88. Task.

Krum was the first to leave the tent as Bagman's voice rang out. Moments later, the air outside was filled with the deafening roars of a dragon, the distant gasps and screams of the crowd echoing through the arena. We couldn't hear what Bagman was shouting, nor could we see what Krum was doing—only the chaotic symphony of the challenge reached us.

Time blurred. I couldn't say how long it lasted before, suddenly, silence fell.

Beside me, Fleur clung to my arm, her fingers tight, her complexion still a shade paler than usual. I turned to her, my voice low and steady.

"Your safety comes first, love. These people's opinions don't mean a damn thing." I leaned in, brushing my lips close to her ear. "Besides... once this is over, I'll meet your parents, then I'll take you back to my room and breed you... all... night... long."

It was like flipping a switch. Fleur's nervousness evaporated in an instant, replaced by something far more primal. Her blue eyes darkened with hunger, her body warming as she pressed against me. She had been waiting for this.

Without hesitation, she seized my hand, slipping it beneath her skirt and guiding me into her soaked panties. My fingers slid against her smooth, dripping heat, sinking inside with ease.

Bagman's voice called her name.

Fleur pulled my hand free, locking eyes with me as she brought my fingers to her lips, licking them clean with slow, deliberate strokes. Her smirk was pure sin.

"After this task, you are mine."

Then, with a sway of her hips, she strode out of the tent, radiating confidence, leaving me standing there—incredibly aroused.

"Damn, that was hot."

~~~~

Thirty minutes later, my name was called.

I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders before slipping my hands into my pockets. "Well, let's get this over with. The title of 'Dragon Slayer' will go nicely next to 'Basilisk Slayer.'" With an easy stride, I made my way out of the tent and into the arena.

And there it was.

A behemoth of a creature stood in the center of the arena, a single massive chain clamped around its thick, muscled leg. Thirty-five feet of pitch-black scales glistened under the sunlight, each overlapping plate looking more like enchanted obsidian than flesh. Twin horns, jagged like demonic blades, curved back from its skull, while a row of black spikes ran down its spine, ending in a long tail tipped with an arrow-like barb.

The air was thick with tension, the protective enchantments woven around the stands shimmering faintly as the audience held their breath.

The moment I stepped into the ring, the dragon's reptilian eyes locked onto me. Its pupils, thin as slits, dilated in challenge as smoke curled from its nostrils.

Then—

ROOOOAAARRRR!

The ground trembled as it unleashed a deafening bellow, the force rattling through my bones. A split second later, a jet of searing dragon fire erupted from its maw, the roaring inferno surging toward me like a tidal wave of molten death.

I didn't flinch.

Instead, I inhaled deeply, power thrumming in my core as I exhaled—

A torrent of purple flames, crackling with electric sparks, surged forward.

"HE'S BREATHING FIRE!" Ludo Bagman's voice boomed over the arena, barely audible over the roaring infernos clashing mid-air.

My sea of Thunderfire tore through the dragon's flames, consuming the golden blaze and forcing it back. The massive beast let out a guttural snarl, flapping its enormous, bat-like wings as the embers of my attack danced across its scales. Though the flames barely left a mark, faint purple sparks crackled over its armored hide, causing it to shift uncomfortably.

Then, without warning, the dragon lashed out.

Its tail snapped forward like a whip, the air screaming as it tore toward me at speeds most wouldn't even be able to see, let alone react to.

I barely moved.

With a lazy hop, I tucked my feet up, letting the deadly tail whip pass just beneath me, slicing through the air where I had stood. My hands remained casually in my pockets, my expression calm as I landed lightly on the scorched ground.

The dragon growled, its slitted eyes narrowing.

"Oh? Not bad," I mused, tilting my head. "Guess this might actually be fun."

The beast huffed, embers crackling between its fangs as its muscles coiled.

I grinned.

"Come on, then. Let's dance."

The dragon took my words as a challenge.

With a deafening snarl, its massive head surged forward, jaws widening to devour the puny human before it. Rows of razor-sharp fangs gleamed as its maw snapped shut—only to bite down on empty air.

I was already gone.

Before the beast could react, my fist met the side of its skull like a wrecking ball. The impact sent a thunderous shockwave ripping through the arena, the very air trembling from the force.

BOOM!

The dragon's head slammed into the ground, the earth cracking beneath its colossal weight as a cloud of dust and debris exploded outward. The once-mighty predator let out a stunned, guttural groan, its body momentarily dazed from the sheer power behind my strike.

The crowd gasped, stunned into silence.

I exhaled slowly, flexing my fingers as I gazed down at the massive creature. "That all you got?"

The dragon was bewildered. How dare this puny human challenge it?

Then, rage consumed it.

With an earth-shaking roar, it went ballistic—teeth snapping, claws slashing, tail whipping through the air like a battering ram. It was no longer a majestic apex predator but a frenzied beast, hellbent on ripping apart the insignificant ant before it. The arena trembled under its fury, massive gouges carved into the ground as it attacked relentlessly.

And yet, I was untouchable.

I weaved through its onslaught with effortless grace, my body moving as if dancing with death itself. Every strike that should have torn me apart met only empty air, my figure flickering just beyond reach at the last possible moment.

Then, when the openings came—BAM!

My fist crashed into its side, the force rippling through its massive frame. The beast staggered, its scales rattling from the impact, but it refused to falter. It roared in defiance, lunging again, only for another devastating blow to slam into its jaw, sending its head snapping to the side.

The crowd could only watch in awe as the impossible unfolded before them. A human—no, a monster in human form—was toying with a dragon.