Episode 623 Finally, I Meet You Again 2

Roar...

A brilliant blue light began emanating from the depths of Arterion's maw. At first faint, the glow intensified, pulsating along the dragon's throat as though it were alive. Like ice crystals expanding, the azure radiance grew sharper and larger with every passing moment.

Whoosh...

The surrounding temperature plummeted abruptly. Frost formed across the earth in an instant. Every exhale from the onlookers turned into visible white vapor.

"Well, this is a problem."

Ghislain let out a wry smile. A dragon's breath attack couldn't be negated with magic seals.

Of course, a breath attack wasn't something dragons could use repeatedly, so avoiding it was an option. But Arterion didn't appear to be planning a standard breath attack.

"Looks like it's putting its all into killing us."

Boom!

Even though the dragon could unleash its breath at any moment, it continued gathering energy. Its intent to obliterate Julien was terrifyingly clear.

Dodging wouldn't be easy, as Arterion would adjust its head to track Julien's movements.

If anyone attempted to attack now, it would only invite greater peril. As planned, the strategy was to endure this first assault.

Grumble...

Moisture in the air froze instantly, turning into sparkling ice particles. Around Arterion, a silvery mist began to swirl.

At that moment, a wave of blue light coursed from the dragon's throat to its back. Like electricity flowing, the light danced along its scales.

The concentrated energy reached its peak. Arterion's eyes gleamed with an intense, piercing glow.

Boom!

A blinding cyan breath erupted explosively from its maw. A massive storm of ice tore through the sky, cascading down in a destructive torrent.

Though aimed at Julien, the breath's sheer magnitude left others with no chance to escape.

Ghislain erupted with mana and shouted, "Block it!"

Shatter!

Standing at the forefront, Parniel unleashed all of her divine power. Behind her, Piote funneled his sacred energy directly into Parniel.

But it wasn't enough. A dragon's breath was not an attack mere humans could withstand.

From within the fortress, Jerome's golden eyes began to shine brilliantly.

"Absolute Barrier."

Buzz—!

The combined mana of the mages coalesced into a 9th-circle defensive spell.

An overwhelming force drew all available magic into the barrier Jerome cast.

It was immensely taxing. Controlling such immense mana alone was nearly impossible.

Vanessa supported Jerome, ensuring that the accumulated energy didn't spiral out of control. Together, they successfully completed the 9th-circle spell.

Crash!

The barrier surrounding their allies clashed against Arterion's breath.

True to its 9th-circle caliber, the barrier initially held against the destructive breath.

But the problem lay elsewhere: Jerome himself wasn't a 9th-circle mage. While he understood the formula, his level of mastery hadn't reached that threshold.

Thus, the barrier could only become a half-baked 9th-circle spell powered by brute force.

Crack!

Fractures began spreading across the barrier. Blood trickled down Jerome's nose as his body trembled under the strain.

Even with similar levels of mana, the density differed.

Moreover, a dragon's breath was pure, unadulterated power. It faced no obstruction in its execution, leaving Jerome at a disadvantage.

Crack!

Boom!

The trembling barrier finally gave way, shattering under the relentless breath.

Cough!

Jerome staggered and coughed up blood, but Vanessa immediately stepped in, casting another spell.

"Great Shield."

Snap!

Layer upon layer of shields unfolded to protect their allies. Though each shattered in rapid succession, the dragon's breath had also weakened.

Finally, the remnants of the breath met Parniel's divine power, the last line of defense.

Boom!

"Argh!"

Parniel's body jolted violently, causing her to cough up blood. Yet, she managed to withstand the attack.

The aftermath of the breath spread across the area. The ground beneath their feet froze solid, and frost covered everyone's bodies in an instant.

Kaor shivered as he muttered through chattering teeth, "Damn… it's freezing out here..."

Even the superhumans felt the intense chill. Still, they had managed to block the devastating breath.

Arterion's eyes burned with an even darker murderous intent.

"You insects..."

That breath had been its all-out effort, a strike Arterion believed would instantly annihilate its adversaries.

Yet it had failed. The humans' preparations had been far more thorough than expected.

And their counterattack came swiftly.

Whoosh!

Hundreds of radiant daggers appeared in midair. Arranged like a zigzagging silver staircase, they shimmered with light.

In a flash, Ghislain darted up the floating daggers and swung his massive aura blade.

Slash!

"Roar!"

A deep gash tore across Arterion's chest as it recoiled in shock, flapping its wings frantically to retreat.

Slice!

But Julien was already airborne, his blade flashing as it carved a long wound along one of Arterion's wings.

Belinda's daggers spread wide, encircling the dragon. They moved as though alive, providing constant footholds for the warriors.

Even falling wasn't a concern. The daggers would reappear beneath them, supporting their advance.

They moved freely through the air, defying gravity, launching relentless attacks on the dragon.

Overwhelmed, Arterion let out a roar filled with fury and frustration.

"You insignificant worms!"

"Today, those worms will bring you down," Ghislain retorted with a fierce grin, slashing his aura blade with reckless abandon.

The strength of the breath attack came at a cost—it drained immense energy. Arterion had overexerted itself, leaving it vulnerable until it recovered.

This was exactly why Ghislain had planned to endure the first breath attack. It allowed them to deplete the dragon's energy before striking.

As the superhuman warriors pressed their attacks, Arterion floundered under the relentless assault.

"You… you wretched humans..."

No matter how superior dragons were, the aura blades wielded by these warriors couldn't be underestimated. They were sharp enough to cut through even a dragon's scales.

Arterion hastily retreated while attempting to cast a spell.

Fizzle...

Yet, no matter how hard it tried, its magic failed to materialize. The spells dissipated before they could form.

Growl...

Frustrated by the dire situation, Arterion let out a low growl.

It wanted to unleash another breath attack, but it wasn't easy. The previous attack had already consumed a significant portion of its energy.

This wasn't a power that could be used repeatedly. It had to be cautious and ensure its opponent was eliminated here and now.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Resorting to its physical strength, Arterion swung its massive tail like a weapon.

Crash!

Tenant, who had been attacking Arterion's side, took a direct hit from the tail. However, to the dragon's surprise, Tenant survived.

Just before the tail struck, a powerful shield of divine energy had appeared before him, and a divine blessing enveloped his body.

Though the shield shattered into pieces, Tenant unleashed all his mana, gritting his teeth to endure.

Crack!

Even though his bones and organs were crushed, the immense divine energy rapidly healed him.

Roar!

Enraged by the sight, Arterion let out a deafening roar that shook the air.

A massive claw ripped through the air. The superhumans moved fluidly, evading like gusts of wind. When evasion wasn't feasible, they detonated their mana and leapt downward to avoid the strike.

Whenever an opening appeared, Ghislain's aura blade struck like lightning, slicing across Arterion's massive form.

With every strike, dragon blood sprayed into the air, the volume steadily increasing.

"You pesky gnats!"

Arterion swung its tail and claws wildly, but Belinda's daggers repositioned themselves in an instant, creating new footholds for the superhumans.

The warriors moved as though dancing through the sky, skillfully maintaining their distance. They waited for openings, closing in only to deliver precise attacks before retreating.

Julien's strikes, in particular, stood out.

Slash!

He didn't need to take unnecessary risks. From a distance, Julien methodically shredded Arterion's wings with every swing.

"Grrr..."

Arterion groaned in pain as its wings were gradually torn apart.

However, as a battle-hardened dragon, it quickly regained composure.

Arterion's counterattacks grew increasingly precise, forcing the superhumans to widen their distance and wait for opportunities.

Even as wounds accumulated on its body, Arterion carefully observed its opponents' movements.

When the chance came, it didn't hesitate.

Boom!

With a sudden, sharp twist of its tail, Arterion struck directly at Ghislain. Gillian raised both arms, releasing a surge of mana and summoning a shield of divine power in front of him.

Crack!

Though his arms shattered and he was hurled backward, Gillian managed to survive. The others immediately launched a counterattack, preventing Arterion from following up with additional strikes.

Crunch!

Gillian's broken arms were healed almost instantly, thanks to the extraordinary divine power of Parniel and Piote.

Arterion watched everything with a bitter glare.

"If only my full strength was intact..."

If it were, this battle wouldn't have dragged on this long. A mere graze from its attacks would have been lethal before the humans could even think of recovering.

But there was no point dwelling on what-ifs. It couldn't afford to stall. The longer the battle dragged on, the stronger its adversaries would become.

Still, these humans were remarkable. Even a millennium ago, it was rare for humans to push a dragon this far.

'They've prepared thoroughly,' Arterion thought grimly.

Their teamwork was flawless.

The daggers continuously created footholds for their allies. The divine power restored anyone who wasn't outright killed.

The mages suppressed its own magic, and the superhumans fearlessly sacrificed themselves to protect their comrades.

These humans knew exactly how to fight a dragon. Just as Ereneth had warned, that human commander Ghislain was exceptional.

But beyond their skill, Arterion felt an unsettling sense of familiarity.

'It's as if they've fought me before.'

No humans in this era had battled a dragon. There shouldn't even be any accurate records of such encounters.

Yet these warriors fought without error, systematically driving it into a corner. Even their magical suppression was executed without flaw.

This couldn't have been mere conjecture.

'Did Ereneth tell them?'

No. That was impossible. Ereneth and Arterion shared a bond of destiny.

Ereneth wouldn't want to fight against Arterion. Though she had provided the humans with some knowledge, her absence on the battlefield confirmed her reluctance.

It meant these humans had deduced everything and prepared on their own.

'I have to admit it. You humans are impressive.'

But that was all. In the end, victory would still be Arterion's. It had endured far tougher battles than this as the last surviving dragon.

Boom!

Arterion's tail slammed into Kaor. Yet even Kaor didn't die.

Instead, he quickly recovered, climbing back up Belinda's daggers to rejoin the fight.

Though its wounds continued to mount, Arterion maintained its composure, calmly assessing the situation.

To these humans, it was nothing more than a powerful, durable, oversized monster.

It couldn't be helped. Without its magic and with its massive size providing numerous targets, it was little more than a giant bullseye.

If this continued, exhaustion would eventually take its toll on the dragon.

Arterion's narrowed eyes glinted with resolve.

Fighting the superhumans head-on in this state was meaningless.

'Daggers, divine power, mages.'

These three elements were the pillars sustaining their assault. If even one was disrupted, the balance would collapse, and the humans wouldn't be able to handle the dragon.

'The shadows.'

Arterion subtly shifted its gaze.

The woman controlling the daggers was positioned far away, completely detached from the melee. She didn't participate in the attacks, focusing solely on enabling her allies to fight freely in the air.

Next, Arterion looked downward.

'Divine power.'

The saintess, blessed with incredible power, concentrated solely on healing and shielding her allies.

It was an uncharacteristic role for someone so powerful, but in this situation, it was highly effective.

Even the pseudo-saint's divine power was exceptional, surpassing the saintess's in some respects with its sheer purity.

Finally, Arterion's gaze shifted to the distant fortresses.

'Mages.'

Immense magical power continued to suppress it. This wasn't a crude magic field stretched over a wide area; it was highly controlled and precise.

If multiple mages had simply spread their magic, the suppression wouldn't have been this clean and seamless. It would've felt fragmented and torn apart.

It was clear that a single, highly skilled mage was consolidating and controlling the magic.

'I see... they anticipated this.'

The placement of the fortresses disrupted the flow of mana, making it impossible to pinpoint the mage's location.

The sheer meticulousness of their preparations was infuriating.

Growl...

Even as Arterion lashed out at the humans, part of its focus remained on its surroundings.

It couldn't strike all three targets simultaneously. It had to choose one and relentlessly pursue it.

If even one fell, the situation would shift in Arterion's favor.

As its once-pristine white scales were stained red, Arterion made its decision.

Its eyes flashed sharply. With a powerful flap of its wings, it withdrew slightly.

Boom!

Then, without warning, it dived toward the ground.