Chapter 65

Tiamat launched an immediate offensive.

Without panicking, I blocked her flurry of punches and kicks.

At first, Tiamat took a somewhat passive stance, likely trying to gauge whether this would be a short skirmish or a long, drawn-out battle.

She was clearly a balance-type fighter, possessing the means to attack effectively in any situation. At close range, she could engage in hand-to-hand combat like she was doing now; at long range, she could pressure me with her breath. Tiamat was truly the definition of a dragon who excelled at both near and far combat.

Orm specialized in close-quarters combat, while Gwyber focused on defense and long-range breath attacks. While fighting styles often change depending on personality, species, and evolution, it was rare to see someone prioritize balance as heavily as Tiamat.

I was equipped with Rou this time, but I wasn’t sure if I would use it yet. I had originally prepared it for when Tiamat fought in her dragon form, so I didn’t know when the right time to draw it would be while she was still human.

Tiamat likely chose to fight in human form to eliminate the size disparity. Normally, being larger is an advantage, but I can punch things away regardless of their size. Furthermore, Tiamat’s dragon form was the type that kept all four legs on the ground, meaning her underbelly was hidden.

The Dragon Emperor had limbs but could stand on two legs, and Orm was a serpent-like type without limbs, so they might not have minded as much. However, Tiamat likely chose this form because her vital underbelly would be exposed to a small human like me, putting her at a disadvantage.

“Still testing the waters?”

“Yeah. I’m just a weak human, so I’m taking my time to observe.”

“If you watch for too long, a surprise attack will sweep the rug from under your feet!”

She aimed a high kick at my head, and I leaped backward. I only knew her tail was following up because of my Magic Detection.

“…Now that you mention it, you do possess Magic Detection and Sixth Sense.”

“Right. That’s why I told you, isn’t it? I’m observing you closely.”

Tiamat had already manifested her dragon horns and tail. Since the Dragon Emperor and Gwyber had done the same, I knew she’d use them eventually—I just didn’t expect her to lead with a surprise attack.

Gwyber had spoiled the secret for me later: this was apparently just a partial release of the Humanization Art. They could vary the size at will, though fortunately, it couldn’t exceed the size of their original dragon form.

The real problem for me was predicting when and where she would release the transformation. If our fists collided and she suddenly reverted to a dragon’s arm to strike me, the sheer force would be a massive issue.

But I wouldn’t win if I didn’t attack. I could block to wear down her stamina, but I couldn’t defeat her that way.

“Well then, I think it’s about time I went on the offensive.”

“Finally. Come, let me show you the true power of a Queen.”

I shifted my stance. This was the place to show Tiamat exactly what I was capable of. I would defeat her with the utmost respect!

I threw a heavy punch aimed at Tiamat’s stomach. No—it didn’t land cleanly. The moment I struck, she leaped backward to negate the damage. That was a move born of pure experience.

“I am surprised. Your fists weren’t this powerful back when I was training you.”

“Well, you have to grow if you want to survive.”

“Then let me verify just how much you have grown.”

Instead of just blocking her attacks like before, I began dodging and throwing back counters. Tiamat actually looked somewhat happy about that. In the end, she was a dragon too. Beneath it all, she must have enjoyed clashing with someone of equal strength.

I had to live up to that. If I couldn’t, it would all end here.

…No, this wasn’t working. I was dedicating too much thought to the process, leading to a lot of meaningless attacks. So what should I do? Abandon thought? Can I even win like that?

Another solid punch landed on me. While I was staggered, she launched me into the air with a punch-and-kick combo, then followed up with a breath attack that sent me crashing onto my back.

“Cough… haah, haah…”

“…Is this all? How disappointing.”

I only had a few bruises, but was this my limit? She approached me to deliver the finishing blow. A massive aura began to gather in her hand.

This was bad. How do I survive? How do I overcome this crisis!

“Goodbye, Ryu.”

I’m going to be killed—?!

“Gah!”

My leg shot out instinctively. Was this Survival Instinct?

…Ah, I see. I didn’t need to think at all.

“You continue to surprise me. You can still move?”

“Yeah. I can still fight,” I said, slowly picking myself up.

“But in that state, you won’t last long, will you?”

“No. Since I won’t last, I’ll finish this quickly.”

I vanished and reappeared right in front of Tiamat.

“ー?!”

I didn’t think. I just struck. I punched and kicked relentlessly, cornering her.

“Why? Why so suddenly?!”

“I just realized I was using one of my skills the wrong way.”

It was Sixth Sense, which had been integrated into the Survival Instinct skill. Until now, I had used this skill primarily for defense. But this was a skill for both offense and defense. Sixth Sense allowed me to sense danger through instinct and recognize the best possible attack through that same instinct.

I simply surrendered my body to the skill. Just as Ril, Karin, and Ouka had said—I was overthinking it. I was putting too much pressure on myself. I just stopped doing that.

“Tiamat. Sorry, but I’m turning the tables.”

“Relentless” was the only way to describe it. With a battered body that was on the verge of collapse, I dealt guaranteed damage, closing the distance step by step.

“To think you had such a method hidden away…!”

“Because I was weak, I worked my heart out to get stronger. Because I was weak, I fought nothing but the strongest opponents. This is the result of that training. Will you acknowledge it?”

“…I have no choice but to acknowledge it!”

Tiamat fought back desperately, but she was already significantly weakened. So, I spoke with respect.

“Thank you for everything.”

I drove my fist into her stomach as if to gouge it out and released my magic. Tiamat slammed into the arena wall and lost consciousness.

A deafening cheer erupted in an instant, but I was completely spent and blacked out right then and there.