Reborn as the Last van Ambrose-Chapter 124: Suanni and Bi’An

Grim struggled to rise, his vision blurring from the impact. The stone pillar behind him had cracked from the force of his collision. Without his sword, he was at a severe disadvantage. The Jiaolong advanced, water gathering around its body like a churning storm.

"Grim!" Lianna’s voice cut through the chaos. Huangyan close behind her. Kali and Vera followed closely behind them.

Lianna’s punched the air causing fire to erupt from her fist. "Inferno Strike!" She sent a concentrated blast of fire directly at the Jiaolong’s face.

The dragon roared in pain as the flames struck its scales, momentarily distracted from Grim. Steam hissed when it reached the water around its face.

Huangyan moved to position herself between Grim and the Jiaolong. "Fire Heart: Dancing Embers!" Small orbs or fire were left in the trail of her sword as she clashed with the Jiaolong. Each fire that touched him, caused his water to evaporate and smoke to come off his scales.

The Jiaolong thrashed, sweeping its tail across the temple floor. Kali dove to avoid it, while Vera was caught by the edge and sent tumbling across the stone.

"Stay back!" Zhen Hai called to them. "We need to restrain, not kill!"

"Tell that to him!" Lianna shouted back, narrowly avoiding a jet of pressurized water that shattered the stone where she had just been standing.

Grim scrambled to his feet, spotting his sword several yards away. He dove for it just as the Jiaolong sent another blast of water in his direction. The force of it knocked him sideways, but his fingers closed around the hilt of his blade.

The three sea creatures moved in coordinated formation, their tridents glowing with blue-green energy. Lian Shui and Bian Yi positioned themselves on opposite sides of the dragon while Zhen Hai approached from the front.

"Now!" Zhen Hai commanded.

All three struck their tridents against the floor simultaneously. The sound rang out like a massive gong, and lines of glowing energy spread outward from each point of impact, forming a triangular pattern beneath the Jiaolong.

Water rose from the lines, forming glowing chains that attempted to wrap around the dragon’s limbs. For a moment, it seemed to work—the Jiaolong roared in frustration as the chains tightened.

"Maintain the binding!" Zhen Hai called to his companions. "Ambrose, we need your water mana to strengthen the chains!"

Grim nodded, channeling mana into his hands. He than placed his hands on the back of Zhen Hai. The chains strength seemed to grow stronger from sudden influx of mana.

The dragon thrashed against its restraints. For a moment, it seemed they might succeed in subduing it.

Then the Jiaolong went still, its massive body tensing. Its eyes, fixed on Grim, began to glow with an intense inner light.

[YOU THINK YOU CAN BIND ME? I AM THE SON OF THE DRAGON KING!]

With a deafening roar, the Jiaolong’s body began to expand. Muscle and scale stretched as it grew larger, nearly doubling in size. The water chains strained and snapped one by one, unable to contain the creature’s new form.

"This isn’t possible," Lian Shui gasped. "He’s drawing too much mana!"

The newly empowered Jiaolong swung its massive tail in a wide arc, sweeping Zhen Hai and his companions off their feet. It then turned its attention to Huangyan and Lianna, who were preparing another combined attack.

A torrent of water, more powerful than anything they’d faced before, slammed into them. Huangyan managed to create a hasty fire barrier, but it wasn’t enough to fully block the assault. Both women were thrown backward, struck with enough force to stun them.

Kali and Vera attacked from opposite sides, their weapons enhanced with fire mana borrowed from Lianna, but their blades barely penetrated the Jiaolong’s thicker scales.

With a casual swipe of its claws, the dragon knocked both guards aside. Nothing they did seemed to slow the creature’s rampage.

Grim found himself being pushed back toward the carved wall he’d examined earlier. The Jiaolong’s focus returned to him, its massive jaws opening wide to reveal rows of dagger-like teeth.

[I WILL FINISH WHAT I STARTED WITH YOUR FATHER, AMBROSE.]

He could feel the carved wall at his back, the stone warm against his shoulders.

The Jiaolong gathered itself. Just as it launched forward, a blinding golden light filled the temple, so bright that Grim had to shield his eyes.

Two voices spoke in unison, their words reverberating with power that made the very air tremble.

[ENOUGH, BROTHER.]

The light dimmed enough for Grim to see, and what he saw made his breath catch in his throat.

Two giant creatures came from wall behind Grim. The first resembled a lion with draconic features—golden mane flowing like living fire, scaled limbs, sharp claws, and a long, smoke-like tail. Its eyes glowed like embers, and trails of incense smoke curled from its nostrils.

Beside it was an equally impressive figure with the muscular body of a great tiger, covered not in fur but iron-hued scales. Twin horns curled back from its head, etched with strange symbols, and its luminous eyes narrowed as it regarded the Jiaolong.

The Jiaolong froze mid-charge, its massive body suddenly tense with what Grim realized was fear.

[SUANNI. BI’AN.] The Jiaolong’s telepathic voice had lost its thunderous confidence.

The lion-like dragon—Suanni—stepped forward, incense smoke curling more thickly around him. [You have caused enough destruction, little brother.]

Bi’an, the tiger-like dragon, moved around to the side of the Jiaolong, chains of light materializing around its body. [Father has ordered your return. This defiance ends now.]

The Jiaolong’s head swung between its two brothers, then back to Grim, as if calculating its chances. With a hiss of frustration, it backed away from Grim.

[THIS ISN’T OVER, AMBROSE.]

Suanni shook his magnificent mane, sending embers floating through the air. [You speak to the human, yet not to your own blood? Your disrespect knows no bounds.]

Zhen Hai and the other sea creatures had recovered, and now prostrated themselves before the two new arrivals. "Great lords," Zhen Hai said, his voice filled with reverence. "We have tried to fulfill our duty."

[Rise, faithful servants,] Bi’an commanded. [You have done well to track our wayward brother.]

The Jiaolong, still in its enlarged form, began to back toward the far end of the temple, where a pool of the strange glowing water had formed. Before anyone could stop it, it dove into the pool.

Suanni sighed, a sound like wind through temple bells. [Always running, little brother.] He turned his ember-like gaze to Grim. [You are indeed an Ambrose.]

Bi’an approached Grim, studying him his lantern-like eyes. [We meet at last, son of Caius.]

"My knew my great grandfather?"

[Great grandfather, hmm... humans do have short lives.] Suanni replied. [But that tale is for another time. Now, we must pursue our brother before he causes more harm.]

Bi’an nodded toward the pool where the Jiaolong had disappeared. [He’s trying to jump realms.]

The two dragon brothers moved toward the pool. Suanni paused, looking back at Grim.

[Father would like to see you.]

"What do you mean?" Grim asked, but he already found himself walking forward, drawn by something he couldn’t explain.

Lianna, having recovered enough to stand, called out to him. "Grim, wait!"

But it was too late. The pool’s glow intensified, the water swirling into a vortex. Suanni and Bi’an dove into it.

Grim felt the pull of the water, heard its call in his blood. Without fully understanding why, he knew he had to follow.

Before they could reach him, Grim stepped into the swirling vortex and was immediately pulled under.

Then the water closed over his head, and he was falling through the blue-greenish light into another world.