Chapter 394: Ippon Seoi Nage Vs Dragon

Juggernaut paused during her return journey and faced the monster circling around in the sky. It was acting like a vulture and stalking its prey to get a feel for her current state before going in for the kill. It had plenty of tools to make sure its target wasn't alive by the time it was done with it so Níðhöggr was patient in its approach, even willing to let Juggernaut make the first move if she even could. Neither Ares nor Níðhöggr knew how many arts Juggernaut knew that could deal with flying enemies but the answer was likely greater than zero otherwise there would be a longer list of monsters she struggled against in this dessert. How many giant birds must she have hunted down in the east and west? Enough for her to be familiar with sky-based combat at least and, besides, she was in the transition realm. She could almost definitely fly! Plus her sandstorm form, if she ever decided to change into it again rather than just having one passively buffet everything around her, allowed her to drift through the air as well. She definitely had an option but would she struggle if her one and only choice failed her or was there more in her back pocket she could fall back on? There was only one way to find out so Níðhöggr was trying to bait her tricks out of her sleeve so he knew what he was working against. Níðhöggr was respectably intelligent for magic but then again most high level summons for arts typically were. It would be incredibly obnoxious if you summoned a God slaying pet only for it to bang its head against a wall or trip over its own two feet. Basic intelligence was the minimum and notable competence in the IQ department was standard... Níðhöggr was still smarter than the eagle at least... That thing just acted on base instinct and wanted food all the damn time.

Juggernaut transformed back into a human and stretched out her arm with an upturned palm and pointed a finger up to the sky. This wasn't a chant for an art but it did cause a massive pillar of sand to shoot up directly underneath the dragon. It looked to be carrying quite a significant chunk of force but Níðhöggr was able to avoid it with a flap of its wings. Had it been struck it could have crashed out of the air and spiraled downwards until it landed face first in the sand below where it would make for easier pickings for Juggernaut. Dodging once didn't mean it was in the clear though as Juggernaut simply repeated the earlier gesture and now the dragon had to contend with multiple pillars all at once. It dodged and weaved nimbly through the air, barrel rolling and altering its flight path constantly to stay on the move and remain a hard target to pin down despite its size. Nose dives and sudden climbs allowed it to shake of its sandy pursuer but it wasn't exactly fighting back like this so it temporarily gave up on advancing and soared high up into the sky. There was a limit to how far up Juggernaut's columns could rise and, even at max height, the time it took for the pillars to reach that height was such that Níðhöggr could dodge it effortlessly with only a slight adjustment to its course.

Like this Níðhöggr was able to bypass the gap between it and Juggernaut without getting constantly assaulted before it could return fire. In fact, now, the shoe was on the other foot as it could bombard her from above and face no return fire. It hovered directly above her, creating a massive shadow that acted like a targeting beacon, warning all who stood within it that devastating magic was incoming. Sure enough, it flapped its golden leaf wings straight down while simultaneously unleashing a disintegration fire from its maw. The leaves created a circular ring around the target from which there would be no escaping while the fire bore down straight in the middle to destroy the trapped prey. It was an effective combination that forced the foe to pick a a problem and tackle it head on and it seemed like Juggernaut was going to brave the leaves. A wise decision as annihilation was generally less problematic than disintegration. She was a fool if she thought it was going to be easy, though, as the leaf barrage was brutal. 

Juggernaut charged away from the shadow and bolted head first into no-man's land where a golden downpour immediately begun ravaging her. The leaves cut through her defences on the way down and blew up shortly after making contact with the floor, threatening to swipe Juggernaut off her feet with the sudden force and blowback. Honestly her upper body was safer than her legs were because the leaves didn't blow up in mid-air unless they hit her directly. A few of which did but she was keeping her head safe by forming an 'X' shape over her head with crossed arms so not much damage was done to that area. It had already been battered enough by Ares' kick and any more head trauma would actually force her to give up because she wouldn't even be able to stand properly at that point.

These explosions were plentiful but that's not to say they weren't also powerful in their own right. Quantity had not affected quality and each was capable causing a degree of pain wherever it hit Juggernaut. Considering how there were hundreds of them, even if not every single one hit her directly, or even hit her at all, there was still enough to cause serious disorientation and that was the real threat. Running through this onslaught wasn't so bad if one could actually find their way out. The biggest risk was getting lost and shock and awed in the middle of this exploding bombardment, unable to escape and too dizzy to tell left from right. Juggernaut's solution to this was to just shut her eyes, not rely on her senses at all, and run in a straight line until the punishment ended. This made dodging the dangerous leaves harder but it was a safer method overall so, about five leaves to the back of her unguarded neck later, she made it to safety through the blitzing leaves and put the chaos behind her. A part of her shoulder was partially visible through all the layers of clothing, though, so it was abundantly clear that whole ordeal must have really stung.

The more of her defences Juggernaut lost the easier it would be to put her out of commission going forward so Ares was already pleased with the outcome of his Níðhöggr and it still wasn't even done yet. It had begun descending down towards Juggernaut like a twisting drill, ready to bash straight into her and launch all of its magical weight at her. It being made of magic meant the weight wasn't as substantial as it would be were it a real dragon but there was definitely still enough to cause serious problems and bury Juggernaut in a heap of magic if this was successful. Also it's body was rife with destruction mana that would consume flesh, shred artifacts, blow up bones, and pop nerves. This would be a devastating attack even for someone of Juggernaut's calibre and so she had to respond to it in kind even though she'd only just gotten a breather from the previous attack. Níðhöggr was persistent and had tools to dish out some serious injuries if left unchecked. It could live freely in the west of this desert if it so wanted and might honestly even be a contender for king of the skies... To think this was just a magical summon that belonged to someone even more powerful made Juggernaut realise she was definitely not the favoured contender here but being the underdog wasn't so bad! It would just make the comeback that much sweeter.

Juggernaut turned her legs into sand and anchored herself to the floor much like how Arla did back during her scuffle with the steppers and the scavengers. Apparently this was just something fellahin did regularly in combat as it allowed them to get closer to their affiliated element and be more in tune with the mana around them. In this case, though that was also relevant, it seemed like Juggernaut was going to be insistent on tackling the dragon head on and so she was really doing this to anchor herself in place. No petty tricks, no need for magic, she was just simply going to push back against the dragon with raw force of will and stubbornness. Under any normal circumstances Ares would have considered such an act one of insanity but, seeing the determination on display, and knowing how talented Juggernaut was, Ares wasn't entirely sure what the outcome of this would be. She wouldn't walk away without some scratches, that was a given, but maybe Níðhöggr would die here? It would go out in a blaze of glory, which would cause serious complications for Juggernaut, but it wouldn't outright win... Ares couldn't fault it, this was not an easy fight. Still, maybe his prediction would be overturned and he would be surprised by a positive result? There was only way to find out so he pulled out a deck chair, slotted an umbrella into the sand nearby, and lay down on his seat, under the shade, with a fresh drink in his hands and his sunglasses on his face. It was a shame he didn't pick up a Hawaiian shirt from the Federation as he would have absolutely put it on right here and now too for good measure!... Was this even a fight anymore or was it all just a convoluted form of mockery directed at Juggernaut for daring to call herself an expert before Ares?... As far as Ares was concerned, he was jsut trying to rile her up and spice things up but anybody else would definitely not see it that way! Being this lax was unbelievably rude and offensive but, then again, this was just how revenants were. This could be a life or death battle and its not like Ares would necessarily take it that much more seriously than he currently was... Also, if anyone wanted him to stop acting like this, they could simply stop him! It wasn't his fault Juggernaut was taking her sweet time wrestling with the dragon! Wouldn't it be far more insulting if he had to un-summon the big scary monster for her so she could compete? Dammed if he did, damned if he didn't! At that point it was no wonder he chose to chill out and relax because at least he could be judged comfortably!

The collision between an unstoppable spear and and an unbreakable shield was imminent with both involved parties bracing themselves. There was little the dragon could do at this point other than suicide bomb when it was in range but Juggernaut was able to cast an art, a technical, before the showdown to boost her odds of success. "One With Nature!" This was an art that effectively boosted everything about the caster. Magic, mana regeneration, strength, speed, resilience and mental toughness. As long as it was a reasonable enough statistical improvement to be expected it was likely in play when this art was used. It was powerful, undeniably, but only useable by a select group of people who had incredible affiliations to certain biomes and environments. Ares could never use this unless he was in a sea of destruction or a collapsed space passage, for example, but an Iciclops could use this over in the Isasz region. Actually, if someone tried to use this and they either A; didn't have a good enough affiliation or, B; were in the wrong place then they would suffer some backlash! The mana flowing into them wouldn't really fit properly as it was the wrong type from the wrong environment and so getting flooded by it could cause damage to meridians, at best, or cripple parts of your body even. Depending on the amount of incorrect mana subsumed you might even just explode. If an underwater race tried using this in a volcano, for instance, and had no fire affiliation whatsoever they would be vaporised on the spot no questions asked. Long story short, the strong Juggernaut had just become that much stronger thanks to a favourable environment and now looked sturdy as a steel wall. The odds had now shifted ever so slightly more in her favour and so maybe this art would be the defining factor that brought her victory in the upcoming clash of titans.

Níðhöggr was now too deeply invested in his spiral attack to quit so it amped up its speed to eleven and committed fully to his endeavour even in spite of his opponent's last minute powerup. Níðhöggr swooped down low, and blasted its way across the sand beneath it, before finally coming head to head with Juggernaut who threw out both her hands to grab onto the oncoming train that was the dragon. BBBAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG. Juggernaut's hands were firmly clasped on the over-sized dragon's head but they burned constantly as having to hold the black fire in her grasp constantly was not an easy task. Add in the golden leaves all flying at her, forcing her to grit her teeth and bear the razor sharp explosives banging against her head and rocking her world. The initial catch had been bad enough, and she almost fainted on the spot when her body was struck by the gust of wind that came following after the dragon, but everything that ensued just made it all worse and she very nearly slipped up. It all felt extremely terrible for a split second but she was quick to regain control and push back, holding the dragon in place and preventing it from blowing right through her and knocking her out cold.

Níðhöggr was gradually losing momentum so this was looking positive for Juggernaut up until its mouth started fighting against her hand in a bid to open and spew flames. "Oh no you don't!" Copying Ares' earlier trickery, Juggernaut headbutt the dragon's mouth shut, forcing it to swallow the brewing fire and give up on such a strategy. It resorted to chucking more leaves in the hopes that one of then would strike a key organ, or maybe hit her in the eye, but she deftly avoided any that looked troublesome and simply took the rest to her chest with pride and stoicism. She was blanketed in golden explosions, and could be barely seen for more than a split second before her form was engulfed again by another round of leaves, but what never changed was her two hands clasped firmly around Níðhöggr's head. He wasn't going anywhere any time soon and his momentum had all but faded now. There was only one real option left here and, though the dragon wanted to keep fighting, there was a recognition of the fact that by dive bombing Juggernaut it had made a grave mistake. There were still a few hidden aces it tucked away had but it wouldn't be able to display any of them as it had gone for broke and wound up penniless. There was one last option for it, though, so it valiantly began charging up all the mana within it and holding back the remaining leaves so that it could detonate on the spot. It was going to create a massive explosive tidal wave of disintegration and annihilation that would swarm the immediate area, drowning and dissolving everything within. The annihilation would soften up the target by grazing their skin and peeling away their flesh before disintegration infiltrated their exposed bodies' inner sanctums and washed away everything that mattered... Normally, anyway, but in this case it was slightly different. The disintegration would act first to remove the troublesome defences aiding Juggernaut before the annihilation struck her bluntly and boke whatever it could internally for the sake of Ares who could finish the job after. Níðhöggr, in its final moments, understood the best course of action not for itself, but for its summoner and acted accordingly, shifting around the orientation and order of the released magic during its suicide mission! It couldn't speak but it was definitely a smart cookie and knew how to adapt to the battlefield, that was for sure.

Being smart wasn't going to save it from its impending fate, though, as it was slowly being lifted into the air above Juggernaut's head! She was somehow raising the entire magical dragon with nothing but her bare hands and it was a truly jaw dropping sight! Ares was flabbergasted and his mouth was dumbly stuck open with the straw for his drink resting on his tongue and everyone else on the sidelines weren't much better. Weightlifting a dragon had to be some kind of new record for Sheryashkans! Sure Ares could do if he transformed into Garmr but only then would he be able to and that was not a feat most cultivators could replicate! There was a human in this domain capable of just catching and flipping an entire dragon mid tackle! This was extremely impressive and, admittedly, very cool. Sure Níðhöggr was about to get slam dunked in an arc, and Ares felt a little bit sympathetic for it, but watching this happen in real time, watching a massive building sized dragon get flipped over by the head and slammed into the ground, was too cool to care about anything else!

This was a rare sight indeed so Ares made no effort to help Níðhöggr or save it. It was planning on blowing itself up anyway so its defeat was already set in stone. Maybe it could use this overpowering of its own might as an experience to learn from and reconsider its brazen actions in the future, never dive bombing physically strong targets again. So far, Níðhöggr had learnt the greatest lessons of everyone involved in this fight and was currently being tossed for its transgressions. Its arc over Juggernaut's head, who was heaving with all her might and really throwing her shoulder with an exaggerated motion to make this even possible, was incredibly smooth. Like Juggernaut had calculated the angle with a protractor levels of smooth. This was an over-the-shoulder arm drag that would impress even Bellona, the queen of wrestling!

The swing came to an end as Juggernaut buried the dragon into the sand with a colossal, dull, THUD. The sand softened the blow but it was still a back breaking attack that caused the dragon to explode on impact. All the mana it had been saving for a bigger explosion was unleashed prematurely, ending its life and creating a gold / black dome that enveloped the stationary Juggernaut. She'd successfully reduced the output of the dragon but not prevented it from exploding entirely so this was a form of vengeance from beyond the grave.

Unsurprisingly, when the magic faded, Juggernaut was still standing and in good enough health to continue the battle. She was wounded this time for sure, as the number of attacks had finally left a few dents here and there. They weren't visible but some of the bones in her body were chipped and getting closer to breaking and, outwardly, she had a few bumps and bruises decorating her tanned skin. Ares still couldn't see enough flesh to make a judgement call on what kind of person she was but, what he did know, is that his attacks were starting to have an effect and, if he kept up the pace, he would win the fight soon enough... Though, that being said, he was running out of longer range options and would have to deal with Juggernaut up and close again soon enough now that Níðhöggr was down for the count. If he tried casting any long range arts now that juggernaut was unbothered by the dragon she would just stampede over in his direction and run him down so he was going to have to take a more cautious approach and dance around her the hard way. Shift and Voidwalk would help keep her at bay but, ultimately, he could only run for so long and his mana wasn't limitless. The stint between Juggernaut and Níðhöggr was over and it was time for Ares to get back to scrapping with Juggernaut personally!