(Thank you very much to 'Yuezuki Tatsuha' for the 1888 reward, and to 'Yunqi Qinggu' and 'Sui Feng Qi Wu' for their rewards!)
"Waaah!"
With a scream like someone jolting awake from a nightmare, Ash abruptly opened his eyes and began gasping for air. Sweat had already soaked his entire body.
Only after waking up did Ash realize his current situation.
Not only was he completely naked, but his entire lower body and one arm were buried in a mass of soft flesh, as though he had sunk into a swamp. He could not tell whether it felt comfortable or miserable, but he could clearly feel an excruciating pain in his left hand, which was covered in snake-like, vicious Star Crests.
"Awake now...?"
Wu Yan withdrew the hand resting on Ash's head and called out to him.
"Stop spacing out. Eco should be awake too. As her rider, you must merge your will with Eco's and drive Mordred out of her body!"
"O... Okay!" Ash suddenly snapped to attention, hurriedly closed his eyes, and sent the will of a rider downward like the roots of an ancient tree, burrowing fiercely into the black dragon beneath him.
"Roar—"
The black dragon, which was still wrestling against the Black Dragon Thunder Trap, suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar filled with pain.
"Roar—Roar—"
While howling in agony, the black dragon struggled desperately, but its body was tightly restrained by the Black Dragon Thunder Trap. It could not break free at all.
"D... Damn it!" Mordred's pained shriek rang out from within the black dragon's body.
"No... No... I can't lose... I went through so much trouble to find the instrument for awakening, tricked Klaus into becoming my supporter, and schemed for so long before finally reaching this point. How could I possibly lose...?"