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Chapter: Battle against Dragon Knight

Witnessing this, the equine-faced Thunder God swiftly swung his war hammer, its form blurring as he leaped into the air alongside it.

"Boom!"

The flaming giant sword swept past him, slamming into the ground and leaving behind a gaping lava pit.

The colossal dragon swiped its claws, aiming for the equine-faced Thor.

Bill evaded swiftly, narrowly dodging the dragon's onslaught.

"Roar!"

Dragon flames surged forth. Controlled by Zogar, they transformed into hundreds of blazing swords, hovering briefly in the sky before hurtling towards their target in unison.

The Thunder Hammer thundered, crackling with arcs of electricity that bathed Bill in dazzling light.

"Boom--"

The war hammer cleaved through the path of the thunder, deflecting the oncoming barrage of flaming swords. Thunder and fire clashed, creating a cacophony of sound and light.

With Zogar and the colossal dragon coordinating seamlessly, their combined might was evident.

In no time, equine-faced Thor found himself at a disadvantage, relentlessly pursued and hemmed in by overwhelming dragon flames.

Fortunately, Thor's body had been cybernetically enhanced, granting him high endurance in extreme environments. Otherwise, the pervasive heat would have posed a serious threat.

Forseti gradually stabilized his position. Bolstered by the Holy Light defense line, Asgardian warriors stood firm against a Muspel assault ten times their number.

Muspels, demonkin notorious for their chaotic ferocity, struggled to maintain cohesion, their disarray becoming evident as the battle wore on.

No longer content to merely support his comrades from the rear, Forseti charged straight into the fray. Rivendell's blessed sword gleamed as he swiftly engaged the enemy.

"Blessed Sword!"

The sword swept in a spiraling arc, cleaving through Muspel warriors with lethal efficiency, often severing them in half.

The enchantment effect of Rivendell's sword, Retributive Vengeance, replenished Forseti's energy with each enemy struck down.

As demonkin, Muspels exhibited a more malevolent chaotic nature compared to other races. Forseti's kills triggered Retributive Vengeance, rapidly restoring the mana he'd expended erecting the Holy Light defense.

After a brief interval, with his mana replenished by more than half, Forseti surveyed his surroundings.

The situation here was manageable. However, the equine-faced Thor struggled against Dragon Knight Zogar alone.

Without hesitation, Forseti established another Holy Light defense line and then withdrew. Flames erupted from his feet as he sped towards Zogar, his expression focused.

Approaching his adversary, Forseti noticed the Holy Light indicator emanating from the holy deed, oscillating between the dragon and Zogar.

Evidently, both dragon and Zogar were steeped in sin, unsanctioned by the Holy Light—an auspicious revelation.

Zogar caught sight of him. With a gesture, dragon flames in the sky coalesced into several flame shields orbiting around him.

"Judgment Sword!"

Forseti swung, Rivendell's sword launching towards Zogar.

"Boom!"

The flame shield, formed from dragon flames, possessed considerable resilience. It would typically withstand the Judgment Sword's lethal strike. But sin stained its surface, and upon the Holy Light's punitive radiance, the shield shattered into fragments of fiery debris.

Zogar recoiled in astonishment, hastily summoning other flame shields to his defense.

Forseti continued wielding Rivendell's sword, holy light ablaze upon its blade. Each strike against the flame shield, empowered by the radiance of retribution, broke the shield's integrity.

Seeing Forseti closing in, Zogar had no choice but to withdraw the encircling dragon flames from their siege on equine-faced Thor.

A sharp whistle pierced the air. A wave of heat swept through, guiding the sky's flames to Zogar's grasp. The conflagration swiftly condensed upon surging.

These seething flames converged into two indomitably robust giant swords in Zogar's hands. Each nearly two meters in length and as broad as a doorway, they gleamed with a translucent, jade-like texture.

Clad in hefty armor, Zogar brandished these colossal swords, their weight defying exaggeration.

With a thunderous shout, Zogar swung both swords at Forseti, bearing down with mountain-splitting force.

"Sword of Justice!"

Forseti met the onslaught with his own sanctioning sword, his blade slashing horizontally.

"Boom!"

A resounding collision ensued as Rivendell's sword clashed with the two giant swords. The force of retribution erupted, a golden halo ablaze. The giant swords shattered instantly, dragon flames cascading forth.

However, the shockwave sent Forseti hurtling back. His body trembled violently, the magical floating cloak rippling to stabilize him.

"You possess a power that counters mine," Zogar mused slowly, his voice gruff, tinged with draconic resonance.

"The Light discriminates not against individuals but against sin," Forseti replied evenly.

"Sin? Might makes right," Zogar retorted coldly, disdainful of such ideals.

Before he could finish, dragon flames gushed from the colossal dragon's maw, coalescing and soaring before melding into the two giant swords within Zogar's grasp. They were promptly restored.

"His power manipulates flames, with dragon flames granting him formidable strength," equine-faced Thor interjected, flying to Forseti's side and catching his breath.

As a fire deity, Forseti possessed heightened sensitivity to flame energies. He discerned the colossal dragon before him as possessing potent flame energies, surpassing even his own.

Notably, this dragon's energy dwarfed other beings, including the him, enabling protracted battle.

Dragons' most glaring flaw lay in their colossal size and inherent inflexibility—a weakness exploited by many dragon slayers.

Yet, this colossal dragon benefited from Zogar's expert partnership. Under his guidance, the dragon's flames shifted endlessly, alternating between offense and defense, nullifying its natural inflexibility—a formidable adversary.

"Roar—" The colossal dragon roared, lunging forward.

Even as equine-faced Thor evaded, he swung his thunder hammer, summoning a thunderbolt to strike the dragon.

Forseti invoked a king's blessing upon himself before engaging Zogar once more with dual swords.

Empowered by the king's blessing, the flaming giant sword sustained severe damage but endured.

As Forseti regained his footing, Zogar promptly restored the swords with dragon flames.

After pondering briefly, Forseti reached for his waist, retrieving and opening the silver box containing the symbiote.

"Time to act."

The symbiote began to extend towards Forseti's hand before abruptly halting. Its retreat was swift: "Where are we? Why are flames rampant? Symbiotes fear fire—didn't you know?"

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