Chapter 63: Survival (3/3)

{Present, Estate of the Carmilla Royal Faction's Eastern Gate}

—Vali Lucifer—

Vali had come here to fight Crom. Even knowing the Evil Dragon was stronger, he wanted to see how much stronger — to measure himself against a true monster.

He never expected to win. At best, he'd hoped for a draw — which, in hindsight, was laughable — or that he'd be forced to use the Juggernaut Drive just to escape with his life.

He wanted to know exactly where he stood in the realm of dragons.

That reality check hit him hard when his trump card, Divide, barely managed to weaken Crom's attacks for a few seconds. The dragon would instantly recover the lost power through some ability, undoing all of Vali's effort like it was nothing.

Even with Tannin there, Vali thought they might have a chance — but that was a fucking stupid assumption. Tannin couldn't even scratch him.

The only one who actually managed to do something was that devil.

Vali had never seen him before, never even heard of him. Up until recently, he didn't even know those pillar families still existed.

'If not for that boy's ability, we would have perished,' Albion spoke inside his mind. 'But what he used was the power of a Longinus — one he shouldn't have.'

'Which Longinus?' Vali asked, floating midair, trying to steady his breathing.

'Nereid Kyrie,' Albion answered, still sounding conflicted. 'And he shouldn't have that as a devil. But that was definitely its ability.'

Vali didn't respond. He didn't know much about that particular Longinus anyway. But he couldn't help being impressed — a devil his age, standing at his level… and maybe even capable of surpassing him with the right trick.

"Is it over?" Vali muttered, realizing just how far he still had to go before he could stand against the Evil Dragons.

The entire area was covered in a massive dust cloud, thick with the stench of burnt flesh. Visibility was garbage — he could barely make out Tannin and the devil standing at opposite ends.

'Something…' Albion's tone grew uneasy. 'Something is wrong.'

'What?' Vali asked, frowning. He followed Albion's instinct and glanced toward the devil — who was staring into the dust cloud, his eyes wide and trembling. Even Tannin looked pale and tense.

'Look out!'

"Dodge!"

Vali barely processed the warnings before a shadow burst from the smoke, moving faster than he could react.

The impact hit like a freight train. His chest plate shattered — exposing his bare chest — and the force cracked five of his ribs instantly.

The pain was indescribable. His vision blurred, his head spun, and his body was thrown through the air like a ragdoll.

And through the haze of pain, he heard one terrifying phrase—

"Playtime's over."

* * *

—Crom Cruach—

This wasn't what he expected.

His right arm was gone — nothing left but a few inches past the shoulder, hanging by scraps of flesh and scales.

The White Dragon Emperor's sudden appearance was one thing, but what really caught Crom off guard was the other boy — Faiser — wielding the same cursed ability as that damned human from two hundred years ago.

"Crom!" Tannin roared, his voice echoing through the cracked battlefield. "That's enough! You've lost an arm, and everyone here is half-dead! Any more, and we'll all go down together! You won't even be able to face anyone else after this!"

Crom scoffed at that. Typical Tannin — a dragon who had long abandoned what it meant to be one.

He didn't care if he died here. He didn't care if he never got the chance to face Rizevim again.

All that mattered was the fight — the challenge — the thrill of clashing against powerful foes. And these three, despite their tricks and teamwork, had given him that thrill.

If he had to die here, then so be it. At least he'd die as a dragon.

"Gah!"

A fresh line of pain cut across his leg. Looking down, he saw the devil — Faiser — using that same damn skill again.

To him, it was amusing. So damn amusing.

This kid — a devil, barely old enough to be taken seriously — had managed to tear off his arm, drain his power to less than half, and still kept fighting like a madman.

In a twisted, almost masochistic way, Crom loved it.

The pain. The danger. The fire in his veins that told him he might actually die here.

"Stop here, Crom," Tannin tried again, his tone almost pleading. "We dragons live to fight the strong, to challenge them and grow stronger — not to throw our lives away for it."

Crom respected Tannin — more than he respected most dragons. And it wasn't about strength. Tannin was far weaker than him. But Crom hadn't forgotten the help Tannin had given him long ago.

Even so—

"You threw away your pride as a dragon, Tannin." Crom's tone darkened, his aura flaring. "You don't get to lecture me."

His anger burned hotter than his flames. The Dragon Kings had become weak, soft — shadows of what dragons once were. They had turned their backs on their nature.

"If death is what I earn for keeping our traditions alive, for living with the purpose of a dragon, then I'll gladly take it."

The devil was preparing another attack. He was clearly exhausted, barely holding himself together. Albion's host was severely injured, and even Tannin was bleeding heavily.

"We have to end this now!" Faiser shouted. "We don't have much time!"

Crom didn't understand what he meant by time, but it didn't matter. He didn't have much of it either.

His body was failing — too much blood lost, too many wounds, his power bleeding out of him along with it. Samael's Curse gnawed at his life force, Albion's Divide had shredded his aura, and that cursed Nereid Kyrie ability — the same one he'd faced two centuries ago — had crippled him even further.

He wasn't going to last long. But he would endure.

There was still one way — one that was reckless, suicidal even — but it was the only chance left.

The devil's blade of energy carved into him again, cutting deeper than before.

Maybe his strength really had dropped that low. Maybe his body couldn't handle any more.

But Crom Cruach refused to accept it.

He was the Crescent Circle Dragon — the one once compared to the Heavenly Dragons themselves.

And he wasn't going to fall without showing them why.

He couldn't allow this. He couldn't allow the humiliation.

They were Ultimate Class beings, but he was comparable to the Heavenly Dragons. This was ridiculous. This was unacceptable.

"No," Crom growled, the decision already made. "Even if it kills me, I'm not losing here."

He extended a single finger forward, confusing everyone watching. Then, an ominous crimson glow began gathering at his fingertip.

Faiser thought he was preparing another attack — but that wasn't it.

Tannin, however, realized what Crom was doing a moment too late. Even for a dragon, it was madness. That ability wasn't something one could activate so recklessly.

"No, you idiot!" Tannin roared, launching a desperate attack to stop him. "You'll kill yourself!"

But it was too late, far too late.

Crom had already driven his glowing finger straight into his chest. Blood poured out, the crimson light sinking deep into his heart.

For a few seconds, his heart stopped. His body trembled, power fading. Death loomed over him — but the stubborn dragon refused to fall.

Then, with a sickening thud, his heart began beating again. Once. Twice. A dozen times. A hundred. A thousand beats per second.

His energy exploded outward in a violent shockwave, forcing everyone back. His flesh cracked and tore as his body forcefully transformed into his full dragon form.

Jet-black scales shimmered under the distorted air, veins of golden, silver, and crimson aura swirling violently around him. His right arm was still missing, only adding to his feral, nightmarish appearance.

His eyes, once heterochromatic, were now pure blood-red — burning with rage and madness.

The air around him warped, the space itself contracting and expanding as if reality couldn't handle his presence.

This wasn't the power of an Ultimate Class being.

It wasn't even Satan Class anymore.

He had gone beyond that.

The sheer weight of his power made it hard for the others to breathe. The pressure alone felt like it could crush their bones.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was deeper, rougher, almost demonic. His skin split further with every word, but the overwhelming aura didn't fade.

They all knew the truth. Even like this — even breaking apart — Crom Cruach was a monster beyond anything they could defeat.

"Outrage."

The single word echoed like a death sentence.

A dragon using Outrage wasn't a foe they could handle.

* * *

[Warning! Outrage is a dragon-exclusive ability that allows a dragon to surpass its limits and break through the restrictions of nature!]

[An Ultimate Class Dragon can easily break into the Satan Class during the duration of Outrage! And Crom Cruach's strength already far exceeds that of a Satan Class being in his current state.]

I had never broken into a cold sweat before, not like this.

My body refused to move, even though every single instinct screamed at me to run.

[Crom Cruach is currently affected by Samael's Curse, Divide, and Song of the Downer, keeping his power level just under that of a Super-Class being. The moment these effects wear off, his strength will surpass that level entirely.]

Goosebumps covered every inch of my skin as the dragon's aura swallowed the battlefield.

"You fool!" Tannin roared. "Outrage damages your body even when awakened through rage! This will kill you!"

[Outrage activates when a dragon's rage surpasses its sanity, removing all natural limits on their body. Crom Cruach, however, has triggered it artificially — causing his body and life force to rapidly break down.]

[Current estimated time before body collapse: 7 minutes, 59 seconds.]

[Remaining duration of Song of the Downer: 4 minutes, 35 seconds.]

Yeah. We were so fucked.

Even if I tried to Traverse out of here, there was no way I could take everyone with me. My stamina wouldn't last through that many consecutive jumps.

I had to do something — and fast.

Absorb was out of the question. Using it on Crom would cause such a violent backlash that I'd probably die before he even touched me.

No energy. No firepower. No strategy.

Am I fucked?

"Dodge!" Tannin shouted, as Crom released a wave of fire so hot it melted the goddamn ground.

<Blink>

I teleported out of range just in time. Blink still worked — for now. But I couldn't keep dodging forever.

<Bind>

<Sever>

The combination barely scratched him. His own rate of self-destruction was doing more damage than anything I could pull off.

"T-This is tough," Vali muttered, stumbling toward me, his armor cracked and smoking. "We have to do something — or he'll take us all down with him."

What happens when he dies?

[When his body collapses, all of his concentrated energy will be released at once — resulting in an explosion.]

My blood ran cold. If that amount of power went off… millions would die.

Crom's roar ripped through the air. He wasn't even capable of speech anymore — just pure, animalistic rage and destruction.

"There's barely three minutes left," I said, as Tannin moved closer, his expression grim. "The ability I used to weaken him will vanish when that time's up."

I saw the fear hit both of them like a punch.

"What… level are we talking about if that effect wears off?" Tannin asked, his voice tight.

"Enough to erase a large fraction of the Underworld," I said, blinking away from another searing blast.

The flames didn't touch me — but the heat alone melted parts of my clothes and scorched my skin.

"At the rate his body's collapsing," I said through clenched teeth, "even after my effect wears off, he'll have about three minutes at that level… before he completely burns himself out."

Three minutes. That was all it would take to erase everything — and Crom was moving beyond the speed of sound, faster than the speed of light.

<Sever>

I needed to refill my demonic power, somehow.

Was there any way to win against this monster? Or even hurt it enough to matter?

[Bursting his heart would be enough to kill him.]

The system's answer came cold and simple — yet practically impossible.

And there was that explosion to worry about.

[Killing him would still result in the explosion.]

Yeah… fuck that.

We had to find a way to incapacitate Crom.

There was a way. But it wasn't perfect.

"We have to remove his limbs," I finally said, looking down at the molten wasteland below. There was no ground left — everything had turned to lava from his relentless fire breaths.

The only advantage in this madness? He wasn't thinking strategically. Crom was attacking like a blind, rampaging bull.

"None of my attacks are strong enough for that," Tannin said. And then I heard Vali's shout.

"Look out!"

Crom had formed a sphere of concentrated energy before his jaw.

<Blink>

<Transit>

I grabbed Vali and slammed my hand against Tannin's massive frame — teleporting them away.

<Blink>

The attack hit moments later, creating a crater hundreds of meters deep. If any of us had been an inch closer… we would have been vaporized.

[Remaining Duration of Song of the Downer: 1 minute, 45 seconds]

No time.

"I'm sorry," I said. "But I'll have to drain your powers a bit. It might be uncomfortable."

Before they could protest, I acted.

<Bind>

I didn't stop them from moving — but they immediately felt something off with their bodies.

<Absorb>

"I need your demonic power to land at least some damage on him."

Tannin's eyes widened, but he didn't argue.

"Are you sure this will work?" Vali asked, lifting his helmet to reveal his face.

"No," I said honestly. "But it's the best bet we've got."

I could feel my energy refilling, but it was nowhere near enough.

"Why not steal power from Crom directly?" Albion finally spoke.

"He's way too strong," I admitted. "If I try to steal from someone far above me, it'll destroy me instead."

Most likely, my body would collapse.

"Are our powers enough?" Tannin asked. Truthfully… no, they weren't.

"Then…" Vali scowled, and Albion seemed to read his mind.

"That is a dangerous thought, Vali." Albion warned. I didn't know what they were talking about — I was too busy absorbing everything I could while dodging random attacks.

<Blink>

"We have no other choice," Vali said sharply. "I have to take the risk. My body won't collapse like his."

"You won't die from the absorption," Albion said, "but you cannot stay close to him while he's releasing an aura capable of destroying armor."

Vali bit his lip, hesitation flashing across his face.

"Hurry, guys," I warned. "Barely a few seconds left!"

"Use that mode if you have to, but we need to go," Vali finally said, spreading his wings with determination.

"You know the price," Albion said. "You don't have enough Demonic Power to use as a substitute. Your life will burn."

Vali scoffed, unshaken.

"When have I ever been afraid of that?" Vali shouted, charging toward the dragon.

He glanced at me mid-stride. "Don't try to absorb from Crom! Keep taking my power!" He bellowed, "But if this plan of yours fails, I will hunt you down!"

Motherfucker! I never promised this would work!

Whatever. I needed energy anyway.

"Albion!" Vali yelled. "Juggernaut Drive!"

That froze Tannin—and me.

I had an idea what he meant, but nothing could have prepared me for that.

And seeing his armour growing bigger, I knew that it definitely was the Juggernaut Drive.

[Absorption rate doubled as the target's energy has increased.]

[Backlash negated currently as the target is not truly at a higher stage but is temporarily using it.]

I felt my energy surge. Wounds began closing rapidly. Strength returned, even increased.

[Absorbing energy higher than current limits.]

Vali slammed into Crom, ramming his body against the colossal dragon.

"Divide!"

The yell resonated through the battlefield, the effect instantaneous and overwhelming.

[Divide allows the user to divide a target's power and temporarily absorb the halved amount.]

<Absorb>

"Gah!"

"Kid!" Tannin yelled, worry lacing his voice as I coughed up blood.

[Warning! Absorption from one of the targets is too strong and fast! Damage negation is slower than rate of absorption!]

Fuck it!

<Bind>

<Sever>

Crom took damage—but not enough. Most of the impact was coming from Vali punching him instead.

And then it happened. Something terrifying.

[Duration of Song of the Downer has ended. Target's power increases significantly.]

I am not giving up. And neither was Vali.

"Divide!"

<Absorb>

[Warning! The absorption rate is too high! Forcefully expanding demonic power reserves!]

Crom roared in pain and fury, releasing another blast.

"Focus!" Tannin shouted, leaping forward. "I'll cover you!"

He didn't waste a second. Burning whatever strength remained, he unleashed his draconic breath.

"Divide!"

<Absorb>

I could see Vali's armor cracking under the strain of Juggernaut Drive and Crom's attacks. Tannin's fire-resistant scales were starting to melt.

As for me? Blood poured from every pore. My skin flushed red. My body was leaking blood everywhere.

[Demonic Power is rising significantly]

No stopping now!

[Asura Body is raging violently, healing speed increased!]

Fuck this!!!!!!!

[Veins and arteries are being damaged and restored at a rapid speed!]

[Muscles and organs are being damaged and restored at a rapid pace!]

My vision blurred red.

"Divide!"

<Absorb>

[Your threshold is being increased rapidly!]

It hurts. It fucking hurts!

"Breath of the Meteor!"

But I could feel it—the strength, the speed, coursing through me.

And then it happened.

[Your threshold has broken beyond the level of an Ultimate Class]

My body was breaking and strengthening at the same time.

[Threshold increased to reach stage six of Valefar: Wield (Time)]

[Threshold increased to reach stage six of Barbatos: Wield (Space)]

My whole body trembled.

[Wield (Time): Allows you to temporarily control and manipulate the time of a target and/or an area at will. The limit, level of control, and duration depend fully on the amount of demonic power you possess.]

[Wield (Space): Allows you to temporarily control and manipulate the space of a target and/or an area at will. The limit, level of control, and duration depend fully on the amount of demonic power you possess.]

[Congratulations! You have broken into the realm of a Satan Class Devil!]

[New Asura Heart features will be unlocked within 24 hours.]

I yelled at the top of my lungs, even though none of my skills needed me to shout.

<Wield (Space)>

I created an enclosure around Crom and Vali, trapping both inside it—Crom couldn't escape while Vali kept dividing.

"Divide!"

I absorbed the energy, and using space, I constricted Crom exactly where he stood. It wasn't a bind, and yet space itself froze him in place.

[Space allows you to manipulate even the atoms of a being as long as you have enough Demonic Power.]

"Divide!"

Demonic Power wasn't the issue… not for now.

[Current estimated time before his body breaks down entirely: 0 minutes 3 seconds]

"Vali!" I yelled. "Get the fuck out!"

The White Dragon heard me. He kicked off Crom's back, giving himself just enough push to escape.

Fuck. There wasn't enough time to tear him apart.

I released the space trap holding Vali, and he managed to create distance.

This had to work.

[Crom Cruach's body has crumbled. All the energy inside his body is released!]

The moment his body collapsed, a blinding light erupted in an explosion.

But—

<Wield (Time)>

I froze the explosion in place, halting its flow of time.

"Boy!" Tannin gasped. "How did you—"

"Gah!" I coughed up blood.

[Your Demonic Power is being rapidly consumed!]

Fuck!

Can I absorb the energy from this explosion?

[The explosion is not a being; energy cannot be absorbed!]

I tried to keep the explosion frozen, Tannin watching in worry. Vali was barely conscious, his armor shattered.

Using space, I attempted to erase the molecules to control the damage. I didn't have nearly enough Demonic Power for that. Without siphoning from Vali, it was impossible.

Are we… fucked?!

I poured every bit of energy I had into erasing the explosion, even if it meant destroying myself.

And then, by the grace of whoever it was…

"Power of Destruction," I heard a familiar voice. "Absolute Erasure!"

A red orb shot toward the sky—a power so potent it defied logic, beyond reasoning. The moment it touched the explosion, it began to devour it. The blast started vanishing as if being erased from existence.

In seconds—no, in a second—the explosion was gone. My body collapsed to the ground, completely drained, unable to stand.

"Lucifer!" Tannin shouted at the new presence, and I turned to see the figure.

"You did good, Faiser," Sirzechs Lucifer, the Satan of Destruction, smiled. "And congratulations on reaching the level of a Satan."

At that moment, the system chimed.

[Congratulations!]

[Quest (Completed): Cockroach to a Dragon!]

[Objective (Cleared): Survive against the Crescent Circle Dragon, Crom Cruach!]

[Rewards: Magic of Engineering]

[Magic of Engineering: Allows you to create and craft magical and fantasy items, weapons, and armor with a 100% success rate, imbuing the properties of the materials used. Consumes constant Demonic Power during the process.]

It was… worth it, wasn't it?

************************************************************************************************************

{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters + Other Stories. }