Chapter 95: Hearts of the Million Dragons

Amphere Harrison

"We find ourselves outgunned and outnumbered, caught in a struggle where Necross reigns supreme in a league of his own. The odds are stacked against us, leaving little room for hope," General Holster's voice wavered, his twin pistols slipping from his grasp as he sank to his knees.

"He possesses an overwhelming power," Rudolf murmured, his jaw clenched in an effort to suppress its trembling.

In that moment, I closed my eyes, gathering my thoughts before allowing my gaze to sweep across our beleaguered allies. Their eyes, mirrors of despair, reflected the grim reality that enveloped us. The last of our Dracaryxes had been unleashed, and only a scant few retained the ability to muster the formidable Vesryn Pulse. Doubts clouded my mind regarding my own capacity to manifest Airi's formidable dragon form.

Turning my attention to Airi, my heart sank as I hoped for a glimmer of her trademark audacity—a daring plan to confound our foe. Yet, her countenance betrayed not just astonishment, but a genuine struggle for ideas. The wellspring of her creativity seemed drained, her rapid heartbeat betraying the nervousness within.

Was our predicament truly insurmountable?

Then, a lightning bolt of a thought struck me, jolting my senses to life.

"Why do you wear that grin?" Estoff's quizzical gaze bore into me, an eyebrow arched in confusion.

Unbeknownst to me, my laughter had taken on an eerie cadence, reminiscent of the late and equally unhinged General Kyle Leviticus. Their collective stares pivoted toward me, an ensemble of puzzled expressions branding me an enigma.

"Now that I consider it," I began, a smile unfurling before them, "the ultimate counter to an overpowering entity is to surpass that very power."

"None of your words are making any sense at all, totally." Airi murmured, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she scratched her head in disbelief at her boyfriend's bizarre behavior.

Once again, I cast my gaze skyward, the myriad star-like figures taking on a newfound brilliance and size—a telltale sign of their entry into the planet's atmosphere. It was evident that even the combined might of all the planet's armies, every last dragonoid and human, would prove insufficient against the onslaught of millions of knights from ages past.

Yet, there lay a power within me that could tip the scales.

With resolve welling up within me, I addressed my fellow dragon knights, a humility in my posture as I bowed before them. "I beseech all of you, my fellow dragon knights, to grant me the strength of your dragonoids."

Mark Anthony Octavius responded without hesitation, his words carrying the weight of camaraderie. "Of course, there's no need to seek permission. But we're all curious about the plan that's taken root in your mind. What is it?"

A confident smirk curved my lips as I locked eyes with them, determination radiating from my gaze. Then, pivoting away, I refocused my attention on the descending stars, their impending assault hanging heavy in the air. My hand pressed against my chest, fingers coming to rest over the crimson Eye of Deus—the source of my power.

"Initiating an overload of the Vesryn Pulse!" My proclamation cut through the tense atmosphere.

As if choreographed, a million luminescent zombie dragons fell into formation, each connecting with the next to weave an intricate, three-dimensional constellation that set the skies ablaze. The resulting field of influence sprawled far and wide, enshrouding all within the stratosphere. Deep within my being, an extraordinary force burgeoned—a power that seemed boundless, ever-expanding. This was the culmination of a million synchronized heartbeats, the apex of the Vesryn Pulse's potential.

Amidst my allies, Airi stood at the epicenter, her heart aglow, and a radiant white line surged forth, weaving a luminous connection between her and the assembled ranks of dragonoids. With a simple V-sign on her forehead, she projected a beam of light that seamlessly merged with the sprawling celestial constellation above.

In an instant, the world around us was consumed by a blinding brilliance, and before I comprehended it, I found myself perched atop a dragon of continental proportions, suspended amidst the cosmos. From this vantage point, Alterra, a spherical gem, glistened against the backdrop of space. It was as though I had become an astronaut astride a magnificent, lizard-shaped cosmic vessel. The impending sunrise cast an ethereal glow upon the scene, rendering it an unparalleled spectacle.

This dragon, a creation born of the harmonized heartbeats of millions of dragonoids, emanated an aura of divinity. Its astral form bore the semblance of a star-studded night sky, with innumerable luminous points adorning its darkened body. Though it adhered to the fundamental form of wings, arms, legs, and an extended tail, its composition was an ethereal tapestry of energy.

Within this entity pulsed the resonance of countless hearts spanning millennia—the Galaxy Dragon, as it was aptly named.

Before us loomed an even more massive Underworld Dragon, arisen from the essence of a million departed souls. The discrepancy in size was staggering, yet such disparities held little consequence now. I had managed to sway Necross's once invincible horde to my cause, bolstered by the boundless might of the Vesryn Pulse.

Dragunov had conveyed that Necross's corporeal form was but a fragment, and the true essence of Necross lay in the Underworld Dragon. Hence, if I could vanquish that dragon's head, I could obliterate Necross himself.

"The time has come for your realm to face its demise!"

"The curtain falls upon time itself! Eye of Deus!" boomed the very essence of the Underworld. "Dracaryx! Evoke the Almighty Hellscream!"

With a resounding command, the planetary Underworld Dragon parted its jaws, unleashing a torrent of inferno that seemed to surge forth from the depths of hell itself. Across the vast expanse of space, this sea of flames hurtled mercilessly in our direction, a force so immense that it could surely rend Alterra Planet asunder. Yet, evasion wasn't an option—our world lay just beyond. Confrontation was inevitable, and with a firm grasp on my chest, I summoned the power within me.

"Dracaryx! Initiate Deus Ascension!"

The Galaxy Dragon enveloped itself in an ethereal white fire, reminiscent of Rudolf's Chaos Claws, though more translucent. This incandescent aura granted us the velocity to exceed the speed of light, hurtling us forward to intercept the raging inferno. In this moment, time itself seemed to halt, and the universe appeared suspended, frozen in my perception.

Undaunted, the Galaxy Dragon surged ahead, penetrating the heart of the hellish beam. The resulting clash scattered a cascade of blazing energy throughout the void. Here, the temperature was boundless, capable of reducing anything to vapor on contact. But the potent embrace of the Deus Ascension shielded me from harm, cocooning me in its protective aura.

As we pressed further into the fray, a disconcerting sight met my eyes—several stars within the Galaxy Dragon's form dislodged, plummeting like meteorites back to Alterra. Each fallen star was a dragonoid from which I had borrowed power. Was the might of a million-dragon Dracaryx truly insufficient to overcome Necross? The inferno continued its relentless assault, steadily eroding the outer layers of the Galaxy Dragon, causing more of its draconic constituents to plummet. Our power was diminishing, piece by piece.

"Amphere!" Richard's voice resounded within my mind, a telepathic lifeline. "I believe the Galaxy Dragon must part ways now. Lingering within this hellish beam means certain doom for us all. You must deactivate the Overloaded Vesryn Pulse!"

Richard's insight struck a chord. My hand pressed against my chest, and in a hushed breath, I uttered, "Terminating Vesryn Pulse." In an instant, thousands of luminous dragonoids dispersed from the beam's grasp, cascading back toward Alterra. The throng of dragonoids, once united in their might, now returned to their individual forms, their collective strength no longer channeled in that perilous struggle.

The majority of the dragonoids were of little concern, given their already deceased status. Yet, Richard, in a valiant effort, engineered a portal to whisk away the living dragonoids—Kyrie, Jasmine, and the rest. Undoubtedly, they were transported to a secure haven back on the planet, far from the maelstrom. With these actions, it was only Airi, in her humanoid form, and Exceria, in her Pulsar Dragon embodiment, who remained alongside me.

"Unleash the barriers! Deus Ex Dragonica!" I thundered, my words resounding through the chaos. In response, Exceria adorned herself in a shroud of steel armor, a safeguard against the blistering heat that engulfed us. Despite the fiery surroundings, the temperature appeared to stabilize somewhat as we burrowed further into the beam—a relative respite, albeit one still searing enough to incinerate a lesser creature.

However, before long, Exceria's cybernetic defenses began to buckle under the relentless assault of heat. "My apologies, Amphere, Airelina. My strength wanes," Exceria lamented.

With an unexpected surge of force, Exceria's colossal hands enveloped us, hurling us with all her might toward the tumultuous planet. As we hurtled through space, her words echoed in our ears. "Complete the prophecy, Amphere and Airelina!"

"Absolutely!" Airi's voice rang out with unshakable determination. In a swift metamorphosis, Airi transformed herself into a Chimeratech Dragon, her essence merging seamlessly with the mechanical marvel.

"Look, Amphy!" Airi communicated directly to my consciousness. "I can perceive him—Necross—on the brow of the Underworld!"

Guiding her augmented form, Airi maneuvered through the waning remnants of the beam, her trajectory aimed toward the very heart of the fading maelstrom. As she'd declared, there it was: Necross's entity, the embodiment of his being, perched upon the forehead of the Underworld Dragon. The revelation was resounding—this was indeed his definitive form, vulnerable and exposed.