Draconic King of Shadows

"He's mine to defeat, so keep your mundane weapon and filthy hands to yourself," a voice uttered coldly, staring at the student so hard it looked like he was going to bore a hole in him.

The student tried to move, and it was at that moment that he realised one of his arms was missing.

His eyes widened to their limit, and he let out a screech, falling to the ground and holding unto the stump that was once his arm.

Damion rolled to his feets quickly to see what was going on. He looked over and saw someone standing over the male student he was fighting a few seconds ago, and he couldn't help but wonder out loud…

"Just who the f**k are you?" he said.

This was the same student who had challenged him back in the combat class, now he was here again, cutting off the arm of someone.

Kenzo looked back at Damion with the same cold gaze.

Dragon's Authority was still active, but he didn't seem oppressed by it, and the skill wasn't negated either.

"You're too weak to know who I am… Defeat me and I'll tell you." Kenzo uttered.

Damion stood to his feet and flexed his arm. The blue blob securing his arm to his hip tore off, and he flung it aside.

"Do you think you can just walk up to me and tell me whatever you want?" Damion asked, the purple in his eyes glowing subtly.

"You serve a purpose in my life, and you will fulfill it whether you like it or not," Kenzo responded harshly.

"Sorry, but I'm not interested in men," Damion voiced out with a deep frown.

Kenzo snorted at Damion's remark, and he spoke again, not feeling offended. "You are a stepping stone that I must climb in order to reach the next level, and I will not let you lose your life to something this stupid."

Veins popped up on Damion's head, his frown deepening as he almost attacked the red-haired student before him.

He didn't get the full picture of what he was trying to pass across to him, but he understood that he was protecting him because he needed him for something. To be precise, he wanted to use him.

Damion felt angry at that realization, and his emotions spilled over. He hated being bullied, and being manipulated and used like he was a mere puppet pricked something within him.

However, before he could do something he might regret, a figure abruptly landed between them, and the two boys became alert and took a step back, raising their guard.

"Stop it, both of you!" A female voice was heard.

Damion felt another wave of heavy emotions assault him when he recognized that face. It was the girl who was caught staring at him in the combat class, before the system asked him a confusing question.

And speaking of the question…

[Candidate Drakaina has been found]

[Would the host like to bond?]

Damion stared in confusion, but before he had the chance to dwell on it for long, information flowed into his mind, and his face took on a light shade of red.

'So a Drakaina is basically my mate.' Damion thought. 'How does the system even recognize her as a candidate Drakaina? Because with the information I just received, only a female with a Draconic bloodline within them can become a Drakaina.'

'Or is it related to her ability?' Damion contemplated.

'Aside that, what would happen if I accept the bond?' Damion asked, but there was no answer this time. He shot the girl a glance, and he found her staring at him with the same red face.

'If I can gain an ally that'll help me fight, then I don't mind getting one through this means,' Damion pondered, taking in the details of her face. 'She seems strong too… and beautiful.'

His expression loosened and he smiled at her. This small gesture caused her to blush heavily, and the system seemingly reacted to it.

[Bonding in progress]

Damion's smile froze on his face, and the girl before him noticed it immediately.

Before any of them could react though, the eyes of Kenzo, the red-haired student with a sword, bounced between Damion and Matilda, and his frown deepened.

"Matilda, what are you doing here?!" he hollered.

Matilda, as Damion had come to know the girl's name was, gave Kenzo a deep stare and frowned back at him.

"You keep attacking people, and I came here to stop you from attacking anyone else." Matilda said.

The atmosphere became awkward, and Damion felt his cheeks heating up again. She was clearly talking about him.

Kenzo stared at Matilda in shock, then he faced Damion, his anger rising.

With this short interaction, he figured out that his twin sister, Matilda, had feelings for Damion.

"What did you do to my sister?" Kenzo asked as his grip on his sword got tighter.

"Why not come forward and ask me." Damion replied confidently.

He was already very angry at Kenzo, and with every word he spoke, he only wanted to beat him more and more.

The atmosphere was charged, and it almost seemed as if they were going to explode and start attacking each other at any moment.

Abruptly, before anyone could react, figures cloaked in blue and white clothing with masks of the same color, started appearing around them one by one, landing on the ground just ten meters away from them and surrounding at the trio.

Kenzo and Damion, as if having a tacit agreement, turned to face them at the same time, their frowns deepening.

Matilda didn't hide behind them as anyone expected, but did what no one thought she'd do… she stood in front of Damion to protect him.

"Oh! You're here," the leader of the group said with a creepy grin. "I expected you to be in your room, crying like a little girl."

His underlings laughed at these statements, and Damion's frown deepened further, the glow in his eyes turning darker.

"How's your body now?" the leader asked sarcastically. "Hope you're not feeling too sore from pain?"

"Oh I'm quite okay, but I doubt you'll understand that since your brain is the size of a wall nut," Damion retorted.

Instantly, silence fell over the vicinity like a dark veil. Matilda held a hand over her mouth and folded her lips, trying to suppress a laugh but to no avail. The same happened with some of the leader's underlings, if not for the mask they wore, their cover would have been blown.

The leader of the group gnashed his teeth hard and fast, and veins sprouted on his head like snakes. He had just been insulted by someone who he never expected to speak up for himself, and for some reason, it hit really hard.

"Beat them until they're one step away from death!!" he suddenly screamed and charged at the trio, letting out his bloodlust.