Leon POV
I pressed harder.
Laevateinn burned in my grip.
The flames weren't just hot anymore. They were conceptual. The blade didn't just cut—it ended things.
That was the true nature of Laevateinn. The sword that destroyed gods in Norse mythology. The weapon that ended Surtr's enemies without exception.
And I was channeling everything it could do.
Ophis blocked my next strike with her bare hand again. The impact sent shockwaves through the void. But this time, her hand didn't just regenerate instantly.
It took a second.
One full second.
Her empty eyes widened slightly.
"You... hurt me."
I didn't let up. I spun, slashing horizontally. Laevateinn's edge caught her across the torso. The conceptual flames ate into her flesh. The wound burned with an intensity that even her regeneration struggled against.
She stumbled back.
Just one step.
But she stumbled.
For someone like Ophis, that meant something.
"Interesting," she said. Her wounds closed, but slower than before. I felt it. The shift in her presence. She was taking this seriously now.
The void around us moved. Like reality itself bent to her will.
She raised both hands. The air pressure tripled. My armor groaned under the force.
Then she attacked.
I barely got Laevateinn up in time. Her fist collided with the blade. The force sent me flying backward. My feet tore through the ground as I slid to a stop.
She was already in front of me.
I twisted, slashing upward. The blade caught her arm. Cut deep. But even then she didn't stop.
Her other hand slammed into my chest.My armor cracked as I felt my ribs break.
The impact sent me crashing through the darkness. I hit something solid—one of the floating platforms—and it shattered beneath me.
Pain exploded through my body.
Damn it.
This was the difference. The gap between us.
I pushed myself up. Blood dripped from my mouth. My armor was damaged. Cracked in multiple places. It wasn't able to nullify most of the damage.
But I wasn't done.
Not even close.
"I will admit," Ophis said, floating toward me. Her wounds had fully healed now. "You are strong. Stronger than I expected."
"Gee, thanks."
"But you still cannot defeat me."
"We'll see about that."
I gripped Laevateinn tighter. The flames surged higher. Hotter.
If raw power wouldn't work, I'd just have to hit harder.
I charged.
Laevateinn's flames turned white. The heat was so intense that the void itself seemed to burn.
I swung with everything I had.
The blade connected with Ophis's raised hand—and this time, it cut clean through.
Her hand hit the ground again.
But I didn't stop.
I followed through, spinning into another strike. The blade carved across her shoulder. Then her side. Then her leg.
Each cut burned with conceptual destruction. Each wound took longer to heal.
She was being pushed back. I am finally pushing her back
"You—"
I didn't let her finish. I slammed Laevateinn down in an overhead strike.
She caught it with her regenerated hand.
The force of the block sent shockwaves through the area. The ground beneath us cracked. =
We stood there. Locked. My sword against her palm.
Her empty eyes stared into mine.
"You are strong," she said quietly. "And worthy."
"I already told you. I'm not—"
"You are lying." Her grip tightened on Laevateinn. "You have this strength. Yet you refuse to help me."
She pushed forward. The force sent me sliding back.
"Why?"
That one word hit different. There was something in her voice. Something that wasn't there before.
Confusion.
Maybe even... hurt?
I blinked.
Was Ophis actually—
"Why will you not help me?" she asked again. Her empty eyes searched mine. "You are strong. You can fight Great Red. Yet you refuse."
For the first time since this fight started, I saw something in her expression.
Frustration.
Her eyebrows drew together slightly. Her mouth curved down just a fraction. It was barely noticeable. Barely there at all.
But it was there. An expression.
Perhaps it was something even Ophis—the Infinite Dragon God, the being of great power and infinite void—didn't realize she was making.
"I..." I started.
But I didn't know what to say.
Because looking at her now, I realized something.
Ophis wasn't just some all-powerful entity demanding my help.
She was... lonely.
Desperate, even.
Great Red had taken her home. Her silence. The one thing she wanted.
And here I was. Someone strong enough to potentially help her.
And I was refusing.
"Why?" she asked again.
Her voice was quieter this time. Almost... small.
I lowered Laevateinn slightly.
Then I sighed.
"Because you're being an idiot."
Ophis froze. Her expression went completely blank.
"What?"
"I didn't say I wouldn't help you." I straightened up despite the pain in my ribs. "I said not yet. I'm not strong enough at this moment. But I didn't say I don't want to help you."
Silence. Complete and total silence.
Ophis just stared at me. Her empty eyes were wide. Her mouth slightly open.
She was... processing.
I could almost see it. Her mind going back through our previous conversations. Replaying them. Analyzing them.
When we first met, I'd said I wasn't strong enough for Great Red.
Not that I wouldn't help her.
Just that I couldn't. Not yet.
Her expression shifted. Just slightly. The frustration faded. Replaced by something else.
Confusion.
Maybe even... realization.
She'd misunderstood.
For the first time since we'd met, the Infinite Dragon God had made a mistake.
And she was realizing it.
I understood her somewhat. Being the Dragon God, the Ouroboros Dragon, one of the two strongest beings in existence—she wasn't used to getting refused. She wasn't used to hearing "no."
So when I'd said I wasn't strong enough, she'd interpreted it as a refusal.
A rejection.
Not a "not yet."
"I..." The words seemed to catch in her throat.
"Then... is what you are saying true?" she asked slowly. "That you will help me take my home back?"
I sighed again.
Well, to be honest, I didn't want to anymore. Especially after what just happened. She'd attacked me. Threatened me. Nearly killed me just to force my hand.
But I kept that to myself.
"Yes," I said.
couldn't defeat her. Not yet. And picking a fight with Ophis—making an enemy of the Infinite Dragon God—was stupid.
Besides.
Based on my knowledge, Ophis was a pure and honest dragon. Just naive. She kept getting used by others. Manipulated by people who wanted her power for their own goals.
The Khaos Brigade. The Old Satan Faction.
They all saw her as a tool. A weapon.
Not as... well, whatever she actually was.
A dragon who just wanted her home back.
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Author's Note:
Sorry for the late update. Things got pretty hectic. Thanks for your patience!
If you'd like to read ahead and support me, feel free to check it out: [email protected]/VashFF