BAM!..
BAM!..
BAM!....
Kailith and Freya's fists and kicks clashed again and again, the air itself trembling from the force of their strikes. Sparks burst in every direction each time their blows met. Both of them were moving so fast that only flashes of light could be seen — Kailith shone like a streak of silver lightning, while Freya blazed like a violet comet.
Their battle tore through the sky, shaking the trees and splitting the clouds. Shockwaves rolled across the land, bending the grass flat and scattering dust everywhere.
Down in the nearby village, people had come out of their homes and gathered together, looking up at the sky in fear and awe. It was still early morning; the first light of dawn hadn't yet touched the horizon. The world was still half-dark, lit only by the flashes of silver and violet clashing in the sky.
Meanwhile, in the forest near the battlefield, Maruti and the academy teacher, Intis, stood quietly among the trees. They could only watch the two dragons fighting above.
Intis wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face pale. "How am I supposed to interfere in this?" he muttered helplessly.
He had only recently become strong enough to earn the title of a Rank B Awakened and join the academy as a teacher. He didn't even have a single Rank B essence stone with him right now, and Rank C stones would be useless in this kind of battle. He could already tell—one wrong move and he'd die instantly.
Maruti glanced at him and snorted. "Just stay here and don't die. I'll go join the fight!" she said sharply, her tone full of confidence.
She raised her right hand toward the sky, her eyes glowing faintly. Her gaze locked onto the violet ray of light — Freya.
"Divine Judgement," she whispered.
A huge golden magic circle formed high above Freya's head, shining brightly against the dim sky. A second later—
Woooshhh!
A giant pillar of golden light descended from the heavens, roaring as it hit the ground. The blast threw up dust and wind, and Freya's scream echoed through the forest as she was slammed to the earth.
However, when the light faded, Freya was still alive. The attack had injured her, but not enough to stop her. Her scales had absorbed most of the power.
Maruti didn't waste time. She flew forward, joining Kailith near the impact site, leaving Intis far behind.
Now that Kailith was here, Maruti finally felt more confident. Alone, defeating Freya would have been nearly impossible—but together, their chances were much higher. Maybe they could even kill her.
"If I get her heart, I can sell it to Esdeath," Maruti thought, her eyes gleaming with greed as she landed beside Kailith.
Freya stood a few steps away, breathing heavily. Her clothes were torn, her face bruised, yet her expression remained calm and composed. Even though she was losing to Kailith, her wounds were already healing rapidly. The sight was frustrating — she looked as if she could keep fighting for hours.
Freya smirked faintly, her voice carrying a teasing tone. "It seems you've been holding back for too long, Kailith. You've grown so used to it that now you're subconsciously doing it in battle."
Kailith's red eyes narrowed, but she didn't answer.
Freya continued, coughing slightly but keeping her arrogant smile. "A true silver dragon would have already made me eat dirt by now."
Kailith's expression darkened. "Sooner or later, I'll make you," she replied coldly.
Freya chuckled softly and then turned her gaze toward Maruti before looking back at Kailith. "Listen, I'm not your enemy," she said in a low voice. "In fact… we could cooperate. We're both fallen dragons. I can give you a way to control those intense urges of yours."
Kailith froze for a second, her eyes widening in surprise. Her heart skipped a beat — if Freya was telling the truth, this could be something she had been looking for all along. But she quickly pushed the thought aside, trying to keep her composure. It could easily be a trap.
"How so?" she asked coldly, hiding the small spark of hope in her eyes.
Freya's lips curved into a sly smile. That reaction told her everything — Kailith was interested.
"There are countless kinds of essence stones," Freya began, her tone smooth and confident. "Each one has a different purpose, a different power. And of course, there's one that can help control this… problem of yours."
She slowly reached into her back and pulled something out of thin air.
It was a small golden stone shaped like a coin, glowing faintly with power. The number "1" was engraved in the center, and it radiated the rich, stable aura of a Rank B essence stone.
"This," Freya said, raising it between her fingers so the first ray of morning light could touch it, "is the Rank B essence stone — Discipline."
"Look, Only Rank B discipline essence stone won't be enough, You will need a rank A discipline essence stone!", Freya said and took out a information path Essence stone,"This essence stone will give you recipe of Rank A essence stone, So how about this, You'll let me go and in return you'll get this Rank B discipline essence stone and recipe of Rank A version!, Wether you can refine it or not will depend upon you!", Freya proposed a deal.
To be honest this deal looked too far generous to be true, Just handing out a rank B essence stone and Recipe of Rank A version like nothing, It seemed very suspicious.
But right now Freya was also in dire situation, Academy reinforcement might be here by anytime and Kailith might not let her escape by then, And once everyone comes, Her escape would be next to impossible.
"If you won't accept then I'll break every essence stone and make sure you'll never get recipe even after my dead body, So think carefully!", Freya said in intimidating voice.
Kailith stayed silent for a few seconds. Her red eyes turned toward Maruti, searching for a reaction.
Maruti, on the other hand, showed no sign of letting Freya go. She wanted Freya's heart — a fallen dragon's heart was one of the most valuable resources anyone could ever find. But now wasn't the time to be greedy. Freya was strong, and the battle had already dragged on long enough. If Kailith could really control her own desires and lust with that essence stone, it would benefit both of them in the long run.
"As you wish," Maruti said at last, looking away with a small sigh, pretending not to care.
Kailith stepped forward and reached out. She took the Rank B Discipline essence stone and other information path Essence stone. She immediately refined the information path essence stone and contents of the recipe immediately came to her mind, After figuring out that information was genuine—
"Deal," Kailith said with a firm nod.
Freya smiled faintly, as if relieved, and turned away. She began walking slowly in the opposite direction, her footsteps heavy but calm. The wind carried her long violet hair, and it looked like the fight was truly over.
Maruti watched her go with a disappointed sigh. "There goes my free dragon heart," she muttered under her breath.
But then —
Swoosh!
Kailith vanished from sight in an instant. The next thing Maruti saw was Kailith appearing right behind Freya, moving faster than lightning. Freya's eyes widened — she sensed the attack and tried to turn around, but it was already too late.
Kwack!
Kailith's hand pierced straight through Freya's abdomen, blood splattering into the air. She had been aiming for the heart, but Freya had managed to shift slightly, protecting it at the last second.
"You—! Aren't silver dragons known for keeping their word?" Freya gritted her teeth, pain twisting her face as she stumbled backward, clutching her wound.
Kailith's lips curved into a sharp smile. "I'm a fallen dragon, remember?" she said coldly. Then, without hesitation, she charged again.
Maruti's eyes widened, but a second later, she understood what was happening and joined in immediately.
BAM!..
BOOM!..
SMACK!..
The air shook with each blow as Maruti and Kailith attacked together, striking from both sides. Freya was barely managing to block and dodge. She wasn't fighting to win anymore — she was trying to survive.
Every time she found an opening to escape, another kick or punch sent her crashing back down.
"When did you learn treachery?" Maruti asked between punches, half smirking despite the chaos.
"From you, of course!" Kailith shouted back. "I still haven't forgotten about Ravenna and Brenna!"
Maruti's grin twitched. She knew if she said anything more, Kailith would start aiming her punches at her instead. So she stayed quiet and focused on the fight.
"Fire Body Qi!" Maruti whispered.
At once, her entire body burst into golden-orange flames. Fire danced across her arms, her legs, her hair — she looked like a blazing spirit. The heat around her rose sharply, burning the grass and melting the rocks beneath her feet.
Her attacks became even faster and stronger. Every kick, every punch released a wave of flame that lit up the whole surroundings.
Kailith glanced at her with surprise. "A Rank B essence stone?" she muttered. "Did my mother give you that?"
Maruti didn't answer. She had obtained it long ago — from Trynne's treasure.
Freya's face turned grim. She knew she wouldn't survive if this continued.
In a desperate move, Freya transformed back into her dragon form, spreading her large violet-and-black wings. With a powerful flap, she shot into the sky.
"Fireball!" Maruti shouted, thrusting her hand forward.
A massive fireball, as big as a house, formed in her palm and flew toward Freya with a roaring sound. But then something strange happened.
Freya's eyes shimmered with violet light, and suddenly, the fireball stopped mid-air — then turned around, heading straight back at Maruti and Kailith.
"What—?" Maruti gasped, stunned. It reminded her of Elara's power, Reverse, but this was something else entirely. Freya hadn't reversed it — she had charmed the fireball itself, making it obey her command.
The massive sphere of flame rushed toward them — but before it could hit, it stopped again, its color shifting slightly.
Now it was turning back toward Freya.
Because this time, Kailith had charmed it.
Her beauty and aura as a silver fallen dragon far outshone Freya's charm. The fireball obeyed her instantly, twisting in midair and launching back at its original target..
"Tch! I forgot she's a fallen dragon too!" Freya cursed under her breath.
Her body glowed again, and she returned to her human form. Two large black wings remained on her back, keeping her afloat as she looked around frantically for an escape route.
"How do I get out of this?" she thought desperately and barely dodged the fire ball.
But before she could d o anything else, she heard Maruti's cold voice echo through the air.
"Killer Move—Phantom Fire Qi General!"
A bright red light flared behind Maruti, and a giant fiery phantom emerged — a towering figure with Maruti's face and body, burning with golden flames. Inside its chest, the real Maruti floated calmly, her hands glowing.
She raised her fist. The phantom mirrored her movement and swung its massive burning hand down.
BAAAAMMMM!
The ground split apart as Freya was slammed deep into it. The impact created a fiery crater, the shockwave blowing trees apart.
But Maruti didn't stop. The phantom kept punching, again and again, each strike shaking the ground.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
For nearly thirty seconds, she unleashed dozens of fiery blows until Freya's movements completely stopped.
Finally, Maruti lowered her hand, breathing heavily. The phantom vanished, leaving behind a large hole filled with smoke and embers.
Freya's body turned into dragon form on it's own and lay motionless inside the crater. Her chest no longer rose or fell. She was dead.
Maruti landed on the ground and exhaled deeply. She looked at her hands and then at the crater, her expression a mix of exhaustion and pride.
She had learned that killer move a long time ago but never used it before. It always felt too embarrassing to her — hiding inside a phantom and attacking from it didn't feel like her style.
She preferred to fight face-to-face, fists blazing, because that looked far more daring and cool to her.
As for Freya's death, there was one main reason behind it — she was a dragon.
Dragons were proud by nature. They valued their honor more than anything else. Freya had many ways to survive that battle — she could have escaped or used tricks like demons or succubi often did — but she didn't. Deep down, she was still bound by her pride as a dragon.
Even though she had fallen from grace and become a "fallen dragon," her heart had not truly changed. She wasn't as cunning or cruel as a true demon or succubus.
When Intis, the academy teacher, was nearby, Maruti and Kailith actually had a great disadvantage. Intis was weak compared to Freya, and his presence could have been used easily as a weapon. But Freya never once tried to harm him or take him as a hostage. That was her first mistake.
Her pride wouldn't allow her to do something so "cowardly."
The second mistake was her trust. She had believed Kailith's words without a second thought. She had thought that another dragon — even if fallen — would go back on her words. That trust turned into her downfall. Kailith struck her the moment she turned her back.
Even after being betrayed and wounded, Freya didn't go after Intis or the people in the nearby Tyrian Landings village. She continued to fight Kailith and Maruti head-on, like a warrior who refused to surrender.
But with a deep wound in her abdomen and her strength fading, she never stood a chance. Her body couldn't endure any longer, and in the end, she died.
If Freya had been a cunning person like Esdeath, she would have never made those mistakes. She would have immediately captured Intis, used him as a shield, or even taken the entire Tyrian Landings village hostage. That would have forced Maruti and Kailith to retreat.
But Freya made no use of her surroundings — and that was why she lost.
---
Kailith slowly walked toward Freya's lifeless body, lying still on the cracked ground. The air around her was heavy with the smell of smoke and blood.
Kailith knelt beside the body and placed her hand gently on Freya's dragon scale, her red eyes glowing faintly. For a few seconds, she stayed quiet, as if sensing something through her magic. Then she sighed softly and lowered her hand.
"She detonated every essence stone inside her body," she murmured.
Although she got discipline essence stone, She would have gotten charm type essence stones that would've been of great help to her, But unfortunately there's nothing she could do now.
Maruti crossed her arms and walked closer. "Do you know how to extract a dragon's heart?" she asked casually, as if talking about something ordinary.
Kailith gave a small nod. "Yes, I know. But there's no need. The academy's reinforcements might arrive any minute by now. They'll extract the heart, the bones, and the scales themselves. We don't have to do anything."
Maruti frowned and waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, no. I'm not doing charity here. We're the ones who risked our lives to kill her. I'll take the dragon heart as my reward. The rest — bones, scales, whatever — you can have them. You can decide if you want to give them to the academy or keep them for yourself."
She spoke in a calm tone, but there was a sharp edge in her words. To her, the idea of doing all the hard work and then watching someone else take the profit was unacceptable.
Kailith thought for a few seconds. Then she nodded lightly. "Alright," she said. "I'll talk to the academy when they arrive. I'll make sure they give you the dragon heart as your reward."