Chapter 28: A Life-and-Death Battle?
 

The Oni lurked in the shadows, waiting for a flaw to appear in Aino’s magical shield.

Her reserves of magic and sheer power were terrifying, but just as ants can bring down prey a thousand times their size, the Oni believed they could overcome the gap in strength and defeat this mage.

But suddenly, precise attacks erupted from inside the shield, targeting the hidden Oni with unerring accuracy.

Fortunately for them, their race’s focus on agility allowed them to narrowly dodge the strikes. No one suffered the same fate as the black-horned Oni, who had been swatted down earlier.

However, their assault formation was completely broken, leaving the Oni no choice but to regroup and face Aino head-on.

One of them opened his mouth as if to speak, but with the language barrier, Aino felt an immediate surge of frustration.

The nature of the black dragon she inherited was aggressive and combative, and though her human soul tempered those impulses, the Oni’s repeated provocations had pushed her to the edge.

With a surge of power, Aino unleashed her magic freely, saturating the entire area. The air became thick and viscous, as though gravity had multiplied tenfold. The Oni found it exhausting to move even an inch.

“This is bad!”

The Oni immediately realized the gravity of the situation—literally. A spell like this negated the agility that was their greatest strength, turning their advantage into a liability.

Their only choice was to disrupt her spell before it could fully unleash its devastating potential.

Pushing their abilities to the limit, they moved as quickly as they could, launching attacks from every direction at Aino.

But they were too slow.

“Magic Flame.”

Raging fire infused with volatile magical energy burst forth, colliding with and overwhelming all their attacks.

Using offense as defense required certainty that your attack would overpower your opponent's. In Aino’s case, her magic obliterated everything in its path.

One by one, the Oni were slammed into the ground, their fates uncertain.

Standing amidst the chaos, Aino’s eyes burned with fury, her aura raging. She knew it wasn’t over—something more powerful had arrived.

How had things escalated to this? It felt as though she was on the brink of annihilating the entire Oni clan, and all because they had relentlessly attacked her.

Now, a new Oni appeared.

This one was starkly different from the others. He wasn’t as tall or muscular—in fact, he was about the height of an average human male, with a leaner frame. But the twin horns on his head were massive and awe-inspiring, a clear testament to his strength.

Unlike the others, he didn’t attempt to conceal himself. He stood openly before Aino, yet her magical senses detected… nothing.

This is bad. Really bad.

“Zola, tell—”

“No need for that, dragon. At this point, do we really need words?”

The Oni spoke in perfect human language, slowly stepping closer as he spoke.

“If you can communicate, why attack?” Aino asked, her tone exasperated.

To her, fighting this Oni was a path to mutual destruction. Both would be risking their lives for no good reason. With their respective strengths, they could easily go their separate ways and continue living without unnecessary bloodshed.

The earlier attacks from his kin could be brushed aside—they had brought their fate upon themselves. With someone as powerful as this Oni in their ranks, the clan wouldn’t be shaken by their loss.

“Hahahahaha!”

The Oni burst into laughter, as if he’d just heard the world’s funniest joke.

“Dragon, how have you survived this long? Without battle, how can you grow stronger? Without strength, how can you survive?”

“Both of us have reached this realm of power. How can you not understand this simple truth? Or have you grown soft, living a comfortable life? Are you afraid?”

Stopping just a few steps from Aino, the Oni’s aura exploded outward. To Aino’s magical senses, it felt as though a towering mountain had risen before her, exuding a suffocating pressure.

“If you fear battle, then perhaps your time is up…”

What kind of twisted logic is this?! Why is he insisting on a life-or-death duel?!

Aino’s tension mounted. Her body trembled slightly—not from fear of fighting, but from the realization that this Oni had the power to kill her.

Today might very well be the day she dies.

But there was no way out now. No matter how irrational she found his beliefs, the Oni had made his intentions clear.

This was a battle to the death.

He didn’t want to make her suffer or seek vengeance for his kin. In his mind, life was battle, and battle was the only way to grow stronger.

Even as Aino’s companions withdrew to a safe distance as agreed, Aino felt the weight of what lay ahead. If she didn’t return, they would leave the forest on their own.

The duel began with the roar of clashing magic. Winds howled, and the ground shook as magic tore through the air, the sheer intensity of their clash spreading throughout the forest.

Every creature in the vicinity fled. The animals, the insects—everything that could sense the monstrous battle steered clear, leaving only the sounds of combat to echo through the woods.

As the fight dragged on, the clash of magic escalated. At times, the roaring of a dragon could be heard, followed by the sound of a colossal beast trampling through the forest, crushing everything in its path.

The battle was relentless, its intensity unyielding. Then, abruptly, it stopped.

The forest fell silent.

The fight was over.

The victor had been decided.