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Shilute's Ability

Overall, this was good news. After all, if the dragon managed to escape, especially given its speed, it could vanish into the vastness of space, making capture extremely difficult.

*Roar!*

The red dragon swooped down, unleashing a burst of fiery dragon flames from its mouth.

A hunter from the Skadi hunting group raised his hands, conjuring a gust of wind that clashed with the dragon flames in the sky.

Upon impact, the dragon flames exploded, illuminating the surroundings brightly as the sky lit up like day.

*Roar!*

The red dragon, visibly enraged, continued to roar, its flames relentless as fiery columns pounded against the wind barrier.

The wind-calling hunter soon found himself sweating profusely, unable to match the dragon's overwhelming power.

Hodr and Rojas, two skilled archers, drew their bows and fired three arrows each in quick succession.

The red dragon's massive wings stirred up flames and strong winds, causing the six arrows to shatter upon impact, but one still found its mark.

Following this, other attacks ensued. Divine powers, arrows, and spells rained down like a storm. Over thirty individuals fired simultaneously, bruising the dragon in moments.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Hermond soared through the air, reaching the dragon's head in an instant with a sonic boom.

He grabbed the dragon's horn and twisted with all his might.

*Roar!*

The red dragon shook its head violently, attempting to dislodge Hermond.

Despite Hermond's strength being far inferior to the giant dragon's, his presence disrupted its flight, causing it to sway precariously. Seizing the opportunity, Hela's sword pierced several bloody holes in the dragon's wings.

*Ow!*

The giant dragon cried out, struggling to maintain balance before finally losing altitude and crashing to the ground.

Hermond cheered triumphantly, readying a chain to bind the dragon.

Unexpectedly, Angler extended another tentacle, dragging Hermond from atop the dragon's head. Simultaneously, several tentacles ensnared the dragon itself.

Despite its injuries, the dragon slashed with its claws, severing Angler's tentacles.

"Ah!"

Angler screamed as Hermond was pulled alongside him.

Hermond attempted to free himself, but the tentacles held fast. He couldn't use his knife without committing a foul.

Angler sneered, "You're staying right here!"

Hermond and Angler failed to secure the dragon, and others followed suit.

By now, the giant dragon had fallen to the ground, battered and bruised, with little strength left to resist. It spat out occasional bursts of dragon flames in frustration.

However, the capture was far from smooth.

A hunter from the Skadi Hunting Group charged forward with a chain in hand. Just as he was about to make contact with the giant dragon, Forseti intervened.

Hands of Reckoning!

The hunter froze, caught in the grip of the Hands of Reckoning. His movements halted, he turned angrily to glare at Forseti's radiant form.

"Aidin, secure the dragon!" Skadi shouted urgently.

The hunter, named Aidin, shook off the spell's effects, gritting his teeth as he shot Forseti a warning glance before resuming his charge.

Forseti remained resolute, casting the Hands of Reckoning once more.

The Hands of Reckoning could unearth past misdeeds sealed within one's memories. Unlike the strict criteria of the Holy Light Pointer, the Hands of Reckoning judged a broad spectrum of wrongdoing.

For Aidin, actions like murder, arson, and even lewd behavior or fleeting negative thoughts were considered evil.

Thus, those struck by the Hands of Reckoning often found themselves confronting buried and shameful memories, inducing a profound sense of unease.

Unless one was truly saintly, their emotions would be profoundly affected.

Aidin, clearly not a saint, succumbed again to the Hands of Reckoning. Frozen once more, his body trembled slightly, his mind visibly unsettled.

He stood motionless, torn between pursuing Forseti or the dragon.

On the other hand, the Skadi Hunting Group lacked any counter to spells like the Hands of Reckoning, resorting to physical obstruction and delay tactics to hinder Hela's hunters from reaching the dragon.

These efforts proved ineffective, allowing Hela's team to make faster progress, with one individual successfully securing the dragon with a chain.

"What are you waiting for?" Nur barked, rushing over to Aidin. With a swift kick, he knocked Aidin down and seized the chains, making a beeline for the dragon.

Forseti turned, once again casting the Hands of Reckoning upon Nur.

Nur's eyes widened momentarily in shock and anger before he redirected his charge towards the dragon.

Aidin, recovering from the ground, mumbled awkwardly, "That's the guy Roxas mentioned! He's using that spell to mess with us! Stay alert!"

Nur gritted his teeth, suppressing his emotions and forging ahead towards the dragon.

Forseti repeated his earlier action, casting the Hands of Reckoning once more.

Perhaps due to fewer transgressions or greater willpower, Forseti swiftly switched tactics, engaging both hands to unleash two consecutive Hands of Reckoning.

One struck Nur, freezing his movements, while the other missed...

Nur, now beside the colossal red dragon, which lay like a mountain before him, found himself in the crosshairs.

The dragon, weakened and grounded, bellowed defiantly, fixating its gaze on him. "Hooho!"

Summoning its last reserves of strength, the dragon unfurled its wings, leaping upwards straight towards Forseti.

"Oh shit!"

Forseti panicked, taking off in a sprint. Yet, after just a few steps, he realized Shilute was still standing there, staring curiously at the dragon.

He hurried back, scooped up Shilute, and dashed away.

*Roar!*

Feeling the dragon's imposing presence closing in behind him, Forseti activated a Divine Protection technique. Simultaneously, holy light shimmered in his right hand, forming a shield to defend against the incoming attack.

*Boom!*

At that critical moment, a torrent of dragon flames crashed down upon the shield of holy light.

Under the intense heat, the shield quickly dimmed and threatened to collapse. The dragon was determined to incinerate Forseti, unrelenting in its assault with continuous blasts of dragon flames.

Just as the holy light shield neared collapse, Shilute suddenly opened its mouth, expelling a slurry that solidified into rock. Before the shield could fail, a barrier formed, blocking the dragon flames.

Seizing this opening, Hela lunged from the side, thrusting her sword into the dragon's mouth.

The giant dragon wailed, its fiery breath finally stopped for good.