Buzz!
Just as the drake's claws were about to strike Natsu, a violent surge of magic suddenly erupted in front of him. Vast magical power condensed into blazing flames and crashed head-on into Hitsuya.
Boom!
The tidal wave of magic exploded instantly. The massive shockwave blasted Natsu and everyone nearby dozens of meters away. Everyone's expressions changed at once.
Although this sudden magic power was still slightly inferior to Hitsuya's, it was equally astonishing.
"Who is it?!"
Lying on the ground, they squinted forward through the swirling sand. The dust gradually dispersed. Soon, a figure slowly came into view.
The moment they saw who it was, Ichiya and the Elephant King couldn't hide their shock. Only Natsu shouted in delight.
"Ur~!"
"Nice work, Natsu. Leave the rest to me!"
Without even turning his head, Ur braced both arms against Hitsuya's massive claw and replied calmly.
At this moment, Ur was completely clad in dark brown armor that looked as though it had been formed from solid rock. Jagged spikes protruded along his spine, giving him the appearance of some ancient beast.
With the power of Lava Beast Armor, all of Ur's physical abilities were amplified, especially his strength. With the boost, even a single punch from his bare body could unleash thousands of kilograms of force.
Such power would instantly kill most monsters.
But this time, his opponent was a drake whose strength was approaching that of a true dragon. Even though Hitsuya was heavily wounded and half-crippled, his power was still beyond what Ur could directly contend with.
"Roar!"
"Human!"
Killing intent surged in Hitsuya's eyes as he pressed down harder with his claw, forcing Ur backward. Soon, two long trenches were carved into the ground beneath Ur's feet.
"Come on, Hitsuya!" Ur roared and fully erupted.
Boundless magic surged into his arms. The Lava Beast Armor on his forearms burst with dazzling light. With a surge of power, Ur smashed the drake's claw aside with a single punch.
Immediately after, the Dark Dragon Fang shot from its sheath. Infused with endless magic, a faint layer of dark blade-flame gradually formed along its edge, sharp and brimming with destructive force.
Slash!
A streak of light flashed. A massive wound instantly opened across Hitsuya's claw. Bright red drake blood sprayed outward.
"ROOOAAR!!" Hitsuya howled in fury. His powerful claw swung down again.
Rumble.
The earth shattered layer by layer. The mountain, already devastated, was helpless beneath the dragon's strike. A single blow created another enormous crater.
Ur dodged the claw and leapt off fragments of shattered rock, bounding upward into the air. He spread his fingers toward the sky. A massive and far more complex crimson magic circle appeared in his palm.
Buzz.
The next second, endless fire-element magic converged into it.
With Enhancement +5 and the Lava Beast Armor's boost stacked together, the power of Explosive Flame had risen to a horrifying level.
In mere seconds, a colossal fireball over twenty meters in diameter materialized before everyone's eyes.
Serpent-like heatwaves coiled around it, spiraling continuously. The scorching waves spread outward in layers, even causing the ground below to crack and dry.
Ichiya, Natsu, and the others were completely stunned. They had seen Ur cast fireballs before.
But who could explain what this sun-like spell was supposed to be?!
Even Hitsuya showed a flicker of wariness when he saw the massive fireball. He instinctively flapped his wings to dodge. But the moment he moved, Ur swung his arm. The giant fireball hurtled straight at him.
Seeing this, Hitsuya quickly wrapped both wings around himself, curling his massive body into a sphere. Magic coated his scales as he assumed a full defensive stance.
BOOM!
Another earth-shattering explosion echoed through the Hogria Mountains.
The moment the fireball struck Hitsuya's body, it detonated. Endless flames exploded outward in all directions. The ground turned into a vast crater. Before Natsu and the others could react, the violent heatwave launched them skyward, flinging them far away before they crashed back down.
The mountain peak, already half-destroyed by Hitsuya's earlier roar, lost yet another massive chunk under Ur's attack.
Several seconds passed before the flames finally dispersed. At the bottom of the crater lay Hitsuya's charred body.
The Explosive Flame +5 Enhancement possessed a magic-breaking effect. Dragon-kind's natural magic resistance was partially negated by this fireball. Combined with its raw power, even Hitsuya had suffered grievous damage.
Whoosh!
One of Hitsuya's wings suddenly spread open from within the crater, revealing nearly maddened drake eyes.
"ROOOAAR!!"
"Human, you court death!"
With a powerful flap, Hitsuya soared into the sky.
He was a drake who commanded the power of wind. Even without fully functional wings, he could still fly, though less agile and at greater magic cost.
"Because of your stupidity, a nation of humans will pay the price."
Hitsuya roared toward the heavens.
Ichiya and the others' faces changed instantly.
"Is this monster planning to destroy another country again?" Hitsuya had once annihilated human nations before. His threat could not be ignored.
But when Ur heard the dragon's words, his expression barely changed.
Seriously, they were barely surviving themselves. Who had the spare energy to worry about someone else?
Looking up at Hitsuya, Ur frowned. Just as he had predicted earlier, the biggest problem had appeared.
He… couldn't fly.
"Hitsuya, if you want to destroy a nation, defeat us first!" As Ur was troubled, a figure suddenly shot into the sky, charging straight at the drake.
It was Elia.
A pair of wings had appeared behind him, seemingly formed from written characters, likely his magic.
Seeing someone assist him, Ur's eyes lit up slightly.
Then, Elia was swatted back to the ground by a single claw strike, embedded deeply into the earth.
Ur: "..."
"Ur, catch! This is my last bottle of Flying Perfume! We must stop Hitsuya—everything's up to you now ~man!"
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Next Chapter: Fierce Battle
Next Next Chapter: Slaying the Dragon
Next Next Next Chapter: A Desperate Gamble