Claudia leaped into the air, her sharp eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield until she pinpointed the swarms of enemies threatening Isha's flanks. In an instant, her strategy was formed.
Blue magic circles flared to life in Isha's blind spots. From them, powerful streams of water surged forth, twisting into coiling tendrils that ensnared the most dangerous creatures, holding them fast.
"S-class water magic: Raging Sea Prison!"
No sooner were the foes immobilized than the water tendrils shimmered and transformed, crystallizing into countless sharp, glistening ice needles, all aimed directly at the trapped targets.
"A-class water magic: Icy Rain Needles!"
While Claudia handled the larger threats, Morgan focused on the smaller, stealthier enemies skittering across the ground. He crouched, placing both palms firmly on the fractured earth. Cracks spiderwebbed out from his touch, and dark golden quicksand erupted upwards, moving with a life of its own as he shaped and directed it.
Each dragon clan possessed its unique gift. The Silver Dragons had their supreme speed, the Red Dragons their overwhelming physical strength, and the Sea Dragons their pure mastery over water. The Golden Sand Dragons wielded the power to transmute earth itself, transforming solid ground into fluid, controllable quicksand. The stronger the user, the more potent and formidable the sand became.
At Morgan's level, the quicksand he created rivaled the legendary defensive power of the late Star Dragon King. Of course, such a comparison was now meaningless—General Leon had slain Star long ago.
Morgan's quicksand flowed over a massive area, clearing the lesser enemies with surgical precision. The sand effortlessly filled every crevice, requiring only a minuscule amount to suffocate and crush a single minor threat.
His attention remained fixed on the ground directly beneath Isha's colossal dragon form, a prime spot for ambushes. Sure enough, a horde of insectoid creatures scuttled from the shadows, making a beeline for her feet.
"Bone Spikes... If they manage to burrow inside, it would be a nightmare," Morgan muttered.
He directed a wave of quicksand to intercept the swarm.
"These bugs are weak in a direct fight, but once they latch on, they burrow inside and reproduce at an alarming rate, hollowing out their host from the inside. They shouldn't be able to pierce a Dragon King's scales, but who knows what these Black Dragon Scale-enhanced abominations are truly capable of?"
He focused entirely on providing cover for Isha, whose fiery rampage needed precise support to be most effective. Nearby, Claudia continued her spellcasting, creating perfect openings for Isha to unleash her devastation upon the trapped enemies.
In the middle distance, Constantine led a contingent of fighters, holding the enemy's frontline to buy Isha precious time. His blazing warhammer swung in relentless arcs, scattering waves of foes with each thunderous impact.
High above the fray, Rossweise darted through the air, a silver blur using her agility to disrupt and divide enemy formations. When she encountered heavily armored foes that resisted her solo attacks, she coordinated with her allies, unleashing combination techniques like the Galactic Crimson Impact to shatter even the toughest defenses.
Despite muttering, "This technique sounds cheesy, but damn, it works," she used it with flawless efficiency.
On the ground, Rebecca commanded the Lionheart Guild, her forces focused on carving a clear path for Leon and Odin. Thanks to the power upgrades Leon had provided, the guild's core members now wielded strength that could rival a Dragon King. Their presence on this battlefield was far from ornamental; they were a vital pillar of the alliance.
From his position in the rear, Morgan observed the unfolding battle. His age and experience had taught him that his role was best played from the backlines, his magic ill-suited for the heart of such a chaotic melee. Seated calmly on a fragment of rubble, he took in the incredible scene.
He marveled at the sight of legendary Dragon Kings fighting in unison.
"The fact that the Dragon Kings can cooperate so seamlessly is astonishing enough. But to see humans... fighting alongside us as true allies?"
If someone had told him years ago that the pinnacle of dragonkind would unite not only with each other but also with humans, he would have dismissed it as a foolish fantasy. Yet here they were, coordinating their efforts perfectly—with the sole exception of the ever-rebellious Isha, who still preferred to solve every problem with indiscriminate fire.
"Veronica... the future we once dreamed of during our research... it's finally within reach."
His gaze then shifted, settling on the dark figure of Leon, who stood atop his six-winged dragon hawk in the distance.
"Thank you, Silver Dragon Prince... no, Leon. If you have chosen to fight today as a human, then I will honor that and call you by your true name."
.
.
Under the protective cover provided by the Lionheart Guild and the allied Dragon Kings, Leon and Odin finally broke through to the core of the battlefield: the area surrounding the massive sealing pillar, where Shadow worked tirelessly to unbind the Ultimate Fear.
Leon immediately began channeling a spell to disrupt the dark ritual, but a massive, pelican-scaled bird swooped down, cutting off his advance. On its back, Elizabeth clutched her injured shoulder, her bloodshot eyes glaring at him with pure hatred.
"I... I won't let you... get close to Lord Shadow!"
Leon's frown deepened. "I intended to let you live, so you could face judgment from the people of the Empire you betrayed. But now, I see that is a pointless mercy."
Elizabeth's crimes had surpassed even those of the corrupted King Canter. She had betrayed not only her nation but her entire species, both human and dragon.
"For someone like you, a simple death is not punishment enough."
He had shown her mercy once before, holding back his true power. But now, in this final hour, there was no room for patience. He had to decide who deserved a trial and who deserved immediate execution. Elizabeth, with her fanatical devotion, had made that choice for him.
"Spare me your self-righteous speeches, Leon! Just... kill me already!"
As she screamed, the pelican-scaled bird flapped its powerful wings, sending a deadly barrage of sharp bone spikes raining down towards Leon. His loyal dragon hawk reacted instantly, summoning a powerful gust of wind that deflected the projectiles.
Leon responded with a single, precise bolt of lightning. It arced through the air, striking both the bird and Elizabeth simultaneously. Electricity coursed through their bodies, and with a unified, agonized scream, they plummeted from the sky.
"AAAAAHHH!!"
With Elizabeth dispatched, Leon and Odin pressed their final advance toward the glowing light pillar.
"Shadow!" Leon declared, leaping from his mount with lightning sparking in one hand and his sword gleaming in the other. "Let's finish this!"
.
.
Elizabeth's broken body landed amidst a pile of rubble, the impact causing a nearby structure to collapse. Miraculously, she was still alive, but only barely.
Crawling painfully onto a heap of debris, she closed her eyes and activated her secret skill, Celestial Eye, sending out a desperate psychic call.
"Mevis... come to Sky City... we need reinforcements..."
"Mevis... respond to me..."
"Mevis..."
Only silence answered her pleas. She opened her eyes, her face contorted in fury and frustration.
"Damn it... Mevis, I knew I could never rely on you—"
The crunch of deliberate footsteps on broken stone cut her off. The sound grew closer, steady and unnerving, until it stopped directly in front of her.
She lifted her head, expecting to see Leon coming to deliver the final blow. Instead, a tall, slender figure clad in black loomed over her, staring down with cold, utterly indifferent eyes.
"Mevis... you're here... you have to stop Leon! You can't let him reach Lord Shadow..."
Mevis slowly crouched down. Her hand shot out, gripping Elizabeth's hair and forcing her head back, making her meet that chilling gaze.
"Mevis... what are you doing—"
Mevis's voice was a whisper, yet it carried the weight of centuries of grief and rage, her inverted dragon pupils blazing with fury.
"For my dead husband," she said, the memory of a man who died protecting her and their newborn son from Shadow—fueling her vengeance.
One word cut through the cacophony of the battlefield, sharp and final as a executioner's blade:
"Revenge."