CHAPTER 137 - SANCTUARY’S FALL
GAZELLE LOCKWOOD
The Eight Erudites, humanity's elite mages, lay defeated, their mystical powers reduced to ashes before the overwhelming might of a Dragon Lord. Though revered as demigods in their arcane circles, stripped of their magic, they were no more than insects to be crushed underfoot.
Light enveloped the Fairy Dragon, shimmering intensely before dissipating to reveal Eva in her Partial Dragon Form. She clutched her bleeding eye, cursing under her breath, "Fucking bitch of a duchess." She spit, and a glob of blood hit the ground with a splat, likely remnants of the duchess she had just consumed.
"Eva," I reached out telepathically as I soared to her side, the roar of battle echoing around us. "The Empress will have heard those explosions. We need to finish this, now."
But before we could move, a deep rumble shook the very foundation of the floating island. I glanced around, noticing with a sinking feeling that we were descending toward the rugged northern mountains.
"The Empire's sanctuary is losing altitude," Eva observed, removing her hand from her wounded eye. "The floating spell has been dispelled."
"Using your Dragon Lord Commandment for the Magic Negation Field was a bold move," I remarked, admiration lacing my tone despite the chaos. "You sacrificed your immortality and an eye to bring this island down."
"It's a small price to pay," Eva replied with a grin, unfazed. "As long as we fulfill our duty and purge humanity, I can even handle losing a limb or two."
Alarm bells shrieked through the air, punctuating the urgency of our situation. The sky burst into life with flares as soldiers, armed to the teeth with rifles and swords, scrambled into formation. Tanks rolled out, their barrels locking into position, while anti-air rockets and Patriot missiles emerged from hidden silos in the castle walls.
"It's the Alientech Dragon! Fire at will!" came the unified cry from the human forces.
As missiles and tank shells streaked towards us, I enveloped Eva within my wings, forming a protective barrier. Explosions rocked the castle's rooftop, sending shockwaves through the air, a testament to the fierce battle that awaited us.
Missiles streaked through the sky like fiery comets, their explosive impact merely a nuisance against my invulnerable form as a Dragon Lord. Bullets ricocheted harmlessly off my scales, their futile assault lasting for what seemed an eternity.
"It's useless!" a soldier's cry echoed amidst the chaos, frustration palpable in his voice.
With a glance down at Eva, her focus fixed on a glowing magical circle beneath her feet, I waited patiently as she worked to pinpoint the Empress's location.
Suddenly, VTOL aircraft and helicopters roared to life, their metallic forms emerging from the island's hangars. Airships joined the fray, hovering ominously overhead. A barrage of missiles and lasers erupted from their ranks, aimed squarely at me, yet I remained unscathed.
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Despite my immunity to humanity's weaponry, the onslaught grew tiresome, the acrid smoke of explosions clouding my vision and choking my senses.
"Why bother?" I muttered to myself, a smirk playing across my lips. "I'll handle this in Phase Two."
With a mental command, my wings unfurled, transforming into spider-like appendages that tore through the airships above and crushed the tanks and missile launchers below. Humans and their machines alike fell beneath my colossal limbs, a third of their forces obliterated in an instant.
The air filled with cries of anguish as flames engulfed the heart of the Empire's Sanctuary, a testament to the devastation wrought by my wrath.
As the barrage from the aircrafts and tanks temporarily ceased and they retreated, I unfurled my wings, revealing the green orbs hidden beneath. With a single thought, they sprang to life, sending forth homing lasers that sought out and pierced the hearts of the remaining human combatants.
Eva's voice broke through the aftermath, her tone light despite the gravity of our mission. "I found them," she announced, hopping onto my head with a playful ease. "Empress Serenity Elkyria and the Emperor-consort Cleru Neos are bunkered down in the core of this island."
"And the King of Humanity?" I inquired, casting my thoughts directly into her mind.
Her head shook, her expression clouded with concern. "No signs of him either."
"It doesn't matter," I responded telepathically, my confidence unshaken. "Once the Purge of Humanity is complete, he will have no choice but to reveal himself."
With a powerful beat of my wings, I ascended, soaring above the chaos below. The Empire's Sanctuary was doomed, its descent into the northern mountains imminent—a descent that would extinguish all human life within.
Yet, uncertainty nagged at me about the survival of the Empress. To ensure no escape, I gathered a potent ball of light in my draconic mouth, stardust swirling and pulsing as if a miniature galaxy formed at my snout.
After three seconds of intense energy build-up, I unleashed my destructive power.
"Galaxy Ray!"
A beam of incalculable force blasted forth, targeting the core of the floating island. The impact hastened its fall, the structure beginning to disintegrate under the immense pressure of the Galaxy Ray, ensuring that it would crash into the mountains below with catastrophic force.
The impact of the Galaxy Ray left nothing in its wake but utter devastation. The once formidable mountain range had been flattened, the floating island had shattered upon impact, and the Final Sanctuary of humanity was reduced to mere rubble. What remained was a colossal crater, a stark testament to the destructive power I wielded.
"Hahahahahaha!"
My laughter echoed through the desolation, a sound that seemed almost maniacal even to my ears. The fall of humanity's headquarters marked a significant step towards the complete eradication of their species. I reveled in the thought that soon, the human race would be nothing more than a distant memory, our mission finally accomplished.
However, Eva's voice cut through my reverie, her words low and urgent. "Gaz, they are still alive."
My gaze swept across the crater, and there, at its center, were two figures. Empress Serenity Elkyria stood defiant, miraculously unharmed. Beside her, the Emperor-consort Cleru Neos, though bathed in blood, clung to her in a protective embrace.
Descending to the heart of the crater, I deactivated the Vesryn Pulse, shifting back into my humanoid form. Eva and I approached the surviving royals with measured steps. The emperor and empress regarded us with evident disdain, their eyes burning with a mix of defiance and desperation.
The emperor-consort, despite his battered state, managed to rise to his feet. His gray hair singed, his beard scorched, and his uniform hanging in tatters, he positioned himself between us and the empress, scimitar in hand.
"Martyrdom of the Plebeian," I observed with a wry smile, acknowledging the bloodline spell that had evidently protected the empress at his own expense. "You took all the damage upon yourself. Quite an irritating little spell."
His stance, though weakened, spoke of a resolve not entirely extinguished by the catastrophe. His readiness to fight, even in such dire straits, was a clear sign: though their sanctuary was destroyed, the spirit of humanity's leaders remained unbroken.