Chapter 26: Dragon Fire Exhibition

Together with Fenghuang, Mika crossed the bridge and towards the gazebo. Wong swung his arms in the distance, closing and opening the bamboo fan from time to time. Although Jyuji's shouts and Long's baritone voice echoed across the garden, Wong continued with his practice.

The old man soon closed his bamboo fan and stood upright. After clasping the fan with both of his hands, he held it in front of his face.

"Master Wong," Fenghuang called out, stepping into the gazebo with Mika, "I have brought Mika Asagi here."

Wong lowered his fan and looked at Mika. "Ah, we meet again, young lady." He shifted his gaze to the stump of Mika's left arm. "Do not resent David for ripping it off. Without him, Brandon would have succumbed to the scorpion's poison."

Mika growled. Damn, she should've known that Wong was on good terms with Metaslica University; the old man would undoubtedly defend that bastard David.

"David is a despicable man, but you and Brandon must work together with him to save the State of Billion." Wong cleared his throat. "Within Metaslica Faculty of Science lies Chrono Chamber. David has been using it to hone his skills and make soldiers to hold off the mist, and only he can access it."

"Chrono Chamber?"

"It is an indestructible training chamber that goes outside the natural flow of time. An hour here is a week in there. I have ordered David to let you and your comrades use it."

Mika's eyes widened. Although David deserved to suffer for beating her up and taking Brandon away from her, his Chrono Chamber would make a fine compensation... No, what was she thinking? If Brandon hadn't been such a strong fighter, that snake bastard would've kept him "imprisoned" in his lab and turned him into his pawn or even a guinea pig.

"I know it is hard to not hate David, but you have to understand what is happening to the state. The mist will end our lives before we can live to the fullest." Wong pointed his bamboo fan at Mika. "Do you have a dream you wish to achieve before you die?"

Mika nodded, her face sagging. "I..." A lump formed in her throat. "I want to enter Metaslica Faculty of Science to study about Methuselah folks. I don't want Brandon to depend on blood transfusions and hibernation anymore." Because I miss my mother's hugs and smiles, while Brandon can give me those as long as he isn't hibernating.

"Then let go of your hate." Wong lowered his fan. "When the mist ordeal is over, you will cross paths with him again."

Mika nodded with a scowl. Why did this snake bastard have to stick to her like a stamp and an envelope? Couldn't he just move out or something?

"Then let go of your hate," Wong's voice echoed in her head. "When the mist ordeal is over, you will cross paths with him again."

Mika took a deep breath before exhaling. Perhaps she should learn more about David, so that her hate could fade away.

"Now that you are here, I need to return to Jiugang Castle and call David." Wong paced past Mika and Fenghuang. "Feel free to practice your folk's power in this garden, but take good care of its beauty."

Mika turned. "Mr. Wong."

Stopping in the middle of the bridge, Wong glanced over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Can you tell me more about Mr. David? Do you know why he hates slum people so much?"

"I shall tell you about it later." With that, Wong continued his journey out of the garden.

"Okay." Mika looked at Fenghuang, who followed Wong. "Fenghuang?"

The bird continued her stride. "Did you not notice the sudden silence?"

"Um..." Racking her brain to figure out the meaning of the silence, Mika stood still...

Jyuji and Long had stopped bickering.

Mika immediately ran towards Fenghuang, who stood in the middle of the bridge while looking up. Katrina, who stood beside the pond, was looking up as well with Long.

"Your dragon friend is a showoff," Fenghuang grumbled.

Mika shifted her gaze to the sky. With his body coated in azure flame, Jyuji streaked across the horizon like a blazing comet. Then he stopped and whirled, sending blue basketball-sized fireballs everywhere. The fiery spheres traveled for a few meters before fading away.

"Impressive, little dragon." Long twirled his whisker with a clawed finger.

Jyuji dived down to the eye-level of the humongous jade dragon, his flame fading. "Your turn."

"Ah, I can only show a tiny portion of my power, little dragon," Long replied. "My full power is too destructive."

"Stop boasting about how destructive your power is! Show me what you can do!"

"Very well." Long looked up and opened his mouth. A red spherical glow built up at the base of his tongue.

"Classic fire breath." Jyuji shrugged. "How original."

A stream of fire shot out of Long's maw and into the sky. Jyuji flew after the flame and opened his mouth, drawing in a deep, hearty breath. The blaze went into his mouth and swirled into a fiery sphere that fit in his maw perfectly. Then he closed his mouth, swallowed, and burped.

Mika's jaw dropped. Jyuji ate the fire!

"Fire Eater," Katrina commented. "Someone with this ability can consume fire to replenish some blood, provided that the fire burns less hot than the consumer's. This means Long's fire burns less hot than Jyuji's."

"Ya hear that, big snake?" Jyuji laughed, threads of smoke escaping from his mouth and nostrils. "Your fire burns hot enough only to be my breakfast."

"Little dragon, why do you not try breathing some fire at me?" Long challenged. "I can consume fire, too."

Mika gasped, Katrina shook her head and tsked, while Fenghuang remained calm.

"I'll melt your body, you idiot!" Jyuji snapped.

"Melt my body?" Long chuckled. "I wish you luck, little dragon."

Jyuji inhaled before breathing out a raging gush of blue flame. The fire struck Long's face, only to seep into his jade scales. Mika scratched her head; was it magic? She couldn't see any pores on the dragon's body.

Long hovered still. "All methdroids have a mechanism known as Heat Converter in their bodies. It allows absorbing fire no matter how hot it burns. However, absorbing fire for a long time will produce heat and may cause overheating." He laughed. "I am still superior to you, little dragon."

"You're wrong, Long," Katrina cut in. "My knowledge about methdroids is limited, but I do know about overheating. Your system will shut down and your durability will take a hit. When that happens, Jyuji can shred you."

"We will not shut down due to overheating, rabbit woman," Fenghuang replied. "The folks that breathe life to our engines grant us the power to conjure fire, hence the immunity to overheat-induced shutdowns. Moreover, overheating allows us to move faster."

"Faster, huh?" Jyuji spat at the pond. "I bet you're still slower than me when overheating, big snake."

"It is unfortunate that every methdroid will overheat at some point in a battle, and I cannot do much even with the boost in speed, but I am content with what I have." Long pointed at his own face with a clawed finger. "Before I overheat, my body is harder than diamond."

"Harder...than...diamond?" Mika's jaw dropped. She had never heard of harder-than-diamond materials; perhaps because they didn't exist, or her knowledge was outdated. Then again, Jyuji had always reminded her that Methuselah folks could defy logic and make the impossible possible.

"Pfft, defeating you is pretty simple." Jyuji folded his arms over his chest. "I'll burn you until you overheat. Then I'll finish you off with my claws."

"If you can last long enough until I overheat, you win. However, it is not as simple as you think."

"You think you can stop my fire?" Jyuji wagged a finger. "C'mon, show me what you've got!"

"I can conjure a rain to weaken your fire, but I do not need it to defeat you." Long's clawed fingers came like a pair of tweezers to seize Jyuji's wing. "You are so small that I can swat you like a fly."

"Swat me like a fly? Big snake, how about you try swatting me now?" Jyuji pointed at the fingernails that held his wing. "You gotta let me go first of course."

"I do not wish to hurt you, little dragon."

Once Long released Jyuji's wing, the sapphire dragon zipped around the serpentine beast. Long only laughed.

"Long, knowing you, I am certain that this will last for days," Fenghuang scolded. "This young lady is not here to watch a rivalry between two dragons."

The dragon looked down at Fenghuang, not caring about the "fly" that buzzed around him. "I know, Fenghuang. However, do we not have to wait for Master Wong's next order?"

Fenghuang pointed at Mika with a wing. "Master Wong suggests that she practices her folk's power as we wait."

"Ah, I see." Long shifted his gaze to Mika, still apathetic about the flying Jyuji. "I do not mind if you use my body as a target, young lady."