, like a heartbeat. It grew in frequency and intensity, and for a moment Nozrum turned his gaze toward the corpse of his fallen companion. "Ryuko..." Wait, were her scales always black? He could have sworn they were a shade of dark red before, and the injury on her torso seemingly had disappeared?! What type of wizardry was going on here?!

However, his momentary distraction had proven to be fatal, for the master of the cult reached for Vortigern's corpse and planted the beating lacrima into its frozen corpse.

Badum... Badum... With disbelief Nozrum watched how the ice melted away and the skeleton of the dragon started to regain its flesh, muscle, tissue, scale, everything was returning as if time was rewinding for the dragon.

"Finally! At long last!" The cultist's leader laughed maniacally as Nozrum lunged with a claw toward her, but in the same instant he felt his clawed front leg being bashed into the ground by the heavier body of the resurrected Vortigern.

"How long... has it been Nozrum?"

Nozrum's eyes narrowed in a glare. "Vortigern..." the worst possible outcome had become a reality at last: The dragon Vortigern had been revived!

WC: 580
Total WC: 2000/2000