“Take, this!”

Draigh held the creature by its long neck, throwing the body up in the air only to drop the back of its head into the ground. Realizing brute strength was no longer effective, he dashed towards the torso and tackled it into the stone wall. He dragged the monster by the neck and scraped it along the rigid surface.

When he hit the corner, he tossed it to the other side of the mountain pass and pummeled it. Each fist landed a bone cracking thump that could be heard from miles away.

The creature possessed the ability to petrify a person into a stone statue. Its poisonous breath could drop even the largest beast. It might be nimble and quick, but all were useless under the barrage of fists.

Draigh needed to prevent this monster from rampaging among the Scalemen. No matter how many deadly strikes he unleashed at the monster, it could not die. Its regeneration was abnormal, faster than any damage he inflicted. Nevertheless, he kept it cornered as he was the only one with the strength to keep it pinned down.

“I knew Holy Draigh was strong, but I can’t believe my eyes right now.” Krullu laughed it off as he poured fire medicine down the barrel. “Ainig, where’s that cannonball?”

“I-I have it!”

After the Tower Monster was unleashed onto them, the gates were shut. Krullu resumed bombarding the gates in hopes to give the Resistance a place to fall back now that they were trapped by Dragonkins attacking the army’s rear.

“Tama, did you measure the next batch? Tama?”

Krullu called out to Tama but noticed her absence. He looked around worryingly and could not find her within the range he could see.

“Where did that Werecat run off to?”

“I-I saw her run off.”

“And you didn’t stop her?!”

“I’m sorry-!”

They couldn’t afford to search for her as they were in the middle of a battle. Even if they did, there was a risk of being targeted. The sound of fading screams accompanied with metal ringing could be heard closing towards them. The Scalemen tasked with defending the cannons fell like domino pieces as Dragonkins brute forced through their allies.

“Tear down their accursed machinations!”

The enemy broke their second last line of defense and worked their way to the stockpile of fire medicine. One of the Scalemen’s upper half flew into the air and landed right in front of Ainig. He could smell blood pouring out of the exposed flesh and barely contained the vomit crawling up his neck.

“Eek!” Ainig’s shriek didn’t help as the Tortoise quickly went into hiding in his shell.

Meanwhile Krullu looked nauseated from observing his impending doom. Physical labor was never his strong suit. The Chameleon had nowhere else to flee aside from the Great Wall. He and Ainig never killed, never felt the experience of taking one’s life. Watching his close friend shaken to the core, he picked up a spear and nervously pointed to the way of the enemy.

“Get your act together! We can’t this let be the end of us! Why did you think Holy Draigh put us in so many training drills?”

Most knew the duo were cowards, but Krullu’s determination to fight inspired others around him. If a coward like him wasn’t going to give up and they did, that would make them look awful. A few warriors gathered, then more when suddenly…

“As expected, I can’t do this!” Even Krullu admired his own bravery that lasted for one second. After watching the Dragonkins and their fiery breath burned a group of bodies, his courage plummeted.

Fortunately, his voice was drowned out by the Scalemen’s battle cry and went unnoticed. Nagas fanned out behind the Tortoise’s shields and held up their spears. Lizardmen aimed their arrows in the air and peppered flying enemies to discourage them from striking from above. They formed ranks as practiced defending a location.

“Just like in training! As long as we keep them at a distance, we can do this!”

“Keep stabbing! Keep them away!”

“Shoot them down! Take them off the skies!”

Watching the Scalemen militia bolster others calmed Krullu a bit. He wasn’t a fighter, but if he didn’t fight, he knew he would die. While he was thankful for the Scalemen trying to buy him time, the only one he could trust to get them out of this situation was if AInig cooperated.

“Ainig, get up!”

“B-but, I’m scared!”

“So am I! If we don’t break that gate, the Dragonkins are going to turn us into shish kabobs! So, for the sake of our lives, please get up! We’re the only ones who can turn this around!”

Ainig poked his head out of his shell, listening to his friend’s words closely.

“C’mon bud. You don’t want to always be known as a coward, right? Yizdra and Holy Draigh are doing their best. They’re going to need all the help they can get.”

“I know. I-I just can’t help it…”

“I know it isn’t my place to say this, but you have to change. You don’t want to die now, right?”

“I’ve located the Herald! Today, you shall meet your termination!”

Krullu was shocked to see the Dragonkins already decimated the defenders guarding the cannons. It was now Krullu and Ainig between the enemy and their goal.

“Kill them!”

The Chameleon raised his spear and caught an overhead slash. Due to the vast difference in physical strength, the Dragonkin forced Krullu on his bottom. A lance emerged from the side and as it was about to stab into him, he used his long tongue to peck into his enemy’s eye. He managed to roll away before being skewered with dumb luck.

“Ainig, go! Load and fire the cannons!”

“Then you will…!”

“I don’t want to die, and I don’t plan to!”

He thought it was a cool line to say as he bravely faced the Dragonkins, clutching his spear. Moments after Ainig fled with two cannonballs and the measured fire medicine in hand, Krullu stood his ground.

First, he took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart. Next, he bent his legs slightly and returned an intense glare back to his opponents. Once the Dragonkins recognized him as a threat, Krullu tossed his weapon aside, leaped into the air doing a somersault. He dove down, leaned his head forward and hit flat on the ground, prostrating.

“I’m sorry! Please don’t kill me! I’ll tell you everything I know so spare my life! Have mercy!”

The Dragonkins were confused by this act and looked to one another with a shrug. His heart thought his plea might’ve worked.

“What is this…?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a Scalemen so pathetic.” A Dragonkin spat at Krullu. “Very well. We shall grant this mercy you seek in form of death.”

“Eep! That’s not mercy! I surrendered! I don’t want to die!”

“It’s about perspective. Blame your leaders for the suffering they caused us.”

“No, please! I’m no longer armed! I can’t fight! Please!”

All Krullu could think of was how painful his death would be as he stared at sharp bloodstained weapons aimed at his frail body. He curled up into a ball, covering his ears and closed his eyes for his inevitable doom. He was praying and screaming for a miracle from the Creator.

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“Die-!”

The Dragonkins were suddenly hit by a concussive wave. They thought the place was struck by lightning and being so close it nearly ruptured their eardrums. The sound of thunder and a small quake disoriented their senses.

“I’m alive?”

Krullu on the other hand was fine. He was saved by being threatened and his instincts of fear had him plug his ears and opened his mouth, screaming.

Before the enemy understood what happened, they saw the gate on the verge of collapsing and turned to face the cannons.

“Dismantle them! Do not let the enemy breech the gates!”

“Swab, swab, pour fire medicine, load cannonball and ram!”

All but one rushed Ainig who was the sole operator for the cannons. The Tortoise panicked load the cannons and fumbled the torch in his hand as the enemy closed in.

“That Tortoise…! Death to the Pale Dragon’s Herald!”

“Eeii!”

A spear thrust at him then suddenly snapped. A hand chopped down, spitting the shaft into two. Although his savior was shorter than him, the man in front rolled his broad shoulders and cracked his fingers.

“Holy Draigh!”

“Leave em to me! I’ll cover you!”

Draigh’s presence alone stirred hesitation in the Dragonkins’ morale. To them, he was known as the Goliath for being an unstoppable force on par against the Crimson Wrath’s strength. His enemies heard stories about being weakened. Unfortunately, he was as healthy as an ox and came barreling down towards them.

If a Giant’s strength would unleash bone shattering blow, the impact from Draigh’s punches easily ruptured organs. His left hook was especially deadly as armor didn’t mean anything after their limbs blew off.

He felt the mass of hot air breathing on him and quickly summoned a [Ribbon]. The spectral thread of string only Enuis could use acted like a sticky web and retrieved his shield to block the Dragonkins’ inferno breath.

“Erk!”

“Gak!”

Those suppressing Draigh we’re quickly sniped by arrows and collapsed.

A young girl jumped into the fray with her bow at the ready. “I need to help Kihet. He’s fighting the Dragonborn alone. He’s in trouble!”

“What?! He’s crazy! What about Carmyn?”

“She’s holding off an enemy named Kaz’Bruk. I’m here to relay her plan. After we take down the gates, she’s going to use [Wars blood] to cover our retreat.”

“[Wars blood]…? Hey, don’t Giants in that form stay huge for a week before they shrink back to their normal size?” Krullu asked.

“She has something to remedy that, she said.”

“Okay. Then let’s get the gate down first then we’ll rush to help Kihet.” Draigh lit the fuses. “Get ready!”

Once the Cannon fired two more shots, the gates collapsed. Knowing this, the Scalemen jumped into action as they began their retreat into the wall.

Lily drew an arrow modified with a whistle and launched it into the air. The high pitch tone was the signal.

“I hear you!” Carmyn shouted. “And here goes nothin’.”

The Dragonkins were stopped by an enlarged hand rapidly growing towards them. They were swatted like flies and sent flying through the air. With Carmyn now taken her gigantified form, the Dragonkins were walled off from pursuing the Scalemen.

“What about the monster?” Krullu inquired.

“I buried it over there.” Draigh pointed at the caved in tunnel on one of the mountain walls. “I figured since I can’t kill it, I gotta find some way to keep it away.”

“You know, you’re insane.”

“It’s nothing compared to Carmyn right now. I’m glad she’s on our side.”

And he was right. Most of the enemy were thrown far away from the battlefield or flattened into pancakes leaving roughly a hundred Dragonkins left active.

“Hey, you guys.” Lily looked around worryingly. “I don’t see Tama. Where is she?”

“About that.” Krullu exchanged looks with Ainig. “In his words, the Werecat ran off. In which direction, Ainig?”

“T-towards the wall.”

“Let’s get going too. If she’s made it through the gates, we can find her there.” Draigh suggested. “There’s still no word from Kihet’s side?”

“The most recent message replied was when he took care of the enemy’s siege equipment. Then that explosion came up.” Lily pointed to the eighth floor then noticed a grappling hook anchored at an opening on the fifth floor and the seventh floor was covered in frost.

The moment she laid her eyes on it, the wall suddenly burst open. Amidst the falling debris, she found a familiar figure wearing a beige coat in flames.

“Tama?!”

----------------------------------------

Not only was the Dragonborn was strong, but he was also the master of his own movements. He was surprisingly nimble with his large statue and performed no wasted movements. His strikes were predictable but carried overwhelming weight. One hit would prove fatal.

Of all equipment in Kihet’s arsenal, only the Nagamaki was suited to block attacks. It was the only magically enchanted weapon he owned. His other weapons were devoured by Alc’Bruk’s burning blades.

“Defending will not win you battles.”

Alc’Bruk unleashed a devastating flurry of quick swipes, and his relentless assault gave no window of opportunity for Kihet to escape his clutches. Each attack felt like someone threw a burning rock at him in full force.

Although his weapon had reached, Alc’Bruk negated the reach advantage by showering endless blows and continuously put pressure. Sparks showered every time Kihet’s Nagamaki blocked an attack, but his arms were starting to go numb. All he could was dodge and block until Alc’Bruk slipped up.

“RaaAAAAHHH!”

The seemingly never-ending torrent of blows ended when Alc’Bruk clenched every fiber of his muscles, his right arm bulged threateningly. The Dragon threw a straight punch towards Kihet’s weapon and sent him hurling into some dusty furniture. Luckily, he noticed it at the last possible moment and was able to minimize the total damage.

Kihet plucked as many daggers as he had on him and under the thicket of smoke, tossed a fan of knives. This infuriated Alc’Bruk for having to express his discontent that non-magical items were worthless against him.

The Dragonborn recklessly charged into him and was met with a weighed cape thrown at him. The instant Kihet was sure Alc’Bruk’s vision was blocked off, he circled around using [Crescent Moon Dance] and found an opening. Unfortunately, he could not strike it when he saw his enemy’s tail lashed at him.

“Dammit!”

“Yes. This is how a fight should be.” Alc’Bruk chuckled. “I almost gave myself to rage for a second and you exploited that to cause a diversion. Brilliantly played.”

“So, you prepared all this just to fight me? If you’re looking for such strong foes, why don’t you try your hand against the guardian of the tower?”

“Have you not seen the creatures who fled before me? All monsters from the Towers are cowards who only know to flee when they know they had lost the advantage. The Towers have no worthy foes!”

“I suppose you haven’t fought an Acolyte.”

“What are these Acolytes you speak of?”

Kihet was genuinely surprised the Dragonborn was uninformed about the Acolytes. If the other Oracle was clearing dungeons, it should’ve garnered the attention of the one guarding Stusis’ Tower. Was the Headsman from Vivrus an exception to leave the Tower and actively searched for Kihet during his expedition?

“They’re the real guardians of the Towers and they were Heroes of a long ago era.”

“The beings of the fables have long perished. Enough with the fabrications. You are merely stalling time.” Alc’Bruk bellowed. “My interest in you is beginning to fade. Allow me to witness your true potential!”

Kihet had been put in a defensive position from the beginning of the fight. So far, he kept moving to avoid deadly attacks, but how long could he last? He managed to regain a bit of stamina from that short-lived conversation, but it wasn’t enough to control his ragged breathing. After adjusting his grip on the handle, he took an offensive stance with the intent to use [Blooming Petals] once Alc’Bruk dashed into slashing distance.

[Blooming Petals], like a budding cherry blossom blooming, the technique consisted of as many slashes depending on the user’s handling of the weapon with speed. Kihet managed five strokes simultaneously spiraled from the center and struck the Dragonborn in succession. Four loud reverberations rang across the room as four of the five hits were blocked.

A streak of blood ran down Alc’Bruk’s left shoulder. The last attack slipped past his weapon and armor. But the Dragon remained unfazed and charged head on. He brought himself low and planned to tackle Kihet.

“Tch.” Kihet’s eyes quickly darted around the room, but the exits were sealed. The trapdoor leading to the floor below was locked shut and the levels above him were burning from the Hellfire.

“It’s pointless to flee!”

Kihet slipped away using [Crescent Moon Dance], curving around his opponent in an instant to avoided being cut opened in the stomach. He strained his body once again using [Blooming Petals]. This time, three of the five slashes connected and mangled the Dragonborn’s wings.

“Then I hope you won’t mind if I fight a bit dirty.” Kihet stated. His hand quickly rummaged through his pocket.

Alc’Bruk was a formidable foe. His strength was not to be trifled with, but the same said could be said for a rampaging beast that only possess brute force. He had no tricks or gimmicks.

Kihet was the opposite. He couldn’t compete against those who were incredibly physical adept. He relied on his quick wittedness and his ability to wear down his opponents.

-Clink-

It was for a brief moment, but a sound of metal reached their ears. An object was tossed into the air behind Kihet when suddenly a bright flash of white lit up the entire room.

“Grrrrhhh!”

Alc’Bruk took the full brunt of the blinding assault, but it wasn’t to say he was helpless. In fit of rage, he spat fire all around him. Temperature in the room spiked as flames spread.

Luckily, Kihet came prepared to fight against a Dragon’s fiery breath. For fire to burn, there must be heat, fuel, and air. If one of things disappeared, then it would be extinguished. Kihet uncorked all vials on him preserving the Dracalefic Fly Lord’s frost and splashed it around the room. Permafrost instantly formed a ring below him, producing steam.

Thankfully, Dracalefic Flies used this as a catalyst to cast ice magic, dissolved from mana crystals. If not for the Oracle’s Flames warding frost from building up on him, he could’ve turned into an ice statue.

Above him, Hellfire burned strong, but everything below the ceiling was covered by thin layer of ice.

While the enemy was still blinded and now slowed by the cold, Kihet saw his chance to thrust the entire length of the blade into the Dragonborn’s shoulder. He wanted to aim for the heart, but his target moved at the last possible moment. At least the damage was lethal enough to make the Dragonborn’s expression turn pale for a second, but with a grin on his face.

“O’great Crimson. See the deeds of my greatness. Let the blood of my ancestors flow through my veins, granting me great power to annihilate my enemies. I call upon the might of Crimson, blessing me with overwhelming strength and to be worthy to be bestowed the title of its wrath!”

Alc’Bruk’s enlarged muscles now boasted the strength of the Crimson Dragon. Embers spat out from the seams between his scale plates rubbing against one another, wrapping his body in a faint red aura.

“From here on out, I expect much more. Entertain me more!”

Kihet quickly retracted his blade and tumbled backwards, dodging an uppercut. He then heard a melody, the song of magic and instinctively hurled silver flames in hopes of dispelling the Dragonborn’s magic.

“What the?!”

To his surprise, the Oracle’s powers were unable to dispel magic radiating from the Dragonborn’s body. Everything he thought he knew about the Oracle’s ability to negate magic turned against him. AlcBruk remained untouched and kept his transformation bestowed to him by the Crimson Dragon.

“Behold, I am the Crimson’s Wrath!”