The Sword Of The Fire Dragon

Fighting to the Dragon

"Leave this forest immediately, or I will destroy both of you!" roared Sarwana. His thundering voice seemed to shake the hearts of the two warriors.

Darmawisesa refused to let his effort to obtain the Sky Dragon Sword go to waste, and Kelana Jati felt the same way.

However, the real problem was that the energy possessed by the giant ape far exceeded the combined martial prowess of the two warriors.

"Anyone who dares to go deeper into this forest must face me. I will not allow anyone to cause chaos in my domain!" Sarwana declared, both a warning and a threat.

Meanwhile, Arya, who was deeply focused on his training, was startled by the sudden appearance of the giant dragon he had encountered the previous night. Unlike its calm demeanor the night before, when it had seen him off, the dragon now appeared with blazing red eyes radiating fury.

"So, you didn’t leave this place after all! Your training has disturbed my rest!" the dragon bellowed.

Arya stared at the dragon in confusion. He was certain he hadn't disturbed anyone, as his training was silent. He even used light-body techniques to move swiftly without creating noise.

"I apologize if my training here has disturbed you. I will leave immediately," Arya replied. He wanted to avoid a conflict with the dragon, knowing full well that he would likely suffer a crushing defeat—or worse, death.

"Do you think you can leave so easily after disturbing me? You must face a severe punishment!" the dragon retorted.

Arya swallowed hard, unsure of how to calm the creature's wrath. Fighting was an option, but with what? He had only just mastered a single martial move—and even that was far from perfect.

Though skilled in light-body techniques, Arya doubted he could match the dragon’s speed.

Before he could respond, the dragon, standing merely four meters away, suddenly lashed out its long tail with incredible speed. Arya, unprepared for the attack, took the full brunt of the blow to his right shoulder.

Braaak!

"Aaaakh!"

Arya’s body was flung sideways, tumbling several times across the dusty ground. His sweat-soaked clothes were now caked with dirt.

He grimaced, clutching his chest to endure the pain. As a novice in martial arts, he had yet to learn how to channel his inner energy to alleviate such pain.

"Stand up! Don’t be weak if you claim to be a warrior!" the dragon roared. Its massive form, three times the size of a fully grown elephant, shot forward and stopped a few meters in front of Arya.

Refusing to be seen as weak, Arya forced himself to stand. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, a sign of internal injury.

"I am not weak!" he shouted defiantly, his sharp eyes locking onto the dragon, who sneered back at him. Arya readied himself, fully alert to anticipate the dragon's next move.

"Let’s see how long you can last!" the dragon taunted. Before it finished speaking, its tail struck again.

Though Arya saw the attack coming, he lacked the strength to dodge. His only option was to raise both arms in front of his chest to defend himself.

Closing his eyes, he braced for the impact of the dragon's tail. But his defense proved futile. Once again, he was hurled backward, tumbling across the ground.

This time, though Arya avoided internal injuries, his arms throbbed in excruciating pain. He had anticipated the dragon's immense strength and tried to prepare, but it was no use. His inability to fully harness his inner energy left him vulnerable to the creature’s relentless assaults.

The dragon lunged again, this time hovering five meters above Arya’s fallen body. "Get up, weakling! I’m not done punishing you yet!" it bellowed.

Its long tail descended swiftly, aiming to crush Arya. But this time, Arya managed to roll away just in time, evading the deadly strike.

Blaaar!

The dragon’s tail slammed into the ground with an explosive force, creating a wide, deep crater. Thick clouds of dust billowed upward, momentarily obscuring the dragon’s view.

Seizing the opportunity, Arya launched a counterattack. His experience leaping through the branches of large trees allowed him to move effortlessly. With a swift leap, he landed on the dragon's back while it was still airborne.

"I’ll show you that I am not weak!" Arya declared, placing his palm on the dragon's neck.

"Great Dragon Palm!" he shouted, channeling all his inner energy into his right hand.

The dragon only realized Arya's position as the young warrior yelled out his technique. It tried to turn its head, but before it could react, a powerful force struck its back.

Blaaar!

A deafening explosion erupted in the sky. Arya was flung backward from the impact, plummeting toward the ground. At the last moment, he managed to steady himself, avoiding a hard landing.

The dragon's flight wavered as it felt the force of Arya’s attack—not out of pain but sheer surprise. The young warrior had used a dragon-themed technique against it.

Descending to the ground, the dragon landed near Arya, who was still catching his breath. "Did you think your feeble attack could pierce my skin? Let me tell you, that technique of yours is incomplete, young one."

Arya furrowed his brow, puzzled by how the dragon knew his technique was unfinished. At the same time, he wondered how he could possibly defeat it if his one move had no effect.

"Don’t look so shocked, young one. If you perfect that technique, you might be able to scratch my skin," the dragon said, its massive body shifting as if to demonstrate its unscathed state. "Now, prepare yourself for my next attack!"