Even though we were hundreds of feet off the ground, the dragon and I's final clash still tore up the ground around us like it was made of paper.
The art that I was using was technically made for humanoid opponents, but it could be modified just fine. Eight pinpoint, near instant slashes toward eight different vital spots. Even landing one would be an instant kill against a weak, human opponent.
But my current opponent wasn't human, or weak.
Seven of the eight slashes were instantly parried. The dragon managed to catch the eighth slash with its claw. A test of strength.
But I was stronger than the dragon, physically at least. Its claw slowly began inching backward, my blade wandering closer and closer to its soft throat, inch by inch.
…
(Dragon POV)
I… can't… die! I… can't… fail in… my SWORN DUTY! TO PROTECT THIS LAND!
…
(Risa POV)
What the?! Just as my blade began to draw blood from the dragon's neck, the dragon suddenly began simply bursting with raw power. Beyond anything I'd seen before, even from Charybdis.
A Unique Skill!?
I responded by putting even more effort into my blade, pushing against the dragon, but I'd already been at my limit. The dragon's new reservoir of power was simply beyond me. I couldn't do a thing about it.
The dragon's talon slowly sank into my chest.
NOOOO! I CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS! My mind screamed. I couldn't leave Big Bro like this… he'd be sad.
The talon pierced through my back, slowly gouging slime. It hurt soo much… I was going to die… I could feel it. No… I CAN'T!
'Emotion, skill, and energy thresholds all reached.'
Just as the last of my energy began to flicker out, reaching my limits, I felt it. A fire, deep in my soul. It burst out, threatening to swallow me whole. But I didn't care. I wouldn't let it.
"RAAAAHHH!!!" With a scream, I unleashed a Voice Cannon at maximum power, directly into the dragon's face. It didn't even flinch, but I could feel my determination forcing the flames inside me down. Concentrating them, polishing them… into something else.
'Evolution commenced. Individual Risa will evolve from entity: Spirit Slime to entity Chaos Slimelord.
Evolution complete. Demon Lord Seed has been acquired.'
…
"Serve me." Kowtowing before me was a giant wind arch-dragon with a missing right foreleg.
My evolution from Spirit Slime to Chaos Slimelord brought my total 'EP' (The metric Big Bro liked to use to measure total strength) from a total of 300,000 to a total 800,000, taking Big Bro's full strength and blowing right past it. Since Izzy was separated from me, my actual usable power had only jumped from around 150,000 to around 650,000, but that was still enough to take on a Dragon Lord. The moment that the evolution finished up, the wind dragon had lost any chance of winning our little battle.
So I'd sliced its right foreleg off, cementing my victory. After that, it immediately dropped to the ground, sticking its neck out. I could tell that it was trying to say something along the lines of 'kill me,' but that wasn't about to happen. I liked this dragon. So, it was going to serve me.
It didn't hurt that the dragon was easily twice as strong as any arch-demon I'd ever seen, even being notably stronger than Big Bro's strongest subordinate, Benimaru. In terms of sheer power, it was roughly as strong as the previous me had been at my strongest. The only reason I'd been able to fight it in a weakened state was because of my superior skills.
"Graar." At my order, the dragon stubbornly growled, placing its head on the ground once more.
Stubborn bastard.
"I'm not asking. Serve me."
"GRAAH!"
"I beat you, you stubborn idiot! You're going to serve me, even if I have to drag you back home by your tail." I shouted.
"Raawr!" It stamped its remaining foreleg against the ground stubbornly. Seriously, it'd rather die than leave this place and serve me? Damn dragons.
I still wanted it, though.
…
"Graar." "Graar." "Rawr." "Grawr" "Rooar!" "Rawgr!" "Grrrmr!" "Wraar!" "Raahgr!" "Grah!" "Rahhg!" "Grrrr." "Mrrgh." "Grrrm." "Grar?" "Grar."
"So?" I was beginning to get sick and tired of watching the wind dragon I'd defeated argue with the second dragon that'd appeared shortly after I'd beaten it. It'd been nearly an hour, and they were still groaning and roaring at each other.
Finally, the wind dragon bowed to me. Not in a 'please kill me' manner, but an 'I'll serve you' manner.
"Finally!"
'Risa? Risa, can you hear me?'
Big Bro?
'Risa, I'm glad. I haven't heard from you in days. I need your help. I finally found out how to save the kids.'
On my way, Big Bro.