I died on a Tuesday.
One moment, I was crossing the street with my earbuds on. The next an delivery truck was coming in my direction at full speed.
Shrieking tires, headlights, impact. Then nothing. Not even darkness. Just…stillness.
Until now.
I'm falling.
Through bright light. Through clouds. Through air filled with the smell of smoke.
A forest stretches beneath me, burning red and gold. My heart jumped in my chest as the ground gradually became closer and closer.
No wings, no magic, no clue.
Not even a goddamn tutorial!
Rising to meet me midair...a ferocious red dragon.
Its eyes were molten gold with horns that curved from its skull like jagged swords. Its wings beat once, unleashing a shockwave that sent burning leaves spiraling into the sky.
It's coming straight for me!?
"Trial Singularity encountered. Slay the dragon or die again."A calm, unfamiliar voice announced in my head.
Slay?! What the hell did it mean?
As if on queue a glowing red screen flashed before me. Ignoring my complaints.
[Welcome, Mayi Narogi. Class: Unknown.]
[Mission: Defeat the Crimson Dragon.]
"Are you kidding me?!" I couldn't help but to scream in disbelief. Not even an class boost or something and you expect me to kill one of the strongest magical beasts out there.
As I slowly begin to panick again, something caught my attenion. A bright light coming from my right hand originating from silver mark etched into my skin as though fire branded it there.
Pain lances through me. Then heat. Then...power.
Smoke whipped around me as the dragon let out a roar that split the sky above. My heart pounded in my chest from adrenaline as I dove through the smoke, landing on the dragon's back with perfect acrobatics coordination.
My body shouldn't know how keep me standing on the back of an flying dragon but now it does.
Before I can further investigate the sensation, my right hand burned as the markings glowed, climbing upto my forearm.
The glowing red screen flares once more but this time with an proposal for power...
[Memory Detected: Blade Dancer – Kira of the Crimson Step. Plunder Memory?]
Yes.
[Plundering Complete.]
The smoky world around me slows and my vision sharpens. I Instinctively duck just as the dragon whips it's tail above my head.
Using it's rocky scales as stepping stones, I leaped over it's enormous back. Extending my hand as the air cracks before forming a slick steel blade.
The sword was weightless and it's halt familiar in my grip. Like I have used it a thousand times before.
Slash. Roll. Counterstep.
I was calm. Confident. The information flooding into my mind like an river.
Techniques, habits and movements that didn't belong to me where being transferred to my brain.
Landing on the dragon's snout its eyes locked onto mine. In it gaze I could feel intelligence capable of expressing emotions.
"Ancient. Not just a beast." I couldn't help but to think to myself. Something inside it's gaze resonating with me.
Its voice sounded like grinding stone as it opened it's large mouth to speak. "You are not the one foretold, human girl..." His mere breath rising the temperature.
First getting ran over and now not being the famed hero. What type of reincarnation story was I in!
"Guess the prophecy needs an update!" I glared at the dragon. I never liked being looked down on even if it was by the likes of an dragon.
I may not be the destined hero it was waiting for but I knew more then enough ways to kill a dragon without any hero prophecy backing me up.
With power that I never felt before surging around me I held my sword with both hands, thrusting it's blade deep into the dragon's eye with all the force my body could muster.
The dragon roared in pain, thrashing its head around throwing me off it's snout.
Sending me crashing onto the scorched ground below.
Cough...cough.
My lungs begged for air as the pulsing of the of the mark diminished as though resonating with the damage taken in the fall, the faint taste of blood creeping into my mouth.
Lucky the dragon wasn't so high up in the air or I might have actually fallen to my death, right after being reincarnated.
The dragon bleeding from one eye roared again furiously. It was wounded but far from death.
Tough reptile bastards.
It hovered above me, stirring the ash around me with each beat of its gigantic wings as it rose higher into the air.
An aggressive growl escaping it's throat as the scales on it's chest emitted an intense red light.
"Damn...it's not over yet." I fought through the pain trying to get back on my feet. The temperature in the atmosphere raising as the dragon puffed it's chest, slightly inclining it's head backwards.
Preparing to unleash it's ultimate attack feared by those who were up against it and envied by those who heard of of it's destructive power.
Flame breath.
The powerful attack that could wipe out an army and eradicate a whole city, leaving nothing but ash behind.
And now I was about to receive the full heat of that attack!
Suddenly an bolt of light pierced through the smoke crashing into the dragon's side staggering it mid attack.
It snarled, regaining it's balance just as a party of four individuals—adventurers. Sprint onto the battlefield. Each covered in armour in varying degrees
"Hold the flank! That girl's still breathing!" Said a woman with blond hair wielding an white spear. Her presence outlined with an mysterious glow.
An tall woman with short messy blue hair equipped in heavy armour stood in front of me as though to shield me from any stray attacks. "You owe us a story after this but for now focus on staying alive." She shouted over her back.
"No crest, no gear, and yet she's still alive? I like her." A boyish man probably 16, yelled to the rest of the party as he circled the dragon.
Dodging it's tail whip while closing the distance with great speed and piercing damaged scales with his daggers.
"Here chew this. Don't worry, it's an healing drug of sorts." An gloomy looking boy dressed in robes too big for his small frame said handing me an oval pill.
I chewed hesitantly, ready to spit the pill out at the first sign of any negative effect but instead the moment I crushed the pill, a refreshing sensation overcame me erasing my previous pain and fatigue.
"Now then let's see if the might dragon bleeds the same as the rest." Turning his back on me he faced the dragon with an hollow smile, summoning an skeleton serpent to his side the size of a oversized anaconda.
[Spirit Assimilation +0,1%.]
Thanks to the boy's pill my numb body slowly started to listen to my commands again. Allowing me to rejoin the battle.
"I'm not with you, but I'm not your enemy either. Just tell me where to strike!" I exclaimed steadily standing on my feet.
Can't let the knights in shiny armour do all the work, right?
The blondie with the spear nodded with an brief side glance. "Heartplate. Under the third scale, left side. We will help you land get close enough." She instructed pointing her spear at the dragon's chest.
My mark blazed again as another memory triggered.
The tall woman using her gauntlets. Defended against the dragon's claw just as it swept in to deliver fatal strikes. The force behind the flying beast caused cracks to appear on the ground surrounding the woman who held her own against the dragon's physical attacks.
The dragon once more puffed it's chest as it drew air to it's lungs but before it could exhale, the young man with daggers swept in, his body surrounded in an dark aura as he pierced through the dragon's scales disrupting it's attack.
The creepy boy's serpent slidered up the dragon using it's body to bind the it's wings preventing it from rising into the air.
Dashing through the party members as they held the dragon's attention, I leaped off the ground, facing the dragon head on once more.
[Memory Detected: Lance Guard, Tyr of Aerith. Plunder Memory?]
Plunder.
[Plunder Complete. Skill: Heaven–Pierce Thrust – Active]
A blinding light built up in my hand, forming an lance of pure force that radiated power.
With one swift movement I threw the spear at the dragon's chest. Feeling the air bend as the spear of power flew towards it's target's heart.
An lance thrusting technique that concentrated all the executor's power to an single point piercing even the most toughest of armour, Heaven–Pierce Thrust!
It's scales stood no chance as the spear pierced through it's massive body, ignoring rock hard scales plates and crushing it's heart, leaving an wide hole through the dragon's chest.
The dragon's body goes motionless as it slowly starts breaking into golden shards dissipating into the night.
"I just defeated an dragon..." The realization hit me as I gracefully fall back to the ground on my feet.
The world fall silent as we watched the dragon's body dissipating into golden dust carried by the wind that put out the burning trees.
An strangely beautiful sight.
[Trial "The Last Dragon: Crimson Dragon." Completed. Spirit Assimilation 0,2.]
Washed over by an sense of fatigue and my knees felt shaky treating to give in on my own weight.
"That was impressive." She said with an approving smile as she held onto my hand helping me stand straight.
The blondie approached us studing me from head from toe. "You're not registered. You don't seem to have an class either. But you fought like someone who's done this before. Who are you?"
Okay Mayi time for you badass response!
Deep inhale
"I don't know what I am. But I think the world's about to find out."
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