"Are you sure about this?" Hades asked as he helped Luna wear armour.

The silver head looked up and asked, "You don't trust me?"

When Raarka agreed to settle this with a duel, Luciana stood up as the contender from their side, arguing with her father to let her finish this matter by her own hands since she was the cause of this whole mess.

And from Devon's side, Hades wanted to take the challenge but then Luna insisted on letting her fight.

Hades didn't question her since it felt like his wife wanted to show her new skills to him.

It felt so adorable that he couldn't stop himself from smiling as he agreed.

Now, everyone was waiting in the garden outside while Hades tied the laces of the armour behind her back.

"No one else could sense it better than me how strong you have grown, Luna. You don't have to fight someone to show it to me."

Luna turned and told him, "Strength can't be felt, it can only be shown through action...you told me that once, didn't you?"

Hades sighed. Softly tucking her hair strands behind her ear, he said, "Just don't get hurt."

Luna grinned and pecked his lips, "If I do get hurt, carry me to safety, okay?"

Hades chuckled as he saw the girl stepping out of the room.

Not so long after, he followed her and stepped out of the mansion.

Hades found Trevon looking at him, certainly wanting to say something.

And as the redhead neared him, Trevon said, "I could have participated in this battle. It's for my son."

Hades crossed his arms and said, "Despite how adorable she appeared, Luciana is a strong woman I can tell at a glance."

Trevon frowned, "Why do you believe Miss Luna, who is also a human, can defeat her?"

"No," Hades shook his head before adding, "I know she will defeat her."

Several soldiers had gathered around the front of the mansion where there was enough space for the two ladies to settle this matter.

Peri was still huffing in dissatisfaction as she stood beside Hades.

The redhead could only helplessly smile as he relayed, "Let's spar sometime later."

"I don't want your pity," she snickered, "Not like I am eager to show you what I am capable of."

Hades chuckled, barely resisting the urge to hug her.

Ava and Averis were standing nearby on guard and Quintessa along with her children was standing a little away from them.

A short man with sharp reptilian eyes stepped forward and voiced, "This duel would end when one side surrenders or falls dead. There is no time limit."

Hades tensed up as the referee raised his hand to commence the match.

And in the next instance,

"BEGIN!"

The duel began.

Luciana dashed first—fast and heavy. Her fist swung wide, grazing Luna's cheek as Luna stepped back, blocking the follow-up knee with her forearm. The hit still pushed her a step back.

Luna exhaled slowly, then shot forward with a sharp jab to Luciana's ribs. The orc grinned, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her into a grapple, but Luna slipped out and spun, landing a kick on Luciana's side.

The sound of impact made the crowd cheer.

Luciana only smirked wider. She rushed again, dropping low this time. Luna tried to dodge, but Luciana tackled her by the waist and slammed her onto the grass. Luna grunted, twisting her hips and kicking Luciana off before the orc could pin her down.

Both got up quickly, dust and bits of grass clinging to their clothes.

Luciana charged again, swinging a brutal uppercut. Luna ducked, countering with a punch to the jaw, then a kick to the knee. The orc stumbled but caught Luna's leg and yanked her forward.

They collided, fists flying, neither holding back.

Luciana's strikes were wild but strong—each blow carrying weight that shook the air. Luna's movements were clean and controlled, blocking, sidestepping, and hitting in quick bursts whenever she saw an opening.

A punch from Luciana grazed her temple; Luna answered with a palm strike to the chin. The orc spat blood, then laughed—a deep, rumbling sound that made the audience roar.

The fight went on like that—fast, fierce, balanced. Luciana's raw strength against Luna's sharp precision.

At last, both stopped, breathing hard, sweat running down their faces.

Luciana smiled, wiping her mouth. "You're tougher than you look."

Luna smiled faintly but didn't reply. Her eyes glowed faintly—cold and fierce.

A shimmer ran across her arms, and then it happened. Silver scales spread over her skin, catching the sunlight. The air around her grew heavier, her presence sharp like a blade.

Luciana's grin faltered. "Oh… this is new."

The ground beneath Luna's feet cracked slightly as she stepped forward, her strength surging through the air like pressure before a storm.

Luciana steadied her stance. "Alright then, come on!"

Luna dashed forward—faster than before. The grass blew back from the force, and the moment she swung her fist, a shockwave burst from it.

Luciana blocked with both arms, but the impact drove her a few feet back, leaving deep marks in the dirt beneath her boots. Her muscles tensed as she tried to absorb the force, but Luna didn't let up.

She landed another strike—a clean hit to Luciana's side—and the ground beneath the orc split open, dust rising from the impact. Luciana grunted, sliding across the grass, her feet digging twin lines into the soil before she stopped.

The audience gasped, some standing on their toes to see better.

Devon could only stare in horror how strong Luciana actually is...she was definitely holding back during their battle.

Hades, on the other hand, was watching the spar with a hint of surprise and excitement in his eyes.

'She has trained well in these few weeks.'

Just then, Luciana let out a low laugh, shaking off the numbness from her arm. "That… hurt."

Luna lowered her guard slightly, her dragon scales glinting as she caught her breath. "Sorry. It's hard to hold back once it starts."

Luciana rolled her shoulders, still smiling despite the ache. "Don't be. That's the kind of fight I like."

However, before the two could move, a sudden chill swept through the garden, crawling down everyone's spine.

"Look up!" someone shouted.

Heads turned skyward—and gasps filled the air.

A colossal dragon loomed above the clouds, its size so immense it could flatten an entire village just by landing. Its wings stretched wide, casting a dark shadow that swallowed the sunlight. The air trembled with each slow, thunderous beat of those wings.

Hades froze. His eyes widened as he took in the creature's monstrous form—scales sharp as blades, glinting like forged steel under the sun. Every flap of its wings carried a sound that made the earth itself seem to groan.

The dragon's golden eyes swept across the ground, cold and unfeeling, gazing down at the tiny beings below as if they were mere insects beneath its notice.

But then—those eyes locked onto Hades.

The redhead's heart pounded. He didn't need words. He knew. The beast was here for him.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The world fell silent, save for the slow, dreadful rumble of the dragon's growl echoing above.

And then it moved.

The massive creature folded its wings and dove—plummeting from the heavens like a falling mountain, tearing through the air with a roar that shattered the calm of the garden.

"Brace for impact!"

"Protect the chief!" shouted one of the soldiers, panic rising in their voices. But Raarka had already moved, clutching his daughter tightly as he leapt back to safety.

Hades grabbed Peri and Luna, pulling them away as the enormous shadow of the descending dragon swallowed the garden whole. The ground trembled under its approach—there was nowhere to run, nowhere far enough to escape.

But then… something changed.

The shadow began to twist, its massive outline warping and shrinking. The dragon's form rippled, scales melting into flesh, wings folding into its back as the creature's body rapidly transformed.

By the time it hit the ground—

**THUD**

—the impact cracked the earth beneath their feet, sending a wave of dust through the courtyard.

When the cloud cleared, a man stood where the dragon had landed.

He was easily eight feet tall, his body carved with muscle that looked as if it had been forged in battle itself. Glowing red tattoos ran across his skin like molten veins, pulsing faintly with each breath he took. Long black hair cascaded down his back, wild and unbound, swaying with the fading tremor of his arrival.

The air around him still carried the weight of the dragon.

It's presence made every single being take a step back. Many had already fallen in despair.

His eyes then locked on Hades as he voiced, "You...come with me or everyone here will die."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Let there be carnage. This is going to be a short but chaotic arc. Thanks for reading.

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