Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 44: Akane VS Belgaroth (Final part)

Belgaroth slowly approached Akane’s battered body, lying almost inert on the hot sand of the arena. Every breath was an unbearable pain, her body trembling from the effects of her countless wounds. Even so, a fierce glint still shone faintly in his determined eyes, his spirit stubbornly refusing to break completely.

The humanoid dragon stopped just in front of her, his amber eyes shining with perverse, unhealthy satisfaction. With cruel slowness, he crouched beside her, calmly observing her pained face, a sinister smile floating on his thin lips.

- I admit you were impressive, Akane," he murmured slowly, almost like an intimate whisper. A human like you is rare... you almost made me doubt you. Almost.

He brutally grabbed the warrior by the neck, lifting her violently off the ground with one hand, like a common hunting trophy. Akane’s broken, bloodied body was brandished towards the bleachers, exposed to the greedy, unhealthy gazes of the dragon spectators. The crowd immediately erupted in hysterical roars, exalted by this merciless triumph of draconic superiority.

From his cell, Mordred felt his heart clench painfully at this atrocious spectacle, his breath cutting off abruptly in his chest.

A cold, intense, burning rage exploded abruptly inside him, every muscle in his body clenching furiously under the effect of uncontrollable anger.

- Akane..., he murmured painfully, clenching his fists violently against the bars of his cell until he felt his own bones crack. You monster... I’ll kill you, Belgaroth...

In the arena, Belgaroth slowly raised Akane even higher, slowly spinning around to make his victory clear to every corner of the stands. He finally stopped, staring intently at the royal tribune with an arrogant, defiant gaze.

- According to the ancestral traditions of our people," he proclaimed in a loud, regal voice, "the victor has every right over the vanquished. I claim my right over this human warrior. From this day forward, Akane becomes my personal slave.

The crowd immediately erupted in frenzied cheers, wildly applauding this humiliating and cruel declaration. Belgaroth, slowly savoring his total triumph, slowly lowered his gaze to Akane, a cold, perverse smile appearing softly on his lips as he slowly licked the edge of her upper lip:

- I’m going to enjoy training you, warrior. Soon, your insolent courage will become perfect submission to my power.

In the royal stands, the Dragon King coolly observed the scene, his impassive face nonetheless revealing a subtle satisfaction. He nodded slowly, silently approving this total triumph of draconic power:

- This is exactly the show of force we needed," he murmured coldly to his family, his voice filled with icy satisfaction. Belgaroth has proved why we dominate all other species.

Yet the dragon princess, seated just beside him, was silently watching Akane, a strange, subtly troubled glint in her amber eyes. Her cold expression poorly concealed a conflicting emotion, torn between admiration, pity and anger.

In his dark cell, Mordred felt an uncontrollable rage burning within him. His whole body trembled with devastating anger, his mind invaded by the implacable desire for vengeance. He felt a dark, savage power gradually growing inside him, brutally awakening all his hidden forces.

- You’ll never have him, Belgaroth..., he growled, his voice hoarse and trembling with rage, his eyes now burning with icy, mortal hatred. I promise you’ll pay for this a hundredfold...

Belgaroth, unaware of this silent rage, continued slowly to display his trophy, Akane’s defeated but still living body suspended helplessly in his cruel grip.

The warrior, despite her critical condition, slowly raised her head, staring intently at Belgaroth, fierce determination still shining in her eyes:

- I’d rather die than submit to you, dragon..., she murmured slowly, her voice weak but resolute.

Belgaroth smiled coldly in response, slowly bringing his face to hers, almost in a morbid caress:

- I’m going to enjoy changing your mind, Akane.

The crowd immediately exploded in excited screams, fascinated and exhilarated by this cruel and sadistic promise.

But in his dark, cold cell, Mordred now stood, his body wracked by a violent, dark power. A devastating rage now burned within him, brutally devouring every part of his being, slowly awakening a terrible, uncontrollable force.

- This is only the beginning, Belgaroth," he murmured slowly in an icy, implacable voice, a deadly promise vibrating clearly in his words. I swear on my life I’ll make you pay for this. I’ll destroy you.

Rage was now fully awakened within him, ready to ravage everything in its path.

Isaac was brutally dragged out of the other world, his body violently torn from the suffocating darkness of his cell, from the unbearable horror of Akane’s fate, and brutally projected into the cold, dark security of his room in Paris.

He abruptly opened his eyes, panting violently, his body covered in cold sweat, his chest shaking with furious, painful beats. All around him, the familiar darkness of his apartment seemed strangely unreal after the intense brutality of his last hours as Mordred.

Almost immediately, a series of system notifications appeared before his eyes, slightly illuminating the darkness

[Ding!]

[Moonstone absorption successful: 6 new dragon scales appear on your right forearm].

Isaac stared silently at his arm, impassively observing the new blue scales, gleaming slightly under the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains of his bedroom. A familiar, intense warmth ran slowly up his arm, as the scales grew rapidly, covering more of his skin. Yet he felt no pleasure from this obvious increase in his power.

Then, another notification appeared at once:

[Ding!]

[Successful absorption of the titanic gorilla’s physical stats:]

[+10 Strength]

[+20 Dexterity]

Instantly, a wild and powerful energy violently invaded his body, his muscles contracting painfully under the immediate effect of this sudden absorption. Yet Isaac remained impassive, indifferent to this obvious surge of physical power. None of this mattered in the face of the unbearable rage roaring violently inside him.

He stood motionless in the middle of his room, breathless, fists clenched violently, his gaze fixed intently on the dark void before him. His face showed no emotion, no smile, no sign of life or joy. Only his eyes, now burning with an icy, merciless rage, bore witness to the devastating storm raging in his mind.

"Akane..." he murmured weakly, his mind haunted by the horrific images of his brutal humiliation, of Belgaroth’s cruel, arrogant triumph. "I promise you, I’ll never let that monster have you. Never."

He tried briefly to find sleep, but his thoughts were too violent, too intense, his mind totally consumed by this implacable rage. After just a few minutes, unable to bear this unbearable immobility any longer, he stood up abruptly, immediately grabbing his black katana lying against the wall.

Without a word, without a backward glance, he silently left his apartment, quickly crossing the cold, dark streets of Paris. His gaze was now cold, determined, burning with the uncontrollable rage that threatened to sweep away everything in its path.

Isaac finally arrived at an isolated, dark park, perfectly silent at this late hour of the night. Immediately, he slowly drew his katana, adopting a perfect posture, his body wracked by extreme tension.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he began to repeat each technique of the Lightning Kata with brutal intensity.

Each movement was executed with absolute precision, his now increased speed rendering each attack almost invisible. His body was pushed violently to its limits, but he never slowed down, never stopped, continuing to strike again and again, violently seeking to transcend his own physical and mental limits.

He tirelessly repeated the Shidensen, then the Shinsoku. His body was wracked with violent pain, his muscles screaming with fatigue, but his rage was so intense, so absolute, that it totally suffocated all physical pain.

Hours went by, as Isaac relentlessly continued to train with brutal, merciless intensity, each strike accompanied by the dull, ominous rumble of thunder that seemed to resonate within him. His mind was now totally focused on a single objective: to become powerful enough to crush Belgaroth, to save Akane from the hell to which she was condemned.

It was only at sunrise, when the first golden light of dawn slowly began to illuminate the sky, that he finally stopped, totally exhausted, panting, his body trembling violently under the effect of extreme exhaustion.

He stood motionless for a few seconds, his body wracked with extreme pain, but his gaze still cold, determined, burning intensely with rage still intact.

"I’ll get even stronger," he murmured coldly, his tone clearly vibrating with implacable menace. "Whatever it takes... I swear to you, Belgaroth, I will destroy you."

Around him, the silence of the park was now disturbed only by his short, pained breath, his thoughts totally consumed by his devastating rage.

----------------------------------------

Do you know the breakfast joke? No bowl (bad luck)

Anyway, I’m a really nice author for putting 20 Chapters in the reserve. In any case, I can tell you that it’s really exhausting and that I’m on the verge of giving up.

Never back down, NEVER WHAT ?

Never give up

NEVER BACK DOWN, NEVER WHAT ?

NEVER GIVE UP !!!!!!!!!