The Draconic System: Rise of To Ascendance

Bullets rained down as Raizen pressed himself against the side of the transport, the scent of burning metal thick in the air. The silver-haired woman crouched beside him, her grip firm on the energy rifle she had taken from the fallen guard. She moved like a trained fighter—precise, composed.

"We're pinned," she muttered, scanning their surroundings.

Raizen's mind worked fast. The alley was narrow, with a few rooftop exits, but reinforcements were already flooding in from both ends. They couldn't afford a prolonged fight.

The system pulsed.

[Tactical Assessment: Evasion Recommended – Hostiles Incoming: 12]

"Not liking those odds," Raizen muttered. He reached into his belt and pulled out a smoke grenade, priming it before tossing it into the middle of the street. A burst of thick gray mist expanded instantly, obscuring their figures from enemy sights.

"This way!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the nearest building, a crumbling warehouse with rusted stairwells leading upward.

She didn't protest, following with swift steps as they climbed. Gunfire erupted below, stray rounds pinging off the metal staircase. Raizen gritted his teeth. They were fast, but House Valen's enforcers were faster.

As they reached the rooftop, Ayaka's voice came through his communicator. "I see you. Keep moving north—I'm sending a drone for pickup."

"On it," Raizen replied.

They sprinted across the rooftop, leaping over ventilation units and loose debris. The woman moved in sync with him, her agility almost unnatural.

Then, from the adjacent rooftop, a figure in dark combat gear landed before them, blocking their path.

House Valen's elite.

"Didn't think you'd slip away so easily," the enforcer said, raising a pulse blade. His stance was perfect—he wasn't just a thug, he was a killer.

Raizen didn't slow down. Instead, he launched himself forward, meeting the enforcer's blade with his own. Steel clashed against energy, sparks flying. The force sent a vibration up Raizen's arm, but he pressed forward.

The enforcer was skilled, but Raizen was faster. His Draconic instincts flared, enhancing his reflexes. He sidestepped the next attack, driving an elbow into the enforcer's ribs, then twisted and slammed his knee into his opponent's face.

The man staggered back, but before Raizen could finish him, the woman fired her energy rifle. A sharp blast hit the enforcer square in the chest, sending him toppling over the edge.

Raizen turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "I had that handled."

She smirked. "You were taking too long."

The drone arrived just as more reinforcements stormed the rooftop. Without hesitation, Raizen and the woman grabbed onto the drone's retracting cables, lifting them off the building just as another volley of gunfire ripped through the night.

As they soared through the sky, the woman glanced at him. "You never answered my question. Why did you save me?"

Raizen met her gaze, the city lights reflecting in her silver eyes. "Like I said—because you're interesting."

She studied him for a moment, then looked away, a small smirk playing on her lips.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.