At level 71, Ash felt like this should be relatively easy.
Level 71
MP: 330/330
EXP: 40/710
---
STR: 50
DEX: 30
CON: 34
INT: 20
WIS: 33
L: 100
As the dragon-like woman began calmly walking towards her, clenched fists at her side and ready to swing, Ash assessed the situation.
Assuming this thing doesn't train, which monsters tend not to do, she should have at least 20 attribute points less than I do. That'll show up somewhere, be it her Dex or her Strength or whatever, she thought as she took a deep breath and prepared herself. I just need to-
Suddenly, the monster disappeared.
Ash's eyes widened when the creature reappeared next to her and planted a fist in her abdomen. Spit shot out from Ash's mouth as she was launched backward, hitting a tree behind her.
What the fuck was that!? Ash thought as she fell to the ground. Gritting her teeth, she saw the dragon-like woman charge towards her. As quickly as she could, Ash stood up and slashed out with her gauntlets, narrowly missing her target as the monster leaned back at the last second. Then, Ash pushed her back with a kick.
"Corruption spread, corruption launch!" Ash said, sending out a black sphere that struck her chest.
And the attack had no effect, as far as Ash could tell.
What?
Before Ash could internalize what had just happened, she charged towards her again, this time, leaping up into the air and spinning into a kick aimed at Ash's head. The half-demon dodged out of the way and the kick split the tree behind her, breaking it in half.
Ash stood up, punching out with her gauntlets. The dragon-like monster dodged out of the way of all of her attacks, though Ash could tell she was only barely missing.
Then, she caught Ash by the wrists and pulled her back, flipping her and slamming her into the ground where she then tried to stomp down on Ash's neck. However, before she could do that, Ash slashed her legs, catching her right calf, and some red blood came out, splashing over Ash's face as the monster retreated.
She hopped back several steps, clutching her leg in pain while Ash stood up.
Okay, her Con doesn't seem that high, Ash thought, assessing the situation. Given that her mana is at 500, I'm guessing most of her stats are in her Wis, Strength, and Dex.
Taking deep breaths, Ash watched as the woman hunched over, looking like she was going to attack. Okay, how's this then?
"Bow."
Ash transformed her Savior's Weapon and quickly shot an arrow out, aimed at her head. It missed and instead, struck the body of the dead dragon behind her.
Suddenly, the woman's body became fire and shot out in Ash's direction. Ash rolled to the side and the woman's body materialized, but she didn't hesitate to throw out a kick. Ash dodged it and stepped back.
"Spear," she said and her Lust transformed. Ash tried to stab her, but the woman dodged each of her thrusts before closing the gap and punching Ash in the gut. Ash's armor absorbed the majority of the hit, but Ash still felt some pain at the impact.
"Gauntlets," she muttered and her weapon transformed again, and Ash tried to swipe at the woman, just barely managing to nick her left shoulder before the woman spun and hit Ash with a kick she didn't even see. The hit landed squarely on Ash's jaw, and for a second, the world turned white.
How the hell is this thing so strong!? Ash thought as she slashed out and the woman backed off, avoiding her slashes. I might actually have to use my Champion ability if I don't find an opening.
Suddenly, the woman's arms were covered in flames. Thinking that she was going to do the same strange attack from before, Ash prepared herself to dodge, but instead, she put her hands together and flame surged out in Ash's direction. Ash ran to the left, but the woman's hands followed her movements, causing the fire to do the same.
I'm getting really fucking tired of this! Ash thought, and, at that moment, she decided defense was overrated and ran straight at the woman instead.
This caught the dragon-like woman off-guard, which Ash used to her advantage.
With her gauntlets, she tried to stab her in the gut, but the woman grabbed her by the wrists, just barely managing to prevent that from happening. Then, she did something that Ash simply didn't see coming.
She pulled on Ash's wrists so harshly that her gauntlets came off and fell to the dirt.
... Shit, Ash said, before she was headbutted, right between her horns.
"AGH!"
Then, the woman hit her with a knee to the gut, and the wind was knocked out of her.
Then another, then another, until a violet aura began covering Ash's body.
The dragon woman tried to do it a fourth time, but Ash stopped it with her hands, looking up at the woman with pure rage in her eyes.
Okay, she growled, let's do this.
The dragon woman growled back at her and what followed held no skill, no technique, or finesse. Instead, Ash punched the woman in the face, and received a punch in return, before the two of them started exchanging wild blows.
At these heights, the +5 increase to Ash's physical stats from her Demon Form didn't make much of a difference, but it did make it so that Ash couldn't think about anything but ripping into her enemy, as her hands transformed into claws.
The woman pushed Ash back and tackled her, throwing her to the ground. Ash kicked her from underneath before punching her in the face, tearing a cut above her right eye. The woman punched Ash a couple of times before Ash flipped her and mounted her, returning to her the same treatment she'd just received.
However, at a point, Ash started using her claws, and with them, she began slashing at the woman's face and chest. She let out a few pained sounds as she flailed, trying to throw Ash off of her, but the half-demon didn't stop.
She was only interrupted when the woman's arms turned into flames and a surge of fire was thrust into Ash's chest at point-blank range.
The armor did nothing to stop this from hurting beyond anything else the woman had done to her so far. The pain was so unbearable that Ash fell back, struggling to breathe as she swiped at her chest, trying to snuff the flames that remained. The dragon woman stood up slowly, blood dripping from her scratched cheeks as she glared at Ash.
Yeah, there's more where that-
Her thoughts were cut off by a punch to the face.
Ash returned that gift in kind with a punch of her own. Blood came out from the woman's mouth, which she spat out onto the dirt.
Then, the woman grabbed Ash by the shoulders and headbutted her a second time, her red blood staining Ash's forehead as Ash felt the world start to spin.
Ash responded with a punch to the gut, and the woman reacted by headbutting her again. The same thing happened again, and then a second time, until a full minute passed, where they did nothing but trade hits back and forth.
Something caught Ash's eye though, as the woman reared back to do that again. Somehow, the two of them had landed right next to Ash's gauntlets.
"Sword," Ash muttered and her gauntlets united, becoming one blade.
And, as the woman was about to headbutt her again, Ash leaned to the side, dodging it. She grabbed the sword off the ground then and stabbed her through the stomach.
Ash sank the blade in deeper, as she could feel the woman's strength slipping.
How do you like that!? Ash grinned victoriously as the woman struggled to keep herself upright.
Then, someone spoke from behind Ash.
"Sinneah..." A deep, guttural voice said, and Ash turned towards it.
What? She asked herself as she saw that the dragon, the one she thought had been dead, had one eye open now and was looking right at them.
Then, another voice came out. One that was raspy, and belonged to someone who was struggling to breathe, likely as a result of the blade in her stomach.
"Gurron..." The dragon woman said and Ash's eyes widened. "Gather your strength. I cannot hold this demon back. Escape..."
She can talk!? Ash thought as the dragon behind her tried to move, though its wounds, from a previous battle, seemed to be too much for it.
"Go," the dragon woman said, as she wrapped her arms around Ash. "I will hold this thing for as long as I can..."
Ash just watched all of this, shocked.
Watching all of this happen, Ash's Demon Form faded as the will to fight left her. And, looking into the dragon woman's eyes, she asked:
"You can talk?"
The woman did a double-take at her, as though she couldn't believe what she had just heard either.
The two of them simply stared at each other, mutually stunned at what they had just discovered. Then, the woman spat out blood, all over Ash's chest, and hunched over as she seemed to begin losing her strength.
She's... Isn't she a monster? How...?
Many questions quickly began to circle in Ash's mind as she saw the woman's eyes half-close.
If she isn't... Ash thought, a realization coming to her as she then removed her sword.
"Agh!"
"Yeah... Sorry," Ash said before she then cast the basic Healing spell, pressing her free hand against the woman's wound. Her hand glowed white and the wound began closing slowly.
Shocked, the dragon woman looked up at Ash, with nothing but confusion in her eyes.
"You... What? But, you are a demon..."
"No. I'm not," Ash replied. "I thought you were a monster."
"... I am," she coughed out blood, "I am not."
"Hm," Ash noted as they both looked into each other's eyes.
Well. Looks like there was a bit of a misunderstanding here.. Shit, Ash thought as the woman slumped over and let her head fall on Ash's left shoulder from sheer exhaustion.
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