## 1. The Call to Invasion and the Magma Inferno
The Heroes' headquarters was a fortified complex, but Hiroshi and Yuzuki's arrival was the least of its problems. The distant sound of screams and the clang of swords, rapidly approaching, announced the invasion.
"Now, Hiroshi! The signal!" Yuzuki shouted, with convincing urgency.
Hiroshi, without hesitation, extended his hand. Yuzuki used his mental connection with **Beaky**, and the hawk flew into the night sky, carrying the order to attack.
The main gate of the headquarters exploded in flames and smoke. **Kabil, the Lord of Fire**, was there, a colossal figure 2.50 meters tall, his black dragon armor gleaming. The air around him crackled with heat.
"The Red Demon and the worm," Kabil's voice was a muffled thunder. "The King sent me to clean up the trash."
Kabil attacked first. His two red swords, which he called the **Twin Magma Blades**, merged into a firestorm. He was not just strong; he was fast.
**Kabil's Technique:** He stomped his foot on the ground, and the concrete turned into incandescent lava. A wave of magma surged towards Hiroshi.
Hiroshi reacted instinctively. He activated the **Draconic Skin**, and black scales covered his body. He used Yuzuki's technique to dodge, but the heat hit him like a hammer.
"**Death Breath!**" Hiroshi roared, launching a concentrated jet of cold darkness.
Kabil laughed. He used one of his blades to slice through the breath, and the other to launch a torrent of fire at Yuzuki.
**Yuzuki's Technique:** Yuzuki was lethal grace. He did not fight with strength, but with precision. His black sword, the **Black Moon**, seemed to absorb light. He moved in a blur, using the **Shadow Cut** technique, which made him disappear and reappear, forcing Kabil to defend himself.
The fight was frantic. The headquarters was turning into an inferno of magma and darkness.
## 2. The Battle Climax and the Warning
Hiroshi and Yuzuki fought in sync, a brutal dance of strength and precision. Hiroshi used his power to create openings, and Yuzuki exploited them with his quick cuts.
**Hiroshi's Technique:** He channeled the draconic energy into his fists, using the **Explosive Fist** technique. The punch hit Kabil's shoulder, causing the armor to crack and the Hero to stagger.
Kabil, furious, launched a wave of fire that separated the two.
At that moment, Kerchack, the Dragon, spoke in Hiroshi's mind with desperate urgency.
"**BOY! STOP! YUZUKI'S ATTACK PATTERN! HE IS GUIDING YOU! HE IS PUTTING YOU IN POSITION!**"
Hiroshi tried to turn, but it was too late.
Yuzuki was behind him, the **Black Moon** raised.
"Sorry, archaeologist," Yuzuki whispered, without a shred of emotion.
The blow was not to kill, but to paralyze. The blade struck a pressure point on Hiroshi's back, and he felt his body betray him. He stumbled, the pain excruciating.
"Yuzuki! What are you doing?!" Hiroshi screamed, blood spilling from his mouth.
Kabil seized the moment. He plunged one of his red blades into the magma on the floor, and the sword glowed with white heat.
"**Game over, worm!**"
The magma sword pierced Hiroshi's chest. The heat was unbearable, and Hiroshi's blood sizzled as it touched the blade. He fell into the lava, his body burning and his vision blurring.
## 3. The Final Revelation
Luna, who was in the tunnels freeing the slaves and collecting as much **Quaza** as possible, felt a sharp pang of pain and a strange sensation. She ran back, only to see Hiroshi fallen and Yuzuki laughing.
Hiroshi, struggling to breathe, looked at Yuzuki.
"Your family... you said the King..."
Yuzuki laughed uncontrollably, a psychopathic laugh that echoed through the headquarters. Kabil laughed along, a dry, harsh sound.
"My family? Oh, yes, the Puppets village," Yuzuki said, wiping blood from his sword. "I was the one who ordered the killing. I gave the final order. I was tired of them. They were dead weight, just like this girl."
He pointed at Luna, who was paralyzed with horror.
"The King didn't orchestrate anything, Hiroshi. He just gave me the opportunity. And the best part is that he gave me the perfect excuse to become the 'Red Demon'."
Yuzuki continued, his voice full of sadism.
"I am a creation, Hiroshi. A rebel created to give hope to the people. The King knew that factions and rebels would emerge. The best way to stop that is to create a rebel who unites everyone, who brings hope to the poor... and then kill him."
Hiroshi, his vision blurred, asked: "The army... your army of 300 men... are they also part of the lie?"
Yuzuki guffawed. "No! They are just men going to their deaths believing in a false ideal. Varkos's death, the invasion of Morro Agudo... it was all theater. And your death, Hiroshi, will fuel an even greater revolt. The King will use me as a martyr, and your death will be proof that the 'Red Demon' is real and that the Empire is cruel."
Kabil completed, with a cruel smile: "You were a bonus, archaeologist. A coincidence at the bar that improved the plan. Your death, at the hands of Hero Kabil, will give more strength to the legend of Yuzuki. A perfect theater."
Hiroshi was deceived. Betrayed. He looked at Luna, who was crying, and at Yuzuki, who was laughing.
Hiroshi's last thought was Kerchack's voice, full of fury: "**NO! YOU WILL NOT DIE HERE!**"
***
**END OF CHAPTER 14**