I Only Tame Dragons

Seraphina's movements were fueled by sheer willpower. She moved past the pain, past the exhaustion, refusing to surrender.

Horizon, though wounded, fought with unwavering precision. He wasn't tired. He wasn't faltering.

He was still at full power.

Seraphina knew, deep down, that there was little chance of victory.

But she would fight until the very end.

She swung her sword with everything she had left. Horizon matched her with equal force.

Their final attacks met—golden flames against dark energy.

And in the next instant—

Seraphina felt the impact slam into her chest.

Her vision blurred.

Her sword slipped from her grasp.

Her knees buckled.

Then, everything went silent.

She fell.

The host's voice rang through the arena in a resounding declaration.

"The victor—Horizon and Nyx's Guild!"

The crowd erupted into an earth-shaking roar, a mixture of cheers and stunned silence.

Seraphina lay on the frozen ground, her golden aura flickering before finally fading. Her breaths were slow, her body completely spent.

She gazed up at the sky, blinking as exhaustion took over.

She had lost.

And yet . . .

She smiled.

Horizon's shadow loomed over her as he knelt down, offering a hand. She didn't take it. Instead, she exhaled a small laugh, her voice weak but genuine.

"Thanks . . . for not going easy on me."

Her eyes stung. She didn't know if it was from exhaustion or something else. But as her vision faded to darkness, she welcomed the sleep.

From the start . . . there had been little chance of winning against him. It was a miracle that they had lasted this far.

Seraphina closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest. 'I'm sorry everyone . . . we've lost.'

The audience rose to their feet, applauding in a thunderous ovation for Seraphina and the Wingless Valkyries.

They had lost, but they had fought with everything they had. And for that, they had earned respect.

But not everyone was pleased.

In the shadows of the VIP stands, the Elven Elders clenched their fists, their expressions twisted in barely contained fury.

They had rigged the tournament to favor Wingless Valkyrie. They had thought that forcing a group battle would ensure their victory. But Nyx's Guild had only become stronger.

One of the Elders turned to the others, his voice a growl of frustration.

"We need to get rid of them. No matter what it takes."

As the cheers continued to echo through the arena, a new storm was brewing. This battle was over. But for Horizon and Nyx's Guild . . . the real fight had only just begun.

=== ===

The tension in the resting area was heavy, thick enough to be suffocating. Horizon and his team were still recovering, tending to their wounds and regaining their strength when an announcement suddenly blared across the arena.

"Nyx Guild will fight Brotherhood Legion next! All players, prepare within thirty minutes!"

Silence fell over the group.

"What? We barely even got to rest!" Lydia complained, throwing her hands up.

Von let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "They really want us to fail, huh?" His voice carried the weight of unspoken frustration. "They're not even waiting a full day. They want us to fight Brotherhood Legion while we're still exhausted. It's obvious."

Horizon's gaze shifted to his teammates.

Frigid was still recovering his HP and MP, his breathing slow and controlled as his ice-coated armor glowed faintly with restoration magic.

Silphie sat on the bench, lazily spooning another bite of dessert into her mouth, completely unbothered by the sudden announcement.

Von, despite his complaints, had already begun reloading his pistols, checking his ammunition with practiced ease.

Lydia was nervously tapping her fingers against her thigh, the only one openly showing concern.

And then, Horizon looked up at the massive screen displaying their next opponents.

Brotherhood Legion.

And at the roster—Tristan.

Horizon's fingers twitched against the hilt of his sword as memories came rushing back, bitter and sharp like broken glass.

He remembered the first time they met in ARK, the survival world where everything had been a battle just to exist. He had been alone back then—a silent, unapproachable figure that others avoided.

But Tristan had been different. He was the louder one, the extrovert, the type of person who had no trouble making friends. He was the first one to approach Horizon.

And after that? He stuck to him like glue.

He was the reason the others had stopped fearing Horizon. Because of him, Horizon wasn't alone anymore.

But in the end, Tristan had been the first to betray him.

When Horizon was no longer useful, when there was nothing left for Tristan to gain—he had left, just like that.

From the start, he had only ever been using him.

Horizon closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel the weight of those memories.

Then he opened them, pushing it all away. He would personally deal with him.

"Looks like we're really up against them," Von said, breaking the silence. He placed a hand on Horizon's shoulder, his grip firm. "I know we're not exactly in the best condition to fight, but on the bright side—once we beat them, we win this whole tournament and become champions."

Horizon didn't respond immediately. Instead, he studied Von for a long moment.

He had known Tristan all his life, and yet, in the end, he had never truly known what lay beneath his friendly smile.

What about Von?

Could he trust someone again?

There was only one way to find out.

Horizon exhaled, then spoke.

"Take a bite of the Giant Apple and let's get ready to win this."

Von smirked. "Now that's what I like to hear."

Frigid nodded, already rising to his feet. Silphie slurped up the last of her dessert, licking the spoon with a content hum.
Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

Lydia groaned, rubbing her temples. "Am I the only one feeling scared that we're about to fight the strongest guild in Eternia?"

No one answered.

Instead, they all began their preparations, their exhaustion pushed aside. This was the final battle. There was no room for fear.

While Nyx's Guild prepared, the outside world was in a frenzy.