-Midday. Sulow Town. Nefiru's POV-
The Sun at its zenith radiates the street leading across the river in the middle of town while a soft breeze coming from the East disperses the smoke and dust cloud created by a merciless barrage of magic abilities combined with steel arrows.
At only fifteen meters away from the enemy, their attacks strengthened and the enhanced nervous system with Lightning boost overloaded which put my body in shock while toppling over. But the men trying to capture us are unable to see my condition with the Dark Fog blocking the view and Magic interference, until...a girl's cries sounded between explosions.
"Nefiiiiiii!" Shaila desperately wailed behind while approaching.
The bombardment stopped before Stone quickly grew on my hind legs up to a meter high whilst slowing my fall and the darkness magic cloud dispersed leaving me to face a cloudless blue sky.
...Ehh?! Th-they stopped...? I noticed halting the useless thoughts to regain my bearings while pushing with the tail.
*Shuuuk!!* I spring my wings open over the rooftops. *Whoop!!* Then stop my falling body standing on two legs.. *Fooosh!* The titanium scales continue to burn on my neck while charring the flesh. *Slosh! Drip. Drip.* The blood gushes out and fills the craters on the pavement. *Fwooshhhh...!* The fire from flammable chemicals continue burning on my back and shoulders producing black smoke.
"HUFF! HUFF! Huff! huff...!" I pant calming down in a trembling posture like dragon Jesus while feeling my shattered chest with each breath.
Hah... At least my body isn't so heavy for the wings and the stone boots to support me... I affirmed observing the enemy through the smoke with eyes squinted.
The agony disrupting my concentration subsided, but this false sense of relief was only nerves burning away and focused on freezing the affected tissue internally while ignoring external damage or the fire burning outside. After concluding that any movement or outgoing probe could resume the fight, I contain my Magic and confirm Magic reserves before recovering as much as possible with the bottle in my stomach. Lightning Elementals is at 5%, Light 80%, and Water 60% while Mana is down to 20% from controlling the magnetic rings which can fuel one powerful ability, but not enough to kill them all.
"N-nef... Nefi?" The girl uttered snuffling a couple of meters away from my tail.
Ugh! How weird...pausing the fight...but these bastards seem confident escape isn't possible...need time to figure something out. I asserted and brought the right paw to my chest.
*Wruakkk! Crack!* I rip out the burning scales and toss them aside. *Klakk! Tak!* The pieces are thrown away left behind bleeding cavities that needed freezing as well.
Arrrghh!! I endured not showing the girl weakness while waiting for visibility in the street to clear.
"S-s-stop fighting...stop! Yo-your body is breaking apart...." Shaila whimpered about my broken scales and flesh littering the street.
Duh! I wish this ends too!! I retorted aware of my state. The human ME would retreat to rescue you, but I'm a pissed Dragon...I want to kill them all!! I affirmed with hatred and shone a red light of denial to Shaila behind me.
"Augh... You'll die..." She hopelessly rebuked when a wind user blew the smoke away.
"Hey. Hey. Hey. Tayuma. We'll lose a ton of money if the lizard burns to a crisp!" The bald man said worriedly.
"Hmph!" The red-haired woman dressed in leather scoffed. "At least he's not running away this time... Did it gave up?" She asked.
"..." The leader scrutinizes me in silence making the seconds pass like minutes.
I recalled our previous encounter where they tried to capture me without magicians and felt glad about it while becoming tense wondering if the person in charge would get fooled a third time.
Agh! I didn't prepare enough... The combined value of Shaila and me is enticing enough for this to happen again... I concluded the harsh future.
"Why are those scales burning bright? The beast isn't going to explode right?" Asked the young man next to the leader.
"That's not us! It's a metal that catches fire and hard to put out, but luckily only a few ignited..." A fire magician analyzed.
"HA! I say we turn him over since he's roasted on this side already." An orange haired man sarcastically suggested.
""Hahaha!"" Several people laughed without taking their eyes off me.
"Umu! I've never cooked expensive dragon meat before." A woman commented. "He won't die from missing another piece, right?" She asked.
"You can cook his sausage! He won't need it until the next season." The fiery head guy suggested in tease.
"Gross!" The woman repulsed. "...Does it taste good?" She curiously asked.
Grrr... Idiots! I cursed angered being disrespected.
"Beats me... But it can grow back right?" The fire magician replied before asking.
Wait... What are they waiting for? ...Someone to take Shaila hostage? I wonder suspiciously while hearing Liana struggling.
"Yes. Dragons regenerate missing parts faster with higher rank." A bearded man confirmed.
It's not just that! The regenerative properties also depend on Bloodline, anatomy, and luck since missing parts can even regrow deformed, but still takes a long time at low ranks to notice which is why Raiga's wing is nicely tied up. Well, the dragoness dying to fly could take months to regrow those missing bones entirely, but it's doubtful she would survive without me until then... I review Shaila's findings.
"Enough!" The leader cuts in. "If the beast moves other than collapsing...blast him!" He instructed suspiciously.
Nice! I rejoiced inspecting my insides again.
"He probably can't do anything else because of the intense pain..." The bald guy judged.
I'm slowly recovering though. It seems that removing the harmful viruses improved healing enough to feel wounds close, but sadly the scales still take days to grow, and I'm missing a patch the size of a large t-shirt on my chest which makes me feel vulnerable...just like being naked...it's cold...feels wrong. Still, the muscle integrity is acceptable for another lightning boost, and the lost blood is replenishing as my strength returns... I assessed the damage and body capabilities.
"...No, the Dragon is probably stalling for time since that's all it can do now." The mustache guy determined.
"We have men engaging assassins, spies and guards throughout town while people on the roofs to slow him down. Help isn't coming... Give up and avoid further the pain." Tayuma declared facing me.
Damn! Neither Lester nor Alphonse are coming? Erina is probably miles away to notice and no way to contact her... I realize escape is more uncertain than previously thought. Fuck... Need to have better communication with allies. I take a mental note.
"Nef...let me fight." The girl requested in a low voice.
No. I made another red light in denial.
"Hey! Let's just nab the girl if he ain't doing nothin'." A muscular man said
"Sure. Try not to become limbless too. That pressured water ability is effective at close range." A water user remarked.
"Help me!" Yelled the torso behind me along with Liana's grunts of fighting.
"He's still not dry?" The man asked.
"No, the beast just retracted his magic with one-fifth Mana left, and I'm not sure of his elementals, but I think he used up his strongest attacks." The blue haired person explained.
"Is that so..." The leader affirmed doing some hand signals.
Then an auramancer starts approaching with his back against the left wall.
"GRRR!" I snarled, and the shield-bearer stopped.
"Restrain him!" Tayuma ordered pointing at me.
"Actually... we are empty." An earth magician informed.
"What?!" The leader blurted inquisitively.
"Do you have any idea how much mana we spent on walls?" Another person rebuked.
"Maintaining a lava pool drained us and he just ran on it like it was a swamp before we could solidify it!" A high-rank earth magician complained.
"My magic can't stop a water dragon who's better at it than me and ropes won't hold him for too long." The water magician with the ponytail affirmed.
Oh, that's really good to hear... Hehehe... I affirmed opening my eyes.
"Don't say it out loud!" Tayuma rebuked.
"Oops! I forgot to make a wind barrier." A wind user muttered.
"There's plenty offensive Magic though. Or we can take greater risks to hold it down..." A fire magician said casually.
Hmm... I'm a dragon...my body is a weapon, so I just need to get close and engage in melee...those wooden shields meant for lightning offer little protection, and they won't create explosions. Still, this many auramancers could overpower me before magic exhaustion leaves me helpless and can't remove nets if water magic runs out... I review scenarios.
"Gahhhh!" A man screamed half a block behind me.
"Son of a Mogo... That bitch had a hidden knife..." An auramancer described Liana's doings.
"They had to fondle her breasts...now she's loose!" The red-haired woman dressed in leather rebuked.
Excellent... Two more to go! I review the blond woman's efforts.
"...What's taking Kaelion so long?" An auramancer asked impatiently revealing who they expect. "The Ragefires only have low rankers and that Rank 5 assassin..." He presumed the difficulty.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Ah! But Alphonse is Rank 6 now... I noticed their misjudgment hoping the darkness user can hold on longer.
"My brother will handle it. But who knows what methods an experienced Spy may have for a high ranked." Said the rumored Kalio.
"There won't be interruptions for days with the town in our control. So, we have time to finish this and disappear." The leader informed.
"Then the only thing standing in our way is the dragon. But why try so hard for his master instead of running away to freedom?" The young auramancer said.
"They gave him everything, and he wasn't really a prisoner..." Replied the red-haired woman.
"Hoh... You only hear stories about a beast admirably protecting someone like this..." The bearded man interpreted.
"Well, it makes sense for the broken doll to connect with beasts, but there are also rumors of her grandmother being intimate with a water dragon before, and she doesn't have many children despite being old either." The high-rank fire magician revealed.
"Oh yeah! I heard Big Red ate that dragon in front of her as punishment..." The red-haired woman next to the bald man said.
...Elena had a relationship with that dragon?! Maybe she's someone like Shaila...a dragon in the past! I realized the relevance.
"So, the disgusting trait runs in the family, huh?" Kalio said with contempt.
"Eh?!" The girl behind me uttered.
"Perhaps that's why nobody wanted to marry Eleonor." Said a bearded man.
"Nobles and their nasty hobbies..." An Earth magician said shaking his head.
The red-haired woman dressed in leather looked at Shaila and opened her mouth.
"B-but that person is--" She stuttered when the bald man nudged her to stop.
"I don't know why our society allows such abomination, but the people who mingle with non-humans should just be executed!" The high-rank wind user spews loudly.
""YEAH!!"" A few people agreed.
Sighs... Okay, so, Overboosting the brain or muscles isn't enough to exterminate them, and having ripped tendons or disabled brain afterward is Game Over...unless...I go beyond current limits and gamble. I haven't tried overboost with brain and muscles simultaneously, but the side effects will leave me vulnerable to the collar suppression. Ugh! I don't want to be a puppet... I calmly analyze when the girl behind me spoke.
"Y-yo-you people...know...nothing!" Shaila stammered angered.
Oh my... The drama is increasing. But this is good for her... I affirmed spectating.
"HA? Did you do it with the animal already?" Kalio taunted while his face twisted. "Bah! Disgusting." He spat and used wind magic to throw the saliva at my snout.
...Serenity now...serenity now...insanity later... I ignored the banter concentrating on recovery.
"Gahh!" The girl blurted frustrated. "Why should that matter to someone treating me like an object?" She countered.
"Huh? Because it serves a purpose offering your body to another human... It's the natural way." He replied as if common sense.
"Hun... Women must really like you... Or is it just respect for your rank?" The girl retorted.
""Wooh!"" The others jeered.
"Hmph! It's natural to serve a better person." He reaffirmed crossing his arms.
"Gasp! The Rank is what makes you better? Something me and him can achieve in a fraction of the time you took..." The white-haired girl shook her head dismissing.
"...A disgusting beast can't compare to a human." The green haired man argued.
"What's so good about being a human anyway?" Shaila questioned back gazing over their formation. "Just a creature who walks on two legs thinking that is superior, possess no fur, yet takes it from animals, and have diverse emotions, but choose to be crueler than beasts... Nothing but hypocritical monsters showing only the ugly side of humanity while still proclaiming to be in the right...just like the ones from a year ago." She elaborated her perspective.
Silence followed on this part of the street as they do a staring contest with the girl behind me.
This girl...recovers rather fast... Well, she probably realized I needed time-- I conjecture when a noise caught my attention.
*Crunch... Crack!* A sound like stepping over stone debris sounded under my right wing.
Hm!!? I used light magic and bent ultraviolet to investigate. It looks like I wasn't the only one stalling.... I detected an infiltrator using the shadows to approach Shaila. Time's up huh? Well, in the movies, the monster pretends everything is alright, then...attack! I asserted spreading magic and elementals in key places of my body. Well, if I'm taking risks, might as well make it count by neglecting defense and canceling pain since Overboost will leave me retarded for a while anyway. I resolved initiating magic activity.
The elemental program in my head intensified past unsafe boundaries until the processing capabilities increased several times and Spirit strengthened comparable to a Rank 7. I then multitasked accelerating all the relevant biological functions while controlling the blood and water permeating my whole body before finally using lightning on the muscles. My body becomes hot with heart beats much faster than ever before, muscles tensed under high pressure causing temporary spurts from some wounds and a reaction time making the world seem slower.
Full Overboost... I confirm the complete enhancement before swinging my tail like a scorpion towards the man's abdomen.
*SHUU!... GASH!* The tail impaled the man wearing black leather gear and his ability dispelled.
"URGH!" He uttered holding the object almost a feet wide lodged in his stomach while breathing rapidly.
"Eek! That scared me!" Shaila protested at the abruptness.
I grab hold of the stone walls with my wing claws while using water magic to crack the binding on my legs, and twisted my tail tip ninety degrees from the position it entered.
"Aieeek!" The black-haired man wailed from the excruciating pain.
"GO! Bash him closer to death and grab the girl!" Tayuma ordered.
A dozen Auramancers holding wooden shields, on one hand, raised them in a neat row while gripping a sword on the other and the crossbow people started aiming along with magicians preparing to fire.
"GWRUUAAAAA!!!" I roared echoing throughout the street and vibrating the stone walls before launching ahead of the dying human hooked in my tail.
*BOOMM! Splat! Splat!...* The darkness user collided with an explosive magic which torn him apart and his head impacted my belly. *Tush! Thud.* The bloody mess fell down while I employ all Light elementals into a wide flare that briefly blinded the enemy and interrupted their attacks.
*Crack! CRACK! Prak!* I break the stone bindings and catapulted forward on two legs using the wings. *WOOSH! SHUAASH!* I landed on all fours folding the wings while clawing at the pavement and accelerated towards the center of their formation. *SWOOOSHHHH!!!* I dash ahead whistling through the air crashing onto incoming projectiles that bounced off my scales.
I covered in a blink of an eye the distance of fifteen meters that separated us without obstacles and right before making contact with the Shieldbearers, I turned my body sideways using the tail on the left for balance. The humans quickly regained visual, but used to the speed until now, they couldn't anticipate the change of such weakened body and were utterly shocked to find my body already kicking their defensive formation with four legs.
""Wa-!?"" They question with surprised faces.
*BAAAAAM!!!!* I impacted the wooden shields sending people flying on the street dozens of meters across the Plaza entrance. """GAAHHH!""" The auramancers and magicians behind them cried out rolling on the ground while spraying blood and wood splinters. *Kling! Srrrh... Pak!... Thock!* Several objects fall or slide on the pavement.
"Ghaaak!" Cried out a retreating auramancer after losing his arm along with the shield.
""Ugh!"" Others limped away towards the plaza with something broken.
However, not all were lucky enough to survive the clash as they didn't move again either unconscious or died instantly like a high-rank earth magician. Meanwhile, the auramancers who didn't get thrown, are groaning under my right side as I adjust my posture clawing at them while swinging and whipping my tail quickly to stab or decapitate those who aren't simply thrown away.
*Riiip! Crush! Creak! Krrruk!!* I break apart armors, carved the flesh beneath and break bones break.
"AHHH!" Yelled a former man as his reproductive organs fly through the air.
"GAHH!" Another one uttered as my claws pull out his intestines.
*THWIP!* My tail swing knocks away people down trying to hold it.
"Omph!" An auramancer fell and used the sharp edge on his eyes. *BAM* His helmet caved in with the impact. "UAAA! My eyes!" He screamed holding his head.
A shield-bearer tried approaching my head and leashed at his legs. *Whap!*
"ARGH!" He endured smacking the left side of my head.
*Crack! Crunch!* My fangs pierced deeply and dragged him around pushing others back.
I recognized a high ranked fire magician with both legs broken, crawling away on my left, and lashed at him.
"Uryaaah!" Some pugilists were fired up smacking at my neck to stop me.
*WHAM! BANG!! KLANG!!!* I felt swords cracking the scales, gauntlets smash, axes aim for my joints, and hammers slam while shaking my entire body.
But I could not be stopped...biting and throwing people out of the way until I reached the red-haired person.
"NOO--Urgh! AHHH!" The red-haired guy screamed in my mouth as he desperately touches the fangs traping his head.
*Crunch* I bit down and threw the body over the group in front and swallowed brain matter before headbutting another rushing aura user from below.
"Gahhh!" He let out while flying.
"Wha...what the...?!" Uttered the leader in confusion. "Surround him first, then attack at once!" Tayuma ordered.
The smell of blood thickens in the street as the death count increase in seconds, but they have resolved to continue the fight and managed to organized their formation with shield bearers surrounding me again. After feeling more mana waves, I get up, leaving the people under me all mashed up into a bloody pulp inside their crushed armors, and sent a kick with the left hind leg as some were passing some rope around.
"Ack! Ohuf!!!" I connected with a shield and threw the person against the others while others hit the southern wall of the street.
"How can something that big, move so fast?!" Questioned a fire magician hesitating to fire.
The encirclement gets smaller as the ones holding shields block my movements and the crossbow users take distance away unable to aim properly since my body is in constant movement inside their group.
*SHUUK!* I sprang my wings open along the street knocking several people closing the circle. *Bang!--Aghhh!!!* They were hit on the heads and thrown away before retracting my wings.
A sword wielder slipped under me and stabbed my chest mutiple times while cutting up the flesh until he caught my full attention. However, the blood that came out, flew back into my body and no more spilled as it is abnormally flowing in the air across the gaping cuts between veins, arteries or capillaries.
"What in the world?" He uttered surprised and didn't notice my left paw approaching his head while the right foreleg supports me. *Kacha!* My claws wrap around his helmet. "Ah?!" He emits before pressure increased. *CRUSHH!* His head popped spilling gore through the metal gaps then used the body to smack others approaching.
*SWIFF!* I swiped with my right paw. *Clang!* The claws lodge on the armor of an aura user. "UOH!?" He uttered being used to drag three other people with him. ""Agh!"" They roll on the ground.
I pull my tail back and continue swinging behind me. *KLANG! DRR!* It impacts armors and wooden shields.
They remake the circle once more while finding difficult to deal with the change of speed my body displaying and I notice the people on the roofs getting ready to throw nets. I attempt to break the shield wall, and my tail was blocked by groups of auramancers sticking together like legos as they slid on the ground pushing the magicians behind them who fell down.
*Krash!* I scratch the wooden shields in attempts to knock them down, but they support each other.
""Hhnnnff!"" The men struggle to seal my movement by closing the circle
I continue tripping over the remnants of human bodies unable to find a proper foothold when a net lands over me and is immediately held down.
"ARRGH!" The men struggle to hold me down while others on my tail, legs, and neck.
Argh! I guess it's time to use the strongest water attack, second stage water breath...basically compressed water at large scale. I affirmed concentrating unmoving.
"WE GOT IT!" Yelled someone in victory.
Filling mouth with water. Designate nucleus, add elemental layers and guiding exit channel. Begin forcing molecules closer on each layer...water volume decreasing in size and increasing the pressure at the center...optimal. Compression system ready...
I lifted my head high up dragging two auramancers along and turned left under the net, to the people holding my tail before opening my mouth.
"Goua!? Hold it down!" They called dangling their feet.
They might have strength, and superhuman endurance, but ultimately just an average human weight and size. I asserted before firing.
*ZHUIIIIIIIIIINNG!!--SHRAHHH!* A beam of pressurized water finger-thick entered through the breastplate of a man and carved a line as I moved my head clockwise.
""AHHHHHH!"" The people start to scream as their bodies are cut up along with the armors, wooden shields and ropes tying me. ""Ahhrgh!"" The people behind them suffered as well.
"Block it! It's the water attack!" Instructed the water magician making a ball of water.
*ZHUIIIIIING!! SLOSH! Crack!* I continue feeding the system while carving through anything in the beam's path and bodies fall down spewing copious amounts of blood diluting in the water.
"Argh! We can't stop it!" Said another blue haired person retreating in fear.
Having eliminated another portion of their group and some ran away, their numbers are down to less than half, but I kept firing.
*ZHUIING!! SHUu...* A hole opened up in an auramancer's head before the water magic hit critical levels and had to terminate it. *Thud!* Bodies fall while others wriggle in the gore covered ground.
"Uurgh..." A man standing didn't get pierced all the way and stands with his intestines coming out of the cut armors.
"DIE!" A hateful yell from a man is holding a sword with both hands on my back called my attention. "HAAA!" He stabbed downwards. *SHAAK!! SRRrrr.* The metal grinded with the scales as it pierced deeply until it was firmly lodged close to my spine.