We fought.

And I lost.

Many times now.

It seems like he adapts and gets stronger just like me.

Does he remember the previous times like the skeleton?

It's possible...

Speaking of the skeleton, he never appears anymore.

The door is just open when I get to that room.

And even if I wait there for hours, he doesn't come out.

Really...

I just can't understand what his purpose is.

One time, he trades me things.

Another time he tries to kill me.

And now he refuses to meet me.

Eh, whatever...

I should stop thinking about him.

He is an obstacle I already overcame.

No need to fret about it anymore.

Sigh...

I stand in the door room, staring into the dark tunnel.

It's frustrating.

He is so much bigger and stronger than me.

And his endurance makes him able to survive even two or more direct hits with phantom annihilation.

But the adaptability of his is the worst.

No matter what strategy I come up with, he will smash it.

In fact, my first fight with him was probably the best I ever did against him.

What did I do different there?

I didn't even plan anything there...

...

Is that it?

Can he somehow predict my plans?

Reading my mind?

...

Damnit...

If that's the case, then how do I do this?

...

No, isn't that it?

I always try to think of a strategy before I go in.

And he adapts to it perfectly.

So should I just...rush in?

With no plans?

How is that gonna make me win?

Damnit, I don't get it at all.

But whatever, I always try everything.

Every plan I have, I will execute and see the results.

That won't change.

Even if the plan is to have no plan.

Let's go then.

Once again, I enter the dragon's room.

The familiar scene of us staring at each other follows.

He then lifts his head and roars like usual, but before he can attack me, I attack him.

[Phantom annihilation]

A devastating blow lands on his back and he lets out a painful cry.

Right after that, he swings his claw at me.

Instead of dodging, I stand still and gather mana.

Without blinking, I stare right at the dragon, who swings his claw through the air.

[Phantom will]

As a loud screeching sound echos in the room, three small cuts appear on my robe.

While behind me, his attack makes deep dents into the wall.

[Wind blade]

Losing no time, I attack him again.

This time, he manages to dodge.

After evading it, he lets out a fire breath from his mouth.

[Phantom force]

But I reflect it right back at him.

It grazes his tail while he barely evades it.

An angry roar resounds.

He is once again preparing a magic circle made of blood while gathering dark and fire mana.

I prepare my mace and pour mana into it.

I have no idea why I'm even trying this.

But who cares!

I said I'm going into this without a plan this time.

So I will just do whatever I feel like doing.

Several seconds later, a dark red flame bullet is shot at me.

[Phantom force]

I swing my mace with all my might.

Come on!

Deflect it!

The attack isn't deflected, but it slows down.

Quickly, before it hits me, I put more mana into the mace and swing again.

[Phantom force]

This time, the attack's trajectory is changed and flies into a wall.

It worked!

The dragon releases an even more deafening roar and the whole room shakes.

...the wind starts blowing.

Stronger and stronger.

Until an actually visible barrier of wind surrounds me.

Then, the dragon flies above me preparing for another round.

I'm trapped.

Above me is my enemy and I'm surrounded by the winds from the side.

...

No I'm not!

[Phantom will]

Without any hesitation, I jump through the wind barrier.

The wind cuts into me like thousands of daggers, but I don't mind it and continue.

Eventually, I finally get out of there.

But right after that, there is an explosion in the middle of the barrier and it blows both me and the barrier away.

I crash into the ground and tumble for a bit.

[Heal]

Damnit, my limbs seem to be broken.

Before I am able to do anything, the dragon appears before me and raises his claw.

But I open my mouth, where I have secretly been gathering mana and release it.

[Inferno]

While burning my tongue, the surprise attack hits the dragon in its entirety.

[Heal]

I use the time when he is recovering from it and heal my arms and legs.

After finally recovering and standing up, I once again meet his eyes with mine.

This happens every time.

First, I think I'm winning.

Then, it slowly turns into an equal match.

And finally, a little later I lose.

But I won't lose this time.

I drop my weapon and raise both of my arms.

The dragon is startled but then watches me intently for my next move.

A plan?

I don't have one.

I didn't have one this time.

But just now...

I had an idea.

I lower one of my hands to my neck and grab my hair with the other.

I scratch my neck a bit to create a light wound.

[Phantom cut]

...and then my head is cut off.

Using my other hand, I throw the head across the room.

The dragon's eyes follow the head, but soon he widens his eyes as the head disappears and looks back at me.

But he was too late.

The illusion of me cutting my head and throwing it away, kept him occupied just long enough for me to close the distance.

[Wind blade]

I cut into his scales.

[Phantom cut]

And some blood gushes out.

[Blood flow]

I use my maximum power and try to drag all the blood inside him out.

He tries to resist it by controlling his own blood and then swings his claw at me.

I easily dodge it and keep drawing his blood out.

Unable to hit me, he dashes backwards instead to stop me from forcing his blood out.

He gasps and looks back at me.

But it's too late.

I already have enough of your blood.

After forming a big magic circle on the ground using his blood, I start supplying it with mana.

Seeing me do this, he panics and rushes at me again.

[Phantom annihilation]

With a jab of my mace, he is violently flung back.

But soon enough, he gets up and charges at me again, this time breathing fire at me.

[Phantom force]

I deflect his attack, barely even looking at it, while still focusing on the magic circle.

He narrowly dodges it but continues charging at me.

And all that creates enough time for me to finish it.

[Blood contract: slave]

Beams of light shoot from the magic circle into the dragon and are absorbed by him.

I fall on my back out of mana exhaustion.

As he is about to hit me with his claw...

He stops.

His entire body stiffens.

There is an apparent fury searing from his eyes.

...

I unconsciously let out a smug smile while I look him in the eye.

I got you...

It actually worked...

Blood contract...

Since it requires a decent amount the target's blood and some time to prepare the magic circle, I never really used it.

If I can get this much blood from a monster, I might as well kill it.

The contract costs quite a bit of mana and the monsters, that would be useful to me aren't many.

But this dragon...

His vitality is at insane levels.

He takes phantom annihilation like a regular ogre takes a hit of my mace.

But even with that, he still bleeds quite a bit when hit.

And that's why this could work.

...

Now then...

I can't move.

I'm really exhausted.

I guess, I will just lie here until I recover?

His glares will get a little annoying though...

|= One nap later =|

After opening my eyes, I see a pair of huge blood red eyes staring right at me.

...

After the initial shock is gone, I remember what happened.

That's right...

I 'defeated' the 'last one'.

...

Now that I think about it, doesn't this count as cheating?

I thought that god would prevent me from cheating...

Well, I guess it works.

Now then...

I get up and look around the room, while the dragon still glares at me.

There is a big opening in the ceiling.

Is that how the dragon leaves this cave?

I could probably use the dragon and fly up there...

...actually no I couldn't.

The blood contract I did, was the simplest one I could manage.

And thus the only rule I set was 'Don't intentionally hurt or block me'.

I didn't set a rule to listen to my commands.

I guess I will leave the dragon here and go to tunnel on the other side of the cave.

Slowly walking to the tunnel, the dragon's stare still pierces through me.

But he doesn't attack me.

He lets me go.

I enter the tunnel, which is illuminated by the familiar green mushrooms and leave the dragon behind.

There are these strange markings on the wall just like in the spider maze.

Just what do they mean, I wonder?

...well, it doesn't matter anymore.

Because this path...

Leads to the end...

My freedom...

...

I continue walking silently.

With both excitement and a minor...disappointment in my heart.

There's that feeling again...

I don't understand it.

Isn't this why I have been trying so hard?

Just why can't I feel happy...

...

After a while of walking, I arrive at...

A safe house?

Why is this here...?

Isn't this supposed to end?

...

I enter it.

...

On the table, there are all the books I have collected next to the blue orb I left at the start.

Adding to that, there is a short blue sword, just like the dagger I used to have.

...

What?

I'm confused...

Why is all of this here...?

...

Silently, I exchange my mace for the sword and leave.

Continuing down the tunnel, I keep having conflicting thoughts.

Then, I finally arrive at yet another room.

It's a circular room with those markings all over the walls.

There are four magic circles spread out near the walls.

In the middle, there is some sort of big crystal embedded in the ground.

...

And there are no other tunnels or entrances.

Dead end...?

...

I walk up to the crystal.

In it, there is my reflection.

I feel...something strange from this crystal.

Coming closer to it, I look into my own eyes in the reflection.

...

Suddenly, I see a silhouette of someone in the reflection appear behind me.

"Hello there cute little puppy!"

Reflexively I slash behind me with the sword as I turn around.

...

But I slash at air.

There is nobody.

When I look back at the crystal and I can see a man behind me in the reflection.

"Whoa calm down there, you will ruin your cuteness!"

What is this?

What's going on?

I look back and forth a few times, but he is only in the crystal.

"...who..."

"Hmm?

Hey,hey I thought that anti-fun guy already told you?

I'm the god of this world, of course!"

God...

He is the god.

He is the one who trapped me here.

He is my target.

I have to kill him.

[Phantom-

The man grabs my shoulder in the reflection and all the mana I have accumulated suddenly disappears.

"Whoa there, it's not nice to attack someone you met for the first time!"

In a blink of an eye, my mana is totally drained and I fall on my knees.

"Ah, I guess I'm being kinda rude too.

Well, let's start again.

Ahem..."

He puts on a big smile and spreads out his arms.

"You won!

Congratulations on beating my little game!"

Bonus:

"Woohoo! I finally appear in the main story!

That's right!

I was the god all this time!

What a plot twist!

What excitement!"

I should have scrapped you the moment you were made.

"Oh my lovely little author, I know you are really into this tsundere role play, but if you keep at it like this, I might actually believe you hate me!

But there's no way that's true haha!"

...

"See you next time, where I finally get to talk to our cute wolf girl!"