Demonic Dragon: Harem System

The island that had sustained them was gone. Only fragments of rock remained, suspended amid boiling vapors, surrounded by the open void of the ocean. The world around them seemed hesitant to reassemble itself, as if afraid to get too close.

Strax roared, his wings spread in fury, his body covered in black and green scales pulsing like a heart on the verge of explosion. Zani, in his hand, trembled, thirsty, spitting lines of energy that streaked the space like solid thunder.

Scathach, even with half her body burned and her runes broken, walked on nothingness as if on solid ground. Each step created a crimson circle in the air, flaming runes supporting her weight. Her body still bled, but the glow in her eyes was ecstatic.

"Yes…" His voice reverberated, deep, echoing in all directions at once. "This is how you should be, Strax. But you are still trapped." It's still predictable.

Strax growled, spitting black smoke from his nostrils. "Shut up!"

He lunged. Zani descended in a devastating arc, and the space before him was torn in two. But when the blade touched Scathach, her body shattered into a thousand pieces of light, scattering like crimson ash in the wind.

The sword cut only through empty space.

"What?!" Strax whipped around, but it was too late.

A glowing hand emerged behind him, punching him in the ribs with enough force to send him crashing through miles of floating rock. The impact blew fragments of the island like grenades, scattering destruction in every direction.

He rose from the dust, spitting dark green blood. His eyes burned.

"Coward!"

Scathach's laughter echoed from all sides, multiple, like a hellish chorus.

"Coward? Or just older than you can imagine?" Her voice came from above, below, left, right, distorted, immense. "You have raw power, dragon... but I carry eons of war."

Runes began to spread through the air. Suspended magic circles spun in impossible patterns, each bearing symbols of a forgotten era. Within seconds, the entire sky was covered in them—an alternate firmament, red and alive.

Daniela, watching from afar, shivered. "This... this is as if the sky itself has become a rune."

Frieren gritted his teeth, his voice grave. "She's creating a total field. Here, her laws apply."

And indeed, Strax realized all too quickly.

The circles began to spit out replicas of Scathach. Not fragile illusions, but tangible copies, each with runes glowing on their bodies. One, two, ten, a hundred versions of Scathach appeared around him, all advancing at once.

He swung Zani in a gigantic arc, slashing through dozens at once. Their bodies exploded into crimson ash, but more took their place. He flapped his wings, spitting black flames that engulfed hundreds of copies, but new ones emerged from the rune-like firmament.

It was a sea of ​​Scathachs.

"RAARGH!" Strax roared, spinning in the air with his sword in hand. Each blow tore through space, destroying hundreds of copies, but never the real one. "Show yourself, damn you!"

And the copies laughed. They all laughed. A symphony of mocking voices that pierced his skull.

"You lose control when provoked." They all spoke together, in perfect synchrony. "The dragon is all strength. All chaos. But no discipline." Strax roared even more, spitting blood and flames. Rage blinded his gaze, making each blow more brutal, less calculated. He slashed at everything around him, but never reached the real Scathach.

Above, Frieren bit her lip. "No... this is bad. She's forcing him to completely give in to instinct. If Strax loses his mind... he might never come back."

Kali clenched her fists, her voice trembling. "Then she's not just testing... she's breaking him."

Meanwhile, below, the psychological onslaught continued.

One of the copies broke through his guard and punched him in the chest. Another struck his back. A third kicked his jaw hard enough to shatter teeth. Blood ran down Strax's mouth, and still he roared furiously, crushing copies that crumbled to dust.

But they were endless.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" he roared, slamming his sword into the ground. The impact tore a crack in the rune sky itself, green lines streaking across the crimson firmament.

And then, she appeared.

Amidst the army of copies, the real Scathach emerged, her skin covered in flaming runes, her body pulsing with power. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

All the copies froze.

And in unison, they all attacked.

Thousands of Scathachs rushed Strax at once, punches and kicks coming from every direction. Every blow was real, every impact exploding against his body like a meteor storm. His wings were broken, his scales ripped off, blood gushed from open wounds.

Strax roared, trying to resist, spinning Zani in fury. But it was like trying to cut an ocean with a blade.

The copies sacrificed themselves en masse, grabbing his arms, legs, and wings, immobilizing him. The real Scathach appeared before him, eyes burning like crimson suns.

"See, Strax? This is how a general fights. It's not about brute force. It's about strategy. It's about dominance."

She raised her hand, and runes appeared on his forehead. Arcane symbols began to etch themselves onto his scales, burning his flesh.

Strax screamed, his body writhing in pain.

"I can seal you, dragon." Her voice was deep, powerful. "I can erase you right now, if I want."

He growled, spitting blood. "I WILL NOT... BE... DOMINATED!"

With a superhuman effort, he unleashed all the demonic energy within him. Black flames exploded from his body, evaporating hundreds of surrounding copies. Zani glowed in ecstasy, and he unleashed a horizontal slash that pierced the rune sky, shattering it into green and black lines.

The red sky shuddered, cracking.

Scathach was forced back, the smile still on her face.

"Good." His eyes shone with twisted pride. "Continue. Continue to give in to the beast."

Strax panted, covered in blood, but his eyes were pure fury. "I will... destroy you..."

Scathach simply spread her arms, and new circles of runes appeared behind her, larger, more complex, covering miles of sky. With every second, she seemed stronger, more alive.

"I just need you to fight me to the limit." Her voice was solemn now, almost reverent. "Until you lose yourself completely."

And the runes flared again. Illusions, copies, attacks in unison.

Strax roared, charging at her, but his focus was already fractured, his rage eroding his accuracy. Every mistake, every false strike, was punished by dozens of copies that struck him like a storm of fists and flames.

Scathach smiled. Not because she was winning easily—but because she saw the beast, finally, on the verge of emergence.