With a thunderous blast that shattered the dome and sent shockwaves tearing across the battlefield, the fight finally began.
Queen Mek spread her wings and shot high into the sky. But flying was not her privilege alone.
Duanmu Huai roared upward astride the Metal Secret Dragon, with Lorena and Olgis faithfully following at his sides. On the other flank, Guleya and Filine, both dragonkin, unfurled their wings and lifted into the air as well, while Anne clutched her spellbook and rose beside Guleya.
Compared to Queen Mek's colossal frame, the group seemed no more than sparrows. Yet size often had little correlation with battle strength—in fact, Duanmu Huai actually preferred fighting gigantic foes. Someone like Queen Mek, neither truly massive nor small, felt a bit underwhelming.
If only I could burrow inside her body, but that's out of the question.
"Die, mortals!!!"
With a furious roar, Queen Mek raised her arms. A blazing column of light plunged from the heavens, forcing everyone to scatter. The beam slammed into the ground and instantly blossomed into a raging sea of fire.
Hmph… worthy of a BOSS after all, that was a real threat.
But that was not the end. Around Queen Mek, multiple portals suddenly tore open. From them flew hooded automatons, each lifting its head to reveal the eerie machinery beneath its cloak. Everyone's faces hardened in shock.
"All units, listen to my command!"
Duanmu Huai, atop the Metal Secret Dragon, raised his warhammer and bellowed.
"Anne, you and I will strike Queen Mek together. Guleya, protect Anne! Filine, those metal abominations are yours!"
Anne's magical strength was formidable, but as a pure turret-style mage designed by Manaria, she needed constant protection. She lacked the Astartes' ability to unleash psychic might while brawling in melee. Maybe I should build her a suit of Power Armor? At least it would give her some protection… though I doubt she'd agree to wear it.
This wasn't the first time the group had fought under Duanmu Huai's command. They moved instantly. Guleya planted herself in front of Anne, claws spread wide in a defensive stance. Filine stretched out her hand, and in a swirl of icy gales a great war axe appeared in her grasp. With a leap, she charged the metallic monsters.
Meanwhile, Duanmu Huai hurled the Metal Secret Dragon straight at Queen Mek.
Olgis and Lorena flanked him on the left and right. Strictly speaking, their contribution in an aerial battle like this was limited, but he had brought them regardless. Olgis could deploy her guardian dolls, and Lorena's "Iron Fist" was an attack with the raw force to rival the strongest on the field. Sometimes a single extra punch from Lorena could finish what others could not.
Such situations were common in games: a party gave their all, landed the so-called final blow on a BOSS, only to find it clinging to life—and with everyone's trump cards spent, someone had to sacrifice themselves to land another devastating strike. A trope far too common in BOSS fights.
That was exactly why Duanmu Huai always brought Lorena along. With her there, such tear-jerking "death-flag" scenarios lost their dramatic value.
To be honest, he had no idea if Lorena's "Iron Fist" counted as divine magic or sorcery. But one thing was certain—this wasn't the result of just punching a few hundred times a day and running tens of kilometers.
Focus. The fight comes first.
The first to attack was, of course, Anne. Mages always held the advantage at long range. Raising her spellbook in her right hand and pointing with her left, she unleashed a violet lightning bolt. It streaked toward Queen Mek—only to strike and fizzle against the shimmering barrier surrounding her.
Naturally. As a ruler of a civilization this advanced, it would be absurd if she lacked even this much defense.
But Duanmu Huai didn't falter. Spreading the Metal Secret Dragon's wings, he rammed into Queen Mek under the cover of Anne's lightning. His warhammer swung down hard.
"Bang!!!"
The Thunder Warhammer, sparking with lightning, smashed into her barrier. It flickered but held. Still, he was not alone. At that moment, Olgis's puppet threads condensed into a knight's lance and shot forward, while Lorena brought her holy tome down in a crushing strike.
"Bang!!!"
The trio's combined blows rattled Queen Mek's shield. It didn't shatter, but her body shuddered, and she flapped back hastily—the golden glow around her already flickering at its limit.
Then came a blazing red beam!
"Rune Cannon!!" Anne shouted.
The blast of condensed magic tore into Queen Mek's back. Her barrier, already weakened, shattered with a roar, and the Queen was sent tumbling, nearly losing control.
The chance had come.
Duanmu Huai's eyes lit up. "Lorena, with me!"
"Yes, Sir Knight!!"
The moment the shield fell, both leapt from the dragon, hurling themselves at the Queen.
"You foolish mortals…!!!"
Snarling, Queen Mek lunged to seize them. But before she could close her claws, she felt invisible cords pull her arm back. On the dragon's back, Olgis clenched her fists, her nearly invisible threads coiled tight around the Queen's arm.
"You—!!"
The briefest hesitation was enough. Duanmu Huai and Lorena struck home. The Thunder Warhammer and Holy Tome crashed into Queen Mek's face.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
The impact felt nothing like insect bites. Her head rang as though a stone slab had smashed into it. Pain blinded her, her brain reeled. Screaming, she flung out her arms and battered her wings, retreating in desperation. From each beat of her wings, razor-sharp beams lanced out like sword-blades.
"Damn!" Duanmu Huai cursed. Grabbing Lorena, he fired his jump pack and vaulted upward, dodging. The Metal Secret Dragon, however, took a beam full on and plummeted with a howl. Physical attacks it could shrug off, but against energy strikes its defenses were far weaker.
Olgis, clinging on, quickly threw her threads around Duanmu Huai and swung herself onto his shoulder, narrowly avoiding the deadly barrage.
"You—you bastards!!!"
Queen Mek lowered her hands, glaring in rage. The metal mask that once lent her holy majesty was now shattered, revealing a face twisted like a demon's, jaws split open like a mantis's mandibles.
"I will never forgive you!!"
"That's the kind of nonsense only fools on death's door spout!" Duanmu Huai roared, his jump pack igniting again as he shot at her like a missile.
"Die, foolish mortals!!"
She gathered her hands, condensing a searing violet orb. Divine fire to bind and incinerate these insolent wretches—
But before it struck, a magical shield suddenly flared before Duanmu Huai's group, nullifying her all-encompassing blast. Even as her eyes widened, Olgis flung open her travel case. A massive guardian doll burst out, black cloak billowing, hurling chains of threads that locked around Queen Mek, pinning her in place.
And it didn't end there.
Filine appeared like a phantom at her back, her axe cleaving a robed automaton to pieces. Using the falling corpse as a stepping stone, she vaulted behind Queen Mek. She opened her mouth and exhaled.
"Fwooooshhh!!!"
A gale of killing frost surged forth. In an instant, the Queen's radiant wings froze into slabs of ice.
Duanmu Huai and Lorena charged, weapons raised high. They smashed her face again.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
This time, Queen Mek couldn't withstand it. Screaming, she plummeted like refuse and slammed into the ground.
When the group landed beside her, the once-proud Queen was unrecognizable.
"This… this is…" Anne gasped, eyes wide.
Duanmu Huai snorted coldly. "The fate of those who sell their souls to demons."
The Queen's white armor lay shattered, her body exposed—grotesque and crimson like the demons they had fought in Hell. Even her helmet was gone, her brain partly exposed, her face crushed and twisted as though run over by a steamroller.
"You… you'll never kill me!" she hissed, dragging herself up. "Outside my domain, I cannot die! Even if you slay me here, my soul will be reborn! You are wasting your efforts! Next time, I will show you true despair! The demon legions will crush your pitiful resistance—"
"Heh. Can't be killed, huh?"
Duanmu Huai remained calm, even amused. He gestured. "Filine, Anne."
"Here."
"What is it, Sir Knight?"
"Seal her for me."
That was why he'd brought Filine. As the guardian who had sealed the Flame Demon Dragon for centuries, sealing was her specialty. If killing her would just lead to rebirth, then don't kill her yet—freeze her, seal her, and finish the job once they found the proper method.
For now, she could rot in cold storage.
"Wait, you—!!!"
Her eyes went wide with panic. But before she could continue, Filine raised her hand. A blizzard surged forth, burying Queen Mek's vast body in ice, entombing her as a frozen statue. Then Anne lifted her arms, chanting. Magic circles bloomed around the ice, locking the prison shut so Filine wouldn't need to sustain it with her life.
"Hmph. Nothing more than that."
Duanmu Huai exhaled. The Queen had been troublesome, yes, but nothing beyond his reach.
Still, he knew it wasn't over.
The reason was simple—the mission list was still hanging in front of him.
(End of Chapter)