Volcanus tried to hurry his way out as spells blasted him off from every direction.

Within just a few minutes, the molten construct was being completely suppressed. Its hardened lava armor cracked under repeated blows, and chunks of molten flesh were torn apart and scattered across the battlefield.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the situation from a distance.

He could not allow this to happen. That construct was not something he could casually replace. It had taken time, resources, and careful preparation. The magic spells had cost a lot and he could not allow it to be for nothing. Losing it here would be a heavy loss.

Without hesitation, Ethan moved.

His figure blurred and then reappeared within the battlefield. The moment he stepped into range, his aura changed.

The draconic energy around him began to retract and condense, pulling inward like a breath being held before a strike.

He raised his hand and gripped his greatsword. Draconic scales extended and bound themselves along the sword ridge, reinforcing it as the edge began to hum.

A sharp, radiant energy gathered almost instantly and a blade of condensed light formed in his grasp. Sword light erupted outward in a tight, focused burst.

The sword carried both his aura and the power of light woven together. For a moment he even considered pouring darkness and chaos into it as well, but he shook his head in the next moment. It wasn’t the time to experiment and cause a mess.

Ethan stepped forward and swung.

The slash was silent, but the speed was terrifying. It cut through the air like a streak of light itself and before Volcanus could react, it struck.

"Roar!"

The attack landed cleanly across Volcanus’ body. Even with his powerful scales, a massive wound tore open and stretched across a large portion of his torso. Molten blood burst out like lava and spilled into the air in thick, glowing streams.

The pain hit instantly. Volcanus’ body froze for a fraction of a second and then his head snapped toward Ethan, his eyes burning with fury.

"You... you dare!"

Abandoning the magic attacks pouring on him entirely, Volcanus turned and directed everything toward Ethan. His killing intent surged violently as he charged forward with his full weight behind him.

Ethan did not step back. He lifted his hand again and the radiant blade condensed once more, brighter this time. As Volcanus rushed in, Ethan swung.

Boom!

A massive arc of light shot forward and tore through the air, colliding directly with the dragon’s advance. But Volcanus did not dodge. Flames surged across his body and his scales hardened further as he reinforced himself and pushed through the attack head-on. The radiant slash shattered on impact. Volcanus paused for only a brief moment before continuing his charge.

Ethan’s expression tightened slightly. "His body is too strong. With my current output, I can’t finish him quickly."

He made a decision.

The energy around him shifted again, this time deeper and heavier. Crimson patterns spread across his skin and then extended outward across his arms and chest. In the next instant, his form expanded rapidly. Scales formed across his entire frame and wings unfolded behind him as a powerful draconic presence burst outward.

A partial dragon form emerged as his draconic bloodline pushed toward fifty percent. Unlike Volcanus’ blazing red, Ethan’s form carried a darker crimson glow mixed with faint golden streaks that pulsed beneath the scales like a second heartbeat.

The surrounding space trembled as his aura expanded and Volcanus’ charge slowed for the first time. His eyes narrowed.

"So you can transform into a dragon now."

There was a hint of surprise in his voice but it quickly turned into cold focus. Without hesitation, he lunged forward again.

The two collided hard.

Boom!

The impact shook the entire sealed space. Waves of energy spread outward and distorted the air while lava surged violently below.

Ethan met the attack head-on this time. His sword clashed against Volcanus and the force pushed both of them back slightly. They attacked again, and then again. The sky echoed with continuous explosions as the two massive figures collided repeatedly and neither side gave ground easily.

But Ethan was not working alone.

From below, the magic spells from the construct rose again and joined the fight, striking from the side and forcing Volcanus to divide his attention.

Ethan pressed the advantage immediately. He shifted his grip on the greatsword and let the radiant edge dim for a moment as arcane energy gathered instead around his free hand. Geometric patterns burned in the air around his fingers, pale blue and sharp-edged, rotating in tight formation.

He pushed his palm forward and a dense bolt of compressed arcane force shot out and struck Volcanus across the jaw.

Before the dragon could recover, Ethan was already closing the distance with the sword raised, and the strike came down in a clean diagonal cut that combined the sharpness of his blade with a thin layer of arcane charge running along the edge. The combination was not flashy but it was precise and it found the gap between two scales that his earlier strikes had already weakened.

Volcanus snarled and swiped back hard. Ethan took the hit across the shoulder, twisted with it rather than against it, and used the momentum to spin into another arcane discharge at close range, releasing it directly against Volcanus’ ribs. The blast pushed them apart and Ethan landed in a low crouch, breathing steadily, already preparing the next exchange.

At the same time, the remnants of the magic formation continued to interfere and slowed Volcanus’ movements slightly. Under this combined pressure, even Volcanus began to feel the strain. The wounds on his body deepened and his movements became heavier.

That was when he noticed it.

Volcanus’ eyes froze as he looked at Ethan more carefully. During the fight he had wounded Ethan many times and yet there were no remains of those wounds. They were healing, steadily and continuously, as if the damage was simply being undone.

"This is cheating!" he roared, and the sound shook the mountains around them.

"Cheating my ass," Ethan snorted and struck again without slowing down.

If this continued, he would be worn down completely. A dangerous light appeared in Volcanus’ eyes.

"Enough."