The road west cut through amber plains scorched by old magic, where the wind carried the scent of iron and ash. Yang Xiao Long riding on horseback was at the front, her golden hair catching the sun like a banner of defiance. She looked relaxed, but her eyes were sharp—always counting shadows, always measuring the land as if it might lunge at her.
Behind her, Rimuru Tempest flowed along in a compact humanoid form, cloak fluttering despite the absence of wind. To anyone else, the plains whispered of danger. To Rimuru, they sang—mana currents threading through the soil, traces of a colossal presence passing through not long ago.
"The Dragon has defiantly come this way." Rimuru muttered. "Annoyed as well, but still dangerous."
Yang smirked. "Annoyed dragons make for the best stories to tell."
Scarlet adjusted her jacket as she let out a small annoyed laugh. "Let's just make this quick, the sooner we can slay that dragon. The better we can move onto whatever comes next." Her eyes stayed ahead, where the land rose into jagged red mesas like broken teeth.
As they kept heading west, Yang spoke up. "Still can't believe we're heading this way, can you?"
Scarlet didn't say anything, she crossed her arms as she kept her gaze ahead. The Grimm girl didn't like the idea of having to be stuck babysitting a Demi-Goddess. Then she spoke, with an annoyed tone. "Tch, this is ridiculous. Babysit a grown woman? What are we...her legal guardians?"
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Rimuru spoke with a small amused grin on their face.
As dusk settled, the sky bruised purple and gold. That was when the roar came—low, vast, and heavy enough to rattle bones. The sound rolled across the plains, followed by a distant flare of fire painting the horizon.
Yang grins bringing the horse to a stop. "And that's our cue to charge head on." She got off the horse, so it wouldn't get spooked anymore than it already has.
Scarlet rolled her eyes at Yang's comment. She sniffed the air trying to pick up Rory's scent. Rimuru watched as Scarlet sniffed the air, they put one hand on their hip.
"Anything?" Rimuru asked.
Scarlet didn't answer the question, but shook her head. The air was full of ash and smoke, the distant fire crackling.
"And here I thought your nose was as strong as a bloodhound." Yang spoke with a small snicker.
The dragons fire lit the mesas like a second sunset.
Yang stopped at the ridge first, crouching low, eyes narrowing as she took in the scene below. A massive crimson-scaled dragon circled a shattered canyon, wings beating like thunder. Each breath it exhaled turned stone to molten glass. Soldiers—what remained of them—were scattered like broken toys.
And right in the middle of it all.
"Yup." Yang muttered. "That's her."
Rory Mercury stood atop a pile of corpses, black dress torn at the hem, halberd resting on her shoulder. Her long black jet hair blowing in the wind. A look of pure delight and murderous intent filled her eyes. "Now this, this is a Dragon!"
"Sounds familiar." Yang spoke, glancing towards Scarlet. "I wonder who she reminds me of?"
Scarlet scoffed. "Shut it."
The dragon roars loudly as it takes flight into the air, before diving down toward Rory. Rory only smirked as she licked her lips. Rimuru took one step forward, but Scarlet put her arm out in front of them.
"Wait." Scarlet spoke.
Rory jumped up, and swung her halberd at the dragon, the dragon swiped her with its massive claw. The halberd had made contact with the dragon as one of its massive nails was sliced off. The giant nail fell and made a thud on the ground, shaking the area.
"Talk about taking nail clipping to a whole different level, that's gonna hurt until the morning." Yang spoke as she grin. "Man, I'm getting all fired up now."
The dragon roared in pain but it did manage to hit Rory, the Demi-Goddess taking the hit as she crashed down into the side of the mountain. The dragon was getting ready to fire a breath of fire, its throat lighting up as the fire was building up from within.
The three took notice of this attack, but before Yang or Rimuru could even think or move at the first chance. Scarlet had already been settled in the battlefield.
"What the?" Yang asked. "Did you see her move?"
Rimuru shakes their head. "No, I didn't."
"Hey ugly fucker!" Scarlet hollered.
The dragon stopped, turning its head towards the source of the voice. It bared its fangs and growled.
"Yeah you, I'm talking to you. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to turn your back on the enemy." Scarlet spoke with a smirk on her face. "Especially when they're much higher on the food chain."
The dragon turned around fully, it glared at Scarlet with its giant eyes, then it let out something, not a roar, not a growl. But a laugh, it was laughing. Then it spoke. "You? The top of the food chain? Please, I'm the alpha predator here."
"It can talk? Of course it can talk." Yang muttered as she stood up and jumped off the ledge of the mountain. Landing with an explosive impact that cracked the stone beneath her boots. The dragon barely had time to refocus before Yang was on it—fists blazing, each punch detonating against its scales.
"HEY, SCALE-BRAIN!" Yang yelled. "Pick on someone who hits back!"
The dragon swung its tail. Yang crossed her arms, as she was hit by its powerful tail, skidding backward through rock. Aura flaring violently but she was laughing. "That's the best you got?"
Rimuru moved differently. Where Yang was raw power, Rimuru was control. Their body dissolved into liquid, reforming behind the dragon's neck as tendrils hardened into blades of compressed magic.
"Let's test resistance to anti-dragon formulas." Rimuru said pleasantly.
The strike didn't kill—but it hurt. The dragon howled, thrashing wildly. Scarlet growled as she glared at the two.
"Stay out of this! This one is mine, just check on that damn Demi-Goddess, and make sure she isn't dead." Scarlet barked.
Yang flinched back as if she was slapped in the face. "Sheesh, okay, okay. Don't get your panties twisted." She turned around and climbed up the side of the mountain. "Hey, you good?"
Rory groaned as she sat up. "I'm fine."
Rimuru struggled to keep the hardened tendril blades in the dragon's body. The dragon was overpowering Rimuru. It shook its head and body as it flapped its wings. Rimuru lost balance as they slid down the back of the dragon. "Whoa!"
The dragon broke free from Rimuru's hold, it shook its head violently. "More pests to deal with?"
Scarlet growled, she saw her opportunity to strike, but she didn't. She wasn't hesitating, no...she was calculating its movements. Her crimson red eyes moving with its movements, its attacks. Then she noticed, it hadn't used its fire breath again....a wicked grin played across her lips, she chuckled and started laughing like a mad scientist.
Everyone froze, hell even the dragon froze in its attacks. Yang poked her head out from the cave that was formed from Rory's impact. "Uh....do I....do we even need to ask what that's about?"
"I see now, I see it now." Scarlet spoke with that wicked grin still on her face. "You there dragon, your mana magic...it has a cool down. You haven't used your fire yet.." She cackled and swung Black Rose forward, pointing it at the dragon. "So tell me, how did a Wyvern dragon like yourself demolish an entire base camp? Not with just your claws and tail, no. With your fire, how? I've calculated your movements and attacks..."
Rimuru's eyes widened, how did they not see that? Of course, this was a fantasy world just like his world. Every creature, minus the humans had magic powers and they had cool down time.
Yang smirked as she chuckled. "So, we were worried for nothing?"
"Not quite." Scarlet spoke. "This dragon is still powerful, regardless of its cool down time..." She glanced to where Yang was at, or was poking her head out from. "Look at it this way, In terms you'd understand....you and Ruby are playing one of your favorite video games, your character had just used their ultimate move, but Ruby's character moves out of range. Your character has a cool down time before they can use the ultimate again."
"Oh, I see now." Yang spoke.
The dragon let out another bellowing laugh. "So, you think you've figured me out have you? I give you credit for noticing, however." It snarled as it raised its massive claw. "You're just a bug under my foot."
Scarlet smirked as she watched the massive claw looming over her. Its shadow covering Scarlet, Rory groggily stumbled out from the cave as she glanced over. Sure she may be fine, but she was a tad bit dizzy, then the dragon slammed its paw over Scarlet. It let out a barking laugh. "Is that all? I easily squashed her like the bug she is!"
Rimuru and Yang glanced at each other, both of them snickering silently. The dragons ears twitched at their snickering, something was funny and the dragon was left out of whatever joke may or may not have been said.
It turned its head towards the two. "What's so funny?"
"Ooooh, nothing~" Yang spoke in a small singing tone. "It's just, you didn't actually kill her."
The Dragon raised a brow up, it snarled as it felt something sharp against its paw. It lifted its paw up and sure enough, Scarlet was still there. But she had tore a piece of flesh from the dragon's paw off with her teeth.
Scarlet chewed and chewed the meat in her mouth before swallowing. "Dragon meat....taste like chicken." She smirked and licked her lips. "I want more."
~~~
The Dragon was struggling, it was trying to get away from the Grimm girl, but Scarlet laughed, she swung Black Rose at it, slicing its tail off. The giant tail landed on the ground with a loud thud. Scarlet snickered wickedly.
"What are you?" The dragon asked with a snarl. "I should be the alpha predator....the fearsome beast of this land....not some....some....freak!"
Yang sat on a small boulder, arms crossed over her chest as Rimuru knelt down beside her. "Should we help?"
Yang shook her head. "Nah, let her have her fun."
Rory watched with bulging eyes, the sheer horror that was happening. The fear the dragon was feeling. But watching Scarlet strike fear into a fearsome beast like a dragon, it was hilarious, genius even. Scarlet lunged at the dragon as it snapped its jaws, but missed. Scarlet sliced its wings off with a quick clean cut. Blood sprayed into the air as it rained down, the dragon roared in pain.
"You're not human...what are you?" The dragon asked once more.
Scarlet landed on the dragon's snout. "I'm the real alpha predator...I'm your worst nightmare come to life. Now hold still." She stood up and stabbed the dragon in the eye with the tip of Black Rose, she then yanked hard, pulling the dragons eye out. She looked at her prize before tossing it towards the severed tail. "I think that's about it."
The dragon cried out in pain. Blood gushed from its eye socket, it swiped its paw at Scarlet, knocking her off its snout. But Scarlet held onto its massive nails.
"Damn." Yang muttered. "Glad that isn't me she's killing..."
Rimuru could only nod in agreement to what Yang said.
Rory continues to watch, she was amazed. The strength Scarlet displayed, it wasn't like anything she has seen before. Then everything fell cold, Scarlet not only had just tore the dragons eye out, but she had just sliced through its neck. Blood once more gushing from the dragon, it collapsed with a hard loud thud. Scarlet stood there, covered in the dragons blood, she glared at the dragons one and only eye, watching the light in it fade.
"Don't worry, you're going to be put to good use...for me." Scarlet purred as she jumped off the dragon.
"Welp, our job here is done." Yang spoke. "Too bad there wasn't any bounty on this baby, we could've made loads of gold coins."
"Yeah, but what do we do about the body?" Rory asked putting a hand on her hip.
Rimuru and Yang glanced at the Demi-Goddess before looking at each other and then back to her, both letting out a nervous laugh. Yang uncrossed her arms as she pointed towards Scarlet. "What body?"
Rory glanced over to the area Yang was pointing at, her jaw dropped as she watched Scarlet causally devour the dragon's body like it was a huge roast feast at a castle.
"But that's....that's all..." Rory muttered.
"Raw? Uncooked? Full of bones and scales?" Yang asked. "It doesn't bother her, her stomach works differently from ours....She can swallow a living being whole and alive, and it doesn't faze her one bit."
Rory gulped at the news from Yang. Scarlet was just eating the dragon without any problems. But by the time Scarlet had finished with the dragon, the entire body was gone. The sun had also started to set as well.
"Better now?" Yang asked as she stood up and slid down the cliff side. "What am I saying? You're never satisfied."
Scarlet chuckled as she licked the last remaining traces of blood from her lips. "You're right, I'm never fully satisfied." Her crimson red eyes glanced towards the setting sun. The sky turning red, orange, pink and yellow.
"The sun is setting, we should probably set up camp somewhere huh?" Yang asked.
Rory's face morphed to one of pure shock, but then to uncertainty at Yang's comment. "Setting up camp? Out here? We'd be ambushed during the night. Are you nuts?"
"Sister, nuts is my middle name." Yang spoke. "You haven't seen anything. The things I dealt with back home are far scarier and worse, than being ambushed by a couple of mystical creatures that go bump in the night."
"Since this cave was formed by Rory's impact from when the dragon hit her...I could clear some of the rocky wall out to give us a bigger cave system to call camp." Rimuru spoke.
"Sounds good to me." Yang spoke shooting Rimuru a thumbs up. "I guess I'll go gather firewood....somehow. Same for food, I don't think we would've had much luck with the dragon meat huh? How did it taste...on the terms of being raw?"
"A bit hard to chew, but the meat was worth it. But you're not wrong..." Scarlet muttered. "You and Rory wouldn't have wanted it anyway."
"Thought so." Yang spoke. "So, who wants fish?"
~~~
Once the camp in the cave was set up, and the fire was set and crackling. Yang had caught a good amount of fish. Placing the sticks around the fire as the fish cooked.
"You know who would love this?" Yang asked.
"Camping out? Or the fish?" Rimuru asked.
"Probably both, but Uncle Qrow would probably like this, as long as his semblance didn't bring bad luck to the scene..." Yang spoke. "But then again...Qrow always did say bad luck always followed him no matter where he went." She leaned over and grabbed a fully cooked fish. "Regarding the fish part minus the camp. Blake would've loved this, but I think she would've preferred her fish raw."
Yang was about to take a bite, as Scarlet made a smart remark. "So you do miss your girlfriend after all, even as you two are separated." She smirked as Yang was caught off guard and started coughing.
"W-What, who told you? You weren't..." Yang spoke, feeling flustered and embarrassed.
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "It wasn't hard to tell you had feelings for Blake." She leaned back against the rock wall. "Did you really think I wouldn't have noticed? Plus, I just took a lucky guess." She shot Yang a smug grin.
Yang looked away as she bit the head of the fish off. "Smart-ass."
The fire crackled more, the warmth of the fire kept the four warm. Even though Rimuru didn't need to eat since they were a slime. Rimuru took one of the cooked fish and ate it slowly, Rory hesitated but her stomach growled, showing that even she needed to eat. Yang handed her a cooked fish, Rory looked at it for a moment before taking it from the blonde brawler.
"So, who's going to keep watch?" Rimuru asked between bites.
Yang seemed stumped on that question, but her lilac eyes glanced over to Scarlet. "Why not you?"
Scarlet scoffed. "I suppose I could. Nothing will be able to get past my sense of smell." Crossing her arms, she closed her eyes for a moment. "I expect you all to wake up, when I give a warning that someone or something is coming."