Florian observed the incoming behemoth from an overhanging bridge and sounded the signal to begin the bombardment. Blazes rained down upon the marching beast from the elevated bridges, seemingly crashing down from heaven.
Lao-Shan Lung remained on all fours, marching steadily as fire erupted from its surroundings. Ropes from the previous encounter against the cavalry still dangled over its horns, unconcerned even if the oil-soaked ropes caught on fire.
"Pour the grease!" Under Florian's signal, knights situated on the overhanging platform tipped over barrels of animal grease, drenching the passing dragon in a thick layer of oil that ignited as soon as fire made contact. The hellish scene of fiery tempest occupying the entire width and height of the valley made many grimace from the extraordinary heat. Yet, many leaned over to see the conflagration swallowing the beast, expectant and yet doubtful whether their attacks made a difference.
The wall of fire began to die down and the tremors halted, leaving only the sound of fire crackling. The humans got their hopes up for a brief moment, until the dragon casually walked out of the sea of flames, paying no heed to the observers.
"As expected..." Florian immediately ordered the knights to pour the remaining barrels on the left flank. Grease trickled down from the left side of the palisade, forming puddles of thick oil on the valley below. "Concentrate on the left!"
The grease was ignited, forming a wall of blazing inferno along the right flank of Lao-Shan Lung's path. Boulders, cannonballs and arrows continued to be pelted on the dragon's back, targeting the shattered region of the shells.
"The area has opened up, and yet it is still traversing through the scorching road..." Canopus watched over the battlefield from the rear, clenching his fists while sweat dripped down his face. "Just turn to your left for heaven's sake..."
"Load the barrels of explosive powder on the catapults! Fire!" Under Florian's command, barrels were flung into the air, arching over the cliff and landing atop the beast by the dozens. Loud and powerful explosions burst out upon impact, throwing shockwaves and debris into the air.
With the constant offenses, Lao-Shan Lung's shells on the right side of its body began to show signs of breaking, flaking off little by little. The humans maintained their discipline despite the visible result, keeping the pressure high on the advancing beast.
Lao-Shan Lung suddenly halted its march. It raised its head, looking at the overhanging bridges where humans were busy moving around and shooting. Using the might of its forelimbs, the dragon propped itself up on its hindlegs. Its head hoisted up into the air, facing the sky.
"It is going to roar! Brace yourselves!" Florian covered his ears and lowered his body, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Hunters and knights in close proximity to the dragon evacuated immediately, trying to get as far as possible.
Lao-Shan Lung took a deep breath, signaling to the humans that a roar would be coming soon. However, the beast did not let out an ear-shattering bellow. Instead, it used its herculean hindlegs and tail to propel itself forward, covering a substantial amount of distance with a single jump.
The entire assembly of humans was shocked at the sudden leap, unable to move or react from the absurdity.
The beast laid its mass upon the bridges and platforms, shattering them upon its return to the earth. The hunters, knights and logistic crews who thought they were far enough from the beast, were crushed and trampled under the gargantuan size of the elder dragon. The shockwave formed from the impact tore through the entire area, knocking loose several gigantic boulders and pulverising them upon their descent.
"Oh my Lord..." Florian was devastated from the massive casualties, but he gritted his teeth and began running towards his next position. "Supporters, drag the injured back to the rear! All the able-bodied survivors, retreat to Gate Three!"
"Unbelievable..." Catherine, assigned to Area Three and was constantly shooting the dragon with her new bow, Kut-Ku Stave, managed to survive by hanging on a rocky protrusion on the left flank. Despite being surrounded by fire that was still burning strong from the grease, the fear of the dragon's might made her sweat even more. She began to expertly scale the walls while avoiding the fiery spots until she found her footing atop an isolated wooden platform. "Aria, please hurry and bring the dracophage bugs..."
While thinking of her next move, she heard the sound of gongs, signaling her to retreat towards the gate. She immediately proceeded to traverse the cliff face with her agile body, but spotted an injured man crawling on the valley floor, right in the middle of the dragon's path. She instantly recognised him as one of the blacksmiths working under Lucio, volunteering himself to repair equipment for the hunters and knights during the siege.
"Damn it!" Without a second thought, she descended the scarp.
"Urgh! That thing can jump!?" Marion, who was running atop the cliff all the way from Area Two, was taken aback by the ridiculous scene she had just witnessed.
"At this point, I'm no longer surprised..." Running alongside Marion, Scarlet muttered under her breath. "If that thing is categorised as an eight-stars monster, how much more terrifying will the nine-stars Ukanlos be?"
"... We should have come earlier..." Alfina furrowed her brow in displeasure.
"Nothing would have changed even if we arrived here earlier. If anything, we would have been caught in that leap of death." Marion shuddered a little, despite her anger over the high number of casualties.
"We're reaching Gate Three!" Being at the foremost of the trio, Scarlet turned her head back to check on her companions, but she spotted a girl in a distance, descending the crag into the blazing path of the beast. "Catherine!"
"What!? We need to save her!"
"Wait, lady Marion! We will not make it in time!" Noticing the situation, Alfina tried to dissuade Marion who was heading towards the cliff edge.
"You will never know, unless you try!" With her wind spells, Marion took a leap of faith and controlled her descend.
Alfina stared in disbelief before seeing Scarlet also going down the escarpment with Marion.
"... Argh... I am going to hate myself after this!" Alfina jumped over the rocky edge.
"Hey, are you alright?!" By the time Catherine reached the valley floor, Lao-Shan Lung had resumed its march, inching closer with every second. "Here, have this potion and run as fast as you can!"
The flustered and terrified man took the vial with trembling hands and emptied the content. His leg wounds began to heal, but as he tried to stand, he collapsed, unable to escape his predicament. At that exact moment, both Catherine and the man realised that the latter had broken bones, a condition that a mere potion could not fully cure.
"Kuuh!" Catherine hauled the man onto her shoulder, running away at full speed, but the shadow of the beast had loomed over them. "I'm not built for strength."
Rocks and debris fell with every step, forcing Catherine to zig-zag in an effort to avoid being crushed by the larger boulders.
"Leave me... Save yourself..."
"No! I leave no one behind!" Catherine gritted her teeth in desperation, cursing herself for not being strong enough, for not being fast enough, and for not being as great as her late elder sister. Her legs began losing strength and her strides became heavier as tears ran down her cheeks. "I am always under your shadow, sister."
The dragon's forelimbs dug into the ground behind Catherine, sending rocks flying that disrupted her balance and putting more pain on her legs; even with aching feet, she pressed on and at the moment of despair, she saw Marion, Scarlet and Alfina sliding down the escarpment towards her. Their worried and determined faces reminded Catherine of their unwavering spirits and how much they reminded her of her sister.
"Me too... I want to be like her! No! I will surpass my sister!" Catherine's hands shone brightly, chasing away the dark that surrounded her from the dragon's shadow. The mark of Angelos was carved into her palms.
Catherine felt that her strides had become lighter and her strength returning. The initially low mana reservoir within her body had risen and her body circulated it with great efficiency, boosting her overall endurance and power. Her strides grew stronger and faster with every step.
"This..." With renewed determination, Catherine dashed out of the shadow, bathing under the warmth of the sun, escaping the jaw of death.
Marion and Scarlet who witnessed Catherine's growth were surprised, but were also delighted for the birth of another owner of the mark of Angelos. They immediately rushed in and slashed the dragon's head, trying to buy time for Catherine, no matter how minute it was.
Alfina joined the scuffle afterwards; she watched the gallant figure of Catherine retreating into the rear and bit her lip before chanting her fire spells. "Fire! Bless my heart and grant me your eternal strength! Enfer Perpétuel!"
Scarlet vaulted over and used the cliff face as a platform to land on the dragon's head. "Fire! Fill the raging soul of my sun! Novus Stella!"
Marion slid underneath the beast, avoiding the rubbles and forelimbs of the beast. "Wind! Gather my will around my blade and destroy my enemy! Pouncing Whirlwind!"
Alfina's blue ornament on her right hand shone, accepting a vast amount of mana. She swung her arms in front, drawing a circle that left a trail of blue flame. She proceeded to punch through the middle of the circle, creating a loud and flashy burst of fire that spurted out towards Lao-Shan Lung. The crashing wave of blue flame slammed the beast, scorching its forelimbs with intense heat.
Scarlet stabbed her glaive as her kinsect shone, wrapping her in a blinding light that radiated out. A sudden flash of light exploded outwards, followed by a brilliant flame that seared the dragon's head, peeling the outer layers of its proud horns.
Marion continued running underneath the beast as wind spun around her entire body, lifting the sand and debris around her. The ferocious wind gathered around her longsword and as Marion performed a powerful slash on the creature's underbelly, the wind followed. The intense swirl of air rippled along the beast; starting from its chest all the way to the tip of its tail, the torrent inflicted persistent cuts on the belly of the dragon.
The intense outflow of magical spells from the three hunters flinched the dragon a little. It felt the intense burn from Alfina and Scarlet, halting its march. The persistent cuts on its more vulnerable underbelly made the beast take a step back, trying to assess the damage it took.
"Those three did it again..." Lilium hopped on the valley floor after witnessing the gallant figures of the three hunters and received Catherine who was carrying the injured blacksmith.
"Your highness... hah, hah... I..."
"You did well. Leave him to the supporters." Lilium helped lowering the man and motioned her attendants to take it from here. "Here, drink this honey water. It should replenish your energy."
"Hah... hah... thank you..."
"The beast actually took a step back for the first time. We can do this."
Lao-Shan Lung reared its body back, standing on its hindlegs. Scarlet, vaulted out of the beast's head and landed beside Alfina. The elder dragon lowered its head and made eye contact with the three hunters, finally acknowledging their presence.
"We are going back now!" Marion rushed out of the dragon's shadow and both Scarlet and Alfina followed suit, heading towards Gate Three.
The low pitched growl of the dragon rumbled its surroundings; the valley was shivering in fear as the beast took a step forward, and another step with its hindlegs. Lao-Shan Lung was chasing after the three hunters.
"Miss Alfina!" Running at full speed, Scarlet noticed Alfina lagging behind both her and Marion and the distance widened overtime. "Use magic to propel yourself!"
"Hah, hah... hah, hah..." Alfina began losing focus as her body slowed down considerably.
"Mana exhaustion..." The horror struck Scarlet as she noticed that Alfina had used up all of her mana reserve in the previous spell.
"Hang on!" Marion, who also noticed Alfina's dire situation, was about to stop and help Alfina when a figure zoomed past her. "Huh!?"
A single cavalry galloped by both Scarlet and Marion to pick up the struggling Alfina in a single swoop before turning around. He immediately charged back to the direction of the gate, valiantly hugging Alfina.
"... I am sorry... father..." Tears welled up in Alfina's eyes, frustrated at her own immaturity.
"Later. We need to get out of this situation first." Elrion remained calm, concentrating on steering his horse to avoid the fallen boulders.
Both Scarlet and Marion chanted spells to boost their speed, darting across the area together with the galloping horse.
Lao-Shan Lung finally stopped and lunged forward, hurling its massive frame towards the escaping humans; its shadow loomed over them.
"Argh!!!" Marion sped up when darkness fell upon her own shadow.
Scarlet increased her magic output, unleashing more fire to propel herself further with every step.
Elrion squeezed his calves and leaned forward, giving the horse more rein to take bigger stride. Alfina hung on tightly to her father, closing her eyes and praying under her breath.
The gargantuan beast crashed down with calamitous force; the ground sank, sending copious amounts of debris flying and ripping the air into waves that radiated with inconceivable force. Any remaining fire on the entire Area Three was snuffed out in an instant.
"This is worse than before..." Beads of sweat formed on Canopus's forehead. "Please, oh mighty Lord Flare. Please let them survive this."
Dust and debris obscured the view and painted a sense of uncertainty for the onlookers. They held their breath in silence that was deafening.
Three silhouettes emerged from obscurity, running towards them. Elrion, now on foot, was carrying the exhausted Alfina and both Marion and Scarlet were closely following behind him. They continued their strides with bruises and blood flowing, but were very much alive.
Cheers erupted, breaking the suffocating silence as their prized hunters survived.
As the solace of the onlookers reached its peak, the monstrous head emerged from the cloud of dust, still in relentless pursuit. It started swinging its colossal head unto the escarpment, digging and scraping into the rocky surface and flung the loose boulders towards the escaping hunters. The jubilant atmosphere shattered and panic started to rise.
The beast resumed its advance, closing the gap with every thunderous step, occasionally tripping the escaping humans. The shadow of death loomed over the hunters once again.
"Shoot at the beast! Save them!" Florian ordered his knights to rush towards the few surviving ballistae in Area Three and start unloading giant bolts to stop the beast. He gritted his teeth for not stationing the knights on mounted weapon earlier. His plan to lure the dragon as close to the gate for a concentrated attack had potentially cost him the lives of several talented individuals.
A small figure leapt out from the safety of the gate and darted along the uneven surface of the scarp. With each step, the individual covered a vast distance, flying across the battlefield like a fairy that descended from heaven.
Lao-Shan Lung opened its mouth, ready to send Marion, Scarlet, Elrion and Alfina into its deadly maw. The struggling humans did not give up and continued dragging their worn out bodies in a heroic display of will power. However, death inched closer at them regardless as the beast lunged for a bite.
A fleeting sound of an object flying through the air cut the desperation as the dragon reeled back in pain.
"Huh..." Dumbfounded, Marion turned her head back and witnessed a crackling of red lightning dispersing within Lao-Shan Lung's mouth. "That is..."
A figure flew atop the beast and performed a descending thrust on its head before launching another spherical glass jar housing dracophage bugs into its mouth. "Apologies for the tardiness."
"You ought to be... show-off." Scarlet smiled at the appearance of her trusted companion.
"Sister..."
Aria tightly gripped her Steel Blade, facing off against the elder dragon.
Marion, Scarlet and Elrion retreated into safety. Alfina, currently carried by her father, watched the gallant figure of her sister shrinking and began feeling bitter about herself, clenching her fists in frustration.
"I will be your entertainer for now, and I brought some present for you." Aria chanted her wind spells and began her tussle with the monster, keeping it distracted while giving the retreating hunters the time to reach safety.
"That was reckless, Earl Sultier!" Viscount Coteau was worried and livid. "You broke formation and almost got yourself killed!"
"I apologise for the trouble I have caused." Elrion emptied two vials of health potions and drank an entire mug of honey water.
"The Viscount is right... I was the one being reckless, so I should have faced the consequence myself. There is no need for you to sacrifice yourself for me." Alfina sat with a downcast gaze after emptying several vials of mana potions.
"... Why did you jump to the valley? You, who do not bear the mark of Angelos."
"... I... I want to prove... prove my worth even more, for the sake of bringing glory to mother and the Sultier House..."
"There you have it. That is my answer too."
"I may be an absent father to you, burying myself in work and being cold to your mother. I know she is desperate for my love which I have lost... But when it comes to my duties as a father and husband, I will fulfil that no matter what... Perhaps, I am also trying to prove my worth, my existence..."
"... You are just as terrible at both of them..." Alfina took a deep breath and calmed herself, renewing her mettle. "I am going to be a better noble than you father, and bring the name of Sultier House to a higher standing in the empire."
"... I will pray that you achieve that."
"The Chosen One has returned!" A commotion broke out near the gate where Aria had successfully retreated from the advancing titan.
The tremors had begun to intensify, indicating that the beast was close to the gate. All hunters and knights resupplied their items and checked their equipment. The logistic units hurriedly delivered supplies while blacksmiths repaired the broken equipment and items.
"Scarlet!" Alfred had crafted the hooking rope that he used to save Scarlet. "I have made a bunch of these and distributed them to many hunters. I hope that it will become useful when trying to scale that dragon."
"It already has." Scarlet wrapped one end of the rope around her waist and bundled the rest into several loops before hanging them on her side. "Thank you."
"You are welcome." Alfred and Scarlet smiled at each other, maintaining eye contact for some time.
"We are still at the battlefield, you know."
"Hiek! Elder brother!? When did you-"
"For quite some time." Crossing his arms, Alfonse let out a small and brief sigh. "Keep that sweet atmosphere for the after party when we have repelled that dragon."
""..."" The couple felt the heat rising to their face in embarrassment.
Standing atop the platform, watching the beast making its way closer, Lilium and Catherine finished their ration before being greeted by Marion.
"Hey there Catherine, congratulations on manifesting the mark."
"Ugh! Lady Marion, we're in the presence of her highness princess Lilium!"
"Hahaha, it is fine. I rather like this casual chatter." Lilium motioned Marion to join them for the brief respite. "If that beast breaches this gate, we will have a hard time in Area Four. After all, the turn is rather sharp, making the cavalry tactic from Area Two obsolete."
"Indeed, but in the case that it does enter Area Four, we will do our absolute best to ensure that beast turns around, so there is no need to fret."
"That is rather reassuring." A smile formed as Lilium glanced upon Marion's determined face.
"Ah, I almost forgot." Catherine stood and bowed. "Lady Marion, I need to thank you for your help. Without you and your companions, I would not have survived carrying that blacksmith."
"We are all fellow hunters, so they are your companions as well, and companions help each other, no matter the danger."
"Beautifully said, miss Marion!" Rosa naturally entered their conversation. "That valiant figure of yours in trying to buy time for Catherine here is incredibly beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful thing you have ever done. I am so touched by it, that tears welled in my eyes!"
"... Err... Thank you... I guess..."
"There is no need to thank me! You have certainly earned it!"
"""..."""
Lao-Shan Lung continued its relentless march, stomping and pulverising any boulders blocking its way. Its eyes had sharpened, feeling the need to be cautious of the humans standing before it. As the dragon drew closer to the man-made bulwark, the humans scattered away. The beast had remembered the previous gate exploding underneath its feet, sending damages onto its underbelly.
The elder dragon halted before Gate Three, ready to smash through it.