Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 41: Akane VS Belgaroth (Part 1)

In the arena enlarged by the dragons’ magic, Akane and Belgaroth faced each other in silence, perfectly still. The atmosphere quickly became charged with extreme tension, palpable even from the dark cell where Mordred was holding his breath. The bleachers, usually so noisy, now seemed to be holding their collective breath.

Akane, calm and focused, slowly adopted her fighting stance, holding her light sword firmly in front of her. Her silver hair fluttered slightly in the gentle wind blowing through the arena, her perfectly balanced posture a testament to her exceptional mastery. Her gaze, intense and piercing, never left her opponent for a second.

Belgaroth, for his part, wore a confident, arrogant smile. His amber eyes shone with cruel curiosity as he analyzed his opponent’s every move with precision. The dragon, in his humanoid form, wore light dark armor with red highlights, and a long, dark red blade, slightly curved, gleamed dangerously in his powerful hand.

The ecstatic announcer finally shouted the start of the fight:

- Let the duel begin!

No sooner had the cry sounded than Akane leapt forward with feline grace, crossing the distance separating her from the dragon in mere seconds. She immediately launched a series of swift, precise and perfectly coordinated attacks.

His blade seemed to dance in his hands with incredible ease, but Belgaroth, calm and unruffled, deftly dodged each blow with equally impressive fluidity.

From his cell, Mordred clenched his fists nervously, fascinated by the incredible precision of Akane’s movements, yet deeply concerned by the apparent ease with which Belgaroth avoided her attacks.

- She’s testing his defenses..." he murmured, fascinated and anxious at the same time. But he too was gauging her abilities.

Belgaroth, seemingly amused by the speed of Akane’s assaults, suddenly retaliated with a clean, precise blow, the dark red blade ripping through the air with terrifying speed. Akane barely dodged, pivoting gracefully to the side, clearly feeling the heat of the blade brush dangerously against her cheek.

- Fast," Belgaroth commented with an arrogant smile, his deep, calm voice filling the air of the arena. Now I understand why you’ve won so many fights. But will it be enough against a true dragon warrior?

Akane simply replied with a subtle but provocative smile, immediately resuming a perfectly stable posture:

- I could ask you exactly the same question, dragon.

The audience murmured softly in excitement at this first skirmish, intrigued by Akane’s calm, insolent assurance in the face of the clearly superior dragon.

Belgaroth, still smiling slightly, moved again with graceful, deadly fluidity. This time, he swiftly linked several precise attacks, targeting openings in Akane’s defense. But she proved as agile as a snake, dodging each attack with surgical precision.

Their confrontation resembled a deadly dance, each attacking move immediately followed by a precise dodge or riposte. Neither seemed to want to take too many risks at this early stage of the fight, preferring to assess their opponent’s true capabilities.

- Impressive," breathed Mordred to himself, captivated by their incredible technical mastery. They’re still testing each other...

Akane suddenly pivoted, using her impressive speed to launch a lightning strike at Belgaroth’s flank. This time, her blade lightly grazed the dragon’s dark armor, leaving a shallow gash.

Belgaroth stepped back slightly, calmly looking at the tiny wound on his armor, then suddenly burst into a sonorous, almost admiring laugh:

- Very good, human. I admit I underestimated your speed. Perhaps you’re not completely insignificant after all...

Akane calmly repositioned herself, her eyes shining with discreet satisfaction:

- This was just a warm-up, Belgaroth. The real battle’s just beginning.

The dragon smiled slowly, clearly satisfied by this provocative answer.

The audience, captivated by these rapid, precise exchanges, burst into enthusiastic applause, eager to see the real battle intensify.

Mordred, for his part, watched every move with an almost obsessive fascination. He could clearly see that Akane was trying to gauge the dragon’s true power, while Belgaroth was simply having fun testing the human fighter’s limits.

"They’re both playing with fire..." he murmured nervously, worried for Akane but impressed by her audacity and talent.

Tension was rising rapidly in the arena, as everyone realized that these initial skirmishes were only the beginnings of a much more violent and dangerous confrontation.

Belgaroth slowly got back into fighting position, smiling slightly:

- Let’s see what you’re really made of, Akane...

Akane, determined and imperturbable, slowly resumed her attack stance, her cold, concentrated gaze never taking her eyes off her opponent.

- Get ready, dragon. You’re in for a surprise.

The audience immediately roared with unhealthy joy, excited by the promise of violence and even more intense spectacle to come.

From his cell, Mordred slowly held his breath, his fists clenched against the cold metal bars, his eyes fixed intently on Akane.

After these initial cautious skirmishes, the fight between Akane and Belgaroth finally began to gain momentum. Their stance changed subtly, becoming more intense, more aggressive. A palpable aura of power and danger suddenly enveloped the entire arena.

Belgaroth slowly twirled his dark-red blade in front of him, scarlet sparks gradually appearing around it, crackling dangerously in the air.

- Let’s see if you can withstand a real test, human! he challenged, his free hand suddenly igniting in a fiery orange-red flame.

Akane, perfectly focused, smiled subtly in response, her gaze shining with a cold, determined glint:

- I’m ready, dragon. I’m ready, dragon. Come!

Without further hesitation, Belgaroth immediately cast a flame spell. A fiery ball of fire shot across the arena at lightning speed towards Akane. The agile and focused Akane dodged with a quick leap to the side, clearly feeling the intense heat graze her body as the flames slammed into the magical barrier protecting the spectators, causing a bright and impressive explosion.

From his cell, Mordred’s eyes widened slightly at the dragon’s awesome power:

- What power..." he breathed, strained by the intensity of the fight.

But Akane was not impressed. Taking immediate advantage of the energy released by the explosion, she charged straight at Belgaroth, her sword tracing a series of swift, precise blows towards his torso and limbs. Each blow was executed with incredible fluidity and speed, almost defying the laws of physics.

Belgaroth deftly parried the attacks, but one managed to find a slight opening, tracing a shallow gash on his right forearm. The dragon stepped back slightly, calmly observing the thin trickle of blood slowly running down his skin.

- Impressive," he admitted slowly, his smile disappearing for the first time since the start of the fight. You deserve my full attention.

Without warning, Belgaroth lunged at Akane with terrifying speed. He used his blade and flames simultaneously, launching a series of attacks combining physical precision and magical power. The flames shot up with every move, forcing Akane to execute complex, swift dodges, each one leaving a scorched trail on the hot sand of the arena.

Akane leapt deftly, dodging the fiery strikes, but despite her remarkable agility, a few flames ended up licking her reinforced leather armour, leaving behind blackened, smoking marks. His breathing quickened slightly, but his gaze remained impassive, deeply concentrated.

From his cell, Mordred watched Akane’s every move with growing anxiety, fascinated but also worried by the mounting intensity of the fight:

- Hold on, Akane..." he murmured, his hands clenching against the cold metal bars.

Belgaroth finally stepped back, visibly impressed by the human warrior’s exceptional agility. He slowly straightened up, adopting a more serious posture, his eyes shining with redoubled concentration:

- Now let’s see how you stand up to that!

The dragon suddenly raised his blade above his head, quickly reciting a guttural incantation in ancient draconic. Immediately, his blade began to vibrate intensely, enveloped by an ominous glowing energy. In a fluid gesture, he lowered his weapon sharply to the ground, releasing a fiery shockwave that swept violently across the arena, creating an incandescent wave hurtling towards Akane at frightening speed.

Akane reacted instantly, immediately raising her sword in front of her, quickly muttering a protective spell. A crystalline aura suddenly surrounded her weapon, and she thrust it violently into the sand in front of her, creating a magical barrier of translucent ice.

The fiery wave struck the barrier in a spectacular explosion of energy. The impact was such that the arena sand rose in a huge cloud of burning dust, temporarily blurring the view of the audience.

When the dust slowly settled, Akane was still standing, slightly out of breath, but unharmed behind the now cracked barrier. The crowd immediately roared with excitement, thrilled by this grandiose spectacle.

Belgaroth nodded slowly, admiring but also surprised:

- Few humans can block this attack... You’re truly exceptional, Akane, learning magic when you were just a slave, indeed humans were our greatest adversaries and I regret those days... he sighed.

The warrior slowly raised her gaze, staring intently at the dragon with impressive calm:

- And I haven’t even begun to show you my true abilities.

Mordred, deeply impressed and fascinated, smiled slowly in his cell, reassured by the human warrior’s unwavering determination:

- She hasn’t even begun to fight seriously... he murmured with admiration and anxiety.

Belgaroth slowly took a step back, clearly preparing a new, more violent attack, his flames crackling dangerously around him.

Akane, calm and focused, slowly raised her sword towards him, ready to strike back, the air around her seeming almost to vibrate under the growing intensity of her energy:

- Now, dragon, let me show you what it really means to fight a human warrior.

Mordred frowned at the dragon’s words.

- So, humans here weren’t always slaves.