DxD: Ascension - Redux

Chapter 38: Mount Leviathan, Part 2

can you believe we're almost caught up to the original story already? this is great

Six days into the climb...

Zach and his team were nearing the peak of the mountain. The tops of the tallest areas of the temple were within view. Despite the frigid air, he could feel the afternoon sun's heat cutting through the cold. Somehow, warmth was returning to his body.
"We're almost there," Irina panted. "And it's been forever since we saw even a trace of another team, so we're in first place, right?"
Kuroka nodded. "Should be. Unless someone snuck by us."
"Not likely." Zach shed his outer jacket, which was instantly replaced by his normal tailcoat. "They must have some kind of magic temperature control around the temple grounds. It's bleeding out into the surrounding area."
They soon found Temple Master Revan waiting for them. A smile was visible on what little they could see of his face. "Congratulations. You three are the first team to make it to me."
Zach looked back at Irina and Kuroka. Their expressions were just as excited as his own. "So we did it? We won the challenge?"
"Oh, not yet. One foe remains." Revan winked and disappeared in a flurry of snow.
"What do you have for us to... SCATTER!" Zach dove away as a giant, reptilian creature slammed into the ground in front of them.
Kuroka managed to leap out of the monster's way. "What is that thing?!"
Irina wasn't so lucky. The impact of its landing knocked her off her feet and she tumbled through the snow. "Is it a dragon?"
Zach got to his feet and backed away. "A type of one, yeah. Called a wyvern. This one is a frost wyvern, which should've been extinct for centuries!" The wyvern's scales were stark white, blending in well with the fresh snow. It had two strong, muscular back legs and two clawed wings. Its horns and claws were like deadly icicles. Its yellow eyes darted between its three victims as if trying to decide which to attack first.
"She is the very last," Revan's voice echoed through their minds. "But her lifespan is coming to an end very soon. She wanted to go out fighting, so I promised that the first team to make it here would fight her."
"No way am I killing this poor old lady dragon," Kuroka protested. "She deserves a peaceful end."
"Either you kill the poor old lady wyvern, or she kills you. Your choice. Good luck."

BGM: Destiny - Cabal Stomp

As if on cue, the wyvern roared. Its breath froze the water molecules in the air, forming icicles that flew at Zach.
"Time for the frost to meet the fire!" Kuroka yelled to snap him out of his shock.
Zach flinched and created a wall of fire just in time to stop the icicles. "Is that the best fight banter you could come up with?" He blasted the wyvern with lightning and leaped onto its back, the Phoenix's Talon forming on his arm. "Azrael!"
On it. Attri-boost: Strength!
Zach felt his physical power boost as he gripped the wyvern's jaws. He pried them apart, arms shaking from the effort despite his new strength. "Fire your attacks down her throat!" he shouted. Restraints made of lightning latched onto the wyvern's legs, wings, tail, and neck, forcing her to stay in place.
"Right!" Irina created a bow of light and fired holy arrows into the wyvern's mouth.
Kuroka launched a volley of magic attacks at the wyvern. Their force knocked out a few of her teeth.
The wyvern roared again, forcing Zach to let go of her jaws. She struggled against her bonds. One by one, they snapped, and she flew into the air with Zach still on her back.
Zach grabbed the wyvern's horns and held on as tight as he could. The wyvern flew higher into the sky, giving him a good view of the entire Black Temple. Just as the name suggested, it was made almost entirely out of black stone. The outer wall was numerous stories high, with guards patrolling. There was a large, black, grand cathedral. Zach spotted a few other buildings as well. One of the only buildings that weren't black was the temple's coliseum, which was styled to resemble a modern sports arena. The other was a tall hotel-like building, presumably for the competitors to stay in. The people living at the temple looked up, marveling at the sight of the frost wyvern carrying a teenage boy around.
Zach waved at the people down below before making reins of lightning on the wyvern and doing his best to steer it back to Irina and Kuroka. A small blue magic circle formed next to his ear. "Get ready, you guys!" he yelled as he forced the wyvern into a dive.
Kuroka and Irina braced themselves, readying their final blows against the wyvern.
"Three... two... one... NOW!" Zach's gauntlet transformed into a sword and he stabbed it through the wyvern's neck. At the same time, his partners delivered their attacks, bringing their final challenge to an end. The wyvern dissolved into snow and ice shards as it died, sending Zach tumbling to the ground. He got to his feet, the sword disappearing as he stood.
Revan clapped his hands. "Very well done, you three. So with that, congratulations. You are the first team to complete the challenge. Head into the first building on your right as soon as you get past the gates. You can recover there. You'll also be given your room keys."
"Yeah, cool. Are the rest of the teams going to have to fight something like that too?"
"No. But such is the burden of being the best. I'm sure you understand, Mr. Praktum."
"That's totally unfair," Zach complained as he and his team followed Revan's instructions.