Chapter 420: Sparring Match
They clashed again and again, Ignis’s golden flames wrapped around her like a living cloak, the heat so intense that the air around her shimmered and warped. Adam could feel it even through his scales—the searing warmth pressing against his defenses, testing the limits of his [Aegis of the Colossus].
His scales were holding, but he could feel the heat seeping through, a constant, gnawing pressure that reminded him Ignis was no longer the same dragon he had fought beside in the dungeon.
Ignis lunged forward, her fist wreathed in golden fire, and Adam met her head-on. Their fists collided and the impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, scorching the earth beneath them.
Adam’s voice carried a note of genuine approval.
"Your flames are burning hotter than before. Your control is impressive."
Ignis’s grin widened, her golden eyes blazing with fierce pride.
"Hehe, obviously! I’m not the same dragon you used to know!"
She pressed the attack, her fists becoming a blur of golden fire. Adam weaved between her strikes, his body moving with practiced ease, but he could feel the heat building, the pressure of her assault growing more intense.
Ignis’s flames flared, and she raised both hands high. A massive sphere of golden fire materialized above her, pulsing with contained power.
"Solar Flare!"
The sphere shot toward Adam, a blazing comet of concentrated fire. Adam’s wings snapped open, carrying him upward as the sphere detonated beneath him. The explosion was immense—a wave of golden fire that consumed the ground where he had been standing, leaving a crater of molten earth in its wake.
Adam landed in a crouch, his crimson eyes fixed on Ignis’s glowing form.
"Not bad. But it’s still not enough to take me down."
Ignis’s grin turned fierce, her golden eyes blazing with determination.
"Then I’ll just have to turn up the heat!"
She lunged forward, her fist already cocked back, golden flames wreathing her arm like a living gauntlet. Adam met her strike, his forearm coming up to block.
The collision of their strikes echoed like a thunderclap. For an instant, they hung suspended, faces inches apart, the fire in their eyes mirroring each other’s fierce delight.
Adam’s voice carried a note of genuine admiration.
"You’re stronger than I thought."
Ignis’s voice was breathless, exhilarated.
"I’ve been looking forward to this for ages, Adam!"
She spun, her leg sweeping toward his side in a sharp, precise kick. Adam twisted, his arm coming down to block, the impact jarring his stance.
But Ignis was already moving. She launched herself upward, flames propelling her into the air, and came down with a devastating axe kick aimed at Adam’s head. Adam’s wings snapped open, carrying him out of the way just in time.
The ground where he had been standing cratered under the force of her blow.
Adam landed a few meters away, a slow, approving grin spreading across his face.
"Nice moves. But you’re not quite there yet."
Ignis’s grin didn’t waver.
"Then why don’t you show me where they are?"
She lunged again, flames roaring around her fists. Adam met her head-on, their strikes colliding in a burst of light and shadow.
Ignis’s flames erupted, expanding outward in a massive wave of golden fire that consumed the entire clearing. The ground beneath them turned to molten glass, the air thick with heat and the roar of the inferno.
Adam’s voice carried a note of genuine approval as he stood amidst the flames, his scales glowing with heat.
"Nice try! But you’ll need more than that!"
He shot forward, his wings propelling him through the inferno. Ignis’s eyes widened, and she raised her arms to block—too late. Adam’s fist connected with her guard, sending her skidding back across the molten ground.
Ignis’s voice carried a note of breathless exhilaration as she steadied herself.
"Heh... you’re fast."
Adam’s grin widened.
"Let’s try that again."
The air itself seemed to split as they clashed—golden flames roaring against coiling shadows, the ground beneath them groaning under the pressure.
Adam’s wings snapped open, and he shot upward, twisting mid-air to avoid a blast of golden fire. Ignis followed, her own wings spreading wide, flames trailing behind her like a comet’s tail.
"I can fly too, Adam!" Ignis called out, her voice bright with exhilaration. "You’re not the only one who can use their wings in combat!"
Adam’s grin widened, his crimson eyes gleaming with approval.
"Good. Then let’s see how you handle this!"
He shot forward, his speed doubling as he closed the distance between them. Ignis’s eyes widened, and she raised her arms to block—but Adam was already past her, his fist driving into her side with brutal precision.
Ignis’s breath was knocked from her lungs. She tumbled through the air, her wings beating frantically as she fought to regain control.
She caught herself, hovering a few meters away, her golden eyes blazing with fierce determination.
"That was a good one!"
Adam’s voice carried a note of genuine approval as he circled her, his wings beating slowly.
"You’re adapting quickly. Good instincts."
Ignis’s grin widened.
"I’m a fast learner!"
She lunged again, her fist wreathed in golden fire. Adam met her charge head-on. Their strikes connected with a thunderous crack, light and shadow exploding outward like a small supernova.
Ignis’s flames erupted, expanding outward in a massive wave that consumed the entire clearing once more. Adam’s Aegis flared to life, pushing back against the heat, but the intensity was overwhelming. He was forced to retreat, his wings carrying him upward as the inferno raged below.
Adam let out a low, impressed hum as he hovered mid-air, his wings beating slowly, his crimson eyes fixed on Ignis’s glowing form. His voice carried a note of genuine surprise.
"Turns out you really are a fast learner. I’m a little shocked."
Ignis crossed her arms, her chest puffing out with unmistakable pride. Her golden eyes gleamed with self-satisfied triumph as she hovered opposite him, flames dancing along her shoulders like a living cloak.
"Of course I am! I’ve gotten a lot smarter, you know!"
Adam’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. His voice dropped, carrying a note of quiet challenge.
"Then let’s test that."
He surged forward, wings folding as he shot toward her like a dark comet. Ignis’s eyes widened, flames already gathering in her palms as she prepared to meet his assault. She launched a volley of golden fireballs, each one trailing arcs of searing light.
Adam weaved through them, his body twisting with serpentine grace, his movements fluid and calm. He was reading her, learning her rhythm, and she was so focused on landing a hit that she didn’t notice the pattern forming—the way he kept drifting just slightly to her right, baiting her into following.
Ignis grinned, throwing another blazing punch.
"I’ve got you now!"
But Adam was already gone.
He materialized behind her, his fist already extended, and drove it into her side with controlled precision. The impact was sharp, clean enough to send her tumbling through the air like a falling star.
Ignis spiraled downward, her wings flaring wildly as she fought to regain control. She hit the ground with a heavy thud, rolling once before coming to a stop on her back, staring up at the sky with wide, disoriented eyes.
Adam descended slowly, landing a few meters away. He walked toward her, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"That’s my win."
Ignis blinked up at him, her golden eyes still hazy with surprise. Then her pout slowly formed into a grin, reluctant but genuine.
"Cheater..."