Memory Reaper's Ascension - Chapter 164: Impossible Odds (IV)

Chapter 164: Impossible Odds (IV)

The frozen hurricane flew toward the dragon. Each shard was sharp and lethal, and there were thousands of them, converging from every angle simultaneously.

The dragon raised one hand.

Golden light erupted from its palm like a wave and expanded outward in a hemisphere, meeting the ice storm head-on. The collision happened fast as the Ice shards struck the barrier and sublimated instantly, transitioning from solid to vapor without passing through liquid.

Steam exploded outward in choking clouds that obscured everything.

“Seven out of ten!” the dragon called through the vapor. “Excellent execution, but you need to commit more essence to the individual projectiles! Quantity over quality only works if your opponent is stupid!”

Through the steam, it moved and closed the distance in three powerful wing beats, emerging from the cloud directly in front of Yuki, taloned hand reaching for her throat just as it had grabbed the demon.

Yuki had already predicted that and she twisted sideways. Then the blade in her arm flashed up in a defensive arc that intercepted the reaching hand.

The curved edge, bit deep into draconic flesh, carving through scales and into muscle beneath.

Golden ichor sprayed across Yuki’s face.

The dragon looked at its wounded hand with something resembling surprise.

“Oh, you’re wonderful. Three thousand years and I finally meet a woman who can draw my blood on the first exchange.” The golden eyes gleamed brighter. “I’m definitely keeping you now. You’re going to bear me such magnificent children.”

“I’d rather die,” Yuki said coldly.

Yuki let her blade became a blur of crimson reflecting mirror as she struck in rapid succession. Each strike carried desperate determination and technique refined through countless hours of practice.

The dragon blocked most attacks with forearms and wings, but several got through.

The dragon countered a blow and hit the frosty sword breaking it in half… at the same time his other hand moved to catch Yuki.

A massive pillar of stone erupted from the ground beneath the dragon’s feet, launching it skyward with bone-crushing force.

The dragon twisted mid-air, wings spreading to stabilize, then looked down. “Well now. I’d forgotten about you.”

From street level, Filch stood there looking up at the dragon with a complicated expression… face twisted with pain and grim determination. His burgundy hair was plastered to his skull with sweat and gore. Every breath came as a wet, labored gasp that suggested punctured lungs.

But his eyes burned with fierce focus.

“Forgotten?” Filch called up, voice rough. “After I dropped a whole building on your head?”

The dragon descended slowly, golden eyes fixed on Filch with renewed interest. “You’re still alive.” It tilted its head. “I thought you died minutes ago.”

“Yeah, well,” Filch coughed violently. “I’ve always been stubborn about dying.”

As soon as the dragon reached the ground… his senses screamed danger and he took a subtle step forward a sharp just then a sharp blade passed behind his back… its edge caught a bundle of his golden hair.

It was the young man with a ghostly sword… his eyes had gone back revealing all white, veins bulged around them as he gritted his teeth and then instantly turned to match the dragon’s position with the attack.

The dragon turned and attacked the boy’s wrist just before the blade could reach his torso… suddenly something hit on his left abdomen and sent him skidding several meters.

He straightened and looked back but there was no one there… even that burgundy hair boy was gone.

At that moment his eyes widened as a ghostly looking blade that looked like it was dripping with some unknown liquid came from below him straight for his chin.

The dragon flapped its wings and flew, barely avoiding the attack… but he was still not safe. The building wall behind him suddenly glowed with a bright blue luster and then suddenly the stone and wood transformed.

At first it was a pillar but then it reformed mid motion into a serpent… almost twenty meter long.

The dragon turned around just in time and caught the stone fangs of the serpent just as it was about to close its jaws on him.

The momentum threw it past the main street and into the next area where he collided into a sound house and stopped on his legs inside a dimply lit room.

The dark room was lit only by a single lamp and there was just a bed. Besides the bed there were three figures hunched in a corner… trying to stay away from the battle.

“That guy is really good…” It mumbled to himself as his eyes surveyed the three figures in front of him who had frozen upon seeing him.

One of the three figures who was a tall and muscular man in his early twenties stood up and pushed the other two out of the hole from where the demon had appeared.

He then stood in the demon’s way… summoning two daggers in both his hands.

The dragon looked at him coldly and suddenly disappeared from the man view appearing behind him out of nowhere. The man’s pupil shrank and then the world rotated.

His head had been separated from his body.

His large body fell to the ground as the naked creature left the dark room and once again stood on the street.

“For everyone you’ve murdered!” A kid of maybe nineteen jumped from shadows, he had short blonde hair and tears were streaming down his face.

The dragon didn’t even turn around.

Its tail lashed backward, caught the guy across the midsection and slowly placed him in front of the dragon.

The boy tried to run… but his body wouldn’t obey. He stood frozen, his spear trembling in nerveless fingers.

The dragon’s golden eyes studied the terrified youth with curiosity. “You’re still here. Why? Didn’t your friend just gave you a chance to run?”

The youth’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly.

“Is it courage?” the dragon mused, taking a step forward. “Duty? Foolishness?”

The youth found his voice, barely above a whisper. “Please…”

“Begging.” The dragon nodded as if this confirmed something. “Yes, that’s the most common response.” It reached out with one taloned hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll make this quick.”

“Wait!”

The shout came from a different direction—a woman’s voice, strong and clear despite the obvious fear beneath it.

The dragon paused, hand mere inches from the youth’s throat, then slowly turned toward the new speaker.

She emerged from the ruins cautiously. She was a graceful woman in her mid-twenties with striking red hair that fell past her shoulders in waves, emerald eyes that blazed, and features that could be described as beautiful.

The dragon’s golden eyes widened fractionally. Then that terrible smile returned, wider than ever.

“My my,” it said, attention shifting entirely from the blonde youth to this new arrival. “What have we here?” The gaze traveled deliberately over her form. “Red hair and green eyes?”

The woman swallowed hard but held her ground. “Let him go.”

“Let him go?” The dragon laughed—genuine delight coloring the sound. “Why would I do that? I was about to kill him. Though…” It took a step toward the woman, leaving the youth behind entirely. “I suppose I could be persuaded to show mercy. If you make it worth my while.”