I stared at Langdon's battered form, taking in the dried blood spattering his armor and the deep gouges carved into the metal plates. His clothing hung in tatters beneath, speaking of countless battles fought to reach us. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and his shoulders sagged with exhaustion. Yet his sword arm remained steady, unwavering as he faced down the dragon.

The sight of him stirred something deep within my fractured memories; a sense of safety I hadn't felt since awakening in the Lodrik Hellzone. For all my power, all my evolution through combat and creation, in this moment I felt like a lost child finally found by a protecting guardian.

Six days. He must have been searching these deadly tunnels for six days straight, fighting through the horrors that dwelled in the depths just to find us. The realization hit me hard, breaking through my usual calculated demeanor.

Professor, I transmitted through Mind Speech, my mechanical voice carrying an unfamiliar tremor of emotion.

He didn't turn, keeping his focus locked on the dragon. "Stay back, Widow. Let me handle this."

Behind me, my companions sagged with relief. Annes lowered her bloodied sword while Genta and Loland retreated from the dragon's massive form. Even injured Sven managed to drag himself further back, supported by Yulios.

The Platinum Dragon's crystalline horn glowed with an eerie blue-green light as it studied Langdon. Its dozens of eyes tracked his every movement, each one reflecting a predatory gleam. The beast's metallic hide rippled, plates shifting and realigning as it positioned itself for combat. I recognized that calculating gaze, the same look it had given me before attempting to tear my chassis apart. But now its hunger had found a new target.

Where I had proven disappointing prey, Langdon promised to be a far more satisfying meal. The dragon's jaw unhinged slightly, silvery drool dripping from fangs that could shear through steel. If it could defeat and consume our teacher, it would gain not just his considerable power, but his lifetime of combat knowledge as well.

The thought sent ice through my body. We hadn't found safety at all; we'd just drawn an even more powerful warrior into the dragon's trap.

Langdon's stance remained relaxed as he faced the beast, his sword held low and loose. "There's a rescue party from the Institute about ten minutes behind me. Take the left tunnel at the junction and you'll find them. They'll get you to the nineteenth floor teleportation field."

"What about you?" Annes's voice cracked.

"I'll keep our silver friend occupied." Langdon's tone carried a deadly calm.

I analyzed our situation. A level 45 Duelist versus a level 56 monster. The numbers painted a grim picture. But with my enhanced stats from thirty-eight mechanical offspring, I operated at the equivalent of a level 34 warrior, perhaps 35. Together, we might have a chance.

You can't fight it alone, I projected. But with both of us-

"No." Langdon's voice cut like steel. "Get out of here, Widow. That's an order."

"I'm not leaving either of you!" Annes gripped her sword tighter, though her arms trembled from exhaustion. "Not like before. Not again."

Professor. I moved to stand beside him. You have no authority here. I'm staying.

The dragon's eyes tracked our movement, its metallic hide rippling with anticipation. My chassis was mostly repaired, though some of my pneumatic systems still whined from the strain of our previous battle. But I couldn't leave him to face this alone.

I turned to Annes and the others. You'll only get in the way. Go. Now. Langdon and I need to fight at our hardest, and we can't do it while protecting you. You five will just hold us back.

The words struck hard; I saw it in their faces. Betrayal. Pain. But they needed to survive.

"Widow..." Genta's voice wavered.

Go!

They moved as one, rushing past the dragon's massive form. The beast barely spared them a glance, all its attention fixed on Langdon. Within moments, their footsteps faded into the darkness of the tunnel.

Langdon sighed. "Stubborn machine."

I learned from the best.

The dragon's crystalline horn pulsed with hungry light as it studied us. Steam hissed from between its scales, and those countless eyes reflected our forms like mirrors: one battered warrior and one broken mechanical being, standing together against impossible odds.

At least now I know why you always showed up to class drunk, I transmitted. Teaching must have seemed rather dull after fighting monsters like this.

A ghost of a smile crossed Langdon's face. "You have no idea."

The dragon's maw opened wide, revealing row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. As it gathered itself to strike, I extended my three auric steel tendrils and readied the estoc in my right hand. Whatever came next, we would face it together.

The dragon's metallic bulk surged forward, maw gaping wide to reveal countless gleaming teeth. My chassis tensed to leap aside, but Langdon stood his ground against the charging beast. At the last possible instant, he twisted away from those snapping jaws, his blade whipping out to catch the monster's foreleg at a precise angle. The sword became a pivot point, and the dragon's own momentum sent it crashing onto its back with an earth-shaking impact.

A deafening roar of rage echoed through the tunnel as the beast thrashed, trying to right itself. Its crystalline horn blazed with furious light, casting wild shadows across the cavern walls.

"Remember your training!" Langdon's voice cut through the chaos. "Titan Slaying! Use its own power against it!"

Something warm sparked in my heart. Even now, with death mere inches away, he couldn't stop being a teacher. The thought almost triggered off my laughter.

Langdon sprang onto the dragon's exposed underbelly, driving his blade deep between the metallic plates. The monster's screech split the air, and it rolled violently to dislodge him. He vaulted clear just before being crushed.

I darted in, driving my estoc into a gap between the beast's scales. Eyarna's electrical enchantment crackled to life, but the charge proved too weak against the creature's massive form. The attack might as well have been a pinprick.

The dragon rounded on Langdon, its dozens of eyes blazing with murderous intent. It charged forward, trying to crush him beneath its bulk, but he danced away from each thunderous impact. The beast's frustrated roars shook loose stones from the ceiling as its prey continued to elude its grasp.

I tracked their deadly dance, noting how Langdon maintained perfect distance; he was close enough to threaten, but far enough to dodge. He moved with a fluid grace I'd never seen in our practice sessions, all his pretenses of drunken clumsiness stripped away to reveal the true Duelist he was.

The dragon's tail whipped toward me, forcing me to leap back. My auric steel tendrils lashed out automatically, seeking purchase on the creature's metallic hide. But even my enhanced alloy could barely scratch its armor.

We needed a new strategy. The dragon was too big, too strong to defeat through direct combat. But as I watched Langdon weave between its strikes, I began to understand. We weren't meant to overpower it; we had to outsmart it. Use its strength against itself, just as he'd taught us.

I extended my tendrils, ready to coordinate with my teacher. If we could time our attacks right, create openings for each other... My chassis hummed with determination. Together, we might have a chance of surviving this impossible battle.

White-hot flames erupted from the dragon's maw, turning the tunnel into an inferno. Langdon spun and rolled, always a heartbeat ahead of the deadly blasts. Each dodge brought him closer to the walls, leaving him with less room to maneuver.

My chassis whirred as I calculated the trajectory. One leap carried me onto the beast's massive head. My auric steel tendrils coiled around its jaw like metallic pythons, forcing those razor-filled jaws shut. The dragon's muscles strained against my grip, but the enhanced alloy held firm. Steam hissed from between its teeth as trapped flames sought escape.

Planting myself tight against its armored skull, I yanked its head back. The movement exposed the creature's throat, where the metallic plates were thinnest.

Langdon burst into motion. Blue light wreathed his blade as he channeled Mana Shell through the steel. The sword became a bright arc as it slashed across the dragon's exposed neck. Metal shrieked against metal.

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A geyser of molten gold and scalding steam erupted from the wound. The superheated liquid splashed across Langdon's chest and face. His agonized scream echoed off the tunnel walls as he staggered back, dropping to one knee.

The dragon thrashed wildly, slamming its bulk against the cavern walls. Rocks crashed down around us as the tunnel shook. I had to release my hold or risk being crushed, leaping clear as its head whipped back and forth.

Professor! I rushed to where Langdon knelt. Angry red welts covered every exposed inch of skin. Droplets of still-smoking gold had splattered his armor, burning through the metal.

"I'm fine." His voice was rough with pain, but he pushed himself upright, sword steady in his grip. "Stay focused."

The dragon's heavy footfalls shook the ground as it advanced. Golden ichor dripped from its wound, sizzling where it hit the stone floor. Its countless eyes fixed on us with murderous intensity.

Langdon's burns looked severe, but his stance remained solid as he faced the approaching monster. I positioned myself at his side, tendrils coiled and ready. We'd wounded it, but the beast was far from finished.

The dragon's jaws gaped wide, but only wisps of steam escaped. Langdon's strike must have damaged whatever organ produced those white-hot flames. With its primary weapon disabled, the beast charged forward like an enraged bull.

I leapt right while Langdon rolled left, but his movement lacked its earlier fluid grace. The molten gold had done its work, angry blisters covered his exposed skin, and his armor still smoked where droplets had burned through. Each dodge made him wince, his reactions slowing with every passing second.

The dragon wheeled around, its dozens of eyes locked onto my injured teacher. It launched into another charge, believing it had found easier prey. A critical mistake. My auric steel tendrils whipped out, coiling around its legs mid-stride. The beast's own momentum did the rest, sending it crashing face-first into the tunnel wall with bone-jarring force.

CRACK!

The impact shattered its crystalline horn, the tip breaking clean off and clattering across the stone floor. Before it could recover, I unleashed a barrage of strikes with my tendrils, each blow precise and targeted. The metallic hide rang like a massive bell under the assault.

Langdon seized the opening, his blade blazing with channeled mana as he drove it deep into the dragon's flank. Golden ichor sprayed from the wound as the beast thrashed and howled, its tail whipping around with deadly force.

Watch out!

My tendrils shot out, wrapping around Langdon's waist. I yanked him clear just as the dragon's bulk slammed into where he'd been standing. The movement drew a sharp gasp of pain from him as the burns stretched and pulled.

The dragon struggled to its feet, ichor streaming from multiple wounds now. Its crystalline horn sparked and sputtered, the broken end casting unstable reflections across the tunnel walls. But those countless eyes still blazed with murderous intent as it gathered itself for another attack.

I positioned myself between the beast and my wounded teacher, tendrils coiled and ready. Whatever came next, I wouldn't let it reach him.

"One more Mana Shell." Langdon's words came in ragged gasps. Burns covered his face, angry red welts that made speech painful. "That's all I've got left."

I'll give you your chance. My mental voice carried firm resolve. Just be ready.

His lips curved into a smile, teeth startlingly white against his scalded skin. Even now, facing death, he maintained that irreverent grin I'd come to know so well during our training sessions.

The dragon charged. I matched its rush, my chassis humming with determination. Its massive jaws gaped wide, rows of razor teeth promising a quick end. At the last possible moment, I dropped and slid beneath its bulk. My auric steel tendrils whipped out, wrapping around its front legs like liquid metal pythons.

I yanked with all my strength, using the beast's own momentum against it, just as Langdon had taught us. The dragon's legs swept out from under it, and its massive form crashed onto its back. Golden ichor sprayed from its wounds, sizzling where it struck the stone floor.

The beast thrashed wildly, trying to right itself, but my tendrils held firm. Its crystalline horn sparked and sputtered, casting frantic shadows across the cavern walls.

Langdon's battle cry pierced the air. He leaped onto the dragon's exposed belly, his sword blazing with channeled mana. The blade plunged deep, then ripped forward. A terrible shriek split the air as molten gold gushed from the wound, turning the tunnel floor into a lake of liquid metal.

But in its death throes, the dragon's leg tore free from my grip. That clawed limb shot forward like a spear, punching through Langdon's armor with terrible precision. My teacher's gasp of pain cut deeper than any blade.

NO! My scream echoed through the tunnels, an inhuman sound of grief and rage. The dragon's leg whipped sideways, hurling Langdon's limp form into the wall. His sword clattered across the stone floor as he crumpled to the ground, terrifyingly still.

The sight of my teacher's broken body sparked something primal in my soul. Memories flashed through my mind: Langdon teaching us formations, showing me how to redirect an opponent's strength, believing in us when no one else would. He'd seen past my mechanical, monstrous nature to recognize a fellow warrior.

Now he lay motionless against the wall, his blood mixing with the dragon's molten ichor on the tunnel floor. The beast was mortally wounded, but still dangerous. Its countless eyes fixed on me with murderous intent as it struggled to right itself.

I coiled my tendrils tight, ready to finish what Langdon had started. The dragon would not leave this tunnel alive. I would make sure of that.

The dragon heaved itself upright, golden entrails spilling from the gaping wound in its belly. Each movement left gleaming puddles of ichor on the stone floor, yet still it fought. Rage and spite kept the beast alive when any lesser creature would have succumbed.

Its massive head swung toward me, jaws snapping with bone-crushing force. I twisted away, my tendrils lashing out to strike its snout. The blows barely registered; it was like trying to hurt a mountain with pebbles.

Another bite came close enough that I felt the wind of its passing. The dragon's attacks had lost their earlier precision, becoming wild and desperate. But desperation made it unpredictable, and unpredictable meant dangerous.

I needed to end this quickly. Langdon's still form lay behind me, each second of delay potentially fatal. My tendrils began to glow as I channeled mana into their tips. Not Mana Shell, that technique was still beyond my capabilities. But I had something else, something that had served me well against Arctur.

The dragon lunged again. I met its charge head-on, my tendrils weaving through its defenses. Mana built up in the clawed tips until they blazed like miniature suns. The first strike caught the beast just below its leftmost eye.

BOOM!

The explosion shattered three of its crystalline orbs, sending fragments scattering across the tunnel floor. The dragon reeled back, a sound like breaking glass filling the air. I pressed my advantage, striking again and again. Each hit triggered another explosion, each blast destroying more of those haunting blue-green eyes.

Golden ichor mixed with shards of crystal as I systematically blinded the creature. Its movements grew more frantic, head thrashing from side to side as it tried to track my position. Soon all those countless eyes were reduced to empty sockets, trailing broken crystal and fluid.

The mighty beast stumbled, crashing into the tunnel walls as it searched for me. Its roars echoed through the passage, full of confusion and fear. The hunter had become prey, lost in perpetual darkness.

I circled the blinded dragon, watching its desperate attempts to locate me. The creature that had terrorized these depths, that had grown fat on the flesh of other monsters, was reduced to this: a blind, wounded thing awaiting death's embrace.

Part of me felt pity. But then I remembered Langdon, remembered how this beast had tossed him aside like a broken toy. My tendrils coiled tight, mana building for one final strike.

The dragon sensed something. Its head swung in my direction, jaws opening in a last defiant roar. Perfect. I had a clear shot at the back of its throat, where that metallic hide wouldn't protect it.

Time to end this.

Mana surged through my tendrils, their clawed tips blazing with concentrated power. The light cast strange shadows across the tunnel walls as the dragon charged. Its movements had grown sluggish, golden entrails dragging behind like some grotesque train. When it opened its maw, I saw my opportunity.

Instead of dodging, I launched myself forward. The dragon's teeth crashed down around me, scraping against my armor with a sound like metal on metal. The beast's breath washed over me, hot and rank with the stench of death. But I was where I needed to be.

My tendrils shot deep into its throat, past rows of crystalline teeth and into the soft flesh beyond. The dragon's muscles contracted, trying to crush me, to swallow me whole. But my auric steel frame held firm as I drove my weapons deeper.

Time seemed to slow. I felt every pulse of the monster's throat around me, every desperate attempt to dislodge the intruder in its gullet. My tendrils found their mark: the vulnerable tissue where metallic hide gave way to ordinary flesh.

I released the gathered mana.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Three simultaneous explosions ripped through the dragon's throat. The beast's jaw sprang open in a soundless scream as it vomited me out along with a torrent of molten gold. I hit the ground rolling, my chassis slick with the creature's blood.

The dragon thrashed wildly, its massive body slamming against the tunnel walls. Golden ichor poured from its mouth, its wounds, forming expanding pools on the stone floor. Each spasm grew weaker than the last as life drained from the mighty beast.

Finally, it crashed onto its back. Those six legs curled inward like a dead insect, twitching once, twice, then falling still. The Platinum Dragon, terror of the deep tunnels, was no more.

I pushed myself up, checking my systems for damage. The dragon's teeth had scored deep grooves in my armor, and several joints protested when I moved. But I'd survived. More importantly...

Langdon!

I stumbled to where my teacher lay crumpled against the wall. My tendrils retracted as I knelt beside him, gently rolling him onto his back. His scalded skin had gone pale, chest motionless beneath his torn armor. When I pressed my remaining organic fingers to his throat, I found no pulse.

The dragon's final strike had stolen more than just a teacher. It had taken someone who saw past appearances, who recognized potential in those others dismissed. While the Academy's elite sneered at C-rank students, Langdon had given us real training, real chances to grow.

His face looked oddly serene, as if he'd found some peace in his final moments. Perhaps in protecting his students, the ones Shawe had tried to kill, he'd reclaimed a part of himself lost years ago. The drunk, the failure, the instructor everyone mocked... in the end, he'd proven himself a true warrior.

My sharp teeth ground together as grief and fury warred inside me. Another friend lost. Another death I couldn't prevent. First Mallie, murdered while I hid powerless in the shadows. Now Langdon, sacrificing himself to save us from a monster we should never have faced.

The sound that tore from my throat wasn't human; it was a keening wail that echoed through the tunnels, rising and falling like some ancient funeral song. The noise bounced off stone walls, multiplying until it seemed a chorus of voices joined in mourning. My inhuman dirge filled the depths, a lament for a fallen teacher, a fallen friend.

In the dim fungal light, I watched golden droplets fall onto Langdon's still face. It took me a moment to realize they were tears, my tears, transmuted by Assembly subconsciously, using the gold around us as material. They fell from my face onto his, tracing metallic paths down his cheeks, a final tribute from a student who couldn't save him.

The dragon's corpse lay cooling behind me, its victory sealed even in death. We had killed it together, teacher and student, but the price had been too high. Far too high.

A system message popped up, but I didn't bother reading it. I wallowed in my grief, uncaring as to what it said.

Congratulations! You have defeated <Platinum Dragon - Level 56> and have received experience. You have gained 6 levels! You are now Level 35!

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