Beneath the already clearing fog, war drums had begun to sound in the whole city of Zone A. Civilians rushed into the safety of their homes to escape their death, while the battle soldiers took the bold steps to assemble themselves accordingly.
Right on the glistening waters that served as a border for the rear region of the zone, several Awakened Scholars had assembled themselves.
Their uniform was somewhat unique: a cloak of layered silver and violet robes. And, each of them sat cross-legged in the floating boat, which had a relative speed to the flowing water. Almost as if it were weightless.
With both hands raised in a knife formation and crossed against each other, they looked upward as if calculating an impact.
They seemed to have detected that the foreign energy was water-aligned and positioned themselves accordingly.
If this creature happens to use the watery route, they will serve as the first defense; that was their plan, as they continued to improve their energies.
Meanwhile, on the border, the Awakened Elites had also assumed their formation, awaiting the arrival of the strange creature or being. Their armor was etched with elemental tattoos, lines up shoulder to shoulder.
Different kinds of weapons: starmetal hooks, spears with bone scythes, and crystal pins pulsed around them as they glared into the skies.
The two categories of dwarves were not the only ones performing their duties.
The Awakened Labour had assembled several battle instruments and divided itself into two groups. Within moments, each of these instruments would be seen traveling alongside a streamline of streaks, some to the Scholar while others to the Elites.
This particular group was the tireless caste of the dwarves. Their weapons were not only mechanical, but they were conduits of elemental fusion, and hence, performed effectively through the use of mana control.
And now, the Elites saw the dragon snake, and shouldn't hesitate.
"It has appeared!!!" Susaki, a normal Elite soldier, alerted his fellows.
"It has appeared?" General Mazuki asked, foolishly. "Or, is it running?"
Good, which had dived forward through the sky, turned around, letting the pale sapphire glow of its scales bathe the onlookers. It had a rider on its top, and they were heading in the direction of the incoming attack.
"Master, the best thing to do at the moment is to lie low on my body's scales, we shall—"
Fuuuuushhhhhh!
The Elites had reacted first.
"FIRE!"
The loud voice rang out again.
Different battle weapons shot into the air, but not with enough energy to withstand the energy of Good pressing downward with its diminutive slithering motion. So, they shattered into pieces in mid-air.
"You all are really of no good to me!" General Mazuki roared and stepped forward.
He now stepped forward onto a stone pillar at the edge of the cliff they stood on. Earth magic of the land began to fuse with his feet as he drew them back to gain a perfect stance.
Then, he raised his hand and clenched it, his fingers curling around the neck of the floating spear-missile that was a result of his earlier move. Holding onto it, the metal began absorbing glowing brown veins of earth-imbued mana.
"Alright. Let's see!"
His teeth tightened as he spun his body, then released his hand from the neck of the spear and flew it toward the sky.
FWUUUUUUUSHHHH!
It was a perfect shot as it sliced through the imposing air of energy pressing on it, clearly disobeying the inertia principle of gravity.
Still mid-glide, Good shifted sharply to the left. Luckily, the spear missed full impact as the creature grazed down further with additional speed.
But the downward motion was—
"Laz? Where's Master?"
Although the spear had missed its full impact, the edge had grazed Laz's hair. The friction from its contact was so violent that it pulled him off Good's back and sent him spiraling downward.
"Master?" Good called out, slithering upward at first, but realizing Laz spiraled downward, sped towards him, snatching him mid-air with its lower front limbs.
The boy's body was limp, pressed to the dragon's underside.
"Master is great. They know he has potential. They knew that Master is great."
"So they want him dead at all costs."
"But whoever wishes to touch even the brink of Master's hair, must seek my positive response!"
With this declaration, Good dived again. This time, as if a streak of light was crashing toward the earth like a meteor.
"Did you see that?"
"This person managed to dodge all these attacks?"
"He is indeed not ordinary."
"Don't let your guards down, idiots!!" General Mazuki thundered.
"Yes, sir!" The dwarves screamed in unison and retaliated.
This time, most of them neglected their battle instruments and made full use of their mana energies.
They made use of elemental blasts, which flew from below them in the form of flaming halberds, winds in the shape of wolves, and glowing discs of earth hurtled upward as well.
Or, they didn't.
The forms were powered by the Awakened Elites' synergy with the battle instruments.
"I see," Good's hoarse voice sounded, as it weaved through all the attacks. It had realized something from the dwarves' attacks.
They made use of elemental linkages.
Dwarves are indeed instrumentally amazing. They not only use magic to aim, but also awaken the embedded potential in the instruments through their usage.
Concentrating this energy potential, they infused it with land-based elemental cores and stabilized it with the flow from their palms.
"And that's how they do it," Good narrowed its eyes, dodging another barrage.
"To sever this synergy, I have to attack the land first with forces it would least expect. Although water happens to be the strongest element, many still consider it to have the least effect on other elements. I will make use of this general belief to my advantage."
"Master, I hope you wake up soon," Good looked below at Laz, still lifeless between its limbs. "I want to use water to loosen these land brats, and use my flame to burn..."
"Yes," Good just noticed the travelling steams that landed to form the instruments. "I will use my water-flame to burn the seams."
Rising again in mid-air, it imposed a greater movement with the altitude it formed, like a coiling dragon dance. Then, flames formed from its snout, flickering spirit-blue. But that was not going to be the first attack.
It swirled the flames into its breath and, approaching the ground level like a meteoric light, sprayed water first. It aimed to soak the grounded Elites with the sky-essence droplets, since it had an affinity with its spirit-flame.
As the water drenched their bodies, the flow turned the dirt beneath their feet soft.
Then, Good launched the fire.
WHOOMPH!!!
Instead of spreading, the flame sank, plunging into the softened soil. Then, it boiled upward, cracking the weakened ground with steam pressure, and exploded beneath the Elites' feet.
The heat from the steam connected with the travelling formation in the air, causing it to turn visible before shattering in the air.
KPRRRR!!!
Half the front line was tossed like dolls, earth soil flying into the sky as the dwarf victims screamed in flight.
A few who saw what had happened, still in confusion, tried to stabilize themselves, but Good wasn't going to give them the slightest chance.
As it was slithering in flight from his impact, it connected them with its tail, which whipped in a brutal arc, cracking most bones and sending their bodies into the fog-shrouded abyss below.
Susaki tried to rally the defense, only to meet a direct hit to the face from the tail's edge. His helmet spun off, landing several meters away before the rest of him followed. Dead.
A few were now remaining among the Awakened Elites.
"Master, it's time to show them what you've got as well."
Good muttered, spiralling once more with its wing flared, and long body riding the thermal burst from the explosion.
From under its belly, a light-blue glow pulsed outward, enveloping Laz.
Gently, steadily, energy flowed from Good into Laz. It was channeling life essence into him through the master-bond they shared.
Laz's chest rose.
And relaxed.
Then, it rose again.
The dragon snake didn't stop climbing. He rose high into the foggy sky, his eyes now narrowed at the Scholars waiting by the lake.
"Master should take care of you," it muttered.