Reawakening: Primordial Dragon with Limitless Mana - Chapter 144: I will be your bride

Chapter 144: I will be your bride

The castle compound was vast, yet too cramped to host this battle. So, they moved to the forest behind it.

Kaelith naturally went along, her maid following close behind.

Averis was humming with excitement the entire way, until they reached a wide clearing where both sides finally stood face-to-face.

“For fairness, why don’t we dismiss our Shadows? They might unconsciously interfere,” Averis suggested. As if on cue, a maid in uniform stepped out of her shadow.

Hades followed. “Maylie, come out.”

Maylie, who often acted stubborn, offered no resistance this time. She knew her Lord’s tone left no room for defiance.

Once the two maids withdrew, Averis declared, “Consider this only a battle for dominance. If you defeat me, I’ll be yours. I’ll become your bride.”

Hades gave no reply. He simply drew the twin war hammers strapped to his back and shifted into position.

Averis grinned—she liked that he was all business.

She slid a sharp nail across her forearm, letting blood spill out, then shaped it with perfect control. It stretched and curved, the head bending into an inverted crescent. In moments, a crimson scythe rested in her hand. Not a single drop went to waste.

Hades had already guessed the nature of her powers, but instead of planning a strategy, he chose to focus solely on the fight before him.

Kaelith held her breath, worry churning in her chest though her face stayed calm.

For a brief moment, silence wrapped around the clearing like a heavy veil. Then, it shattered—Averis lunged, her strike carrying nothing but intent to kill.

“…!” Hades’s eyes sharpened. His newfound sense for Mana warned him before his sight did. He swung his left hammer down just in time, catching the attack.

Tng!

The clash rang through the forest. Though the weapon was forged of blood, the sound and the force that rattled his bones told Hades one thing—breaking that scythe would not be easy.

Madness burned in Averis’s eyes as she spun on her toes, her scythe cutting through the air in a wide horizontal arc.

SWISH

Hades ducked just in time, strands of his hair slicing free under the force of her swing.

As he dipped low, his right hammer shot toward her exposed torso. But Averis snapped her leg up, blocking the strike, and instantly drove her knee into his face.

“Guh!” Hades reeled, blood spraying as his nose broke. The blow landed even though she was off balance, her leg still aching from the block.

But Averis didn’t give him a breath. She lunged again, relentless.

Hades growled, leaping back before hurling one of his hammers straight at her face.

She only snickered, swatting the spinning weapon aside like it was nothing, and pressed forward, each step shaking the ground beneath her.

Hades’s eyes narrowed. His fist clenched.

Danger.

Averis spun just in time to block—the hammer she had knocked away was already flying back, its jagged head stopping only inches from her eye.

She smirked, thinking she had unraveled his plan. But it wasn’t over.

DOOOM!

The earth shuddered as Hades’s second hammer came crashing down on her head. He had slipped behind her, reading her presence and striking when her attention faltered.

The strike hadn’t injured her, but her body jolted from the impact.

Hades stepped back, recalling the hammer Averis had caught in her grip.

Lifting her gaze, the violet-haired dragoness said coldly, “A dragon doesn’t deceive when fighting.”

“But a warrior would,” Hades replied without hesitation, not a flicker of remorse in his eyes as he readied himself for the next clash.

Averis grinned, resting her scythe casually on her shoulder. “I noticed something…” she muttered, eyes glinting. “You haven’t even awakened your first core. Is that true?”

Hades gave no answer. His eyes stayed locked on hers, steady and unyielding.

Her grin widened into a chuckle. “How disappointing. With every moment, you’re proving yourself weaker than I thought.” Her hands tightened on the scythe as her voice dropped into a dangerous purr. “Let’s see how long you can keep dancing.”

Averis lunged, her scythe carving a wide arc meant to split him in half. Hades ducked, the blade howling over his head, and swung his hammer upward. She twisted aside, the strike grazing her hip, then lashed out with her heel. The kick slammed into his chest, knocking the air out of him.

Before he could breathe, the scythe came down again. Hades caught it on his hammer, the force rattling his bones, then rolled to the side as her follow-up cut tore through the dirt.

He swung low at her legs. She jumped, landing with a downward slash that cut into his shoulder, hot blood spraying across his chest.

Hades staggered back, gritting his teeth. He hurled his hammer at her face, forcing her to deflect, then rushed in with the second one. She caught his swing on the scythe’s curve and twisted, dragging him off balance. Her knee shot up, smashing against his jaw.

Pain burned through him, but he forced himself to step back. Averis pressed forward like a beast, her scythe flashing red through the clearing. Cuts opened across his arm and ribs as he dodged too late, every clash pushing him closer to the edge.

Then, between the storm of blows, he saw it—her left hand never moved. It hovered near her side, never gripping, never striking. She was fighting him with only one hand.

Hades narrowed his eyes, then leapt—dodging the slash by a hair. His body hung in the air as he invoked <Fatherless Flight>, suspending himself above the battlefield.

Averis’s gaze snapped upward just in time to see him dive, his form cutting down like a spear.

She grinned, her scythe melting into liquid crimson before reshaping into a long spear. With a swift motion, she hurled it straight at him.

Hades twisted midair, letting the weapon tear through his shoulder. Blood burst from the wound, but his charge didn’t falter.

Caught off guard, Averis’s eyes widened—just as his hammer smashed against her side, aiming for her arm.

DHAK!

The impact rang through the clearing, a deep shockwave rolling across the ground. Hades felt the crack beneath his strike—something had given way.

But when his eyes met hers, she was still smiling.

“Such a disappointment,” she hissed. “You were aiming for my weakened spot?”

Hades landed lightly, retreating a few steps, his brows knitting together.

Averis tilted her head, mockery dripping from every word. “The heir of a Primordial Being. The son of the one who shattered mortal limits, who made heaven and hell tremble in his wake. And yet…” Her grin widened. “…his heir claws at weakness because he cannot stand before me head-on?”

With a low growl, Averis spat, “You’re nothing but a stain on his name. I’m surprised you even dare call yourself a man.”

Kaelith’s fist clenched. Her body moved before she could think, ready to charge forward.

But a firm hand seized her arm.

She turned, frowning at Avalin, only to see the maid silently shake her head.

And then Kaelith understood. She froze.

The air itself seemed to shift, heavy and suffocating. In that moment, everyone present felt it—what it truly meant to wound a man’s pride.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by AiKurou