The dragon roared, and the world split with light again.
Its throat swelled with a molten glow, brighter and hotter than before—no longer fire, but a concentrated beam of burning orange that tore from its jaws like a lance meant to carve the earth itself. The sky blazed the same color, drowning the battlefield in a violent sunrise.
Vaspera didn't move.
She planted herself in front of Ren, arms out, body braced, refusing to let even a breath of that destruction reach him. The blast struck her like a tidal wave of flame. Her boots screeched against the stone, grinding backward inch by inch. Heat folded around her. Sparks hissed through her hair.
Her fingers trembled, then curled into a fist.
A raw cry tore out of her throat— "AAAHHH—!"
Pink fire burst from her palms, doubling, then tripling in intensity. The colors collided mid-air orange and pink, two storms fighting for dominance. For a heartbeat, they struggled evenly… then her flame surged, swallowing the dragon's beam whole.
The light changed.
Orange dissolved into pink, consumed.
The beam she stole turned into the beam she launched.
The impact rocked the giant's skull sideways, forcing its massive body to skid several meters backward. Dust exploded from beneath its claws. Trees far behind it shook from the force of its stumble.
Vaspera remained standing, shoulders heaving, hair whipping in the heat-soaked wind.
The dragon recovered, slowly straightening. Its eyes—vast, ancient, and hungry—narrowed to slits. It had seen enough. Whatever it thought she was before… now it recognized something else entirely.
A threat.
A predator.
Pink light flickered along Vaspera's torn clothes, then intensified. Her entire body glowed, a storm locked inside living skin. Even the air seemed to bow under the pressure radiating from her—thick enough to taste, sharp enough to raise goosebumps.
Ren felt it first.
Then the knights behind him.
Then the dragon, which exhaled a low rumbling growl, adjusting its stance.
Vaspera rose.
Not jumping—lifting, as though the air simply chose to carry her. She drifted upward with slow, divine calm, her eyes glowing brighter than the flames around her. She floated clear of Ren and the ruined ground, fixing her gaze on the dragon with a silent invitation.
Ren stared from below, stunned into stillness. So this… this is her real power.
He'd seen her fight. He'd seen her annoyed, focused, even angry. But never like this.
The dragon moved. Each step was a quake, shaking pieces of shattered stone loose from the battlefield floor. Its wings spread halfway, stirring winds strong enough to make nearby trees bow.
Vaspera hovered before it, unflinching.
The dragon inhaled deeply—longer than before, its throat swelling until lines of molten gold pulsed beneath the scales. Then it released another beam, even fiercer, a cutting ray meant to pierce the heavens.
Vaspera vanished—
No, she dodged, slipping sideways through the air with an ease that defied gravity. The beam missed her by a breath, scorching a crater into the forest far behind her.
The instant she moved clear, she lifted one hand.
Just one.
The sky responded.
Heat rippled outward, and above her, small pink sparks began forming—one, two, ten—quickly multiplying into dozens. Each spark swirled and condensed into a ball of fire, then grew larger, swelling into orbs the size of boulders… then carriages… then houses.
They spun above her in a slow, ominous orbit, drawing streaks of crimson heat through the air.
Then She lowered her hand—gracefully, gently—pointing at the dragon.
And the everything fell.
Fireball after fireball plummeted, whistling like meteors as they shrieked down toward the beast. The dragon roared and countered, unleashing fire upward to swallow some of them, detonating others mid-air. But the rain didn't stop.
One hit its side.
Another smashed into its tail.
Three more exploded behind its wings.
Flames flashed across its black scales, scorching patterns into its once-untouchable hide. Cracks formed—tiny at first, then obvious, steaming with heat.
The dragon stumbled, then dropped to knees, bellowing in fury and pain.
Knights watching from the ruined stands clutched the railing in shock.
"S-she… she's insane," one whispered, voice trembling.
Another murmured, "No… not insane. Something else."
The dragon slammed its claws into the ground, forcing itself up. Its wings spread to their full, colossal span. With two thunderous beats, the beast launched itself skyward. The force alone ripped apart the few remaining tree trunks nearby, scattering debris like paper scraps.
Vaspera rose to meet it.
Now both were airborne—one a mountain of scales and wrath, the other a radiant streak of pink light.
Her eyes glowed brighter than ever, but there was no emotion in them. No anger, no fear, no hesitation. They were empty, calm, deadly.
The gaze of someone who had chosen to protect, and would not be stopped.The dragon steadied itself mid-air, fire burning between its fangs and hatred burning in its eyes.
Vaspera did not blink. She simply stared back.
Unmoving.
Unbothered.
And the entire sky seemed to hold its breath as her glowing eyes locked on the beast.
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