It has been seven-hundred-eighty-three-thousand-four-hundred-fifty-six days since she was summoned to another dimension.
Seven-hundred-eighty-three-thousand-four-hundred-fifty-six days since Ryuha saw another terrestrial.
Seven-hundred-eighty-three-thousand-four-hundred-fifty-six days since she was cursed and abandoned.
"Why," the voice rumbled. "Why must you be the one to suffer?"
Ryuha choked, spitting a handful of blood. Darkness clouded her vision and she no longer felt her legs. Her breath was frantic and it doesn't seem to calm down any second. Her heart thumped vigourously in her chest while she tightly clutched onto her sword.
"Ahh, right," the voice seemed to pity her. "As a human, I guess survival is the most important. I don't blame you, chosen one. I blame your breed. They had inflicted this upon you. But do not worry, I will make sure to change you."
"S-shut…up…ugh!" Ryuha flinched under the pain. How long has it been? A year? Or two? She had been constantly fighting to a point where she stopped counting the days. This was a nightmare. This was a never ending cycle. Ryuha was sure she had killed the Abyssmal Dragon Venthora, but then, why is it in front of her now? Was it a fake earlier? But there was no way she was battling a fake. The amount of power Venthora held surpassed every monster and demon on Mfyulier Parthesona Thelma. But she had killed it. Destroyed it to it's core.
Then, why? Why is it still alive?
"Child," Venthora spoke, her voice hard as stone and as sharp as a knife. "You seem confused."
"I…destroyed…y-you…" Ryuha stood up, forcing down nausea. She didn't have any energy to fight anymore. Her legs were wobbly and she was hardly standing. If Venthora was to attack her now, she would go down in a crisp.
"You are not wrong," Venthora said, half-smiling. "You did manage to kill me. Well, more like a fragment of mine. Child, did you forget that an Abysmmal dragon like me could split my powers into a fragment? It's quite unfortunate but I applaud your aimless victory."
Frag…ment? Shit. Shit. Shit. How could she forget? It was obvious that Absymmal dragons had fragments alike them to keep their growing dark powers contained. But how come she didn't realize this? How come she fought a fragment these past years, depleting all her powers and life energy, while the real one was still here?
"Do not worry. I have an offer."
Ryuha looked up at the enormous dragon, her vision transmuting from blurry to normal. Venthora was the absolute and her features were the same. Her wings that stretched as far as covering the farthest land were the spitting image of the ocean. Her gold horns that aligned beautifully adorned her viridescent eyes. The thick pearl scales on her body embraced her tail that curled up around Mount Themna. She was brilliant. If this were a manhwa, Ryuha swears she could have fallen in love. Dragons were her favourite beings when she was young but now, she hates those very beings.
"Offer?" Ryuha asked, panting.
"Yes," Venthora smiled. "You are the most powerful human I have met. It's a shame for you to die here. How about you become my disciple?"
Ryuha almost laughed. Disciple? Don't be stupid. That would be the last thing she would ever want.
"Who said I was going to die?"
"Your body won't hold for long. Look, you can barely stand, Child."
She wasn't wrong. But Ryuha didn't want to quit. She was more determined than before. Rather than being some damned dragon's disciple, she would gladly die in glory.
"Become my disciple, Child. You wouldn't fear death—"
"Shut up, granny," No offence to any other granny, Ryuha mentally noted. "Who in the netherworld would fear death? Is that your beauty secret? Then, no thank you."
Venthora breathed an enormous fire that lighted the grey sky. It sparked against the clouds and soared higher. She was clearly enraged and if dragons had veins, Ryuha swears she could see them on her neck.
"Do not run your mouth that way, Child. I am only bearing with this because you are the chosen one."
"Shit with that chosen one nonsense," Ryuha stuck out her tongue.
"You dare offend the gods?! How insolent–"
"The gods? Hah, don't make me laugh. They are the very reason I am rotting in his hellhole and all you damn creatures talk about offending those idiotic gods before death. Tell me, do you monsters and demons have a fetish for these gods?"
Venthora's eyes seemed to bulge. She screeched breathing fire and ice spikes all over the deadland. She couldn't understand the confidence of the monstrous girl in front of her. How dare she talk about the gods in a brazen manner? And how dare she reject being her disciple?
But there was something that bothered Venthora. How can a mere human have such an enormous bloodlust? Her magical powers were flowing out of her bowl although she was this tired and weakened.
"Are you not going to fight?" Ryuha called out. "Shit. Don't tell me you are afraid?"
"Don't be cocky, Child. I am going to destroy you—"
"Fine, fine, whatever. Here I come."
Ryuha readied herself, her sword in position. She slowly focused as a brilliant spark burst from her sword.
Sword ki. It was her only way to fight.
"You are going to regret this, Child."
"Regret is my third finger, Oh Great Abysmal Dragon," Ryuha bowed down sarcastically as a storm brewed around Venthora.
Cursing every single god she could think of, she jumped. In a second, her sword was positioned to strike as she came face to face with Venthora.
Ryuha knew it the moment she locked her eyes with the Abysmal dragon.
Fighting the original was going to beat the crap out of her.
'Is this how I'm am going to die?'
Haah, this sucks.
Pouting, Ryuha struck a neat slash as waves of elemental powers rolled off her.
She can't remember what happened next.
A massive fireball brewed above their heads. Millions of meteors rained from the sky. A single flash of lightning thundered as the ground below shattered.
'Shit,' Ryuha thought as she fell down the gigantic black hole, a sword piercing her chest.