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Rise of the Dragon Realm is the fifth chapter ofSplit Fiction,a co-op game that shifts back and forth between the sci-fi and fantasy worlds of our heroines Mio and Zoe.
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Created by the mind of fantasy writer Zoe, this chapter takes place in a mythical land of the once-proud dragons, who are now all but extinct.
As part of alarger collection of Split Fiction walkthroughs, here’s a comprehensive look at Rise of the Dragon Realm.
Warning: Story spoilers ahead!
Chapter Abilities
You won’t receive any unique abilities until you hatch your dragons later on in the chapter — right after the “A Serpentine Path” subchapter.
While these powers do eventually grow stronger throughout the chapter,their abilities essentially stay the same in concept throughout.
Mio Abilities
Mio carries ared dragon whose main ability is to glide over long distances.
Later, her dragon will be able tospit balls of acid to melt metallic targets.
Zoe Abilities
Zoe carries ablue dragon whose main ability is to climb walls and cliffs,indicated by dense ivy and leaves.
Her dragon later evolves toroll like Sonic the Hedgehog and can smash pink crystals or movable objects.
A Serpentine Path
After a hilariously adorable Sailor Moon reference from Zoe to start the chapter, you’ll pick up a pair of dragon eggs and carry them on your backs.
Proceed through the platforming section of this chapter, and you’ll arrive attwo pedestals that require your eggs to activate.
Take this moment to orient yourself in this lush, green land full of dragon statues and abandoned temples. Press on.
You’ll come across a cave withdragon statues whose wings you can raise by placing your eggs on the corresponding pedestals.Use them to help each other cross the gap.
Next, you’ll stop at a wide chasm with a large statue in the middle.The pedestal on the left rotates the statue, while the one on the right raises the wings.
Rotate the statue 90 degreesso that it’s facing sideways. Then,cross the gap and place your egg on the pedestal there,which will keep the wings raised while your partner crosses.
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For the next statue, both players will need to grapple onto both wings at the same time, as grappling only one will tilt it and drop you to your doom.
Slide down and jump off an over-sized bird’s nest, anduse your eggs to open the vault doors in front of you.Once through, you’ll see a mountain-sized egg on the horizon.
Turn right and keep platforming until you reach a pair of podiums,where you’ll trigger a cutscene and come face to face with this chapter’s antagonist: The Megalith — a menacing, gargantuan ancient dragon with obsidian skin that radiates purple energy.
Escape from the Megalith, who will start throwing crystalline comets at you. Jump across a series of collapsing pillars and bridges.Just keep running!
You’ll slide down a slope and eventually escape the Megalith. Perhaps the dragon species may live to see another day.
In the next puzzle, you’ll be introduced to a serpentine statue, whose body you’ll use totransfer blue energy to hatch a golden egg for you to cross.
To solve this puzzle,you must place your egg on the pedestals to pass along the energy.Failing to pass the energy will let it dissipate, and you’ll have to start over. Thankfully,there are grapple points for you to use to get around quickly to keep the chain going.
Here’s how my partner and I did it:
Once you complete this puzzle, you may enter the water temple and hatch your eggs,birthing two adorable dragons who will now join you on your journey.
Water Temple
Mio and Zoe will start this subchapter by rowing a boat down a river.Use the corresponding buttons (trigger buttons for controller) to paddle.
For ease of reference, we’ll be referring topaddling with two oars on the left side as “hard right,” and vice versa for “hard left.“you may also paddle with one oar for a “soft left/soft right.”
Paddling both oars on opposite sides results in a slightly faster forward speed, though you can simply move forward by not paddling at all, too.
As you start to get used to paddling, the river current will start picking up speed, carrying you both down some scary rapids before you’re ambushed by the Megalith.
Despite the chaotic and terrifying circumstances, you don’t have to paddle unless you need to make slight adjustments to your directions.Stay calm and be careful where you direct the boat.
The first part will be the hardest,as the waterfall has a very narrow gap for you to paddle to.
Make a hard right by paddling once, and readjust with another hard left by paddling one more time. Make minor adjustments with one oar at a time if need be. Otherwise, it should be the correct angle for you to jump off the first waterfall.
Next, you’ll go down a wide slope. Pick either lane, and thengo down the corridor in the middle. The boat will break, sending you both flying.
Zoe will get caught in a tree branch, while Mio will keep sliding. Time will slow,allowing Mio’s dragon to spread its wings for the pair to glide to safety.
Zoe will then free herself and slide off the waterfall too. Time will slow once again, but now with a quick-time event where you both need to hold down a button for Mio to catch Zoe.
You’re meant to fail this QTE, as Zoe will fall and allow her dragon to use its ability,which allows it to climb leafy walls with its sharp tail.Press the corresponding button to latch onto a wall. Releasing it will automatically make you jump in whichever direction you’re pointing at.
Traverse the platforming section with your newborn dragons' abilities.Mio can use a geyser to launch herself upto her destination to meet up with Zoe.
As Zoe,latch onto a grassy panel of a chimney-looking pillar,which will raise a nearby platform for Mio to use, and glide to a wooden bridge topull a lever and open a door.
Cross the geysers (and maybe have a little extra fun getting launched by them) and you’ll reach an open cave.
In that cave, there’s a platforming section where you could get carried away by the rapids if you’re not careful.Use your dragons to traverse this section.
Most notably, there’s a trio of shifting pillars where one of them is particularly shorter, which will go underwater and throw you off the map if you time your jumps wrong.
You’ll then reach a large lever, which you’lluse Zoe’s dragon to pull down for Mio to get on.Release it to fling Mio to the other side.
Mio can then pull another lever,which brings down a hook for Zoe to grapple on, moving her to the other side.
Get on the lift and hold down a button to keep its gears turning,and you’ll see the Megalith in the distance searching for you. He’ll leave, and everybody sighs in relief.
You maycross the two golden eggs to your right to proceed with the chapter,or go left to do the"Slopes of War” side story,which is crucial tounlocking the “Bookworms” achievement/trophy.
To reach “Slopes of War,“ride the first platform to the little island together,which will move the other platform above (that you’ll need to get to the next part) away from your reach.
Then,pull the lever of the first platform to make it move back, but jump off instead.Now, you’ll have a platform with two levers.Pull those together, and it’ll carry you to the side story.
Once you’ve completed the side story, jump down and proceed to the next area.
You can find some bushes to feed fruit to your dragons, which will give you the"Feed Me” achievement/trophy.
Jump across the golden egg balls and take note of thestone skipping mini-game if you need a little distraction.
Skip stones by holding onto the corresponding button and release at just the right moment when your character’s arm is pulled all the way to the back.
Jump up via geysers and proceed onward, grappling and wall running to the next area.
You’ll see two paths.Mio will take left, and Zoe will take right.Mio has a pretty straightforward platforming section by making use of her dragon’s gliding, while Zoe will need to carefully jump up and down some overgrown waterwheels.
You’ll then arrive at a small puzzle, which requires some teamwork.Mio can jump on either one of the two pillars in front,which will change the direction of the wheels' rotation.
By default, the wheels will turn counterclockwise (left button), and stepping on the right button will make them turn clockwise.The wheels are also blocked by thorny vines that can kill Zoe.
Zoe will grab onto the first leafy panel she can use and jump up onto the next panel.Mio will then immediatelystep on the right button,making the wheels turn clockwise, which will allow Zoe to hop to safety.
Then,Mio can glide and grab onto a hook with a grapple, and Zoe can pull her up with the mechanism nearby.
There’s a bench for you to sit on, which is the fourth one to unlock the"A Tale of Two Besties” achievement/trophy.
Once you’ve had your rest, use Zoe’s dragon toactivate the mechanism on the first and third walls to raise the platforms in front of youso that Mio can glide and reach the platform on the far right and pull the lever to open the gate.
Grapple through, and you’ll reach a long corridor in a temple. Use the geysers to jump high in the air andswing from the claws of the dragon statues.
Continue onward, and you’ll reach the next puzzle.
This puzzle requires not just team work, but the ability toquickly recognize and call out symbols.
Immediately to your right is a button with a symbol that looks like a smiley face.Stepping on it will activate a geyser, launching you in the air.
As Mio,step on the button and launch Zoe,who will use her dragon to climb the wall. Once Zoe is at the top, you’ll seesix buttons corresponding to the geysers that you’ll need to use to traverse the area.
The walls will get higher after each geyser, where you’ll need to quickly find the next button to press to prevent Mio from falling into the water.
The last geyser will thrust Mio high enough for her to land right next to you.
Proceed to the next area with some platforming, and you’ll arrive at an island with a pool for your dragons to hop into and turn into their larger forms.
Dragon Riders Unite
While you’re not exactly Hiccup and Toothless fromHow to Train Your Dragon, you’ll now spend the majority of this chapter riding your dragons (whose abilities are now upgraded).
Mio’s dragon can still glide, but will nowjump much higher to reach greater distances while also sporting a new acid breath ability.Zoe’s dragon, on the other hand, canclimb walls with its claws androll around at the speed of sound.Gotta go fast!
You can also bounce on weird, squishy orange plants to give you a boost.
There’s a red door that’s blocked by metallic suits of armor.
Use Mio’s dragon’s acid tomelt the suit of armor blocking the door, and then Zoe’s dragon to roll into and bust open the door.You’ll arrive at an island with a bronze ball hanging from three chains.
Melt the chains and use Zoe’s dragon to push the ball to the ring nearby, marked by a cobblestone path and an indent in the ground. This will activate two statues that will let you cross the chasm.
Next, melt the chain to allow Mio to glide and bounce from the flower, and useZoe’s dragon to smash the crystals that block your way.
In this puzzle, you’ll need topush what seems to be a mill with Zoe’s dragon to carry Mio across platforms.
First, Mio willgo left and bounce to the taller platformwhile Zoe goes straight and climbs the wall to the mill.
Then, push the arm of the mill in the direction of Mio so that she can land on it,and give it a couple more pushes for Mio to fly to the next platform.
Once there, Mio canmelt the thick chains attached to the stone weight,which will cause the statue in the middle to turn 90 degrees. Your next goal is toreach the opposite side.
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While Mio is on the platform,push the arm a couple more times clockwise, allowing Mio to get to the other side tomelt the remaining chains,lowering the dragon statue’s wings.
Proceed onward, and you’ll reach a gate blocked by another puzzle.Push the button in the middle to reveal a dragon ring with a green orb. Spit acid into it to open the gate.
Next, you’ll need to traverse the area through some platforming challenges. Mio will mostly be gliding and flying through rings and jumping on squishy plants that will boost her, while Zoe can roll down some slopes like you’re in the Green Hill Zone. Too bad there aren’t any loop-de-loops.
You’ll arrive at an area with another dragon ring and a cart, which will activate the arms of two statues in front of you. Mio must raise the statues' arms first. Then, Zoe pushes the cart down, and Mio lowers the statues' arms to lock the cart in place. With Zoe on the cart,Mio can release the arms to fling Zoe into the red door,smashing it open.
There’s a windmill that can block you from the door. Make sure to time your shots.
As Zoe, roll down and smash the battering ram, which will knock down a series of pillars and bring down a platform for Mio to glide onto.
Next, you’ll need to solve a puzzle to open a symbol-covered door. The premise is simple: the mechanism works from bottom to top,so activate the correct symbols individually, then together to unlock the door.Here’s a more detailed guide.
Enter the cave, and you’ll find crystals to smash and metal to melt (which is important for the next encounter).Jump off the platform and onto a circular arena, which will begin a boss fight.
The Dragon Slayer
In this boss fight, you face the Dragon Slayer, an undead crystal creature with a suit of armor and a giant sword.
To deal the most damage, you need tocrash into the bottom of his body,which is made of the pink crystals that only Zoe’s dragon can damage.
Zoe’s dragon will be the major damage-dealer in this fight. Mio can still spit some acid at the boss to melt his armor, but it doesn’t do a lot of damage.
In his first phase, the boss will first bring down his sword on to whoever’s closest to him andsend forth a projectile that travels in a straight line.Then,he’ll charge at you with his arm in front of him.
Avoid the waves that he sends out with his sword,which cover the whole arena and can kill you in two hits.
The boss can also leap and plunge his sword into the ground at you, sending a rain of spears and crystals that pepper the arena.Getting hit with the sword is an instant-kill.
Once damaged enough,he’ll summon metallic scorpions,which will chase you, attach to you, and attack you with their claws.Melt them with Mio’s acid.
The boss will then summon comets that rain down in specific patterns.These attacks are telegraphed by glowing blue marks.
Then,the boss will circle the arena,chanting the spell “Ignis” (the same chant asBaldur’s Gate 3’s"Firebolt” spell) andsummoning pillars of flames to attack you.
He can alsoraise his arm and rain small fireballs at you,which follow you in a delayed path.
The boss can combine and mix-up any of the above attacks, sostay on your toes and stay aggressive.
Keep fighting the boss until you defeat him, which will open up a gate and raise some platforms for you to proceed.
Craft Temple
With the dragon slayer defeated and his victims avenged,continue onward until you reach a chasm where the nextside story, “Space Escape,“is located.
To reach the side story, you’ll need tohit the gong with Zoe’s dragon right as Mio glides right on top of a chimney,which will blow a jet of air to boost her up.
Then,melt the chain to bring down the grassy wall.Climb up and continue on your path (or enter the side story)
Proceed down some slopes until you reach a massive drawbridge.After pulling the mechanism together, the Megalith will find you and attempt to attack you. Keep running!
Dragon Souls
You’ve escaped his clutches again, and you’re safe (for now). There’s a statue nearby blocked by a suit of armor.
Melt it and smash the button, which deposits a golden ball that explodes a few seconds after being exposed to acid.
Push the ball near the blue door and detonate it,blowing up the door and clearing your way forward. This will take you down a stream where you may play with some spirit fishes.
Once you’ve had your fun, proceed onward, and you’ll reach a large dragon egg encased in metal.Melt its shell and smash it, which will release a dragon soul into one of the four statues.
To reawaken the remaining three statues,pick any of the three paths.
For the leftward path,climb up the wall and wait for Mio to reach a platform with three horns.
Spitting acid into those horns will reconstruct a spectral path,which will remain there for a few seconds even after Mio stops blowing into the horn.
As Zoe, roll down the path,jump over the spikes, and keep rolling down to the end.Turn right andpush the button to rotate the statue so that Mio can glide on it.We recommend pushing the button half a second after Mio starts gliding.
Melt the metal shell and smash the crystal. You’ve now released two out of four dragons.
The game will teleport you back to the starting point, so there’s no need to worry about backtracking.
On the middle path, you’ll find anothergolden ball and a dragon ring that raises a wooden slide.
Your goal is topush the gold balls down the slides to blow up blue doors.
The best strategy is to have Mio lead the way, spewing acid into the dragon rings to raise the platforms while you roll the ball down the slide.
The only way to push the ball is to roll into it, so Mio can’t help with this process. Be careful not to push the ball off the slide. Angle your shots so that the ball won’t naturally roll off the edge.
Free the third dragon soul.
For the final dragon soul, go to the right-most path of the intersection you’ve returned to. You’ll see a ramp for Mio to jump off, and a bell for Zoe to ring.
Ringing the bell conjures a ghostly platform at the top,remaining solid only for a couple of seconds before dissipating.
The strategy for this puzzle is toaim the bell right next to the spikes, ringing it immediately after Mio takes flightfor her to rest and jump again.
Ring the bell again, this time aiming it between the two spikes.This puzzle focuses on precision and timing above all else.
Once cleared, melt the chains which drop a couple of squishy plants for Zoe to bounce on.
Then, free the last dragon soul, which conjures a dragon spirit to carry you to the next subchapter.
Treasure Temple
To the left on your path through the Treasure Temple is the"Birthday Cake” side story.
Assuming you’ve also done the other side stories,completing this one will earn youthe “Bookworms” achievement/trophy,which requires you to finish all twelve in total.
Return to your previous path and press on. Open the gate by melting the metal serpent statues and breaking the crystals.
Then, roar into the horns, which begins an encounter with the Treasure Traitor, a giant tortoise who will try to stop you byrolling cylinders and balls down the stairs in your direction.
As you ascend the stairs,stick together, melt the metal cylinders, and smash the crystals.He’ll then retreat,summoning a wall of metal spikes and crystals.
Run along the bridge, and the Treasure Traitor willsend wave after wave of flames. Jump over them. He’ll retreat again.
Step on two buttons and drop you into a room downstairs, transitioning the gameplay into a top-down perspective.
Royal Palace
To escape the treasure chamber,use Mio’s dragon to spit acid into the statues,which will form a walkway to the door that you can smash open with Zoe’s dragon.
Leave the chamber and jump over some pillars. You’ll come across a suit of armor holding a waterwheel.Melt it and roll it like a hamster wheel to smash the door.
Dash up the slope right as the flamethrowers stop firing. You’ll then fight some giant hands, which can be defeated bymelting their gauntlets first as Mio. This stuns them and exposes a crystalline arm for Zoe to smash.
Defeating the two giant hands will lower the gate. Press on until you reach a vessel. Melt the armor to reveal a button for you to press, then melt the chain when you stop at a vine to bring down a drawbridge.
Get on the next vessel. You’ll need to push it quickly to avoid being burned.Stop at a vine and melt another chain.
Next, you’ll stop at a gate that can be unlocked byhitting three rotating locks in quick succession.Proceed onward.
The next puzzle works the same—push the three buttons with Zoe to reveal three statues, which you can spew acid into with Mio’s dragon.Do this quickly to open the next gate.
Get on the next lift and step on the buttons, activating it and lowering you into a world of beautiful, purple foliage.
You’ll then fight a pair of armored feet.Do the same as you would with the giant arms. Melt the armor and smash the crystals.
The massive dragon skull then opens its mouth, allowing you to enter deeper into the Treasure Traitor’s lair.
Quickly run across some sinking blocks and smash the crystal on a statue, which will boost you up a cliff. Then,melt the armor and press a button to make a statue blast a pair of doors open.
You’ll encounter a classic medieval dungeon cliché—swinging axes on a narrow corridor.Run and dash along the bridge while avoiding the axes.Melt the armor and smash the crystals, which will lead to the next area.
The next puzzle will test your speed, as you’ll need to complete it on some sinking blocks.Pushing the rotating buttons will open the doors in a left-to-right sequence, allowing Mio to shoot acid into the statues and open the way to the next area.
Now that you’re on solid ground,melt the chains to release the weights and lower the statue.Push the button to blast open the door.
You’ll then encounter four armored crystal limbs. Defeat them, and proceed to the next area.
Ride up the elevator, melt the statue, and smash the crystal.You’ll chase the Treasure Traitor while it sends more rolling objects down the bridge.Melt and smash whatever you’re able to destroy.
Treasure Traitor
With the Treasure Traitor cornered, you’ll now engage him in a boss fight.
He’ll first attack you withspears that shoot out from the ground in squiggly lines.
Then, he’ll spit outmetallic shells that can be melted to reveal a bomb for Zoe to throw that deals damageto the boss.
Occasionally, the boss will shoot out a purple ball at one of you, immobilizing you with either ametallic snake statue (melt it) or a crystal prison (smash it).
A trap will then pop out of the ground, which shootsthree beams of fire around the arena.Jump over or walk in the same direction to avoid being burned.
Continue damaging the boss until half health, andhe’ll jump down to your level to face you himself, sending out a wave of fire at you that you can jump over in the process.
He’ll then hide in his shell and spin violently like a Beyblade, all the whilechucking smaller shells that you can throw back at him.
Once you damage him four times, you’ll stun him,exposing his metallic head for you to melt and smash.
Rinse and repeat one more time, and you’ll deprive the Megalith of his best accountant in a pool of molten gold.
Might Of Dragons
With the Treasure Traitor vanquished, a cutscene will play.
Your dragons will hop into the lake of burning gold and evolve into their final form. You’ll also obtain a pair ofmagical swords that you’ll use to defeat the Megalith once and for all, in due time.
Your dragons have grown in power as well as strength.Both of them can now take to the skies with their massive wings and can soar at incredible speeds.
Mio’s dragon now spits powerful balls of acid that can instantly destroy metal walls, while Zoe’s dragon can drill through crystal walls.
As you fly, you’ll eventually find the Megalith. Now emboldened with greater power,you may face him with the wrath of the entire dragon species in your arsenal.
Into The Storm
Chase the Megalith through valleys and caverns while destroying obstacles along the way.
While you’re chasing the Megalith, you’ll blast through metallic doors and crystal walls. He can also turn around and shoot a pink laser beam at you.
Eventually, the Megalith will knock both of you off your dragons, separating you for a brief moment and forcing you into a platforming section in some ancient ruins.
Megalith’s Wrath
As you’re falling to your doom and about to be eaten by the Megalith, your dragons save you, andyou land on the Megalith’s back.
Use your swords to clear the crystalline spikes while you travel up your foe’s tail and back.You’ll also be chased by growing black spikes, so don’t stop moving.
As you travel up the Megalith’s body, your dragons will help you reveal pathways and vulnerable spots that you may attack.Mash the attack button while avoiding the Megalith’s parasites.
Continue to damage the Megalith’s weak spots. This epic boss fight isn’t meant to be difficult, so bask in your moment of heroism and keep pushing through until you reach the Megalith’s neck.
The Megalith will then attempt to shake you off.Use the button prompt to plant your sword into its skin to cling to the Megalith so that you don’t get blown off the beast by blasts of wind.
Your dragons will expose the Megalith’s brain to finally finish it off once and for all.
You’ve vanquished the Megalith, and you’re one step closer to freedom.
But Rader is desperate, and in his slow descent to madness, pushes you further into the subconscious and the next chapter:Isolation.
