The battlefield at the crossroads — 4
Kenny realized it too.
Pushing his heavy body forward, he stepped in front of the dragon's eyes.
If he continued like this, Kenny would be overwhelmed.
Move closer to Kenny.
"Keep your shield up, just like that!"
Standing side by side with Kenny, I generate a powerful vertical vortex.
Perfectly timed, it collides with the released flame breath.
There's no way I'm getting pushed back!
Continuously feeding mana, I intensify the wind pressure.
It felt as though the gem embedded in the dragon’s chest glowed brightly.
The force of the flame breath intensified, pushing back the vortex.
No good—like this, I won’t be able to hold it...
Instantly reshaping the wind, I formed a protective barrier around us.
“Sorry, Kenny—just hold on a little longer!”
“Ugh!”
Trusting Kenny with defense, I saturated the ground with mana.
Kenny’s massive shield grew red-hot, its edges beginning to glow.
Even a shield made from the scales of that monstrous tsuchinoko can't withstand it!?
Though I couldn't hide my shock, I had already saturated the ground with enough mana.
"Alright! Ready!"
With a shout, I altered the terrain's contours—piling up earth, forming countless walls, and shielding us from the breath attack.
Then, I forced underground water to surge upward, launching it with powerful pressure straight at the dragon.
Most of the projectiles were knocked down by the breath attack, but a few still hit their mark.
What mattered most was that I managed to shift the direction of the breath attack.
That was enough!
Don't think you're the only one who can launch long-range attacks.
I had gathered enough plasma in my left hand.
Rising higher than the dragon, I brought it down with full force.
The lightning-fast strike couldn't be avoided—direct hit.
My full-powered plasma cannon continues to obliterate the dragon.
Even as the dragon takes hits, it twists its body and shifts awkwardly, trying desperately to dodge.
Not a chance!
I increase the output and intensify my assault.
A high-pitched beam hum and the dull thud of impacts against the dragon persist around me.
Take this!
Summoning every ounce of strength, I deliver an even heavier blow—severing one of the dragon’s arms clean off.
The severed arm lands precisely atop the magical circle.
The sorcerers leap forward, activating the circle.
Through advanced manipulation of magical essence, the mana flows out from the detached arm and vanishes, leaving only a gemstone behind.
That's it. The same thing will be done to the dragon's main body.
I glance at the dragon.
Despite smoking from one severed arm, it glares at me fiercely.
There was no doubt that the dragon's magical essence had diminished.
The dragon was magic essence itself.
It's fine.
I'm definitely weakening it.
The dragon levitated into the air, its magical essence becoming denser.
The amount of essence spilling from the severed arm's wound increased.
Is the effect of magic increasing the more I attack!?
Truly, an abnormal creature.
I rose into the air, pursuing it.
The stage shifted to the air.
My mana reserves had dwindled significantly from the previous attack.
It would take time to draw on surrounding mana. I had to buy time while absorbing the ambient mana!
Purple lightning surged from the dragon's severed arm.
Matching its rhythm, I wrapped myself in lightning attacks.
Both of us unleashed our lightning strikes at the same moment.
The colliding lightning bolts rained down to the ground like bouncing balls.
A red light flickered through the gaps in the dragon's lightning attack.
A breath attack!?
If the air mass can't push it back... then!
I formed a double layer of air membranes around myself.
The dragon's scorching breath completely enveloped even the air membranes.
"Taro!"
From the ground, Taro appeared completely engulfed in flames.
The long, long breath ended, and there was nothing left where Taro had stood.
Despair spread among the ground forces.
The dragon, as if to say it had dealt with the troublesome obstacle before it, shifted its gaze down to the ground.
Yet, those looking up from below felt no despair.
"You don't know what a vacuum is, do you?"
Taro was not dead.
He was protected from the heat of the flames by a vacuum membrane stretched around him like a shield.
Hidden by the vast flames spreading through the air, he swiftly ascended into the upper sky.
The dragon's fierce fire breath had completely cleared the upper atmosphere.
Now! This is the only chance!
He launched a small glowing gem into the sky.
He gathered the magical essence spreading throughout the surrounding space into his hands.
Using the magical essence under his control, he connected it to the glowing gem he had thrown into the air.
This gem, the one he had relied on most since arriving in this world—now, it could do anything.
Using this light crystal as a conduit... he had absorbed all the light pouring down across the entire area.
Alex momentarily thought it had turned into night.
It became that dark.
Stars sparkled in the sky above.
No, the arrangement was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Worse, they seemed to be moving?
Overwhelmed by confusion, his mind couldn't grasp the situation.
In reality, Taro had used the light crystal to concentrate the surrounding illumination.
The concentrated light was split into countless beams, piercing through the dragon from all directions, surrounding it completely.
Unable to avoid the silent rays, the dragon was pierced through and scorched entirely.
It passed through the dragon as if a shooting star had fallen.
Only Taro, arms outstretched to control the light, watched in silence.
The ground troops felt a warmth like dawn, as light returned to their surroundings.
The dragon crashed to the ground.
No reaction.
Had we defeated it?
That attack was the strongest I could muster—after all, it harnessed the power of the sun raining down upon Earth.
There’s no stronger attack than that. I wish it would just stay down now.
My past experiences have been sounding alarms nonstop.
The dragon has reached the ground.
No time to hesitate.
Chase it down immediately and activate the magic circle.
I steadily absorb the dragon's magical essence. In turn, enormous magical stones begin to crystallize and emerge from the ground like pebbles.
Silence spreads across the area.
I cannot tear my eyes away from the dragon.
The body was deteriorating rapidly, yet past experiences kept urging me not to look away.
It was then that the large magic stone embedded in the dragon's chest began to crystallize.
Suddenly, memories of battling the mythical creature known as the Tsuchinoke surged back into my mind.
Clinical death!
"Everyone! Get out of here, now!"
I screamed, a cry so desperate it bordered on a scream.
The elite forces gathered from across the world instantly leapt back, trying to create distance from the dragon,
but before they could react, the dragon, having regained consciousness, erupted into violent motion, sending several people flying.
I myself was hurled by a sudden gust, barely avoiding disaster.
There was no time to worry about others.
The dragon was clearly targeting me. Its massive head drew nearer with terrifying speed.
I generate wind to push against the dragon, using the reaction to accelerate myself.
Boom! My movement stops abruptly.
It's the wall of earth I raised from the ground just a moment ago.
No time to think.
Without conscious thought, I shift the wind's direction and ascend—but in that brief instant of hesitation, the dragon's head catches up.
It bit my right leg!?
Dragged by my leg, I'm blown backward, taking the wall with me.
I unleash a lightning strike, splitting the dragon's jaw open.
Seizing the moment the restraints loosened, I’d finally ascend this time.
Ugh.
A sharp pain shoots from my right leg.
My right leg just hangs there, lifeless and limp.
And this...
No mana?
Only the mana in my right leg has vanished. I know this feeling.
To recover from this state, I’d have to slowly absorb mana over a long period.
Right now, I don’t have time for that!
I’ll heal just the injury in my right leg and stop the bleeding.
The movement is sluggish, but as long as I keep flying, it's nothing to worry about.
Now that my injury has healed, I can take stock of my surroundings.
Everyone who was blown away is injured, but recovery units are already on the scene, using magic stones to begin healing.
Our combat strength has been significantly reduced, but it's not fatal.
I check on the dragon.
!?
Only the dragon's head was flying through the air.