The Handbook for Completing Demi-Human Girls

Chapter 59: The Final Assassination

The scent of lavender filled the air, and even from a distance, Fischer could feel the wave of steam radiating from Raphaëlle like scorching heat. The beautiful dragonkin's expression gradually turned serious, her aura shifting from that of an adorable woman to a terrifying warrior.

Her claws extended fully, aimed at the expressionless Fischer in the distance.

This time, Fischer didn't initiate the attack first. He simply moved further from the carriage behind him and stood waiting for Raphaëlle.

In that case, she would test him first.

Raphaëlle inhaled deeply before stomping the ground violently, causing a large section of the lavender field to collapse inward. Her body shot forward like lightning through the swaying flowers, launching herself at Fischer.

Her outstretched claws met Fischer's calm gaze, and a familiar sensation surged through her. In the next second, her movement abruptly halted as she braked sharply before Fischer - but this time, no glowing threads appeared to entangle her.

No traps set?

Fischer didn't hesitate either. Seeing his opponent pause due to psychological warfare, he swung his saw cleaver straight at her head. Raphaëlle dodged sideways, but the blade still severed several strands of her hair.

Her steam erupted violently, though still not at full power, as she pivoted on the spot and lashed out with her clawed foot. The fierce kick smashed against Fischer's raised cleaver, producing crisp metallic clangs like a hammer driving nails.

Fischer proved incredibly sturdy - even under such ferocious assault, he only bent slightly at the waist while carefully observing Raphaëlle's movements.As expected, he seized the brief interval between her attacks to suddenly abandon defense and dodge sideways. The unexpected maneuver left Raphaëlle's extended kick passing harmlessly by as the human man firmly grasped her tail and flung her away.

The tremendous force sent Raphaëlle tumbling far across the lavender field, though unharmed. Gritting her teeth, she regained balance just in time to see Fischer advancing with overwhelming pressure, his blade raised.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Fischer swung his cleaver methodically at Raphaëlle, who raised her clawed hands like blades to parry. After a series of sharp metallic rings that left Fischer's arms numb, he noticed his weapon was now riddled with cracks from Raphaëlle's claws.

A dragonkin's claws were terrifyingly sharp - at full power, she could likely bisect him effortlessly.

This was why the Southern Continent's apex predator couldn't be given openings. Fischer maintained relentless pressure with continuous strikes while secretly channeling magic through the increasingly luminous runes on his blade.

"ROAR!"

But this time, Raphaëlle realized Fischer's ploy. Her emerald eyes narrowed to slits as torrents of scalding steam erupted outward, blasting Fischer away despite his defensive stance.

The prepared Dance of the Bees fired invisibly mid-air but went wildly off-target due to the angle.

Not only countering my offense but disrupting my magic too?

As Fischer flew backward, his head remained still while his blade suddenly lashed downward - he'd already heard Raphaëlle's approaching wind-splitting rush. The strike was blocked but provided enough force to push him further away.

This distance... will suffice.

Now the dragon-tooth emblem at his cleaver's base blazed to life - this was full-powered Dragonkin Magic, exponentially stronger than before. As he swung, flames danced alongside the blade, harmlessly missing the lavender field below since Raphaëlle remained airborne.

The fire coalesced into a draconic maw that threatened to engulf Raphaëlle completely, but at the storm's epicenter, her scales suddenly began glowing intensely.

She was going all out.

"BOOM!"

A thunderous explosion followed as she moved at meteor-like speeds, piercing straight through the fiery dragon with steam trailing violently behind her toward Fischer.

Unable to dodge, Fischer took the hit head-on. This time his blade didn't ring clearly but groaned dully like disintegrating metal.

His weapon would soon be torn from his grasp - but at that moment, countless threads coiled upward to immobilize Raphaëlle just like their previous duel.

Except now, she'd only begun tapping her full power.

"ROAR!!"

With another bellow, Raphaëlle moved again, yanking the ground-anchored threads skyward and lifting massive chunks of earth with them. Gripping the restraining threads like chains, she hurled the soil masses at Fischer.

"CRASH!"

Fischer bisected the incoming projectiles mid-air while charging forward, blade raised as Raphaëlle swung her claws down to meet him.

One slash, two slashes... countless exchanges of ringing blows like a blacksmith's hammer shaping metal, gradually forging those burning souls that shone like miniature suns.

"I hate being interrupted - hence this necessary measure..."

"Consider carefully - was this assassination attempt success or failure?"

"If the so-called dragonkin warrior is just an emotional hatchling, your capture was deserved."

"This doesn't count as punishment, does it?"

"...Pride is humanity's original sin - seems dragonkin share that flaw."

"True strength moves deliberately despite inner turmoil..."

So harsh, yet merely human. His wisdom, his teachings... this was why Raphaëlle wanted to understand him more. Why treat her this way? Why was he so different? Why did he make her heart race so?

Power wasn't the answer - that profound yet kind soul held the truth.

"FISCHER!!"

Amid the furious assault, Raphaëlle's twin horns suddenly blazed like miniature suns. All his words, his stern demeanor, his retreating figure coalesced into tangible, solidified power that ignited her soul completely.

In an instant, tremendous energy erupted from her body, making her scales gleam brilliantly. Gale-force winds converged from mountains and oceans, flattening lavender fields in waves until they prostrated at her feet.

Such beauty and might even left Fischer briefly spellbound.

Perhaps not because she neared the prophesied Crimson Dragon Queen's destiny... but from the steam-carried teardrops glistening near her emerald eyes.

"Raphaëlle, stop!"

Fischer's expression suddenly turned "panicked," as if fearing her next devastating strike and urging cessation.

But Raphaëlle's eyes flashed even as her body moved without hesitation - she somersaulted over him just as Fischer's blade sliced through where she'd been standing. Any hesitation would have meant a direct hit...

The unstoppable dragonkin arced through a flawless aerial flip, landing behind Fischer with dancer's grace as her steel-hard claws pressed against his back - one thrust away from piercing through.

"Haaah..."

Lavender swayed gently in the breeze as the world fell silent, leaving only their synchronized breathing audible.

Fischer's feigned "panic" gradually faded as he felt the maiden's claws against his back, his composure returning.

"The final test, Raphaëlle. You didn't falter because of me - a perfect assassination."

"..." Raphaëlle's stance against his back hovered between lethal threat and intimate embrace, her view limited to his unreadable back. "Your... acting was terrible. You'd never panic like that... Had you said that expressionlessly, I'd have stopped..."

Agony wracked Fischer's body - all his wounds had reopened during the fight. Raphaëlle's blinding speed meant he'd failed to block every strike, leaving new injuries on his left leg, right arm, and abdomen.

"This also shows you understand your enemy well enough to make correct battlefield judgments..."

His tone remained light despite pain-induced tremors.

"Why... treat me this way...?"

Raphaëlle's hand remained pressed against him, her face now resting against his back.

"..."

Fischer chuckled softly without answering, his head bowing slightly from blood loss discomfort - though surely that faint smile remained.

"I promised not to let you harm other humans until our game concluded. Now... you've won..."

In Raphaëlle's arms, his body grew increasingly limp until he finally managed one last praise:

"Well done... Raphaëlle..."

Fischer lost consciousness amidst the fragrant lavender, the quiet winds bearing witness as scalding teardrops fell onto the soil beside him - a moment forever etched into the Southern Continent's ancient memory, though he'd never know.