Drazhul slid back several steps, his boots grinding hard against the shattered street.

He steadied himself, chest rising and falling heavily. His eyes burnt with anger as he stared at Dahlia.

"Goddammit," he growled. "I never thought you could be this strong."

Dahlia shook out her arms and smirked.

"What can I say?" she replied cheerfully. "I'm just that awesome."

Drazhul's expression twisted.

The muscles in his jaw tightened, and his hands clenched until his gauntlets creaked.

Dark veins pulsed along his arms. He let out a low, frustrated snarl.

His calm was gone.

"This is enough," Drazhul said, his voice rough. "I didn't come here to be toyed with."

He threw his head back and roared.

"[Demonization]!"

The sound shook the street.

Demonic mana erupted from his body in a violent surge.

The air screamed as pressure exploded outward.

The ground cracked deeper, stone lifting and shattering under his feet.

Drazhul's body began to change.

His muscles swelled further, tearing through parts of his armor.

Dark markings spread across his skin, glowing faintly red.

His broken horns grew thicker, sharper, twisting slightly as power flooded into them.

His eyes burned bright crimson, filled with fury.

Arden staggered back instinctively. "T-this pressure… it's way stronger."

Dion grimaced and raised an arm to shield his face from the wind.

"So this is what a high demon noble looks like when he stops holding back."

Drazhul slammed his fist into his chest.

"Now I'll show you why I sit above soldiers," he roared. "Why this city listens to me."

He vanished.

Dahlia barely had time to react.

Drazhul reappeared right in front of her and swung.

"[Abyssal War Smash]!"

The blow hit like a mountain.

Dahlia crossed her arms and released a burst of wind.

"[Wind Guard]!"

The air detonated on impact, but this time it was not enough.

Dahlia was thrown back.

She skidded across the street, smashing through a broken stall before slamming into a wall.

Stone cracked behind her as dust exploded outward.

Dion shouted, "Dahlia!"

She pushed herself off the wall, coughing once before straightening up.

Her boots scraped the ground as she took her stance again.

"…Okay," she muttered. "That one actually hurt."

Drazhul laughed, a deep, savage sound. "That's it. Stay down."

He charged again, faster than before.

"[Demon Lord Rush]!"

Dahlia flapped her wings hard, barely lifting herself in time.

His fist grazed her side, tearing through wind pressure and sending her spinning through the air.

She landed hard, rolling several times before stopping.

Arden clenched his fists. "Master…"

Garion raised one hand slightly. "Wait."

Dahlia slowly pushed herself up, brushing dust from her cheek.

Her grin returned, sharper than before.

"Wow," she said, stretching her neck. "You finally hit like someone important."

Drazhul stomped forward, every step cracking the street. "Still joking?"

"Of course," Dahlia replied. "You had to push me back first. That's just good manners."

She spread her wings fully.

Wind rushed in from all directions, fast and sharp.

Broken debris began to circle her feet.

Her hair whipped violently behind her as pressure built again, stronger than before.

"Now," Dahlia said, her eyes shining with excitement, "it's my turn to get serious. For the first time."

The watching demons gasped.

Arden took a sharp breath. "M-Master… Her mana output just spiked again."

Dion narrowed his eyes. "No. It's not just mana. Her whole body is changing."

Garion stayed silent, but his gaze sharpened.

Cracks spread across the ground beneath Dahlia.

Her skin began to change first.

Scales formed rapidly, spreading from her arms across her shoulders, chest, and legs.

They overlapped perfectly, smooth and solid, catching the light as the wind wrapped around her.

The scales gleamed faintly blue and white, pulsing with power.

Dahlia clenched her fists as her fingers thickened.

Claws extended, sharp and curved.

Her arms grew stronger, muscle tightening beneath the scales.

Then her head began to change.

Her horns lengthened and curved upward, growing thicker and more defined.

A heavy tail burst out behind her, slamming into the ground and cracking stone as it stabilized her stance.

Her wings grew wider, stronger, each flap shaking the street.

In seconds, Dahlia was no longer just a cultivator.

She stood as a humanoid dragon, tall and imposing, scales fully covering her body.

Drazhul took an involuntary step back.

"…What the hell," he muttered.

Dahlia rolled her neck once, listening to the sound of shifting scales.

She looked down at her hands, flexed her claws, then laughed.

"Huh," she said. "So this is what it feels like."

She lifted her head and locked eyes with Drazhul.

"[Full Transformation Wind Dragon]."

The wind exploded outward.

Drazhul raised his arms just in time.

"[Demon Guard Bastion]!"

Dark energy formed a barrier in front of him, but the pressure slammed into it instantly.

The barrier cracked.

Drazhul was pushed back, boots carving deep lines into the ground as he struggled to hold his footing.

He gritted his teeth. "Impossible!"

Dahlia stepped forward.

Each step sent a burst of compressed wind forward.

"[Dominion Gale Step]."

She vanished and reappeared right in front of him.

Her claw slammed into his chest.

"[Dragon Wind Impact]!"

The hit landed cleanly.

Drazhul was blasted backward, smashing through a wall and skidding across the street before finally stopping.

He coughed hard, dark blood spilling from his mouth as he forced himself upright.

Arden stared. "She… she pushed him back."

Dion let out a slow breath. "That wasn't even a combo. That was a greeting."

Drazhul roared in fury and staggered forward.

"You think that now you can defeat me?"

Dahlia smiled, sharp and confident.

She slowly spread her wings again.

The wind answered instantly, rising in sharp currents that screamed through the air.

"I don't know about that," Dahlia said lightly.

She raised one claw in front of her face and turned it slightly, watching the wind coil around it.

"But seeing how strong I am right now…" she continued. "Not even ten of you could beat me."

Drazhul's eyes widened despite himself.

Dahlia lowered her claw and looked straight at him.

"You," she said calmly, "and this town of yours… you're done."

She laughed then, loud and unapologetic.

A sharp, villainous laugh that echoed down the street and made the watching demons shrink back in fear.

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