Chapter 44: Ruler’s Will
The Artemis Forest belonged to the fairies and their sentinel, yet none of that mattered as Jett faced the sapphire dragon. These two powerhouses eclipsed every other soul in the clearing—their mere presence made seasoned warriors forget to breathe. When the dragon declared he could—and would—look down on Jett, the tension spiked, freezing people and monsters alike.
"First dragon I met was cool and sharp—but you’re the classic stubborn drake. Can’t talk you down, so let’s just throw down." Jett curled his lips into a smirk.
I’m about to fight a dragon, and I’m not even sweating. Mia and Noctlisa raised the bar. I can’t lag behind—I have to outshine everyone.
Black, undulating streaks coiled at his feet, swelling into a lean cloud that swallowed him whole; a crackle of static lifted the hairs on his arms as a sudden chill swept over his skin. Sound vanished—even the green lightning snapping inside the darkness was silent—and then he was gone.
As he blasted across the battlefield, nobody sensed him. Even the strongest fighters registered only a black flicker. The hero woman gasped—her eyes whipped after the black streak, yet even she couldn’t follow it.
Jett, however, saw every detail: monster corpses, terrified lizardfolk and wyverns, confused humans, stunned fairies, a gawking hero, and a regal fairy who seemed to rule the forest. Skirting past them all, he planted a foot on a massive gray trunk and rocketed up its bark in a silent sonic boom. At the crown he kicked off a branch, green lightning flaring, and shot above the dragon’s muzzle.
"Arrogant human! You dare bare yourself before my fury!" The dragon’s jaws gaped, a whirlpool of water swirling in his throat.
He unleashed his roar in one blast, the torrent surging toward Jett like a tidal cannon that hammered the air flat.
"Never planned to hide," Jett said. The shadow cloud peeled away as he rolled mid‑air, right arm cocked behind him. Crimson lightning cracked in his palm, stretching into a radiant spear.