The sound of bones cracking traveled across the consciousness of Rassus. Unsure what hit him, or what had happened. Although encased with bones, Rassus felt something inside him broke. Teeth fell, chunks of bones, poured like rain. His dragon jaw hung leisurely.
Ned thrust his hand to punch the dragon, his head went sideways. His eyes went side-splitting. His neck followed through. He punched, followed by the Butterfly slashing Rassus neck, making an opening enough for the bluish-liquid Mana to flow. Ned swirled after the slash, spin kicked Rassus on its shoulder, bone armor shuttered. Midair Ned invoked Fireballs, which exploded in the latter's body. Pulled by gravity, Ned stood in front of the dazed Rassus. Slightly touched the dragon's foot. And muttered. "Egneus."
After the explosions, Rassus' ego was shattered to pieces. Head hanging, neck sliced, shoulder cracked, foot missing, standing in three. Rassus roared! Regeneration took effect. Every part that was missing, shattered, or badly damaged was healed. Healed. But not his temper.
He roared once more. And breathe an orb. Thrown to Ned, which was his mistake. Ned absorbed the orbs, returning in full. Hitting his wings, his chest - blue energy rippled - the rest was deflected by his tail.
The two continued the process, deciding the winner with the battle of attrition once more. Rassus with unfathomable Mana. Ned with his newly found strength. The two tangled once again.
Waves and waves of energy blasted. Making ripples at the nearby coast. It was almost dusk. But the two lit the coast with their Magic and sparks.
Every time Ned stopped attacking, Rassus was totally humiliated. He lost a foot, he lost a wing, shattered bones, either his head or his chest, Ned made holes into his body. But, Rassus regenerated.
Ned, knew that if he keeps up with Rassus. In the end, Ned will sure to lose. But Ned was waiting for something that would turn the tide of the battle. Something that would totally destroy Rassus' core. And Ned wasn't disappointed.
"Human," said Rassus. "Give up, and I'll make you my subordinate." His eye socket regenerated from the blast.
Ned, bend and sat near a crumbled rock. Their fight was intense, Ned wasn't sure anymore if he was still on the island of O'rriadt. "What's in it on me?" Here it goes. Wait. Ned thought. He planted the tip of the Butterfly on the ground.
"Everything," Rassus growled. "Resources? I have too much in my world, we can make a deal with that. Scrolls? Spells? Engraved stones? I devour too much, a kingdom was left with nothing but their resources. Kingdom? You want a kingdom? I can give it to you. Name it!" You're a human. Rassus thought. You must have something that you wanted. No human can resist temptation.
Ned breathes in and out, calmly. "That sounds, promising," he said. Wiping sweat from this forehead. With the sun setting, the light reflected on Ned's armor, white and grey reflected on the ground. "But it wasn't enough, surely you can do better." Negotiate. Giving him the impression that I would take his offers. Ned said mentally. And if he lowered his guard.
"Huh," Rassus scoffed. Surely his a human. Tell me what you want, human. Something inside you must desire something. "Well, if it wasn't enough. How about a wish. I know Djinns. Tell me. What, is it that you desire. Human." He stood on four, fully regenerated. Aura of black oozed and danced calmly.
And if he lowered his guard. Strike him, not with magic or with a sword. Strike his very pride. "Now that's promising," said Ned. Making a satisfying expression to fool the dragon.
"We could end this, now, join me and conquer this world. Together w—"
Fire blasted on Rassus' bony facade. The weakest attack he felt. But something inside him was struck. Something that hit his very ego. His pride. He's a dragon. The rarest. The strongest. And the prideful. He offered as a king. In return. Attacked with shit. "Human! You dare to mock me!" Rassus roared. Everything around him distorted. Purple electrical discharge traveled his body. Blue, then dark energy oozed. He sucked the space in front of him. Distortion comes next. The sphere was then formed. And expanding as time ticks.
"There it is," Ned said. "The devour, after this, surely, all bets are off. Do or die. I choose to live." Ned pulled and gripped the Butterfly.
[Ned, I am detecting a massive amount of Mana. This is too much for you to handle. Ned, leave this place now.]
"We don't know that," Ned said. Rasing the Butterfly across his shoulder. "You said you decide with logic, well, you need to learn ICE. Sometimes, the only way to win is to do extreme things. Yes, I died once, but that was because I'm stupid. But, this is not stupidity. This is trusts." Ned preached. His last words made him gazed at the Butterfly. "I'm sorry, but this is the only way I could think, now my friend, let's do this."
After the process, Rassus fired the strongest attack he could muster. "Perish! Human! Come! Let me devour you!"
The beam of purple and dark energy traveled at the speed of sound. The air whistle and the ground rumbled.
The beam, massive than that of the dragon, hit Ned. Ned gritted as he gripped the Butterfly. Absorbing the massive attack Rassus aimed at him, Ned fought to not be swayed by the show of strength. The Butterfly kept on absorbing the attack. Ned never wavered to close his eyes despite the blinding light. Ned holds his ground as his feet drilled deeper. Soon after, the Butterfly made a chipping sound. It cracked. Along with his armor. The armor covering his hands crumbled, running across his chest, legs, feet. The Platinum Armor reached its limit against the massive force.
[Warning: Platinum Armor durability rapidly decreasing. 80%]
[[Warning: Platinum Armor durability rapidly decreasing. 40%.]
[[Warning: Platinum Armor durability rapidly decreasing. 20%.]
[Ned, that is enough.]
"I can't!" It's too late!" Shouted Ned. His armor was almost hanging. What remains was a small part covering his chest. The Butterfly cracked once more. Greenlight flaunted inside the cracks. The Butterfly kept on absorbing the beam of energy. Until the attack vanished. Ned cried raising the Butterfly higher. This is it. Do or die. "Meet your demise!"
[Warning: Platinum Armor durability rapidly decreasing. 0%]
[Warning: item 'Platinum Armor' destroyed.]
Ned swung the Butterfly. The attack it absorbed was shut toward the Devourer. The damage it absorbs was returned by a massively double the amount.
Since the attack was absorbed, its strength doubled, along with the speed. Rassus was too late to evade, as it happens too quickly. He got no way out, but to receive the counter.
Rassus shot another beam. But was totally outwitted by Ned's attack. The beam passed into his body. Slowly disintegrating him, along with his bones. Comes first his head, neck, chest, body, and tail. Rassus the Devourer crumbled.
With the last ounce of the Devourer's attack. The Butterfly cracked. And shattered to pieces. What remained was the hilt Ned was still holding on. The pieces poured as it vanished like sand. "Thank you, my friend," Ned whispered.
The remains of his Platinum Armor scattered on the ground. His leather clothes revealed themselves. Along with his shabby boots.
Holding the remains of the Butterfly. Ned walked towards the pile of ash—or what remained of Rassus. Charcoaled ash piled in front of Ned. The dragon he once fought. Was turned cinder. As the fight finished, the breeze of the wind blew the ash. Revealing inside was the core Rassus once had. Dark, purple Core shined under the shaft of the setting sun. "So, you can't recover yourself like this huh."
Ned bent to reach the core. Of course, it was the core of the strongest enemy he fought. If Ned would rate the strength of Rassus. It would take fifty Gazul to match him. Ned grabbed the core resting atop the ashes. "Inspect."
[The Core of the Devourer Rassus.]
Ned wanted to put the core into his inventory. But the result made him wandered if Rassus was really, dead.
[Warning: Living entity are not allowed inside the inventory.]
[Warning: Living entity are not allowed inside the inventory.]
The core on Ned's hand shook. It shook left and right before it cracked and exploded. Exposing an enormous amount of black energy that formed a cloud, totally enveloping Ned.
"Did you really think you defeated me, human!" Rassus roared. It swirled around Ned. "How do you think I survived for hundreds of years!"
The black energy spun around and stopped. Rassus then coiled like a serpent and lunged itself to Ned. Forcing himself to enter the exhausted body of his next vessel.
"Simply because I Devour!"