That Dragon Claw, formed of golden-red flames, slowly pressed downward.
There was no sound of breaking air, nor any preceding wave of scorching heat.
There was only an absolute silence, as if the entire world were being "burned."
Space distorted and melted beneath it, and every scale on Caesar's body stood on end.
At this moment, only one thought occupied his mind.
I can't dodge, I can't block, I'm going to die.
From the perspective of every human and non-human in the square, this giant claw, which blotted out half the sky, was divine punishment, the apocalypse—an incomprehensible, mighty force.
But high above in the firmament, the Legendary Great Dragon Ilena's thoughts were as calm as lightning.
From the moment she identified the "Shark Earth Dragon" below, which perfectly matched her intelligence, her vigilance had been at its peak. For the opponent to travel across various regions, kill a Frost Wyvern, toy with Fafnir, and even face her Dragon Might without a single scale trembling... this was absolutely not something an ordinary Earth Dragon could achieve.
Combined with the previous deduction that her soul fragment had been forcibly torn away and that another "Legendary" existed behind the opponent, Ilena was almost certain—that hidden enemy was currently lurking in the shadows, waiting for her to show a weakness.
The enemy is in the dark, while I am in the light.
As a Red Dragon, pride and a violent urge to incinerate all things flowed through Ilena's bones. However, as an administrator of the True Dragon Imperial Court and a spellcaster who studied diligently, her personality was far more cautious than others of her kind. She never fought an unprepared battle.
But she had to act.
The identification by the three dragon bubbles (Gan, Wen, and Cui) left her in a difficult position—the dignity of a Legend could not be provoked, and moreover, the aura of the [Dragon Eater] Curse on the opponent filled her with disgust from the depths of her Bloodline.
Therefore, Ilena acted. And when she did, it was with a strategy interweaving the real and the illusory.
That seemingly slow-moving flame claw actually condensed her deep understanding of the Lawof "Burning" and her boundless magic power.
She did not hold back; instead, she deliberately compressed and solidified her power, making the strike more visually oppressive while keeping the energy fluctuations relatively restrained—this was a bluff, intended to test and, more importantly, to deter. She wanted to see how that Earth Dragon would respond and, even more so, to force out any guardian who might exist behind it!
(Now then, let me see... how will you break this situation? And will the being behind you be able to restrain themselves?)
#
Facing this killing blow, alarm bells rang wildly in Caesar's heart. A strike from a Legend's true body was simply incomparable to a previous projection!
There was no time to wonder why she was in the royal capital; Caesar only knew that if he didn't do something soon, he would turn into a puddle of roasted meat sauce.
"dragon bubbles! Flash Fire!"
Caesar immediately released the soul of that chibi Red Dragon.
The small Red Dragon soul stood shivering in front, attempting to activate the [Flash Fire] ability to absorb the flames.
However, before that giant claw composed of the Law of "Burning" itself, they were like a tiny water droplet falling into the sun.
With a "pssh," before it could even let out a scream, it was instantly evaporated and returned to the sharp claw.
It was completely useless!
"Tsk!"
Without hesitation, the z-crystal (fire) in Caesar's System equipment slot burst with brilliant light!
[Terastalization: Fire]!
A magnificent crown composed of pure fire energy instantly appeared above his head, and scorching energy flowed through his entire body.
Immediately after, he crossed both claws in front of his chest, pouring almost all the energy in his body into them!
"Protect!"
A pale blue energy shield emerged once more, but this time, under the enhancement of the Fire Tera Crystal energy, the edges of the shield were stained with a layer of crimson, and its thickness increased several times over!
BOOM—!!!
The giant flame claw pressed down upon the shield.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
The shield cracked inch by inch at a visible speed, letting out a groan of being overwhelmed.
The magic power within Caesar poured out frantically like a flood through a broken dam; his legs sank deep into the Ground, and the bones throughout his body were creaking.
He stared fixedly at the Dragon Claw above, which was as dazzling as the sun, his dragon eyes full of madness.
It's not enough!
At this rate, I can only hold out for three more seconds at most!
Substitute! I must use Substitute to... Just as Caesar was prepared to squeeze out his last bit of strength to create a Substitute and tank the damage, a figure suddenly rushed in front of him.
"You are not allowed... to hurt my ally!!!"
A youthful yet resolute dragon roar tore through the terrifying force field where flames and Lawintertwined.
It was Cecilia.
She broke free from the binding of that terrifying Dragon Might and rushed between Caesar and that world-destroying Dragon Claw.
She no longer sang that clumsy holy hymn.
Saintess "Colette" opened her mouth, and what came out was no longer a hypnotic singing voice, but a dragon roar that shook the clouds, filled with anger and majesty!
"ROAR—!!!!"
Along with the dragon roar, the magnificent moon-white Saintess robes on her body exploded!
Holy light and blinding firelight intertwined as a flame crown, similar to Caesar's but more small and exquisite, emerged above her head.
Under the horrified gazes of hundreds of thousands of believers throughout the city, and the stunned stares of countless nobles, knights, and bishops.
The holy, beautiful, and beloved Saintess Colette... disappeared.
In her place was a Silver Dragon, covered in brilliant silver scales. Although her form was a bit rounded, she still radiated a noble and divine aura!
At this moment, the rumors became reality.
At this moment, faith collapsed.
The entire Starlight Square was as silent as death.
Ilena's dragon eyes, burning with eternal fire, instantly contracted—
Found her... the lost scion of the Silver Dragon King Severus!
Upon seeing the Earth Dragon, especially sensing that disgusting Curse on its body, she had harbored bad suspicions. She just hadn't expected that this princess was not only nearby but had even boldly disguised herself as a human "Saintess"?
Interesting.
Seeing that both little dragons had used the rare power of "Elemental Resonance" to barely hold on, while the expected Legend still showed no signs of acting, Ilena made her decision.
The testing ends here. The opponent is keeping their cool, either because they are confident these two little dragons can handle it, or... they have other designs. It is not wise to continue this stalemate.
She slightly retracted her Dragon Claw, and the terrifying giant flame claw subsequently turned into a sky full of drifting fire, quietly dissipating as if it had never existed. Only the scorching air and the giant claw print pressed into the Ground by an invisible force remained to prove the horror of that strike.
However, the dissipating energy aftershocks still knocked back both the exhausted Caesar and the newly revealed Cecilia by over a dozen meters, plowing deep furrows into the Ground.
The Terastal shell on Cecilia's body was covered in cracks, and a trail of dragon blood leaked from the corner of her mouth, yet she immediately switched to her ridgeback dragon form and hissed at the Legendary Red Dragon in the sky.
In the square, after a brief, deathly silence, came an uproar like a mountain collapsing or a tsunami!
"A dragon! The Saintess is a dragon!"
"A monster! She's a monster! The Church deceived us!"
"I knew it! An evil dragon in human skin! The rumors were true!"
Panic, anger, betrayal... countless negative emotions rose to the sky, even causing that "Ultimate Cave" in the sky to expand by a notch.
Veronica, under the heavy protection of her guards, tightly covered her mouth, her azure eyes filled with shock and worry.
#
Ilena's massive dragon head lowered, her gaze like a torch locking onto Cecilia. The grand and majestic Dragon Language resounded through the square, directly penetrating all human language barriers to echo in the soul of every living being:
"Lost starlight, inheritor of the Silver Wings, daughter of Severus Silverwing—Cecilia Silverwing."
"Your noble Bloodline should not be stranded in this world full of conspiracies and filth, and certainly not with..." Her gaze swept over Caesar, carrying blatant coldness and disgust, "...with a lowly Dragon Eater who steals dragon blood and carries a Curse."
"According to the 'True Dragon Code' and the decrees of the Imperial Court, a stranded royal scion must return to the Dragons Nest this very day to undergo Bloodline purification and receive Inheritance instruction. This is not imprisonment, but a return to the trajectory of your innate destiny."
These words were not only for everyone present to hear, but even more so for that Legendarypowerhouse who might be hidden in the shadows.
I am taking the princess away; this is a family matter of the Dragon Clan.
I can choose not to kill your pawn, but on the condition that you don't get in the way!
The human forces on the scene, whether the Church or the Royal Family, were all dumbfounded.
What was this?
A Dragon Clan family drama?
They couldn't get a word in at all, nor did they dare to interfere.
"No... no...!"
Cecilia stood up wobbling, spread her wings, and blocked Caesar once again, baring her teeth at the Legendary Great Dragon in the sky.
"He is my ally! I'm not going anywhere!"
Having experienced mutual support underground, life and death together in the Dragon Spine Mountain Range, and the longing and reliance during these days in the royal capital... she knew more clearly than ever that she needed this "ally" who was cunning and cold, yet had never truly abandoned her.
Ilena fell silent.
This stubborn little dragon didn't show much shock at the revelation of her identity. It seemed she had already vaguely known her extraordinary Origins from her fragmented Inheritance memories and her own special nature.
Therefore, her voice softened, carrying a rare hint of admonishment belonging to an elder.
"Come back to the Dragons Nest with me, Cecilia. That is where you truly belong."
"As long as you are willing to return, I can'spare' this Earth Dragon. This is the mercy of the Dragon Clan."
She deliberately emphasized the words "not kill"—it was both a temptation for Cecilia and a statement to the powerful figures potentially hiding in the shadows: I won't kill them, so let's both take a step back.
Cecilia opened her mouth, a silver breath already gathering deep in her throat.
(She's going to refuse.)
Caesar read her eyes at the same time. This stupid Dragon, still trying to act tough at a time like this... In that case, he would have to be the villainous Dragon.
"Heh... Am I exposed?"
Caesar's voice suddenly rang out, cold, mocking, and carrying a chilling sense of pleasure.
Cecilia froze, turning her head in disbelief.
Caesar slowly stood up, his Terastalization shell fading to reveal a scarred, deep blue body. But his posture now was completely different from usual—his Dragon head was slightly raised, his gaze was disdainful, and his dragon maw split into a nearly cruel arc.
It was a "villainous" smile that Cecilia had never seen before.
"It seems the plan has to be moved up," Caesar's voice, amplified by magic, spread throughout the area. "I wanted to play a little longer... what a pity."
He took a step forward, completely ignoring Ilena in the sky, and instead faced the entire human force as if announcing the start of a grand oration.
"Aren't you all curious why a Silver Dragon would become a Saintess?"
Caesar's claw pointed at Cecilia, his tone casual:
"Because from beginning to end—this has all been my experiment."
The scene erupted into an uproar!
"Experiment? What experiment?!" "What is he talking about?!"
Caesar split his dragon maw, revealing forest-white sharp teeth.
"Stealing Dragon blood? No, that's too inefficient." He shook his head as if pitying the shallowness of the ignorant. "What I want to do is something far greater—"
"To domesticate a proud Silver Dragon into a 'Saintess' who obeys my orders, letting her 'bless' the ants she most despises at humanity's grandest festival using the Divine Power of the god of light she most hates."
His voice gradually rose with a morbid excitement.
"Think about it! What irony! What art!"
"Watching her struggle, watching her pretend, watching her forced to play a role she loathes to her core in front of tens of thousands, using the methods I taught her—"
Caesar's Shadow Claw clenched as if grasping an invisible masterpiece.
"This is the 'theft' I want. Not Bloodline, but dignity, will, and even existence itself!"
A perfect villainous monologue.
Every word pierced precisely into Cecilia's heart and into the perception of all listeners.
Cecilia doubted her own ears. "Earth Dragon, you... what are you saying?"
"What am I saying?"
Caesar looked down at Cecilia with a gaze reserved for trash.
"Allies? Companions? You stupid Dragon with a head full of desserts, are you an idiot?"
"Don't flatter yourself, you're just a captive 'prisoner,' okay!"
"No..." Cecilia's voice was trembling. "It's not like that... You clearly..."
"I clearly what?" Caesar interrupted her, turning his head with eyes as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice.
"Clearly treated you well? Clearly taught you skills? Clearly took you along to escape?"
He sneered.
"Fool. That was only to make you more obedient and more useful."
Then, Caesar delivered the most fatal blow.
"Why do you think I suddenly became stronger? Why was I able to grow from an ordinary Earth Dragon to this level in such a short time?"
His claw pointed at Cecilia, and a trace of silver, pure Dragon Clan Origin aura condensed at his fingertip—it was exactly the power he had "smuggled" and absorbed from Cecilia's evolution light cocoon back then.
"Because while you were sleeping through your evolution, completely defenseless—"
"I sucked your Origin Dragon power dry."
!!!
Cecilia felt as if struck by lightning, her whole body trembling violently. Her silver pupils suddenly contracted, and the figure of Caesar reflected within them became incredibly strange and hideous.
That "feeling of weakness" she felt during evolution... that source of power for Caesar's sudden strength... so... it really was him?
"Now—"
Caesar's voice cut through the last trace of hesitation.
"Scram back to your Dragon's Nest and stop dragging me down!"
He turned around, his back to Cecilia, facing the regrouping Church Inquisition, the Dragon Rider corps, and the looming auras of human Legendary powerhouses in the sky.
"You're useless for this game now."
...
The light in Cecilia's eyes went out.
She stood blankly in place, her small Silver Dragon body swaying slightly as if she might collapse at any moment. All her persistence, all her trust, and all the memories of fighting side-by-side were crushed to pieces in this instant.
Ilena's Dragon Claw descended at the right moment.
There was no resistance, no struggle. Like a soul-less doll, Cecilia was gently grasped by the massive Dragon Claw. Ilena took a deep look at Caesar—there was scrutiny, doubt, and a hint of unspoken understanding in that gaze.
(The soul fragment will be left with you for now.)
Caesar understood that look. Ilena was playing along with his performance—or rather, after weighing the pros and cons, she chose the safest course: take Cecilia away and temporarily let him, this "trouble," go.
"We will meet again, Dragon Eater."
Ilena left these words, her wings kicking up a scorching gale as her massive body soared into the sky, turning into a crimson meteor that disappeared into the southern horizon.
Taking away the completely disillusioned Silver Dragon.
#
Caesar let the figure carrying away the disillusioned Silver Dragon disappear.
Then, he slowly turned around.
Before him was the regrouped, Killing Intent-filled Paladin Corps; the grim-faced Church Inquisitors raising their staves; the alerted Royal Capital Guard and Court Mages; and countless gazes that had recovered from the shock, turning fear into anger and hostility... The malice of the entire Royal Capital surrounded him like a tide surrounding a lonely island.
"It really doesn't seem like a choice an unrighteous Dragon like you would make."
Viola's voice rang in his mind, filled with complex emotion.
Caesar grinned.
"Yeah," he replied in his heart. "Not letting her eat Dragon meat with me back then... was truly the right decision."
Cecilia had realized long ago that her identity was extraordinary.
How could Caesar not have noticed as well?
Whether it was the massive pool of inherited skills opened under Alice's guidance, those strange auxiliary talents, or even the fact that she appeared as a Dragon egg in an underground cave in the first place... everything had clues.
They were Dragons from two different worlds.
Their personalities, Bloodlines, destinies, and the burdens they carried... were completely different.
His path was one of devouring, rebellion, and a bloody journey destined to make him an enemy of the entire Dragon Clan. The higher his Rank, the more dangerous the battles would become. Cecilia... would one day be unable to keep up.
Keeping her by his side was the true danger.
From the moment he discovered the [Dragon Eater] Curse could be converted into his own power, Caesar became even more certain—he must never let her be tainted by this sin.
"Is this why you refused her kindness no matter what, even at the cost of trampling on this friendship?" Viola asked.
Caesar was silent for a moment.
"Who knows?" He finally smiled. "Maybe I'm not hiding anything that deep, and I'm just purely selfish."
Selfish enough... to not want to see the first being in this cruel world who spoke to him and treated him as an 'ally' die.
Selfish enough... to rather have her hate him, just so she could live on.
The encirclement was shrinking. The Inquisitors' Holy Word spells began to chant, the spears of the knights formed a forest of steel, and the pressure of Legendary powerhouses pressed down like mountains.
Caesar suddenly remembered something.
"By the way," he asked in his heart, "that girl's Foundation... isn't really damaged, is it?"
Viola was silent for a moment before answering: "Her development will just be delayed a bit; she can make it up later."
"Is that so..." Caesar repeated in a low voice, the last trace of lingering concern in his eyes completely vanishing.
The next moment, boundless Battle Intent and madness were reignited!
He abruptly threw back his scarred yet still hideous Dragon head, letting out a sky-shaking roar and wild laughter toward the encroaching army:
"Hahahaha!! As expected—I should have sucked more out of her back then!"
"With only this many enemies..."
The magic around him began to boil recklessly, and the light of the [Substitute] skill flickered violently on his body!
"It's not nearly enough for me to level up!!!"
"Viola—!"
With his roar, the [sharp claw] glowed with intense purple light!
"Use—'Susano Ryūko'!"
A deep purple, semi-transparent, terrifying Dragon-shaped energy skeleton, carrying endless sharpness and the wails of ghosts, rose up behind Caesar, framing his figure like a demon god from the abyss!
The final act of the Royal Capital, Garchomp's bloody carnival, officially begins!