I Only Tame Dragons

The Queen's fingers tightened ever so slightly on the armrest of her ornate chair. The thought of what Von could have been—a hero without chains, a legend without shadows—was both inspiring and bittersweet.

Princess Lyralithra shared the same sentiment, though her expression remained serene. Beneath her calm facade, her heart swelled with pride and sorrow.

The cursed elf, once destined to be a beacon of hope, now carried a burden that both defined and constrained him. Even so, Von's strength shone brighter than the stars over Eldrasil, a testament to his resilience against the darkness that sought to consume him.

A sham. Truly a shame.

"I'll give you credit," Von said, stepping closer to the assassin, who was now backing away. "You've got guts. But guts won't save you from making stupid mistakes."

The assassin lunged for one of his fallen daggers in a last-ditch effort, but Von was faster. With a swift kick, he sent the weapon skidding out of reach. He leveled one of his guns at the assassin's chest, his smirk fading into a cold, deadly glare.

"Game over," he said simply.

The assassin froze, his chest heaving as he realized there was no escape. Von didn't even pull the trigger. He didn't need to. The fight was over, and everyone knew it.

"Concede defeat, or you will die," Von said coldly, his gun pressed firmly against the assassin's head. His voice was calm, devoid of emotion, but it carried a weight that sent shivers through the assassin's spine. The crowd held their breath, waiting for what would come next.

The assassin's body trembled as sweat dripped down his forehead. He didn't understand what had happened—how the fight had turned so decisively against him.

On paper, their stats were evenly matched. He had trained for years to reach this level, honing his skills to perfection. Yet, against Von, it had all been meaningless.

From the very beginning, he hadn't stood a chance. Von had toyed with him as though he were nothing more than an amateur, effortlessly dodging his attacks and countering with devastating precision.

Von's movements were fluid and deliberate, each one a calculated strike that left the assassin scrambling to keep up.

How is this possible? he thought, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. He had given it his all, pulling every trick he knew, but it had only been met with Von's smirk and carefree parries. It wasn't just a gap in strength—it felt like they were in entirely different leagues.

Von tilted his head slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto the assassin's. "Is this all you have?" he asked, his voice cutting through the assassin's thoughts like a blade. "You call yourself an assassin, yet you can't even land a hit on me. What a joke."

The assassin flinched at Von's words, his pride stinging more than his wounds. He was renowned in his guild, feared across countless battlefields. But here, in this arena, he felt small—insignificant.

"Why don't you use a boost or a cheat?" Von taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "That's the only way you'll stand a chance against me. Without it, you're nothing."

The crowd erupted at his words, a mix of laughter, gasps, and murmurs spreading like wildfire. Von's confidence was unmatched, and his dominance in the fight left no room for doubt.

The assassin's guildmates watched in stunned silence, their earlier confidence now replaced with disbelief. How could someone with the same stats as their member be so untouchable?

Von didn't move, his gun still trained on the assassin, but his presence alone was enough to make the man's knees weaken. His hair glinted under the arena lights, his calm composure a stark contrast to the assassin's ragged state. He wasn't just strong—he was a force of nature, a predator who had no equal.

"I . . ." The assassin's voice cracked as he tried to muster what little strength he had left. His hands trembled, his body refusing to move as the weight of defeat settled over him.

How did it come to this? he wondered. He was supposed to be the one standing victorious, yet here he was, kneeling at his opponent's mercy.
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Von's expression didn't change as he watched the assassin crumble. To him, the fight had been nothing more than a warm-up—a brief distraction.

"I . . . I concede." The words fell from his lips like stones, heavy and full of regret. He lowered his head in submission, unable to meet Von and his teammates' gaze.

Von smirked, lowering his gun but not before delivering one final jab. "Good choice," he said, his voice as sharp as ever. "At least you know when you're outclassed."

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, their disbelief at Von's sheer power replaced with awe and admiration. Nyx's guild was proving to be far more formidable than anyone had anticipated. First Frigid, and now Von—each member seemed to carry an overwhelming presence that left their opponents in shambles.

The assassin's guildmates were frozen in their seats, their faces pale as they watched their comrade walk off the field in shame.

"What kind of monsters are they?" one of them whispered, his voice trembling.

"They're not just strong," another replied, his eyes glued to Von as he left the arena. "They're something else entirely."

As Von stepped off the battlefield, he didn't bother basking in the glory or acknowledging the crowd's cheers. To him, this was just another step toward a bigger goal. But for those watching, he had become something more—a symbol of Nyx's overwhelming strength, and a reminder that in this competition, no one was safe.

The referee signaled the end of the match, and the crowd exploded in cheers and applause. Von holstered his guns with a casual flourish, turning to walk away as the defeated assassin slumped to the ground in shame.

The reaction in the stands was overwhelming.

"Did you see that? He didn't even break a sweat!" one spectator exclaimed, their voice barely audible over the noise.

"How is Nyx's guild so strong? First that block of ice, and now this guy? Where are they finding these monsters?" another asked, shaking their head in disbelief.

"They're not just strong—they're untouchable!" someone else shouted. "Every member of their guild fights like a top tier players!"

"Could they be hidden pros?"

Horizon and the rest of Von's team watched from their corner, their expressions calm but proud. They had expected nothing less from Von, and he had delivered with the flair and swift that had become his trademark.