>>Survive the duel
'Either the system is grossly overestimating me, or this imp of a princess is just as strong… And I'm willing to bet on the latter. I guess even the weakest of draconian royalty cannot be compared to ordinary humans warriors'
He gazed sharply at Raya and could see her throw a playful smirk his way as she radiated an uncaged oppressive might, sending shivers down his spine.
"Ready yourself… 'dragonlord'", she said, her tone dripping with mockery.
He leapt back immediately, summoning his bow into his hand.
The elder dragons already flew back into the sky, hovering a couple hundred meters above them. In other words, they were free to trash around as much as they'd like. He had a feeling that this arrangement was more for Raya than it was for him.
"You may beg—
The elder dragon didn't even have the time to finish before a torrent of blue flames that wasn't just hot but carried a bone chilling coldness blasted towards Lucian's face.
Gritting his teeth, he lunged to the side as fast as he could rolling on the ground as the patch of ground he stood on seconds before was encased in a thick sheet of burning ice.
'This defies all the natural laws!!! What the hell'
As he finished his roll, he nocked an arrow on Cinderstorm and let it loose in one fluid motion, the arrow streaking towards Raya with deadly precision, crackling with traces of lightning.
But Raya was fast—faster than any creature he had faced before. She tucked in her wings and twisted her body, the arrow glancing off of her scales and falling uselessly into a tree behind her which immediately exploded.
Her lips curled into a snarl, and she retaliated with another burst of flame, this time heating up to a blazing intensity that scorched the ground where it passed.
He barely had time to react, the heat searing his skin even from a distance. He scrambled to his feet and managed to dodge the attack, his mind racing…
'I can't fight her head on. I also can't stay at range forever, it's only a matter of time before I make a mistake that barbecues me. The only chance I have—'
His thoughts were interrupted by a blast of wind before she shot towards him in the next instant.
'Crap'
The bow disintegrated into a cluster of sparks as a blade appeared on each of his hands.
Raya lunged forward, her claws tearing though the ground as she closed the distance between them. She swiped down, putting her entire weight into the swipe, hoping to crush him once and for all.
Activating the active skill of the Bone Fire Sword, he raised the sword to deflect the attack. But it still proved to be too much forcing him to take step backwards.
Rolling to the side, he let the attack pass right by him, her last claw, cutting a long deep wound into his left arm.
Gritting his teeth, he stifled a yelp and just groaned in pain. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt. It felt like the wound was ablaze while being dipped in ice simultaneouly.
Saphira let out a defiant roar and leapt into the fray, her small frame darting around Raya like a buzzing insect. She released bursts of flame, trying her best to inflict any damage the larger dragon.
Raya snorted, her icy breath freezing the ground beneath Saphira. "Foolish little hatchling," she growled. "Stay out of this."
Lucian seized the opportunity, using her momentary distraction to his advantage. He dashed forward, his blade aimed for the vulnerable joint of her wing. The strike landed, and Raya let out a roar of pain, whipping around to knock him off balance.
He hit the ground hard, the impact jarring his entire body. Gritting his teeth, he scrambled to his feet, his eyes never leaving his opponent.
Her expression shifted from disdain to something more serious. "Perhaps you're not entirely hopeless," she admitted, her tone begrudging.
She stood still and snapped her maw open. She combined her fire and ice breath, creating a deadly storm of scalding steam and freezing shards. Lucian immediately raised a hand and released multiple fireballs towards the icy shards in quick succession while he braced the heat of the flames.
>>HP - 59
>>HP: 24/100
"Saphira, now!" he shouted while he downed an health potion.
The baby dragon responded immediately, darting toward Raya's face and releasing a streak of lightening aimed directly at her eyes as her claws dug into her face. Raya roared, shaking her head violently to dislodge the smaller dragon.
Lucian used the distraction to close the distance once more. This time, he aimed for her leg, his blade slicing through the thick scales. Raya stumbled, her balance momentarily disrupted.
But she recovered quickly, lashing out her tail and striking him square in the chest. Lucian was sent flying, landing in a heap at the edge of the mountain.
Pain radiated through his body as blood flowed into his mouth, but he forced himself to stand.
She let out a huff, her breath visible in the cold air. "You're stubborn, I'll give you that," she said. "But this ends now."
Her entire form was coated in a fiery red armor made entirely out of flames. She charged at him, her claws tearing into the ground as she closed the gap. Lucian braced himself, his mind racing for a strategy.
At the last second before she collided with him, he dug his legs into the floor and blocked her claw with his sword. His arm immediately went numb as he was sent flying backwards. As he stabilized himself mid-air, she returned the sword to his inventory while summoning Cinderstorm.
Immediately, he activated the active skill, 'Scorch', firing a concentrated beam of fire towards her, completely destroying the layer of armor around her before it exploded.
She turned to face him, her eyes blazing with fury. But there was a faint glimmer of respect there as well.
Lucian met her gaze, his breathing ragged but his spirit remained sharp. "Is that all you've got?" he challenged, a small smirk playing on his lips.
For a moment, the arena was silent. Then she threw back her head and let out a laugh, the sound echoing through the valley.
"Not bad, dragonlord," she said, stepping back. "Not bad at all."
The fight was over.
Solarius descended onto the mountain huffing in acknowledgement. "You have proven yourself." He then craned his neck backwards and signaled towards the elders behind him.
After they took their leave, he turned towards Lucian and lowered his neck, "Come," gesturing for him to hop on, "There is much to discuss."