Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1335

The sky erupted in a blinding flash as the meteors made contact with Malevolous. The impact was deafening, a thunderous roar that shook the very foundations of the pocket dimension.

"Fuck!" Malevolous bellowed, his voice drowned out by the cacophony of destruction.

Michael released his grip at the last possible second, propelling himself away with a burst of dark energy. He hovered in the air, watching the spectacle unfold below.

The dragon's massive form plummeted, a blur of scales and fire. Malevolous crashed into the snow-covered ground with earth-shattering force, carving out a crater that stretched for hundreds of meters in every direction.

Snow vaporized instantly, replaced by scorched earth and molten rock. Plumes of steam and smoke billowed upwards, obscuring the impact site. The once pristine white landscape was transformed into a hellish tableau of fire and devastation.

As the dust began to settle, Michael could make out the edges of the crater. The snow for miles around had melted, revealing barren rock underneath. Fissures spider-webbed out from the impact site, glowing with residual heat.

"Now that's what I call making an impression," Michael muttered, his eyes scanning the destruction for any sign of movement from the dragon.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning and the metallic tang of superheated rock. Waves of heat distorted the air, creating mirages that danced across the scarred landscape.

In the center of it all, partially obscured by smoke and debris, lay the crumpled form of Malevolous. The once-mighty dragon was motionless, but Michael knew better than to assume the battle was over. Ancient beasts like Malevolous were notoriously hard to kill.

As Malevolous struggled to regain his footing, the Dark Lord shot towards Rowena, who remained chained to the solitary pole amidst the chaos.

"Hold on, I'm getting you out of here," Michael called out as he approached.

The moment his foot touched the glowing chakra circle surrounding Rowena, the trap sprung. Ghostly hands, pale and grotesque, erupted from the ground, latching onto Michael's legs with surprising strength.

"What the—" Michael grunted, feeling the pull of the spectral appendages.

Without missing a beat, he aimed his palms downward, unleashing a torrent of dark flames. The ghoulish hands withered and dissipated under the onslaught, their unearthly shrieks fading into nothingness.

With the path clear, Michael reached for the chains binding Rowena. The moment his fingers made contact, a sizzling sound filled the air.

"Fuck!" Michael hissed, the magical chains scorching even his godly flesh.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he snapped the chains with a quick, forceful motion. The links gave way with a resounding crack, freeing Rowena from her bonds.

As Rowena stumbled forward, Michael glanced at his hands. His gloves were smoking, the material partially melted away to reveal angry red burns underneath. The Automatic Potion Dispenser (APD) in his suit whirred to life, injecting a healing potion directly into his bloodstream. He could feel the cooling sensation as the burns began to heal, but the pain lingered as a stark reminder of the chains' potency.

"Those weren't your average restraints," Michael muttered, flexing his fingers. "Anyone else would've been toast."

Rowena looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and concern. "Dean... your hands..."

"I'll live," Michael assured her, his eyes already scanning their surroundings. "But we're not out of the woods yet. Can you stand?"

Although Rowena wanted to muster her strength and stand without any support on her feet, she stumbled, her legs giving way beneath her. Michael quickly caught her, supporting her weight with his arm.

With a flick of his wrist, a vial of healing potion materialized in Michael's hand. He gently offered it to Rowena, but her fingers trembled, too weak to grasp the small container. Seeing her struggle, Michael let out an internal sigh.

"Here, let me," he said softly, popping open the vial. Carefully, he raised it to her lips, tipping the contents slowly into her mouth.

Michael watched expectantly, waiting for the familiar sight of wounds closing, bruises fading, and vitality returning to her pale face. But as the last drop of the potion disappeared down Rowena's throat, he frowned. There was no change - her injuries remained, her skin still sickly pale.

Then, a dark chuckle broke the silence. Michael turned, his arm still supporting Rowena, to see Malevolous rising from the crater, amusement glinting in his eyes.

The dragon spat out a tooth, dislodged by the meteor impact, and grinned wickedly. "Did you really think it would be that easy to take my toy away and repair her?" Malevolous taunted, his voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. "Pitiful god, you have so much to learn about true torment."

Michael's frown deepened as he realized the extent of Malevolous's cruelty. This wasn't just physical torture as the dragon had done something to prevent healing, to prolong Rowena's suffering indefinitely.

As he was looking at the dragon, his mind raced, already planning their escape and the destruction of Skyhall. He knew that once they were out, he'd have enough badass points to reverse whatever curse Malevolous had placed on Rowena. The real challenge now was finding the exit portal and dealing with this smug dragon.

Suddenly, as if reading his thoughts, Rowena spoke, her voice weak but determined. "I... I can find the exit portal. Don't worry about me being a burden."

"Are you sure? You can barely stand." Michael looked at her, surprised.

"I'll find it. Just promise me you'll make that bastard suffer." Rowena nodded firmly, her eyes blazing with resolve despite her weakened state.

Michael studied her face, recognizing the familiar Winston determination. Even in her battered state, she was still the Holy Maiden, still a Winston to her core. He knew arguing would be pointless - her willpower was as strong as ever.

"Alright," Michael agreed, helping her steady herself. "Be careful."

As Rowena limped away, Michael turned to face Malevolous, ready for the next round. To his surprise, the dragon made no move to stop her. Instead, Malevolous chuckled, a sound that sent chills down Michael's spine.

"Oh, this is delicious," the dragon purred, his eyes following Rowena's retreating form. "You see, there's nothing quite like watching my toys realize there's no escape. When that last spark of hope dies, when their will finally breaks - that's the ultimate high."

Michael's fists clenched, dark energy crackling around them. "You sick bastard," he growled.

Malevolous's grin widened. "You have no idea. But you will. Oh, you will."

"Enough talking," Michael growled. "Let's fight."

In a flash, Michael engaged his Lightning Dash, disappearing and reappearing around Malevolous with dizzying speed. He darted between the dragon's massive limbs, striking with precision and retreating before the beast could retaliate.

Enraged, Malevolous reared back, his chest swelling as he prepared a devastating attack. The air around him began to shimmer and distort, reality itself seeming to bend.

"Taste true power, godling!" the dragon roared.

A beam of condensed energy, swirling with various elemental forces, erupted from Malevolous's maw. The beam carved a path of destruction across the landscape, vaporizing snow and rock alike. Trees were reduced to ash in an instant, and the ground itself melted into glass where the beam touched.

Michael weaved through the air, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the attack. However, several smaller beams split off, catching him in glancing blows. His armor hissed and smoked, the responsive shield flickering to life and absorbing much of the damage.

"Is that all you've got?" Michael taunted, shaking off the residual energy.

In response, Michael raised his hands to the sky. Dark clouds formed overhead, swirling ominously. The air crackled with pent-up energy.

"Now, let me show you what a god can do," Michael snarled.

Suddenly, the clouds erupted in a dazzling display of power. Hundreds of lightning bolts, each as thick as a tree trunk, rained down upon Malevolous. The dragon roared in pain and surprise as the lightning struck him from every angle.

Scales blackened and cracked under the onslaught. The air filled with the acrid smell of ozone and burning flesh. Malevolous thrashed, his massive form illuminated by the constant barrage of lightning.

When the assault finally ceased, Malevolous stood panting, smoke rising from his body. Patches of his once-gleaming scales were now charred and broken, revealing raw flesh underneath.

"Impressive," the dragon grudgingly admitted, his voice ragged. "But don't think this is over. I'm just getting started."

Meanwhile, Rowena limped away from the chaotic battle scene, her every step a struggle against pain and exhaustion. Despite her weakened state, her mind remained sharp, focused on finding their escape route.

She knew the fundamental laws of pocket dimensions: for every entrance, there must be an exit. The portal they had used to enter would have vanished, as one could never leave through the same way they came in. Regardless of who controlled this realm or its nature, this rule remained constant. An exit portal had to exist somewhere, even if it was hidden, masked by illusion, or protected by traps and arrays.

As she trudged through the snow, something caught her eye. A small, inconspicuous boulder sat nestled against a cliff face. It looked perfectly ordinary, and that's precisely what made Rowena suspicious.

She approached cautiously, her eyes narrowing as she studied the rock. The snow around it was undisturbed, too perfect. And as she focused, she noticed a slight shimmer in the air around it, almost imperceptible.

"Clever," Rowena muttered, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

She reached out, her hand passing through the illusion of the boulder. As her fingers breached the false image, she felt a familiar tingle of magic - the unmistakable signature of a portal.

The illusion was masterfully crafted. Not only did it fool the eyes, but it also masked the magical aura of the portal. Only someone with Rowena's extensive knowledge and keen senses would have noticed the minute discrepancies.

"Found you," she whispered triumphantly, her voice barely audible over the distant sounds of battle.

Now came the tricky part - figuring out how to activate it and escape this hellish dimension.

On the other hand, Michael and Malevolous continued their titanic struggle. The dragon, growing increasingly frustrated, unleashed a new attack. With a bone-chilling roar, Malevolous fired menacing red beams from his eyes, the energy crackling with destructive intent.

Michael, however, was ready. A smirk played across his lips as he countered with his own ocular assault, dark beams shooting from his eyes to meet the dragon's attack mid-air.

The collision of energies was spectacular. Red and black tendrils intertwined, pushing against each other in a dazzling display of power. Neither seemed to gain the upper hand, both Michael and Malevolous pouring their strength into the standoff.

But Michael had a trick up his sleeve. While maintaining the beam struggle, he accessed his system storage, retrieving two small circular devices he had crafted earlier. The dragon, focused entirely on the beam battle, failed to notice Michael's subtle movements.

With a flick of his wrists, Michael tossed the contraptions into the air. They whirred to life, emitting low-frequency sound waves that quickly increased in pitch and intensity.

Malevolous's eyes widened in surprise and pain. The dragon's sensitive hearing made him particularly vulnerable to the sonic assault. He growled in agony, involuntarily turning his head away from Michael, breaking the beam struggle.

Seizing the moment, Michael shot skyward, positioning himself above the disoriented dragon. Without hesitation, he fired his dark beams directly into Malevolous's eyes.

The beams struck with pinpoint accuracy, penetrating the dragon's eyes like obsidian lances. Malevolous let out an earth-shattering roar of pain as the dark energy bored through his ocular defenses. Blood, thick and dark, began to stream from the dragon's eyes, mixing with the residual energy of Michael's attack.

"My eyes!" Malevolous bellowed, thrashing in agony. "You'll pay for this FUCKER!"