บท 25: Draugrheim, the Wraithlord of Helheim
Hadrian and Sieg entered the darkened hall, their footsteps echoing as they took in the vast, shadow-drenched chamber before them. The room pulsed with dark, malevolent energy, and they could both sense it—an unsettling presence that watched them and reveled in their arrival.
At the far end of the room, shrouded in decaying robes and twisted armor, stood Draugrheim, the Wraithlord of Helheim. His skeletal face was half-hidden beneath a cracked iron helm adorned with antlers inscribed with runes, and his hollow, blue eyes blazed with twisted joy as he regarded them.
The necromancer spread his arms in mock welcome. "Ah, two half-breeds playing at heroics," he sneered, his voice a mocking echo that seemed to emanate from the shadows themselves. "A devil's spawn… and a dragon's bastard child." His tone dripped with dark amusement, the twisted grin on his face reveling in the secrets he knew.
Hadrian and Sieg exchanged a quick look. They both knew neither was fully human from the moment they met. Sieg, with his enhanced perception, had sensed the demonic energy radiating from Hadrian, and Hadrian, through instinct and subtle cues, had known that Sieg carried something ancient and powerful in his blood. They'd chosen to ignore it, until now.
Hadrian tilted his head, smirking as he raised his wand. "Nice trick with the bones. It'll make it that much more satisfying when we shut you up."
Draugrheim chuckled, his eyes narrowing. "Amusing. But I am Draugrheim, the Wraithlord of Helheim," he announced, his voice booming with an eerie resonance. "I command the power of the dead, the might of Hel's legions. You two are nothing but dust before me."
With a twisted gesture, Draugrheim summoned a surge of necromantic energy. The floor around him began to tremble, bones scattered across the chamber knitting together and forming the hulking mass of a skeletal dragon. Its ribcage arched like the ribs of a fallen fortress, and its eyes flared to life with cold, blue flames as it turned its gaze toward Sieg.
"Let's see how you fare against my creation, half-blood," Draugrheim sneered. "Face Helheim's Bone Dragon, dragon's mutt."
Sieg's eyes darkened, his grip tightening on Balmung. He shot Hadrian a quick glance. "Take him down. I'll handle this."
"Don't have too much fun," Hadrian quipped, already stepping forward to face Draugrheim. Sieg gave a sharp nod before lunging toward the Bone Dragon, his movements fierce and deliberate.
The Bone Dragon's roar filled the chamber as it lunged, clawed feet scraping against the stone floor as it swept its massive tail toward Sieg. Sieg ducked low, sidestepping with a burst of speed, and with a powerful swing, he brought Balmung down onto the dragon's foreleg, shattering part of its bone structure. Yet the dragon reformed, its bones knitting together almost instantly, dark energy pulsing through its frame.
"So, you can keep up?" Sieg muttered, his eyes narrowing. He darted around the dragon, Balmung slicing through air and bone alike, yet Draugrheim's magic sustained the creature, each strike barely slowing it down.
The Bone Dragon retaliated with a blast of icy breath, forcing Sieg to retreat. It was relentless, a walking fortress of bone and necromantic power, and Sieg could feel its malevolent intent as it pressed its advantage.
"Let's see if you can keep this up," Sieg growled, his grip tightening as he launched himself back into the fray, his strikes precise, each one aimed at the creature's weak points, determined to wear it down.
As Sieg clashed with the Bone Dragon, Hadrian moved in on Draugrheim, his wand raised and ready. Draugrheim's twisted smile widened, his skeletal fingers flexing as he summoned tendrils of shadow to coil around his hands.
"So, the spawn of Sparda thinks he can stand against Helheim's champion?" Draugrheim mocked, his tone dripping with scorn. "You're nothing more than a half-breed curiosity."
Hadrian smirked. "Funny. I was thinking you looked like a half-baked experiment yourself." Without waiting for a reply, he cast "Atria Petrificus," sending a wide-area petrification spell that surged toward Draugrheim. But the necromancer merely waved a hand, dissipating the spell with a sneer.
"Oh, you'll need much more than that," Draugrheim laughed. In a blur, he summoned shadowy blades, sending them hurtling toward Hadrian with lethal precision.
Hadrian countered with "Protego Diabolica," summoning a wall of cursed flames that deflected the blades. He used the moment to close in, his eyes locked on Draugrheim, intent and unyielding.
Just as he was about to strike, he summoned his twin swords, Kanshou and Bakuya, their black-white edges gleaming with deadly purpose.
Draugrheim's mocking grin faltered, his hollow eyes widening as he stepped back. "No! Stay back, you—"
But just as Hadrian moved in for the killing blow, a sudden force stopped his blades. Shocked, he looked up to find another figure standing between him and Draugrheim—a warrior clad in obsidian-black armor adorned with intricate golden inlays, glowing runes pulsing along the surface.
Draugrheim's shocked silence broke into laughter, his relief palpable. "Jin! You arrived just in time! I was nearly bested by this child."
Jin, the armored figure, didn't turn. His eyes, piercing silver beneath his helm, fixed on Hadrian with a calm intensity. But his voice, low and venomous, addressed Draugrheim. "Shut up, you pathetic wretch. You couldn't keep two boys from meddling with our plans?"
Draugrheim's laughter faltered, his expression turning to one of embarrassment and anger. "I—I was only testing them," he muttered, but Jin's dismissive glare silenced him.
Jin's gaze flicked back to Hadrian, his eyes narrowing. "The spawn of Sparda…" he murmured, his tone cold. But as he studied Hadrian's features, his expression shifted, and his body went rigid. A flicker of recognition dawned in his eyes, followed by an overwhelming, ancient rage.
"Peverell…" Jin's voice became a low growl, building into a rumbling, furious roar. The very air grew dense, charged with energy so potent that both Draugrheim and Hadrian froze, momentarily stunned by the sheer intensity of it.
With a flash of motion, Jin disappeared from where he stood, only to reappear directly before Hadrian. Hadrian barely had time to react before Jin's armored fist connected with his chest, the force of the blow sending him hurtling backward through the chamber wall with a deafening crash. Stone and dust exploded from the impact, and Hadrian's body disappeared through the rubble into the next room.
Draugrheim's eyes widened, both shocked and delighted. But his glee was cut short as Jin stepped toward the gaping hole in the wall, his focus solely on the fallen Hadrian.
"Jin! Excellent work! Now, together, we can—"
Jin's voice cut through, cold and dripping with disgust. "Be silent, Draugrheim. You are nothing but a tool." Without another glance at the necromancer, Jin stepped through the hole in the wall, following Hadrian with deadly intent.
The chamber was left silent, save for the distant sounds of Jin and Hadrian's clash echoing through the stone halls. Draugrheim turned, a look of bitter fury twisting his decayed features as he cast a hateful gaze toward Sieg, who remained, sword raised, as the Bone Dragon loomed over him.
Draugrheim sneered. "Looks like your friend found himself a playmate. Pity he couldn't handle the company."
Sieg didn't respond, his head bowed, his hair casting shadows over his eyes. But as he stood there, an almost tangible pressure began to emanate from him, filling the chamber with a potent, deadly intent. The air grew thick, and heavy with the promise of violence.
The Bone Dragon stilled, sensing the change. Draugrheim's smirk faltered, confusion turning to fear as he took an instinctive step back.
Sieg lifted his head, the shadows falling away to reveal his eyes—once a striking blood-red, now transformed into a piercing greenish-grey with dragon-like slits. Dark scales began to form along his jaw and neck, catching the light, while sharp fangs glinted between his lips. The transformation was subtle yet undeniable—a glimpse of the ancient, powerful force that surged within him.
"Your games end here," Sieg said, his voice a low, controlled growl that vibrated through the chamber.
The Wraithlord of Helheim, for the first time, felt a spark of genuine fear as Sieg's killing intent washed over him, chilling him to his very bones.
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