Xiao Feng stared at the tendrils piercing his body. One of them, lodged in his chest, had missed his heart by mere centimeters. A cold sweat broke out on his brow—had he not struck the black dragon's head with that stone at the last second, forcing the creature's aim to veer slightly, the tendril would've impaled his heart. And then—he would've been finished.
Even with his regenerative abilities, if his heart had stopped beating, if the blood had ceased to flow, no power could have saved him from death.
Struggling, Xiao Feng tried to free himself from the black dragon's grasp, but he could feel his strength draining rapidly. The tendrils burrowed through his back, blood gushing freely from the wounds. At such close range, he could see that the black tendrils bore spiral grooves, and it was through these grooves that his blood was being drawn out in a swift, unstoppable current.
Within seconds, a dark pool of blood had already formed beneath him.
Elsewhere, Bai Bai—locked in a vicious skirmish with Ares—suddenly caught the scent of Xiao Feng's blood. It howled anxiously and, abandoning Ares, lunged toward the black dragon.
But Xiao Feng shouted hoarsely, "Stay back… don't come!"
Bai Bai froze, startled, just in time to see several more tendrils lashing toward it from the black dragon's side. It leapt backward, narrowly evading the attack. Its retreat took it just outside the creature's range.
Ares stood to the side, panting heavily. His suit, now in tatters from Bai Bai's assault, hung loosely from his frame. Blood oozed from several gashes. Glaring at the damage, he snarled, "Damn mutt! I swear I'll bash your skull in with my fists! That was my favorite suit, you bastard!"
Under the dim streetlight, Xiao Feng—still impaled on the tendrils—continued to bleed. His strength was waning fast. He could feel his life slipping away, his power being siphoned with chilling precision. Death was close—he could feel its cold breath against his skin.
Meanwhile, Bai Bai paced in frantic circles around the black dragon, searching for an opening to strike, desperate to bring the creature down and tear it to shreds. But the black dragon was a fortress of writhing limbs—dozens of tendrils warded off every approach.
Weakened, Xiao Feng cried out, "Get out of here! Remember their faces! One day, you must avenge us!"
Bai Bai whimpered, reluctant to leave. But then, as if struck by a thought, it raised its head and let out a piercing wolf howl into the night.
"Awooooooo—"
Elsewhere in the city, Tu Gou—scouring the streets—heard the cry. His heart leapt. In all of Black Whale City, there was only one magic wolf: Bai Bai.
Armed to the teeth, Tu Gou cradled a heavy-caliber assault rifle and sprinted in the direction of the howl. As he ran, he barked into his earpiece, "All units, converge on my location! I repeat, converge on my location!"
His pace quickened—faster and faster. Turning a corner, he saw it: the black dragon, towering in the center of the street, hoisting Xiao Feng aloft like a ragdoll. Xiao Feng, once so formidable, now hung limp and blood-soaked—barely clinging to life.
Fury surged through Tu Gou. He raised his rifle mid-run and took aim.
"Bastard! Put him down!"
He opened fire. Bullets streaked through the night like fireflies, striking the black dragon.
But the creature didn't flinch. The rounds struck with sharp metallic clangs, ricocheting harmlessly off its armored skin.
Tu Gou cursed inwardly. He remembered now—the Dukes of the Cult of the Evil Dragon were immune to conventional firearms. Without hesitation, he tossed the rifle aside and broke into a full sprint.
Ares spotted the approaching Tu Gou and cracked his knuckles. Without hesitation, he charged to intercept.
Tu Gou glanced at him coldly. His shoulder-mounted armor hissed open, revealing two compact missile pods. Without a word, he launched a barrage. Flames roared as the rockets curved through the air, veering straight toward Ares.
Caught off guard, Ares barely managed to dive aside as the explosives detonated where he had just stood, gouging a massive crater into the street.
With Ares momentarily neutralized, Tu Gou bolted past, heading straight for the black dragon.
The creature watched him approach—this strange machine-man who had just launched missiles like it was nothing. The dragon now knew: this opponent was no ordinary human. With a snarl, it whipped several tendrils toward him.
But Tu Gou didn't slow. He charged straight in.
"Motherf—"
The dragon cursed, but it was too late. The tendrils struck Tu Gou's armor with a metallic clang, but failed to pierce. The plating held.
In a flash, Tu Gou closed the gap, seized the tendrils holding Xiao Feng aloft, and yanked with all his might. Xiao Feng tumbled to the ground.
But Tu Gou didn't stop. With mechanical strength far beyond human limits, he pulled with earth-shattering force, dragging the dragon itself to the ground.
Now face to face, Tu Gou wrapped the tendrils around his arms, braced his feet against the pavement, and heaved with a feral roar.
A sickening crack echoed through the night.
Snap! Snap!
He tore the tendrils clean off.
Xiao Feng, free at last, lay weak and bloodied in a pool of his own blood.
Tu Gou called out, "Xiao Feng—are you okay?!"
Xiao Feng managed a bitter smile. "Not dead yet…" Then he broke into a fit of violent coughing—one of the tendrils had clearly pierced his lung.
Tu Gou turned to Bai Bai, who was struggling to stay upright.
"Bai Bai—get him out of here!"
With a sharp bark, Bai Bai dashed forward, carefully lifted Xiao Feng by the scruff, and threw him gently across its back.