The final dark energy that had erupted from the Shade caused the ground to tremble violently, throwing the humans and lesser Shades off their feet. I could see the shockwave spreading across the battlefield, decimating everything in its path. Trees were uprooted, rocks were hurled through the air, and the earth itself split open.

But as the darkness dissipated, I could see that surprisingly, it was the lesser Shades that had taken the brunt of the attack. The remaining ones that had been fighting the human army were now gone, their bodies torn apart by the force of the explosion of their master. The humans were left dazed and wounded, but alive.

As the dust began to settle, I slowly lowered my wings and took a deep breath. It was over, finally. I looked down at the humans, who were now beginning to stir and rise to their feet. They were looking up at me, some with fear, others with awe. Most of them still looked confused about what had just happened.

It was then that I felt a sudden pain in my chest. I looked down to see a long, jagged cut with broken scales, that were oozing black blood. The Shade had somehow managed to land a hit on me during our battle, and now the wound was taking its toll.

'Son of a—' I inwardly cursed as I suddenly stumbled backward, struggling to keep my balance as I felt my strength ebbing away.

Desperately, I called upon my poison mana, feeling the dragon's eager response within my soul space. With a burst of strength, I dived deep within my soul space, reaching out to the deadly energy that resided there. It answered my call with a deafening roar, and as I my senses returned to the battlefield, a faint violet aura now surrounded me.

The humans, sensing the danger, hesitated to approach, as the poison mana rippled through the air, promising a painful end to anyone foolish enough to get too close.

With the power of poison coursing through my veins, I focused on the wound inflicted by the Shade, and gently guided the poison mana towards it. My gaze glowed momentarily as I felt the Shade's mana stir.

I could sense the bastards' disgusting mana trying to wreak havoc inside my body. But I had experience handling a situation like this, I had already saved a goddess in a similar crisis.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself and reached out to my water elements, to help reinforce the poison dragon and heal the damage the Shade's mana was wrecking inside my body.

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I collapsed to the ground, my body wracked with agony as the two opposing forces raged within me. The intense pain felt like hot blades were slicing through my flesh and searing my insides. Every breath felt like fire in my lungs, and every heartbeat sent waves of pain throughout my body.

Yet, I did not give in. I focused my will, calling upon my water mana to act as a balm for my wounds. Its gentle currents flowed through my veins, providing relief and pushing back against the invading poison.

My surroundings blurred as I struggled to maintain my hold on consciousness. The humans around me were wise enough to keep their distance, their fear palpable in the air.

The faint violet glow that surrounded me warned them of the danger that lurked within, and so they made camp a distance away and began to gather their fallen.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally managed to beat back the Shade's mana that was destroying my body from within. I gasped for breath as I felt the pressure easing off, and the two powers finally beginning to balance themselves out. Slowly but surely, I began to regain control of my body.

With a groan, I sat up and flexed my muscles, feeling the strength returning to my body. The violet glow that surrounded me began to dim as I regained my composure. The poison dragon retreated back inside my soul space, seemingly satisfied. I did not even need to command it to do so.

With a soft sigh, I raised my head and looked out at the humans who had made camp a distance away. I couldn't help but give a nod of approval. They had fought valiantly, and yet so many of them had lost their lives. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as they gathered their fallen and gave them a proper funeral.

I stood up and stretched, feeling the stiffness in my muscles ease. Then I made my way over to them. As I approached, the humans looked up at me, their faces a mixture of worship and fear. I could see the respect in their eyes, but I knew that they were still wary of me, even after all that I had done for them.

I was after all a being far beyond them, and the power I showcased in the previous battle just served to remind them of that.

I could sense one of the human generals walking toward me, a woman with an air of authority about her. The woman was battle-weary, her armor dented and bloodstained, but her eyes shone with a fierce determination. She fell to her knees before me, and the humans behind her followed suit, their cries of victory replaced by gasps of awe.

"Divine Dragon," she said, her voice low and respectful. "We are forever indebted to you for leading us to victory. Without your aid, we would have been slaughtered." I could sense the exhaustion and pain in her words as she spoke.

The surviving soldiers stood before me, their faces haggard and their armor stained with the blood of their fallen comrades. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay, a testament to the horrors that had been visited upon us.

"You have done well, General," I said, my voice a low rumble that seemed to echo through the dark sky. My eyes swept over the battlefield, taking in the carnage that lay before us. The ground was littered with broken weapons and shattered bodies, the moans of the wounded providing a mournful soundtrack to our victory.

I turned my gaze back to the surviving soldiers, and felt a sense of pity for them. These were men and women who had fought and bled for a cause they may not fully understand, following orders without question or hesitation. And yet, despite their bravery, they were but ants before the might of my kind.

"We rest for tonight," I announced, my voice brooking no argument. "You have earned it. But do not forget our mission. We have yet to meet up with the northern forces, and our journey is far from over. Tomorrow, we march on."