Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Chapter 895: She’s still alive! Amazing!

The wall of mana appeared the instant the attack reached Ouroboros. There was no sweeping gesture, no uttered incantation, no visible preparation. The energy simply condensed before her like a fortress born from Strax’s own will. Translucent layers of power rose at perfect angles, dense as ancient steel and fluid as liquid glass, intercepting the torrent of compressed water that had been tearing through the street with brutal violence. The impact echoed throughout the avenue, scattering shards of stone, shattered shop windows, and a cold mist that enveloped nearby buildings.

Behind the barrier, Ouroboros barely had time to blink. The blow that could have pierced entire houses turned into mere foam and vapor before the improvised defense. Even so, she felt the absurd pressure of the attack reverberating through the ground beneath her feet. Her hair moved with the residual shock, and her heart raced not from fear of herself, but from the immediate realization of who had been the real target of that assault.

Around them, the capital froze.

Merchants dropped baskets to the ground. Children were pulled into hastily opened doors. Nobles strolling through the square stumbled back, tripping over their own cloaks. Guards, still bewildered by what was happening, hesitated between advancing or fleeing. The silence that followed the impact was so abrupt it seemed unnatural, as if the city itself were holding its breath.

Strax remained motionless before the wall.

His expression changed so little that a distracted observer might not have noticed. But everyone with any survival instinct felt it instantly. The air became heavy. The temperature seemed to fall and rise simultaneously. The invisible pressure emanating from him was different from ordinary brute power. It wasn’t just strength. It was something predatory, ancient, profoundly hostile when provoked.

Then he turned his face toward the source of the attack.

It was just a glance.

Nothing more.

Still, men and women dozens of meters away trembled without knowing why. A horse reared up and nearly overturned the carriage it was pulling. Two guards dropped their spears at the same time. A merchant fell to the ground, certain that he had momentarily stared into the face of death itself. Even those who didn’t understand magic intuitively recognized that something monstrous had just focused its attention on someone.

Further on, amidst the damp mist that still clung to the street, Aelyra paused for the first time since appearing to attack.

Disguised until seconds before as an ordinary citizen, she had already abandoned any attempt at anonymity. Marine energy swirled violently around her arms, condensing water from the surroundings and drawing moisture from nearby fountains, gutters, and reservoirs. Her posture remained proud, but her eyes betrayed a brief shock as she realized that the full-scale attack had been blocked as if it meant nothing.

Strax continued to stare at her.

The puddles scattered across the pavement began to bubble.

The water that trickled down the sides of the wall evaporated in wisps of steam. Droplets suspended in the air vanished with small crackles. The damp windows dried in seconds. The fresh scent of sea air brought by Aelyra was replaced by hot stone and burnt ozone. The aura emanating from it had no defined color, but seemed to distort the surrounding space like heat on glowing metal.

It was rage.

Pure rage, compressed in silence.

Scarlett, observing everything from the distant balcony where she was having lunch with Tiamat, let out a slow whistle while resting her chin on her hand.

"Ah," she said, amused. "Now she’s got it."

Tiamat put down her cutlery and smiled broadly.

"Finally, some excitement."

Out on the street, Ouroboros touched Strax’s arm carefully. The simple contact seemed to prevent the pressure from building further. He shifted his gaze from her to her for a moment, and the brutality that filled his eyes diminished just enough to become bearable.

"I’m going to do something," he said, with a calmness that sounded more menacing than any shout.

Ouroboros took a deep breath, still shaken by the sudden attack. Even so, she kept her voice steady.

"Don’t be reckless."

Strax arched an eyebrow slightly, as if the suggestion was almost comical coming from that moment.

She squeezed his arm lightly again.

"I’m serious." fгeewebnovёl.com

Behind them, the wall of mana crumbled into shimmering particles, revealing a street devastated by the impact that hadn’t passed. The marks on the ground clearly showed that, if it weren’t for the instant intervention, dozens of civilians could have died.

Strax’s eyes returned to Aelyra.

"It would be reckless to kill her too quickly," he murmured.

Ouroboros closed his eyes for a second.

"Strax."

He let out a brief sigh, like someone trying to remember good habits.

"Alright. I’ll try."

Aelyra stepped forward before the conversation ended. Wounded pride always confused caution with weakness, and she interpreted the pause as hesitation. Liquid currents shot from her wrists, transforming into spinning water spears dense enough to pierce walls. Four projectiles crossed the avenue at once, tearing through facades and ripping stones from the ground in their path.

Strax walked.

Just that.

He took a step forward as the spears reached him. The first two dissipated upon touching his aura. The third was deflected by a casual hand movement. The fourth one he grabbed in mid-air, compressing the liquid mass between his fingers until it exploded into steam.

Aelyra gritted her teeth and raised both arms. All the water from the side gutters surged up like gigantic serpents, converging to crush him from all sides. The volume was large enough to flood entire city blocks.

Strax disappeared.

Not in magic. In speed.

He appeared before her the next instant, so close that Aelyra barely managed to open her eyes before receiving a slap with the back of her hand. The blow didn’t carry its full force, and yet the Monarch was thrown through a fruit stand, crashed through a brick wall, and rolled down the street until she opened a trench in the pavement.

A horrified silence filled the square.

Tiamat tapped once on the balcony table.

"Nice."

Scarlett wiped her mouth with the cloth and nodded.

"Excellent control. He heard the Ouroboros."

Aelyra rose from the rubble, coughing up blood and dust, more furious than wounded. Bluish rays danced across her skin. Her disguise had completely vanished. Ordinary people now clearly recognized her as one of the palace’s invited Monarchs, which made the scene even more absurd.

She screamed and gathered energy above her head. Clouds began to form over the capital in the clear afternoon. The wind shifted. Awnings flew. The water from the central fountains rose in violent columns.

Strax looked at the sky and then at her.

"Are you going to ruin the mood of the whole city because of a tantrum?"

Aelyra responded by unleashing a lightning bolt.

He raised his hand and caught the flash with his clenched fingers. The discharge snaked down his arm, dissipating into useless sparks. Then he clenched his fist. The thunder died like a blown-out candle.

The guards finally reached the square, but stopped immediately, understanding that any attempt at intervention would be administrative suicide. The captain merely murmured to his men to keep their distance and pray for someone superior to appear.

Ouroboros walked a few steps ahead, without leaving the safe zone behind Strax.

"Aelyra," she said, her voice clear despite the chaos, "this is over."

The Monarch turned her face away from her with pure contempt.

"Shut up."

Strax smiled humorlessly.

"Wrong answer."

He stamped his foot.

A wave of mana coursed through the entire street, cracking the pavement in perfect lines all the way to Aelyra’s feet. The impact didn’t hit her directly, but it destabilized her enough for him to reappear in front of her. This time he grabbed her face with one hand and lifted her off the ground.

Her feet thrashed in the air. Water and electricity exploded around them, trying to force him to let go. Nothing happened.

"Listen carefully," Strax said, his voice low and terrifying. "Attacking me is stupid. Attacking her is a personal offense."

Aelyra tried to respond, but the pressure of his hand wouldn’t allow it.

"You wanted attention. You got it."

The entire square seemed to shrink around that phrase.

No one moved. No one breathed properly. Trained guards kept their distance like terrified statues, merchants hid behind overturned carts, and residents peered through cracks in half-open doors. Even the wind seemed to hesitate to cross the space between Strax and Aelyra. There were moments when ordinary violence still obeyed some logic. This had already surpassed that point.

Aelyra remained suspended by his hand, struggling with enough pride not to beg and enough anger not to retreat. Liquid currents formed around her arms, trying to cut the fingers that held her. Bluish sparks crackled on her skin. The energy of an entire Monarch concentrated in a desperate attempt to regain control.

Nothing worked.

Strax observed this for a second, almost in contemplative silence, like someone watching a malfunctioning machine insist on operating.

Then he let go.

But not to free her.

The instant her body dropped a few inches, he appeared in front of her in a blur of speed and delivered a direct kick to her abdomen.

The impact sounded like a cannon fired in the middle of the avenue.

Aelyra was thrown backward, her eyes wide, spitting blood before she even understood what had happened. Her body crashed through two stalls, exploded through an ornate brick wall, and dragged itself dozens of meters before tearing through the pavement into a deep ditch. Dust rose in thick clouds. Wood, stone, and metal flew everywhere.

Scarlett, watching from the distant balcony, tilted her head with genuine interest.

"Ah," she murmured. "Now he’s lost his patience."

Tiamat grinned widely.

"That’s the fun version of him."

On the devastated street, Aelyra tried to stand, supporting herself on her knees. She coughed up blood and air at the same time, unable to stabilize her breathing. The blow hadn’t killed her, but it had destroyed any illusion of equality between them. Even so, her eyes still burned with hatred.

She could barely lift her head.

Strax was already standing before her.

A hand gripped her hair with brutal simplicity.

He pulled her up as if she weighed nothing, eliciting an involuntary scream from the Monarch as she felt her scalp tense to its limit. Aelyra struck his arm with condensed liquid energy, tried to conjure blades of water, tried to electrify her own body. No reaction elicited even a visible discomfort from him.

"You entered her city," Strax said, his voice low and cold. "Attacked from behind. In front of civilians."

He pulled again.

Several strands of hair came loose between his fingers. Aelyra screamed in pain and humiliation at the same time.

"And you thought this was hunting."

With his other hand, Strax cupped her face.

The infernal aura surrounding him intensified. The heat around them rose so quickly that any remaining puddles evaporated in seconds. The searing energy pressed directly against Aelyra’s skin. It wasn’t ordinary fire. It was hostile mana converted into pure heat.

She screamed.

Red marks instantly appeared on her elegant face. The left side of her face burned under the pressure of his fingers, distorting makeup, pride, and composure in a single cruel gesture. Aelyra kicked the air, slammed her shoulders, unleashed uncontrolled electrical discharges that only illuminated the street.

Strax released her only for her to fall to her knees.

Then, he brought his knee down on her right shoulder.

The dry sound of bone giving way echoed through the square.

Aelyra tumbled to the side, letting out a hoarse cry as her arm hung at an awkward angle. Before she could roll away, Strax grabbed her leg and pulled her back across the ground, dragging her over broken stone as if pulling up debris.

Ouroboros stepped forward.

"Strax."

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the chaos.

He paused for a moment.

Aelyra, panting, tried to crawl using her intact arm. Blood marked her path. There was still hatred in her eyes, but now mixed with something new and rare to her.

Fear.

Strax tilted his head.

"Look," he said. "Now you’re learning."

She gathered the rest of her energy in a final surge. A compressed tidal wave exploded around her body, shattering nearby shop windows and hurling blocks of stone upwards. The mass of water rose like a giant jaw to swallow Strax at close range.

He traversed the technique on foot.

The water burst into steam upon touching her aura. The entire avenue filled with scorching mist.

When the smoke cleared, Strax was behind her.

Aelyra turned too late.

He grabbed her ankle and spun her once in the air, hurling her against the facade of a three-story building. The structure partially collapsed on impact. Bricks cascaded down. Tapestries caught fire in isolated spots.

Tiamat clapped her hands like an excited child.

"She’s still alive! Impressive!"

Scarlett smiled slightly.

"More stubborn than strong."

Aelyra emerged from the rubble staggering, one eye almost closed, blood trickling down her forehead, her hair disheveled, and her breathing uneven. Her noble bearing had vanished. Only survival instinct remained, clad in remnants of dignity.

Even so, she tried to raise her hand.

Strax appeared again.

This time there was no spectacle.

A punch to the stomach.

Another to the jaw.

An elbow to the ribs.

A knee to the chest.

Each blow was short, efficient, monstrously heavy. Aelyra couldn’t fall because the next impact already kept her standing. Blood splattered on the cracked pavement. The sound of the attacks was worse than any scream.

Guards looked away.

Villagers wept silently.

Even some veteran soldiers felt nauseous.

Finally, Strax grabbed her by the neck and lifted her again, while she trembled without any real strength to resist.

Her face was swollen, burned in parts, covered in dust and blood. One arm unusable. One leg failing. Her pride crushed along with the rest.

"That," he said, staring closely at her, "is what happens when you confuse position with power."

Aelyra tried to spit blood in his face.

She couldn’t even manage that properly.

Strax grabbed her by the head and positioned himself, "I took pity on you, so you won’t die. Well, if you survive this." He said, and with a tug he sent Aelyra’s body flying toward the celestial palace.