Kwoooooo...
A blue light began to emanate from deep inside Artherion's mouth.
At first faint, the light gradually intensified, pulsing along the dragon's throat.
Like ice crystals growing, the blue glow became sharper and expanded in size.
Fwaaaa...
The surrounding temperature dropped sharply. Frost formed instantly on the ground, and white breath billowed out whenever people exhaled.
"Damn."
Ghislain gave a troubled smile. A dragon's breath attack couldn't be sealed by magic.
Of course, breath attacks couldn't be used frequently, so dodging and enduring were options. But Artherion didn't seem to intend to use an ordinary breath attack.
"Looks like he's going all out to kill us."
Kwoooooo!
Even though he could have already released the breath, he continued gathering energy, exuding a strong determination to kill Yulian.
Dodging wouldn't be easy. Artherion's head would follow Yulian wherever he moved.
Attacking now would be even more dangerous. They had to endure this first attack as planned.
Fwoosh...
Moisture in the air froze instantly, transforming into glittering ice particles. A silver mist began to rise around Artherion.
At that moment, blue waves of light rippled along the dragon's neck and back. Like lightning flowing, the light danced across his scales.
The energy that had been gathering finally reached its peak. Artherion's eyes flashed, emitting a brilliant glow.
Kwooooooo!
A blinding, blue-white breath erupted explosively. A massive ice storm tore through the sky and rained down.
Although it was aimed at Yulian, its range was so vast that others couldn't avoid it either.
Ghislain burst forth with mana and shouted.
"Block it!"
Fwaaaa!
Parniel, standing at the forefront, unleashed her holy power with all her might. Behind him, Piote transferred all his holy power to Parniel.
But it wasn't enough. A dragon's breath attack was not something mere humans could block.
From inside the fortress, Jerome's eyes shone with golden light.
"Absolute Barrier."
Zing—!
The combined magic of the mages formed a 9th-circle absolute defense spell.
Massive amounts of magic were drawn into Jerome's spell.
It was too heavy. It was extremely difficult for Jerome to control all that power alone.
Vanessa supported Jerome, focusing solely on ensuring the gathered mana didn't spiral out of control.
Thanks to their teamwork, the 9th-circle magic was successfully cast.
Fwaaaaa!
The barrier enveloping their forces collided with Artherion's breath attack.
True to its name, the 9th-circle spell withstood the breath.
But the problem was that Jerome wasn't a true 9th-circle mage. He knew the formulas, but his skill and understanding hadn't reached that level.
Thus, the barrier was essentially a half-completed 9th-circle spell, relying purely on brute force.
Crack, crack!
Cracks began forming in the barrier. Blood trickled down from Jerome's nose.
Even if the magic levels were similar, the density was different.
Moreover, the breath attack was the dragon's inherent power. It faced no interference, leaving Jerome at a disadvantage.
Crack, crack!
Boom!
The trembling barrier finally shattered under the breath's force.
"Cough!"
Jerome staggered, coughing up blood, and Vanessa immediately followed up with another spell.
"Great Shield."
Papatapatapak!
Multiple layers of shields unfolded around their allies. They shattered one by one, but the dragon's breath had also weakened.
The final remnant of the breath met Parniel's holy power.
Kwaaaang!
"Urgh!"
Parniel's body jerked violently, and she coughed up blood. But she managed to block it.
The aftermath of the breath spread outward. The ground they stood on froze, and frost covered everyone's bodies.
Kaor chattered his teeth and muttered.
"Damn... it's freezing..."
The breath was so powerful that even superhumans felt the cold. But they had managed to block it somehow.
Artherion's eyes burned even darker with killing intent.
"You pests..."
It had been a full-force breath attack, powerful enough to kill the challengers in one strike.
Yet, it failed. The humans' preparations were more thorough than expected.
And their counterattack was swift.
Fwaaak!
Hundreds of glowing daggers appeared in the air. Like a silver staircase cutting through the sky, they formed a zigzag pattern.
Ghislain quickly stepped on the daggers and soared upward, swinging his massive aura blade.
Clang, clang, clang!
"Graaah!"
Artherion flapped his wings in surprise, trying to retreat as a slash grazed his chest.
Swish!
But Yulian had already leaped in, his blade slicing deeply into one of Artherion's wings.
Belinda's daggers spread wide around Artherion, constantly shifting like living beings, serving as platforms for superhumans.
There was no need to worry about falling. Belinda's daggers always appeared beneath their feet.
Ignoring gravity, they freely maneuvered through the air, attacking the dragon's body.
Artherion roared in a mix of frustration and rage.
"You insignificant insects!"
"Try dying to one of these insects today."
Ghislain grinned fiercely, swinging his aura blade without hesitation.
A dragon's breath was powerful but consumed massive energy. Moreover, Artherion had gathered excessive power, leaving him vulnerable until his energy recovered.
This was why Ghislain had planned to endure the first breath. It drained the opponent's strength before the real fight began.
Sure enough, Artherion was flustered by the overwhelming assault of the superhumans.
"Y-You pests…"
No matter how weak humans seemed, their aura blades couldn't be taken lightly.
They were strong enough to cut through dragon scales.
Artherion retreated, instinctively casting spells.
Fsss...
Yet, even as he attempted magic, it failed to materialize properly. The moment it formed, it scattered.
Grrrr…
Artherion growled lowly, frustrated.
He tried to fire another breath attack, but it wasn't easy. Having expended so much energy earlier, he was still in recovery.
Since such powerful attacks couldn't be used repeatedly, he had to be cautious. He needed to kill his enemies here and now.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Left with no other option, Artherion resorted to using his massive body as a weapon. He swung his colossal tail mercilessly.
Kwaaaang!
Tenant, who had been attacking Artherion's side, was struck directly. But contrary to the dragon's expectations, Tenant survived.
A shield of holy power shielded him just before impact. Additionally, divine blessings enveloped his body.
The shield shattered into pieces, but Tenant managed to hold on, unleashing his mana to endure.
Crunch!
Although his bones and organs were completely shattered, it didn't matter. The immense holy power that poured in immediately healed his body.
Kaaaargh!
Enraged by the sight, Artherion let out a roar that shook the surrounding air.
Kwaaaaang!
His massive claws tore through the sky. The superhumans evaded gracefully, like wind. When dodging was difficult, they simply exploded their mana and leaped downward.
And whenever there was an opening, Ghislain's aura blade flashed like lightning, grazing Artherion's body.
With each strike, the dragon's blood splattered into the air. The amount increased steadily.
"You pesky flies!"
Artherion lashed out with his tail and claws repeatedly. However, Belinda's daggers quickly rearranged themselves, creating new platforms for the superhumans.
They moved freely, almost as if dancing in midair. They maximized distance to evade, then closed in to attack whenever they saw an opportunity.
Yulian's attacks were especially outstanding.
Slash!
Yulian didn't need to force himself to get too close. He maintained distance and kept slicing Artherion's wings bit by bit.
"Grrr…"
Artherion groaned in pain as his wings were gradually torn apart.
Yet, being a dragon who had experienced countless battles, he quickly regained his composure.
His attacks became more precise as the battle went on. The superhumans who had been pressing him were forced to widen their distance, looking for new openings.
Artherion, despite sustaining more injuries, carefully analyzed the movements of his enemies.
And when he saw an opportunity, he never missed it.
Kwaaaaaang!
As the dragon's tail abruptly changed direction and came flying toward him, Gillian raised his arms and unleashed mana. At the same time, a holy shield appeared in front of him.
Crack!
His arms were shattered, and he was sent flying, but he didn't die. Thanks to his comrades' immediate counterattacks, no follow-up strike came.
Creak!
Gillian's broken arms were restored in an instant, thanks to the overwhelming holy power provided by Parniel and Piote.
Artherion observed the entire scene carefully.
"If only my power were intact…"
Then, he wouldn't be struggling this much. A single hit would have killed them before they could even recover.
But there was no time to dwell on regrets. Delays would only allow his opponents to grow stronger.
Even so, these humans were impressive. Very few had ever pushed a dragon like this, even a thousand years ago.
'They prepared thoroughly.'
Their teamwork was flawless.
Daggers that created endless platforms, holy power that healed as long as it wasn't a fatal blow,
Mages that sealed his spells, and superhumans who trusted their allies and risked their lives without hesitation.
They knew exactly how to fight a dragon. As Erenes said, that human ruler, Ghislain, was truly remarkable.
Aside from their prowess, Artherion felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
'It's as if they've fought me before.'
No humans of this era had fought a dragon. There shouldn't even be proper records of such battles.
Yet, they were driving him into a corner without making a single mistake. Even the spell-sealing magic was flawless.
It was far too meticulous to have been prepared based solely on speculation.
'Did Erenes tell them?'
No, that couldn't be. She and he were practically bound by fate.
Erenes would never want to fight him. While she may have provided some information about him to the humans, her absence here proved her intentions.
These humans had truly deduced and prepared everything on their own.
'I have no choice but to acknowledge it. They are extraordinary.'
But that was all. In the end, he would still win.
He had survived even harsher battles and emerged victorious as the last dragon.
Kwaaaaang!
Artherion's tail struck Kaor this time. Yet, Kaor did not die.
Instead, he recovered quickly and began climbing up the daggers again.
Even as his injuries increased, Artherion remained calm, continuing to assess the situation.
To them, he must have seemed like nothing more than a large, powerful monster.
Of course. Unable to cast spells, and with his massive size presenting countless targets, he was like a giant bullseye.
If this dragged on, he would tire out first.
Artherion's eyes narrowed.
Fighting off the superhumans swarming around him was meaningless in this state.
'Daggers, holy power, mages.'
These three elements supported their strategy. If any one of them collapsed, the humans wouldn't be able to handle him.
'Shadow.'
Artherion subtly turned his gaze.
The woman controlling the daggers was far away, not participating in the attacks.
She focused entirely on enabling her allies to fight freely in the air.
Next, he looked downward.
'Holy power.'
The saintess, who wielded the strongest power, focused solely on healing and defense.
Though it seemed an ill fit for her strength, it was undeniably effective in the current situation.
Even the pseudo-saint among them radiated holy power of remarkable purity, surpassing the saintess in some aspects.
Finally, Artherion surveyed the small fortresses in the distance.
'Mages.'
An immense magic power continued to suppress him.
This wasn't just a wide-spread mana field.
If multiple mages had been trying to dispel his magic individually, it wouldn't have unraveled so cleanly—it would have torn apart chaotically.
Instead, the magic was consolidated and controlled by a powerful mage. Killing or disrupting that mage would be key.
'Could they have foreseen this too?'
The scattered fortresses made it impossible to pinpoint the source of the magic, another testament to their meticulous preparation.
Grrr…
Even as Artherion fought the humans in front of him, part of his focus was elsewhere.
He couldn't attack all three targets at once.
He had to pick one and focus relentlessly.
Breaking even one of the pillars holding up their strategy would tip the battle in his favor.
By the time his white body was half-stained with red, Artherion made his decision.
His eyes gleamed sharply. Spreading his wings wide, he pulled back slightly.
Kwaaaaang!
Then, suddenly, he shot downward toward the ground.