Chapter 469 – A Contest of Brawns

“Don’t get cocky because you blocked one blow.” The female smirked at him viciously. “You’ll be one head less if you try anything with me.”

Not giving Asterios a chance to reply, she leveraged her caught fist and spun around, sending a powerful kick at the side of his head. Another mighty impact followed as he grabbed it with his other hand, putting the girl into a slightly awkward position in mid air.

“From how things are, it looks more like I’ll get bored of not even having to attempt to try,” he countered with a faint snort.

Snarling at him, she aimed another kick at his groin. While he could technically still stop it with his knee, he chose not to, instead letting go of the woman and taking one step back. Her foot cut through the air harmlessly as she got turned around because she had not expected such a move. With some effort, she landed on all fours and snapped her angry gaze up at him.

“Do not look down on me!” the female shouted furiously.

“Hard not to when you keep yourself so close to the ground.” He chuckled, then tilted his head. “Or is it just that you are short?”

The completely enraged expression that took over her face was a masterpiece. Asterios could feel her aura fluctuating chaotically as she readied herself to spring at him like a rabid beast. She definitely wasn’t small in any aspect, but it appeared that he might have hit a sore spot by accident. Which, to some extent, was naturally part of the plan. A heated enemy was a careless enemy.

Yet, things didn’t go according to his devised plot.

Ast’s brow rose in surprise as his opponent took a deep breath while still releasing vicious growls and stood up properly. Her emotions went back under control, at least as much so as not to impair her in battle. Once again, he was shown another side of draconic bloodlines. Someone of a crimson disposition would have already lost themselves at this point.

“Keep dreaming if you think you will be able to manipulate me into creating an obvious opening.” She assumed a more experienced fighting posture. “I’m not some brainless red or brown, brat.”

Her comment fairly accurately matched his thoughts. Though, being called a brat by someone shorter was making him feel a tad weird. Even if he assumed she was much older than him, which wasn’t that difficult to achieve with his barely two decades mostly spent as a human.

“You seem to like talking about dreams,” Asterios continued his taunting nevertheless. “Is that something you enjoy or perhaps lack of?”

“Right now the only dream I have is your head in my fist!” she screamed and smashed her heel into the ground.

A cloud of dust and particles exploded outwards, covering them both. But, while his normal vision was impaired, Asterios still had his sharp hearing. Noticing the whistle of air to the side, he ducked under a quick swipe that sliced through the dirt and cleared it all up with the artificial wind that followed. The woman appeared on the opposite side with her right hand and forearm transformed into its draconic version, her claws looking very much lethal.

Asterios dusted off his shoulder. “I’m flattered, but maybe dinner first?”

Unexpectedly, her cheeks gained the slightest shade of scarlet as he finished his recent quip. And it didn’t seem like exhaustion. There was no way a True Dragon of her caliber would be drained after barely three strikes.

He felt extremely dirty using such a strategy to distract his opponent, but if that was what gave him an edge, he was going to use and abuse it. Besides, he was fighting as a member of a black lineage, wasn’t he? All kinds of dirty tricks were supposed to be his specialty.

~Huh. Is that why Grea is so compatible with my dark Heart?~ Asterios paused inwardly. ~Seems like she would make an amazing Onyx True Dragon.~

Taking his sudden snicker as a mockery towards her, the actual True Dragon rushed forward to wipe that grin off his face. Brought back to reality in a flash, Asterios blocked the first three fists with some effort. Each blow carried an immense amount of power, which resonated through the air in waves of shock and sound. Since his skin was starting to get bruised, he followed into his opponent’s footsteps and transformed his arms too.

They entered a deadly dance where he stepped in all directions under the unrelenting barrage that was mercilessly bombarding him from random angles. As not a single one managed to do more than graze his cheek, the female sprouted her black wings too and introduced them into her move set. In just a moment, she was even faster and more unpredictable, showing up even from above.

But, she wasn’t the only one possessing a pair. Asterios utilized his own to match her, even though one or two strikes tended to slip through his guard once in a while. The complexity of her techniques grew exponentially and his limited knowledge of martial arts drilled into him by Selene and the others were clearly not a perfect match against his adversary. She had way more experience fighting in her semi-draconic body, and most likely in general too.

“What happened? Cat got your tongue?” she taunted from the moment she felt herself get the upper hand. “Not so cocky anymore now that you are the one getting pounded, huh?”

Acknowledging that he had been on the defense while studying his opponent for way too long, Asterios let more of his dark mana into his circuits, sharpening his senses. The next time she tried a straight kick, he saw it coming early and stepped to the side. Her eyes widened as she watched her attack pass by him and the clenched fist nearing her stomach.

With a loud boom, the two connected and she was sent backwards. Releasing an audible grunt, she bounced off the ground once and stabbed her claws into the pavement, slowing down to a halt. Getting up with a glare as she held onto her belly, she showed a layer of scales that had managed to protect her from any serious harm, materializing in a blink.

He had to admit, her control over her features was impeccable. There was a lot to learn from it if they could get over the hostility.

“What can I say? A good foreplay really gets me going.” Asterios cracked his neck. “And you aren’t half bad. Though compared to my previous partners, you are still slightly lacking. The technique is good, but you gotta put some heart into it, darling.”

“You are insufferable.” Her lips twisted in distaste, even as her barely perceptible blush expanded a bit. “I’m done playing nice. Your head is getting off. And I don’t mean that one!”

Choosing not to backtalk this time, he watched her hold her arm to the side, then suddenly stab herself right in the middle of her chest, making him jump a little. Dark mist swirled around the point where her hand had gone in. Right after, it came out, her fingers tightly wrapped around something. Soon enough, it became recognizable enough to point towards a sizable hilt.

A wide sword began emerging from her chest. It was also quite long, judging by the fact that instead of pulling it out with that one arm, she switched to palming the blade from the sides while pushing it up. With one final shove, the tip slid out and the whole thing launched over her head. As it completed a full spin, she snatched it from the air with a testing swing downwards, bringing it close to the ground.

She certainly didn’t lack the flair. Even if the entire thing was slightly too dramatic for Asterios. It was obvious she had reached into her soul storage to bring the weapon out. Causing such a scene wasn’t a necessary element.

As for the weapon itself, it showed to be a greatsword bigger than she was, the blade’s width rivaling the size of her head. It was cut from a single block of some mineral that resembled dark granite. The edge looked dangerously sharp, even if the entire thing spoke of a stylized piece of rock. It was not to be underestimated, that much was clear.

Interpreting Ast’s shocked silence on her own, the female chuckled slyly.

“What? Did you expect something like daggers or curved blades?” She twirled the giant sword with ease. “Just shows how much of a recluse you are. I’m not like the others. Everyone knows that.”

“They all say so.” Asterios snorted. “So, I’ll give you a chance to prove it.”

Extending his arm to the side too, he caused her to raise a curious brow and roll her eyes with a shadow of a smile. However, he didn’t copy her. Instead, he simply triggered the ring hiding his own armament and black shadows seeped down from his fingers. They formed the shape of a greatsword and soon revealed the masterful Spellslinger as he held it vertically towards the ground.

The woman’s mouth opened involuntarily at the sight of it, closing a second later as she got ahold of herself. Her thin pupils were locked onto the blade, though. He noticed her irises glimmer like an endless sky, the sign of her using the draconic sight. Thankfully, she had no intentions of directing it onto him, disabling the enhanced vision before meeting his eyes.

“That’s some fine blade for a whelp.” She let out an impressed whistle. “Where did you get it?”

“A custom order.” Asterios brought it forward and examined it with respect. “We might be able to work something out for you. As long as you can be a good girl.”

Something akin to a shiver passed through her body, followed by a furious growl. If he wasn’t mistaken, her cheeks darkened again.

“I’ll just take it off your corpse, bastard!” she yelled, raising her sword over her head.

Taking the fight much more seriously now that deadly weapons were involved, Asterios immediately stepped aside. As expected, the ground previously in front of him exploded into a deep trench as physical force wasn’t the only thing behind the swing. She knew how to manipulate spiritual energy in a similar way to Miria or even Selene if she was keeping a few cards close to her chest.

Since he had decided to stop being so passive, he counterattacked immediately. She wasn’t caught by surprise and his horizontal blow was blocked, a loud clang resonating through the area. Her sword might have looked like a shaped piece of rock, but it was more durable than that.

If the woman wasn’t bluffing and everyone who lived where she lived truly knew about her martial preferences, that meant she once more would be better than Asterios in handling the greatsword. Therefore, his only option to beat and ultimately defeat her was to keep up the pressure and not give her too many chances to make use of her knowledge, technique, and experience.

Thankfully, his weapon was superior. It was more than just a slab of metal.

Barraging his opponent with a bunch of wild swings, which she blocked, fortunately not with ease, he made a feint from the left. Confirming his suspicions, she saw right through it and prepared to block from the right, only to frown at his grinning face when their blades were clearly on a path to clash again.

With a quick pulse of mana, Asterios activated one of the crystal tokens and his greatsword turned ghostly. The female’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as the ethereal blade bypassed her own, watching as it freely sailed right through her torso.

He deactivated the badge moments after it came out on the other side and tensed his muscles to their limits, countering the force oppositely, the floor cracking under his feet from the sheer might. She didn’t have enough time to bring her sword around, and knowing that, the woman chose to parry with her forearm, putting it in position just in time. The blow glanced off it, but not without smacking her away, a few black scales flung into the air.

When Asterios followed after her with his gaze, she had just landed on her feet with a low growl, holding her injured arm close. Stabbing the greatsword into the pavement, she tore off her sleeve, the edges releasing black smoke, confirming that it was made with her aura, just as his attire was. Underneath, her entire arm was now draconic, but the part where he had struck had its barest surface sliced cleanly off, a bunch of scales missing in the bald spot. A bit of blood leaked from the wound but it was visibly superficial.

“You… hurt me?” She blinked at him blankly. “You actually dared to scar my body?! Oh, you have a fucking deathwish! Others permanently lost an arm for even clipping the tips of my hair!”

“Please, tone the royal sass down a bit. The princess slot is already taken.” Asterios stared back at her unamused, then smirked. “Although, princess bitch is another thing, I guess.”

Predictably, she snarled back at him.

“What the hell even was that?!” The female eyed his weapon suspiciously.

“You don’t think I’m all brawn, no brain, do you?” He rested his Spellslinger atop his shoulder. “Pay attention or you may lose more than just a few scales, princess.”

“Do not call me that!” She sneered, her sleeve reforming as she grasped her greatsword again.

Asterios didn’t give her time to attack, he did it himself. Enabling another token, he sent a powerful Lightning Bolt from the tip of his weapon, which struck her right in the weakened arm, evoking a yelp from the owner. When she fixed her stance, he was already in her face, throwing a ferocious swing at her thigh.

A little bit of pain wasn’t enough to cripple his adversary as the woman put even more strength into her counter than before, managing to bounce his blow back with her own. Before she got to make another, however, he triggered a third spell. Another squawk traveled through the air as a bright flash blinded her this time.

Even with that, her battle sense had been honed over enough duels for her hands to move on their own. Ast’s swing coming for her wound was intercepted, albeit a tad awkwardly. Both weapons struck the soft spot but the blow had turned into a blunt hit thanks to that. Once again she was blown away with a pained grunt.

This time, Asterios dashed after her. He couldn’t let her keep reengaging like that, even though he was the first to strike during each reposition.

Yet, as he closed onto the crouching woman, her furious face snapped up at him.

“ENOUGH!” Her voice boomed with a deep undertone and a powerful explosion of aura knocked him back.

He skidded over the ground while watching the enormous energy flowing out of her Heart spiral around her frame. The darkness enveloped her fully and began to grow. The woman’s figure expanded, becoming taller, wider, and generally bulkier. It still retained the feminine edge, though.

When the spiritual mist receded, it revealed her Battle Form. It towered over current Asterios, fully draconic from head to toe. As all the females of their kind, she had no horns, but her True Dragon snout, wings, and tail were more than a proof of her race. Although her facial lines were much softer than his when transformed so the gender was even more unmistakable. Even if someone missed the two obvious protrusions over her chest. Her attire had scaled up with her too, missing only the boots now.

“You are already dead.” She pointed her greatsword at him, which resembled more of a longsword now.

“Too soon.” He shook his head.

Wasting no time, Asterios followed suit. Out of respect or whatever, his adversary waited as he took a moment longer than her to shift into his own Battle Form, scaling up his attire too. He only got rid of the coat as it seemed awkward in that shape. Assuming a neutral position with his own blade, he prepared to duke it out again.

“Big surprise. You are actually somewhat capable for a brat.” The woman flashed him her fangs. “I admit, you aren’t a wimp who can only rely on his gadgets.”

“Does that mean we can skip the rest and have you agree to come work for me?” Asterios tilted his draconic head.

“In your dreams.” She huffed a bunch of dark smoke out of her nostrils.

“I’d rather we did other things if I’m going to have you there.” He grinned.

“Then enjoy because that’s the only way you’ll ever get to lay your dirty claws on me!” The female flapped her wings strongly.

Asterios was ready for the fast stab coming at him quicker than a ballista bolt. It moved at an incredible pace even with him pumping mana into his enhanced eyes. What he wasn’t exactly ready for was the sudden opening of her jaws as he parried the attack. The vicious black flame singed his shoulder before he knocked her snout shut with his elbow, cutting off the stream.

He couldn’t forget that they were now fighting as partial Dragons.

So, he flapped his own wings and shot into the air. As she followed him, he activated another sigil and sent a cyclone of wind at her. It disturbed the woman’s flight just enough for him to slip past her guard and graze her side. He didn’t cut deep enough now that her scales were reinforced by the transformation.

The decision to take the fight into the sky proved to be a slight misjudgement on his part. Because, obviously, she had him beat in that aspect too. The aerial stunts she pulled while speeding around had him frantically trying to follow her moves. Losing her for just a blink earned him a sneak attack that managed to either brush over his durable plates or even damage the coating.

She was gaining confidence, starting to play with him.

Drawing on more of his energy, he flew close to the ground at full speed. The next time she struck him from a blind angle, briefly moving ahead along her trajectory, he used a spell, feeling himself getting covered with a blurry membrane. She turned around for another pass, but charged straight back, surprised that he had continued along the same path.

Unfortunately for her, he hadn’t, and she only realized it when her sword sliced through a mirage, the real Asterios already behind her, with one more token active. It disturbed his camouflage, causing her to peek over her shoulder, but she was still too slow for the swing coming for her. The finely sharpened edge went through her back easily in a diagonal slash, evoking a scream from the female.

To her credit, she had arched herself just enough to avoid a grievous wound.

But, the injury still enraged her.

“YOU WHELP!” She lashed out with a near impossible strike, her very bones cracking from the strain.

Asterios had no way of avoiding it so he took it head on, hiding behind his Spellslinger. The overwhelming force of the blow drove him into the ground, creating a massive crater with him in the epicenter. Expecting an instant followup, he sharpened his senses so much it hurt, but nothing came.

Triggering the wind cyclone again on a smaller scale, he cleared out the dust, looking up. The woman’s figure was growing inside the mist again. Knowing exactly what was happening, he didn’t wait for her to finish and started his own change. Fortunately, she chose to let her ire be known by roaring vehemently into the air after finishing, giving him enough time to wrap up too.

From what he could tell, her fully draconic form was considerably bigger, further pointing out at their age difference. He was about two-thirds of her size, maybe a bit less. Similar to the other female he had seen before, she was sleek but athletic in build. If not for the situation they were in, he could see himself spending a while just admiring her ferocious beauty.

But, the additional coat of darkness slithering over her scales told him that she had enough of this game. The next attacks would not be aiming to maim but to kill.

The fact that she didn’t cuss at him anymore only confirmed that.

Yet, instead of going right after him, her head moved somewhere else, her draconic pupils narrowing with hate.

A dreadful premonition washed over Asterios and he sent himself forward at his best speed, shooting out of the hollow immediately. He didn’t dare to look up or back, charging right towards the spot where his mates were gathered. Their faces directed into the sky instead of onto him further pushed him to burn even more energy, even licking at the other one that he had temporarily hidden away for the sake of this summoning attempt.

Perhaps they would be fine, but that didn’t stop him from smashing into the ground in front of them and twisting his head, his jaws already opening. The ferocious column of dark fire followed shortly and met with a similar stream, blocking it from continuing onwards.

Everything was bathed in a weird illumination that appeared black but also not as the two forces clashed for a good few seconds. Asterios sensed the opposing one dimming down so he matched it until they both ceased their Dragon Breaths. The woman hovered above them while slowly flapping her wings.

“I told you not to concern yourself with them.” He growled with honest intensity.

“You shouldn’t have brought in a bunch of weaklings if you weren’t confident in keeping them from dying.” She laughed harshly. “They are just a weakness. And every weakness is an opportunity on the battlefield.”

“They are more than capable of fending off one arrogant lizard girl,” Asterios countered.

“Oh, how scary. Are you going to order them to fight for you now?” The female sneered.

“No. I wouldn’t want you crying about an unfair advantage after I put you down under my heel where you belong.” He sneered back, acting only partially.

His opponent didn’t like that insinuation.

“Then you can all die together!” She took a deep breath, announcing another bout of flames, much stronger this time.

Asterios fueled his own with everything he had too and the two pillars met midway again. It didn’t take long for everyone to notice the bottom one giving up ground. Slowly but surely, Asterios was losing, her understanding of the ability surpassing his, which wasn’t surprising. Unless he brought forth his other Heart, he couldn’t win this contest. His dark source had vast potential for how young it was, but alone it wasn’t yet unstoppable.

He sensed a change behind him and spotted a cyan sphere floating away. Selene had wrapped her sister-mates in a protective bubble, the beautiful vixen acting smart. His heart swelled at the thought of her.

But, the female Dragon wasn’t blind and shifted her neck to follow it. He flapped his wings and flew after the girls, keeping his breath locked in a fight with the other one. It was a losing fight, but he wasn’t going to give up. After a while of raising altitude, the edge of the woman’s pillar was almost in front of Ast’s snout and Selene stopped.

Their enemy interpreted that as them either giving up or turning around to make a desperate attempt at protecting Asterios, out of which the latter would be more probable, but he didn’t shout for their aid like she was expecting. Instead, he stopped his breath, hers crashing into him with full force.

The merciless flames flowed around his scales, and at that moment, the female showed that she was still holding back, awaiting this very moment. Her black fire tripled in intensity, swallowing Asterios whole as the girls he protected with his frame yelled out to him. The assault continued for thirty seconds before she finally withdrew.

As the dark inferno receded, it revealed Asterios’ draconic body seated atop a platform made of shadows, his wings joined together at the front, having taken the brunt of the blow. The membranes were burned to ashes, completely gone, the skeletal structure poking out in many places as scales and flesh melted away too. When he pulled them back, he showed similar results over his shoulders and front legs. Half of his skull was visible and they could easily peer into his beastly maw, his eyes fortunately saved.

His nemesis smirked and opened her jaws to mock him, but she promptly lost her grin. A wave of disbelief and confusion washed over her as she morbidly watched all the damage she had done mend itself right before her eyes. Flesh covered the bones again, tough skin wrapped it up a second later, and durable scales layered themselves atop everything, glittering with freshness and slightly discolored, the only proof of anything happening to them before.

She was stunned for a good minute, frozen in the air, her wings doing work on their own.

“What kind of monstrous regeneration from the deepest pits of all hells is that?!” The woman finally broke the silence with a bewildered tone.

Asterios stretched his wings, giving them a flattering nod.

“You aren’t the only one hiding your true power,” he replied calmly.

That calmness irritated her greatly.

“No matter how fast you recover, I’ll just keep burning your flesh until nothing but dust remains!” she roared.

“Not if I stop you before,” Asterios answered.

“You don’t have the firepower!” the Dragon below boomed.

He chuckled. “I’ve got the mass.”

As soon as he jumped off his platform, she launched another breath, this time pulling no stops from the very start. The flames once again swallowed Asterios as he dove towards her, descending inside the infernal column. He wrapped himself with his wings, forming a sharp cone, and threw himself into a rotating motion.

Yes, her fire burned off his scales and flesh, but his regenerative energy granted him by Tia healed him up at the same speed. It was further supported by his crimson Heart, now no longer sealed. Every ounce of draconic might poured into reinforcing his outer shell, the edges of his scales gaining a slight reddish tint. If she was going to notice, it would be way too late.

He plunged upon his target like a comet, splitting the Dragon Breath through the very middle. It was a spectacle for those watching from the side, especially the moment when he crashed into the other True Dragon and knocked her out of the air, the pair smashing into the ground with an earth-shaking tremor.

She immediately fought back as Asterios wound himself around her limbs. His smaller frame wasn’t much of an advantage in this contest. There wasn’t enough space for him to maneuver around and he would inevitably end up squashed or beheaded.

A new approach was necessary.

Racking his brain while nipping at the female’s joints as they rolled around in a brawl, Asterios was reminded of his previous summoning attempt. His father had come to his rescue through a remnant echo embedded in his Heart. While he couldn’t expect a similar gift awaiting him from Black, he remembered what Red had done.

It was worth a shot.

Ultimately, he should be right underneath those two draconic giants in the hierarchy of their bloodlines.

As he dove into his dark source and released every drop of his aura in a suppressive manner, shadows shot out of the ground in form of clawed draconic limbs and latched onto his opponent. She stilled momentarily, getting bound tightly by the appendages. He didn’t relent, pumping his Aura of Authority to the limits of his spiritual existence. His circuits itched agonizingly as his sources threatened to burst from the strain.

When black mist swirled around the female, he knew he succeeded. But, he didn’t take it for granted. Plus, he was quite a bit mad that she had dared to threaten his mates.

As she shifted back down to her human-like shape, he stopped midway at his Battle Form, towering over the lithe girl as she lay on her back underneath him, the shadows gripping her torso, limbs, wrists and ankles. A tremendous bout of fury ignited inside him as she opened her eyes, then her mouth. She didn’t get a single word before his fists descended upon her.

Staying true to his promise from before the fight, he pounded into her madly. He didn’t stop her from bringing her arms to cover her face, but it wasn’t like that helped her much. In just a few relentless swings, they were broken, offering no defence. One after another, his punches found their mark between them, the air filled with continuous thudding all around.

Asterios wasn’t sure for how long he continued, but he had enough clarity of mind not to go too far. He didn’t cripple or maim his enemy. She might have looked battered, bruised, and shaken, but he had suffered way worse from her. Part of his consciousness encouraged him to go harder, an eye for an eye, or two to be fair, but he thwarted those urges, knowing they came from his draconic side.

While he fought an internal struggle, something landed by his side, bringing him back. He lifted his gaze and found his beloved mates staring at him with concern. They didn’t spare the girl even a look, focusing all on him, sensing his thoughts.

A wry chuckle escaped him. Perhaps he should be more distressed that they weren’t admonishing him for going too far but so was the reality of their lives. He appreciated their support, knowing well they would truly step in the moment they believed he was straying off his chosen path.

“Bryn, would you mind?” Standing up, he offered his angelic partner a warm smile, unhurriedly transforming back too.

The Valkyrie deployed her healing with an approving nod. Her magic worked its wonders, fixing the woman’s face back to its natural beauty as Ast’s shadows brought her to her knees, her head and shoulders slumping forward.

She was alive and conscious, that much they could tell. Just not as mouthy as before.

“What are you going to do with her, Master?” Miria asked, speaking up for everyone.

He pondered over the matter for a moment.

“You all know we could have landed much worse.” Asterios met their eyes. “As long as we keep her on a short leash for a while, I think she could prove to be a capable ally.”

“A leash?!” the Dragon girl cried out indignantly, her face flinging up at him. “I’m not a fucking animal, you bastard!”

Tina snorted. “He didn’t mean it litera—”

“Just wait until my mother learns about this!” the female continued her tantrum, interrupting her. “She will raze this and every realm you ever stepped a foot in to the fucking ground!”

Grea dragged her palm down her face. “Calm down, idiot. Just let them fini—”

“No one puts a leash on Noir the Nightmare, first in line descendant of Black the Allterror! I no longer harbor any thoughts of sparing you, regardless of your prowess! You are all dead, you hear me!?” the woman shrieked, finishing her rant panting strongly, her face scarlet.

A heavy silence descended upon the area, everyone staring at the heavily breathing girl without a single blink. Seeing that, a victorious smile was starting to form on her lips.

“Change of plans.” Asterios set his fists firmly at his sides. “She needs to die.”

And the smile was gone.