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*****
Indeed, the magic cards within the grimoire George gave to Lucian were modeled after the Clow Cards—his own newly developed version.
However, what she held was only the first generation, not the ultimate version he envisioned.
The purpose behind his development of this card system was primarily to create a means of assisting himself in battle.
Whether the original Clow Cards or this new first-generation George Cards, both were still far from what he truly desired.
The Clow Cards created by Clow Reed, after all, were essentially toys made for his daughter. To Clow Reed himself, they were of little practical use.
What difference was there between wielding magic directly and channeling it through a Clow Card? At most, it only added unnecessary preparation time when activating a card.
Even Eriol Hiiragizawa, who inherited Clow Reed's power, never bothered to make his own card system—he simply cast spells directly.
The real purpose of the Clow Cards was to allow a novice like Sakura, who couldn't yet properly control magic, to borrow the cards to perform a wide range of spells—even advanced arts like time magic.
George now used them in much the same way.
For instance, if he wished to cast lightning magic through the Thunder Card, he would first have to draw the card, recite the incantation, and then release the spell through it.
But then—why not just cast the lightning spell directly?
The only justification would be if the magic channeled through the card far exceeded the strength of his own casting.
That was exactly the direction in which he was refining his design.
He aimed to turn each card into a true magical artifact—capable of amplifying spells on its own, while also being able to combine with other cards to form special arrays.
On the other hand, once each card manifested its own spirit, these spirits would not only fight in physical form, but could also train independently, constantly growing in strength and striving toward the ultimate limits of their magical domain.
If perfected, he could simply scatter his cards in battle, and the spirits themselves would overwhelm the enemy without him lifting a finger.
For now, however, this first-generation deck merely offered a wider range of spells compared to the Clow Cards, allowing the user to cast high-powered magic.
It was of little use to him personally, but for Lucian, it could greatly enhance her strength.
"Cards of George, hidden with the power of light, reveal your true strength before me. By the command of Lucian, your chosen master—Seal, release!"
Lucian dripped her blood onto the grimoire, chanting the binding incantation George had written into it. Instantly, she became the first official wielder of the George Cards, granted their full authority.
Wings unfurled behind her as she soared into the skies, clutching the grimoire containing all 108 George Cards, flying straight toward Ancalagon.
"Super Magic—Fairy's Radiance!"
Her opening move was a pure light spell, the perfect bane of dark creatures.
A brilliant pillar of radiance descended from the heavens, striking Ancalagon and drawing a thunderous scream of agony. Galadriel and her brothers seized the opportunity, driving their stone dragon forward to unleash a furious assault.
Before Ancalagon could recover, Lucian unleashed a second card.
"Celestial Magic—God's Falling Star!"
From the heavens, a meteor plummeted.
"Ice Make—Magic!"
"Thunder!"
"Water!"
"Illusion!"
"Sleep!"
Card after card was played in succession, chaining together devastating barrages of hard control and soft control spells. Together with Galadriel's relentless strikes and her brothers' support, Ancalagon's defenses were finally broken.
The colossal dragon's body was riddled with wounds, and one of his wings was torn halfway through, forcing him down to the ground where he could no longer fly.
Once grounded, he was beset by countless elven warriors, driven to the same dire state as the other dragons.
"Still far too weak."
George, watching from afar, shook his head.
Though Lucian's card-based attacks looked impressive, compared to George's own direct spellcasting, their power was a shadow of the real thing.
If he unleashed Fairy's Radiance at full force, he could wound Ancalagon grievously in a single strike.
That was the difference.
Thus, the first-generation magic cards were still no more than toys. It would take years of refinement before they could truly serve as his weapons.
After all, at his current level, creating a magical item capable of amplifying his abilities was no simple feat. Even magic wands that once multiplied spell power dozens of times over now held no effect for him.
"No!!"
Under Lucian's relentless magic, the Stone Dragon Knights' siege, and the pounding from the allied armies—topped by Fingon himself, the mightiest warrior of the elves—Ancalagon at last gave a roar of unwilling defeat, collapsing into a crippled state, unable to resist further.
"Don't kill him—I still have use for this dragon."
Seeing Fingon raise his blade to sever Ancalagon's head, George hurried forward and stopped him.
Consuming Ancalagon would be far more beneficial than consuming all the other dragons combined.
In terms of sheer physical power, Ancalagon's body was no weaker than the Black Dragon of Fairy Tail—only lacking the Black Dragon's absolute immunity to magic.
"Very well, I'll leave him to you, Dean."
Fingon, without hesitation, handed Ancalagon over.
Though commander of the three races' armies, he knew their current strength came entirely from George's founding of the Academy and the magical knowledge he had shared.
Without George, their coalition would have been butchered by Ancalagon's dragon host just as the elves of Himring had been.
So while George officially held no military command, his status was unmatched.
Even Fingon's father, High King Fingolfin, treated George with utmost courtesy.
As Fingolfin himself had said: whether Morgoth could be defeated would depend on George—at least half, perhaps even more, of their hope rested on him.
At times, both father and son even suspected George might secretly be a Vala of Valinor, disguised as a man to aid them.
But among all the Valar they knew, none matched him.
"Seal!"
George strode up to Ancalagon and, with a wave of his hand, drew the dragon into his private world.
"Three Armies—charge!"
With the dragon legion destroyed, Fingon spurred his forces forward, leading the charge directly against the balrog and orc legions to relieve besieged Himring.
Meanwhile, within Himring, the Balrog Lord Gothmog was pressing the assault. He had already slain five elven princes and now surrounded Maedhros, Maglor, and the last surviving elves in the royal palace.
But upon hearing the dying screams of Ancalagon from behind, his expression darkened.
"Useless wretch! To be defeated so quickly… could that human, George, truly be so formidable?"
He had believed that Ancalagon's dragons, ruling the skies, would crush the allied armies. Even with George's aid, surely they could be stalled long enough for Gothmog to finish Himring.
Once the stronghold fell, he could turn his full force with the dragons to annihilate the allies, break through to the west, and unify all of Middle-earth.
But now—already—the dragon legion was gone, Ancalagon defeated, and the allied forces were charging upon his rear.
(End of Chapter)