Chapter 1145
"We won't be as vulnerable as the elders of our bloodline."
The Gold Dragon Bartius gathered crackling electricity within his palm.
"They have spent too much time on the front lines, relying purely on the vast mana they’ve stored over centuries."
He lifted a gaze that was sharp and icy, signaling that his group stood apart from the Ancient Dragons.
"In that case, let us begin."
Raon offered a faint, fleeting grin as he pushed off from the cliff’s edge. The moment his feet engaged the Supreme Harmony Steps, his reinforced frame blurred through the air, appearing instantly inches from Bartius’s face.
"Wait—?"
Bartius’s pupils dilated in shock; he clearly hadn't conceived of a mortal moving with such velocity and failed to mount a defense.
"S-spatial leap..."
He attempted to trigger the Draconic tongue to initiate a teleportation spell, but the edge of Raon’s blade was already resting against his throat.
"Ah..."
A tremor ran through Bartius’s clean-shaven jaw. He seemed stunned by such a sudden and pathetic conclusion to the confrontation.
"Didn't I mention it?"
Raon looked down at the dragon with a pair of haughty Red Eyes.
"That this wouldn't take much of my time."
His mouth curved upward as he drew a shallow line across Bartius’s skin using Heavenly Drive. Crimson droplets beaded on the dragon's neck, trickling down the cold steel before splashing onto the dirt.
"This is impossible."
Bartius gritted his teeth, the sting of the minor wound finally snapping him back to reality.
"To think I couldn't even perceive the strike..."
He fixated on the blood marking the Heavenly Drive, his face still masked in utter incredulity.
"Blast, his speed is incredible! My turn to step up!"
"Yeahhh!"
"His physical movement outpaces his own blade. He has moved beyond the limits of humanity."
"That 'threat' level is no exaggeration. Even if Bartius hadn't been careless, it would have been a grim situation."
The gathered Dragons offered various observations as they watched Raon conclude the bout far swifter than anyone had anticipated.
"You have the look of a man who refuses to admit he's been bested."
Raon chuckled, pulling the Heavenly Drive away from Bartius’s windpipe.
"What is your intent?"
Bartius scowled, his hand moving to the scratch on his neck.
"I concede the match..."
"Your eyes say otherwise."
Raon shook his head, noting the lingering fire of rivalry in the dragon's gaze.
"Let's go again."
He gave his fingers a sharp snap while cleaning Bartius’s blood from his sword with a flick.
"This time, you take the opening move."
He resumed his fighting stance, inviting Bartius to give his all so the defeat would truly settle in.
"If I strike first, you won't get a chance to counter."
Raon’s lips curled into a mocking sneer as he dismissed the dragon’s prowess.
"Fine then."
Bartius bit his lip until blood surfaced and flung his arms wide.
"I shall hold nothing back this time!"
Luminescent energy swallowed his form, and a towering column of raw mana erupted into the sky.
"Advance!"
Bartius refrained from attacking immediately, instead tilting his chin to dare Raon to close the distance once more.
"As you wish."
Raon’s mouth twisted into a smirk as he utilized the Supreme Harmony Steps to close in on Bartius. He moved with even greater intensity than before, driving Heavenly Drive toward the dragon's throat. The air shrieked with the force of the thrust!
Bartius tracked the incoming steel with focused eyes before vanishing in a burst of radiance, escaping by a hair’s breadth. His spiritual pressure reappeared directly behind Raon. His reflexes and magical flow were perfectly synchronized.
As Raon pivoted, tracking Bartius’s presence, a javelin of lightning forged in the dragon's palms came whistling toward him.
Raon intercepted the lightning bolt with a Frost Snap that fanned out into twin edges, only to find a sphere of dark embers roaring toward him. It bore the likeness of a simple fireball, but it was a manifestation of Hellfire.
With a thunderous resonance, Raon ignited the Heavenly Drive with the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, cleaving through the Hellfire spell. Yet, it wasn't a solitary projectile. Like a sudden tropical storm, a deluge of Hellfire began raining down upon him from above.
This Hellfire, capable of melting through aura and incinerating both marrow and bone, descended like a violent cascade.
'Where has Bartius gone?'
Raon remained composed amidst the inferno, searching for the dragon's signature.
'He isn't on the periphery. Which means...'
He slowly shifted his gaze toward the wall of Hellfire looming directly in front of him.
'He's masked himself within the spell.'
A powerhouse like Bartius couldn't just vanish without a trace. Since he couldn't be felt nearby, he had to be submerged within the flames.
"You have a very refined way of fighting."
Raon grinned and unsheathed the Wooden Ring Sword with his left hand.
"You've earned your confidence."
He pointed Heavenly Drive toward the heavens and aimed the Wooden Ring Sword at the earth. It was the Heaven and Sea stance, designed to sever the sky and the depths in a single motion. The Flame and Ice Unification of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation surged forth in red and blue tides, colliding violently with Bartius’s Hellfire.
A series of colossal detonations tore through the air, causing the sky to buckle and the unnamed peak to shudder as if it might split apart.
As Raon exhaled following the release of the Flame and Ice Unification, Bartius emerged from the dissipating embers. He launched a slender, minuscule needle of light aimed straight for Raon’s jugular. The timing was flawless, the execution precise, and the strategy sound.
Unlike the Ancient Dragons who relied on blunt magical force and breath attacks, Bartius grasped the nuances of tactical combat.
'Regardless...'
It was a wasted effort. Raon swept the Wooden Ring Sword upward from its lowered position. It was a casual, easy motion. The rising edge of the blade sliced the light needle in two. However, Bartius had factored this in. A sharp whistle cut the air!
The bifurcated needle didn't fall; instead, the two pieces reshaped into jagged lances targeting Raon’s lungs and throat simultaneously. It was a trap laid within a trap, meant to punish any sense of security.
Facing the twin spears, Raon didn't flinch. He raised a rampart of fire with Heavenly Drive, nullifying Bartius’s sophisticated assault.
"Ah..."
Bartius stood there, mouth agape, watching Raon dismantle his masterstroke without breaking a sweat.
"This cannot be..."
As he tried to retreat, Raon stepped forward, his aura dimmed and controlled. He leveled the Wooden Ring Sword at Bartius’s throat once more.
"That makes two, doesn't it?"
He tilted his head, challenging Bartius to keep trying.
"Y-yes, it does."
Bartius bit his lip hard and gave a stiff nod.
"I still..."
"Enough of that!"
"It's my turn!"
The remaining Dragons surged forward from the rear, shouting their eagerness to test their mettle.
"Hmm..."
Raon squinted at these younger Dragons, who were a far cry from the grotesque Ancient Dragons he had previously encountered.
'Perhaps there is still a future for this race.'
"Hmm."
Evelyn clicked her tongue softly as she observed the duel between Raon and the Gold Dragon Bartius.
"He fights like a human sorcerer rather than a Dragon."
Bartius hadn't reverted to his massive true form to rain down destruction; instead, he stayed in his human shape to match Raon’s speed and engage in high-speed magical combat.
"His command of magic is impressive."
Dragons naturally wielded complex spells as easily as humans took breaths. Yet, despite that power, they weren't usually difficult to outmaneuver.
'They lack the seasoning of a true life-or-death struggle.'
Dragons rarely had to exert themselves, as they could simply erase foes with their breath or overwhelming mana. Because of that natural Martial Prowess, they rarely fought anyone who could actually threaten them, making them predictable if one knew how to dodge their breath.
'But these veteran dragons are a different breed.'
Even in human skin, Bartius possessed a reservoir of Mana that rivaled his draconic form. He used magic with constant refinement and utilized his smaller frame for maximum agility. He was a combatant with genuine experience.
[Indeed. He has a functioning brain.]
Lust transmitted a mental message, accompanied by a slim smirk.
[If he had shown his true self to a demon king like Wrath, he’d already be a frozen statue or headless. He made the right call.]
She expressed a rare bit of praise, acknowledging the dragon's tactical depth.
"He’s not a demon king, and he isn't Wrath. He is Raon."
Evelyn gave a sharp snort, correcting Lust’s insistence on using the wrong name.
[It is Wrath. You don't even recognize the name of the man you claim to love? How pathetic.]
Lust mocked her, implying Evelyn was the one in the dark.
"I think you're the one playing the fool."
Evelyn shook her head and went back to watching the spectacle. After his third loss, Bartius stepped back, replaced by a Red Dragon in the guise of an Orc who immediately charged Raon.
'Wait...?'
Even though Raon could have finished the Red Dragon instantly, he waited patiently for the dragon to complete its spell sequence.
'Even if he's being generous, there's no reason to let them finish their casting... Oh!'
Just as she began to find his behavior odd, Raon’s eyes flickered toward her for a split second.
'Is he...'
Trying to show me how Dragons weave their magic? Yes, that has to be it. Looking back, Raon could have shut down Bartius’s spells at any moment, but he allowed them to reach their peak before countering.
At first, she thought he was testing their limits, but he was actually providing a live demonstration for her benefit.
'Draconic magic is distinct. He’s telling me to study it.'
These Dragons weren't just using old grimoires; they were using spells they had innovated themselves. Raon realized this and was giving her the chance to analyze their techniques in a controlled environment. Seeing his silent consideration, her chest—no, her heart—fluttered.
"Ahahaha!"
Evelyn let out a sudden laugh, hiding her trembling lips with her hands. She narrowed her focus, determined to absorb every bit of knowledge Raon was offering her.
[Have you lost your mind?]
Lust scowled, clearly irritated by her reaction.
"Yes. I suppose I have."
Evelyn nodded firmly, her eyes locked on Raon’s back as he effortlessly parried another draconic spell.
"I'd have to be crazy to survive all of this."
The fifth combatant, a Black Dragon in the form of a goblin, shook violently as he was slammed into the earth.
"T-this is madness!"
The Dragon, Dariauran, stared at Raon with wide, trembling eyes, his mind unable to process the reality.
"How is it that we cannot even graze your sleeve?"
He swallowed hard, faced with the fact that five Dragons using their best magic couldn't leave a single mark on Raon’s clothes.
"We crafted these spells specifically to kill demon kings, so how can this be happening!"
Dariauran clenched his trembling, helpless fist, refusing to believe the outcome.
"It wasn't a bad effort."
Raon remarked, brushing away the lingering dark venom from the Heavenly Drive.
"Against a demon king, that would have been quite potent."
"What? But it didn't even slow you down!"
"I happen to be an expert at killing experts in human-style combat."
He shook his head, thinking of the many sorcerers and dragons who had fallen to his blade.
"I've beaten all five of you now, so speak."
Raon nodded toward the Gold Dragon Bartius.
"Or would you like another round?"
"Could I ask for one final bout?"
Bartius stepped forward, his mana swirling in a controlled rhythm.
"I’ve come up with a new magical concept just by watching you."
He bowed slightly, stating he would truly accept his loss if he failed this time...
"Actually, I've already accepted it. I just want to see if this theory holds water."
Bartius’s eyes were calm and clear as he requested one last engagement.
"Very well."
Raon leveled his sword with a small smile.
"I’m starting to like your lot."
Unlike the others of their kind, these Dragons didn't play dirty, they weren't cowards, and they understood the spirit of the duel. He hadn't expected to find Dragons who lived by a code similar to Martial Artists.
"I am coming."
Knowing he was the underdog, Bartius initiated the move. The air condensed in his palms, and he unleashed a colossal beam of light accompanied by crushing pressure. Bartius was firing a Gold Dragon’s breath while remaining in his human form.
"You really are full of surprises!"
Raon grinned and brought the Crimson Slash down upon the incoming energy. The flaming blade cleaved the dragon's breath right down the middle. But Bartius wasn't finished.
From the heavens, needles and blades made of pure light rained down at bizarre angles and staggered intervals. He had tuned his magic to track Raon’s path, making evasion nearly impossible.
"You are a persistent Magician."
Raon engaged the Fangs of Insanity and the Blizzard Sword Art, using both Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword to deflect the magical barrage by pure reflex before lunging forward.
"You called this new magic, but it feels the same as before."
Declaring the effort futile, he swung his blade down at a speed Bartius couldn't possibly hope to block.
"Is that what you think?"
But Bartius leaned back, dodging the strike as if he had seen it coming a mile away.
"Hm?"
Raon frowned and followed up with a faster, more aggressive thrust. Again, Bartius evaded by a fraction of an inch and countered with a flash of light.
"That new magic of yours..."
Raon chuckled as he was forced to step back.
"It wasn't an offensive spell at all."
"Exactly."
Bartius nodded calmly.
"I applied a reaction enchantment to my own nervous system so I could keep up with your blade."
He held out a hand, explaining that he had developed magic to make his body react automatically to the sword's path.
"With this... wait, what?"
Before Bartius could finish his boast, Raon’s fist, which had been several yards away, was suddenly buried in his face. Struck by the blow, Bartius collapsed like a broken doll and hit the ground hard.
"Gah!"
Bartius struggled to move his bloodied jaw and spoke through cracked lips.
"H-how..."
"If you enhance your nerves with magic, I just have to hit you before your nerves can even process the movement."
Raon shrugged, clicking the Heavenly Drive back into its sheath.
"Your physical shell could never bridge the gap between our raw abilities."
"Ha..."
Bartius let out a breathy, stunned laugh and closed his eyes.
"So I was merely dancing to your tune the whole time."
"No, like I said, it was impressive. It would work on a demon king; I'm just a different case."
Raon noted that the sparring had been enjoyable and reached out a hand. After such a fierce exchange, he felt a strange sense of kinship with Bartius and the others.
"Hmm..."
Bartius looked at Raon for a long moment before grasping his hand and pulling himself up.
"Tell me then. Why have you come seeking me?"
Raon sat down on a smooth, sheared rock and gestured for him to speak.
"To be brief..."
Bartius looked back at his fellow Dragons before slowly opening his mouth.
"We have come to you because we intend to disobey the Lord's commands."
