The battle between the dragon, the Legion Commander, and the Saintess began. As Simon summoned his mummies, Karisa countered with her own forces, freezing a patch of desert with her breath and raising ice monsters from the frost.
Soon, the desert floor was a chaotic melee of mummies and ice monsters. In the sky, the ice dragon Karisa and the white dragon Ran clashed, exchanging blasts of blue and white energy that exploded mid-air. The fallout from their aerial duel rained down, influencing the tide of the battle below.
"Persistent bastard!" Lethe snarled from atop Ran, the star-shaped symbols in her pupils glowing intensely. She lowered her hand, fingers pressed together, and a meteor shower descended from the sky.
Countless craters scarred the desert floor, the sheer power of the impacts shaking the very foundations of the dungeon. Karisa twisted her body like an eel, deftly avoiding the celestial assault.
[Hey! Kid!] Herseva screamed, her voice echoing through the dungeon. [SheвЂTMs crazy! Stop her! The dungeon wonвЂTMt last!]
Since she had spoken aloud instead of through telepathy, Lethe heard her and immediately ceased the bombardment. The power she wielded, even within a dungeon, was staggering. SimonвЂTMs plan to use the вЂTMWorld of SandвЂTM was to prevent KarisaвЂTMs escape and allow Lethe to unleash her full authority, but her firepower was too much for even the dungeon to handle.
[What meaning is there in power you canвЂTMt even control!] Karisa sneered, unleashing another torrent of icy breath.
Ran met it with a blast of divine energy, but it was clear he was beginning to struggle. He was still a growing divine beast, not yet at his full strength.
"YouвЂTMd die in one hit if I got my hands on you," Lethe muttered, raising her arm again. "Your yapping is just pathetic!"
A single, massive meteor descended, splitting the night sky as it rushed toward the ice dragon. Karisa simply tilted her head, easily avoiding it.
"Useless—!"
вЂTMLa Corde.вЂTM
Suddenly, KarisaвЂTMs body was yanked violently toward the falling meteor. Lethe had used the meteorвЂTMs divinity to activate a gravity-based white magic.
[What!!]
The comet slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crater. Karisa was dragged along with it, barely avoiding a direct impact.
As if on cue, hundreds of bandages erupted from the desert floor, ensnaring KarisaвЂTMs thrashing body.
"Nice, Lethe!" Simon shouted, charging forward with the Greatsword of Ruin. The aerial battle was out of his reach, but the ground was his domain.
He leaped onto KarisaвЂTMs struggling tail and plunged the greatsword into a gap between her scales.
"Forward!"
With the irrecoverable Greatsword of Ruin embedded in KarisaвЂTMs body, Simon ran along her spine. The dragon let out an agonized, insane cry.
A volley of ice spikes shot from KarisaвЂTMs body, raining down on Simon. He was still running, sword embedded, with no room to dodge.
"Pier, if you please!"
[Mwahaha! Here I go, boy!]
All of the bone armor detached from Simon, save for his right arm and shoulder guard, reforming into PierвЂTMs body beside him.
"Catch!" Pier yelled, catching the longsword Simon tossed from his subspace with his skeletal left hand. [This brings back old memories!]
He matched SimonвЂTMs pace, running alongside him and swinging the longsword, effortlessly slicing through the incoming ice spikes to protect Simon.
"Haaaaaaaaaah!" Simon roared, gripping the Greatsword of Ruin with his right hand and continuing his charge.
Their steps were identical, their speed perfectly matched. It was a flawless synchronization.
[Why!] Karisa shrieked in pain, her eyes wide as she glared at Pier. [First вЂTMthat womanвЂTM! And now you! Why do you immortals insist on helping these worthless mortals!]
[Kahahahaha! Foolish dragon!] PierвЂTMs voice boomed, shattering the last of KarisaвЂTMs ice projectiles. [It is because they are mortal that their lives are sublime and fierce!]
Pier disassembled again, reattaching to Simon as Bone Armor. Now Simon gripped the Greatsword of Ruin with both hands.
[You who live for eons,] PierвЂTMs voice resonated through Simon, [have you ever, for even a single moment—]
Simon stopped running, driving the greatsword forward.
[—been fierce?!]
A pure white slash erupted from the blade, traveling down KarisaвЂTMs body and striking her in the face. The ice dragon vomited blood and collapsed.
"Herseva! Trap her!" Simon yelled.
Long, golden structures shot up from the sand, pinning the fallen dragon. Mummies swarmed from their tombs, wrapping her in layers of bandages.
"We finally got her," Lethe said with a triumphant smile, descending on Ran.
[Heh. Hahahaha...!] Even as the golden structures tightened around her, Karisa was laughing. [How foolish! Look at the sky!]
Simon and Lethe snapped their heads up. Just like on the snowy mountain, a deep freeze was raging within the dungeon. вЂTMWhy is there a deep freeze in HersevaвЂTMs dungeon... Huh?вЂTM
The very space around them was cracking.
вЂTMHerseva! Are you okay?вЂTM Simon shouted in his mind.
[Gack! That dragon bastard...!] HersevaвЂTMs voice trembled. [SheвЂTMs the same... as me!!]
Her words were cut off. The World of Sand completely shattered, the golden city and mummy army vanishing into nothingness. Simon and Lethe were violently ejected, swept away as if by a torrent.
The world spun, then stabilized.
When he came to his senses, he was back in Eskyl village.
"Mr. Sean!"
"The Saintess is back too!"
The villagers had come outside when the deep freeze had stopped.
"What are you doing!" Lethe yelled. "Everyone, get back inside!"
Freed from the dungeon, Karisa soared into the air and roared. The peaceful, clear sky was instantly consumed by a raging blizzard. A cold breath formed in her mouth and surged toward the villagers.
"Agh! Damn it!" Lethe cursed, kicking off the ground and throwing up another вЂTMDivine BarrierвЂTM.
[I acknowledge you, mortals!] KarisaвЂTMs voice boomed as she turned to flee. [You are beings who could truly bring about my death! This was an unexpected development, but I will simply move my plans forward! Right now, I will cover this world in my power!]
Karisa began her escape, and Lethe, dropping the barrier, leaped onto Ran.
"Si—no, Sean! You protect the people! IвЂTMll chase her!"
With that, she shot off in pursuit. Before Simon could even reply, the chase between the two dragons had begun. Moments later, the sky flashed with light and the ground trembled as Lethe unleashed her authority.
Simon turned his attention to his staff. вЂTMHerseva! Are you okay? Snap out of it!вЂTM
[Ugh! My head! Such a headache! Hiss!] Herseva groaned, her form flickering back into a staff.
вЂTMWhy did you suddenly release the dungeon?вЂTM
[That bastard,] Herseva said, her voice strained. [SheвЂTMs the same Dungeon Lord type as me! My authority is to create a dungeon and pull others into it, right? Her authority is to turn someone elseвЂTMs world into вЂTMherвЂTM dungeon!]
вЂTMSo the reason the dungeon broke was...вЂTM
[Right. She overlaid her dungeon on top of mine and shattered it from the inside. WeвЂTMre polar opposites. Ugh!]
вЂTMYou did well, Herseva. Leave the rest to me.вЂTM Simon opened his subspace to let her rest.
[Remember this, kid,] Herseva said seriously before she disappeared. [If you donвЂTMt stop her rampage, this entire world could be engulfed in that freeze. You have to catch her now, before she finds a place to hide!]
вЂTM...IвЂTMll keep that in mind.вЂTM
After stowing Herseva away, Simon prepared for his next move.
Roca Region.
"Sn-Snow!"
"All of a sudden?"
Velesgo Region.
"ItвЂTMs snowing, Dad!"
"Snow in Velesgo? The world has finally gone mad."
Galli Region.
"What is all this? WhatвЂTMs happening?"
The ice dragon KarisaвЂTMs power was already spreading across the continent. It was only the beginning, but there was no telling how far it would reach.
Simon urged Akallion forward, racing across the frozen landscape. Meteor showers fell from the sky, shaking the earth, and the roars of two dragons echoed from above. вЂTMLetheвЂTMs amazing!вЂTM
She was holding Karisa off better than heвЂTMd expected, but her divinity wasnвЂTMt infinite. And watching Karisa deftly dodge the falling meteors, it was clear she wouldnвЂTMt be hit easily. вЂTMI need to get there, fast!вЂTM
He had never needed the ability to fly more desperately. His Ancient Undead, Akemus, had wings, but he was currently engaged in another battle far away.
—вЂTMWoof!вЂTM
"WhatвЂTMs wrong, Akallion?" Simon looked ahead. A sheer cliff dropped off before them, the path winding far around it. Going around would take far too long. "Akallion! You can fly, right?" he said, activating the divine magic circle Lethe had drawn on his back. Matching circles lit up on AkallionвЂTMs four legs.
—вЂTMWoof...вЂTM! Akallion whined, clearly lacking confidence.
Simon stroked his head reassuringly.
"You flew last time! You can do it!"
—вЂTMWoooof.вЂTM
"No, IвЂTMm telling you, you can! Believe in your power!" Simon rummaged through his subspace and pulled out a piece of fruit. "Remember this?"
—вЂTMWoof!вЂTM AkallionвЂTMs eyes sparkled.
"Just remember that feeling!" Simon threw the fruit with all his might, sending it sailing over the chasm. "Even if you fall, IвЂTMll catch you! LetвЂTMs go!"
—вЂTMWoooooooof!вЂTM
Akallion kicked up a cloud of dirt and charged. He leaped from the edge of the cliff, his massive body soaring into the air as divine sparks crackled from his paws.
"Yes!" Simon cheered. "Just like that! Move your legs and step on the air—!"
Akallion snatched the flying apple out of the air far too early. With its target acquired, the divine beast seemed to forget its primary objective. Its paws flailed uselessly in the air. —вЂTMWoooof!вЂTM In the end, Akallion plummeted toward the bottom of the cliff. —вЂTMWoof! Wooof!вЂTM For all his size, he was a massive coward.
Simon quickly retrieved AkallionвЂTMs divinity, shrinking him down and tucking him into his coat as he extended his right arm.
вЂTMCloud.вЂTM
An emerald rope of smoke shot out, anchoring itself to the cliffвЂTMs edge. But then—
—вЂTMMeow!вЂTM
—вЂTMMrow!вЂTM
As Akallion shrank, Whitey and Blacky tumbled out of his fur, now also in freefall.
"Ugh! When did you two get out here?" Simon yelped. They must have hidden in AkallionвЂTMs fur, knowing theyвЂTMd be scolded for coming out uncalled.
He instantly released the вЂTMCloudвЂTM, diving after them with Akallion tucked under one arm. вЂTMCloud!вЂTM
Another emerald tether shot from his arm, snatching the two kittens from the air. Simon planted his feet against the cliff face, channeling Jet-Black into his soles. He skidded down the sheer rock face, friction slowing his descent, and opened his subspace. вЂTMOpen Gate!вЂTM
OverlordвЂTMs tentacle blades shot out, the blunt sides wrapping securely around his body, finally bringing him to a halt.
"Phew."
With OverlordвЂTMs help, he climbed back up the cliff with the divine beasts.
—вЂTMMeow!вЂTM
—вЂTMMrow! Mrow!вЂTM
Akallion, back in his small form, hung his head dejectedly. But the two kittens, oblivious to their wrongdoing, bounced around his feet, begging for divinity.
"You two..!!" Simon began to scold them, but then he paused.
—вЂTMMeow!вЂTM
—вЂTMMrow! Mrow!вЂTM
The kittens werenвЂTMt just begging. They were trying to вЂTMtellвЂTM him something, their paws and tails gesturing frantically in a silent, urgent language.
A strange light flickered in SimonвЂTMs eyes. He finally rose to his feet.
"Alright."
He had already fallen far behind Lethe and Karisa. If he didnвЂTMt succeed here, his chances of catching up were zero.
"LetвЂTMs do it. Objectification."

Comments

Loading...