I was approaching the hills where the one who had seized control of the Citadel was hiding. A cave appeared ahead. As I descended, I put away my devil wings and stopped at the entrance, thinking:
Should I go in? Is this a trap?
Deciding not to take any chances, I created a sphere of destruction the size of a basketball and sent it into the cave. In an instant, the rocks and obstacles were split into atoms, the cave disappeared in a crimson vortex.
Suddenly, my inner instincts screamed about danger. I instantly teleported a short distance. An explosion thundered where I stood:
"BOOM!"
The ground shook, leaving a smoking crater.
The space distorted, a figure in a dark cloak with a hood hiding his face emerged from the black liquid. He burst into mad laughter:
"Ha-ha-ha! Madman, you dare to appear!" His voice was hoarse, cutting the ear."
Then he shouted:
"You shouldn't have dodged! Fool, you only delayed the inevitable!"
My lips twitched in a grin. I released the aura, the pressure thickened the air, the space trembled. The sky was covered with clouds, the trees around cracked, bending. But the figure did not flinch - my aura did not affect him. I frowned, realizing that the opponent was serious. He laughed again:
"What a pity! You are weak! Your efforts are worthless!" His voice was shaking with hysteria. "But even so, you can join us! Serve the True King!"
I ignored his nonsense, reorganizing my tactics. Having created several small spheres of destruction, I launched them at him. They, breaking through the sound barrier, rushed towards the target. Immediately, I formed another sphere, releasing it as a beam carrying colossal power. The spheres hit the target, the beam cut through space, destroying a distant mountain, splitting it in two. I poured devilish magic into my body, feeling the heat and surge of energy, and accelerated my consciousness. Thoughts rushed lightning fast.
Danger!
I dodged, and a new crater appeared in my previous place:
"BAM!"
The figure appeared again, laughing:
"Ha-ha-ha! All in vain!"
He formed a black rod and, pushing off the ground, rushed at me. I created a spear of destruction. Our attacks collided, creating an air barrier that destroyed everything around us:
"WHHHHH!" the shockwave blew the trees into splinters.
My arms tensed, I gritted my teeth, seeing his mad grin hidden by the shadows of his hood. The space around us distorted.
Things are bad.
I activated Touki, a crimson aura flashing, giving a boost to his strength. His surprise was noticeable, and I kicked him away. I teleported away, avoiding another blow:
"CRASH!" another huge crater appeared in the ground.
Wiping sweat from my forehead, I frowned as the figure rose, shaking himself off after hitting the boulder, which shattered into dust.
Strong.
I note to myself. He opened his mouth for another insane monologue, but I cut him off by throwing the spear of destruction. It pierced his chest, and the explosion shook the air:
"BOOM!"
The shockwave raised a cloud of dust.
A direct hit. But the space distorted again, and he appeared, shouting:
"It's all in vain! Accept death in the name of the True King!"
Black spheres formed around him, the space began to be sucked in, as if into a black hole. I tensed, realizing that the situation was getting worse. Infusing devil magic into my eyes, I saw the world in black and white, analyzing the signatures. Instead of the usual magical aura or soul, I saw a black spot, from which a scarlet glow emanated. It made me flinch, sweat poured out in a stream, my eyes widened. Everything inside me shrank from horror. I stopped infusing magic, but he noticed my actions. His spheres rushed towards me.
Spreading my wings, I flew up, hearing a roar:
"BAM! BAM!"
The ground beneath me was torn apart by the blows.
Floating in the air, I saw his grin from below. Suddenly the world shook, reality wavered. A roar resembling a dragon's was heard:
"RRRAAA!"
I shudder and feel goosebumps run through my entire body.
I glance at the highest mountain. Its peak split with a roar, dark liquid gushed out of the cracks.
A pressure comparable to the power of the Dragon Kings pressed down on my shoulders. I was surprised, but the pressure was growing, and I didn't like it. A mad laugh came from below:
"Ha-ha-ha! It's too late! The destruction of the world is near! You can't stop it! The world will be sacrificed in the name of the True King!"
The roar was repeated, the pressure intensified. I clenched my teeth, concentrating as much as possible.
The situation was rapidly deteriorating, and I absolutely did not like it. In addition to the growing threat from the mountain, a sense of calling was added - I immediately realized that it was Olga, because I left the brochure only to her in this world. Her affairs, it seemed, were also bad. The figure's mad laughter intensified, and in combination with the pressure and roar from the mountain, irritation and anger boiled up inside me. It was time to finish.
Floating in the sky, I pressed my palms together, forming a sphere. Crimson lightning sparkled within it. In an instant, I released it in the form of a beam, surrounded by lightning that incinerated everything in its path. A roar shook the air:
"BOOM!" dust flew up, blocking my view.
The figure, laughing, dispersed the dust with a wave of his hand and, squinting, put out a black rod, blocking my spear of destruction. His grin was full of madness, but suddenly his face distorted in shock. He felt pain, looking around for the cause. My hand was sticking out of his chest - or rather, the illusion I created began to dissolve before him. His eyes widened, and he heard my voice from behind:
"It's over now."
The real me, standing behind him, held his essence. Breaking through the black veil that made me tremble, I found his soul - his origin. My hand grasped that essence and I unleashed the power of signature level destruction. His soul began to disintegrate and he screamed in agony:
"AAAA! NOOO! I curse you!" His scream was ear-piercing.
I lifted him up, the power of destruction enveloped my hand, and his body began to rapidly dissolve, crumbling grain by grain. He screamed until he turned black, shattering into pieces and turning into dust. I exhaled in relief, but then a new roar was heard:
"RRRAAAH!"the pressure increased, surpassing even the power of the Dragon Kings.
The magic seal on the brochure became hot, I bit my lip and responded to the call. In an instant, I found myself in the center of the Citadel. Olga and Chloe lay on the floor, trembling, their faces pale, their eyes full of terror. They could not move. I immediately released an aura, surrounding them with a protective barrier to block the external pressure. They gasped for air, their hoarse coughs echoing in the room. Olga was clutching the brochure in a death grip. When she saw me, she looked at me strangely - her gaze was a mixture of relief and something incomprehensible.
Suddenly, she jumped up, which stunned me, and rushed towards me, biting into my lips. My eyes opened wide in shock. Her tongue darted chaotically in my mouth, and she continued to press. I stumbled, and we fell to the floor, Olga on top, trying to kiss me again. Stunned, I covered her face with my hand and shouted:
"What are you doing?!"
My mind frantically tried to understand what was happening to her. Olga, breathing heavily, pushed my hand away and blurted out:
"I thought it all through! I don't want to die a virgin without knowing what it's like to be a woman! If death is near, I'll cast aside my doubts!"
Her words stunned me. I began to object:
"Wait, wait! Who's going to die here?!"
I tried to push her away, although her closeness was pleasant. But, damn it, now was not the time! I firmly said:
"No one will die!"
Her face became sad, she whispered:
"The Dragon of Calamity awakens..."
And as if confirming her words. The space shook, the Citadel shook, confirming her words. I looked at her seriously:
"No one will die. I'll figure it out."
Standing up, I spread my wings and, breaking through the ceiling, flew into the sky. The dark liquid near the mountain gained mass, forming the outline of a dragon. I rushed towards her, dispersing the devilish magic through my body. Breaking the sound barrier, I found myself above the mountain in minutes. The liquid engulfed everything around me, its aura exuding malice, madness and hunger. Narrowing my eyes, I created dozens of hovering copies of destruction, then, clapping my hands, concentrated a massive spear, dark crimson, overflowing with power. Throwing it along with the rest of the spears, I covered my eyes from the scarlet light. An explosion shook the air:
"KRAAAAH!"
The shockwave threw me back, covering my ears. The mountain, the surrounding area — everything was destroyed. A cloud of dust and ash rose into the sky. But then a roar rang out:
"RRRAAA!" more powerful than before.
My eyes widened. I put a lot of power into the attack, but the dragon, although smaller, still existed. The liquid was pulsating, restoring mass.
Regeneration
I notice and frown. I needed to figure out what type of regeneration it was. If it was conceptual, things were bad.
I clenched my fists so hard that my nails dug into my palms and exhaled, looking at the dragon made of black liquid. Its form was pulsating, radiating malice and hunger. Normal attacks did not work, and I decided to take the extreme step — true form. Biting my lip, I mentally reminded myself: this power is dangerous, I need complete control. If I lose him, everything around me, including the Citadel, will turn to dust.
I closed my eyes, forcing myself to breathe evenly. The roar of the dragon, the noise of the wind, the pressure - everything retreated. My heart was pounding in my chest, but its rhythm was dying down, dissolving into the void. My consciousness sank deeper, cutting off the world. I felt a crimson stream of power boiling inside. It burst out, enveloping me in heat. Problems, fears, doubts disappeared. For a moment I became free, as if the shackles of the world had fallen off. But this euphoria was a trap.
If I gave in, I would lose myself.
Gritting my teeth, I concentrated the heat in one point. Without seeing the dragon, I felt its signature - chaotic, greedy. Energy rushed there, and I felt its release. The flash blinded even my closed eyes. I froze, not knowing if I had reached my goal. But the space trembled, the waves of anger weakened. The blow worked.
I hurried out of my true form, afraid of the consequences. My heart started pounding again, the sounds of the world returned. Opening my eyes, I gasped: in place of the mountain there was a crater, as if after a nuclear explosion. Everything for hundreds of meters, maybe even kilometers, was destroyed. In the distance, the Citadel was visible - the crater stopped at its walls. I turned pale.
Another second, and Olga and Chloe could have died.
Guilt squeezed my chest, but I drove these thoughts away, slapping myself on the cheeks.
They're alive. It worked.
But then I noticed a familiar signature. Squinting, I saw a tiny blob of goo pulsating in the center of the funnel. It was trying to grow.
How?!
My attack was supposed to destroy everything down to the last atom, but this creature still existed, albeit weakened.
Amazed, I went down to it. I pulled the blob with telekinesis, examining it. It writhed, but did not give up.
"Enough," I muttered, forming a cube of destruction in my hand.
Magic circles with black writing swirled around it. I began sealing, feeling the energy leaking out of me. My face turned pale, sweat poured into my eyes, but I did not stop. At the last stage, the circle expanded and contracted, completing the ritual. I exhaled, feeling short of breath and numbness in my hand. The cube shimmered with colors, and the liquid smashed against its walls, unable to escape. Each time it expanded, it collapsed, stuck in a cycle of regeneration and destruction.
I smiled weakly.
"What an adventure," I muttered, grinning. Even another world does not give a break.
Holding the cube, I headed towards the Citadel. Olga stood, clinging to a column, her legs trembling, her face pale. When she saw me, she froze, her eyes flashing with surprise, relief, and something else - a spark that I could not decipher. Noticing the cube, she covered her mouth with her hands, not believing her eyes. I smiled tightly:
"How are you feeling?"
Her eye twitched, but she answered with a warm, sincere smile that involuntarily froze me.
It was... amazing.
But then a pain shot through my temples, my body grew heavy, my vision blurred. I swayed. Olga rushed to me, trying to hold me back, and Chloe jumped up after me, her face distorted with alarm.
"Cube…" I croaked. "Keep an eye on it. Pour in the magic… Don't let it escape."
Chloe nodded, accepting the cube. My mind was covered in darkness, the last thought was overwork. And then I passed out.
***
Waking up was hard, like after a hangover. My body felt leaden, my mind was cloudy. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Olga. She was lying next to me, her breath so close that I could feel its warmth. Her eyes were closed, her hair was chaotically scattered on the pillow. I froze, feeling a soft pressure on my back and someone's arms hugging me.
Chloe?
My mind was in disarray and lost. Is this that cliched isekai scene where the hero wakes up surrounded by girls?
I shook my head, driving away the thoughts, and noticed Olga's gaze. Her golden eyes sparkled, looking at me with warmth and slight mockery. The sheet slid off, revealing her figure. I swallowed, feeling the blood rush to my face. And how it became heavy below, and the device was clearly ready for action.
Olga, noticing my confusion, giggled.
"Fulfilled the terms of the agreement," she whispered, moving closer. Her breath touched my face. "We can go further. What do you think?"
My throat was dry. I opened my mouth, but then I heard Chloe yawn from behind. Olga pulled away with a sly grin:
"Not this time?"
My lips trembled. I reached for her, ending up on top, and answered with a smile:
"I don't think so."