Chapter 43: Dragon

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:I felt a moment of confusion when Alea conjured that massive water spell. Normally, water could be a liability in a fight like this—Jagrette's toxic aura would easily corrupt it, turning it against us. But when Alea called out for me to use [Absolute Zero], the pieces finally clicked into place. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning: she wasn't just using water as an attack. She was setting the stage for me to freeze everything in place.The battlefield fell into an eerie silence as the spell took effect. The swirling water rapidly solidified, encasing Jagrette in a thick block of ice. The air around us became deathly cold, the atmosphere heavy with an ominous stillness that sent a chill down my spine.For a moment, I dared to hope that we had won—that this nightmare was finally over. But that fleeting hope was shattered when I heard Sylvie's voice in my mind, soft but urgent. 'Papa, I'm here.'Her voice surprised me; I hadn't expected her to arrive so soon, and instinctively, I was about to tell her to stay away—to keep her out of this dangerous fight. But before I could respond, the ice that had enveloped Jagrette began to crack, thin lines spidering across the frozen surface.I felt my heart sink as I was suddenly forced out of my second phase, my body protesting against the strain I had put it through. The overwhelming exhaustion hit me like a wave, and I could see Alea struggling just as much. She was barely holding on, her body trembling from the severe backlash of using such a powerful spell. We were both at our limits, and Jagrette was still not defeated.No... I couldn't let this be the end. Not when we were so close.Which direction are you coming from, Sylv? I asked her through our mental connection, my voice tight with urgency.She responded immediately, her mental presence brushing against mine with comforting warmth. I quickly sent her a mental projection of the ice block where Jagrette was trapped, the cracks spreading across its surface like a ticking time bomb. Sylvie, I need you to blast the center of that ice with pure mana. Hit it as hard as you can.I could feel her understanding and determination. She knew exactly what needed to be done, and I trusted her completely. As the cracks in the ice grew wider, I steeled myself for whatever would come next, hoping that Sylvie's attack would be the final blow that we desperately needed to end this battle.As the cracks in the ice grew wider, a powerful surge of mana swept over us. I could sense Sylvie's presence drawing nearer, her aura unmistakable. Alea, better attuned to sensing mana, immediately turned in the direction of the approaching energy. Her expression shifted from fatigue to one of horror, clearly alarmed by the humongous mana signature."It's okay," I quickly reassured her, sensing her rising panic. Alea shot me a questioning look, confusion mingling with the fear in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, the ice around Jagrette splintered further. Through the thinning ice, Jagrette's twisted form became visible, her expression contorted with rage."How dare you, lesser—" Jagrette began to shout, her voice echoing with fury. But she was cut off mid-sentence by an earth-shaking roar that reverberated through the chamber, causing debris to rain down from the crumbling walls."Get down!" I yelled, summoning a stone shield around us just in time to block the falling debris. Alea ducked, her eyes wide as the wall behind Jagrette crumbled under the force of Sylvie's incoming attack. Through the thick dust and destruction, I saw it: a glowing orb of pure, condensed mana hurtling toward Jagrette with terrifying speed and precision.The orb struck her with brutal force, slamming into her back and sending shockwaves through the air. The ice encasing her shattered instantly, the sharp fragments scattering like shards of glass. Jagrette's scream was abruptly cut off as the sheer power of the attack lifted her off the ground and sent her crashing toward us.From countless battles in this life and my previous one, I had learned one crucial lesson: always double-check the kill. There was no room for mistakes when it came to live and death situations. Channeling the last remnants of my mana, I activated [Absolute Zero] once more, forcing my body to comply despite the exhaustion gnawing at me.With a final burst of power, I conjured a massive ice lance, nearly five meters long, and hurled it at Jagrette. The lance struck her mid-air, impaling her through the stomach and pinning her against the remnants of the shattered wall. Her momentum ceased as the icy weapon drove through her body, exiting through her back.She hung there, suspended a few meters off the ground, her body limp and broken. Blood—no, not blood, but a murky green fluid—spilled from her mouth, dripping down the length of the ice lance. The color was wrong, a sickly green instead of red, further proof that she was no ordinary opponent.I watched her for a moment, my breath heavy and my body screaming in protest. But I needed to be sure, to see this through to the end. Finally, her head slumped forward, and her body went completely still.It was over.ALEA TRISCAN'S POV:As I watched the orb of pure condensed mana, its density and purity rivaling that of a white core mage, my mouth fell agape. The sheer power it radiated was beyond anything I had ever witnessed. The orb struck Jagrette in the back, the force sending her hurtling towards us.Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, Arthur moved beside me. With the last remnants of his strength, he activated [Absolute Zero] once more, creating an ice lance nearly five meters long. It formed with an eerie precision, its edges razor-sharp as it gleamed in the dim light. The lance shot forward, impaling Jagrette directly through the stomach.For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. The witch sputtered a murky green fluid from her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and fury before her body went limp. The ice lance held her suspended, her form broken and lifeless.Everything was still, almost too still, like the calm after a storm. I turned to Arthur, only to see him begin to collapse. His body, spent and battered from the exertion, started to fall, but before he could hit the ground, I reached out and caught him. The backlash had hit him hard, his strength drained to the point where he could barely stand. I was no better off, teetering on the edge of my own backlash, but I forced myself to stay upright, for his sake if nothing else.Before I could examine him further, a deep, resonating roar echoed through the meadow, causing my heart to skip a beat. My gaze snapped toward the source of the sound, and my breath caught in my throat.I hadn't even considered what had shot that orb of pure mana. As the dust and debris began to settle, a massive silhouette, nearly ten meters long, slowly came into view. It stepped forward, its figure becoming clearer with each passing second.A dragon.Not a creature of myth or legend, but a real, living dragon. Its pitch-black scales gleamed with an ominous sheen, reflecting the fading light. Its eyes, slit-like and golden, brimmed with power and strength that made the very air around it heavy with its presence. Four large, muscular limbs carried it with a grace that belied its size, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly. Its aura was overwhelming, a force that seemed to press down on everything in its vicinity, making me want to kneel and submit. The dragon looked around for a moment as if surveying the battlefield before its gaze locked onto us. Those golden eyes, filled with an intelligence far beyond that of any beast, pierced through me, freezing me in place. I wanted to move, to react, but I found myself unable to do anything but stare in awe and fear in my current state. The dragon's gaze softened as it landed on Arthur, its fierce golden eyes losing some of their intensity. For a moment, Arthur's words from earlier echoed in my mind—It's okay. I realized then that this dragon was somehow connected to Arthur. As I probed its mana signature, recognition dawned on me. This immense creature was Arthur's bond, the same white fox that had casually perched atop his head when we first metBut this realization only deepened my confusion. During our first meeting, Arthur had appeared as a dual elemental with wind and earth affinities, his core dark yellow. Yet, during the battle earlier and even now, I could sense the presence of multiple affinities—water, fire, wind, and earth—surrounding him. Not only that, but there was a faint yet distinct concentration of mana at different points across his body and his core was solid yellow now. I was beyond confused, unable to reconcile the Arthur I had known with the reality unfolding before me.I had always suspected that Arthur was hiding his true power, especially given the seals he wore when we first met at the academy, but this? This was something else entirely. My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of knowledge I had about him, but nothing seemed to fit. What exactly was Arthur capable of? And how much had he been holding back?Before I could delve deeper into my thoughts, a large, warm tongue suddenly appeared before my eyes, carefully licking Arthur's face. I blinked, snapping back to the present moment, and realized that the dragon had now moved right in front of us. Its massive head was bowed low, its neck extended so that it could reach Arthur. The care with which it handled him was almost tender, a stark contrast to the terrifying power it had displayed moments before.The sight was both endearing and bewildering. Here was this fearsome dragon, a creature of immense power and majesty, gently tending to Arthur as if he were something precious. It was a side of the bond between them that I had never imagined, and it left me with even more questions.Suddenly, the dragon was enveloped in a bright white light, so intense that I had to shield my eyes. As the light gradually subsided, I blinked to clear my vision, and to my astonishment, the once massive ten-meter-long dragon had transformed into a small, white fox. The fox nimbly jumped onto my lap, locking eyes with me.I hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended a hand toward her. She didn't flinch or shy away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly as I gently patted her, her soft fur warm under my touch. The fox—or dragon—chirped loudly, a sound that seemed almost too cheerful for the somber atmosphere. "Kyu!" she exclaimed before placing her tiny paws on Arthur's sternum.With a sense of purpose, she pushed a small but concentrated amount of pure mana directly into Arthur's core. I watched in confusion, unsure of what she was doing, but that confusion quickly turned to astonishment as Arthur began to draw in mana from the atmosphere. It was as if his body had suddenly awakened, the mana flowing into him, restoring some of his strength even while unconscious.I lifted Arthur into my arms, carefully carrying him as we crossed the meadow. As we reached the upper side of the floor, a gruesome sight greeted us. The corpses of soldiers—humans, elves, and dwarves—who had been my comrades only moments ago were strewn across the floor. Some had their necks snapped, others had limbs torn apart, and still others had gaping holes in their chests. The brutality of the scene was overwhelming, and I felt a wave of nausea rise in my throat.Memories of the battle against the other horned creature, Bilal, flashed through my mind. I had completely forgotten about him in the chaos of fighting Jagrette. He hadn't been as strong as Jagrette, but in my current state, facing him would be out of the question. A pang of worry struck me as I remembered the other girl who had arrived with Arthur, and the wolf that accompanied them. I hadn't seen or heard anything about them since the battle began.A silent prayer escaped my lips, pleading to whatever gods might be watching that she was safe and that Bilal had already been dealt with. I couldn't bear the thought of another life lost today, especially not someone who had fought alongside us.As I continued to follow the fox, I could only hope that I were heading toward safety—or at the very least, a place where we could regroup and recover. ~~