"You have some nerve underestimating me, halfling." After the pressure faded, Suarif was finally able to move. It wasn't an impossible pressure to resist but the point was just to separate them from each other to avoid getting overwhelmed.
That means this human can't handle all of them at once. That being said, he possesses strange but powerful abilities, as demonstrated by that spatial magic.
Suarif isn't very familiar with the Halo's abilities so he didn't know that skill was an ocular ability. All he knows is that hypnosis can be broken with force.
As if he read Suarif's mind, he spoke: "Forget about breaking them free with force. The link between us is maintained through my energy flow. So long as I maintain my concentration, they'll stay under the hypnosis."
He cursed inwardly. This isn't an ordinary bastard.
"…That sealing technique…" he looked at the bloody gates, "You are a Blood Arts user… I haven't seen your kind since the age of Murim." Steam rose from Suarif's body as he began to shrink. As the seconds went on and a light erupted, he was finally in his humanoid form. In the place of the once formidable dragon was a tall young man with wild silver hair, snake-like eyes with white pupils and black eyewhites. His upper body was bare but there was a faint sign of scales upon closer inspection. He wore white trousers with his tail hanging behind him.
His sharp teeth bared themselves when he smirked, "It matters not! I'll slice you apart for underestimating and insulting me!"
Him, the weakest!? He can overpower all his siblings besides Nyra as he's the fourth oldest.
The hooded figure silently got into a stance with his sword. A white energy surrounded his body.
'A martial artist with Aether. Someone like him should be a bigshot in human society. Why did he choose to attack us now?'
Using Aether isn't easy so he's most likely a martial master, the strongest in this era. Does he think he can attain a higher realm of power by killing a dragon lord?
"Once I've claimed your head, I'll take it to the humans and find out who your family is then slaughter them all!" the moment Suarif blinked, the man appeared right in front of him, a streak of white light revealing the path he took, "Kakaka! Too slow!"
Suarif aimed to slice his arms off but the man suddenly turned to mist when they made contact. No, he teleported a short distance away and all that was left in place was a misty figure where he once was.
"Tch!" Suarif looked behind him and kept an eye on his sides, however—
He sensed danger behind him.
'What!? He never left!?'
But when he turned around to his original position, he found nothing.
Clicking his tongue at being toyed with, he remained focused. The next moment, three voices flowed into his ear, "If physical strength is all you have to offer, you won't be that difficult to take down."
'He's clearly never fought anyone on equal footing before, only ripped weakling dragons and monsters apart.' Thought the hooded figure.
Roaring, Suarif swung his arm in a circle, with enough power behind it to crush anything in its path. He merely moved his neck to the side and swung diagonally, aiming to cut Suarif's side.
"Humph!" but the dragon lord gathered an incredible force of wind in his palm and sent the man flying across the marbled floor, "Face me like a real warrior and don't resort to tricks!"
Suarif jumped, the force of that jump creating a gigantic crack in the thick marbled floor, making the mountains outside scream. He gained so much altitude that the man was now an ant in his vision. Using the force of his fist, he punched upward, sending himself crashing down with the strength of a meteor, until he crashed to the floor, connecting with the man's sword.
'Such durability! What sort of sword is this!?'
But if a demigod is using it, it must be an extraordinary weapon that was found in a relic tomb filled with various dangerous trials and tribulations.
The force of their clash created an even bigger crater in the floor than Suarif's jump.
They vanished from view and the only thing that could be seen was the sparks created from Suarif's sharp claws striking the blade. The shockwaves were sent through the mountains, making even powerful monsters retreat from this region, fearing they'd end up in a confrontation with the individuals that could even make the ground shake.
Arnold had split his consciousness with his clone so he was at two places at once, one traveling across the empire, and the other fighting a Dragon Lord.
It was an unpleasant sensation.
Every clash echoed through two minds simultaneously. While one half crossed the empire with measured steps, the other devoted every thought to surviving the monster before him. A lesser practitioner would've collapsed trying to divide their concentration like this.
Arnold simply adjusted.
His sword intercepted another claw.
CLANG!
The blade was pushed back slightly under the impossible force before springing back.
"Kuh!" Arnold groaned feeling the pressure grow stronger.
Suarif's tail whipped toward Arnold's ribs but he disappeared again. This was all possible thanks to his skill that allows him to teleport using the water particles in the air.
The tail carved through the palace wall instead.
Stone exploded into dust and the entire side of the mountain trembled.
"So you only know how to run!" Suarif roared.
Arnold emerged from the dust directly above him without responding to the provocation.
His sword descended.
Suarif caught it between two fingers.
"...Got you." But when he tried to grab Arnold, he began bloody mist again.
"…You rely too heavily on that Blood Art." The dragon lord said in distaste.
Arnold didn't answer.
He shifted his footing as Aether flowed through every tendon, very muscle and nerve, strengthening his body and boosting his stats considerably.
"..."
For the first time since the fight began—
His instincts screamed.
Without hesitation, Suarif crossed both arms.
A flash blinded him.
Then—
BOOM!!
The impact launched him through three enormous pillars before he dug his feet into the marble, carving two trenches hundreds of meters long.
"..."
He slowly lowered his arms.
A shallow cut stretched across both forearms.
Black blood dripped onto the floor.
His eyes widened.
That strike...
It was one perfected through countless life and death battles. This person was, without a doubt, an experienced martial artist who had to perfect his martial arts to survive.
Suarif laughed louder than his roar from before.
"Kakakakaka!"
His laughter shook the palace.
"Good!"
The silver-haired Dragon Lord stretched his shoulders.
"At least you won't die disappointingly! You'll die a warrior's death!"
Steam burst from every pore of his body, "Huuu…! Humph!"
The temperature of the entire chamber rose.
The marble beneath his feet cracked under the weight of the pressure being exuded from his body.
Arnold narrowed his eyes.
"So, this is your true [Draconic Physique]." His bones cracked and his muscles expanded. Silver scales spread over his skin like flowing liquid.
The next moment his arms thickened, his claws lengthened and his curved horns pushed farther from his head. Although he remained humanoid, the creature standing before Arnold no longer resembled a man. It was a werebeast surpassing him in height by three heads.
His tail and horns were once his only feature as a dragon, but now he was a humanoid dragon, his strength condensed into a tiny vessel.
Every breath released enough pressure to shake the mountain.
"I was trying not to destroy this palace as it was my birth place."
Suarif rolled his neck.
"But since you're proving entertaining..."
He disappeared after hopping on the spot. The palace exploded behind Arnold before the sound even reached him.
Instinct alone saved him.
He twisted, and a moment later a claw brushed across his shoulder.
"Keuk!" Blood splashed, landing on Suarif's smirking face. He licked it in glee.
Arnold slid backward.
The humanoid transformation had concentrated the dragon's enormous body into a smaller frame. Every ounce of strength had become denser and every movement became explosive. It's said to be the full power of a dragon lord.
Suarif pursued relentlessly.
Claw.
Tail.
Palm.
Elbow.
Knee.
Each strike carried enough force to level a fortress. Luckily, Luxtivin wasn't just any sword. It was made from Arnold's pure energy and a fragment of a collapsed star. Due to this trusty weapon, he could block using the blade.
Arnold no longer counterattacked.
He simply avoided as he knew even with his enhanced body, he would be in danger if those attacks landed.
His movements flowed like water, utilizing the full might of his martial skills. Like blood between muscles. And rivers between mountains.
Yet even so—
A cut appeared on his arm.
Then another across his thigh.
Unable to bear the onslaught of attacks, he teleported a short distance away, right in Suarif's blindspot.
'Not being able to use my martial arts and my two strongest skills will be annoying in this fight.' He can't risk them finding out about his martial arts and possibly connecting the dots and coming to find him later.
The hypnosis may be active but they can still perceive the world around them.
He had several other cards up his sleeve but he didn't want to waste too much time. If his Aether runs out, he'll lose control of the Halo. He had to leave the majority of his Aether in the clone, knowing how dangerous this fight would be.
Suarif's claw slammed into him.
A portion of the ceiling burst apart and he was sent flying into the sky.
"Humph, you came here so brazenly yet you can't defend yourself against a light strike like that? Puny demigod." After manifesting wings, Suarif flew to the outside, seeing if he could spot the man.
There was silence for a brief second then a white streak descended from the sky.
He crashed down toward Suarif like a falling star.
The Dragon Lord welcomed him with a smirk.
Their strikes collided, sending a shockwave that split the clouds and flattened every tree in a 100-kilometer radius.
Neither yielded as their clashes continued.
However, the mountains beneath them did, their peaks collapsing and entire cliffs breaking away.
It was a miracle how the castle—now a long distance away from the two—could still stand.
Due to this being a snowy region, several Creatures fled in every direction sensing the avalanches that crashed to the valleys and forest below.
Birds, which had gotten used to the cold over evolution, dropped from the sky, unable to withstand the pressure.
Above, Suarif twisted Arnold's wrist.
His knee struck Arnold's abdomen.
Arnold coughed blood.
Before Suarif could follow up, Arnold's body dissolved into mist once more and he vanished.
"Tch! Your tricks are becoming annoying."
Arnold landed several hundred kilometers away using the Virgin's Blood Ring.
His breathing had grown heavier.
Blood dripped steadily from multiple wounds so he cast a high tier healing spell while Suarif was catching up.
"Of course, he knows where I am… Gotta hurry."
He knew the battle would be difficult with just 80% of his original stats. Currently, he's using every ounce of Aether he has to keep up.
"So, this is the power of dragon lords, huh… Even the weakest is this strong…"
'Should I use Essence of Hydra to gain a temporary power up? No, it would take too long to gather any meaningful amount of energy. Rain of Aether? No, Suarif's scales aren't for show and that skill is only good for crowds.'
He glanced towards the castle, making sure the others were still under the hypnosis power then breathed a sigh of relief, "It works even at this distance."
But then a sharp pain struck his chest.
No, it wasn't Suarif who caught up—
"Gederick, what the hell's going on in there!?"
Unfortunately, the spirit was still going berserk inside his body. Gederick hadn't been able to subdue it yet.
-'This is your own fault, mortal! Why did you split up your subconscious and internal energy!? It would have been easier than this if I had the rest!'
"Tch, I can't delay this mission any further!"
-'Cursed Ladiath! Why did that scum have to come down to this world!'
He could understand the martial spirit's frustration somewhat. It's basically a copy of Gederick, a warrior of the divine realm who fights gods like Ladiath so being unable to do anything is considered very shameful for his proud people.
While the frustration was gnawing at him even now, he knows Arnold had no choice but to do this, lest her upsets that overpowered psychopath who wants to challenge the entire Nine Realms. Flattening this entire world will be easy for someone as powerful as him even if he doesn't have the offspring, and no one will be able to stop him.
Just like Arnold said, until he finds a way to counter that ability, he will obey Ladiath. As shameful as it is, no one has the right to call him a coward or weak.
-'I've absorbed two quarters of its energy by now so it's not impossible to subdue it!'
That's reassuring. Once Gederick absorbs it fully, the spirit will vanish and its internal energy will become his—no, it will become Arnold's, thereby making him stronger.
This is another reason why Arnold wanted to risk it.
Internal energy from a ten-thousand-year-old evil spirit? Yes please.
"Gahaha!" Suarif's loud laughter shook the mountains as he caught up, the shockwave from his flight destroying the land below, "Running like a coward, are you!?"
He appeared in front of Arnold a second later, swinging his claw, ready to skewer him. Fortunately, Arnold had finished healing.
'I should make more use of this pure martial art.'
Their weapons met, devastation following once again. Then—
A thin line appeared across Suarif's chest.
"..."
He looked down.
Blood slowly flowed.
"...Impossible."
"When... did you cut me?"
"I didn't."
"What?"
Suarif's eyes widened.
In response, he raised the hand he cut earlier, "Did you think I only cut my palm to use Blood Arts?"
Then he swung his hand, making his blood splatter all over Suarif's body, just like it did earlier.
"???" the dragon lord looked in confusion at the blood. It was just ordinary human blood, stinking of iron...?
So, what's—
The next moment, the blood burned hot and red light exploded from Suarif's body, feeling like hundreds of swords cutting through his armor.
"GAAAAAAH! WHAT IS THISSSSS!?" through the explosions, his pained cries resounded.
"Blood Arts of the Sovereign – [A Thousand Bloody Thorns]." said Arnold as he did the hand sign for the martial skill.
Suarif's body was struck again by mysterious blows yet it didn't come from a sword. This is a dangerous technique for its wielder since it uses the wielder's own blood as a weapon.
Doing the hand sign for the technique, he activated it again, making thorns of blood strike Suarif's body once again. Since his wings were ripped to shreds, Suarif fell to the bottom of the valley while impaled by pikes of blood.
Down below them was a gigantic hole that was so deep, no light could show what lay at the bottom.
That was a level 20 martial skill of the [Sovereign of Blood] so it wasn't an ordinary technique by any means but…
"That won't keep him down forever." He was starting to become dizzy and the link between him and the dragon lords was starting to tremble, "Gotta… end it in the next blow…"
Thinking so, he raised his weapon to the heavens while levitating far above the sky.
The clouds turned dark and thunder boomed.
ROAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR—
The powerful roar of a dragon came from high above and lightning gathered, striking the ground with countless lightning bolts.
His racial skill [Dragon's Descent – Lightning].