Chapter 156: Pink Flames
Bang!
The very fabric of Bask seemed to groan under the immense force of the dragon’s attack. With a powerful swipe of its hind legs, the Stone Dragon struck the Earth Giant King with an earth-shattering blow, its talons glowing faintly with a pinkish hue as energy rippled out from the impact.
The sheer force of the strike staggered the giant, forcing it to take a lumbering few steps back and into the water again. The ground quaked in protest, fissures snaking outward from where the titanic clash unfolded.
From above, Magian Verdant seized the moment. His confidence, bolstered by the dragon's arrival, surged through him like a wildfire. He raised his hand, his voice steady yet brimming with conviction as he murmured the words, "Third Stroke." Behind him, colossal lances of luminous green light began to materialize, each one pulsating with terrifying pressure.
The lances hovered ominously for a brief moment, casting eerie shadows over the battlefield, their aura potent with poison. Then, with a simple motion of Verdant’s spirit weapon, they hurtled toward the Earth Giant King.
The spears of light screamed through the air before colliding with the giant’s massive frame. A thunderous boom echoed across the landscape, shards of cracked stone and dirt flying in all directions.
For a moment, the giant’s body seemed to fissure and splinter, but it quickly reassembled, as though the damage was insignificant. The giant’s focus, unyielding, remained on the dragon.
The Earth Giant King retaliated with terrifying speed for a creature of its size. Its enormous fist swung upward, narrowly missing the dragon as the beast darted into the sky with agility that belied its massive form.
The giant roared, its hollow, ancient voice reverberating across the landscape like the tolling of a death knell. Duskfang, watching the battle closely, saw his opening.
From his place in the sky, Duskfang activated his Spirit Weapon.
The twilight energy of Dusk Mantle rippled outward, casting the battlefield in hues of deep purple and shadowy silver. His voice rang clear through the twilight haze, laced with determination as he unleashed a powerful attack, his mantle extending outward into twin scythes. The black energy arced toward the giant like crescents of night, slicing into its earthen armor. Although cracks were created, the Giant King kept its focus on the dragon.
Yet, for all their efforts, both Duskfang and Verdant were little more than buzzing insects to the Earth Giant King. The Bask Magians, formidable as they were, appeared insignificant in the face of its overwhelming might.
The dragon, meanwhile, continued to circle the battlefield, its enormous wings stirring up gusts that sent tremors rippling through the nearby terrain.
On its head, Stone stood resolute, his body nearly fused to the dragon’s massive crown as if he were part of it. His expression was one of intense focus, every fiber of his being dedicated to commanding the beast he had spent years studying and trying to control. This was his moment, and he refused to falter.
But the Earth Giant King was relentless. Its hollow eyes glimmered faintly, ancient and unyielding, as it let out a guttural roar.
The sound rippled outward in a shockwave, displacing air and shaking the very sky. Though the Stone Dragon was unaffected, Stone was not so fortunate. The shockwave struck him like a hammer, sending him reeling. For a heart-stopping moment, he lost consciousness, his grip on the dragon faltering.
As Stone’s body slumped forward, the giant seized its chance. Its massive hand descended to the ground, digging deep into the earth, and pulled forth a gargantuan boulder. The immense weight of the stone was insignificant to the Earth Giant King, who hurled it toward the dragon with terrifying force. The boulder tore through the air, a massive projectile aimed to crush both the dragon and its rider.
Duskfang and Verdant saw the impending disaster and acted in unison. With no time to hesitate, Verdant raised his lance and unleashed another dazzling stroke, the green light cutting through the air with surgical precision. Duskfang’s sickles extended outward from his mantle, slicing across the boulder in a cross-shaped arc.
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Bang!
The combined force of their attacks shattered the boulder into countless fragments, the debris scattering harmlessly through the air.
The Stone Dragon veered sharply, narrowly avoiding the remnants of the boulder as it regained its posture. Stone, though shaken, stirred back to life atop the dragon’s head. His eyes snapped open, his resolve unbroken.
From below, the Earth Giant King emitted a guttural growl, clearly irritated by the interference. It was clear to all that this battle was far from over. The Bask Magians exchanged determined glances, each of them fully aware that the fate of their homeland rested on their shoulders. This was the battle that would define Bask’s survival—or its demise.
The Stone Dragon, with its immense, ancient form, hovered above the battlefield, its pink-glowing chest pulsating with raw energy.
Stone, standing firmly atop its head, directed its movements with unwavering focus. The air around the dragon shimmered with heat as it prepared its most devastating attack yet. A low rumble resonated from the beast's throat before it unleashed a torrent of pink flames, spiraling downward like a celestial inferno.
The flames collided with the Earth Giant King, enveloping its massive form in a blinding explosion of heat and power.
The force of the attack was immense, sending shockwaves rippling through the earth and knocking the giant backward. Its once-impenetrable torso now bore charred, crumbling cracks, the stone armor falling away in chunks to reveal the brittle core beneath. The land quaked beneath its staggering weight as it struggled to maintain its footing.
The Earth Giant King let out an ear-splitting roar, its hollow eyes glowing with an enraged light that seemed to burn brighter with every moment. Its anger was palpable, a guttural fury that echoed across the vast landscape.
Despite its weakening form, the giant moved with terrifying speed, lunging toward the dragon with its colossal arms outstretched. The ground trembled beneath its immense weight as it sought to crush its winged adversary.
But the dragon was too agile. With a powerful beat of its wings, the Stone Dragon veered sharply to the side, avoiding the giant’s grasp by a hair’s breadth.
Stone, regaining his balance atop the dragon, raised his voice, issuing a silent command to the ancient beast. The dragon responded with another earth-shaking roar, its pink-glowing maw igniting once more. A second beam of blazing flames erupted from its mouth, aimed directly at the Earth Giant King’s legs.
The impact was devastating. The flames consumed one of the giant’s legs entirely, leaving behind only a smoldering, broken stump. Unable to support its own weight, the Earth Giant King collapsed, its massive body slamming into the ground with a force that sent fissures racing outward in every direction. The resulting tremor nearly unseated Verdant and Duskfang from the sky, forcing them to stabilize themselves mid-air. The Bask Magians watched in awe and disbelief as the seemingly invincible behemoth fell to the earth.
The giant was weakened but not yet defeated. It let out another roar, louder and more primal than ever before, as it clawed at the ground, trying to rise once again. But before it could regain its footing, the Stone Dragon began its final descent. With a thunderous roar, the dragon dove from the sky, its claws glowing with an otherworldly light. The pink hue radiated with intensity as the dragon plummeted toward the Earth Giant King’s chest.
The impact was cataclysmic. The dragon’s claws tore through the giant’s torso, shattering what remained of its protective armor. The ground split beneath the force of the blow, sending chunks of earth and stone flying into the air. A brilliant explosion of pink light erupted from the point of impact, casting the battlefield in an ethereal glow that seemed to last for an eternity.
Even Duskfang and Verdant, hovering high above the battlefield, were thrown backward by the sheer force of the blast. Their breaths were ragged as they steadied themselves, their eyes wide with disbelief. When the dust finally settled, the Earth Giant King lay motionless, its colossal body reduced to a crumbled ruin of stone and ash.
Verdant wiped the sweat and grime from his brow, his eyes welling with tears. His voice, trembling with a mixture of relief and exhaustion, broke the silence. "We... we did it. Bask is safe!"
Duskfang, equally moved, let out a shaky laugh, his twilight mantle rippling faintly as it began to recede. "For now," he murmured, his voice tinged with the cautious optimism of a survivor. "For now, we’ve held the line."
Below, the Stone Dragon let out a triumphant roar, its pink chest glowing brighter for a moment before dimming. Stone, still atop the beast, looked down at the fallen giant with a mixture of awe and exhaustion. His grip on the dragon’s head tightened as he steadied himself, his mind racing with thoughts of the battle that had just unfolded.
The three Magians exchanged weary glances, their expressions a blend of relief and lingering unease. They had done the impossible—they had defeated the Earth Giant King. Yet, as they looked out over the broken landscape of Bask, a region still drifting southward, they knew their challenges were far from over.
In that moment, as the dust settled and the pink glow of the dragon faded, a collective thought crossed their minds: This victory had come at a cost, and the true test of Bask’s survival was only just beginning.