Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 42: Akane VS Belgaroth (Part 2)

The entire arena was now immersed in an almost religious silence, anticipating what was to come in this extraordinary battle. Akane, standing with sword in hand, stared intently at Belgaroth, her gaze burning with icy determination. Belgaroth stood perfectly still, calmly observing his opponent with regal, almost arrogant confidence.

Then, suddenly, a slow, sinister smile played across the dragon’s lips.

- You’ve proved your worth, Akane," he declared slowly, in a deep, menacing voice. But are you ready to face the true power of a dragon?

No sooner had these words been uttered than a burning aura of fiery energy suddenly surrounded Belgaroth. The ground beneath his feet crackled with the intense heat radiating from him. Then, in an impressive and majestic movement, the dragon metamorphosed.

His humanoid body expanded rapidly, muscles flexing powerfully as his clothes tore under the pressure. His body grew at an astonishing rate, thick, dark-red, almost metallic scales rapidly covering every part of his being. Its limbs transformed into massive legs with sharp claws, its head assuming a terrifying reptilian form with massive fangs and blazing amber eyes. Two immense membranous wings slowly unfurled behind his back, each beat creating searing waves of hot wind.

Belgaroth now stood in his true form, a colossal dragon over eight meters long and almost six meters high. Its mere presence filled the entire arena, crushing everything under its intimidating shadow.

Mordred felt his heart clench painfully in his chest at the terrifying sight of the dragon:

- Impossible... he murmured, fascinated but worried for Akane. How could she face this?

Yet Akane, faced with this legendary monster, remained perfectly calm, as if she’d anticipated this very moment. She slowly closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. All around her, the air seemed to vibrate slightly, her body gently radiating a subtle bluish energy.

When she opened her eyes again, they shone intensely with cold, implacable determination.

- Now, dragon, let’s see which of us is the true predator.

Belgaroth immediately let out a terrifying roar, projecting a column of intense fire in her direction. Akane instantly leapt up with prodigious speed, narrowly avoiding the deadly flames, her body literally seeming to disappear, only to reappear a few meters away, completely unharmed.

The crowd exploded with excitement at this supernatural speed, fascinated by this human warrior capable of rivaling the power of a dragon.

Belgaroth roared again, this time launching a rapid series of murderous claw blows. Each blow was surprisingly swift for a creature of this size, but Akane, agile and focused, deftly avoided each attack, her swift movements seeming to defy gravity itself. She ran, jumped and pivoted with almost supernatural ease, continually searching for an opening.

Mordred watched this deadly dance, fascinated by Akane’s impressive grace and agility:

- She’s incredible..." he murmured admiringly, impressed by the growing intensity of her abilities.

Suddenly taking advantage of a moment’s weakness in Belgaroth’s attack sequence, Akane launched a swift counter-offensive. She leapt onto the dragon’s flank, literally running up its gigantic back before striking violently between two thick scales. Her blade penetrated deep into the draconic flesh, provoking a deafening roar of pain and anger from the dragon.

Belgaroth, furious and wounded, shook his massive body violently, throwing Akane into the air. But she caught herself nimbly on the ground, skilfully sliding across the burning sand to regain her stability immediately, ready to continue her assault.

The dragon, now more cautious, launched a new, more subtle attack. Opening its mouth wide, it projected a rapid series of fiery flames, seeking to trap Akane in a deadly cage of fire.

But the perfectly calm warrior quickly recited an incantation, invoking a translucent magical shield around her. The flames smashed violently into the barrier, creating an impressive explosion of light. Yet Akane’s protection held firm, resisting the dragon’s destructive power.

Belgaroth, frustrated, suddenly advanced, striking the magical barrier with its massive claws, creating alarming cracks. Akane, aware of the urgency, quickly deactivated the shield before nimbly propelling herself to the side, deftly dodging a deadly bite.

The warrior immediately ran towards the dragon, using her prodigious agility to spin rapidly around him, continually searching for openings in his defenses. Every move she made was perfectly calculated, precise and incredibly fast.

From his cell, Mordred gazed intently at the scene with unbounded admiration, impressed by this human warrior able to rival a real dragon:

- It’s almost surreal... She anticipates every attack, every movement of the dragon.

But even Akane had her limits. Gradually, her breath became slightly faster, sweat beaded softly on her face, and her muscles began to show subtle signs of fatigue. Opposite her, Belgaroth himself seemed barely tired despite his superficial wounds.

Yet neither fighter was willing to give up a single inch of ground. Belgaroth, now aware that he was facing an exceptional warrior, slowly rose to his feet, his massive body surrounded by a dangerous aura of fire:

- You’ve surprised me, human. But you can’t resist the power of a real dragon forever...

Akane, despite her growing fatigue, slowly raised her head, a subtle, provocative smile slowly appearing on her lips:

- I’m willing to take the risk.

The crowd immediately erupted in wild screams of excitement, impatient to finally see the climax of this exceptional battle.

From his dark cell, Mordred slowly clenched his fists, fascinated but deeply concerned for the human warrior:

- Hold on, Akane... he whispered intensely

POV Royal family:

High up in the stands, dominating the entire arena from their majestic tribune, the royal dragon family silently observed the battle raging before their eyes.

Their faces, usually impassive and cold, now expressed a subtle variety of complex emotions: curiosity, concern, irritation, but also a certain involuntary respect.

The Dragon King, seated on his ornate, dark stone throne, was perfectly still, his amber eyes burning with silent intensity as he followed Akane and Belgaroth’s every move. His posture was regal, proud, yet slightly tense, clearly showing that this battle was of crucial importance to him.

At her side, the dragon queen was also observing the confrontation, her expression slightly less cold than usual. She gently inclined her head towards her husband, her voice calm but tinged with subtle concern:

- I didn’t think a mere human could compete for so long against a dragon warrior like Belgaroth. This Akane is... surprising.

The king nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off the arena for a second:

- Belgaroth plays with her too much," he replied slowly, in a cold, critical voice. He clearly underestimates her power. It could cost him dearly.

Beside them, their daughter, the dragon princess, was silently watching the battle with fascinated, almost admiring attention. Her delicate face was slightly lit with a strange, unusual interest, her eyes shining with curiosity at Akane’s prowess.

She spoke softly, her tone subtly revealing her discreet admiration:

- Akane demonstrates exceptional abilities for a human. Her speed and agility far exceed what we had anticipated. She almost deserves to survive this duel.

The king looked away from her briefly, raising an eyebrow slightly, intrigued but stern:

- Don’t let your fascination with humans cloud your judgment, girl. Never forget that they remain only inferior beings. This fight is only entertainment.

The silent princess nodded slowly, calmly accepting the reprimand but keeping a subtle interest in her gaze.

Behind them, the crown prince, sitting comfortably but tense, murmured irritably:

- Belgaroth risks dishonoring his family if he continues to play with them like this. A hard-fought victory over a human could bring him ridicule for centuries to come.

The Dragon King watched the arena carefully again, following Akane’s swift, precise movements as she deftly dodged a series of fiery attacks from Belgaroth. His face darkened slightly, a palpable tension slowly spreading around him.

- Belgaroth is one of the finest warriors in House Caldraan," he replied at last, slowly, coolly. He knows his limits and those of his opponent. But it’s true that he’s playing with fire. I hope he soon remembers why we’ve been at the top for hundreds of years.

His tone, calm but deeply threatening, resonated clearly in the ears of his family, brutally reminding them of order and draconic superiority.

In the arena, Belgaroth roared again, releasing an even more intense torrent of flames, pushing Akane to extreme limits of agility to avoid being reduced to ashes. The king watched attentively, his gaze intensely fixed on the dragon warrior, hoping soon to see the true power he knew Belgaroth was capable of unleashing.

- He should soon show why we’ve been on top for hundreds of years," he murmured at last, his voice vibrating with icy pride and absolute royal authority.

- Father! He won’t get that far! the princess almost shouted. This form is far too violent towards opponents!

- No mercy towards our enemies, my daughter! I’ve told you that a thousand times.

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