Rise of the Harem King

The fight between David and Vesta would have simple rules.

First, the fight would end instantly as soon as one of them declared defeat, as Inanna didn't want them to fight to the death.

Furthermore, they could only use a simple weapon. David chose a common sword, and Vesta opted for metal claws that she placed on her fingers. They also wouldn't wear any armor.

By the way, since David was close enough, he was able to use Sylvia and Haru's powers again. Since Vesta had ancient weapons, it would be unfair if she used them.

"The fight may begin," Inanna announced.

As soon as Vesta heard it, she dropped to all fours like a wild beast, her metal claws gleaming under the artificial lights of the arena.

Her muscles tensed and her eyes glowed with assassin intention. In the blink of an eye, she shot forward.

Davi barely managed to raise his sword in time as she pounced. A flurry of slashes rained down on him.

Sparks flew as her claws scraped against the metal blade, the sound sharp and grating.

He slid back from the impact, boots dragging across the smooth stone floor. "Okay, fast cat, I see how it is," he muttered, trying to regain his footing.

Vesta didn't answer. She was already on him again, spinning low and sweeping her leg toward his knee.

He jumped, but too late… She clipped his ankle and sent him stumbling to the side.

With a wild grin, she lunged again, her claws aimed at his chest, she was planning to end this fight right then and there.

Davi twisted mid-fall and barely parried, the force sending a jolt up his arms. Vesta moved like she wasn't human and in an instant she was inches away from the boy.

Using the <Advanced Beast transformation> he felt a surge of power took over his body and was able to react in the last second.

The sharp sound of metal against metal resounded through the arena.

Relentlessly, Veta moved her body, assailing Davi, who could only manage to defend himself at the last second, somehow.

She finally gave him a moment to breathe, a mocking tone in her voice as she taunted, "Is that all you've got?"

"I expected you would be at least a challenge," she gave him a wicked smile.

Davi did not respond in any way; his eyes remained fixed on his opponent, his mind calmer than ever.

He didn't need to worry about her taunts at that moment. He just needed to find an opening to counterattack.

Besides, just as she hadn't used her most powerful abilities, he hadn't either.

I hope this works… Davi thought as a plan began to take shape in his mind.

Vesta was far too fast, which made it hard to keep up with her, he would need to create a distraction for that. Of course, it would mean taking a risk.

His heart sped up as his fingers slid to the necklace hanging from his neck, the one Sophia had given him.

Inanna knew the effect it had but chose not to count it as a weapon, probably in an attempt to favor Davi.

"If you're not going to give up," Vesta said with a frightening smile, "I'll show you what I can really do."

Her smile twisted into something terrifying, revealing sharp teeth.

All the muscles in her body tensed like ropes about to snap, and the mana around her began to pulse with wild intensity.

Her eyes turned crimson, the nails on her hands and feet grew into claws, her teeth became sharper, and her hair and tail lengthened slightly.

She destroyed her metal claws, saying she didn't need such a useless weapon.

"Try not to die from my next strike," Vesta said, her tone dripping with arrogance.

In the next instant, her foot was flying toward Davi's chest at an incredible speed.

He couldn't react in time to the kick and was sent flying, violently crashing into the massive walls that marked the edge of the arena.

Before he could even comprehend what had happened, the girl was already charging at him again, like a hungry shadow.

This time, she aimed a brutal kick directly at Davi's face.

If he hadn't raised his arms at the last second to block the blow, he probably would have died right there.

Knocked down to the ground, he was forced to <Acceleration> to react fast enough and be able to keep up with that woman.

The only problem was that with this, he had already taken a skill from Sylvia and could no longer use <creation>, which was an extremely versatile power.

Then, his body began to catch fire, bright, dancing flames enveloping his skin as he activated his transformation: <Ifrit>.

Using two transformations at the same time made every muscle scream in immediate agony, as if they were being torn from the inside. But it wasn't as if this was the first time. Davi already knew this pain... and had decided to ignore it.

He advanced aggressively, charging towards Vesta with his sword in hand. He was much faster, but still not enough to overcome her; at most, he could keep up. Vesta instinctively recoiled, her eyes shining with excitement at the sudden advance.

"Not bad…" she murmured with a wry smile, her eyes fixed on the boy in flames. "Not bad for a human… of course."

She easily dodged his sword strikes, then activated the <Air Acceleration> ability. In the next instant, she disappeared from in front of him; it was as if the very air was fighting.

She appeared behind him, then to the side, then above, each appearance marked by a quick, dry, and precise cut.

Small red streaks began to appear all over Davi's body. Arms, legs, abdomen, shoulders... nothing escaped.

No blow was deep, but the speed with which they came was absurd; he could barely understand where they were coming from, much less block them.

Davi gritted his teeth, retreating, trying to react, but his body was already covered in dozens of thin cuts. All he could do was try to prevent her from landing a devastating blow.

He knew he couldn't continue like this, so he was forced to take a risk.

How long will I be able to fight after this? He wondered in his mind with a frustrated tone and activated <Limit Break>.

A surge of power exploded from his body, scorching the air around him. The flames grew far too intense to be natural, his entire body vibrating with a wild, almost inhuman energy.

Vesta appeared in yet another flash of speed to finish the attack, but this time he was able to keep up with her.

Davi twisted his body and delivered a devastating kick, striking the woman squarely in the abdomen.

Vesta was launched like a blazing arrow, crashing hard into the ground dozens of meters away, carving a trench in the earth before stopping near the opposite wall.

"Ugh!" At the same time, Davi coughed up blood, his muscles feeling as if they were about to give out.

Obviously, using three power-enhancing abilities at once put extreme strain on his body. He simply wasn't strong enough to wield that much power yet.

Even so, he clenched his fists, enduring the pain.

Davi had decided from which girl he would take all abilities and stats. He chose the…