Page 152 of Crown of Slumber

No, right now, Ineededthat power and devastation. Right now, it was just me and Rosalina.

So I let it all go. I unleashed everything I’d been holding back. With an almighty roar, I poured every drop of power and strength into the air, letting it encircle me. White sparks shot from my fingertips. And from deep within, a low, rumbling growl resonated.

My dragon had returned.

Rosalina was rushing toward me, but it was too late. As the rune’s magic faded, I gently sank to the ground once more. The moment Rosalina reached me, her hand whipping toward me as if to strike, I shifted.

My body elongated. Wings sprouted from my back. Claws extended from my hands and feet. Sharp scales coated my body, and my teeth sharpened into fangs.

The transition was seamless. Effortless. In mere seconds, I stood before Rosalina as a dragon, intercepting her blow with a swipe of my claws. I tore through her sleeve, cutting into her flesh. She fell, cradling her arm as it bled freely. Her murderous gaze fixed on me, her eyes blazing. With her uninjured hand, she flicked her fingers toward me, and a blast of purple magic speared into my chest.

I folded my wings around me, but the impact still sent me staggering, crashing into trunks and branches. Branches and twigs broke my fall, and my impenetrable scales protected me from any pain.

She couldn’t stop me. I was too powerful. Too indestructible.

“You cannot defeat me!” she screeched, standing tall before me. “Not in my domain!”

She seemed taller than before. No—Shewastaller. Her body grew in height, lengthening and stretching until she resembled a giant before me, towering over even my bulky dragon form. She was a mighty beast, her eyes glowing red as she advanced, each footstep making the ground rumble.

I ducked to dodge a swipe of her massive hand, then clamped my fangs down on her ankle. She cried out, the sound reverberating around me, making my ears fold back. Using my wings for momentum, I darted behind her, just out of reach as she grabbed for me. She might be a giant, but I was quicker. Faster.

I could also breathe fire.

I inhaled deeply, then unleashed the blue flames, scorching the backs of her legs. She bellowed in agony, crashing to her knees. The ground shook again, and I teetered, unable to keep my balance. My wings stretched wide, allowing me to float instead of fall alongside her.

But I was so distracted from losing balance that I didn’t notice her fist until it collided with my left side. With a howl of pain, I was sent toppling, rolling and crashing among the brush. When I finally stopped, I tried to rise, but a fresh wave of pain held me down. My left wing wouldn’t move. Only then did I notice it was bent at an unnatural angle.

It was broken.

Growling, I staggered to my feet, pushing past the agony throbbing in my wing as I made my way toward Rosalina again. She grinned widely, her expression demonic with those glowing red eyes.

“Your strength is failing,” she said, her voice echoing. “You won’t be able to fight me for long.”

She was right. Already, I felt too weak to continue.

But I had to try. This was the only way.

I had to strike her where she couldn’t reach me. Slowly, a plan formed in my mind. Digging my claws into the earth, I pressed down and launched myself forward.

Rosalina was ready for me, arms spread, prepared to strike me once more.

But instead of aiming for her chest, which was what I wanted her to think, I turned at the last moment, diving between her legs and circling around. Using my claws, I dug into the backs of her legs, making her shriek in pain. I continued climbing, making my way up her legs until I was clinging to her lower back. My claws pushed deeper into her flesh, drawing blood.

She thrashed, arms swiping blindly, trying to remove me from her back, but she couldn’t reach me.

I opened my jaws wide and clamped down on a piece of flesh, tearing, tearing, tearing…

Her screams made my ears throb, but I continued biting, ripping her apart piece by piece, until a mess of mangled flesh and blood surrounded me.

At last, she fell, careening to the ground, her body spasming. I continued climbing up her back until I reached the back of her neck. With a deep inhale, I unleashed my blue flames, igniting her hair and setting her head ablaze. Her body twitched, but she was in too much pain to even scream.

I pounced off her, landing hard on the ground, winded and gasping for breath, my tongue lolling and my throat dry. But I wasn’t finished yet. As long as she still breathed, she would be drawing strength from me. This wasn’t over until she was dead.

Using my snout, I pushed underneath her massive body, straining until I had rolled her onto her back. Then, I leapt onto her chest, climbing until I reached her throat. Her pulse was faint, but it was still there.

With a swift motion, I dragged a claw deep in her throat, sliding from one end to the next. A fresh river of blood flowed, dripping onto the ground and staining her dress. I jumped off her just as the enchantment on her body wore off, making her shrink down to her normal size once more. Her body jerked violently as she choked on her own blood, her face pale as death.

I shifted to my normal form as well, massaging my left shoulder, which was bruised and bleeding from her attack. Slowly, I approached her, my expression stony and unyielding as I watched her die. Her wide, vacant eyes fixed on me.

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