Chapter 117 THE FRIEND I HAVE TO FIGHT

Chapter 117 THE FRIEND I HAVE TO FIGHT
Before them stretched an arena even larger than Drester's. Its walls towered five stories high, made of plain, solid stone surrounding a massive ring of dirt. There were no bleachers, no pillars, and no extra doors — just a single way in and out. What truly caught their attention, though, was the above. The blizzard had finally stopped, leaving a cloudy night sky. Raheem clearly had no use for it anymore; his guests had arrived, and that was all that mattered.

"Come," the demigod's voice echoed. "If you want your friend, enter."

They stepped cautiously onto the sand-colored ground. It was an impressive structure, but a heavy dread hung over it. Arenas were built for one thing: battle. Was Raheem planning to destroy Albus and his companions all at once?

The moment they all crossed the threshold, the heavy doors slammed shut behind them, locking them inside. With nowhere else to go, they kept moving toward the center. As soon as they reached the middle, the entire place flared to life. Torches ignited along the rim of the walls, casting a light so bright it felt like daylight. Looking up, Magnus's eyes locked onto a ledge high above. Raheem stood there, and right beside him was the very reason they had broken into the headquarters.

"Darren!" Xyra cried out. "Are you okay?"

There was no answer. Even from a distance, they could see the hunter’s face. His usually lively eyes were dull and dark.

"Hey," Darren said softly. Strange magic seemed to fill the ring. Even though he spoke in a near-whisper from high up on the wall, his voice carried as clearly as if he were standing right next to them. "Sorry you had to come all this way because of me," he added.

"Let him go!" Magnus demanded, his green eyes burning with hatred for the demigod. "I’m here now. You don't need him."

"On the contrary," Raheem replied with a cold sneer. "I don't recall making a deal. I said if you came, you’d see him alive. And here he is."

"Damn you... what do you actually want?" 

The monster’s cruel grin widened. Raheem lived for death and chaos, and that realization sent a chill through Magnus's chest.

"Magnus," Darren spoke up again. His voice wasn't panicked; in fact, he sounded completely resigned, as if he already knew how this ended. He offered a small, sad smile. "I'm sorry. Thanks for coming to save me... I really appreciate it."

A knot of fear tightened in Magnus's stomach. The way Darren was talking — like he had already given up — was not right. The hunter never quit.

"I'm glad I met you," Darren continued softly. "You and Xyra have done so much for me and Astrid. You mean a lot to me." His smile turned slightly crooked. "So... I hope you can forgive me for what's about to happen."

He locked eyes with Magnus, his gaze softening further. "Do what you have to do, Magnus. I know you'll do the right thing."

Before Magnus could ask what he meant, Raheem pressed a palm against the young hunter's back. A soft glow erupted from the demigod's hand, sending a violent jolt of lightning straight through Darren. The hunter screamed in agony. Despite his natural resistance to magic, the sheer power behind the spell tore through him. Raheem simply watched with an amused smile.

Magnus and Xyra could only watch in horror. Xyra pressed her hands over her mouth to muffle a gasp, tears gathering in her eyes. Listening to her friend's cries was sickening. Magnus's mind raced. He knew Raheem wasn't trying to kill Darren — the demigod was up to something else. But why was a magic spell causing Darren so much pain? He was a half-dragon; his body should have brushed it off.

Then, the realization hit him like a physical blow.

Lightning. Raheem used lightning on purpose. He knew how Darren's body would react to that specific element under extreme stress.

That bastard... he's actually going to do it!

The spell finally ended, and Darren collapsed over the edge, plummeting to the ground below. He landed hard on his hands and knees. Though the drop didn't break his bones, he couldn't stand up. His body trembled violently as he let out a choked groan. Xyra took a step forward to help, but Magnus threw his arm out, stopping her cold.

"Magnus, what are you—"

"Don't," Magnus said, his eyes fixed on Darren. He was shaking. He knew what was coming, and there was nothing good about it.

"Darren, fight it!" Magnus yelled.

Daren couldn't answer. Instead, a pair of dark, massive dragon wings tore out from his back. He shrieked in pain as his entire body began to warp. His skin turned pale before darkening into a deep, ash-brown tone. His fingernails elongated into sharp, black talons that tore into the dirt.

"Magnus..." Darren choked out through gritted teeth. "I always thought... we'd have a real fight one day to see who was stronger. I wanted to win... but right now, I really hope it's you."

Another bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, courtesy of Raheem. Darren's roar of pain slowly died down as his body absorbed the raw energy, using it to force the change faster. His skin hardened into thick, dense scales, and sharp fangs pushed past his lips. When the light faded, the hunter went completely still. The smoke rising from his skin was the only sign he was alive.

The pain was gone, but so was Darren. The sheer shock had shattered his hold on his own mind. Whatever was left of his humanity couldn't fight the ancient, violent instinct tearing its way to the surface. He didn't want to protect his friends anymore — he wanted to hunt, destroy, and bleed anything nearby.

Slowly, he stood up, his head hanging low. Magnus and Xyra froze. The person standing before them wasn't Darren anymore.

When the creature finally raised his head, a cruel smirk twisted his face — a look terrifyingly similar to Raheem's. His eyes snapped open, no longer human, but a brilliant, glowing crimson with tiny, slit pupils. There was no recognition in those eyes. His mind was locked away, replaced by pure bloodlust.

"Xyra, step back," Magnus whispered, moving out in front of her. "Don't get close."

"W-what are you going to do?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"I don't know yet. But I'll figure something out." I have to.

Magnus had only taken a few steps before the creature lunged. With his wings spread low, Darren blurred across the ground right toward him.

A heavy, clawed fist slammed down. Magnus sidestepped at the last split second, dodging as the blow punched a deep hole into the dirt. Dust kicked up, but before Magnus could recover, a second swipe ripped through the air, tearing right through his shirt. Magnus gasped, shocked by the speed. The monster’s crimson eyes locked onto his, wearing a mocking grin.

Darren threw a low kick, then followed immediately with a sweeping arc. Magnus ducked and rolled, barely escaping the first two strikes, but the third caught him square in the chest. It felt like getting hit by a flying boulder. The force launched Magnus backward, slamming him onto his back and knocking the wind out of his lungs.

Gasping for air, Magnus scrambled to his feet just as Darren dove at him again. Magnus launched himself into the air, activating a levitation spell to pull himself out of reach. But the creature was relentless. Wings beating furiously, Darren shot upward, gaining on him effortlessly.

He's way too fast, Magnus thought, watching the beast out of the corner of his eye. If I can't break his focus, he's going to tear me apart. How do I snap him out of this?

A sudden fireball zipped past his ear, forcing Magnus to dive sideways. Great, he can still use his magic.

Maintaining both a levitation spell and a shield would drain his energy too fast. Dodging was his only option for now, but his raw strength was nothing compared to a dragon's. He had to rely on quick, precise spells.

Stopping midair, Magnus spun around and threw his hands down, casting a high-powered torrent of water. The massive surge slammed directly into Darren, hiding him behind a wall of rushing fluid.

Magnus held his breath, waiting for the spray to clear.

Before the water even hit the ground, the creature burst straight through it, completely unbothered. In a fraction of a second, Darren closed the distance, his strong, scaly hand clamping tightly around Magnus's arm.

Magnus's heart dropped as he stared into the monster's mocking, crimson eyes, completely unsure of what was coming next.