The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 69: Battle The Once-Person

Chapter 69: Battle The Once-Person

>>Aelin

The tension in the clearing was suffocating. The air crackled with an unseen force as Draegon and Ruoxy faced each other. His purple eyes burned with fury, while hers gleamed with malice and amusement. It was a stark contrast—where Draegon’s rage was controlled and precise, Ruoxy’s was wild and unpredictable, like a storm ready to tear through everything in its path.

I could immediately tell things were going to go down bad.

So, I took slow, careful steps back, knowing I wouldn’t be able to interfere in their battle. This wasn’t a fight I could win, but I refused to look away.

How was she still alive? Didn’t all the monsters die?

Ruoxy moved first. She lunged with terrifying speed, her long, claw-like nails slashing through the air. Draegon barely had time to sidestep before her hand cut through the space where he’d just been. The ground behind him split apart from the force of her attack. My breath caught in my throat—if that had landed, he would’ve been ripped open... maybe...

Maybe not since he’s not human.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I watched them, barely able to keep up with their movements.

Draegon retaliated with a brutal punch aimed at her midsection. Ruoxy twisted, dodging, but his other hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat. With a snarl, he lifted her off the ground and slammed her into a nearby tree.

Bark shattered, the trunk splitting from the impact, but Ruoxy merely grinned.

Her legs shot up, wrapping around his waist as she dug her claws into his arm, forcing him to release her. She flipped backward, landing gracefully as blood dripped from Draegon’s forearm.

"You’re slower than I remember," she mocked, flicking her nails, sending droplets of his blood onto the dirt.

Draegon didn’t take the bait. He rushed forward, a blur of motion, and Ruoxy barely had time to raise her arms before he slammed his knee into her stomach. The ground beneath them cracked from the force. Ruoxy coughed but twisted her body, her wings spreading wide as she launched herself into the air.

I got confused as I kept my eyes on her

She had wings? And I feel like she’s stronger than before.

Draegon followed instantly, his wings carrying him into the sky. The two of them clashed midair, the impact sending a shockwave through the clearing. Trees swayed violently, and I had to shield my eyes from the debris swirling around me.

It was nearly impossible to keep up. They moved too fast, their attacks a blur of claws, fists, and wings. I could only watch as they fought above me, each hit sending sparks of power flashing in the darkening sky.

Then Draegon managed to seize control.

He twisted in the air, dodging another one of Ruoxy’s slashes, and drove his elbow down into her shoulder. She let out a sharp cry as she plummeted to the ground. Draegon followed, landing right on top of her, pinning her down with his sheer weight and strength.

He grabbed her wrists, slamming them into the dirt. "This ends here," he growled.

But Ruoxy grinned, her lips curling like she had been waiting for this moment.

Her long, sharp nails shot forward, plunging deep into Draegon’s side.

He gritted his teeth, refusing to loosen his grip, even as blood welled around her claws. I gasped, taking an involuntary step forward, but Draegon didn’t even look at me.

Instead, his chest rose, and I saw the flames begin to build inside him.

!!!

I knew what was coming before it happened.

Draegon’s body tensed, his throat glowing with an inner fire, and then—he exhaled a torrent of flames directly at Ruoxy.

The explosion of heat wasn’t too big. The ground underneath them burned instantly, the flames consuming everything in their path.

But Ruoxy wasn’t defenseless.

At the last moment, she twisted, yanking her claws free and pushing off against him. She managed to roll away. But she didn’t escape completely.

The fire still licked at her body, burning her arms and parts of her wings. A shriek of pain escaped her, but she didn’t stop moving. She shot into the sky again, her body smoldering as she hovered above, panting.

Draegon stood tall, his wings twitching, his side bleeding from the deep wounds she had left in him.

They stared at each other, their battle momentarily paused, but I knew—it wasn’t over yet.

"How are you still alive?" Draegon was mad, his eyes were filled with hatred for her.

"Because you never killed me." She gave him a nasty grotesque smile back.

"I’m pretty damn sure I did it right." He gritted his teeth

She merely laughed at his response as she came back down. They stood across from each other now, bodies coiled with raw power, wings spread wide as their glares clashed in a battle of wills.

Draegon was bleeding from his side where Ruoxy’s claws had pierced him, but if it pained him, he didn’t show it. His expression was steel—cold.

The glow of his fire still flickered along his skin while Ruoxy circled him, her own injuries making her movements slower. The fire had left scorch marks along her arms and legs, her baggy dervish type clothes tattered from the intensity of the flames. She was hurt, but she wasn’t backing down.

Then, without warning, she attacked again.

Ruoxy shot forward with a burst of speed, her wings giving a powerful flap to propel her at Draegon. Her claws extended, aiming straight for his throat, but he shifted slightly, sidestepping her strike at the last possible moment. As she passed by him, his arm shot out, grabbing her by the ankle.

With a fierce growl, Draegon spun and hurled her toward the ground with terrifying force.

Ruoxy hit the earth with a thunderous impact, dirt and debris exploding into the air around her. The ground trembled beneath the force, cracks spiderwebbing out from where she landed. I gasped, my breath catching in my throat, but before I could even process what had happened, Draegon was already moving.

He dove down, wings folding against his back, fists clenched. He landed right on top of her, his foot slamming into her chest, pinning her to the dirt. Ruoxy coughed, struggling against his weight, but he didn’t give her an inch.

"How?" Draegon said, his voice calm but edged with steel. "We burned all the bodies, including yours. And I took out your core."

Ruoxy’s lips curled, black blood staining her teeth as she grinned up at him. "Surprise."

Her wings moved suddenly, snapping up from beneath her, and before he could react, the razor-sharp edges of her wingtips slashed across his arm. Blood sprayed into the air as Draegon flinched, and Ruoxy used that brief moment to twist her body, kicking him off of her.

Draegon stumbled back a step, but he quickly regained his footing. Ruoxy pushed herself up, breathing hard. I had the feeling that she was starting to weaken—I could see it. The burns on her body were taking their toll, and Draegon’s strength had been overwhelming from the start.

But she wasn’t giving up.

She launched herself at him again, a whirlwind of dark energy and fury. They clashed mid-air, the impact of their collision sending shockwaves through the clearing. I staggered back, barely keeping my footing as the sheer force of their battle threatened to knock me over.

This is so much different than the last fight. The battle in the dungeon was not this fierce

Then suddenly, Draegon gained the upper hand.

He caught one of Ruoxy’s wrists mid-swipe and twisted her arm behind her back. She hissed in pain, struggling, but he was relentless. With his other hand, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her down onto the ground again.

This time, he didn’t let her move.

He pressed his weight down onto her, his claws digging into her wrists to keep her from using her nails against him again.

She struggled beneath him, teeth bared in frustration, but she couldn’t break free.

"You think you’ve won," she spat, "But you haven’t seen the worst of what’s coming, Draegon."

Draegon’s grip on her throat tightened slightly, his gaze darkening.

Ruoxy chuckled, the sound weak but still laced with defiance. Draegon began to heat up his attack. The glow of his fire visible in his neck as he prepared to burn her.

Then, without warning, she let out a guttural scream. Dark energy burst from her body, forcing Draegon back. He stumbled slightly, his wings flaring to keep him from being thrown completely off balance.

Ruoxy didn’t waste the opportunity. She spread her wings, still trembling from her wounds, and shot into the air.

Draegon growled, his muscles tensing as he immediately chased her. He grabbed her ankle and threw her back to the ground with so much force and anger her leg broke at an awkward angle. The bones coming out of her leg looking disgusting and grotesque

He pinned her again, the glow of his attack never faded as he kept his attack ready.

But right when he opened his mouth to burn her, something came out of the bushes and slammed into him so hard he fell off of Ruoxy

The fire burning the tree next to the target as Draegon fell over

"Draegon!" I shouted his name in terror as the other monster continued to attack him.

The vegetation got scorched as Ruoxy took advantage of the other attack and she finally looked at me

Her eyes grinned in pleasure as she propelled herself up with her broken bones.

"Finally." She said, then launched herself towards me.