BOOOOOOM!
Leira's clawed heel descended with the weight of a crushing avalanche, and Ash barely had time to brace himself.
His sword collided with her strike, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through the dungeon floor, shaking the very foundation beneath him.
The ground cracked as if it were breaking apart at the seams.
Ash felt his arms screeching in protest, the raw impact jolting his bones, and the force threatened to send him skidding across the rubble.
His boots dug into the floor, but the stone beneath him began to crumble. He could feel the pressure building in his legs as the impact pushed him back.
"Tch—!"
His teeth clenched, but Ash didn't have time to think. His instincts kicked in as his body slid across the ground, barely keeping his balance.
Leira twisted in mid-air, her other foot slicing downward in a deadly arc toward his head.
The speed was unnatural—Ash barely had time to react.
[Lightning Step!]
A crackle of energy shot through his veins.
In a flash, Ash disappeared, reappearing just a few feet away, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The air around him felt electrified, the buzzing hum of his own magic vibrating in his bones.
But before he could even breath, she was already on him. Faster than his mind could comprehend. Her figure vanished and reappeared above him, claws extended, aimed directly at his face.
Damn it.
Ash's gaze snapped upward, just in time to see her descending like a blackened storm, her claws outstretched like razor-sharp talons, hungry for his flesh.
CLANG!
Their weapons met in a violent clash of steel against dark, otherworldly energy.
Sparks exploded as Ash blocked her claws, the metal of his sword scraping against the raw power of her aura.
The force of their collision sent him staggering back, barely keeping his ground as the power reverberated up his arm.
For a moment, everything seemed to blur—the scent of blood, sweat, and demonic energy filling the air. His sword felt heavier with every strike.
She was too fast, and each movement had a counter waiting for him.
Right, No—left!
Ash barely tilted his head. A black claw missed his face by a hair's breadth.
Before he could retaliate, she was already moving. With a swift, practiced motion, she grabbed a jagged chunk of debris from the wreckage and hurled it at him.
[Lightning Balls]
In a split second, balls of lightning shot toward the rock, obliterating it with a blinding explosion. The shockwave rattled his senses, and dust swirled around him, distorting his vision.
But by the time his eyes refocused, Leira was on him—her elbow smashing into his chest, driving the air from his lungs and knocking him back.
CRACK!
His ribs fractured.
The impact launched him across the dungeon. His back hit a broken pillar, pain exploding through his body.
Damn it.
He coughed blood, trying to straighten up, but— She was already there.
Was she really this fast?
BAM!
Her claws slashed down again, this time aimed straight for his head, aiming for a fatal blow.
Ash's heart raced, and he knew there was no time to counter. she was not giving his body a chance to heal, but he had no choice but to react.
He released his sword from his grip, knowing it was already too late to strike with it.
His hands crackled with raw electricity as he grabbed her wrist just in time to stop the claws from tearing into his eyes.
He could feel her muscle spasming from the electric current shooting through her arm, but she didn't flinch.
BAM!
Her knee slammed into his side with such force that Ash felt the crack of his ribs.
The air was driven from his lungs. He was thrown sideways again, his back hitting the jagged edge of a ruined pillar, pain exploding through his entire body.
The world spun around him, the staggering hit nearly sending him into unconsciousness.
His vision flickered.
I can't keep going like this. She's too strong.
The pain shot through his ribcage, and he could feel blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His limbs felt like lead.
But the injuries that were not enforced with demonic energy were already half way healed, but pain was too much for him.
But still he forced himself to push off the broken pillar, gritting his teeth, the taste of metallic blood flooding his mouth.
He barely moved in time as Leira's figure flashed past him again, the sound of her speed like a whip snapping through the air. Her voice echoed through the chaotic battlefield.
"You're getting slower."
Ash's heart thundered in his chest.
Damn it, she's right.
Every attack felt like it drained him faster than the last.
I can't keep up like this, think Ash, think
His eyes scanned the crumbling dungeon around him—the shattered pillars, the jagged rocks, and the unstable ceiling above them. The stone rubble beneath their feet was unstable, teetering on the edge of collapse.
Leira dashed forward again, her demonic energy pulsing with raw aggression.
Ash could feel the ground tremble beneath his feet as she closed the distance, each step a brutal reminder of how much she was pushing him.
I only have one chance, I need to do it as I don't have any powerful move like Ray...
A grin pulled at the corner of Ash's lips, as he felt that all his injuries also healed completely.
Just in time.
His mind raced. He knew she was getting faster, more unpredictable.
But this time, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of landing the next blow.
He was going to make this count.
[Lightning Step]
In a flash, Ash disappeared.
His body blurred, vanishing from Leira's sight.
He reappeared a few feet away, but he didn't stop there. He dashed again—just a few quick steps, just enough to lead her in the direction he wanted her to go.
Right under the unstable ceiling.
His pulse quickened. He had to time this perfectly.
Now.
His hand shot out, fingers snapping with electricity, directing all his focus into his next move.
[Lightning Balls]
Ash's fingers flared with blue lightning, the air around him crackling as dozens of small spheres of concentrated energy formed in mid-air. Each one a deadly orb of pure lightning, just waiting for release.
Without hesitation, he flung them upward. The spheres shot toward the ceiling, streaking like lightning in the sky.
Leira's eyes widened just a fraction—too slow, but she saw it. She knew what was coming.
The lightning balls collided with the ceiling above them, creating an eruption of force that shook the dungeon to its very core.
BOOOOOOOM!!!!
The explosion tore through the crumbling structure. Dust and rocks cascaded from the ceiling like a deadly rainstorm, the sheer weight of the debris tumbling downward in an avalanche of stone and death.
The ground shook violently under Ash's feet, throwing him off-balance as chunks of rock rained down around them, creating a blinding dust cloud that consumed everything.
CRACK!
The ceiling gave way with an ear-shattering roar as it collapsed entirely, massive slabs of stone falling with the force of a hundred tons, each one threatening to crush everything beneath them.
Ash barely rolled away, tumbling forward to avoid the worst of the destruction, his arms burning with strain as he fought to keep his footing.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself back onto his feet, his body screaming from the toll of the battle.
But despite the dust, the shaking earth, and the chaos, Leira was still standing.
Through the dust cloud, Ash caught a glimpse of her silhouette—bloody, bruised, but grinning.
The demoness was not only alive, she was almost… laughing.
"Heh, that almost got me," she murmured, her voice low and amused, as though his efforts were little more than a mild inconvenience.
Then, before Ash could blink, she vanished again. The whirl of her energy was a telltale sign, but he was already too slow.
Her presence, the heat of her aura, was coming from above.
He felt it.
The battle around him grew still, as if the very air was holding its breath.
BAM!
Her foot slammed into his chest with such brutal force that Ash's body felt as though it had been crushed under a mountain.
His ribs cracked with an audible snap, and his lungs collapsed under the pressure. He was driven to the ground, the very earth beneath him groaning as his body hit the stone floor with bone-jarring force.
For a moment, his vision went dark. His heart pounded, each beat a battle for breath.
Leira stood above him, her claws gleaming in the dim light. She was ready to end it all.
She loomed over him, her smile sickening.
"Die."
CRACK!
The sound of bone snapping echoed like a drumbeat in Ash's ears.
Leira's claws tore through his shoulder with a sickening pull, ripping his arm clean off.
Blood sprayed across the floor in a burst, but Ash's body stayed still. His mind barely registered the pain—the sheer, raw agony—that flooded his senses.
His world became a blur of red and black. He couldn't think, couldn't scream.
His body froze.
But he wasn't done.
Not yet.
Leira's triumphant grin faltered. The cold air around them seemed to freeze in place as the moment dragged on in slow motion
She looked down, her gaze dropping to where a sword had somehow found its way to her chest, buried deep.
The gleaming steel sizzling with untamed lightning, once a tool of destruction, now embedded in the very heart of her, before long it got disintegrated due to the amount of concentrated force.
How?
Leira's breath hitched, the confusion barely visible in her demonic eyes. Her voice, full of arrogance just a second ago, now cracked under the weight of her disbelief.
"You—"
Her words died in her throat as she puked blood and faltered.
A rasping chuckle tore from Ash's throat, broken and strained, but filled with defiance.
"You talk too much," he spat, his voice hoarse, his chest heaving with exhaustion.
Her eyes flickered—dazed, confused—as she struggled to comprehend what was happening.
Her demonic aura, once vibrant and strong, started to waver. It flickered like a dying candle.
Her knees buckled beneath her, her body swaying, but she couldn't support herself anymore.
Blood poured from her lips, dark and thick, trailing down her chin as she collapsed.
Her body landed with a sickening, wet thud, the sound echoing through the crumbling chamber like a final sigh of death.
Her body twitched once, twice, before going still.
The dungeon fell into complete silence, save for the eerie hum of the dying light and the distant groans of the failing structure.
Ash's ragged breathing was the only sound left in the oppressive stillness. The air around them felt thick, thick with the weight of finality, as though even the world itself was holding its breath.
***
A/N: Okay, before anyone points it out, I'll beat you to the punch—I know I promised 10 chapters, but I've only uploaded 9 for now. Gotta take a little breather, I'm human too! 😅
If you're enjoying the fight scenes and the story so far, I'd really appreciate your support! Throw a power stone my way, drop a comment, and if you're feeling extra generous, you can also show some love on my Patreon! 💖 Thanks a bunch for being awesome! 🙌