Blood instantly permeated through the Sandstorm.
"Cure—!"
"Bastard!!"
Gan and Will heard their companion's scream and tried to rush to his aid in a fit of rage.
But the continuous suppression of the Rock-type Forbidden Curse [Sandstorm] made it difficult for them to move even an inch; every movement was accompanied by massive mana consumption and physical damage. They were like being trapped in a quicksand bog—the more they struggled, the deeper they sank!
Caesar didn't stop at all; he gathered his strength once more and slammed his claws together—
"Sand Style: Sand Burial."
Modified [Sand Tomb]!!!
A massive quicksand tornado formed with a roar, centered around Cure, who was pinned to the wall!
"No—!!"
Cure's desperate roar echoed from within the quicksand tornado.
Countless grains of sand and gravel spinning at high speeds were like the most cruel instruments of torture, frantically cutting and grinding away at his flesh and bone!
A moment later, the roaring came to an abrupt halt.
In its place was the dull sound of dragon bone being ground to pieces, inch by inch!
The Sandstorm within the entire mine tunnel seemed to become even bloodier because of it.
Gan and Will witnessed their companion being strangled to death alive; for the first time, an unprecedented fear crawled onto their proud dragon faces.
Dead.
A Gold Rank Sub-dragon had died just like that.
"Cure..."
Will stared blankly at the mangled mess of blood and sand, her legs beginning to go weak.
She was afraid.
Truly afraid.
How was this some Earth Dragon hatchling?
This was clearly a demon wearing a dragon's skin!
"Don't daze off! He's on your left!"
Gan's roar snapped Will back to her senses.
But it was already too late.
Within the dust, that nightmarish figure appeared once more.
Caesar still had a piece of dragon meat torn from Cure's body in his mouth, which he swallowed whole.
That was high-quality dragon-type ingredient; it couldn't be wasted.
He looked at the remaining two Sub-dragons and licked the blood from the corner of his mouth with his tongue.
"Next?"
Gan was completely enraged.
"I'm going to kill you!!!"
Sensing the disappearance of his companion's presence, this Frost Wyvern erupted with his full mana like he had gone mad.
Extreme cold frost erupted from him as the center, attempting to freeze the yellow sand filling the air.
It had to be said that this move was actually somewhat effective—
The dust near the two dragons was frozen into ice pellets and fell one after another...!
In just a few minutes, the gap between being the hunter and becoming the prey almost made him lose his mind.
"Get out here! I know you're there!"
Gan waved his hands wildly, firing countless ice spears in every direction without any rhyme or reason.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—"
The ice spears hit the rock walls, sending debris flying. But even more ice spears were blown off course by the violent dust, flying off to who knows where.
To Caesar, this kind of blind attack was basically just broadcasting his position.
Caesar stayed low, like a shark swimming in murky water, silently circling to Gan's side... [Mud Shot]!
*Splat!*
A high-speed rotating ball of mud accurately splattered onto Gan's face.
The mud stuck to his eyes and nostrils, instantly damaging his vision and sense of smell.
"Damn it...!"
Gan let out a painful roar, subconsciously reaching to wipe the mud off his face, his actions falling into complete chaos.
At the same time, Caesar pushed off with his hind legs, his entire dragon body already closing in!
Left claw, [Shadow Claw]!
Right claw, carrying deep purple Toxic energy, [Poison Jab]!
Two attacks simultaneously aimed at the weak points of the head and neck, falling ruthlessly!
*Rip—!*
In agonizing pain, Gan canceled his Transformation. His massive Sub-dragon body teetered under Caesar's continuous tearing; the mine tunnel walls kept cracking, sending stone chips flying, while the crushing effect of the Sandstorm further exacerbated his injuries.
Caesar finally opened his dragons maw and bit down on the wound that had just been torn open by the Shadow Claw.
[Bite]!
Dark-type power erupted, accurately tearing through Gan's throat!!!
With a cry of unwilling grief, the leader of the Frost Wyverns crashed to the ground.
His life force quickly dissipated.
"The second one."
Caesar spat out a bloody scale and turned his dragon head.
The wind and sand died down slightly.
In a corner of the mine tunnel, the only one left, Will, was pressed tightly against the wall, trembling all over.
She had witnessed the deaths of her two companions with her own eyes.
That wasn't a battle at all. It was a massacre.
In this dark, narrow, dust-filled Underworld, that Earth Dragon was the Ruler.
"Don't... don't come over here..."
Watching the figure slowly approaching through the dust, Will's mind completely collapsed.
She suddenly screamed, turned around, and spread the ice wings on her back, actually trying to force a takeoff to escape from a place where flight was impossible.
*Whoosh—*
The air surged.
Caesar narrowed his eyes.
No.
This woman is acting!
Even though she was trembling, even though she was screaming, the mana fluctuations gathering inside her body couldn't deceive a dragon. She was concentrating all her power in her throat.
Was she planning a desperate last stand, trying to trick him into getting close and then unleashing her ultimate move right in his face?
She has some brains. Unfortunately, not much.
Caesar pretended not to notice and charged over with heavy steps, making it look like he was going for the kill.
Just as the distance between them was less than three meters.
Will suddenly spun around; the fear from before was gone from her face, replaced by nothing but ferocity and madness.
"Die!!!"
She opened her mouth, and a [Frost Breath] twice as thick as the one Gan had released before erupted at point-blank range!
This was her strongest strike, bought by burning her life force.
At such a close distance, there was no way to dodge. Even Caesar would be turned into an ice sculpture if he took this head-on.
A flash of satisfaction crossed Will's eyes.
Let's die together!
However.
The moment the white cold current was about to touch the Earth Dragon's snout.
A pale blue light screen appeared out of thin air!
It was a hemispherical energy shield, like an inverted bowl, but the inner side was facing her!
[Protect]!!
This was one of the most broken skills in the pokémon world. It completely blocked one attack.
The violent Frost Breath slammed hard into the light shield.
The shield didn't budge an inch.
But the laws of physics still applied.
All of the cold current was reflected back by this perfect barrier!
"No!"
Will only had time to let out a startled cry before she was completely swallowed by the cold current she had released with all her might, her vision instantly stripped away by a sheet of icy white!
Taking advantage of her blindness, Caesar had already closed in on her side.
His sharp dragon teeth glinted with a cold light as he suddenly used [Bite], tearing into Will's flank, followed by an eruption of massive strength that slammed her body hard against the mine tunnel wall!
*Boom—!!!*
Will's dragon body crashed heavily against the rock wall with a massive thud, sending stone fragments flying.
Before she could slide down, Caesar's dragons maw opened once more.
A scorching [Dragon Breath] surged out, hitting her head directly.
One hit... certain kill!!!