My Demon Pet System

Chapter 254 - Subconscious Spirits

Yoichi held on to Urgerross's tail with his only working arm, knowing that if he fell from that height he would risk breaking a few more bones and worsening his condition.

"What happened, human? Did I break your arm?" the white dragon chuckled, looking at Yoichi with an evil grin painted on its fierce face. 

The young warrior failed to respond, and just as he was about to extend an arm towards his enemy, Urgerross' tail began to move again, but in the opposite direction. 

*boom* - The dragon used another whiplash to project Yoichi's body onto the floor. With extreme violence, the tiles under his back cracked slightly and blood spurted out of his mouth.

The thunder dragon's strength was devastating and using only two attacks, it has been able to knock out its opponent. On the other side of the arena, hiding near the pillar, Kenji had also suffered the same fate. 

The small dragon was on the ground in pain and its tail was swinging slightly. Yoichi's Oracle also lost blood from its mouth, struggling to breathe and unable to get up.

"Tut! This is your heir, my lord?!" Urgerross yelled, looking up at the sky and turning its voice towards the mountain. "This is the human warrior you have chosen to handle your power? Rargh! He is incapable of even standing in my presence!" 

Urgerross turned to Yoichi and touched his body with a claw of its scaled hand. Like a predator that before feeding on its prey plays with its remains, the great white dragon mocked its minute opponent, treating him as if he were a toy.

My whole body hurts! I can't move! Thought Yoichi, trying to analyze the damage he had suffered since the last attack. Besides my arm, my back is out too... I can't tell if the bones are broken or not, but it's so sore that I can't even turn around!

With the same hand, Urgerross slipped the claw under the young warrior's leather jacket, lifting his body with one finger. When Yoichi's feet also came off the ground, the electrical energy in the dragon's body began to fade. 

Thanks to its developed predatory senses, the thunder dragon had sensed that its opponent was no longer able to fight. Restraining all the accumulated power from the lightning would only be a waste of energy. 

It drew Yoichi's closer to its mouth and the warm air from his nostrils hit him like a gust of summer wind. Timorously, Yoichi opened his eyes again, finding himself face to face with Urgerross, the White One. 

"I'll start with the head. It's the juiciest part of you humans, did you know? The liquids contained in your tiny skull box are sweet and delicious, unlike your body, which is so poor in flesh as to be unsatisfying," the dragon spoke, whose jaws began to open wide.

Urgerross' breath smelled like a crypt that had been closed for a thousand years, and strands of saliva connected the tips of the canines of the upper arch to the lower side of his fangs. 

Yoichi couldn't look at that scene, and as much as he was trying to fight against his own body, his eyes squinted in fear, not knowing what to do. 

"Are you really going to let the Kamakiri Emperor's army kill us all, Yoichi?" - A voice other than that of Urgerross broke the silence. Immediately regaining his senses, the young tamer looked down, finding that a spirit figure made of a strange ethereal, blue substance was speaking to him.

"S... Sensei?!" he stammered, recognizing the man's tall hat and long monk's staff. "You're only at the beginning of your journey, boy. You must not let it get you down. Awaken your power, or all the people you love will soon die," the gatekeeper's spirit repeated.

Before that moment, the strong fear of facing Urgerross had made Yoichi forget that he was inside a vision. Everything inside the Tear was created by his subconscious and Ryutato's spirit manifestation was proof of that. 

"Wow, I had never seen a dragon demon in my life! Old Ryutaro wasn't wrong about you after all!" - a second voice joined the monk's, and the second spirit's smile brought a wave of lightness to Yoichi's attention.

"Enatsu! Brother!" he boomed, moving his neck slightly and turning in the merchant's direction. In the center of his bare chest, a large circular scar stood in the exact spot of the wound Ogai had caused him. 

"What? What do you care how I'm doing? You don't seem to be doing well!" Enatsu retorted, who despite being created by his mind, was able to respond as if listening to his own consciousness. "What are you waiting for to awaken Therion's true potential? Have you forgotten that Shioko and Princess Sui are waiting for you? You don't want to abandon two such beautiful girls!" he affirmed, scolding his friend.

After those words, the warm air coming from Urgerross' stomach brought Yoichi back to reality. He only looked away from the talking spirits for a moment, and when he looked back at them, they had disappeared into thin air without giving him time to respond.

Enatsu, Ryutaro-Sensei... you've come to save me even inside my mind, he whimpered inwardly. Without doing so on purpose, Yoichi clenched the fist of his right hand. How is that even possible that I cannot handle my fears even within my own mind? How can I protect them if I'm so weak? 

"How can I protect them?" he said aloud, expressing his thoughts in the form of words and coughing up blood. Suddenly, as Urgerross was ready to enjoy its next meal, his dislocated arm also moved and his left hand, like his right one, closed into a firm fist, defying the laws of physics. 

A wave of deep anger began to burn in the chest of the young warrior, who had not stopped thinking about his friends for a second. When his gaze framed Urgerross, the capillaries of his eyes were bloodshot and his breathing became heavier and heavier.