Chapter 15: The So-Called Transaction
“Ahhh!”
Raphael charged towards Fisher, steam radiating from her body, her red dragon tail slicing through the air like lightning, as the ferocity of the Dragon Race was fully ignited at that moment.
As she had said before, Dragon Race individuals are born warriors, and that is no exaggeration.
However, the gentleman at the end of her assault remained unfazed. Instead, he glanced at the crowd that had dispersed, ensuring they had kept their distance. With a sudden shift, he lowered his body, raising the staff in his left hand to meet her razor-sharp claws.
“Rip!”
Fire erupted from the staff, and just as her claws were about to slice through, Fisher struck Raphael’s abdomen with a powerful punch, halting the deadly motion and sending her body flying backward due to inertia.
Yet, at the moment she was about to be propelled away, Fisher gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back, throwing her down onto the ground.
“Cough cough.”
Raphael bent down, covering her mouth as she coughed several times; Fisher had not held back, striking her abdomen hard. The pain, the ripping sensation at her still-healing wounds, and the frustration and anger burning within her made her scales stand erect.
Fisher glanced at her state, then turned to wave at the onlookers, urging them to step back a bit. After ensuring the crowd had retreated several paces, Fisher then lowered his gaze to meet Raphael’s furious green eyes. However, his expression revealed no emotion, or perhaps it was simply impossible to read anything in Raphael’s current state.
In the next moment, her tail lifted slightly, her mouth opening, she took a deep breath, and as her breathing fluctuated, the red scales covering her body gleamed with a faint glow, catching Fisher’s attention.
“Bang!!”
As the glow intensified, her body surged upward, delivering a punch aimed at Fisher’s face. But unexpectedly, it was once again blocked by Fisher’s staff. Unlike before, this time Raphael’s attack carried tremendous force, causing the staff itself to radiate a ring of magic runes, a reinforcement spell Fisher had inscribed to fortify the staff.
At that moment, the intent had been to prevent a more horrifying assault, but it turned out that Raphael could unleash such force with a single punch.
Fisher felt the tremendous intensity through the staff; after retreating a step, he slightly tilted it to dissipate the dragon-like force.
The Dragon Race appeared to possess a way to temporarily enhance their physical attributes, just like Raphael was doing now. Her scales visibly brightened, but perhaps due to her still being immature, the light was rather faint, similar to sunlight reflecting off her body.
If it hadn’t been for Fisher personally feeling the overwhelming power, he likely wouldn’t have noticed the difference she possessed.
While battling Raphael, Fisher simultaneously deepened his research on the Dragon Race. After this assassination attempt ended, he might unlock more content related to the Dragon Race in the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans.
Thoughts raced in his mind but his actions never paused.
After dodging to the side, Fisher raised his staff to strike at Raphael’s body. The force behind her punch had been tremendous, causing her to fall forward when her strength was taken away.
She turned her head to see Fisher’s movements but as she intended to retaliate, a wave of pain shot through her arm, where Fisher had once bandaged her.
Had her wound opened?
Just as she thought that, the staff struck her back with a gust of wind.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
“Ugh.”
Fisher didn’t use significant force; it felt more like an elementary school teacher firmly tapping a student’s palm with a ruler. The three strikes landed on her back, buttocks, and tail, bringing her to a painful position on the muddy ground.
“Cough cough cough.”
The punch to her abdomen began to ache sharply again, the pain in her calf and left arm intensified, leaving her body sore and difficult to move. But despite this, she still struggled to get up.
Until Fisher’s calm voice drifted over,
“Think carefully for yourself; was this assassination a success or a failure?”
“Hahahaha, well done. This stupid dragon slave should…”
The nearby Slave Trader watched Raphael’s miserable state, quickly lifting his trembling body that had been paralyzed by fear from the battle, he began to laugh at the downed Raphael as though he had been the one to attack her.
But suddenly, he caught sight of Fisher’s chilling gaze locked onto him.
“…”
“Buzz buzz buzz!!”
Raphael gritted her teeth, trying to stand up again, only to see Fisher’s staff emit a bright white glow. Layers of a shimmering aura revolved, and before all the magic runes fully illuminated, Fisher casually flicked his staff, sending a blade of light—a flash faster than sound—slashing past the slave hunter’s cheek.
The blade emitted a buzzing sound, slicing through his face as if cutting through vegetables, effortlessly severing his hunting rifle and belongings in an instant.
By the time the hunter realized what had happened, he felt his entire right cheek go numb, as if it had been inundated with a thousand needles of anesthetic. Trembling, he reached up and touched the unfeeling skin, finding only deep crimson blood.
The light had carved a wound across his face, making him believe he had been killed by that man.
“Don’t!” The slave trader’s legs went weak, falling backward onto his shattered rifle. Before he could even feel the pain, he panicked and pleaded, “Don’t kill me. Please, don’t kill me.”
Fisher, emotionless, placed his staff down, ignoring the hunter’s pleas, his tone as cold as iron,
“Think for yourself; was this assassination a success or a failure?”
He was speaking to Raphael, reiterating his earlier question.
Raphael stared dumbfounded at the wall, the hunting rifle, and belongings cleaved in twain by magic, even the stone bricks of the structures along the street had been severed without leaving a trace, demonstrating the lethal potential of the magic.
She opened her mouth but quickly lowered her head, biting her teeth in silence.
Her body was racked with pain, yet the emotional blow she suffered felt more agonizing.
“I… I lost.”
Her voice was faint, choked with emotion, akin to a small spirit lost in the wilderness, but Fisher heard it.
Unsure of the human’s expression, Raphael felt only despair and sorrow—the helplessness of her kin being captured, the frustration and rage burning within her, as if trying to consume her heart and lungs.
The strength of this human man made her question if she could save her captured Dragon Race kin, and even Ral and the others, let alone herself.
“Can you still escape?”
“…”
Raphael did not respond; her head hung low, even her tail that lay in the mud remained motionless, as if struck down by a heavy blow.
“Truly.”
After this simple statement, a pair of strong hands suddenly wrapped around Raphael’s waist, lifting her entire dragon form. The muddy water clinging to her clothes dripped down onto the man’s clean black suit, leaving distinct traces.
Raphael’s expression, set in determination, appeared before Fisher’s eyes. Her green eyes welled up with steaming tears, cascading down like a mountain spring.
So dragons can cry too.
Fisher thought.
Just as Raphael felt utterly humiliated, Fisher reached up and placed his hat on her face, covering her tear-streaked countenance.
Her vision sank into darkness, but Fisher’s voice remained clear,
“Foolish. You attacked me out of anger without the wounds healed, not only wasting the bandaging I gave you but also squandering the chance to assassinate me. If so-called Dragon Race warriors are merely little dragons dancing to emotions, then it seems you have no complaint for being captured.”
Hateful humans.
Hateful humans.
Raphael’s fingers gently clutched Fisher’s suit; she wanted to claw at his chest but found even the slightest movement a luxury.
Beneath the fabric, hot blood flowed through the bandages, the wound had completely reopened, likely exacerbated by the earlier fight.
Thus, for the moment, she couldn’t kill this human in his embrace.
“You want to save that Dragon Race individual, yet you have no means to do so. The only way to save him is through me, and yet you refuse to speak to me… Heh.”
“Why should I help you save him?”
Finally, Raphael recalled her rebuttal, her voice still laced with sobs.
“Fair enough; after all, I am not a philanthropist. But it seems you’ve overlooked that you still possess something of value to trade with me, like the opportunity to assassinate me. If you use one assassination opportunity in exchange for something, I might just agree.”
“…”
In his arms, Raphael sensed Fisher walking towards the carriage. She pursed her lips, as if struggling, as if it were incredibly difficult to open up and communicate with this human.
His footsteps continued, each step pounding like a death knell against Raphael’s chest. In the next moment, her claws grasped Fisher’s apparel, causing him to halt in response to her motion.
Even though her face was hidden beneath Fisher’s hat, she seemed extremely embarrassed, instinctively leaning her face into his embrace, unable to confront him directly.
“Exchange with you… to save that child.”
“One assassination opportunity?”
“Mm.”
“If you voluntarily accept punishment, you will face two punishments, and with two assassination opportunities remaining, think carefully.”
The man spoke like a demon, causing Raphael to lean even further into his embrace, unable to face him directly.
“Mm.”
She agreed.
“Deal.”
In the next moment, the hat was removed, light flooded back into her vision—they were now before the cage holding the Subhuman.
So he hadn’t walked back.
Raphael thought suddenly.
And Fisher addressed the frightened slave trader, who sat on the ground, thunderstruck,
“I want to buy that Dragon Race individual. How much?”
“Ah! That! Free! Free! Please take him away!”
The slave trader saw the grim figure approaching and immediately panicked, unwilling to negotiate any further, almost kneeling in apology.
Fisher nodded gently. The sounds of a carriage approached from behind, and the city soldiers had received the report and rushed over, forming a perimeter with guns drawn.
“Sir, please do not move for the moment. This is Kekken City Law Enforcement Team. You are suspected of disturbing the peace, according to Nali laws and Kekken City laws…”
A chorus of human voices and discussions erupted behind them, and only then did Raphael’s body and thoughts seem to return, staring somewhat dazedly at the young Dragon Race individual imprisoned in the cage.
Even she had not anticipated that this would lead to saving the child.
The pain in her body dulled her thoughts, so of course, she didn’t realize that her tail had again slyly wrapped around Fisher’s waist, comfortably swaying briefly at the tip before becoming still.
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(End of this chapter)
