Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

The eastern wall of the stronghold erupted in flames as the loyalist assault reached its peak. Lin found herself pressed against the volcanic stone, her escort squad of three rebel dragons forming a protective line in front of her. The loyalist forces had broken through the outer defenses faster than anyone had anticipated.

"Princess, stay behind us!" the squad leader shouted over the roar of dragon fire. His sword lit up as he parried a strike from an attacking loyalist dragon.

Lin watched the rebel dragon’s technique—a horizontal slash aimed at the loyalist’s neck, followed by a quick pivot to avoid the counterattack. The loyalist responded with a burst of water magic that turned the air around them into scalding steam. Both dragons moved through the mist, their weapons creating sparks where they met.

Another loyalist dragon descended from above, its claws extended toward one of Lin’s guards. The rebel twisted away, but the claws scraped across his shoulder, tearing through his armor and drawing blood. He stumbled, leaving an opening that the loyalist immediately exploited with a thrust toward his heart.

Lin created a wall of ice between them, the barrier six feet thick and reinforced with her magic. The loyalist’s sword struck the ice and penetrated three feet before stopping. Steam hissed where the heated blade met her ice barrier.

"We can’t hold this position," one of the other guards called out, his voice strained as he fought off two loyalists simultaneously. He moved his sword so fast he was able to parry both of them at the same time. But he was being pushed backward step by step.

Through the smoke and chaos, Lin could see the broader battle. The rebels were losing badly. Their defensive positions were being overrun, and loyalist dragons were advancing through the corridors. But something about their tactics bothered her—they moved too efficiently as if they knew exactly where to strike.

A loyalist dragon broke through her ice wall, its sword wreathed in a fire that melted through the barrier like it was normal ice instead of her enhanced magic. The blade swept toward her in a downward arc that would split her from shoulder to hip.

Lin rolled to the side, the sword missing her by inches and striking the volcanic stone floor. Sparks flew as enchanted steel met ancient rock. She came up with ice forming around her hands, but the loyalist was already pursuing, its next strike a horizontal slash at her midsection.

She created an ice sword to block, and the blades meet creating a small crack. Her ice blade held for a moment before developing fractures from the heat of the loyalist’s fire magic. She reinforced it with more power, but the drain on her strength was becoming noticeable.

"Transform!" her squad leader shouted, his own battle becoming increasingly desperate. "You can’t fight effectively in human form!"

Lin hesitated. The soldiers were unsure why she was afraid to release herself.

Another loyalist dragon landed behind her guards, trapping them between two enemies. The tactical situation was collapsing rapidly.

Lin made her decision.

Ice exploded outward from her body as she began her transformation. Her human form dissolved into mist and frost, then revealing her true form—a dragon with scales like polished jade, each one edged with crystal clear ice. Her body stretched forty feet from nose to tail, with wings that spanned sixty feet when fully extended.

The loyalist attacking her stumbled backward, clearly not expecting such a sudden transformation. Lin used his surprise to her advantage, her clawed forefoot striking his sword arm and sending his weapon flying. Her tail swept around to catch him across the chest, launching him into the wall hard enough to crack the volcanic stone.

But now she faces a new problem. Her ice magic in dragon form was far more powerful than she was capable of controlling. The temperature around her dropped so drastically that frost began forming on the walls and ceiling. The very air seemed to crystallize.

One of her guards, who had been struggling against two loyalists, suddenly found his opponents slowed by the intense cold. Their movements became sluggish as ice formed on their scales and weapons. He used the opportunity to drive his sword through the first loyalist’s chest, the blade punching through scales and into the heart beneath.

"Princess," he gasped, "your power... it’s incredible."

Before she could respond, a new voice cut through the battle.

"Fascinating," Commander Yuehua said, appearing in the breach in the eastern wall. But she wasn’t alone—three loyalist dragons followed her, and they weren’t attacking. "The princess’s power exceeds all records by a considerable margin."

Lin’s blood went cold. Commander Yuehua was supposed to be leading the rebel defense, not standing calmly with loyalist forces.

"Commander," her squad leader called out, confusion evident in his voice. "What are you doing?"

"What I’ve been doing for months," Commander Yuehua replied calmly. "Following orders from my superiors."

Commander Yuehua was a loyalist spy embedded in the rebel organization. Which meant their capture, their interrogation, everything had been orchestrated.

"You’ve been reporting to Jiaolong," Lin said, the pieces falling into place.

"Among others," Commander Yuehua confirmed. "Your arrival was quite anticipated. As was your eventual transformation."

Her squad leader raised his sword toward Commander Yuehua. "Traitor! You’ve been feeding information to—"

The loyalist dragon beside Commander Yuehua moved faster than the eye could follow. His sword sliced across the rebel’s throat in a single clean motion. Blood sprayed across the volcanic stone as the guard collapsed.

Lin roared in fury, ice erupting from her body in deadly spears. Commander Yuehua and her companions scattered, but one of the ice projectiles caught a loyalist dragon in the wing, puncturing through the membrane and sending him crashing to the ground.

"The princess has considerable spirit," Commander Yuehua observed, landing on a section of the wall that gave her a tactical advantage. "But she’s outnumbered and outmaneuvered."

More loyalist dragons were pouring through the breach now, at least a dozen of them. Lin’s remaining guards moved to protect her, but they were clearly overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Grim and Captain Zhen were fighting their way through the stronghold’s corridors, following the sounds of the most intense combat. They had liberated weapons from an abandoned armory—Captain Zhen wielding a dragon-forged sword, while Grim carried his own blade along with several throwing knives.

"The battle’s too coordinated," Captain Zhen observed as they moved through a corridor filled with smoke. "The loyalists know exactly where to strike."

"Inside information," Grim agreed, pausing at a junction to listen to the sounds of combat. "Someone’s been feeding them intelligence about the rebel’s defenses."

They reached a position where they could see Lin’s battle through a damaged wall. Grim took in the situation—Lin was surrounded by loyalists, Commander Yuehua was revealed as a traitor, and more enemies arrived every moment.

"We need to create an exit route," he told Captain Zhen. "She can’t fight her way out of that alone."

Captain Zhen nodded, studying the battlefield. "The thermal vents. If we can cause a rupture in the right location, the steam and chaos might give her cover to escape."

Grim smiled grimly. "Then let’s make some chaos."