The back of the dragon Ambroxa was broad. The middle of its back, covered with black, murky scales, looked like a barren rocky wasteland.
Ambroxa thrashed about in the air. Michael held on to his scales to keep himself from being blown away by the bitter wind.
Ambroxa's eyes glowed bloodshot.
[Ugly guard dog! I never thought I'd see you again!]
“Did you miss me? I remember when I cut you into 15 pieces.”
[... !]
“Oh right, the head with the core has completely burst and turned to dust, so should I cut it into 14 parts?”
[Shut up!]
“Oh, that’s too bad. I wanted to talk more about memories.”
Of course, it was just a regret in words. Michael, who had become accustomed to maintaining balance, began to take action. He turned around and started running along the dragon’s back.
[You! Don't tell me your tail! Do you think I'll be easy on you!]
Ambroxa's scales began to glow and the strength of his entire body increased.
The body of the demon dragon had become so hard that even attacks with black energy could only barely scratch its surface.
“Ah, you’re using the rigid body ability as expected. It’s faster than I thought.”
[This time, you thought to attack my tail instead of my wings! But now, every part of me except my internal organs has become harder than any metal!]
“I guess so.”
Michael responded annoyed, continuing to swing his sword without any impact.
Ambroxa shouted triumphantly.
[What are you going to do now! Are you going to jump into my mouth at the right time when I shoot my breath like last time?!]
“That’s a bit much. I almost died that time, so I don’t want to do it twice.”
[Why! It might work again! If I'm lucky, I might choose a head with a core this time!]
It was a word used to urge Michael to get off his back. To rush into the mouth, he had to catch the dragon's front. That was impossible.
Boom! Boom!
Michael just kept repeating the process of striking the tail of the rigid dragon with the Night Ray without even listening.
Then, Ambroxa started to emit a strong turbid energy from his entire body. It transformed into blurry thought forms and began to surround and attack Michael. It was a kind of self-defense mechanism.
The primary goal of the thought forms was to knock Michael off the dragon's back.
Michael enchanted Aegis to strike down any thought forms that came near. He then repeated the blows and shouted in annoyance.
He shouted as if he was going to die.
“As expected, you’re giving the kid a hard time.”
[It's no use! As long as there's a rigid body, you won't be able to inflict a single wound on me. You should know that from your past life!]
Then suddenly Michael pointed out an important point.
“But you, do you know that back then it was ground warfare and now it’s air warfare?”
[Yeah! Now it’s more disadvantageous for you...]
“If you cover the wings with a rigid body, they’ll become so hard that it’ll be hard to fly. The mana and stamina consumption will be even greater.”
[How, how did you do that...!]
The giant reptile's eyes flickered.
“I know that the power you use to float your giant body is close to 30% of your total strength. It would be even more if you also used rigidity.”
[... !]
“Yes, then let’s start the game to see who gets discouraged first.”
Michael raised his right arm. The Night Ray, raised as if in execution, glowed with the black blade.
Boom! Boom!
The famous sword, loaded with black energy, struck the center of the tail without stopping. The scales were worn away little by little by the blows, even if they were slight.
[Hey you! King of Homunculus!]
“If it’s disadvantageous, you can go down to the ground. Of course, you underestimated me last time and lost the ground battle, so you’re insisting on an air battle now.”
[Eh, eeeee...! Krrrr! Kwa aaaaah!]
The dragon, unable to control itself, roared again, making the sky rip. A violent noise that seemed to burst eardrums struck the entire Yggdras.
But the dragon did not just sit back and do nothing.
[King of the Foolish Homunculus! Remember! I am the most cunning of the Demon Dragons!]
“I know. So?”
[You seem to have forgotten that you are not alone! Hehehe! I will make you struggle in despair!]
Indeed, Ambroxa lived up to its name. A darkness that seemed to swallow up all the light in the world spread around the dragon's body. As if black ink had been spilled on a painting, the world was engulfed in unreal darkness.
It wasn't a power that utilized mana. It was a unique ability of a Lord-class dragon.
A scream, almost a scream, erupted among the allies.
“I, mental interference!”
“Oh, my God! You’re going to unfold this in the form of a barrier?!”
“I’m getting sucked all in!”
Not only the advance party but also Dandelion's troops were all caught up. As if an eclipse had occurred, a black world covered their vision.
“Ugh..."
“Ugh...”
Ambroxa, a demonic dragon who has been weaving nightmares for hundreds of years, effectively exploited human weaknesses. Everyone's eyes lost focus and became empty.
Those who were caught up in nightmares and illusions groaned, losing their will to fight.
Michael, impervious to mental interference, gritted his teeth at the sight of the situation.
“Damn it!”
[Hahaha! King of Homunculus, this is not the time! Shouldn't you go and see your allies!]
Ambroxa taunted and subtly urged him to get away from her. Michael hesitated.
Fortunately, there was one more ally who escaped the influence of the mental interference. It was Eve, who had the World Tree Staff.
'We have to do something!'
An idea just occurred in her mind. A barrier is basically something that puts a certain range of space under control. So all she had to do was reclaim the area that was under the control of the demon dragon.
Eve decided to try her hand at territorial disputes. She also happened to have some of the most powerful barrier magic in existence.
Because the area was so vast and there were so many terrains, objects, and people, Eve also needed some time to get started.
After a long time, Eve finally unleashed the Arachne of Silver Flesh. A myriad of lights covered the world.
[What, what is it!]
The silver-haired Arachne was perfect for territorial fighting.
As befitting the special nature of the barrier between the offensive and defensive elements, it shattered and destroyed the barrier of the Dragon's mental interference.
[What! This is ridiculous!]
Break!
The darkness shattered like glass. Once again, the view of Yggdras, covered with purple conifers, unfolded before my eyes.
Eve shouted to her allies, whose eyes were still hazy.
“Wake up!”
"Omg!"
“Oh, what the heck is going on..."
“Hey, where am I?”
Everyone looked confused. It had only been about ten minutes before Eve unleashed the Silver Arachne, but everyone seemed to have been lost for hours. Eve quickly diagnosed the cause.
“It seems that mental interference also has the power to distort the flow of time. In reality, not much time has passed.”
“Ah! The Dragon’s mental interference! Then the Princess will...!”
“Save the admiration for later. Right now, Michael and the Dragon are still in a standoff. Everyone, come to your senses and concentrate so you don’t get caught up in the fight!”
That was when.
[Kuaaaaah! King of Homunculus!]
A roar of pain shook the sky. They looked up and saw Ambroxa, his tail tattered and looking like it was going to fall off.
“Michael!”
He succeeded in cutting off the tail. Eve called out to him with joy.
Kuuuuung!
The massive tail fell, spraying black blood. It created a crater and raised a cloud of dust.
Now Ambroxa's body was nothing more than a falling ark of the sky. Michael leaped into the air and shouted to his allies on the ground.
[Kuaaaaah! King of Homunculus!]
A roar of pain shook the sky. They looked up and saw Ambroxa, his tail tattered and looking like it was going to fall off.
“Michael!”
He succeeded in cutting off the tail. Eve called out to him with joy.
Kuuuuung!
The massive tail fell, spraying black blood. It created a crater and raised a cloud of dust.
Now Ambroxa's body was nothing more than a falling ark of the sky. Michael leaped into the air and shouted to his allies on the ground.
“Sylvie! Guide me!”
Before they knew it, the sky was starting to turn red. As the sun fell toward the horizon, the dragon's body also fell.
The bizarre seven-headed creature was helpless after losing its only tail. It lost its balance and spun precariously in the sky.
[Kaaaah! Kaaaah!]
The wind blew and dragged Ambroxa's body into the canyon. But there were problems for the Allies as well.
Those in Sylvestian's 2nd squad who were casting gusts of wind magic shouted urgently.
“Ouch, the fall is too fast!”
“I don’t think it’ll be possible to push it all the way to the valley!”
Michael quickly found a solution.
“Then just up to that point! I’ll destroy the ground and take its place!”
"Yes!"
And finally, Ambroxa's giant body reached the ground.
“Brace yourself for a shock!”
Kwaaaaaaaang!
Earthquakes, shockwaves, and gusts of wind swept through Yggdrasil. Everyone formed barriers and crouched to protect themselves.
As soon as the shock subsided, the Knights and Dandelion Army headed towards the crash site together. Eve did the same.
The fall of Ambroxa created a huge crater in the coniferous forest.
In the middle of it all, a heavy body was writhing, stuck right in front of the canyon.
“All right! Now let’s break the ground...!”
That was when.
[Do you think it's going to end like this?]
KOOOOOOOOOO!
Seven heads began to suck in the surrounding air.
“Vanguard! Spread out!”
Unfortunately, both the knights and the Dandelion army were gathered in one direction because they had followed the dragon's crash site. From the dragon Ambroxa's perspective, it was an exquisite place to shoot breath.
The opponent was positioned in a straight line.
Everyone tried to escape using flying magic. But suddenly, Mana's energy began to shake strangely and caught them.
“Ugh, I feel heavy!”
“It’s falling! Ugh!”
Boom! Kwung! Kwung!
Dozens of Dandelion soldiers fell to their deaths in the suddenly spread powerful gravity field. Some succeeded in controlling their magic, but it was difficult for them to generate the original propulsion force.
“Oh, no!”
“All of them are wrong!”
It was too late to fly away. Seven mouths were seen gathering black energy in front.
Even if you use all your power on the Lemanas Plains, you can barely block the four-headed breath.
It didn't seem possible for the current number of people to do 7 Vanguards. Despair flashed in everyone's eyes.
Michael gritted his teeth and thought.
‘Since it has come to this, Eve alone should escape through random warp...'
Then Eve stepped forward.
“Everyone gather! We need to concentrate on the barrier. And Sir Wint, move forward as much as possible! Set up a reflective barrier at the very front! A diameter of 10 meters is enough!”
"Your Highness?"
Eve then gave a request to Michael as well.
“Michael, protect Lord Wint! Just do as you did when you blocked the breath of the Galamut through body before! Don’t think about the rear and just protect Lord Wint! That should be enough!”
“Eve, then who are you...!”
“There’s no time! Hurry up and help me!”
Under pressure from Eve, Snorret and Michael did as they were told.
'Your Highness the Princess...'
Reflective barriers are much less effective than regular barriers that block attacks since they return attacks. However, Snorlet cleared all doubts from his mind and concentrated. He gathered all his strength and created a shield for his allies.
Michael deployed Aegis one foot in front of Snorret and loaded his Nightray with his sword.
Even Breath was prepared to cut it down.
The seven heads of Ambroxa were seen holding their breath. Snorret and Michael also stopped breathing.
Finally, the breath of death blew.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!
The breath hit directly. Snorret and Michael did not close their eyes. It must have been a display of chivalry that was not afraid even in the face of death.
Thanks to this, they were able to clearly witness the strange phenomenon through their wide-open eyes.
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