Saquin: Death To My Enemies

Lira closed the distance with lightning speed, her claws slashing outward in a blur. Five silver arcs carved the air, radiating an ethereal glow as they hung suspended for the briefest moment. Then, as if obeying her unspoken command, the five marks converged into a single, razor-thin silver line.

The line shimmered, impossibly sharp, before slicing cleanly through Krant's neck.

Slash!

The sound was almost inaudible, yet its effect was absolute. Krant's head separated smoothly from his massive body, the severed neck glimmering faintly as if the silver line had cauterized the wound.

Five claws into one. The technique didn't just magnify strength—it condensed it, creating an attack that was fivefold in power yet focused with unparalleled precision.

Lira flew past Krant's body, her movements fluid and unhurried as though the battle were already decided the moment she struck. Behind her, Krant's head tumbled, falling to the ground, followed moments later by his colossal body crashing into the forest below.

Another dragon had fallen in Brimar Forest. Lira and Saquin effectively dealing with their overpopulation.

Lira hovered mid-air, her silver aura gradually dimming as she steadied herself. She glanced down at the carnage below. Krant's head lay grotesquely angled, separated from his hulking body.

Well that was easy. Saquin is always right. He already took care of one, so two to go.

Looking up, her eyes locked onto the next target.

The other dragon remained mid-air, its wings beating in a peculiar rhythm, utterly unfazed by Krant's demise. It hovered with an unnerving calm, its gaze fixed on Lira with an expression devoid of fear or rage.

Lira's eyes narrowed as she studied the dragon. It was unlike the others she'd seen. Smaller, sleeker—this one resembled a petite version of Krant, though it was female. Its polished scales shimmered unnaturally in the sunlight, each plate perfectly aligned with its neighbor, creating a smooth, unbroken surface.

The dragon's brown scales, gleaming and uniform, gave it an almost unnatural appearance. To Lira, it was unsettling. The smoothness of its body made it seem naked, as though it lacked the rugged, wild essence of its kin.

Her lips curled into a faint scowl. What kind of dragon looks like this?

The female dragon flapped its wings once, the rhythm deliberate and precise. It wasn't posturing, nor was it preparing for an immediate attack. Instead, it stared at Lira with an unnerving patience, as if waiting for her to make the first move.

Lira's claws twitched in anticipation, her silver aura flaring slightly. Her instincts told her this opponent would be different—not necessarily stronger, but tougher, way tougher.

Whatever you are... you're next.

With a burst of energy, Lira launched herself forward, a streak of silver light trailing her as she closed the distance with blinding speed.

Boom!

The air exploded with the sound of impact as Lira collided with a reddish-brown blur. The reddish-brown blur resolved into the female dragon, who had launched herself forward at the exact moment Lira had attacked. The force of the clash sent shockwaves rippling outward, throwing both combatants backward.

Both hovered mid-air, steadying themselves after the violent collision.

"What are you?" the female dragon demanded, her voice resonating with disbelief. Her eyes narrowed, locking onto Lira as if trying to decipher the enigma before her.

Lira tilted her head, confused by the dragon's reaction. "I should be the one asking that question, naked dragon."

The female dragon's eyes flared with indignation. "Who are you calling names, you rural, unmannered, uneducated mythic bastard!" she roared, her voice thick with venom.

"Rural? Uneducated?" Lira echoed, taken aback. Her expression turned quizzical. "Why would a mythic being need to be educated?"

"Exactly!" the dragon snapped, as though Lira's words confirmed her worst suspicions. She muttered to herself, "This is precisely what I meant. You don't even know you're supposed to be educated!"

Lira's confusion deepened, but before she could retort, the dragon's arrogance surged again. "I shall not waste my words on a lesser kind. Die!"

The final word thundered through the air as the dragon unleashed a concentrated reddish-brown beam. It surged toward Lira, a blinding ray of destructive energy.

Lira reacted instantly, stamping her left foot downward. A small, controlled SP explosion erupted beneath her, propelling her sideways at incredible speed. She twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the beam as it seared through the space she had occupied moments before.

The female dragon's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"

Lira smirked, her silver aura flickering as she steadied herself. So much for that polished look, she thought, amused by the dragon's shock.

Lira was a werecat—a mythic creature specializing in speed and precision. Her agility and attack maneuvers were unparalleled, particularly on the ground. However, fighting a dragon mid-air was a different challenge entirely. In the sky, dragons held every advantage: flight, raw strength, and the ability to rain destruction from above.

But Lira wasn't an ordinary demi-human.

Using her higher bloodline's unique SP manipulation ability, she created controlled SP explosions to propel herself mid-air, countering the dragon's dominance in the skies. It was an unconventional tactic, one born of creativity and her unrelenting will to fight.

Swish!

Lira evaded another beam, her movements a blur as she darted sideways.

The dragon hovered, her polished scales glinting in the sunlight as she tried to process what had just happened. "How...?"

She should have realized this earlier—Lira's initial charge had followed the same principle, her unnatural speed mid-air made possible by the very SP manipulation now baffling the dragon. But arrogance clouded her judgment. To the dragon, Lira was an inferior opponent, unworthy of true scrutiny.

And yet, the facts spoke otherwise.

The truth was, this dragon wasn't particularly strong. In terms of raw power, she was far weaker than Krant. Her polished appearance and arrogant demeanor belied her lack of real battle experience. Moreover, she had not spent much time here with Krant and his companions. Had she stayed longer, she would have learned a harsh truth: mythics and mythic beasts in this world possess latent strength far surpassing those from the 'other side.'

The only reason she hadn't been sent hurtling into the forest during their initial clash was that Lira hadn't launched herself from the ground, limiting the force of her attack. Lira knew this all too well, just as she knew she wasn't fighting at her full strength.

She was playing along with the dragon's false sense of superiority for one simple reason:

Saquin's, Arrogant, voice had sounded in her ears moments earlier.

"Don't kill that one yet," he had commanded, his tone calm but firm. "Play with her first."

Lira's smirk widened as she darted forward again, deliberately testing the dragon's resolve. "Alright, naked dragon, let's see what you've got!"

"Courting death!" the female dragon roared, her reddish-brown aura surging outward like a living force. The energy split mid-air into eight spheres, each the size of a watermelon. The spheres floated around her, crackling with raw power, before launching coordinated beams toward Lira in a deadly formation.

But Lira wasn't just any opponent.

With the agility of a spring uncoiling in an enclosed space, she twisted, flipped, and darted through the barrage, each movement precise and calculated. Not a single beam touched her.

Then, with a burst of speed, she closed the gap between herself and the dragon.

Slash!

Lira's claws raked across the dragon's back, leaving five deep, parallel wounds. Using the dragon's massive body as a foothold, she launched herself backward just as three of the energy spheres homed in on her position.

Boom!

The spheres collided and exploded, their force sending the dragon spiraling backward. Once again, the dragon's lack of battle experience had betrayed her.

---

A few moments later, the female dragon hovered mid-air, her once-pristine form riddled with injuries. Blood seeped from the claw marks on her back, staining her polished reddish-brown scales. She stared daggers at Lira, her golden eyes burning with hatred and disbelief.

If looks could kill, Lira would have been dead a hundred times over.

"How?" the dragon spat, her voice laced with frustration. She couldn't comprehend how she had ended up beaten so one-sidedly. In her mind, her physical strength matched Lira's, and her mastery of energy attacks should have given her the edge. Yet here she was, battered and barely holding herself aloft, while the werecat opposite her remained unscathed.

"Tch," Lira snickered, her disdain clear. She stood upright in mid-air, her body relaxed, yet her sharp gaze bore into the dragon. "I can't believe I thought you'd be a challenge," she said mockingly.

The dragon's eyes narrowed before widening with sudden realization. "I understand now!" she exclaimed. "You're using your tiny, petite body to attack my big one. That's why you have the advantage!"

Lira blinked, momentarily dumbfounded. "Huh?"

"It's obvious!" the dragon continued, her voice gaining confidence. "All I have to do to beat you is shrink myself down to your size! You won't stand a chance!"

Lira stared, speechless. The dragon wasn't entirely wrong—but she wasn't entirely right, either.

The reason Lira dominated wasn't just her size—it was her agility and superior maneuverability, traits that overwhelmed the dragon's clumsy attacks. In truth, the dragon's large body had been her saving grace; it was the only thing preventing Lira's claws from slicing her to pieces.

"Get ready to die, little cat!" the dragon roared as her body began to shrink.

Dragonic Art: Hybrid, Battlestate Transformation.

The reddish-brown SP aura around the dragon flared before collapsing inward, enveloping her in a cocoon of energy. The air crackled with intensity as her massive form compressed.

When the energy dissipated, the dragon's new form was revealed.

She had taken on a humanoid appearance, a battlestate transformation designed for close combat. Two curved horns adorned her head, and a long, whip-like dragon tail swayed behind her. Her skin was smooth and human-like, entirely free of scales, a strange contrast to her draconic features.

And, to Lira's dismay, and Saquin amusement, she was completely naked.