Reid watched in awe as the two forces of nature clashed. He knew he couldn't hope to survive an attack from any of the two at his current rank.
This made his determination to get stronger burn brighter. Platinum-tier was the pinnacle known to man kind. A rank so rarely seen that the amount of tamers in it could be counted in one hand.
'Getting the people as far away as possible was the right decision' Reid thought as he watched the destruction caused by the fight.
He watched as Raio baited the dragon into diving, quickly dodging and delivering an attack.
But the tables were suddenly turned and the dragon was able to land an attack, sending both Raio and Scrappy into one of the Scrapyard buildings.
The dragon prepared a follow up attack and Reid knew he had to do something. He wasn't sure what he planned would work but he tried anyway.
"Rusty, use [delayed reaction] on it" he ordered who immediately obliged.
The skill activated but it lasted no longer than a second, only annoying the dragon but that second was all Scrappy and Raio needed.
Raio quickly moved Scrappy out of the attack's, which ripped through the building they crashed in, path.
Scrappy groaned as he brushed dust from his jacket with a grimace. Raio growled lowly, arcs of lightning dancing across its glowing blue fur.
"That thing hits like a damn freight train," Scrappy muttered, rolling his shoulder to loosen the tension.
The dragon hovered above, its eyes fixed on the pair. With a deafening roar, it prepared for another attack, the air vibrating with the sheer power radiating from its form.
"Yeah yeah, you're smug cuz you landed an attack" Scrappy said in a light tone. He adjusted his stance, glancing at Raio. "You ready for this, boy?"
The dragon roared as it launched a blast of razor-sharp wind, aiming to obliterate them.
"Raio, shield!" Scrappy barked.
Lightning crackled as a dome of energy formed, glowing faintly with an electric hum and shield them both.
The dragon unleashed another attack—a concentrated blast of compressed air that ripped through the ground like a cannon shot.
The blast collided with Raio's shield, dispersing into harmless currents that ruffled Scrappy's coat.
"Good. It's our turn to attack now!"
Raio howled, leaping high into the air. Bolts of lightning gathered in the storm clouds above, coalescing into massive, spear-like strikes.
With a growl, Raio released the energy, sending a barrage of lightning crashing onto the dragon.
The dragon screeched as the bolts struck its shimmering black scales, the force shaking its massive body. Though its natural armor absorbed much of the damage, scorch marks began to appear along its serpentine form.
The beast retaliated, whipping its tail in a wide arc. Scrappy dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike that splintered the ground into jagged chunks.
"Stay on it, Raio! Don't give it a chance to breathe!"
Raio darted around the dragon, its movements a blur, leaving a trail of blue lightning. The dragon roared, snapping its jaws to catch the wolf, but Raio was too fast.
Another roar signaled the dragon's frustration, and it summoned a massive cyclone, the winds slicing outward in chaotic spirals.
"Raio again!" Scrappy shouted.
Raio planted its paws, summoning another lightning dome. The winds clashed against the shield, sparking violently as electricity dissipated the gale.
The dragon hissed, its eyes narrowing. It coiled its body tighter, drawing the storm around itself in a protective shell. Expecting Raio to use the same strategy as before.
"That's a mistake," Scrappy muttered. "Raio, target it!"
Raio howled again, this time summoning a colossal bolt of lightning from the heavens.
The blot split the air with a deafening crack, striking the dragon's coiled form.
The beast roared in pain as its storm was disrupted, the winds scattering into harmless breezes.
Its scales, though durable, were starting to crack under the repeated strikes.
The dragon retaliated in desperation, summoning a whirlwind around its massive form and surging forward like a living tornado. Raio leapt to meet it head-on, lightning spiraling around its body.
The two forces collided in a flash of light and sound, the impact sending a shockwave that flattened everything within a hundred feet.
Scrappy shielded his eyes as debris rained down. When the dust cleared, Raio stood, its fur still sparking with energy. Across from it, the dragon was visibly weakened, its movements slower and more labored.
"Finish it Raio," Scrappy said.
Raio growled lowly, arcs of lightning gathering around its body in an intense glow. The energy swirled into a concentrated sphere above the wolf, crackling with raw power.
The dragon hissed weakly, sensing its impending doom. It lashed out with one final attack—a razor-sharp gust of wind aimed directly at Scrappy.
Raio intercepted, its lightning shield absorbing the blow. Without hesitation, it launched the concentrated energy at the dragon.
The sphere of lightning struck the beast's chest, exploding in a blinding flash. The dragon's roar was cut short as its body convulsed, overwhelmed by the sheer power of the attack.
When the light faded, the dragon's massive form collapsed, steam rising from its charred scales. Its eyes dimmed, and its body disintegrated into shimmering motes of light, leaving behind a glowing platinum-tier core.
Raio padded over to Scrappy, shaking off the remaining sparks in its fur.
"Good work, boy," Scrappy said, patting its side.
Raio moved back a bit and a huge bolt of lightning struck it again, putting on its seal again returning its rank back to Silver-tier.
'This mess is going to take a while to fix' Scrappy thought, assessing the damage.
He looked up to see Reid approaching with Rusty by his side. He appreciated that the kid stay to watch the battle.
Although Scrappy was confident in surviving the dragon's claw attack, he wouldn't have come out unscathed making the fight a lot harder.
"What'd you think kid?" Scrappy asked with a smile on on his face "pretty good for an old man right".
"You were cool but why did you seal your rank" Reid asked curiously.
"Because of that" Scrappy replied, pointing at the destruction behind him "strong primals are attracted to beasts with similar power levels and if I didn't seal Raio's power, this place would've been wiped off the map a long time ago".
"I see" Reid nodded his head in agreement but before he could ask anything else, another platinum-rank pressure descended on him again.
"There you are old man" a voice sounded above them.
"And that's the other reason" Scrappy said, facing the person who just arrived.
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To increase engagement between you(the reader) and I(the author), I've decided to spice things up a bit and leave a riddle at the end of every Chapter. I'll reveal the answer in the next one, but I'd love for you all to give it a shot!
Riddle of the day: The more you take away from me, the bigger I get. What am I?