<h4>Chapter 173: Viin Simtor, Ch 172</h4>


    However, the mask covered most of her face, and even though her gaze seemed familiar, it was still impossible to confirm her identity.


    The girl had no intention of giving Lucas a chance to approach. She leapt into the air, and her leg suddenly transformed into a powerful, muscr dragon limb, kicking ferociously toward Lucas on the ground.


    Even before the kicknded, Lucas felt a tremendous pressure in the air. He quickly sidestepped, and the girl''s figure shed past. Unable to stop her momentum, her kick shattered the stone wall behind him into rubble.


    This style ofbining draconic transformation with martial techniques was identical to Ursa''s.


    But now, the <strong>Blue-Eyes White Dragon</strong> was gravely injured, and Lumine and Paimon were not strong enough to help. It seemed only he and Venti working together could suppress her.


    "Venti!" Lucas shouted, "Hold her off for me!"


    "Already on it!"


    At some point, Venti had drawn a short bow. Though he had hesitated to fight Dvalin, he had no reason to hold back against this unexpected enemy.


    Wind-infused arrows shot toward the girl''s back, but just as they were about to hit, enormous wings unfolded from her back, effortlessly deflecting the projectiles.


    "Seriously?!" Lucasined. "You''re supposed to be a god!"


    "Hey, that''s uncalled for!" Venti replied, embarrassed. "What do you expect? I summoned Dvalin, climbed a tower—I''m not that strong physically!"


    Venti frequently imed to be the weakest of the Seven Archons. While his words couldn''t always be trusted, one thing was clear: his stamina was indeedcking.


    "<strong>Gale de!</strong>"


    A blonde-haired knight suddenly descended from above, her sword drawing fierce gusts of wind as she thrust it at the ck-haired girl.


    But the girl merely flicked her wings, effortlessly batting both the knight and her sword away.


    "Jean!" Lucas rushed forward, catching her in his arms. "Don''t push yourself!"


    Even Diluc had struggled under these conditions; Jean, with less endurance, was in no position to fight.


    "I rested briefly," Jean said, nodding. Her face was pale, but her expression remained resolute. "I''ll be fine. No matter what happens, I will fight by your side!"


    Fight together?


    "Wait, that''s it!" Lucas eximed, a realization dawning. "Jean, let''s fuse!"


    "W-what?" Jean stammered, her face turning red. "F-fuse? Now?"


    Was he talking about the kind of "fusion" from romance novels?


    "Exactly!" Lucas dered, summoning a card into his hand. "<strong>Soul-Link Fusion!</strong>"


    <strong>[Fusion is fusion, but what''s with the Soul-Link nonsense?]</strong> the system muttered.


    Lucas was using a <strong>Fusion Card</strong>, a reward from the Golden Apple Archipgo event. Its effect allowed the merging of two beings.


    "It just sounds cooler!" Lucas replied.


    As he spoke, he and Jean were enveloped in a void. Around them were countless images, like antern show, disying memories from their respective lives.


    The process felt both instantaneous and eternal.


    When they reopened their eyes, their forms had merged into something new.


    Their fusion stood approximately 2.5 meters tall, with a lithe, elegant frame. It was d in gleaming silver armor, holding a one-handed sword, and long golden hair flowed from the gaps in its ornate helmet, radiating grandeur.


    Lucas had assumed that when humans fused, the result would look human, like in <i>Dragon Ball</i>. But this... this was something entirely different.


    "What... is this?" Jean''s voice came not aloud, but directly into Lucas''s mind.


    "There''s no time to exin," Lucas replied. "Let''s focus on beating her."


    "But I don''t know how to control this body..." Jean hesitated. "It feels like it''s me... but also not me."


    Lucas realized that while the fused body possessed immense power, it required both of them to operate it harmoniously.


    It was akin to piloting a Franxx from <i>Darling in the Franxx</i>, where two pilots needed perfect synchronization to control the machine.


    "Don''t overthink it," Lucas said. "You are me, and I am you."


    Jean calmed herself. A quick learner, she soon understood Lucas''s point. As their minds aligned, the fusion raised its sword with precision.


    This body wasn''t controlled by one consciousness—it was driven by their perfectly united will.


    "Unknown entity... unable to analyze..." Ursa muttered. She halted her movements, her eye glowing faintly as it rotated like a lens.


    Meanwhile, in the <strong>Goth Grand Hotel</strong>, the Doctor lounged in her chair, rhythmically tapping her temple with her finger.


    To ensure her mission''s sess, she had established a visual link with Ursa, monitoring the battlefield and issuingmands in real time.


    Her original goal had been to annihte the Knights of Favonius and recover Dvalin as research material.


    But now, something unexpected had emerged.


    "So beautiful... absolutely magnificent," the Doctor whispered, captivated by the fusion''s form. "A true work of art. If I could obtain it, I could create the ultimatebat machine. Change of ns: capture this lifeform at all costs—alive or dead."


    "Objective confirmed. Activating secondarybat mode." Ursa''s voice was cold as her body began to contort.


    She transformed into a half-human, half-dragon form, her power and speed significantly enhanced.


    Ursa charged at the fusion, striking with far greater ferocity than before.


    The fusion raised its sword to meet her. The sh of de and w echoed across the battlefield.


    Lucas and Jean''sbined skills flowed seamlessly, their individual techniques blending into something greater.


    Even so, the fusion''s sword struggled to pierce Ursa''s thick scales.


    "Lucas," Jean''s voice rang out in his mind. "Can we use elemental power in this form?"


    Unlike sword techniques, elemental abilities were unique to individuals. Jean wasn''t sure if the fusion body could harness such power.


    "Let''s try," Lucas replied. "There''s no difference between us now. If you can use it, I can too."


    Unbeknownst to Jean, Lucas''s <strong>Endless Tempest Talent</strong> granted him wind energy far purer than hers.


    "<strong>Fusion Gale de!</strong>"


    The fusion gripped its sword tightly, the de transforming into a spinning vortex of wind energy. It buzzed like a chainsaw as it shed at Ursa.


    The de tore into Ursa''s arm, leaving a deep gash.


    "Gah!" Ursa roared in pain.


    Ursa staggered back two steps, blood spurting from her injured arm.


    "Sorry..." Lucas muttered, feeling a twinge of guilt. "I promise I''ll heal you after this."


    Perhaps influenced by Lucas''s emotions, Jean hesitated as well and asked, "Do you know this... girl?"


    "I don''t know," Lucas replied honestly, "but I suspect she''s being controlled, just like Dvalin. Don''t let that worry you—fight with all you''ve got and don''t hold back against the enemy."


    Though Lucas wanted to believe in a connection between this girl and Ursa, there was no question she was an enemy determined to eliminate them. He couldn''t afford to endanger others because of his own selfishness.


    "What are you waiting for?!" The Doctor''s voice rang out, hysterical. "Activate the thirdbat form! Even if it kills her, I want that thing brought to me!"


    "...Understood."


    Ursa, unable to resist the Doctor''s orders, reluctantly released the final seal on her body.


    Her form twisted and expanded once more, transforming into a colossal dragon cloaked in deep purple and ck scales. Even the Fusion Form seemed tiny inparison.


    "It''s her... no doubt about it..." Not far away, the still-recovering Diluc''s eyes burned with hatred. "The demon dragon, Ursa!"


    Not only Diluc, but Jean and Lucas also recognized Ursa''s true identity.


    Even without seeing her face, Lucas was intimately familiar with her true form.


    "Ursa!" Lucas called out loudly. "Stop! I''m not your enemy!"


    Though Lucas knew reality and the simtor were different, he still hoped his voice could reach some remnant of Ursa''s memories from another dimension.


    But Ursa, nearly consumed by madness, raised her massive ck ws and struck down at the Fusion Form with overwhelming force.


    "Yes! That''s it! Use everything you''ve got!" The Doctor, observing from afar, wore an ecstatic grin. "Show me just how far this little gem can go—whether it''s worth being reconfigured by me!"


    Ursa''s full dragon form elevated her power to a new level. While her original strength couldn''t match Dvalin''s, the Doctor''s modifications had made her far more formidable.


    Her ultimatebat form burned her life force in exchange for strength. At full capacity, she could approach a god-like threshold, if only briefly.


    The Fusion Form barely escaped from beneath her massive w, which struck like a falling mountain.


    "ROAR!"


    Before the Fusion Form could stabilize, the berserk dragonunched another attack. Lucas and Jean raised their sword in defense, but the spinning wind des generated by the weapon failed to prate Ursa''s reinforced scales.


    A deafening crash echoed as the Fusion Form was sent flying, smashing into a massive boulder and sinking into its surface.


    A mortal body would have been shattered entirely.


    Though not fatally injured, the impact nearly severed the link binding Lucas and Jean''s minds together.


    Ursa, relentless, leapt into the air and dove down again, her ws aiming to rip the Fusion Form apart.


    Just as her talons were about to strike, a thick wall of ice materialized in front of the Fusion Form, absorbing the blow.


    "We can use both our elemental powers simultaneously?" Jean realized, catching her breath. "If that''s the case, maybe our wind and ice elements canbine."


    "Yes, lets give it a try." Lucas said.


    Ursa, consumed by fury, mmed her ws repeatedly against the ice wall. Cracks began to form, and just as the wall shattered, a fierce storm of icy shards erupted, engulfing Ursapletely.


    "<strong>Fusion Blizzard!</strong>"


    Thisbined attack, born of wind and ice, unleashed countless razor-sharp shards in a relentless whirlwind.


    While each individual attack was minor, the sheer volume inflicted devastating cumtive damage. Moreover, the inherent slowing effect of ice magic drastically hindered Ursa''s movements.


    A perfect opening!


    With their minds in perfect sync, Lucas and Jean seized the opportunity. They aimed for Ursa''s exposed weak points, shing with their sword—only for Ursa to whirl around and bite down on the elemental de, shattering it into pieces.


    "More power! Give me everything you''ve got!" the Doctor shouted, trembling with excitement. "I want to see if they can survive her full-strength attack!"


    To the Doctor, Ursa was nothing more than a disposable tool. Her interest now was fully fixated on the Fusion Form, an unprecedented specimen ripe for experimentation.


    Ursa obeyed without hesitation. Opening her massive maw, she began charging a sphere of dark, malevolent energy.


    This attack resembled the Blue-Eyes White Dragon''s<strong> White Lightning</strong>, but it was faster, stronger, and more destructive. At such close range, the Fusion Form had no chance to dodge.


    Both Lucas and Jean knew there was no way an ice wall could block this attack.


    Ursa gave them no time to think. The ck beam sted forth, striking the Fusion Form directly.


    "Tsk..." The Doctor clicked her tongue in disappointment. "I thought they''d be tougher. Seems that''s their limit after all—huh?"


    Her words caught in her throat.


    A radiant sh of light tore through the ck beam, scattering it into fragments. When the light subsided, the Fusion Form now wielded a massive two-handed sword made entirely of pure light.


    This was the power of the <strong>Light Element</strong>.


    Though Lucas had only recently acquired this ability and couldn''t wield it proficiently, crafting weapons from elemental energy was a fundamental technique. And against Ursa''s dark, corrupted power, the light element held a natural advantage.


    Ursa''s dragon eyes widened slightly, but instead of resisting, she summoned all her remaining strength and let out a soul-wrenching cry:


    "Kill me!"


    ---