Chapter 411: Second awakening

The sound of the explosions finally stopped.

More than five hundred projectiles had descended at such a pace that most of the audience had failed to keep track of them. All they had seen were flames, explosions, shattered stone, and a silver figure moving through the battlefield as though the storm itself could not touch him.

They had not witnessed something like this in a very long time.

A human had challenged a dragon and survived.

Not for a few exchanges or by relying on luck.

He had endured the Dragon King’s full assault and remained standing.

The realization alone left many of the spectators stunned, but Astaroth was among the most surprised.

Yet what caught his attention most was the expression on the human’s face.

There was no fear in it.

Only the raw hunger to survive and win.

It was so intense that even Astaroth felt a faint knot of hope forming in his chest.

"I am astounded..." the Dragon King muttered, his eyes fixed on the battlefield. His vision was far superior to that of any ordinary spectator. "How can a human go to such lengths?"

If there was someone who could understand exactly what he had witnessed, it was Jorma.

He had been using his special eyes to follow Luke’s movements throughout the entire battle, even when the rest of the arena had lost sight of him.

And yet, when asked what he thought of it, the old man could only whisper one thing.

"It’s a dream."

The ancient stories of the high elves, tales of a time when humanity had once reigned supreme, were beginning to feel less like myths.

If several humans possessed even half of Luke’s strength, then perhaps it really was possible for them to rise again and become apex predators.

But that was a matter for later.

Astfall flapped his enormous wings and slowly descended toward the battlefield.

His red eyes remained fixed on the lone figure standing amid the debris.

Luke was still surrounded by a faint silver radiance, though it was considerably weaker than before. His shoulders hung low, his head was bowed, and each breath came in a heavy pull that made it obvious he had not escaped the barrage unscathed.

Bruises and cuts covered the exposed portions of his body.

As Astfall’s claws finally touched the ground, he narrowed his eyes.

"Our race appreciates and respects strength."

His voice carried across the ruined battlefield.

"However, not even us could stand the sight of a monster like you."

Luke slowly raised his head.

His face was twisted with discomfort, but despite the pain, his lips curved into a smirk.

"I never expected anything more than chaos... when I came here."

He paused to catch his breath before raising one finger toward the dragon.

"And you..." His voice was strained, yet the amusement remained. "...are doing a tremendous job of upholding your reputation."

Astfall growled.

"If that is the case..."

Violet energy began gathering inside his maw.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

The audience held their breath.

It looked like the final exchange.

Luke had fought bravely, but the difference in their condition was simply too great now. One of them was battered, bleeding, and barely standing, while the other remained almost completely unscathed.

The battle was about to end.

"Farewell... warrior."

Astaroth settled back into his seat.

Agatha watched with a deep frown, her fingers curled tightly as tension ran through her body.

Jorma shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes locked on Luke.

"Come on... Luke. Move."

Astfall opened his maw.

The violet energy erupted.

The Soul Reaper tore through the air and shot straight toward Luke.

[...97.5%... 98%...]

The violent energy surged through space, advancing toward its target with enough power to end the battle once and for all.

[98.5%]

Luke slowly raised his head.

The world changed.

Everything in his vision slowed to a crawl.

He could hear the gasps and cries of the audience as clearly as if they were standing beside him. He could feel the flow of magic through his body, the movement of blood beneath his skin, even the rhythm of his own heartbeat.

And then there was Astfall.

Luke could sense the emotions coursing through the dragon.

Anger.

Pride.

Exhaustion.

Certainty.

[99%... 99.5%...]

"Should I just die?"

Luke muttered the words as the violet beam approached.

It was only an arm’s length away now.

The choice was simple.

He could die here.

He could return home carrying nothing more than some uncomfortable memories.

This wasn’t his war.

It wasn’t his responsibility.

He could walk away.

He could return to his lovers and pretend none of this had ever happened.

Yes.

He could do that.

But now...

His pride was on the line.

Crack.

"Huh?"

Astaroth frowned.

A moment later, the entire audience shared his confusion.

Luke slammed his foot into the ground.

"HAAAAAAAAA!"

Dark claws erupted from his fingers as he drove his foot down with enough force to fracture the stone beneath him and roared with every fiber of his being.

DOOOOOOM!

The violet beam suddenly detonated before it could reach him.

Astfall’s eyes widened.

Not only had his attack failed, but something was moving through the dust.

Something that definitely did not look like Luke.

"Wha..."

DOOOOOOM!

The dragon was struck in the head.

His enormous body was driven straight into the ground, sending debris flying in every direction.

"What... is that thing?"

Astaroth rose from his seat.

What stood above Astfall was still the same human.

And yet, he had changed.

Two dark horns had grown from Luke’s head, curving upward from his temples. His pupils had narrowed into thin, predatory slits. Dark scales now covered his arms and legs, spreading across his skin in patches that seemed to grow with every breath.

His fingers had become claws.

Long, sharp claws capable of tearing through flesh.

Perhaps even scales.

Astfall shook his head and tried to rise.

Luke moved first.

He caught one of his horns, twisted his body around it, and used the dragon’s own momentum against him.

With a brutal pull, he dragged Astfall’s head downward.

BOOOOM!

The dragon’s chin slammed into the ground again.

Astfall’s eyes snapped open.

A growl rumbled through his throat.

He parted his maw and unleashed a torrent of flames directly at the human standing over him.

"Grrrr..."

Through the roaring flames came a growl.

Deep, primal and hungry.

Then came the sound of something cutting through the air.

SHUANK!

Astfall’s eyes widened.

The flames around Luke suddenly changed.

Crimson fire erupted from the human’s body and surged forward, colliding with Astfall’s own flames.

The dragon’s expression changed instantly.

His flames were being pushed back.

No.

They were being overwhelmed.

The crimson fire devoured his flames and forced Astfall to turn his head away from the superior blaze.

Jorma was practically on the verge of tearing his hair out.

"It can’t be..."

His voice trembled with disbelief.

"Why is a human capable of that?"

He stared at Luke, a human who had just overpowered a dragon in a clash of flames.

His eyes widened further.

"How ridiculous can this get?!"

Astfall suddenly took to the skies.

But Luke was faster.

The moment the dragon’s wings carried him upward, Luke leaped after him, closing the distance before Astfall could gain any real height. He raised the hammer above his head and brought it down with all the force he could muster.

DOOOOOOOM!

The hammer struck Astfall’s skull.

The dragon’s head jerked downward from the impact as violet thunder erupted from the weapon, lightning exploding across his scales.

Then the hammer shattered.

It had simply failed to withstand the force Luke had put into the attack.

Luke snickered and tossed the broken handle aside.

Astfall’s enormous body swayed in the air.

His head was ringing.

The repeated blows had rattled his senses, and for the first time since the battle began, a thought he had refused to entertain finally surfaced.

I might lose.

The realization filled him with something far more dangerous than fear.

Hatred.

Thunk.

Astfall landed heavily on the battlefield.

He slowly raised his head.

His red eyes locked onto Luke with pure hatred, his pupils narrowed to slits as his anger surged through every inch of his body.

Then he opened his maw.

He poured every remaining ounce of mana into his roar.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

The sound exploded across the arena.

The entire battlefield shook.

The air itself seemed to tremble beneath the force of the Dragon King’s voice. Loose stones bounced across the ground, while the spectators recoiled instinctively, many of them dropping to their knees as their bodies responded to an ancient instinct buried deep within their blood.

Some covered their ears.

Others simply froze.

They could not fight.

They could barely breathe.

This was not merely a roar.

It was Dragon’s Dominion.

A skill bestowed only upon royal and ancient dragons who carried true Authority.

The moment it was unleashed, the dragon’s will descended upon everything within its range.

It did not simply intimidate its opponents.

It crushed their will to resist.

Those who stood before the Dragon King’s Dominion were meant to surrender.

To bow.

To acknowledge the superior existence before them.

And Astfall unleashed it with every ounce of Authority he possessed.

Luke stood completely still.

The force of Dragon’s Dominion washed over him, yet instead of bending his knees, he slowly raised his head.

A smirk spread across his face.

Then his mouth began to open.

Too far.

Far beyond what a human jaw should have been capable of.

The corners of his lips stretched unnaturally as his jaw parted, revealing rows of sharpened teeth that had no place inside a human mouth. His expression twisted into something savage, almost predatory.

Astaroth’s eyes widened.

"Wait..."

Luke inhaled.

The arena went silent for a fraction of a second.

Then Luke roared.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The sound was monstrous.

It was not the roar of a human trying to imitate a dragon. It was something far more primal, something that seemed to crawl out from the depths of the battlefield itself.

The air shook.

The ground cracked beneath Luke’s feet.

The roar collided with Astfall’s Dominion and tore through it.

Spectators who had remained on their knees suddenly collapsed completely, their bodies unable to withstand the pressure. Others clutched their heads as their vision blurred, while several simply froze in terror.

Even those farthest from the battlefield felt their hearts seize.

The roar continued to spread through the arena, drowning out Astfall’s voice entirely.

Astaroth had risen from his seat.

His expression was no longer one of amusement.

His eyes were wide as he stared at Luke.

"Why...a human..."

He had witnessed countless dragons unleash their Authority.

He had never seen a human roar back.

And certainly not with enough force to overwhelm a Dragon King’s Dominion.

But the most terrifying part was not the strength of Luke’s roar.

It was what happened to Astfall.

The Dragon King stood directly at the center of the collision.

He should have been the one imposing his will upon everything around him.

Instead, his body trembled.

His eyes widened.

The roar struck him like an invisible force, crushing his Authority beneath something more primal.

His enormous dragon body began to shrink.

Scales receded.

His wings folded inward and vanished.

His claws returned to hands.

His horns disappeared into his skull as his body rapidly returned to its human form.

Astfall stumbled.

His knees buckled.

The Royal Dragon, who had moments ago towered over the entire battlefield, was now standing in his human form, staring at Luke in disbelief.

For the first time, there was something other than rage in his eyes.

Fear.

And along with that came another, more dormant emotion Astfall has never experienced before.

Submission.

~~~~

A/N:- Guess his second awakened class. This Chapter was long...like way too long.