Empress, realizing she was about to lose herself to rage, managed to speak out a single, final order. "Strengthen the seal! And get out of here! Now!" She rushed forward, positioning herself in a way that would make it impossible to hit her allies as well.
However, the massive, and mighty dragon had other plans. With a single massive roar, lifted everyone up, and back, everyone's ears bled- Especially Lyca's- their backs actively being crushed by the wind barrier, especially Alfia's… With no one able to hear anymore, it was only a matter of time before they would be destroyed.
Once the pressure had broken, they managed to wriggle free. Knowing that the sound turned off, they all began to follow the last order. Alfia, was dying, and unconscious, moreover the fairy that had been with her, was dead. The sudden demand had overwhelmed it, sending her illness into overload. Zald gave Alraj a nod, one anyone could understand.
However, just like a certain boy they all knew, this dragon wouldn't just let its foes escape unharmed, and much less, alive. With an impossible speed the dragon's tail came slamming down about to hit Alraj… Zald and Lyca both moved to minimize the attack's effect, both of their legs buckled under the sudden extreme pressure, their lungs felt like infinite needles had pierced them from all over.
Once the attack was over. Alraj, the one in the area with fully working legs, began trying to pull both Lyca, and Zald out with him, but he was far too weak… His strength was already failing him. Zald was unconscious, unable to make a choice.
Lyca bit her lip, shed a tear, and removed the hand slowly pulling her. She then removed her necklace, one her mother gave her, and mouthed the words to a confused Alraj. The words were blurry… Tears and blood masked everything.
She pulled herself to her feet. Removed her torn garments, a feeling rose from deep within. She'd felt it once before… I'm already about to die. I'll make sure there's… Enough time… Grow, big… Grow, strong… I'll burn everything I have… And force it out… She started something unprecedented… And began changing form. The wolf took over, and with the will of a proud, noble wolf, she faced death head first.
Empress, having finally recovered- she had received the majority of the damage- from the initial blow, realized what Lyca was doing. Thankfully that was a fire attack… Lyca, you're pulling out all the stops too aren't you… Her eyes glanced at Gale. Seems he's doing his job too, burning away his very life to strengthen the seal… Well then, I'll do what I do best. One versus many.
With Empress empowering herself via Afterglow, she charged straight behind the One Eyed Black Dragon, and began her grim work… Slaughtering the whelps, as many as she could, as fast as she could… Which, to be fair, was quite fast. Young Dragons fell to her blade, 10, 25, 50, 100…
This took the One Eyed Black Dragon's attention. Furious it used the remade eye's power to attack, however, Gale's magic hijacking pulled the full power of the attack into himself, refining it into his own fuel… This will cost me my body but… "I WILL KEEP YOU HERE!" Maxim, I'm sorry, but I'll be dying here today too. Orario, pull it together… And Shurry, grow up strong. Don't blame yourself, even if you could reduce this thing by 5 levels I doubt it would have changed the fight much… It's not your fault.
The dragon's shock as its first prey managed to escape, and the seal strengthened to what it was a few decades ago… Combined with its stolen power, being stolen from it, and the death of many within its thunder. Dragon Valley became a blood bath. Zeus & Hera familia members who'd been unlucky enough to die on contact with the wind wall, scattered around the valley, a little here, a little there… Monster corpses with the signature cutting sequence of the one and only Empress, a testament to the pay back she had to bring.
Yet, no matter how hard she tried, it was her, and Lyca left alive… If you could call it that. The two met up, knowing each other was completely out of strength. They smiled, and hugged each other.
"It was fun knowing you, Lyca."
Lyca's ears had recovered a bit from her transformation… She cried. "I feel the same, captai-"
The furious dragon's fire breath turned them, and everything in the fire's way to gas. It was now trapped in a restrengthened seal… Left alone at the top, its anger stewed. Damn humans. I'll kill and destroy them all…
…
Outside the seal… Alraj ran, he didn't stop running, his blood, and tears warped the world around him. He didn't stop until he found the tents everyone had left up from the day before. They did this to have a place to treat emergency wounds after they'd won… But we lost… Instantly! They're all dead!
Alraj, fighting his despair, continued to do whatever he could. "She entrusted me to deliver this back to him… I can't die here. And I won't be the only one to return home. I refuse! Now, come on, come on… Where are they…" He wiped his face clean enough he could now see the difference between objects with a bit more clarity. "There it is. Elixir." He opened one and drank it all down. "It's scummy of me to do this, but I can't help them if I'm in bad shape too. Now, let's give them each one."
Alraj held Alfia's dying body up, and poured some of the elixir on her bare wounded back. She recovered enough to drink the rest. For Zald, he was unable to consume anything right now, so he had the splash only treatment.
Afterwards, Alraj got a blanket, and a pillow for each of them. Putting them in the tents to rest. "What am I going to tell them? How do I even explain it? Even if Shurry's freakish debuff had been active, it wouldn't have changed much. And why aren't these two waking up yet? It's been hours?" … "I'll just lug them back to Orario myself."
…
Shurry had woken up a couple weeks later, he had an odd feeling in his heart. What is this feeling? Oh, they must be coming home soon! Yay! "Mommy! I'm going to go get some special treats to welcome everyone home. I'll be back in a couple days!" Shurry left for the dungeon, carrying with him a comically large basket woven backpack.
"Wait… Oh, it's too late… I'm sure they would have been happier to see you right away, and go collecting together." Hathor stretched, her sheets exposing how she slept. Her son, Shurry would be there, and there was another, Ardee still napping. She's been coming by more often recently… I wonder when Ganesha will finally let me take her as my child.