~ Chapter 69: Their battles ~

[Kleo’s point of view]

 When the Alkelios’ dragon roar spread through the entire battlefield, I felt a surge of energy rushing through me. Any fear and doubt I had about this upcoming battle vanished completely.

Iolaus took my hand and showed a reassuring smile.

In this war, we could fight together only thanks to our friend, Alkelios. He brought us together when we thought we were sworn enemies. He helped us grow and showed us that even opposing elements could love each other.

A dragon with black scales and one with white scales flew over the battlefield.

Two lovers engaged who wished to carve out a future for each other... That was who we were.

Iolaus was my vanguard, and I cast my spells from a far, taking down the dragons who dared stand in our way. Thanks to my grandfather’s training, my fiancé was now far more powerful than he was before. With one slash of his sword, he cleaved a dragon in half, while my shadow spears stabbed those who tried to attack him at this moment.

When one attacked, the other defended. The two of us fought with perfect harmony bashing dragons with shields of light and piercing them with spears of darkness.

Our battles though were nothing when compared to our friends. They ruled over the battlefield like defiant gods, smashing to pieces all those who stood in their way. The cries of agony of their victims were all that remained of them as they got lost in the echoes of clashing swords and roars.

But just when we thought we were gaining the upper hand, I heard a shout that pierced the heavens.

“ALKELIOS!!!”

It was that despicable dragon Draejan rushing towards us with a wave of countless dragons. The ground turned dark from the shadows of the flying ones, while the earth shook from the stampede of those below.

I gulped when I saw the number of dragons, yet I could still see those few who were designated as commanders.

“Sister...” I said as I turned my gaze towards Seryanna, but she just finished her fight against a dragon with dark-brown scales and two axes in each hand.

I looked up at Kataryna and saw her struggling against two dragons of blue and white scales. My grandfather was with the King, facing off against a red-scaled dragon. An explosion caught my attention and when I turned back, I saw the Queen’s guards repelling a sneak attack.

There is nowhere to turn for help... I thought as I looked ahead at the mass of dragons approaching us with the desire to kill us all. Can we win this? I thought and felt my body trembling.

While I was starting to panic, Iolaus flew in front of me and showed me his smile. A dragon in beast form did not have the best of smiles, but he at least tried.

“I’m here, my love. We’ll get through this.” he told me and then licked the tip of my snout.

It was a little dragon kiss.

I showed him a smile and nodded.

“Let’s go!” I said with a smile.

There was nowhere to run and no turning back. This was my battle as well even if I felt a bit disconnected from all the dragons below me. I was a black scale, not the most loved of the dragons, however, the Queen did not show me any hate, neither did the King and most of the dragons at the palace. They knew I was there as a special guard and because their Majesties had faith in me, so did the others.

Maybe the hate towards black scales would never go away, but at the very least, I had to stop the hate against me... I had to prove them all that I had a place at the side of my friends!

“[Darkness...” I began to chant.

“[Light...” Iolaus began to chant.

“...Tornado]!” we both shouted at the same time as we held hands and released the magic energy in the form of the spell.

We flew towards the wave of dragons while rotating in the air. From my body, shadows created by darkness magic began to spread, melding together with the light emanated by Iolaus’ body. Our magic energy danced together. Light and darkness began to mix like water and oil, without losing their own essence and shine.

As we got closer to our enemies, the magic energy around us began to spread, taking the shape of a vortex with us at the center. It was a tornado of light and darkness which edges were sharper than the blade of any sword.

“Kill them!” shouted the enemy, but when we crashed into them, their voice was silenced.

The blades of light together with those of darkness slashed through their armor and flesh. Their bodies fell down onto the troops below us, but we didn’t stop. We carved our way through their blood and meat as we aimed for the commanders who led this heard of dragons.

“Gah! NO!” the first one of them died as he was ripped apart by the light and darkness tornado.

It was incredibly hard to cast a defense against this attack because it was made up of two opposite elements. One could guard against darkness, but then light would cut them.

Once we felt our magic depleting, we pulled out of the mass of dragons and stopped the spell at a safe distance from our enemies.

“It’s not over yet...” Iolaus told me through heavy breaths.

He was tired, and so was I, but I still had enough magic energy within me to bring those fools to their knees!

“Fiends of darkness...” I began to chant, calling upon my familiars who lived within the shadows.

[Seryanna’s point of view]

 Once I separated from Alkelios, I jumped into the battle against several flying dragons. My strength far surpassed theirs, and their attacks did not even scratch my armor.

The more I fought, the more I felt my blood boiling and my whole-body filling with a burning energy.

I want to fight! I thought as I plunged towards a dragon below me.

He screamed and struggled, but as we plunged towards the ground, I bit his wings and ripped them out. My claws then slashed at his back and pierced his flesh upon impact. He was dead, and my hands were stained with blood.

There were several dragons in half-beast form in front of me, trembling and looking at me with eyes filled with fear.

I took a deep breath, and I unleashed a torrent of flames upon them. They screamed in pain as they died one after another. A dragon tried to attack me from behind, but his sword broke in half upon contact with my armor. I grabbed him with both hands and then ripped him half.

“M-Monster!” one dragon shouted as he tried to get away from me, but I tossed the remains of the dead dragon at him, causing him to tumble down.

With one leap, I landed on him and crushed him under my claws.

I let out a roar and then spread my wings to fly up in the sky.

An earth spike flew at me, but it bounced off my armor. When I turned my head to see who dared to attack me, I saw a dragon in half-beast form wielding two axes. He was smirking. In the next moment, I saw several earth spikes forming from the ground. They were all aimed at me.

“DIE!” he shouted.

I let myself drop to the ground and dodge the incoming attack. One of the spikes hit a dragon who was trying to attack me from behind. It went straight through his chest, leaving a hole there.

That’s not a normal [Earth Spike]. I thought.

My enemy was most likely someone close to a Breakthrough or an actual Breakthrough-er.

I smirked.

When I was in bed with Alkelios last night, he told me how my stats looked like. Although my level wasn’t that far from being considered a Breakthrough-er, my abilities were most likely on par with one. Even grandfather pointed out this little detail.

Still, I can’t go around and assume that I can face off against one... I thought.

It was a bit hard to fight in my current form. It was not the one I was most used to, so I closed my eyes and returned to my half-beast form. Bright red scales covered my body, and while I still retained a reptilian aspect, I was nowhere near as big as before. My height now was of 3.4 meters tall, with 20 centimeters smaller than my husband.

With Drachenkrieg now in my hand, I was ready to fight. This two-handed sword was just perfect for me. Not as long as Kataryna’s, but just right for me to wield it with one hand and a shield if I chose to.

“Kill her!” the dragon who attacked me ordered and more than 50 dragons charged at me.

I smirked, and fire spread from my sword, licking my armor and covering my whole body in its flames.

“What the...” one dragon said as he stopped before attacking me.

His friend was not so smart. I dodged and then slashed him with my sword, cutting him in half. The fire on my body spread to his, but this time, it burned him to cinders.

While continuing the motion of my sword, I turned and then used the momentum to decapitate another dragon. I spread my arm and grabbed another one by the throat, crushing it and turning his screams into drowning gurgles.

An earth spike came flying towards me, but I dodged it at a hair’s length. Stepping to the side, I cut in half another dragon. Drachenkrieg was a beautiful sword with a merciless blade. It cut with ease through anything like it was butter.

It was then when Alkelios’ magic fell upon the region and light was stolen from my enemy’s eyes.

I laughed.

“Now then...” I said as I pointed my hand at my enemies and used the chantless [Inferno Storm].

Flames rose around me, reaching up to the sky, spiraling around me like hungry demons. With my targets set, I unleashed the attack upon them, and countless swords of fire washed down upon my enemy. It was like a flood of blades made out of fire. They burned, they cut, the rend, and shred their weapons, armors, and flesh right off their bones.

“GYAAA!”

“IT BURNS!!!”

“HNGAAAH!”

Their screams, all varied, yet all sung the same song of pain and horror.

I did not enjoy this hell which I created, but this was not the end, for among them there were those who wielded fire and managed to protect themselves from my flames. So I took Drachenkrieg and lifted it up to the level of my eyes. My tail swayed behind me, and my eyes locked onto my targets. My wings were folded on my back, and the scent of burning flesh surrounded me.

“Here I come...” I whispered as I lunged towards the first victim.

My sword cut him in half, but before his remains fell on the ground, I jumped towards the next one and opened his chest with one slash. I turned and extended my hand, keeping the blade parallel to the ground. The sharp edge met the neck of another dragon and then his head was separated from his body.

I continued to run through the burning flames of my previous attack and cut down all the red-scaled dragons who survived it. Then, when I reached their leader, the unharmed brown-scaled dragon, I took Drachenkrieg and stabbed it in the ground at just a few meters away from him.

“Unleash!” I shouted as I poured magic energy within the sword.

“What the?!” the dragon asked in surprise, but those may have been his last words.

From the ground around me, geysers of fire erupted towards the sky, burning away everything in sight. A wave of heat and burning flames surrounded me and then extended forward.

Every time I used a fire magic, I could feel it whispering to me, telling me that it wasn’t going to harm me, but it was going to burn everything else around me. Uncontrolled, it could spread as much as it desired, and through my magic, the fire within me could do just that, extend its flames to the far reaches.

Fire? It could be controlled, it could be tamed, it could order to do what one desired to, however, the best part of it was when it was left unchained. I trusted my flames, and in return, they didn’t burn me...

Maybe this was what being a Superior Draconian of the High Flame meant... I had a special relationship with my element, one of trust and friendship...

“ARGH!” the brown-scaled dragon groaned.

I lifted my head up and saw a big stone cocoon.

I see... He hid inside there. I thought, and so I twisted the handle of Drachenkrieg.

If my flames could smile, they would probably look like madmen. When I told them to focus on the cocoon in front of me, all the flames around me swept through and slammed into its hard shell.

DON! DON! DON!

This was the sound of my fire pounding at the armor of the dragon in front of me, yet that armor of his was quite good. It could sustain so much heat and survive such explosive force...

No wonder he is a Breakthrough-er... A normal dragon would have died before he could have even put up this shield. I thought.

Well, I did have a bit of help from my husband as well thanks to this darkness which surrounded us.

I pulled Drachenkrieg out of the ground and then dashed towards cocoon, through those infernal flames. They did not burn me, they caressed me... they embraced me and helped me gain the strength I needed to cut down that shell.

“HA!” I shouted and slashed with Drachenkrieg at it.

The blade cut through, leaving a hole through which my flames could slip in and cook that lizard inside, but then I felt something. It was the instinct I trained in the Seculiar Forest, the one which kept me alive when I was surrounded by all those spiders.

I jumped back.

At that exact moment, the cocoon turned into a spiky ball. In my previous spot were needle-like protrusion coming out of the ball.

“Don’t think you won!” shouted the dragon from inside as he jumped out wielding a big axe in each hand.

He was aiming for me, and I could see the fury and rage in his eyes. His armor was burned, and his body was lit up by my flames, but he still moved... Even in that state, he could still attack me.

No wonder Earth Element dragons were thought to be the sturdiest out of all of us.

“Even so... It was a mistake to attack me like this...” I said in a calm tone of voice.

I let the attack hit me.

The blades clashed with my armor, and I was tossed back several meters, yet...

“As expected...” I said and showed a gentle smile on my lips.

I was unharmed and looking up, I saw Alkelios summoning Jophiel.

My beloved husband sure gifted me with one crazy armor... I thought and then got up.

The dragon who attacked me was breathing hard and could barely stand up. He was covered with an armor of earth, an attempt to stop my flames from burning him.

“Futile.” I said as I took a stance with Drachenkrieg in my hands.

Flames covered my blade, and I dashed at him. Although he couldn’t see me now, he could still hear me and maybe feel my approach thanks to the ground I was stepping on.

It was now when light was starting to return as well. The dragon turned his head at the last moment to look at me.

I wonder how I look to him? I thought as I slashed.

He tried to defend himself with his axes, but Drachenkrieg’s blade cut through them like butter.

The brown-scaled dragon was cut in half, and I finally calmed down the flames around me.

As his body fell to the ground, I looked around and saw the scorching ground around me. When it was dark, I could not estimate how much I had burned down, but now... I could see it clearly.

All around me, on a fifty, maybe sixty meters radius, the ground was burnt until it turned black, and everywhere I looked, I could see the remains of all the poor souls who fell prey to my flames.

“ALKELIOS!!!”

I heard the voice of the idiot dragon who once tried to claim my heart and body.

Alkelios, please end the life of that miserable fool who tried to take me as his wife... Kill him, for I belong only to you, my love. I thought and smiled softly.

[Kataryna’s point of view]

 Novarak’s Breakthrough-er didn’t even introduce himself. Just like many other dragons from Draejan’s side, they saw no honor in battle nor cared for confrontations between strong enemies. In their eyes, we were all weak, but the amount of bodies from their side seemed to disapprove of this fact.

Although Alkelios was not keeping an eye on the whole battle, I did.

Berros Mandrakea was the farthest from us, and he was keeping the enemy dragons at bay with his mighty spear while skewering the unsuspecting ones with his earth magic. In one blow, tens of dragons fell, but he was not striking seriously. This battle was one of attrition. The less magic we used while defeating our enemy the better. Unfortunately, not all of us were used to this or were in a situation where they could afford to fight with less power. Such was the case of Kleo and Seryanna’s battles.

The two made the best use of their elemental magic and countless dragons fell to their might.

I would have said the same thing for Mendeles Unvar, who summoned around one hundred water elemental warriors and had them engage the enemy. As long as he supplied them with magic, they were almost impossible to defeat unless one managed to evaporate, freeze, or completely scatter the water they were made out of.

This dragon, although he looked the youngest out of all of us, was having fun while slaughtering hundreds of foes. His water blades were also something dreadful as they sliced through any armor and weapon that stood in their way.

Meanwhile, that dragoness, Novias Oshika, was turning the enemies into blundering fools with her overexposed armor. Her enchantress spells mind controlled those who fell in her trap and made them turn their weapons against their allies.

Instead of Albeyater fighting against enemy soldiers, the enemy was fighting with each other.

Those strong enough to resist her influence were also cut down with wind spells or by the Albeyater soldiers.

Lastly, the one who stood at the opposite end of the battlefield from Berros Mandrakea was Moros Onias. He wielded dual elements like I did, only his were Ice and Earth.

With enchanted swords and casting fast and precise magic, this dragon was killing enemy dragons left and right. His skill with the sword was certainly far better than the others, but his spells lacked in strength.

Even so, I heard that his achievements on the battlefields and against various foes earned him great fame, enough for a small town to change its name after him.

These four Breakthrough-ers while leading the Albeyater army were like meat grinding machines. Any dragon who dared to cross blades with them would end up losing their life, but it wasn’t like the enemy was just sitting around waiting to be slaughtered by them. There were those who went around the Breakthrough-ers and clashed with the soldiers from Albeyater, however, the latter’s might was higher.

After Alkelios’ roar, they were all filled with energy and used it to take down their enemies. Our commanders and captains who had their weapons and armors changed were also holding their ground against multiple foes. It was like watching an army of veterans clashing against one of beginners.

At this point, I felt like the number of 364000 soldiers was nothing but a joke, but we had yet to kill off even half of them. This battle was going to take a lot longer, especially if Draejan played his cards right. Then again... his first mistake was sending this Novarak dragon after me.

He was weak. Not only did he make the foolish mistake of attacking me in his full-beast form, but his attacks were sluggish and did not even connect. Only his spells were a bit stronger than average, but even if I fought him naked, I could still take on several of those attacks without a problem. With Alkelios’ armor, it felt like I was toying around with a child.

In a battle between Breakthrough-ers it was normal for one to take the form in which they fought the best, which was either the full-beast one like the one who engaged Alkelios in battle, or a half-beast form like Seryanna’s foe.

In my case, it was my half-beast form, and I was suspecting it was the same for this dragon in front of me, but for some reason, he didn’t change. If he had, maybe he did not look so pathetic.

Oh well, it’s not like all dragons are taught to fight with their head. Some of us reach their Breakthrough without even understanding what happened. I thought and then flew towards my foe just as Alkelios’ darkness was cast around me.

I stopped midair and watched as the blinded dragon began to shoot his magic like crazy all around him.

“I don’t know what trick you used, but I’ll kill you!” he shouted in anger.

Are all Novarak dragons such fools? I wondered and titled my head to the left.

I did not even need to dodge right now, but I did come to the conclusion that he might not be the only Breakthrough-er who was aiming for us. Using this moment of darkness, I changed from my full-beast form to my half-beast form.

The blue and white armor given to me by Alkelios was a perfect fit on my body’s curves, and I didn’t feel my movements restrained at all. I could freely fly and attack like I was barely wearing anything on me. It was a bit flashy in looks, but definitely the best armor I had the pleasure of wearing.

As for my sword, the Ledyanoy Potseluy was beautiful two-handed sword, bigger than Seryanna’s and of a completely different element. With a blade that showed no mercy to my foes, and handle that made it feel as though I had gripped it from birth, this weapon surpassed even those deemed to be national treasures.

To be honest, I felt like even if I was standing alone against all these 364000 dragons, I could still come out victorious. Although, if I had to fight Breakthrough-ers while at it, my chances of winning were a bit low. Even so, they were still there, which meant that with the backup of so many other dragons and Breakthrough-ers, it was impossible for us to lose.

Looking up at Alkelios, I saw him summoning Jophiel.

I think if he was to fight alone against this entire army, he would still win, but unlike me, I doubt his mind would come out unscratched. After all... you can’t say that killing a dragon on the battlefield isn’t killing but justice or some other nonsense. As long as their warm blood flowed on the edge of your sword, you will remember their last breath for the rest of your life, or until you learn to accept it as it is and move on. I thought.

“Where are you?!” the Novarak dragon shouted.

“I’m here.” I replied in a calm tone of voice as I flew towards him.

The darkness around me faded, and I attacked. With Ledyanoy Potseluy, I slashed at his side and cut through his armor while leaving an ice burn mark behind. He screamed in pain and released a wave of heat from his body, a fire shell most dragons of the fire element used to create an attack that spread all around them, but against Ledyanoy Potseluy, it was useless.

I jumped forward, moving over his back and cut the muscles on his back with one slash. Because he was such a big and slow target, it was easy for me, who was in half-beast form, to make my way around and cut him.

Still, I was only toying with him now.

He tried to attack me by launching a series of spells at me, all of different elements. I guess this was his forte, magic, but used like this, it was rather idiotic. He ended up killing even dragons from his own side.

Let’s finish this. I thought as I flew under him and then stabbed Ledyanoy Potseluy into his chest.

The sharp blade cut through his armor, scales, flesh, and bone until it reached his insides. There, the ice spread around, freezing his inner organs, however, I didn’t plan on letting him go just with that.

With a smile on my lips, I released an electric shock through my sword.

“GRAAAH!” he screamed before his organs ceased to function.

Half of them were now frozen solid, while the rest had been fried by my lightning. I twisted the handle of the blade, and I heard the crack of his bones and the shattering of ice.

He’s dead... I thought and then pulled out Ledyanoy Potseluy.

I flew from under him and let his giant body fall on top of the enemy soldiers below.

“ALKELIOS!!!” I heard Draejan’s shout.

I guess he’s not as smart as he thought or did anger finally got to the best of him? I wondered.

Even the greatest generals were known to make mistakes when they let their emotions get to the best of them. In this case, Draejan let his hate for Alkelios cloud his mind.

While I was thinking about joining him in battle, I was attacked from a long range by a water spear and a wind scythe. I dodged them in the nick of them and the I turned to see who dared to attack me.

Two dragons stood in front of me, one who wore a beautifully decorated black armor and another who wore a plate mail armor painted brown and white. These two were definitely Breakthrough-ers.

“I am called Johanas Lovarad! I hail from Ozur as a mercenary hired to fight in this battle. I state that this is a paid contract and as such my home country’s king has no say in this matter!” the dragon wearing the brown and white armor declared.

His scale color was brown, but it was possible that he was a dual element like me.

A dragon with a bit of honor or did he say this just to make sure he didn’t bring trouble to the nation of Ozur? I wondered.

“And I am Vanaziarum Baldagash! I hail from Embryger at the orders of the one I recognized as my lord!” the one in the fancy black armor declared.

His scale color was dark-green or blue? It was an unusual color that made it hard for me to guess his element, but it was quite common for serious dragons with a strategy in mind to hide their color behind a layer of paint.

“I am Kataryna Greorg. I am a simple knight from Albeyater who joined this battle because of a friend.” I said with a smile as I slashed Ledyanoy Potseluy through the air.

“You will die here!” Vanaziarum Baldagash declared.

“And we will enjoy killing you!” Johanas Lovarad declared.

“Oh! What shall I do? I’m so afraid~” I said with a giggle.

It was time for another battle, but this time, I had to be a bit more serious with my enemies. They were both Breakthrough-ers who were stronger than the Novarak anonymous dragon.

[Feryumstark’s point of view]

 It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but Alkelios’ roar was far more powerful than mine. To reach all across this battlefield wasn’t something any dragon of the Authority element could do, however, this in itself became a problem.

True, Alkelios was only a half-dragon now, and he wielded four different elements. He also possessed the best crafting skills in this entire kingdom, and he was also a Breakthrough-er. All of these factors made him a tasty target for all the noble dragonesses.

My kingdom did not forbid polygamy or polyandry, but their intent wasn’t one of love, it was one of greed. With him as a husband, they could reach the strings where they couldn’t until now.

Well... this is a problem, but I’ll have to solve it later. In the meanwhile, I’ll just order that all marriage proposals be sent to me instead. This way I can put a stop on them before they become a bother to him and Seryanna. I thought as I looked at the battlefield in front of me.

With the two armies clashing against each other, it was no time for me to idle around and think about such matters. I branded my sword and rushed at the front with Brekkar by my side.

“Just like the good ol’ days!” said the old dragon.

“Yes, my friend!” I replied before we engaged the enemy.

The fools who rushed at me thinking they could defeat me fell under my blade, and their blood stained the ground. Brekkar showed no mercy either. All of his moves were precise and struck with unmatched strength, shattering his foes’ armors and weapons.

It was like witnessing the old Breakthrough-er again, but I knew that part of his strength came from that dark-red armor Alkelios made for him. Witnessing it in combat, I felt a bit envious of him, but once everything calmed down, I was going to ask that dragon to make an armor and a weapon for me as well.

As we fought, darkness descended upon us, blinding our enemies but not us.

Who could have done this? I wondered, and at first, I thought it was Brekkar’s youngest niece, Kleo. She’s couldn’t have been the one, she’s casting another spell now... I thought when I saw the whirlwind of light and darkness as it cleaved through the mass of flying dragons. My eyes then fell on Alkelios, who fought against an enemy dragon, a Breakthrough-er most likely. So, he did it... I thought.

Taking a deep breath, I shouted towards my troops “MAKE THE BEST OF THIS OPPORTUNITY DUKE YATAGAI GAVE YOU AND CRUSH OUR ENEMIES!”

“FOR ALBEYATER!” came their shouts in reply, and with them the cries of our slain foes.

I too did not fell short to my friend Brekkar and let my sword taste dragon blood with each attack I made. There was no need for me to use my magic, these foes of mine were unworthy of it. My fists, my claws, and sword were enough for these bastards.

Then as the darkness around us faded and light returned to our enemy’s eyes, I found myself standing in front of a big dragon with blue scales. He wore a thick blue armor plate and showed me a grin all the way to his horns. In this half-beast form of his, he was wielding a halberd almost two times bigger than him. No doubt it was a weapon meant to be used against more than just one enemy or while in full-beast form.

“I am called Garravian The Great! My master is the Embryger Empire, and I have come here to claim the head of one Brekkar Draketerus and one Feryumstark Seyendraugher! Be happy, for the great ME shall kill you both!” he declared and then laughed out loud.

“Another fool who wishes to kill me... Sigh.” I said and shook my head.

“Your Majesty, he’s strong.” Brekkar told me as he knitted his brows at him.

“For you, maybe. But you have yet to recover, my friend. Keep my back safe, and I will deal with this whelp!” I declared as I took a step forward.

“As you wish, your Majesty!” Brekkar declared and made a bow.

With him keeping the flies at bay, I could unleash a bit of my true power. I wasn’t able to do so against Alkelios, but with this dragon, maybe I could?

“Here I come!” I announced as I rushed towards him at a speed greater than the eye could see. I didn’t aim with my sword but with my fist, and it connected before Garravian knew what hit him.

My punch cracked his armor and sent him flying back, but he landed on his feet and coughed.

That was a punch stronger than the one I used against Alkelios. I’m glad he didn’t die in one hit! I thought and showed him a smile.

“Wh-What’s with this strength?” the blue-scaled dragon complained.

“What? You think that was strong?” I blinked surprised.

Did I overestimate this fellow? I wondered.

Clenching my fist, I rushed up to him again. He saw me and tried to guard his face with his right hand, but I side-stepped to the left and punched him in the jaw. The blow was powerful enough to send his helmet flying off his head and him with it.

I looked at the dragon who was trying to get up and wondered why he would come pick a fight with me when he was so weak?

“ALKELIOS!!!” Draejan voice was heard from above.

When I raised my head up to see the little coward who started this entire mess, Garravian took this as a moment of distraction and tried to kill me with his sword. I dodged with minimum movement and then kicked him in the side. The dragon went flying across the battlefield towards Brekkar.

Noticing him incoming from the corner of his eyes, the old dragon brandished his sword and slashed at him. The cut was perfect and the body of Garravian was split in half.

“Ah! That was my prey!” I complained.

“Huh? I thought it was flying garbage. My apologies, your Majesty!” the dragon bowed to me and while doing so decapitated an enemy who tried to attack him from behind.

“For this, you’ll spar with me later!” I declared pointing at him.

“WHAT? Please spare me, your Majesty!” the old scale complained.

“No excuses! It should be an honor to get beaten by me!” I shouted back.

“Who would be honored by that!” he complained and cast a fireball to his left, turning another enemy soldier into charcoal.

I let out a sigh and looked up at Alkelios.

The boy will win, certainly, but... is it just me or were these Breakthrough-ers we faced rather weak? No... I thought and then shook my head It’s not them who are weak, it’s just that we are far more powerful than our enemy thought. After all, even I don’t think I could win if Alkelios and his friends were to attack me all at once! Well, if Elliessara did, then she could make me give up with a kiss! I laughed and then looked back at the horde of dragons coming at us.

“No time to idle around!” I said and then let out another roar to boost the confidence of my troops.

[Elliessara’s point of view]

 What was the best way to describe this scene unfolding before me?

A massacre played out by gods of legend?

Initially, I thought it would be a rather close fight with our side barely managing to capture the win, but none of those who received equipment form Alkelios died and all the Breakthrough-ers from the enemy side felt like flies when compared to ours.

There was also a matter of that roar of his. A dragon with such a powerful Authority wasn’t one that should escape my grasp. True, Alkelios was already married and although he had sworn loyalty to our kingdom, this wasn’t enough.

Embryger would definitely send over a princess to try and conquer Alkelios’ heart or use this battle as a way to make us sure he wasn’t going to fall in our hands. He’s too much of a precious Breakthrough-er to allow anyone else other than the Seyendraugher family to have him, at least from the royal families. I thought and then closed my eyes, thinking of a plot to make him ours.

“Seryanna’s the problem...” I muttered.

“What is it, mother?” Elleyzabelle asked me.

When I opened my eyes and looked at her, I asked her “My daughter, have you decided upon a husband yet?”

“Huh? Is this really the right place to talk about this?” she asked with a wry smile.

“GAAH! IT BURNS!” a dragon shouted in pain as he was being burned by some dragon’s flames.

He must have been of the wind elemental, otherwise, his voice could not have reached us. Such things happened from time to time with those dragons, but what perfect timing he had! Nonetheless, I didn’t move my gaze from my daughter’s eyes.

“Yes.” I replied with a smile.

She took a peek to the left where our troops were massacring the enemy and then looked back at me.

“No, mother, I haven’t.” she told me.

“Is that so.” I replied and then looked up at the sky.

“Why do you ask?” she knitted her brow.

Looking back at her, I told her with a smile “You should know why, but are you willing to play this dangerous card or not?” I asked her.

Elleyzabelle was one of my daughters who had yet to accept any dragon to be part of her life. At the same time, she did her best in the complicated political world of our kingdom. If it was her, then certainly she knew what I was talking about.

“Will he be the only one?” she asked me.

I shook my head.

“No, it’ll be just a formality to keep other nobles and princesses from trying to snatch him away from us. This way, Seryanna and maybe later Kataryna can both enjoy their monopoly over him.” I told her.

“If it’s like that, then I do not mind, mother.” Elleyzabelle nodded.

I knew I can count on her. I thought.

BOOM!

An explosion occurred not far from me, but Reyades blocked the shockwave and debris before they reached us.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I covered my mouth with my sleeve so I wouldn’t breathe in the dust.

“It appears we are being under attacked, but... strange... I was certain I secured the area not too long ago. How could they have sneaked passed me?” wondered Leone as he approached me.

“It must be the teleporting human Alkelios mentioned.” Elleyzabelle said.

“Tch! That rotten Draejan and his petty tricks!” grumbled Reyades as he kept his eyes on the enemy, ready to defend me from any incoming attack.

“KILL THE QUEEN!” shouted one of the enemy soldiers.

There were a few thousand that rushed out of the forest and clashed with the soldiers stationed in this camp. Normally, this would have been a wise move which would have ended with them taking my life, but I had three of the best Breakthrough-ers in the Kingdom with me.

“Kill them all.” I ordered them and covered my mouth and nose with my fan, so the enemy could not see me cast defensive magic.

It was true that the poison had weakened me, but thanks to Alkelios, I felt better with each passing day. If I had to, I could even step in and fight with them, but it was far too early to reveal this card to my enemy.

“How dare you!” Malavan shouted as she charged up several hundreds of light spears in one go.

She was my best healer and someone who usually showed a calm demeanor, but when someone stepped on her tail, this black-haired dragoness could prove to have a very nasty bite.

As she skewered the enemy with her spears, I could see Leone casting several wind scythes and preparing to attack with a volley of wind arrows. He was good at spreading my voice across the field, but also an excellent range fighter. Leone was not the type of dragon one should underestimate just because of his calm demeanor.

One the battlefield, he was the best dragon who could cast long range magic. His wind scythes and arrows could pierce any armor and fly across an entire battlefield with pinpoint accuracy. His best spell was called [Snipping Wind Arrow], and with it, he could kill a dragon from up to two kilometers away, but the further the target, the weaker the attack. That was why it wasn’t the best to use against commanders or high ranked dragons unless we knew for certain that this attack could kill him or her.

From short range, however, it had a piercing attack.

“[Snipping Wind Arrow]!” Leone cast and the spell made a hole in at least twenty dragons who stood in line.

Afterwards, he cast his [Wind Volley] and more than a hundred dragons fell to the ground, their bodies pierced and cut by his arrows.

“Leone, make sure to tell my husband what happened here. I do not wish for him to come running back to check if I am alright.” I told the dragon.

“As you command, your Majesty!” he said with a bow of his head.

“[Earth Spike Tsunami]!” Reyades shouted as he cast one of his most powerful attacks.

From the ground, spikes as sharp as needles and up to six meters long each sprouted up towards the sky, piercing and skewering any poor dragon who stood underneath them. Countless dragons fell to this attack as it spread farther towards the forest like an unstoppable wave.

Malavan didn’t give our foes any moment of rest and immediately attacked them from range with light arrows aimed at their vitals. Leone followed suit with his wind scythes.

Meanwhile, I remained in my seat and waited patiently for their battle to be over. It wouldn’t last long. After all, they were three Breakthrough-ers who were assigned with protecting me, however, even if through some absurd chance they managed to slip through, I still had a few tricks up my sleeve to escape or kill my opponent.

If Alkelios’ darkness persisted even now, then this sneak attack would have been dealt with tremendous ease. Like this, they still had the chance of dodging or blocking one or two attacks. It was a waste of time for them though because I was going to make sure none of them survived. My order was quite clear, after all.

Now then, I wonder how Alkelios will deal with my grandson? Will he kill him or will he spare him? I thought as I gazed up and watched the two dragons clashing swords in the distance.

[A random soldiers’ point of view]

 I joined this war because I wished to protect my family. I wanted to fight and show that I am a dragon worthy to be called a father and a husband, but when I looked at the hoard in front of us, I couldn’t help but shiver in fear.

It was then when his Majesty’s roar reached us. It filled us with hope and energy. I could feel myself willing to clench my sword and push away the fear inside my heart, but I still found it hard to step forward, and I wasn’t the only one...

Everyone around me marched with an unsteady step because we didn’t know if we could win this battle. What could we do? There were so few of us... and so many of them...

It was then when the second roar came.

Like a wave of pure energy, it rushed over us, ripping away any sort of fear and doubt from our hearts. My hands were trembling, and my heart was beating fast, but not because fear, no... this was confidence and eagerness to fight.

I’m... I’m smiling? I thought as I felt the corners of my lips rise.

Everyone around me was like that. There was an unstoppable energy inside of us, a rush of adrenaline which told us it was impossible to lose, and so we shouted at the top of our lungs:

“FOR ALBEYATER!”

As we ran towards the enemy, I looked up and saw a scene I would never forget for my entire life.

On top of a red dragoness in her full-beast form, surrounded by a dragoness of black scales, one of silver scales, and a dragon of white scales, a single half-beast dragon stood wielding two swords of darkness and light.

When I saw him charging towards the hoard of enemy dragons like that, I felt like I was seeing a hero, no... a living legend.

Without fear, without doubt, with unmatched strength, and the will to conquer armies, this dragon marched to battle.

Were there any words that could describe this dragon? Was there any way to explain his greatness? More than the King, more than the Queen, I felt that if I were to follow him, to charge into battle after him, we would win.

This dragon was like an untouchable star, an unreachable peak... or so I was inspired to believe, but I felt like I wasn’t the only one.

When I looked around me, I saw countless others looking up at the sky, following those brave dragons with their eyes, wondering who they were, and how could they be so heroic?

“FOR ALBEYATER!” I shouted again, but this time while looking at them as they clashed with the enemy.

With them having our backs, I felt like this battle would be our guaranteed win. We had legends on our side while our enemy had traitors. No matter their numbers, we would win in the end!