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***

Ddraig squinted at her prey—the tiny human grinning up at her as he cracked his knuckles. She had expected him to cower in fear, or get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. This wasn't the reaction she expected. Yet this stirred her anger even more. Did her reputation sink low that a human could act so audacious?

She raised her claw and smashed it down on him. Her attack only crushed the stone platform as Asahi leaped into the air with fiery wings on his back.

She felt like she had seen those scarlet flames before. Where was it? She couldn't wrap her head around it.

"What are you dazing out for?" A whisper reached her ears as a hand caressed her snout. "A little hard."

She snapped back and tried to catch him. Asahi slipped away with his swift wings. She boosted her strength over and over. The sensation of indomitable strength surged through her body. With her boosted powers, she slashed at Asahi. He dodged by a hairbreadth. Her dragon eyes registered surprise at his speed.

"That was close," Asahi patted his chest with a sigh. "I should stop holding back."

Holding back.

Holding back.

Holding back.

The words echoed in Ddraig's ears. This was the first time someone said that to her face. Even if fake, his words wounded her pride and filled her with rage.

"You, how dare you disrespect me like that."

Her jewel released a blinding light as her emotions blinded her. Asahi could imagine the 'Boost' sound resounding in the jewel. He sweated as Ddraig trained her now crimson eyes on him.

"Crap. Did I provoke her too much?"

"Penetrate."

Asahi's instincts warned him. He darted back immediately until he was beyond the reach of Ddraig's claws. Her claws imbued with 'Penetrate' could ignore defense. A single hit might prove to be lethal on Asahi. The limited space in the cave served as an advantage to him. As long as he dodged her physical attacks, he would be fine.

He reinforced his body with every possible magic. A translucent film enveloped his body. The change in his aura garnered Ddraig's attention, bringing some rationality to her furious eyes.

"You are not a human."

The most a human had achieved was what. Ultimate Class? His aura was beyond that, easily matching a God-Class.

'He truly held back before.'

"I'm still human, you know," Asahi replied. "Besides, what reason do I have to lie to a dead person?"

The words resonated with her. She already kicked the bucket, didn't she? Why would he weave lies and stories about a monster to trick her?

Ddraig squinted her eyes. "I believe you now. Tell me what do you want from me?"

Asahi blinked his eyes, a bit suspicious at her attitude change. Asahi explained the Emperor Gear God created and the reason for his appearance here. Ddraig hummed as she listened to him attentively.

"So, you want to use my abilities while keeping me inside that gear you mentioned? Is that it?"

"Yeah…"

"I refuse. I won't let myself be used even if the world gets destroyed."

She had an enormous pride as a Heavenly Dragon. How could she be reduced to a mere tool?

"I understand. I will ask God to release your soul."

He wasn't about to beat up a dead dragon for strength. He hadn't fallen that low.

It was Ddraig's turn to be baffled. He gave up so easily. It would be wrong if she didn't expect him to put a price for her help, like helping her in creating a new vessel. She could transfer her soul into it and live and breathe once again.

"Why are you surprised?"

Ddraig shook her head. "It's... nothing."

Her pride refused to take back those words, even though she wanted to!

The visible conflict on her face was so apparent. "Tell me, do you want to live again?"

"Who wouldn't?"

Asahi scratched his head, trying to come up with a decent deal that satisfied both sides. He could recreate her body based on her original, but he couldn't do anything about the soul. He raised the concern to Ddraig.

"I can take care of that part."

"Ten years. Help me with Boosted Gear for ten years, then I'll let you live again."

Asahi was assured of boosting his base stats to Ddraig's level in less than ten years. Boosted Gear won't help after that anyway.

"Just a decade?" Ddraig muttered. She used to hibernate for more than that in her lair. "How strong would my body be?"

"Close to your prime, maybe."

"I agree!"

"Nice."

"On one condition."

"What…?"

"You will have to beat me first in the open, not in this suffocating place. You have the ground advantage here. And don't use that trick to deal with my flames. "

"..."

Asahi was speechless at the conditions she put forward.

"Why do I have to beat you?"

"I can't let a weak male handle me. That is the pride of I, Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon Emperor."

Asahi's lips formed a line. He could barely hold his own against the nerfed God slightly boosted by Seraph's powers. How could he beat a Heavenly Dragon head on? A Diva's full powered attacks won't do much harm and Gae Bolg won't work on a soul. Even if it worked, he wasn't out to kill her.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath. "I'll still try… come at me!"

He wasn't going to give up just yet!

***

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