The first move did not come from me.
The Dragon King spread his wings slightly, and the air around him changed. It wasn't a direct attack, but the pressure that formed was already enough to alter the space. The arena floor responded with small vibrations, and for a moment the environment itself seemed heavier.
I advanced.
Without hesitation.
The distance between us disappeared in a single burst. My blade was already aligned, the strike prepared, direct.
The impact came instantly.
The sword struck his scales, and the sound that echoed was not one of cutting, but of collision. The resistance was unlike anything else. It wasn't just physical toughness. It was density, concentration of energy.
His body didn't move.
Not even a centimeter.
"I understand," I thought.
Immediate retreat.
At the same moment, he reacted.
His jaws opened, and the attack came without warning.
An explosion of fire surged forward in a straight line.
It wasn't just heat. It was concentrated pressure, carrying enough force to distort the air.
I dodged to the side.
The ground behind me was struck, leaving a deep scar. The stone darkened, part of it simply disappearing under the impact.
I kept moving.
There was no room to stop.
Another advance.
This time, I increased the concentration of mana within the blade.
The strike came faster, heavier.
The impact was different.
The scales resisted again, but this time there was a response. A slight mark, almost imperceptible, but enough.
He noticed.
His eyes adjusted.
"So you can do it."
I didn't answer.
His movement changed.
One of his claws lunged forward, fast for something of that size.
I blocked.
The impact was direct.
The force traveled through my arm, and my body was pushed backward, sliding several meters before stabilizing.
No significant damage.
But the difference in strength was clear.
"Here it is," I thought.
Controlled breathing.
Adjusted stance.
He advanced again.
This time with greater speed.
His right wing sliced through the air, creating lateral pressure.
I jumped.
The attack passed beneath me, but the impact in the air was enough to destabilize me for a moment.
I corrected myself midair.
I landed already moving.
Without pause.
I attacked again.
A sequence of strikes.
One, two, three.
All at the same point.
The resistance began to give way.
The scales still weren't breaking, but their structure was no longer perfect.
This time, he stepped back slightly.
A small movement.
But real.
The audience reacted.
The sound rose slightly, acknowledging the exchange.
"Good," he said.
His tail came next.
Fast.
I blocked again.
This time the impact was greater.
My body was launched backward.
I spun in the air, absorbing part of the force before touching the ground.
I slid several meters.
But I stopped.
Without falling.
Without losing control.
I raised my gaze.
He was watching me.
Without haste.
Without irritation.
Simply analyzing.
"You can endure."
"Yes."
"But that's not everything."
"I know."
The air around him began to change again.
This time more intensely.
Mana concentrated visibly.
His scales reflected the energy, creating a stronger glow.
"Now it begins."
I didn't wait.
I advanced before he finished.
My speed increased.
My body responded better.
My control became more precise.
The blade carried more mana.
The strike came directly.
The impact finally surpassed the surface resistance.
One of the scales gave way.
A small fracture.
But enough.
He reacted.
His head lunged forward.
I barely dodged.
The heat passed beside me, burning through the air.
I continued the motion.
Another strike.
More pressure.
The damaged area expanded.
But it wasn't enough.
Not yet.
He retreated again.
This time more clearly.
His wings spread completely.
His size occupied even more space.
His presence intensified.
The audience fell silent.
Not completely.
But close to it.
The atmosphere changed.
"Now it's serious," Liriel said from somewhere in the stands.
"He still hasn't used everything," Scarlett replied.
"Neither has he," Lyannis added.
"But he's getting there," Vespera said.
Elara kept her gaze fixed.
"He's adjusting."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"He still hasn't shown his limit."
In the center of the arena, the exchange continued.
He advanced again.
This time faster than before.
His size no longer limited his speed.
The impact came directly.
I blocked.
But this time it wasn't enough.
My body was thrown back with greater force.
The ground gave way slightly at the point of impact.
I stood up quickly.
No time.
Another attack.
Dodge.
Counterattack.
The blade found the same point.
The fracture widened.
But it was still small.
"Absurd resistance," I thought.
Controlled breathing.
My body was beginning to heat up.
Not from exhaustion.
But from activation.
He stopped for a moment.
Watching.
"You're increasing."
"Yes."
"Good."
His jaws opened again.
But this time the attack didn't come immediately.
The fire accumulated.
Concentrated.
Denser.
"This changes things," I thought.
I didn't wait.
I advanced before the release.
My speed increased once more.
The distance vanished.
The blade came down.
With everything.
The impact was greater.
The scale finally gave way.
A clear crack opened.
He reacted immediately.
The attack was released.
Not in a straight line.
But across an area.
An explosion.
I jumped backward.
But the shockwave hit me partially.
My body was thrown.
The air left my lungs for a moment.
But I didn't fall.
I landed.
Slid.
Stopped.
My breathing returned.
I raised my gaze.
He was still standing.
Without significant damage.
But now...
There was a mark.
Small.
But visible.
He looked at his own body.
Then at me.
And smiled.
"So you really can."
Silence filled the arena.
The audience felt it.
The change.
The battle had left the opening stage.
And now...
It was entering the real one.
I adjusted my stance once more.
Mana began to flow with greater intensity.
Without waste.
Without excess.
Only what was necessary.
But on another level.
"Now," I thought.
"This is where it truly begins."
And without saying another word...
I advanced once more.