Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Apocalypse turned her eyes toward the women scattered across the training field. Some were still trying to stand, others had decided to remain on the ground until the pain subsided, and Monica continued staring at Strax with an expression that promised a later argument. The newcomer showed no open arrogance, but neither did she seem to believe it necessary to diminish what she had just done.

"They are strong," Apocalypse said, evaluating Samira, Cassandra, and Beatrice with a certain degree of approval. "Much stronger than most of the people I encountered during my isolation."

Samira managed to brace one knee against the ground and retrieve her giant sword.

"I feel like there is a ’but’ coming."

"But I am stronger."

Daniela, still partially buried beneath shields and broken equipment, raised one hand.

"She is honest. Annoying, but honest."

Strax released a short laugh. He did not need to examine the ruined field to know Apocalypse was not exaggerating. She had defeated nearly every fighter present without showing any real difficulty, controlling each strike to avoid causing permanent damage.

That required more than raw power.

It required complete mastery over her own strength, precise reading of every opponent, and enough confidence to remain calm even while surrounded by so many dangerous people.

He returned his attention to her.

"How did you become so powerful in such a short time?"

Apocalypse tilted her head slightly. The question seemed simple to her, although everyone else still waited for the answer with interest. Even Tiamat and Ouroboros remained nearby, clearly curious about the origin of such absurd growth.

"I isolated myself and cultivated the techniques my first master taught me," Apocalypse explained. "At the time, I did not completely understand the purpose behind each lesson. My body was strong, my perception was good, and I could absorb energy, but I remained limited by the form I possessed. After leaving Asgard, I spent years reorganizing everything I had learned."

Strax crossed his arms.

"Were his techniques alone enough?"

"No."

Apocalypse raised one hand, and small streams of golden energy circulated around her fingers. For several moments, they assumed different shapes, alternating between a blade, a rune, a small flame, and a structure resembling a draconic claw.

"I cultivated every technique I had ever seen during my life. Some I could use directly. Others needed to be adapted to my body. I also discarded those that conflicted with the path I chose."

Her gaze remained on Strax.

"Including yours."

Strax raised an eyebrow.

"Mine?"

"I observed you for years. Your mana circulation, the way you reinforced your muscles before attacking, how you distributed energy through your legs during a burst of speed, and how you protected your internal organs when receiving impacts. Even before becoming a complete dragon, you already possessed habits that did not belong to humans."

Apocalypse slowly closed her hand. The energy around her fingers disappeared without leaving any residue.

"I could not reproduce everything. Your White Fire and Black Ice belong only to you. But I could learn from your movements, from the way you used pressure, and even from the mistakes you made."

Strax smiled.

"You have a good memory."

Apocalypse nodded naturally.

"Horses have excellent memories."

The answer was so direct that the field remained silent for a moment.

Then Daniela began laughing, followed by Rogue and even Cassandra, who was still massaging the point on her forehead that Apocalypse had struck during the fight. Albedo looked toward Lithara as though the information confirmed that Apocalypse’s human transformation had not completely erased her old habits.

Lithara seemed satisfied.

"I always said she remembered everything."

Samira finally managed to stand.

"Then she probably remembers you complaining for years."

Lithara’s smile lost some of its confidence.

"We do not need to discuss that now."

"I remember," Apocalypse replied.

Lithara became completely still.

Albedo turned her face aside to hide a smile.

Apocalypse continued looking toward Strax, but a slight curve appeared on her lips.

"I remember many conversations about him."

"That is not important," Lithara said quickly.

"It seemed very important when you spoke."

"I was going through an emotionally difficult period."

"You described specific parts of his body for hours."

Monica, who had finally managed to stand, slowly looked toward Lithara.

"For hours?"

Lithara pointed at Apocalypse.

"She is exaggerating. The isolation probably affected her memory."

"You just said horses have excellent memories," Albedo observed.

Lithara drew a deep breath, realized there was no answer capable of helping her, and simply began walking toward the field’s exit.

"I am going back to work."

Strax looked at the women around him and realized their curiosity would not fade anytime soon. Some wanted to question Apocalypse about cultivation, others clearly desired another fight, and Monica already seemed to be considering how to transform that demonstration of strength into reports, defensive measures, and possible military applications.

He had no intention of allowing the entire reunion to become a meeting.

"You can go rest," Strax said. "I want to remain alone with Apocalypse for a while."

The women exchanged glances, but there was no true opposition. Samira still needed to visit the infirmary, Cassandra could barely move one arm properly, and Daniela continued removing small pieces of equipment from her clothes. Beatrice accepted the order with a short motion, while Tiamat and Ouroboros withdrew without asking questions.

Monica pointed toward the destroyed field.

"You are paying for the repairs."

Strax looked around.

"Put it in the military budget."

"You are responsible for the military budget."

"Then it is settled."

Monica closed her eyes and walked toward the exit before the conversation grew worse.

Samira passed beside Lithara and struck the succubus hard on the shoulder.

"You could have explained that she was capable of defeating everyone."

"I screamed that she was not an enemy."

"You also called us fucking bitches."

"You were not listening."

Daniela passed on the other side.

"I heard that part."

Rogue also gave Lithara an irritated look before following the others. Beatrice said nothing, but her expression was enough to make the Succubus Queen discreetly step back. Lithara continued smiling as though she had done nothing wrong and left the field beside Albedo, who still seemed divided between laughing and criticizing her.

Little by little, the place became empty.

The soldiers watching from a distance were ordered to return to their posts, and the outer barriers were deactivated. Wind once again crossed the field without encountering waves of mana or stray attacks.

Only the broken plates, destroyed columns, and clear signs of the difference between Apocalypse’s power and that of the women who had tried to stop her remained.

Strax stood before her.

Apocalypse did not move either.

The serenity she had shown during the battle remained in her posture, but there was something different in her eyes. She seemed to be waiting for a decision, confirmation, or perhaps an order she did not know how to request.

Strax opened his arms.

All of Apocalypse’s calm disappeared.

She crossed the distance between them and hugged him with enough force to make his feet slide several inches across the stone. Her arms closed around his back, and her face pressed against his chest. The strength she used would have broken the bones of an ordinary person, but Strax merely released a quiet laugh and wrapped his arms around her.

Apocalypse remained that way for several seconds.

"I missed you," she said.

Her voice did not carry the same confidence she had shown during the fight. It was lower, direct, and carried all the years she had spent away.

Strax felt her fingers tighten around the back of his clothes, as though the possibility still existed that he might disappear as soon as the embrace ended.

"I missed you too."

Apocalypse lifted her face slightly, although she did not release him.

"You did not come looking for me."

Strax did not attempt to create an excuse.

"I thought you wanted to remain alone until you completed your cultivation."

"I did."

"Even so, I should have gone."

She watched him in silence.

Strax ran one hand through the long white hair descending down her back. Its texture still vaguely resembled the mane she possessed in her original form, although the strands were now much finer and softer.

"I am sorry for leaving you behind."

Apocalypse immediately shook her head.

"You did not leave me behind. I was strong for an animal, but I was still only a horse. You became faster, learned to fly, and grew increasingly powerful. You no longer needed me to carry you."

"That does not mean I did not need you."

"I did not know how to do anything else."

The answer carried no bitterness. She was neither accusing Strax nor trying to make him feel guilty.

She was merely describing how she had seen her own existence during that period.

"My first master taught me how to cultivate. Then you gave me battles, journeys, and a place to remain. I believed my purpose was to carry you wherever you wished to go. When you began flying, there was nothing else I could offer."

Strax stroked her hair again.

"Even so, I should have understood your feelings. You may have been born a horse, but you always possessed your own will. You became irritated, chose who could approach you, and nearly killed Lithara when she clung to me."

"She deserved it."

"Probably."

A small smile appeared on Apocalypse’s face, but disappeared when Strax continued.

"You are still a woman."

She slowly released his clothes, though she remained within his arms. Her golden eyes lowered toward her own hands as though she were still learning to recognize them.

"I do not know how to be a woman."

"You will learn."

"I do not know how to walk like them, speak like them, or what I should do when I am not cultivating. Lithara taught me many things, but I think several of them were wrong."

"Almost all of them were probably wrong."

Apocalypse nodded, accepting the conclusion easily.

"I do not even have a name."

Strax remained silent.

"Apocalypse is a name," he said.

"It is an event."

She raised her eyes to meet his.

"You called me that because I destroyed everything when I ran. It was the name of a mount, a weapon, or something that arrived before the end. It is not the name of a woman."

There was a clear plea in her eyes.

Apocalypse did not express it directly, but Strax understood. She did not merely want a human form or enough strength to accompany him. She wanted something marking the beginning of that new existence, given by the person for whom she had endured so many years of isolation.

Strax smiled.

His fingers slid through her white hair until they stopped near the golden ornament holding it in place. Apocalypse did not look away, waiting in complete silence.

"Zi Bai," he said. "The White Horse."

Apocalypse repeated the name quietly.

"Zi Bai."

Her golden eyes closed for an instant, as though she needed to feel each sound before accepting it. When she opened them again, a peaceful smile rested on her face.

"Then that is my name."

"It is."

She embraced him again, this time without the uncontrolled force of the first moment.

"Zi Bai," she repeated against his chest. "The name my master gave me."

Strax kept one hand over her hair.

Apocalypse could continue to be a title. A name known in battle, a memory of the black mount that had crossed fields of war beside him, and a description of the power she carried.

But from that moment onward, the woman in his arms possessed something of her own.

She was Zi Bai.