"Rumble... Rumble..."
Vanessa looked up at the dark sky, worry etched on her face. "The sky is awfully dark today. I hope Finral and Julian are doing okay in the dungeon," she thought.
In a noble household somewhere, a child looked up at his mother with wide eyes. "Mother, when will David big brother come home? I haven't seen him for a week."
"He must be busy with his missions, dear. He'll come home soon," she reassured him, glancing at the ominous dark clouds gathering overhead.
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Julian POV :
Bep Bep Bep, a badge fixed on the uniform of Letiole rang incessantly, but I didn't have time to focus on what it was. I turned towards Finral and gave him a command. "Finral, get David and the others to a corner. You won't be able to face its mana pressure head-on. Support me from a distance. I'm going to face it. If I don't, we will all die."
Even as I told him, he was too scared to move, his entire body trembling with fear. "FINRAL, SNAP OUT OF IT! THEIR SAFETY DEPENDS ON YOU. MOVE!!" I screamed near his ear, bringing him to his senses.
The electric dragon had already condensed a ball of purple lightning in its mouth and shot it towards me. Red flames covered my fist as reinforcement mana enveloped my entire body. With full force, I punched the lightning ball.
"BOOM!!" Our attacks collided, creating an explosion, but I underestimated the power behind the attack. The leftover energy hit me, sending electricity through my body. Ignoring the pain, I moved towards it, condensing flame wings and daggers.
This time, my wings were not for flying but for fast movements and attack power, so their form changed. The large wing I had summoned earlier compressed and divided into three parts with sharp tips for dealing damage.
The beast became furious as its prey retaliated and condensed another ball of mana in its mouth. I couldn't let that hit in this direction, so I sent a slash towards it.
Zinogre shot a beam of electricity as I hastily formed a Blazing Shield, but I didn't have time to condense it with darker flames.
The beam was stopped for a short time before breaking through the shield and hitting the place where the others were. Fortunately, Finral was able to move everyone before the impact.
I condensed flames into my daggers and sent a slash, but Zinogre blocked it effortlessly with its tail. Its skin was tougher than I expected, and one direct attack from its beam would be the end for me. I sent wave after wave of flames, but it tanked them with its electric-clad tail.
[Flame Magic: Phoenix Missile] sent countless small explosive birds at the dragon, but a larger wave of electricity surrounded it, neutralizing half of the attacks.
The beast lunged at me with incredible speed, releasing its pressure. Its claws crackled with electricity as it slashed at me. I responded with my own slash, but it overpowered me, leaving a bloody trail on my shoulder. I didn't have time to heal as it charged another attack.
Finral tried creating a portal to divert the attack, but the sheer power of Zinogre's beam shattered it. The dragon released a slash from its claws towards Finral, which was too fast for him to react. I moved him out of harm's way, narrowly dodging the attack.
"Don't stand in one place and keep moving," I said while creating a blaze shield around the fainted.
I concluded that I couldn't win with a head-on collision, so I had to attack its weak points. I looked towards the back of the beast and aimed for the place between its large spikes; my aim had to be accurate.
[Flame Magic: Arrow of Destiny]
A large number of arrows shot towards its face, causing minimal damage but buying me a few precious seconds.
I dodged another claw, slashing its back and releasing flames into its body.
[Flame Magic: Flaming Fist] A fist of red flames hit the dragon's jaw, followed by an explosion.
"HOOOOWLLLLLLL!!!!"
The beast cried in pain and released a wave of intense electricity around it. I took the full brunt of the attack, crashing into the wall.
The attack charred my hands black and electrocuted me. I groaned in pain. The beast opened its mouth, and large fangs of electricity formed on its already large teeth. Its fangs collided with my daggers, but the force was overwhelming, breaking my daggers and cracking my bones.
I slashed sideways to deflect the attack, shooting a burst of flames inside its mouth while stabbing its face with my wings. I managed to push the beast back, but one of its fangs grazed my hand, creating a deep wound and sending more electricity coursing through my veins.
The beast, realizing I could hurt it, increased its pressure, making Finral faint as he tried to interfere.
This was bad. There was no guarantee anymore that I could keep them safe against this monster. I was constantly using mana pressure to fight, rapidly depleting my mental strength.
I could see that the beast protected its head at all costs. The finishing move had to be aimed there.
I tried creating tentacles or nets to hold it in place, but it broke free instantly. Moreover, the beast had started using a lightning cloak, making it harder to land a good hit.
The weapon on its tail charged with electricity, shooting a beam at me. The beam was so strong that the shield I cast was destroyed like paper, and it hit me right in the leg, snapping it in half.