# Chapter 22: The Rupture and the Dance of the Koyote

  ## 1. The Hero of Rupture

  The morning in Godless was one of relentless sun, but the tension was denser than the salty mist of the port. The city was strangely empty; the adventurers and mercenaries had fled, leaving only the residents and Orpheus's pirates.

  Hero **Soken** arrived.

  He did not come on a white horse or in a golden carriage. He came on foot, walking through the docks as if he were a god among mortals. Soken was thin, with short white hair and black eyes that seemed to absorb the light. He wore tight, white fighter's clothes that contrasted with the port's grime.

  Soken was a master of public relations. He stopped in the central square, where the slave market had been set up the day before.

  "People of Godless!" his voice was clear and resonated effortlessly. "I am Soken, the Hero of Rupture, and I have come to bring the peace and justice of the King!"

  He took a handful of gold coins and threw them to the crowd. The people, hungry and desperate, jostled to grab the money. Soken smiled, a smile of superiority.

  He stopped to help an old woman carry a basket, kissed a child's forehead, and distributed food. It was a theater of charity, a lie to hide the truth of the Heroes and the Empire.

  **Soken's Secret:**

  Hiroshi, hidden in an abandoned warehouse with Orpheus and Luna, watched.

  "He's an addict," Orpheus whispered, pointing to the Hero. "He uses **Quaza Dust**. A highly addictive drug, made from scraping the stone. It enhances mana and increases magical power, but it creates dependence and affects the mood."

  Soken, in a moment of carelessness, reached into his pocket and inhaled some of the dust. His eyes momentarily turned red, and a subtle tremor ran through the ground.

  "He's preparing. His power is **Rupture**. He can cause earthquakes with his hands. He is the strongest man in physical strength in the kingdom," Orpheus warned.

  ## 2. The Plan and the Dance of the Koyote

  The plan was simple: lure Soken to the dock area, where the ground was unstable and the water could be used against his earth ability.

  Orpheus revealed himself first. He was on top of a crane, his red katana, **Koyote**, shining in the sun.

  "Soken! Did the King send you to hunt me? He's getting lazy!"

  Soken looked up, his smile gone. "Orpheus. The pirate. Your head is worth a lot, but the Draconic Archaeologist's is worth more to the King. Hand him over and I'll give you a quick death."

  "You won't catch anyone today, Hero," Orpheus shouted, leaping from the crane with impressive agility.

  The fight began.

  **Orpheus's Technique: Line.**

  Orpheus did not use magic, but a line ability. He could restrict or control an enemy's limb, and he could use this ability three times per fight.

  Soken slammed his hands on the ground.

  **Soken's Technique: Rupture Level 1 - Crack.**

  The ground cracked, and a shockwave headed towards Orpheus.

  Orpheus used his first line. He threw the **Koyote** into the air, and red, almost invisible lines extended from the blade.

  **Orpheus's Technique: Puppet (Level 1).**

  The lines attached to the **Koyote**, making it malleable and flexible. The blade danced in the air, dodging the crack and slicing the air towards Soken.

  Soken dodged, but the blade forced him to retreat.

  ## 3. The Entrance of the Hybrid Dragon

  Hiroshi knew he had to enter. He emerged from the warehouse, the **Karius Sword** in his hands. He was in his human form, but his blue eyes glowed with contained draconic energy.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Soken! I am the Draconic Archaeologist! Your prey is here!"

  Soken laughed, a dry, irritated sound. "Two worms. The King will be generous."

  The fight became a ballet of destruction.

  **Hiroshi's Technique: Waning Moon (Level 3).**

  Hiroshi activated the **Draconic Form** for an instant, and the **Karius Sword** shone. He moved with the speed of light, delivering a hundred cuts in ten seconds.

  Soken, with his physical strength, managed to block most of the blows, but Hiroshi's speed forced him to use the **Quaza Dust** again.

  **Soken's Technique: Rupture Level 2 - Earthquake.**

  Soken slammed his fists on the ground, and an earthquake hit the docks. The ground trembled, and the warehouses collapsed.

  Orpheus used his second line.

  **Orpheus's Technique: Ventriloquist Smile (Level 2).**

  A giant hand, made of red lines, appeared behind Soken. The hand moved its fingers with Soken's every movement, giving Orpheus precise information about his actions.

  "He's going to attack with his left fist!" Orpheus shouted.

  Hiroshi dodged Soken's fist, which would have crushed his head.

  ## 4. The Climax and the Defeat

  Soken was furious. The Quaza Dust was affecting his mood. He couldn't understand how two "worms" could fight him.

  **Soken's Technique: Rupture Level 3 - Earth's Fury.**

  Soken channeled all his strength into the ground. The dock floor rose in stone spikes, and the sea began to boil.

  Hiroshi and Orpheus were forced to retreat.

  "He's at his limit! He's going to self-destruct!" Kerchack warned.

  Orpheus used his third and final line.

  He threw the **Koyote** in a perfect arc, and the blade attached to Soken's wrist.

  **Orpheus's Technique: Final Line - Restraint.**

  The line tightened, and Soken's wrist was restrained. He couldn't slam his hands on the ground.

  Hiroshi saw the opening. He activated the **Draconic Form** fully. Black scales covered his body, and the **Death Breath** came out of his mouth.

  The breath hit Soken in the chest. The Hero screamed, and his body began to disintegrate.

  Orpheus pulled the **Koyote**, and the blade sliced Soken's neck.

  Soken's body fell to the ground, and the earthquake stopped.

  ## 5. The Fury of the People

  The victory was instantaneous, but the silence that followed was deafening.

  The people of Godless, who had been hiding, came out of their hiding places. They saw Soken's body, the Hero who gave them money and food, on the ground.

  They didn't see the Quaza addict, the pillar of the Empire. They saw the benefactor.

  A cry of mourning and fury arose.

  "Assassins!"

  "They killed the Hero!"

  "The Draconic Archaeologist is a traitor! He works for the King!"

  The crowd rushed towards Hiroshi and Orpheus. They didn't want the reward; they wanted revenge. They protected Soken's body, crying and screaming.

  "Let's go! The plan went wrong!" Orpheus shouted.

  Hiroshi looked at the crowd. He was the traitor, the monster. He had saved the city from a corrupt Hero, but the people hated him.

  He and Orpheus fled, leaving behind the fury of the people and the certainty that the fight against the Empire would be much harder than he imagined.

  ***

  **END OF CHAPTER 22**