Dancing on the golden ashes

My heart pounded as I stared down the colossal beast, memories of the past flashing through my mind. Back then, his mere presence had forced me to my knees. His power was overwhelming, and he'd toyed with me, dangling the hope of victory only to crush it mercilessly.

Fine. Let's see how the tables turn now.

Our eyes locked, and the tension between us sparked like a storm ready to explode. A crackle of lightning signaled the start of the battle. Without hesitation, I moved—blurring out of sight and appearing above the dragon's massive frame. My speed now was leagues ahead of what it had been during our last encounter.

But then, in a moment that made my breath catch, the dragon vanished in a blur.

Impossible!

Such a massive body, yet it moved with such effortless speed that I wanted to bury my head in shame for ever thinking I'd closed the gap between us. Before I could react, a roaring fireball materialized out of nowhere and consumed me in an instant.

The flames enveloped me, and molten metal splashed and rained down as the fireball collided with the lava below, creating a thunderous explosion.

Still, I didn't move.

I let the inferno swirl around me, my stance steady. If he wanted to intimidate me, he'd have to do better than this.

"Pathetic. Did you think fire would work on me?" I sneered, contempt dripping from my voice.

Scanning the surroundings, I focused. Something felt off.

Then, with a quick slash at the void, I smirked. "Found you!"

The massive dragon, previously hidden in the void, flickered back into view.

So, he'd tried hiding, relying on some void manipulation to mask himself. But he underestimated me.

Ever since I'd grown these horns, I'd started to notice faint beastly auras around me. It was a subtle, almost insignificant pull that I'd ignored until now. But in this moment, it became my edge. That faint aura had given him away, betraying his position.

"You thought you could hide?" My voice rang out with confidence, the molten battlefield shimmering in the wake of our brewing storm.

The dragon's gaze lingered on me, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"So, you've abandoned humanity for power," he snorted, flames flickering from his nostrils. "Well, being a demon suits someone like you."

I froze for a moment, shocked. What the hell was that about?

"Hey!" I shot back. "I didn't come here to listen to your lectures! Do you think I wanted this power? It was forced on me! And so what if I become a true demon? I'd still be more human than most of humanity!"
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The scythe in my hand began to change, almost as if it shared my rage. Black fire surged around it, and its form shifted into a double-edged scythe. One blade burned with pure darkness fire, while the other radiated chaotic energy, wild and untamed.

"And just how dare you judge me if you don't even know me!" I shot back, my voice a fierce growl as my body disappeared in a blur of motion. Power surged through me, raw and untamed, as I pushed my soul energy to its absolute limit. The scythe in my hand ignited with a blazing red lightning, its energy crackling violently in the air.

I could feel the intricate water runes etched into the weapon, invisible to the naked eye, yet their subtle energy coursed through the blade, sharpening it beyond measure. This was my full strength, and I was ready to unleash it.

But then the dragon began to shift.

Its massive body trembled uncontrollably, the scales rippling like waves. At first, I thought it was fear—perhaps my power was enough to unnerve it.

I was so wrong.

The dragon's colossal form began to shrink, folding in on itself. My confidence wavered as I realized this wasn't submission. From the quaking mass emerged a figure—a woman clad in shimmering dragon-scale armor. Her presence radiated authority and an overwhelming aura of power. Massive horns curved from her head, and a tail lashed behind her with lethal grace.

What the fuck? I thought it was a man, not a woman! Shock coursed through me, and I froze for a moment. The dragon's voice, grating like metal scraping against metal, had given no indication of her being a woman. Never in a million years would I have expected this.

Her scarlet eyes pierced through me like molten fire. I clenched my scythe tighter, and for a brief second, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time—nervousness.

This wasn't just any opponent. She was leagues above me.

Inspect!

[New data detected]

[Dragon Goddess Scaelvorix]

[Level 102]

[Demi-god grade demon beast]

This has to be a joke... Right?

I laughed bitterly in my mind, masking the rising panic. How could I have been so naive? The true power of this dragon was far beyond anything I'd imagined. A Level 102 demi-god? How the hell was I supposed to win this?

But there was no turning back now. Apologies wouldn't save me. If I had to fight, I'd fight with everything I had—and more.

I knew I couldn't treat this as just a simple fight anymore. My dress warped and transformed into a tight, battle-ready outfit, the darkness within me surging to amplify my power. The horns on my head responded instinctively to the primal pressure radiating from the dragon, their sharp edges glowing faintly.

This time, I didn't shift my weapon into gauntlets. I wanted to test the full extent of my scythe's power.

"You're not my match," the woman said, shaking her head dismissively. Her tone was calm but laced with condescension. My heart burned with rage. I hated being looked down on. I was strong, and I would prove it.

The air around me trembled with power—the same power I'd felt when I escaped the Creator's game world. I noticed her eyes narrow slightly as if she sensed the change in me.

BOOM!

I moved as fast as I could, channeling every ounce of strength I had. My scythe clashed against her massive claw, and the impact sent a shockwave rippling in all directions. The force was staggering—enough to shake the entire space around us. Below, the lava split and spilled to the sides, revealing a massive crater beneath us. This kind of power could level an entire kingdom.

She shoved me back with her claw. Before I could regain my footing, she moved—a blur of speed and power. Her massive claw, cloaked in crimson energy, swiped at me with precision sharp enough to tear through space itself. I was sent flying across the chamber, and it took all my effort to stabilize myself.

Before I could breathe, her tail whipped toward me with devastating force. I used my space distortion to dodge at the last second, her tail smashing into the tree's wall instead. The impact left a massive hole, flooding the chamber with blinding light from the outside.

"You've grown a lot, child," she remarked, her voice calm but tinged with amusement. Her body shifted subtly, growing taller and more imposing in an instant. Already towering at an impressive two meters or so, her humanoid form became even more striking. Her curves seemed to amplify, making me irrationally envious of her 'assets.'

But now wasn't the time to let envy distract me. There was no room for such thoughts in the heat of battle.

Her body erupted with raw, primal power—and so did mine.

We collided again, her claws against my scythe, the clash of our attacks sending shockwaves through the air. I activated Sovereign's Domain, trapping her within its confines and slowing her movements. This gave me the edge I needed. In mere seconds, we exchanged over a hundred moves, each clash resonating with an intensity that felt like the world itself was trembling.

The fight dragged on longer than I expected. My body burned with exertion, but I knew I only needed to hold out for seventy more seconds. When my power spiked, I'd have the chance to turn the tide. Until then, I had to endure. My scythe danced in my hands as I teleported around her with relentless speed, my Dark Lord Steps pushing my agility to its limits. Each step left a blur of shadow in my wake.

Suddenly, she unleashed a burst of energy that sent me tumbling backward, breaking the domain. I plunged into the molten lava below. But instead of burning me, the molten metal cradled my body like a protective cocoon. Fire was mine to command, and it bowed to my will.

I looked up, and in less than a heartbeat, I saw my death.

A massive crimson ball of pure power, far greater than fire, came hurtling toward me. It wasn't just elemental—it was concentrated soul power, a condensed manifestation of her very essence. My eyes caught the trajectory in time, and I narrowly dodged the explosion. The crimson orb smashed into the ground, vaporizing everything in its radius. Not even the molten lava remained.

The force of the blast threw me out of the tree, slamming me into its outer wall.

Before I could recover, she moved—faster than I could comprehend. Her claw wrapped around my throat like a vice, and her wild eyes met mine.

We locked gazes, both of us consumed by the same feral intensity.

Her expression was ferocious, and I could tell mine mirrored hers. We were both equally unhinged, and as her grip tightened, I couldn't help but smirk.

This fight was only just beginning.

I'm going to tame her!