chapter 64
The earth-shattering explosion from Agane's attack sent a shockwave that hurled debris and bodies alike, including Nathaniel, who crawled desperately to escape the chaos. "Nathaniel, you have to get out of here, or your injuries will worsen!" Melon urged.
"You think it's that easy?" Nathaniel grunted, struggling to move.
A soldier suddenly hoisted him up, joining others who were rushing to rescue survivors and evacuate them from the battle zone. "Hurry! Save who you can and get them out! This town won't last much longer!" the soldier shouted, urgency driving their efforts as the clash threatened to obliterate everything.
Meanwhile, Agane hovered in the air, surveying the massive crater her punch had carved. She sensed the battle was far from over, the girl's potent energy still lingering. A heavy presence flooded the area, radiating raw power. "Finally showing your true strength," Agane said, her voice steady.
The ground glowed as water geysers erupted, converging into a central mass. From it emerged a siren warrior, clutching the same staff, her form radiating aquatic grace. Sirens, dwellers of the deep, wielded magic to command water.
"A prime siren," Agane noted. "No wonder you wield high-level magic. But why hide in a human form?"
The siren remained silent, her overwhelming aura shaking those nearby. "Even without incantations, I can't complete my strongest water magic if she keeps attacking relentlessly," she thought, realizing her weaker spells were useless against Agane's dragon scales. "She knows how to fight mages like me. I need help."
The siren pulled a medallion from her waist, tossing it to the ground. It flared, summoning a magic circle. "I acknowledge your strength, but I have no time to waste. They'll deal with you," she declared.
Agane, sensing a trap, unleashed a wind strike. "You think I'll let you succeed?" The attack struck, kicking up thick smoke, but a dark energy surged, accompanied by three powerful presences.
As the smoke cleared, Agane faced three figures standing atop the magic circle, each radiating dark energy. "A transportation magic portal," she realized, eyeing the newcomers: a clawed lizard beast in ornate armor, a mage in a flowing coat, and a towering, muscular figure over ten feet tall in grand armor.
The towering figure turned to the siren, bowing. "Princess Katshira, it's rare for you to summon us. How may we serve?" he asked.
"I want that dragon dealt with, Xeo Juggernaut. Can you handle it?" Katshira replied.
Agane's eyes widened at the name. The Juggernauts, a clan renowned for fortifying their defenses tenfold and mastering advanced defensive magic, were legendary. "A Juggernaut here? This won't be easy," she thought, but showed no fear, landing slowly while radiating her own fierce energy.
Xeo faced her, his tone respectful. "I hold great regard for prime dragons as worthy foes. I expect you to fight with all you have, as others before you did. I am Xeo Juggernaut, general of the Zhukai Empire under Warlord Halooween."
"I'm Agane, Wind Dragon, general of Galica," she retorted. "I've heard of the fearsome Juggernauts, but hear this: leave peacefully, or I'll slay you all right here."
Their auras clashed, shaking the ground and scattering debris. Neither flinched, their gazes locked in mutual defiance. "Slay us?" Xeo said, amused. "Let's see you try against three Zhukai generals."
The lizard beast, General Hagu, a Geckian and alpha-level like Agane, spoke next. "It wouldn't be fair for three of us to fight you, so I'll handle the others here."
The mage, Dugal, intervened. "Stick to our orders, Hagu." Hagu bristled, displeased. "Let him be, Dugal. Do as you please, but don't kill that human," Katshira said, pointing at Nathaniel. "I need him alive for what he carries."
The generals, though puzzled, agreed, eager for tasks beyond ganging up on Agane. "Let's start the fun," Hagu said, releasing dark energy and vanishing like a shadow.
Suddenly, Agane's soldiers began collapsing, their bodies sliced apart without warning. "What's happening?" Agane muttered. "He's using high-level stealth techniques—I can't sense his attacks."
Knowing her soldiers stood no chance, she acted swiftly, unleashing a wind blast that lifted everyone upward, briefly exposing Hagu midair. "Clever," Hagu admitted, unharmed but impressed by Agane's tactic to disrupt his stealth.
Agane lunged at him, but Hagu vanished again before her strike landed. "Too eager," he taunted, slashing at her with his claws. The attack glanced off her dragon scales harmlessly. "Your scales are as tough as they say. Boring—I can't carve you up, so I'll leave you to Xeo," Hagu said, disappearing again.
Agane tried tracking him by scent, but he left no trace. "If I don't find a way to stop him, he'll slaughter my men," she thought, frustration mounting.
A magic circle flared beneath her, erupting in a blinding explosion that shook the battlefield.
---
Meanwhile, Nathaniel, carried by a soldier, was rushed away from the devastation. His arm throbbed, barely healed despite his efforts. "Melon, I can't just flee while they're dying," he whispered, guilt gnawing at him.
"You're in no shape to fight," Melon replied. "Your energy's low, and you don't fully control the abilities you've taken. Stay alive to fight another day."
Nathaniel watched helplessly as the town crumbled, soldiers and civilians falling to the relentless water beasts. "I'm supposed to be their hero," he thought, clenching his fists. The sight of Katshira's arrival, unscathed, deepened his dread. "If she's here, what happened to Agane?"
As the explosion from Agane's battle echoed, Nathaniel's resolve wavered. He knew Katshira's fixation on his arm's marks meant something crucial, but fear and pain clouded his thoughts. "What am I supposed to do?" he muttered, caught between his mission and his powerlessness.
---