The dragon's harem

Chapter 1137: Strings of...

As Merlinʼs worry grew, she only got even more mortified when she saw Aradʼs magic signal slowly fading while the other one growing larger and larger. He was losing, and fast. She didnʼt understand what was going on. Did he absorb the heart, and is it now poisoning him from the inside out? Why is the mountain shaking so violently, and so hot?

Inside the mountain, and after flinging one [Ho-white Nova] to test the mountainʼs strange durability, Arad was certain it could withstand more. Cain also confirmed that, proudly claiming that the whole mountain isnʼt meant to keep people out, but to keep them inside.

And just like that, the inside of the room got consumed by an ever-burning, pale divine flame as one [Ho-white Nova] exploded after the other.

Since Cain is too fast to catch, Arad had to rely on AOE. But, Arad didnʼt understand how this stupid overgod still looked as pristine as ever, even inside the burning inferno he created, Cain remained unharmed.

It took Arad a whole minute of fighting to notice. The sword in Cainʼs hand smelled strange, or rather, its magic flowed like that of a living being. It was then that he remembered, ”Inanna?”

Hearing Arad gasp, Cain smiled, ”Yeah, thatʼs her name.” Cain finally stood still, but so did Arad. The hellish flames around them slowly faded as Arad stopped fueling them with more [Ho-white Nova]s.

Cainʼs staff suddenly twisted and moved, and soon, its metallic, almost silver-like color shifted red. It turned into pure crimson flame, and those flames took the vague shape of a woman with long, devilish horns and wings.

”A fire elemental…no, a devil?” Arad gasped, and Cain looked at him with a smile. ”Both wrong.”

Inanna leaned on Cainʼs shoulder. ”I do reek of the hells.” But the overgodʼs blue eyes shifted toward her, a grin on his face. ”Thatʼs like calling a shepherd a cow because he smells like them.” His eyes quickly turned to Arad.

But before he could speak, a beautiful elf with striking long pink hair and glowing pink eyes walked from behind Arad. She leaned on Aradʼs side, ”Hellfire, Inanna. She is the soul of hellʼs flame, the real one.”

”Do you know her?” Arad asked, and Doma smiled, ”I do, almost everyone does. You know how hell is a hot and burning place? All that heat, all of that fire, it is her. She is the real identity of those flames.”

”She is right.” Inanna smiled, her fires crackling, ”Iʼm not just immune to fire. It feeds me. Heat makes me stronger. And as long as hellʼs fire endures, Iʼll still be standing here.”

A frown appeared on Domaʼs face as she stared at the two of them. Cain was an animated corpse created by the already dead heart through some eldritch magic. Just seeing it, she could guess how powerful a mage Cain was in life. Such power transcends necromancy and borders the realm of resurrection.

But what worried her the most was Inanna; she wasnʼt a copy, she was bound to him. When he was resurrected, she got pulled out of hell to act as his weapon. While he was a fake, she was real, and had enough power to not just melt the mountain, but set the whole world ablaze like she is already doing with the hells.

No matter how powerful Arad is, she still vastly outclasses him. He wasnʼt chained by hell, but thatʼs partially since hell itself refused to restrain him. As long as Inanna stands with Cain, fire and heat wonʼt harm him.

”You think my presence here is unfair?” Inanna, as if reading Domaʼs mind, looked at her with a grin, ”I think youʼre the unfair one here.”

Doma giggled, ”Then there is no use hiding it?”

Doma went silent for a moment, looked at Arad, and then took a deep breath. ”What do you say? I do have a secret, yes, want to know it?”

Arad looked at her for a short moment, assessing what he should do. Doma didnʼt bring the subject herself, but Inanna hinted at it, putting Doma in a hard spot. There arenʼt that many things that Hellfire herself would call unfair.

”Depends on if you want to tell me or not.”

Doma smiled, as if relieved. ”As I thought.” Her gaze then shifted toward Cain and Inanna. ”That pale one is already fated to perish and be consumed by you today. The reason he showed up is that your training so far didnʼt reach his expectations.”

Domaʼs smile fell on Arad, ”The form that allowed you to survive Lunaraʼs [Moon Fall]. He wants you to be able to at least call it out at will. He will never be defeated unless you pull that out.”

Her eyes shifted toward him and then stopped at the exploding nipple knife and the staff. ”Weapons are useless. Just hit him straight, your hands should be harder than his. Iʼll hold Inanna back.”

Inanna laughed, ”You hold me back? You might be powerful, but how much power can you use?”

”Enough for this.” As Doma glared at her, Inanna suddenly jumped away from Cain. Both her mind and heart were filled with fear and terror. She tried to drive the thoughts away, but that only made them cling harder to her mind.

”You come from hell, and he has a divine spark. I simply cursed you to never be able to approach or gaze on him.” Doma cracked her fists, and then her nails grew to an inch long. ”Killing me is the only way to lift the curse.”

”You used our nature against us. Is telling me how to lift the curse a part of the binds as well?” Inanna flew at Doma with a flaming sword. But Doma easily dodged the attack. A red chain appeared in her hand, and she swung straight at Inannaʼs neck.

Of course, Inanna dodged the attack with ease, but soon she found herself in the middle of a massive web of pale white threads. Like spider webs, they intertwined all around her, making it extremely hard to move.

Inanna gave the threads a single look and growled. Doma laughed, ”Why donʼt you burn them?”

To that question, Inanna just growled, ”Curses!”

While those two fought, Arad and Cain swung fists at each other, their magical fight had now turned into a physical brawl.