Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Artorias' arm fell to the ground with a dull thud, his sword still gripped in his now lifeless fingers. The blood should have gushed out, but it was burned away before it could even touch the air. The impact of Strax's blow reverberated through the entire arena, and for a moment, silence reigned.

But only for a moment.

Artorias, despite the missing limb, did not retreat. His eyes burned with primal fury, and with a beastly roar, the flesh of his shoulder regenerated in a fraction of a second, growing as if he were an immortal entity. In the next instant, he was already in motion, charging forward with a wave of overwhelming strength.

Strax reacted instinctively. Ouroboros gleamed in a golden arc as he blocked the first strike with such force that cracks spread through the ground. Artorias, now with his sword restored in an instant, attacked with relentless fury, his blade moving like a silver blur.

The battlefield became an absolute chaos. They exchanged blows at a terrifying speed, each impact sending shockwaves that made the air vibrate and the earth tremble. Strax spun through the air, dodging a brutal thrust before retaliating with a horizontal slash. Artorias leaned back just in time, escaping the blade by a hair before counterattacking with a devastating kick that sent Strax sliding several meters back.

The moment Strax's feet hit the ground, he was back on the offensive, launching himself forward like a spear. His fist shone with raw energy, and he launched it at Artorias, who blocked with the side of his sword, the impact creating an explosion of pure force. Shockwaves shattered rocks around them, sending dust and debris into the air.

The two warriors never stopped. Strax slid under a slicing blade and spun, attacking with an upward strike. Artorias jumped back, but Strax immediately followed, unleashing a series of sword strikes and punches in perfect sync. The fight was not just a battle of strength, but a display of pure skill, a lethal dance where a single mistake meant death.

Artorias, grinning in the intensity of the combat, leapt into the air, spinning mid-flight before coming down with a vertical strike that could split a mountain. Strax raised Ouroboros in response, and the impact was so violent that it created a crater around them. But neither gave way.

They both jumped back at the same time, only to charge again in a new clash of blades. Each blow was blocked at the last instant, each dodge performed at the limit of perfection. Their movements were so fast that any ordinary spectator could not keep up. Time seemed to slow down for both of them as they anticipated each other's next strike.

Strax used the palm of his hand to deflect a blow and spun Ouroboros in a horizontal cut. Artorias ducked, letting the blade pass over his head, and took advantage of the move to drive a fist empowered with pure energy into Strax's stomach, sending him crashing into the arena's wall with crushing force.

Dust rose, obscuring the view. But before Artorias could capitalize on the advantage, a golden glow emerged from the smoke.

Strax emerged from the rubble like a beast unleashed, his eyes burning with a wild light. He opened his palm, and Ouroboros disappeared in a flash of darkness and golden light. In that same moment, Tiamat appeared in his hands, its flaming blade pulsing with destructive energy.

Artorias laughed. "Ah, so now you're starting to take this seriously."

Strax didn't answer. He advanced, and in the blink of an eye, he was above Artorias, his sword coming down like a divine lightning bolt. Artorias raised his blade in response, but the impact made his feet sink into the ground. Strax didn't stop. He spun Tiamat, releasing a barrage of strikes so fast they seemed countless.

Artorias was pushed back, blocking as much as he could, but the pressure was mounting. Strax took advantage of a slip-up and spun his body, kicking Artorias in the chest with enough force to send him crashing into the rubble. Without giving him time to recover, Strax appeared beside Artorias and brought his blade down with overwhelming fury. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Artorias, panting, managed to dodge at the last instant, but he wasn't unscathed. The slash echoed through the air, and a streak of blood spread across the ground. For the first time, he was at a disadvantage.

His smile disappeared.

Strax, noticing the shift, did not hesitate. He pressed on even harder, forcing Artorias to retreat continuously. The legendary warrior tried to counter, but Strax was now superior in speed and precision. It was as if the battle had shifted, as if the hunter had become the prey.

Then it happened.

Strax dodged a strike from Artorias and spun his body in an impossible manner, sliding behind his opponent. Before Artorias could react, a single precise blow disarmed his dominant hand, sending his sword flying through the air.

Time seemed to stop.

The blade clattered to the ground with a metallic sound, sealing the turn of events. Artorias, panting and sweating, looked at his empty hand. For the first time in countless battles, he was unarmed.

Strax pointed Tiamat at him, his expression unchanged. "It's over."

Artorias, standing still, gazed at the man before him. Then, he smiled. Not out of arrogance, but out of genuine satisfaction.

"Hah... You're truly beyond what I expected..."

Strax did not lower his guard for a second. He knew Artorias was dangerous even without his blade. The legendary warrior cracked his neck, took a deep breath, and then raised his fists. His muscles tensed like steel, and his aura, once focused on his sword, now enveloped his entire body like a violent storm.

"Without the sword? You still want to continue?" Strax asked, his eyes fixed on Artorias' movements.

The warrior's smile only widened. "I never needed it to fight. It was always a choice."

Before Strax could respond, Artorias surged forward. His movement was so fast that it seemed he had vanished. The air exploded around him as he reappeared right before Strax, his left fist glowing with crushing energy. Strax raised Tiamat to block, but the impact was so violent that the ground beneath them shattered with monstrous cracks.

Strax was thrown back, but he spun in the air, embedding his sword in the ground to slow his momentum. Before even landing, Artorias was already on top of him again. An empty-handed descending strike tore through the air, and Strax barely had time to drop Tiamat and cross his arms to block. The impact left a massive trench in the ground and cracked the wall behind them.

Strax gritted his teeth. He could feel the bones in his forearms vibrating from the absurd force of that blow.

"Has he gotten stronger without the sword?"

There was no time to think. Artorias was already preparing another strike. Strax threw himself to the side at the last moment, narrowly dodging a kick that caused the air to explode around them. He retaliated with a horizontal cut, but Artorias bent his body backward with impossible flexibility, passing under the blade before spinning on his own axis and landing a straight punch to Strax's face.

The blow sent Strax spinning through the air, but he used the momentum to counterattack. In an acrobatic spin, he used Tiamat's blade as an axis and descended with a kick charged with fiery energy. Artorias raised his arm to block, but the impact still pushed him back.

The moment Strax's feet touched the ground, he shot forward like a lightning bolt. His blade glowed in a golden arc as he attacked with fury. Artorias dodged at the last instant, his movements supernaturally precise, but Strax wouldn't let him breathe.

The sword became an extension of the warrior himself, cutting through the air with absurd speed. Artorias kept dodging, but then Strax changed the rhythm—transitioning from a blade strike to a brutal hook.

Catching Artorias by surprise, Strax's fist slammed into his jaw, sending him flying upward. Without hesitation, Strax leaped after him, the energy of Tiamat pulsating around the blade. In mid-air, he spun like a hurricane and brought down his sword in a strike that seemed to tear the sky apart.

Artorias crossed his arms to block. The impact was so intense that he was thrown directly to the ground, creating a colossal crater. The crash reverberated throughout the entire arena.

For a moment, everything fell silent.

Strax hovered in the air, his eyes fixed on the dust rising from the crater. He knew that this wouldn't be enough to take down a monster like Artorias.

And he was right.

The ground trembled.

From the midst of the dust, Artorias emerged like a shadow. His body was battered, his breath heavy… But his eyes. His eyes gleamed with pure excitement.

He raised a hand, beckoning Strax with a gesture.

"Come."

Strax smiled. But he was already tired… "Let's finish this quickly… I have a sister to save, wives to resurrect, and I'll have to face you again when I free Xyn," Strax said, giving Artorias a tired look.

"Xyn?" Artorias questioned...

"Ah... that damned goddess," he said before healing his body completely. "You have traces of Persephone all over your body, and yet you're involved with that Phoenix... The gods are very interested in you, kid." Artorias said, picking up the sword from the ground.

"I wanted to see how far this would go, but it seems like times have really changed." Artorias said, looking up at the sky.

"What do you mean by that?" Strax asked.

"A reincarnated one stole my descendant's body, used my spiritual weapons as his own, conquered two Dragon Goddesses with charisma and strength, caught the attention of Persephone and Nyx," he sighed and tossed the sword to Strax.

'In the end, as I imagined… Xyn and Nyx are the same person...' Strax thought.

It wasn't an attack, but… as if he were handing her to him.

"I'll give you what you want, but first, you'll listen to what I have to say." He said… Artorias… seemed like someone else.