CHAPTER 110 – PESTILENCE DRAGON

LYSANDER FARADEISS

Feeling a surge of doubt creeping in, I questioned the sanity of my actions. Sacrificing the safest route home, I plunged headfirst into a chaotic battle, my understanding of the situation scant at best.

“Trailblaze Accel!” I propelled myself forward, flames licking at my legs as I made a beeline for the collapsed bell tower.

Drawing near one of the obsidian-faced mermaids, I clenched my fists, channeling my energy before delivering a devastating blow to its jaw. The mermaid soared through the air, crashing into a wall some twenty meters away.

“L-Lysander!?” Meike's eyes widened, a mix of astonishment and concern etched on her face.

My impulsive attack drew the attention of the other obsidian-faced mermaids, their snarls echoing around us as they bared their shark-like teeth.

“Die!” I screamed, pointing my arm at the quartet of adversaries, pouring nearly half of my mana into the next spell. “Baryon Blaze!”

A crimson blaze erupted from my hand, a searing torrent that engulfed the obsidian-faced mermaids in an instant. They vanished without a trace, leaving no remnants behind, and I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Meike was safe.

“Gah!” Smoke billowed from my lips as exhaustion washed over me, draining my strength with every passing moment.

Regret gnawed at me as I reflected on my reckless use of the long-ranged Baryon Blaze spell without the support of Vesryn Pulse. The crimson hue of my nuclear blaster and the overwhelming mana drain served as stark reminders of my oversight.

With Hiraya absent, the Heart of Exceria within me lay dormant, rendering me nothing more than a mere mortal.

"It doesn't matter," I muttered, wiping my lips and steeling myself. "I'm accustomed to fighting in human form."

"Lysander!" Meike's voice, familiar and urgent, pierced through the chaos.

I watched as she hurried toward me, a trickle of blood still marking her forehead, though she staunchly tended to it with her Healing Touch spell.

"Are you alright?" I inquired, concern lacing my words.

"I am now, but Johnny..." Meike trailed off, her expression fraught with worry. "We've been separated."

"Where is he?" I pressed, my heart sinking at the thought of losing another friend (or enemy).

"At the western edge of the Dragon's Fortress, near the Cathedral Exa's bell tower," Meike revealed. "If that bell tower falls, our chances in this battle diminish greatly. Johnny's holding the line with everything he has."

"Then we must hasten!" I declared, adrenaline surging through me as I prepared to unleash Trailblaze Accel once more. "Can you keep up with me?"

"I'm ready," Meike affirmed, removing her hand from her forehead. Though the bleeding had subsided, a scar remained, a testament to her resilience. "I'll lead the way. You’re the one who’s going to keep up with me!"

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Without warning, Meike surged forward, her feet crackling with orange lightning as she invoked the spell "Tachyon Accel," propelling herself at a speed surpassing light itself. I had no choice but to match her pace, activating my fastest Trailblaze Accel to keep up.

After a mere three seconds, we arrived at the precipice of the Dragon's Fortress. Half of the floating island teetered perilously over the sea, held in place by a colossal dragon towering nearly two kilometers high. Its scales bore a sickly black hue, emitting the stench of decay.

Tumors and warts marred its grotesque form, with a massive head adorned with tentacle-like whiskers. Ragged, angelic wings hung torn and tattered, while its other limbs disappeared beneath the churning ocean. Bloodshot eyes, akin to those of a chameleon, scanned its surroundings ceaselessly. This monstrosity was none other than the Pestilence Dragon, a foe we had faced in a previous timeline.

Yet, this incarnation bore unsettling differences. Where once stood a mere ten-meter creature now loomed a towering abomination. More disturbing still was the presence of a familiar face upon its forehead – Velissa Petrova, the Third Dragon Lord from the previous timeline. However, this Velissa was a twisted version of her former self, her eyes cold and lifeless orbs of obsidian, her expression devoid of any semblance of humanity. Strangely, her tail seemed fused with the body of the Pestilence Dragon, a grotesque fusion of two entities.

A swarm of Republic dragons descended upon the Pestilence Dragon, each unleashing their elemental fury. Fire Dragons rained down fiery missiles, Lightning Dragons crackled with electric bolts, and Archer Dragons launched arrows that tore through the air with deadly precision.

Despite the onslaught, the Pestilence Dragon endured, its massive form weathering the barrage. Scales and flesh were rent asunder, yet the abomination seemed unfazed by the destruction wrought upon it, indifferent to the chunks of its own body littering the battlefield.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" The obsidian-eyed mermaid atop the Pestilence Dragon let out a piercing cry, the sound reverberating with a deafening sonic boom. In an instant, the Republic dragons plummeted from the sky like swatted flies.

"What in the world..." I muttered, fists clenched in frustration.

"Johnny!" Meike's cry snapped me from my thoughts. I turned to see her sprinting toward the base of the bell tower, where her boyfriend lay motionless.

Johnny was in no state to fight, his chest torn open by vicious shark-like teeth, gasping for air as he lay prone on the ground.

"M-Meike," he managed to utter weakly.

"Don't speak, Johnny! I'll heal you!" Meike's voice trembled with emotion as she began to weave her restorative magic, her focus solely on easing Johnny's suffering.

Even as Meike tended to his wounds, Johnny's gaze locked onto me, his expression unreadable. I knew I wasn't welcome in this intimate moment, but I no longer cared for his opinion. Not since the day I ended Maggie's life.

As the obsidian-faced mermaids swarmed toward us, their target clear: the bell tower. Its destruction would cripple the Republic's firepower, a consequence we couldn't afford.

Normally, I would be the one tasked with demolishing such structures as part of the Daybreaker Squad. But with a greater threat looming, priorities shifted.

I assessed the distance between us and the approaching mermaids, estimating we had about twenty seconds before they were within range. My gaze fell upon a rusted katana lying beside the fallen body of a dragonoid soldier. I picked it up, testing its weight.

"Meike, do you have any mana potions?" I inquired, urgency lacing my words.

"Here, take them all." Meike swiftly produced four blue bottles from her first aid bag.

I accepted three, securing them to my waist. "Save the last one for yourself. Focus on using your healing magic to bring Johnny back to full health."

"Understood," Meike nodded, her expression laden with concern. "But what about you? What's your plan?"

With a smile directed at Johnny and a reassuring glance to Meike, I uttered a single word: "Fight."

Turning away, my focus shifted to the approaching horde of obsidian-faced mermaids. Their numbers had swelled to nearly forty, all converging on the bell tower. It was clear: a swift, decisive strike was needed to neutralize the threat.

Pulling out a mana potion, I tore off the cork and downed its contents in one gulp. Discarding the empty bottle, I gripped my sword tightly, flames dancing along its edge.

"This sword shall ignite the darkness above," I declared, slicing through the air with my katana. In that instant, the very atoms around me split apart, triggering a chain reaction that culminated in a cataclysmic nuclear blast, obliterating the entire swarm of obsidian-faced mermaids.

It was a spell born of necessity, honed through trial and error—a newfound power I dubbed the Baryon Deathscythe.