Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 43: Akane VS Belgaroth (Part 3)

In the center of the arena, Belgaroth, in his massive, terrifying dragon form, suddenly stopped moving, his amber eyes resting slowly, calmly, on Akane. A strange, eerie silence suddenly enveloped the entire arena, leaving the dragon’s heavy breath clearly audible.

Akane, still alert despite her obvious fatigue, tightened her grip on her sword slightly, cautiously observing her opponent, aware that something had just changed profoundly in the dragon’s attitude.

- You fought well, human," Belgaroth rumbled slowly in a deep, almost solemn voice, his piercing gaze now cold and determined. I’ll give you that. But you’ve reached the limit of my indulgence. From now on, I have no reason to hold back. Know that what follows may well be your death.

Akane instinctively felt her heart speed up dangerously, her breathing becoming slightly shorter in the face of the dragon’s cold, menacing intensity.

Belgaroth slowly raised his reptilian head to the sky, his eyes glowing with supernatural power, and let out a heart-rending, terrifying roar, so powerful that it shook the entire arena. The air around him suddenly began to vibrate, rippling with a burning, oppressive energy. The dragon spectators instinctively recoiled from this sudden power, shocked but fascinated.

Suddenly, Belgaroth’s massive body lit up violently, enveloped in a fiery, glowing aura, bursting abruptly into blinding light. Slowly, his gigantic form began to contract, gradually shrinking, his scales and muscles rapidly reshaping under the prodigious energy.

In just a few moments, his silhouette became distinctly humanoid again, but this time nothing resembled the previous form. Belgaroth now appeared as the perfect embodiment of an optimal fusion between dragon and human: an imposing humanoid silhouette, with protruding, perfectly defined muscles, covered with dark-red scales, gleaming like polished metal. His skin, perfectly adjusted to his powerful body, clearly revealed every muscle fiber, every tendon stretched to the extreme by the power he had just unleashed.

His humanoid face was perfectly symmetrical and handsome, but his amber eyes now burned with a cold, implacable rage. Sharp claws now adorned his powerful hands, and two elegant, sharp horns stood proudly on his skull. Thin, dark membranes ran discreetly between his arms and back, a subtle but clear sign of his draconic heritage.

- It’s... it’s impossible," Mordred murmured from his cell, fascinated but horrified by this impressive transformation. He has quadrupled in power...

In the stands, the dragon spectators instinctively held their breath at this terrifying display of physical and magical superiority.

Belgaroth slowly lowered his gaze to Akane, his smile now cold, cruel and merciless:

- This is what really distinguishes us from humans, Akane. Take a good look at what true superiority means.

Without warning, he literally disappeared in a fraction of a second, propelling himself towards her at inconceivable speed. Akane only had time to instinctively raise her sword to defend herself before a brutal blow struck her guard, throwing her violently backwards, her body colliding painfully with the arena sand in an explosion of dust.

She struggled to her feet, feeling a searing pain invade her limbs. Yet she didn’t have even a second’s respite before Belgaroth appeared immediately in front of her, smiling coldly:

- Too slow.

He launched a series of swift, violent blows, each one mercilessly slamming into Akane with terrifying precision. She tried desperately to parry, but each strike was so powerful that it left behind a deep pain, each impact threatening to shatter her bones.

Finally, in a particularly cruel move, Belgaroth suddenly grabbed Akane by the throat, easily lifting her off the ground with one hand.

He looked directly into her eyes, a cruel, cold smile on his perfect lips:

- Do you understand now the immensity of the gap between us, little human?" he asked slowly, slowly tightening his grip, slowly cutting off his breath. Your death would be too easy. I’d rather see you bend, see you admit your weakness.

Akane struggled in vain, her hands clawing desperately at the dragon’s steely grip. Her breath was rapidly becoming short, her vision slowly darkening. Mordred felt his heart clench painfully, his impotent rage growing at Belgaroth’s useless cruelty.

The dragon suddenly released her, letting her fall brutally to the ground, panting and wounded. He smiled slowly, clearly satisfied by this humiliating spectacle:

- Get up, warrior. I haven’t finished with you yet.

Akane, determined despite the intense pain, slowly got to her feet, her legs trembling from fatigue and accumulated wounds. She clutched her sword tightly, slowly raising her eyes to Belgaroth, fierce determination shining clearly in her eyes despite her critical state.

- I won’t give in, dragon..." she murmured slowly, her voice weak but resolute.

Belgaroth smiled coldly in response:

- Very well, then. Then we’ll keep going until your body gives way for good.

From the royal stands, the Dragon King now watched with cold, regal satisfaction:

- This is the true power of our race," he murmured coldly, his gaze burning with pride. This is why no one has been able to compete with us for centuries.

Mordred, powerless from his cell, stared intently at the scene with cold, deep rage:

- Hang on, Akane... he murmured intensely, his fists clenched against the bars. Don’t give her the pleasure.

Belgaroth, in the arena, advanced slowly towards Akane, his cruel smile promising endless suffering.

Akane was barely standing in the middle of the arena, her body aching, her breath coming in short, jerky gasps. Facing her, Belgaroth advanced slowly, self-assured, his cold, cruel smile bearing witness to his absolute superiority.

The warrior gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, desperately trying to control her exhausted body. She knew that, in her current state, she didn’t stand a chance. She had to go faster, faster than ever. Slowly closing her eyes, she searched deep within herself for a new strength, a hidden energy that would enable her to surpass her own limits.

"I no longer have a choice..." she murmured inwardly, focusing all her remaining energy.

At that very moment, a strange, powerful energy began to crackle slowly around her body, gently coursing through her tired muscles. Silver-blue lightning gradually began to appear around her, dancing lightly on her skin and along her sword. Mordred, from his cell, widened his eyes, fascinated and astonished by this unexpected transformation.

Belgaroth paused, intrigued but also wary of this new energy:

- What is this strange aura? Do you still have hidden resources, human?

Akane slowly raised her head towards him, her eyes now shining with a cold, intense electric glow:

- This is the Breath of Lightning, dragon. And it’s time you found out why I’m called the Scarlet Sword.

Without warning, she abruptly disappeared from Belgaroth’s sight, now moving with frightening speed, her silhouette barely visible in bluish flashes. She suddenly materialized beside the dragon, launching a series of swift, precise blows, each strike accompanied by crackling lightning, violently striking the dragon’s scaled armor, leaving superficial marks.

Belgaroth, startled by this unexpected speed, stepped back slightly, trying to react, but Akane had already disappeared again. She was now whirling around him with supernatural speed, attacking relentlessly, each blow delivered with surgical precision, each move accompanied by the unmistakable sound of thunder rumbling.

From his cell, Mordred stared intently at the scene, his heart beating furiously in his chest:

- Incredible... it’s going three times faster than before...

Belgaroth, frustrated and annoyed, suddenly launched a series of violent, swift strikes, trying to seize this warrior who had become almost invisible. But Akane, now inhabited by the lightning speed of lightning, avoided each attack with supernatural fluidity, her silhouette almost intangible under the effect of her extreme speed.

Akane, aware that every second spent in this state dangerously consumed her remaining energy, quickly positioned herself for her next attack. She inhaled deeply, her body tensing intensely under the effect of ultimate concentration, murmuring inwardly:

"Breath of Lightning, Seventh Movement: God of Firebolts."

Instantly, her entire body seemed to blaze with intense electrical energy, her hair floating lightly in the air, enveloped in an aura of crackling silvery-blue lightning.

Her silhouette suddenly became even faster, more fluid, almost divine in its supernatural speed.

She immediately charged towards Belgaroth, creating a veritable storm of lightning around her. In a fraction of a second, she appeared right in front of him, her blade describing a terrifyingly beautiful arc. Belgaroth instinctively tried to defend himself, but even he couldn’t react in time.

The blade penetrated deep into his side, creating a severe gash and splattering the ground with draconic blood. The dragon roared in pain, retreating abruptly, but Akane, enveloped by this divine speed, continued to strike relentlessly, each blow delivered with lightning power and absolute speed.

From the royal stands, the dragon royal family now watched this incredible turnaround with obvious amazement. The stunned dragon prince murmured nervously:

- Impossible... a human mastering such speed? Is Belgaroth in trouble?

But the dragon king didn’t answer immediately, watching every move with cold severity, his gaze burning with curiosity and a certain subtle concern.

However, despite Akane’s spectacular attack, Belgaroth soon came to his senses. Wounded but still standing, he smiled slowly, coldly, his amber eyes now burning with implacable anger:

- Impressive, human. But even this divine speed won’t be enough to defeat me.

Without warning, Belgaroth suddenly intensified his energy. His fiery aura exploded around him, throwing Akane violently backwards and sending her crashing to the ground with a deafening noise. She tried desperately to get up, her body exhausted by the colossal effort she had just made.

But Belgaroth was already on her, implacable. He unleashed a series of brutal strikes, each one delivered with cold, implacable, calculated precision. Akane, despite her exceptional speed, was now too exhausted to resist effectively, each impact now threatening to break her forever.

The merciless dragon finally seized her by the arm, lifting her violently off the ground before hurling her brutally against the wall of the arena, leaving behind her a wide trail of blood on the burning sand.

She collapsed heavily, panting, covered in wounds, her body wracked with unbearable pain.

Belgaroth moved slowly towards her, his cold, cruel smile back, satisfied by this crushing victory:

- You’ve been remarkable, Akane, but the reality is simple: your place is under our domination. I’m letting you live today, so that everyone understands the absolute superiority of our race.

From his dark cell, Mordred slowly clenched his fists, a cold, intense rage growing inside him at this unbearable injustice:

- Akane..." he whispered intensely, a dull anger vibrating clearly in his voice. I promise you this isn’t over.

Akane, wounded but still alive, slowly raised her head towards Belgaroth, her eyes still shining with fierce determination despite her critical condition.