Episode 626 Find Me 1

Arterion was bewildered. A mere human, barely more than a child, had singlehandedly dispelled his magic.

"What is this...?"

This wasn't something just anyone could accomplish. If it were, there would have been no need to hide the positions of the controllers.

Even a few more capable individuals could have distributed themselves among the various fortresses for preparation.

To control such an immense amount of mana required an extraordinary level of mastery. Such people weren't exactly common.

Arterion glared at Alfoy.

"That pathetic little thing...?"

No matter how he looked at him, Alfoy wasn't a high-circle mage. At best, he seemed to be at the fifth circle.

The controllers who first fell had combined their powers to manage the flow of mana. Even high-circle mages had struggled with it. Yet this one had succeeded in dispelling it alone. It was almost beyond belief.

"How did a worm like that manage to dispel my magic?!"

Arterion's eyes glinted with a murderous rage, deeper and darker than ever before.

The spell, into which he had poured immense mana, had been undone. And with his reserves nearly depleted, casting another powerful spell would be impossible.

Though his opponent had also exhausted an enormous amount of mana, likely incapacitating most of the mages present, there were still enough of them left to dispel his remaining magic. He, too, lacked the energy for a decisive counter.

"You wretched...!"

Consumed by fury, Arterion moved to strike Alfoy down immediately.

At that moment, Ghislain stepped in, blocking his path. Charging at Arterion, he shouted,

"Well done, Alfoy!"

The aura blade emanating from Ghislain's sword shone brighter than ever before.

"You really are..."

With a loud laugh, Ghislain swung the aura blade with tremendous force.

"...a Dragon Slayer!"

SLASH!

"Grrrrrraahhh!"

Arterion staggered backward, his chest slashed deeply. At the same time, Alfoy collapsed, unable to hold on any longer.

The oppressive mana surrounding Arterion dissipated. But he, too, lacked the energy to unleash any formidable spells.

He was forced to rely solely on his physical body to fight. After using his breath attack, his vitality had diminished further.

Though he had devised a method to turn the tide, an unforeseen nuisance had thwarted his efforts, leading to failure.

ROAR!

Arterion let out a deafening howl, thrashing about with his claws and tail in a blind frenzy.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Despite his waning strength, the sheer power of his colossal body remained formidable. The superhumans facing him, already fatigued, could only attack with utmost caution.

Arterion, now fully grounded, lacked the strength to lift his massive form into the air.

This allowed Belinda to rejoin the assault.

SLASH!

Belinda's daggers slashed through the air, cutting into Arterion from all directions.

Though the wounds weren't deep, the occasional strike near his eyes or dragon heart forced him to divert his attention.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Grrrrrr!

Arterion attempted to cast simple spells for deterrence, but the remaining mages were still erecting mana barriers to counter his magic.

CRACKLE!

Although the opposing mages were also exhausted, low-circle spells occasionally slipped through. However, such attacks were easily neutralized by the superhumans.

BOOM!

Even fatigued, Arterion was still a dragon. A mere brush with his claws or tail inflicted grievous wounds on the superhumans.

Ghislain narrowly avoided losing an arm after recklessly closing the distance.

But with the saintess and another saint-level figure continually radiating divine energy, combined with Ghislain's own regenerative abilities, his arm reattached and healed almost instantly.

CLANG! CRASH! SLASH!

As time passed, Arterion's attacks grew weaker.

He was rapidly wearing down. His strikes slowed, and his movements became sluggish.

Even so, there was no room for complacency. Though weakened, his power was still far beyond what an ordinary human could endure.

ROAR!

Despite bearing wounds that would have killed any other creature, Arterion held his head high.

His eyes, blazing with fury, still sparkled with unyielding light. His roars continued to shake the air, filled with a ferocity that made even seasoned warriors tremble.

"Adversary!"

Arterion now fixated solely on Julien. He had decided there was no other option.

Even if he perished, Julien had to die.

Even the mighty Julien struggled against Arterion's relentless, life-risking onslaught.

He continued evading while slashing with his sword.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Arterion's massive frame sustained multiple slashes. With his size, avoiding the strikes was impossible.

As his strength waned, the wounds deepened. Arterion's expression twisted in pain.

Julien, who had been attacking without pause, hardened his expression.

'Why am I...?'

It was normal to feel fatigued after fighting for so long. Indeed, his mana reserves were running dry.

Yet his physical condition was the opposite. His mind remained clear, and his body surged with vitality.

Even as he fought a dragon, he was growing stronger.

'Why?'

Julien had known since childhood that he grew stronger faster than others. Yet even his growth had followed certain stages.

Typically, breakthroughs came during training, combat, or reflection on past experiences. These moments of realization propelled him to the next level.

But now, there were no such revelations. Though he was learning from fighting a strong opponent, the experience alone didn't explain the surge of vitality.

'This is abnormal. I need to understand why.'

While evading Arterion's attacks, Julien observed his surroundings and himself with sharpened focus.

Only after concentrating fully did he uncover the reason.

'What is this?'

Something faint and threadlike was seeping into his body. It was this force that was making him stronger.

For now, he couldn't fully discern its nature.

'If I analyze it a bit longer, I might figure it out.'

"Adversary!"

BOOM!

Arterion suddenly lunged at Julien, swinging his claws.

"...!"

Barely dodging, Julien refocused on Arterion.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on personal mysteries. Arterion's relentless attacks left no room for distraction.

'Perhaps this is for the best.'

If his strength continued to increase, he could sustain the fight longer.

Julien decided to focus solely on attacking Arterion.

BOOM! BOOM! CRASH!

The superhumans were struck repeatedly by Arterion, sent flying with bones shattered and bodies mangled. Yet divine power restored their injuries, keeping them alive.

Even so, Parniel and Piote grew visibly paler.

"Ugh..."

Piote trembled, blood dripping from his nose. Parniel's expression was similarly grim.

The once-abundant divine energy had finally been depleted. These two possessed more divine energy than anyone else on the continent, yet nearly all of it had been consumed.

Even though their opponent could no longer use magic and was visibly fatigued, it was a testament to Arterion's overwhelming strength.

RAAAAAAHHHH!

Arterion roared, his fury unrelenting, as if he still had plenty of fight left in him. The sheer force of his presence kept everyone on edge.

They could feel the divine protection weakening with each passing moment. One or two more direct attacks could spell disaster.

"Just a little longer!"

Ghislain shouted loudly, swinging his sword with renewed vigor.

It truly was only a matter of time. Though Arterion still appeared menacing, his actual condition betrayed his formidable exterior.

BOOM!

As Ghislain boldly advanced, Arterion's tail struck him directly.

Despite the impact, Ghislain stood firm. The blow was strong enough to make him cough up blood, yet it didn't shatter his body as it might have earlier.

Even with the diminishing divine protection and his own reduced regenerative abilities, Ghislain endured.

Arterion's strength had undeniably waned. It was finally time to execute the next phase of their plan.

FWOOSH!

Ghislain launched several mana spears into the air. They didn't target Arterion directly but soared high above.

Moments later, fireworks erupted from the fortress where the remaining mages had gathered, lighting up the sky.

Arterion, however, paid no heed to Ghislain's actions or the commotion around him. His singular focus was Julien, whom he pursued with relentless determination.

Meanwhile, the other superhumans continued hacking away at Arterion's body. They struck hard enough to peel away his scales, but the sight of him continuing to move despite his injuries filled them with dread.

As the chaotic battle raged on—

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed from all directions. At last noticing the new arrival, Arterion turned his head.

"Protect the Saintess!"

The newcomers were none other than the priestly retinue led by Parniel, accompanied by the priests of the Ruthanian army.

Ordinary soldiers were of little help against a dragon; their attacks would likely fail to land. Even the priests, though potentially useful, had been kept at a safe distance to avoid annihilation by a single strike.

Now, responding to the signal, they surged onto the battlefield.

"Goddess, hear our prayer!"

Hundreds of priests unleashed divine energy in unison.

In an instant, everyone's wounds began to heal. Piote, his expression one of relief, took a step back to recover further.

The priests' arrival signified that the dragon was sufficiently weakened. There was no longer any threat of it turning its attention elsewhere.

Additionally, the priests could now take on the role of safeguarding the wounded.

Among those who had been holding back, one finally stepped forward.

"Goddess, today I will send you a truly grand offering."

THUD!

Parniel, her eyes blazing with murderous intent, gripped her mace tightly.

She had restrained herself for the sake of the plan, but now, there was no longer any reason to hold back.

Smashing down massive and sturdy foes like this one was her specialty.

Parniel charged forward, her giant mace swinging. Compared to the dragon's colossal body, the weapon seemed almost laughable in size, yet it was the most destructive weapon in their arsenal.

BOOM!

With a thunderous crash that shook the earth, Arterion's body staggered.

GROOOOAN...

Arterion let out a pained growl. Normally, he might have endured such a strike, but now, with his scales peeled away and his body riddled with wounds, the impact was excruciating.

Grinding his teeth, Arterion lashed out with his tail.

BOOM!

Parniel, who had advanced too recklessly, was struck directly by the tail and sent flying.

Despite her formidable endurance, she was no dragon. Having failed to dodge the attack, her entire body was shattered by the force of the blow, even from the fatigued Arterion.

THUD! CRASH! BANG!

Parniel's broken body tumbled across the ground, finally coming to rest as a storm of divine energy surged over her. The priests, abandoning all others, concentrated their efforts on her recovery.

After all, the Saintess was their most vital asset.

SPIT!

Parniel spat out blood as she sprang back to her feet. Despite barely escaping death, she showed no hesitation and charged forward once more.

For a saintess, her aggressiveness was nothing short of feral.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Parniel's fierce charge reinvigorated the group. Her relentless assault forced Arterion to focus on her.

With Parniel drawing his attention and the priests pouring divine energy into the group, everyone launched bold attacks.

Though their mana reserves were nearly depleted, Arterion's condition was far worse.

Ghislain realized the moment had finally arrived.

"Arterion!"

Seizing the dragon's attention, Ghislain unleashed all of his remaining mana in a powerful burst.

Utilizing Dark for amplification, the familiar, ominous energy surged forth once more.

FWOOOOSH!

Ghislain's body became enveloped in a shroud of black mist, with only his eyes glowing a fierce crimson.

The overwhelming aura radiated outwards, shaking the battlefield.

This power was one Ghislain could only sustain for a short time. Even with his limited mana amplified, it was a struggle to endure.

Arterion, seeing Ghislain's transformation, faltered in confusion.

"You... you are..."

That form—it couldn't be.

The sight of Ghislain reminded him of someone he loathed above all else.

"Adversary...?"

Before him now stood two adversaries.