"N-No!"
Rhia saw Alex's unmoving body, which the monster had uncaringly thrown away like discarded trash. She felt her heart shatter, recalling her vow to protect him, but look what happened?
"I do not hear a heartbeat from your little friend. It seems he didn't make it. What a shame since I was planning on toying with him more."
The female humanoid drake got ready to kick Alex's body when Rhia's hand squeezing her ankle stopped her.
"Don't you dare touch him!"
"And what are you going to do about it?"
The dungeon boss quickly broke out of Rhia's hold and had her screaming out when the boss stomped on her hand with the sole of her feet.
"Looks like the little Saintess is nothing but cheap talk! You couldn't even protect your friend! How pathetic!"
The dungeon boss mocked her, picking Rhia up and throwing her into one of the rock pillars. Her entire body ached.
Rhia's eyes were overfilled with tears as the monster bent beside her, tugging on her raven locks harshly, forcing her to stare into those cruel molten lava orbs.
"Even in the face of death, you are useless. Weak! Pathetic! Know your role in society, cattle!"
The female drake spit in her face as the monster's face overshadowed another from her past life.
Sabrina, her tormentor, may have had the looks of a goddess, but her heart was that of the devil. Pouring a carton of milk over Rhia's head just because she had gotten the wrong brand, she threw the empty carton in her face before saying,
"Canon fodder should know their role in society. They exist to make people like me shine brighter."
But Rhia was tired of living like that! This was a new life without that she-devil who tormented her in the past. She wanted to change and become stronger, yet she had failed and felt horrible.
"Bye bye, little demon insect."
Rhia watched as flames roared to life in the monster's hand, ready to toast her alive.
But something strange happened before the flames could take complete form. A tornado of fire, in the spot where Alex's body rested, shot into the air. Dispersing into red rose petals, they danced around Alex, who was miraculously alive and sporting a change of clothes.
Alex was sporting black formal pants and a military-style inspired top. A large silver cross was attached to his hip, and draped over his shoulders was another jacket but red.
Even though Rhia was used to him wearing fancy aristocratic clothes, the air he emitted this time was different. Bangs brushed clear from his face. She could see his eyes boiling with rage.
"Get your hands off her!"
"So the baby demon survived!"
The female fire drake tossed Rhia aside as her keen eyes rested on the crimson-haired boy.
Alex sensed something flying by his head and spotted a creature with tiny dark red dragon wings.
'Is he related to Lucia?' questioned Alex.
The spirit fur was a mix of red and orange-like fire with dark red tribal markings around its eyes. Dark red dragon horns jutted out from its head.
"You've awakened, Sword of Wrath. I am Tan, your guardian spirit who will help you become a perfect sword for our goddess and her chosen champion."
The creature spoke in a youthful yet posed manner benefiting a gentleman.
"Now, defend yourself. She's coming." Tan transformed into a fireball and into Alex's hand, where it became a silver-bladed sword. The design of the gold hilt was simple with a red jewel embedded in it, but it still gave off a sophisticated air.
Alex had no time to think about why the spirit had transformed into a sword when he sensed the dungeon boss heading his way.
The sound of her claws clashing with his blade echoed across the battlefield.
"Now that I've looked close at you, I get the feeling that we met before… and it makes my heart tremble with rage!"
The monster's claws and Alex's sword continued to clash until she leaped back, and a blaze of fire roared from her mouth.
Led by his instincts, Alex stabbed his sword into the ground, and the blade absorbed the attack. After absorbing the blast, the blade turned blood red.
"My turn! Scorching Dragon Breath!"
Alex returned the monster's attack with a similar one. But to the dungeon boss' shock, the blast of his attack was on another level compared to hers. She tried to block it, but the flames burned off her right arm.
"You… I misjudged you." The female drake had her head dropped down, panting heavily. The woman's arm, legs, and hair changed into a raging fire within seconds.
"You have strength, child, but this is the end."
The red skinned monster disappeared only to reappear above Alex's head with a kick that buried him six feet in the ground. She followed this up by launching fireballs continuously at him, giving the poor boy no time to defend himself.
"Die!"
She launched a giant fireball into the crater and watched it explode.
"That should do him in. No matter how much they struggle, in the end, they were no mat-Huh?"
As the smoke started to decrease, she saw something purple, and once the smoke was completely cleared, she saw that a barrier was protecting the boy.
Just in time, the dungeon boss dodged the blast of highly condensed mana that would've put a hole in her chest if her senses didn't alert her in time.
Following the attack's trajectory, Rhia stood on her feet, armed with the bow she had just recently fired from.
"So you still got some fight in you, demon brat!"
In a trail of blazing fire, the female Drake disappeared only to reappear before Rhia, thrusting her flame-induced claws that were balled up into a fist into Rhia's stomach.
Rhia cried out, feeling as if her organs were burning. The pain only worsened when the monster kicked her in that same place with an evil glint in her eyes.
She punched and kicked Rhia across the field until the girl barely moved.
Standing over the trembling girl, the female Drake raised her arm. A fireball began to form in her palm as she glared down at Rhia.
"Just like a roach. You refuse to die. But this move will end you for good," she vowed as the fireball grew bigger but a bright red rose stole her attention. This one petal was followed by many more that showered the female drake in a dance.
From afar, having climbed out of the crater, Alex panted, hands resting on his knees.
"Flame Storm!"
Lightning crackled from the sky as the wind picked up around the female drake whose vision saw nothing but red.
"W-What's going on?!"
She tried to claw her way out, but the attacks proved unless. Crying out, the petals began slicing at her body as the wall of wind transformed into raging flames that were closing in on her.
"T-This can't be?! Defeated by mere children?! NOOO!"
Her cries echoed as the flames ate her flesh, but this wasn't the end. Rhia stood shakenly on her feet. The fire had burnt the dungeon boss's body to a crisp yet the monster still had the strength to stand and glare heatedly at Alex.
"I… I remember now… I remember why your face feels so familiar to me."
Her eyes looked as if they could burn Alex where he stood.
"You… You're related to that red-headed bastard!"
The woman's lungs burned with rage but couldn't do anything with her charred body.
"Your soul belongs to the Underworld now," Rhia uttered as, like last time, an ominous and enormous door appeared. The doors were ajar, and a giant skeleton hand flew out, crushing the dungeon boss in its giant palm as if she were a mere bug.
The only thing that remained was the bright red core that it retrieved. The reaper flew over and faced Rhia.
"You have done well, little champion. The Queen of Hell sends her regards."
The reaper bowed, and the hand retracted itself back inside the gate. With his possession in hand, both the gate and the reaper disappeared.
"So happy that's finally over."
Rhia remained on the ground in too much pain to move.
"Rhia!"
Alex ran over to her and dropped down to his knees beside her head. His eyes stared at her with nothing but worry.
"Nice outfit, Alex! I always wanted my own Tuxedo Mask!" Rhia's joke was lost on Alex, who began to berate her like a mother.
"Rhia, this is no time to joke! You can't even move! You'll definitely draw a lot of attention in your current state." Alex voiced Rhia's main concern. That's when Lucia decided to show herself.
"Do not fear! I, the Great Lucia, will offer her assistance!"
Lucia proudly announced, confusing the two children when the crescent moon symbol on her forehead started to glow.
"Star Healing!"
Alex's and Rhia's bodies were bathed in warm golden light that rained down tiny stars, healing their wounds and restoring their energy.
In a matter of minutes, Rhia was restored to full health, and so was Alex.
"Lucia, you did it!"
Rhia was happy to no longer be in pain, but when the spell was over, Lucia flopped down to the ground in exhaustion.
"In her current form, such a low-tier spell takes a lot out of her. After a few days of rest, she'll return to herself," explained Tan. Rhia just stared at the new spirit until finally exclaiming,
"We have another mascot!"