Leon scratched his head awkwardly, forcing a strained smile as he explained to the gathered Dragon Kings, "Rossweise sent a message. She's been tied up with urgent clan affairs. She might arrive a bit late today, so... we'll have to hold Constantine off for a while longer ourselves."
Hearing that Primordial magic was confirmed to be effective against the rampaging Constantine offered Leon a small, crucial measure of relief. It was a lifeline.
"But what if we can't find a way to stop him before she arrives? Worse, what if no such way exists for us?" a voice of doubt whispered in the back of his mind.
At least now, a potential solution was flying toward them. All they had to do was buy time—hold Constantine back and prevent him from reducing the prestigious academy to rubble in the meantime.
"Hold him back..." Claudia muttered, her gaze fixed on Constantine, who was now entirely consumed by the chaotic madness, a being of pure, destructive instinct. The deep purple flames wreathing him licked higher, threatening to engulf the entire central platform, and raw, uncontrolled chaotic magic leaked from his body like a toxic mist. "It doesn't seem like we can hold him off for much longer in this state. He's adapting, growing stronger."
She turned her sharp eyes to the assembled Dragon Kings, her voice rising in challenge. "Is there truly no one else here who can wield Primordial magic? No one at all?"
Claudia, despite her high status and access to the Sea Dragon Clan's vast library of ancient texts, had never personally studied or attempted to learn Primordial magic. She was purely a combat-type dragon, her talents and immense magical reserves specialized for powerful elemental and tactical warfare, not the delicate, profound art of creation magic.
The Dragon Kings exchanged hesitant, uneasy glances, but none stepped forward. Primordial magic was a legend, a skill lost to all but a rare few.
"Dad..."
While the group deliberated, Noah quietly slipped through the defensive line and approached Leon, tugging urgently on his sleeve.
Leon looked down, meeting his eldest daughter's determined, worried gaze. Instantly, he knew exactly what she was about to suggest—to offer herself and the Ancient Dragon spirit within her as a weapon.
"No," he replied firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. It was the voice of a father, not a commander. "Behave and get back to safety—"
"Listen to your father, child," the voice of their ancient ancestor echoed simultaneously in Noah's mind, a calming yet stern presence. "If we intervene now, it will undoubtedly reveal my presence within you to every powerful being here. The followers of the Ultimate Fear will become aware of our existence, and our greatest trump card will be exposed far too soon. We must save it for the final, decisive moment, understood? Patience."
Leon, unaware of the internal dialogue but understanding the risk, placed a hand gently on Noah's head, his touch both comforting and firm. "Go and protect your sisters. That's your mission right now. Dad will handle this." His reasoning aligned perfectly with the ancestor's warning. Revealing Noah's unique connection would only escalate the crisis, painting a target on her back and potentially worsening the situation beyond anyone's control.
Noah bit her lip, frustration and concern warring within her, her small fists clenching tightly at her sides. She wanted to fight, to help.
"Okay," she finally whispered, her voice thick with reluctant acceptance. "I understand. Dad, Aunt Isha, Aunt Claudia—please, please be careful."
With that, she reluctantly turned and ran back toward the evacuation zone, casting one last, worried glance at her father's resolute back before disappearing into the chaotic crowd.
Leon watched her until she was safely among the other students, then turned back to face the colossal threat, his expression hardening.
"So, I'll ask again," Leon said, his voice cutting through the tension. "Isn't there anyone here who can wield Primordial magic?"
"Ahem."
A deliberate cough interrupted him. Both Leon and Claudia turned toward the sound.
It was Isha, a sly grin playing on her lips.
"What is it, Sis?" Leon asked, a flicker of hope igniting.
"Primordial magic... that's easy," Isha declared with a theatrical flourish.
She snapped her fingers, and a small, pure white flame, shimmering with an otherworldly light, flickered to life at her fingertips.
Leon and Claudia stared, frozen in surprise.
"Sis... When did you learn Primordial magic?" Leon managed to ask, utterly bewildered.
Isha raised her left hand, proudly showing off a beautifully crafted piece of jade set with a milky-white, pulsating crystal. "Is that... a Primordial crystal?!" Claudia exclaimed, her scholarly knowledge instantly recognizing the rare artifact.
"Yup," Isha said smugly. "Grandma Veronica gave it to me a while back. She didn't want to seem biased, always giving secret gifts and knowledge to Rossweise and not to her other favorite granddaughter."
Her tone turned slightly more reflective. "During one of our family gatherings years ago, she told me it was a token of her trust and hinted it would be useful one day. But it wasn't until recently, feeling the world getting more dangerous, that I actually bothered to sit down and unlock its potential."
"Still," Isha added with a nonchalant shrug, "I've only really mastered the basics. Don't expect any grand miracles."
"ROAR!!!"
Constantine let out another earth-shattering, furious bellow, the chaotic energy around him swelling as if offended by the pure power Isha had displayed.
Isha's playful expression vanished, replaced by one of intense focus. "Guess this will be my first time using Primordial power in a real fight. Let's see how it holds up."
She stretched out her arms, summoning two swirling globes of milky-white, intensely concentrated magical energy in her palms. With a powerful, swift motion, she hurled them both toward Constantine's chest.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The twin explosions of primordial force rippled through the air, the concussive waves shaking the very ground and scattering dust and debris in all directions.
When the dust cleared, Constantine was visibly affected, forced onto one knee. His previously impervious scales now bore seared, smoking wounds where the pure energy had struck.
"It worked..." Leon muttered, a surge of relief and renewed hope flooding through him.
The relief was short-lived.
"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Constantine roared, his voice a distorted symphony of unrestrained fury and pain. "EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"
"Looks like you've just made him even angrier, Sis," Leon said wryly, readying his stance once more.
Constantine's rage escalated to a new peak. He surged to his full height, his massive frame releasing torrential waves of chaotic energy as he began hurling concentrated purple fireballs indiscriminately in every direction.
The other Dragon Kings hastily erected reinforced magical barriers to protect themselves and the nearby structures, but even their combined efforts couldn't fully withstand Constantine's relentless, enhanced assault. The blasts of chaotic fire were like nothing they had ever encountered.
Buildings already damaged now collapsed entirely, and the once-pristine academy grounds were rapidly turning into a landscape of scorched ruins and craters.
Leon activated his String of Shadows, moving with blinding speed to pull Isha and Claudia back to a safer position behind a half-destroyed wall.
"Isha, quickly, do you know the technique 'Soul Judgement'?" Claudia asked, her tone sharp and urgent.
"Soul what?" Isha blinked, confused. "No, what's that?"
"Got it. So you can only manage basic, unrefined Primordial attacks," Claudia sighed, a hint of frustration in her voice. It was like handing a novice a legendary sword they could only swing like a club.
"Well, no one ever taught me anything more advanced!" Isha shot back defensively, though she knew Claudia was right.
Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, the stress of the situation weighing heavily on him. "Once this is over, I'll get you some proper manuals on advanced Primordial magic from the Silver Dragon archives. Rossweise will agree."
Claudia smirked faintly. "And let me guess, I'll be the one who has to actually teach her?"
Leon's sheepish expression confirmed her suspicion.
The situation on the field was deteriorating rapidly. Constantine's rampage showed no signs of slowing; if anything, he was growing more powerful and unhinged with each passing moment. The defensive line of Dragon Kings was being pushed back, their morale faltering.
"If this continues, he'll destroy the entire academy! My son is in one of those dormitories!" one of the Dragon Kings shouted, his voice cracking with panic and paternal fear.
"And what do you propose? Do you want to face him yourself? None of our attacks are effective, and provoking him further will only make him focus his destruction on you!" another retorted.
Leon stood behind the rubble, watching Constantine's devastating rampage, his mind racing, searching for a solution, a weakness, anything they had missed.
"Brother-in-law, look out!"
Isha's sharp warning jolted Leon from his frantic thoughts.
Before he could fully react or process the threat, Constantine was upon him—having closed the distance with terrifying speed. A massive claw, wreathed in searing, chaotic purple flames, was already slashing through the air toward his head.
Leon's instincts screamed. He activated the String of Shadows to dart away, but the attack was too fast, too close. At such point-blank range, even his legendary reflexes couldn't guarantee a full evasion.
"Damn it..." was all he had time to think, bracing for the impact.
Just as the fiery claw was about to strike, a silver blur streaked across the sky like a meteor, intercepting Constantine with immense force and sending the crazed dragon king tumbling away from Leon with a deafening crash.
The silver dragon landed gracefully in the center of the field, its magnificent wings folding protectively around itself in a shimmering curtain. When they slowly unfurled, a figure emerged—her long silver hair billowing like a banner in the wind, her pristine white robes seeming to radiate their own light against the darkened sky, and a magnificent, rainbow-colored magical aura shimmering around her like a celestial halo.
It was Rossweise.
Constantine, recovering instantly, roared with renewed hatred, a massive, unstable orb of pure chaotic energy forming within his jaws, aimed directly at the new arrival.
Rossweise didn't flinch. She merely raised a single hand, palm outward, and a brilliant, concentrated rainbow light—the essence of creation and order—gathered in her palm, so bright it was difficult to look upon.
Primordial Magic: Soul Judgement.
A lance of pure, condensed primordial energy shot forth, not with explosive force, but with unerring, absolute precision. It struck Constantine's chaotic orb head-on, not with a blast, but with a silent, devastating unraveling. The dark energy dissipated into nothingness, and the beam tore through Constantine's chaotic defenses, striking his chest and causing him to stagger back with a roar of shock and pain. The impact was so pure it seemed to scour the very air, scattering the oppressive dark clouds over the academy momentarily.
A shaft of sunlight broke through the temporary clearing, illuminating the silver-haired queen hovering serenely in the sky, a figure of absolute authority and power.
Rossweise brushed off the lingering motes of magical energy from her hand, a gesture of casual finality. Her silver eyes, usually warm for her family, were now cold and unyielding as glacial ice as she stared down the corrupted Dragon King.
In a voice that carried across the entire battlefield, as clear and sharp as shattered crystal, she declared,
"Stay away from my husband."