The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

Epitaph of Titans

The battle between the two monstrous foes raged on, the dragonoid and Julius locked in a test of raw strength, their hands clamped tightly together. The dragonoid pushed harder, slowly gaining the advantage, yet Julius's calm, unreadable gaze never faltered.

In a blinding instant, Julius tore one hand free from the beast's grip and lashed out, the strike so fast it left a streak of light in its wake. The dragonoid's blood splattered into the air. But before Julius could press the attack, the creature's tail whipped around with instinctive speed, cutting through the air toward him. He narrowly evaded the blow.

Not giving his opponent the slightest chance to recover, Julius summoned blades from his invisible strings and drove them into the dragonoid again and again. Each impalement wracked the creature with pain, slowing its movements as agony overtook its body.

Then came a violent roar. In a flash, the dragonoid's body erupted in an overwhelming burst of light.

Astral Sovereignty: Solar Flare.

The searing brilliance engulfed everything, scorching the ground and air alike. Julius raised his arms instinctively, shielding his eyes from the glare that threatened to blind him.

The dragonoid lunged forward, seizing the moment. Its claws slammed into Julius—its first true, clean hit in the entire fight. At last, it had struck the so-called "Emperor Julius."

The impact hurled Julius backwards. As his vision cleared from the blinding assault, the dragonoid's claws carved through the air, manipulating vectors to create a force that shredded everything they touched.

Julius reacted quickly, weaving a dome of strings around himself. The attacks crashed against it, but could not pierce through. In one smooth motion, his strings exploded outward, slicing apart everything nearby. Without pause, he sent them whipping toward the dragonoid, ensnaring it completely.

Every swing of its claws was redirected. Every movement it attempted was halted or altered. Julius's mastery was absolute—he moved with the precision and grace of a puppeteer conducting an intricate performance.

The dragonoid flailed in frustration, but its every effort was met with flawless counters, each motion as deliberate and harmonious as a perfect note in a symphony.

For that stretch of time, the beast was no longer the predator. Julius was in control.

But as Julius bound the dragonoid in multiple layers of threads, something caught his attention—its regeneration had slowed.

Within the creature's mind, Alcmena's consciousness worked relentlessly, stripping away its strength bit by bit.

I can't let this creature keep growing, Alcmena thought grimly. The Dragon Seed is forcing an immense surge of ethereal energy—on par with a red ethereal core stage—into Xavier's body.

But this thing's core stage is still only green expert. Trying to mimic the power of someone stronger is reckless. I've already suppressed its transformation as much as I can, keeping it from fully reaching its dragon-human hybrid form. But if this continues, core corruption won't be the worst of it—the body will give out. And when that happens, Xavier dies.

Frustration burned in Alcmena's voice. This is my fault. I should have told him the truth—that I'm not the Alcmena he knew, but only a fragment of the original's will.

His thoughts wavered, bitter and heavy. If I'd told him... maybe he wouldn't have broken down. Maybe this transformation wouldn't have happened. Damn it... I let my emotions cloud my duty to protect him.

Outside, the fight pressed on. The dragonoid's aura swelled, raw and destructive, distorting the air. Julius tilted his head slightly, sensing the unnatural growth of its power.