A rare opportunity to test my strength

(Ryujin POV)

As the creature unceremoniously dropped me amid the mountain, I was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the destruction. The land lay scarred, an unsettling testimony to the chaos that had recently unfolded.

The ground beneath my feet was uneven, strewn with debris from shattered boulders and large chunks of the mountain's face, now violently displaced from their natural resting places. Puffs of dust were still settling, caught in errant beams of sunlight that pierced through the thick canopy of leaves above.

But what caught my attention most starkly were the fallen monsters. They lay scattered everywhere, their lifeless forms grotesquely sprawled across the terrain. Some had gashes that oozed dark, ichor-like substances while others were charred, a testament to a fiery demise. The twisted limbs of several beasts intermingled, creating an eerie tableau of death. The air was heavy with a metallic tang, the unmistakable scent of spilled blood mixed with the pungent aroma of burnt flesh and wood.

Surrounding me were the remnants of once-majestic trees, now reduced to splintered trunks and shattered branches. No longer green but blackened and scorched, leaves littered the ground, crunching beneath my boots.

"That's a great view, isn't it, little Wan?" The creature landed, its voice dripping with mockery. 

"Yes, and all this without an ounce of mana!"

  "I would doubt that you didn't use mana, but coming from the son of that monster, Alexia, I don't doubt anything."

"By the way, your name will be Gouka." 

(A|N: 'Gouka' means 'large fire' in Japanese.)

He narrowed his eyes, seemingly mulling over the moniker I'd bestowed him. "Call me whatever you want... today you die..."

Gouka's muscles bulged with sheer power as he stooped down, fingers digging into the earth to grasp the base of a nearby tree. With a roar that echoed through the mountainside, he uprooted it effortlessly, displaying the raw might coursing through his veins. The tree's roots dangled, and its leaves rustled violently as he swung it back, positioning it like a weapon. Without hesitation, he hurled it at me with ferocious force, the air around it shrieking in protest.

But I was ready. With a calculated swiftness, I pivoted on my heel, moving out of the tree's trajectory just in the nick of time. The massive trunk of the tree now dominated the ground where I once stood.

"Why don't you start using mana, little Wan?" A sinister grin stretched across Gouka's face.

"I already told you, Gouka, I don't need mana to defeat you..." My eyes were fixed on his every movement. 

"You damn arrogant..." His expression twisted with rage at my defiance. 

Without warning, Gouka charged at me. As he ran, his monstrous feet struck the ground with such force that the earth beneath him cracked and split, creating a jagged line of destruction in his wake. His sheer speed was astonishing. Within moments, he had bridged the distance between us.

Just as his fist, which seemed as large and solid as a boulder, rocketed toward me, I deftly sidestepped. The rush of wind from his missed punch ruffled my clothes. Seizing the brief window of opportunity, I directed a powerful punch at his stomach. The impact was solid, and a shockwave emanated from the point of contact. Gouka's eyes widened in surprise and pain as the punch's force sent him reeling backward, smashing through a cluster of trees splintering on impact.

Gouka, momentarily disoriented from the punch, quickly regrouped, his eyes glowing with renewed fury. Surveying his surroundings, he spotted another massive tree standing tall amidst the destruction. He lunged at it with his sharp, clawed fingers, gripping its trunk. Every muscle in his monstrous frame tensed as he tore the tree from the ground, roots and all, sending dirt and rocks flying.

Swinging the tree around to gain momentum, Gouka then hurled it like a missile straight at me. The tree, now a colossal projectile, cast a massive shadow as it closed in, and the air around me whistled from the sheer speed of its flight.

Reacting quickly, I channeled my energy to my legs, propelling myself upward in a soaring leap. As I ascended, I could feel the rush of wind and the vibrations caused by the tree as it passed just beneath me, crashing into the ground and leaving a trail of upturned earth and splintered wood.

Landing gracefully on the remnants of another broken tree trunk, I looked down to see Gouka, his expression a mix of frustration and grudging admiration. 

"You're quite nimble for a Wan." 

"And you seem to have a fondness for throwing trees. Running out of tricks?"

"You haven't seen anything yet. That's my secret technique, little Wan!"

Gouka's eyes narrowed, and the ground beneath him began to tremble slightly. 

As Gouka slammed his fist into the ground, a cacophony of rumbling and cracking filled the air. The impact sent a shockwave radiating outward, causing the still-intact portion of the mountain to crumble. Massive boulders, chunks of rock, and a dense cloud of dust were ejected upwards, turning the serene sky into a chaotic battleground.

Caught off guard, I sprang into action, swiftly navigating the rain of debris. A massive slab of rock hurtled towards me, but with an elegant twist, I spun around it. Another boulder, this one jagged and sharp-edged, was on a collision course, but I vaulted over it, using it as a springboard to launch myself higher.

From my elevated position, I could see Gouka's strategy. The monster had positioned himself amidst the debris, using the falling rocks as stepping stones. With impeccable timing, he would leap onto a boulder, then spring off it ferociously, using the force to propel himself toward me with even greater velocity. It was a blend of raw power and cunning technique — he used the aftermath of his destruction to turn the tide of battle in his favor.

As Gouka's fist narrowly missed, I felt the sheer force of his blow disintegrate the boulders behind me. The once formidable rocks were now projectiles shooting in every direction. Some collided violently into the distant cliffsides, triggering cascades of debris. Others plummeted into the forest below, wiping out centuries-old trees like mere toothpicks. Each impact intensified the relentless quake beneath my feet, shaking the very essence of the mountain.

The once serene vista around us had transformed into a cacophony of destruction. The sound was a roar, an overpowering symphony of shattering stone and splintering wood. Once clear and expansive, the sky was now choked with a thick haze of dust and debris, casting eerie shadows and turning the bright daylight into a muted twilight.

Yet, despite this chaos, my focus remained unwavering, locked onto Gouka. I could sense every minute detail – the twitch in his muscles before a swift strike, the brief change in his breathing that hinted at his next move. Despite the raging storm of destruction around us, it felt as if we were alone in this expansive arena, two warriors engaged in an epic duel.

"Little Wan, You are formidable. Your prowess surpasses all I've faced before." Gouka paused momentarily, his labored breath evident.

"Thanks for the compliment, Gouka. But believe me, you've barely scratched the surface."

"You're just as arrogant as Alexia."

Then, a sudden rush of energy. The air around Gouka began to shimmer and crackle, charged with an intensity that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He was drawing mana from the surroundings, pulling at the very fabric of the world. A mesmerizing dance of blue lights spiraled around him, growing more potent and concentrated with each passing second.

"Wan, I had hoped to defeat you without resorting to this. But your insolence has forced my hand."

He thrust his hands onto the ground, intoning with a powerful voice, "S-rank conjuration magic, Great Golem."