Episode 622 Finally, I Meet You Again 1

Clang!

As Arterion raised his hand, a transparent barrier materialized in the air, intercepting Ghislain's sword.

"Hm?"

Crack!

The barrier shattered under the force of the blade, which continued its trajectory. Arterion leaned back, narrowly avoiding the strike.

"Impressive," he remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice. He prepared to retaliate, but the others had already begun their assault.

Whooosh!

Parniel, her expression a mask of fury, swung her massive mace directly at Arterion's head. Ever since the dragon had denounced the goddess, she had been contemplating how to crush that arrogant skull.

"Oh?" Arterion's eyes widened slightly. If that blow landed, even he wouldn't emerge unscathed. Parniel's strike was undeniably powerful.

But no matter how strong an attack was, it meant nothing if it missed.

Swish.

The mace passed through an afterimage. Arterion had already teleported backward with magic.

Fwoosh!

"What?"

Arterion glanced around, startled. Dozens of daggers glimmered in the air, aimed at him from all directions.

"This technique…?"

A chill ran down his spine. How was his old friend's signature skill being used here and now?

He turned urgently toward Belinda, his expression uncharacteristically alarmed.

"Who are you? How do you know this technique—?"

Before he could finish his question, the daggers, tracing paths of light, shot toward him.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Arterion dodged deftly, stepping back repeatedly. Gillian and Tenant closed in beside him, swinging their weapons.

Whoosh!

Both attacks missed as Arterion once again teleported away, reappearing closer to Belinda.

He needed to know who she was—was she a descendant, or somehow connected to his long-lost companion?

Clang!

His rapid movements abruptly slowed. It felt as though the air itself was resisting him, a strange force hindering his agility.

"What is this?"

Suddenly, everything around him seemed to move in slow motion. It was as if this part of the world existed in an entirely different flow of time.

Though his mind remained sharp, his body felt heavy, as though submerged in water.

Through this disorienting space, Ghislain's sword emerged, advancing toward him.

A smile crept onto Arterion's lips.

"Fascinating. A mortal of this era has reached such heights."

This was the pinnacle once attained by the heroes and apostles of a thousand years past.

Rumble…

Watching the sword slowly approach, Arterion murmured, "Impressive. But…"

A red light flared in his eyes.

"You still lack what it takes to stand with the world."

In Arterion's judgment, Ghislain had barely touched the edge of this realm.

Boom!

Ghislain's expression sharpened as the space around them fractured. Suddenly, Arterion was right in front of him, reaching out.

Clang!

Ghislain raised his sword to block the dragon's hand, but Arterion disregarded him entirely, surging forward toward Belinda.

He was in a rush now—he had to question her, to uncover her identity.

"Why does the shadow still linger? Shouldn't it have disappeared?" Arterion muttered cryptically, laughing to himself.

At that moment, two blades flew toward his neck.

Swish!

Kaor, who had been lying in wait, charged with sudden ferocity.

"So, you think you can strike me?" Arterion scoffed, leaning back to evade the attack. At the same time, he extended his hand.

Boom!

"Argh!"

Kaor crossed his swords in defense, but the sheer force of Arterion's mana hurled him backward. Even without casting a proper spell, the dragon's raw power was overwhelming.

Fwoosh!

Belinda's daggers intercepted Arterion, but he swatted them away effortlessly as he advanced.

Belinda retreated, her daggers continuing to whirl around him, but Arterion casually deflected each one.

Ghislain, Parniel, Gillian, Tenant, and the recovering Kaor all converged on him simultaneously.

Only then did Arterion halt.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He dodged or blocked every attack, countering with precise movements. Without using magic, he was holding his ground against these powerful warriors.

"Damn it! Why is this dragon so skilled at fighting?" Kaor exclaimed, astonished.

Arterion was a master of combat, his movements efficient and without excess. Even in his humanoid form, he could easily be considered one of the strongest beings in the world.

This wasn't a typical dragon. Arterion had spent centuries battling the monsters of the rifts, honing his skills.

Yet, the humans opposing him were among the continent's greatest. As the fight dragged on, the tide would inevitably turn against him.

"Hm. You're quite impressive," Arterion admitted, stepping back. Several shallow cuts adorned his body, the first signs that even he couldn't sustain this indefinitely.

Meanwhile, the two saintesses(?) radiated divine energy, constantly healing and shielding their allies. A prolonged battle would only tip the scales further against him.

Deciding he needed to level the playing field, Arterion chose to incorporate magic into his strategy.

"Let's see how prepared you are to face me."

He smiled, raising his hand slightly.

Fwoosh!

Dozens of massive fireballs appeared in the air. He was curious how these close-range fighters would respond.

Just as he prepared to unleash them—

Boom!

"What?"

An immense pressure descended over the battlefield. One by one, the fireballs began to dissipate.

For the first time, Arterion's expression showed genuine surprise.

"This…?"

A powerful mana field had enveloped the area, strong enough to disrupt even a dragon's magic.

At last, Arterion understood the purpose of the scattered structures he had noticed earlier.

"They gathered mages!"

How many had they brought together to nullify the magic of a being as powerful as himself?

The humans had clearly prepared extensively to face him.

Crack.

Arterion gritted his teeth. For his magic, revered as the pinnacle of control, to be suppressed—it was a blow to his pride. Yet, he couldn't help but acknowledge their thorough preparation.

As he hesitated, the humans seized the moment to strike.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Arterion was forced back repeatedly.

"You pests… How dare you…"

His eyes filled with murderous intent. What had started as a game, a trivial extermination, had escalated into a genuine threat.

He could still cast spells if he found an opening. But even then, their potency would be severely diminished, and casting would take longer.

Against these formidable humans, such weakened magic wouldn't suffice.

Clang!

Arterion deflected Ghislain's blade once more, leaping back to gain distance.

Crack.

The malice in his gaze deepened. His pride wouldn't allow him to flee, nor could he bear the thought of revealing his true form here.

I'll take them down one by one.

Even if it took time, he would kill them all. His raw power, unencumbered by magic, was still formidable.

That is, until a certain figure appeared.

Clang!

Deflecting another barrage of attacks, Arterion broke through the encirclement.

He aimed for the weakest-looking opponent, the one wielding twin swords. But then, he froze.

A chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps erupted across his body.

What is this?

His body moved instinctively, sidestepping sharply.

Swish.

A faint graze touched his neck, and Arterion immediately channeled immense mana into his feet.

Boom!

In an instant, he put a great distance between himself and the humans. For a brief moment, the battlefield fell silent.

Ignoring all others, Arterion slowly turned his head.

His gaze locked onto a single man.

His hair was as black as the abyss, his eyes unfathomably deep, like infinite darkness.

The man's expression was colder and more ruthless than the eternal blizzards that enveloped Arterion's domain. There was no emotion, only a sharp, glacial precision.

That face…

Arterion stared at Julien for a long time.

The resemblance was uncanny. It was as if a shadow from the past had materialized in the present.

A sigh, almost a lament, escaped Arterion's lips.

"Ah…"

Arterion stared at Julien with an intense, unshakable focus. He knew that face too well.

It was the face he had longed for, the one etched into his memory with an ache that transcended time.

And the attack Julien had launched earlier—the force that defied the world's natural order and transcended reality itself—was unmistakable. It was no ordinary power.

The power to overturn the fundamental rules established by the goddesses themselves.

It was a power no creature in this world, not even a dragon like himself, could wield.

Only one being could manifest such strength:

The one destined to plunge the world into chaos with the essence of a Demon God.

A glint of madness filled Arterion's eyes.

...Finally.

...Finally, he had found him again.

Arterion's roar erupted like thunder across the battlefield.

"Adversary—!"

Julien, however, remained calm, his gaze indifferent as it met Arterion's wild eyes.

In stark contrast, Arterion burst into maniacal laughter.

"To think I would find you so soon!"

"Today, I will obliterate you!"

"Let us end this wretched feud once and for all!"

The frenzied dragon's outburst caused everyone to freeze.

There was no doubt—he was far from sane. In fact, he seemed worse than Ereneth.

But what was this "adversary" to them? Why did it provoke such fury?

Even Ghislain, who had seen glimpses of the past through his dreams, found it puzzling.

That... that isn't the look of someone facing a mere enemy.

The hatred was understandable if they had fought for so long. Yet, there was something deeper in Arterion's and Ereneth's reactions—something inexplicable.

It was more akin to a love-hate relationship forged over lifetimes of conflict.

What had transpired between them?

Why did the mere resemblance make them unleash such bloodlust?

Is Julien... truly the adversary?

Ereneth had hesitated to make a judgment. But Arterion seemed incapable of such deliberation.

The maddened dragon had clearly resolved to kill Julien. There was no reasoning with him.

Julien took a step forward, unsheathing his blade. His cold, even voice broke the silence.

"This is enough. As promised, I will end this with the dragon. Stand back, all of you."

Ghislain chuckled lightly at the declaration.

"Ah, stop trying to steal the spotlight by acting cool."

Julien didn't respond.

"And for the record, it's me who'll settle the score with you. Not now, but someday. People are already curious about who's stronger—me or you."

"Just assume you've already won," Julien replied, his tone dripping with apathy.

Ghislain burst into laughter. It was an unexpected reaction. This ice-cold man had subtly changed while fighting alongside the Ruthania forces.

While the conversation had its playful tone, Ghislain wasn't joking entirely. Becoming the continent's greatest swordsman was a goal he'd harbored even in his past life.

When it was all over, only he would face Julien to determine the strongest. Until then, Julien had to "play nice."

"Alright, then..."

Ghislain's grin turned sharp, his grip on his sword tightening.

Whether Julien was the adversary or not no longer mattered.

What mattered was that Julien was a friend and comrade who had fought beside them.

The only "dialogue" left for Arterion would come through their blades.

"Let's begin the dragon hunt."

Swish!

Ghislain moved first, followed closely by the others. Julien didn't hesitate either, his blade slicing through the air with precision.

Clang!

Arterion's body began to show wounds. His clothes were torn, blood splattering with each blow.

"Ha... Hahaha! AHAHAHAHA!"

Yet, he continued laughing maniacally. His eyes radiated bloodlust as his laughter echoed around them.

Belinda had faded from his focus entirely. Now, all his attention was on Julien.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Powerful strikes continued to land, driving Arterion back. The force of their clashes tore through the earth, splitting the ground and creating storms of sheer energy.

Within the maelstrom, Arterion was drenched in his own blood.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

But his relentless laughter only made the others' expressions harden.

If they could kill him before he transformed back into his dragon form, that would be ideal.

But Arterion skillfully avoided lethal blows, his rising mana palpable to everyone.

Rumble.

Dragonic mana surged outward, pressing down on the battlefield. The attackers began to feel the weight of his power.

The pressure grew stronger. Though they pressed their attacks, it felt like they were fighting against a tide, gradually being pushed back.

Rumble.

Arterion spared no effort. If he couldn't cast his full magic, there was no need to conserve his strength. The adversary was here—now was the time to unleash everything to destroy him and the humans alike.

BOOM!

A tremendous force erupted from Arterion's body. Everyone instinctively fell back, adopting defensive stances, but even then, they were pushed away.

Julien alone stood firm, slicing through the oppressive wave with his blade.

Swish!

Julien's sword cut forward. He knew the strike had landed. But the blinding light radiating from Arterion obscured his view of the dragon's state.

The energy pouring from Arterion only grew stronger. Even standing nearby risked injury from the sheer pressure of his presence.

Everyone retreated further from him.

Growl...

After a moment, the light faded. All eyes turned toward the sky.

There, a massive white dragon stood, its wings fully spread in radiant splendor.

A long wound stretched across Arterion's neck. His deep, rumbling voice reverberated.

"Adversary... Today, I will destroy you here. You... and the saintess..."

He paused mid-sentence, his words faltering. His crimson eyes flared anew with violent light.

Arterion opened his massive maw, directing his gaze solely at Julien.

The battle's decisive moment loomed closer.