Fallen Dragon (2)
The dragon they faced once more… looked nothing like the one Woojin remembered.
Its once-splendid silver scales—shining like forged steel—had lost their luster. Many had fallen away as if torn out, and in those empty patches, thick, sticky mucus had clotted and hardened.
Its six pairs of wings were shredded like worn rags. They drooped lifelessly, dragging across the dirt.
The Fallen Dragon had forgotten how to fly.
Now it crawled along the ground like a beast, driven only by endless hunger.
None of its former majesty remains.
It looked like a luxury sports car dragged out of a swamp and forced back into motion.
…And yet, it was terrifying.
The dragon-abomination had brought its own army—countless fused horrors. Among them were creatures that had once been Gnolls, Naga, and even dark-side priests.
Beings who had once stood among the allied races.
The dragon halted and let out a low growl.
At the sound, the abominations advanced—an army of the dead that would never stop.
The Naga warriors facing them faltered, their morale visibly shaken.
"…Now it is the warriors' time!!"
A thunderous shout rang out.
Gnoll Queen Krnartash.
Boom, boom—boom, boom—
Gnoll riders atop war rhinoceroses pounded war drums with fierce rhythm. Beside the queen, Braknark raised a horn and blew.
BWOOOOOOOOOO—!
The sound roared like a ship's horn.
The war rhinoceroses charged.
It was a prearranged signal. The Naga at the front hurriedly split left and right. Caught in that unstoppable charge, they would be crushed.
Like the Red Sea parting, the army divided.
The rhinoceroses, bearing Gnoll warriors, slammed directly into the enemy lines.
BOOM! CRASH!!
They swung their massive heads wildly, sweeping abominations aside, trampling them into pulp as they forced their way through.
Their target—
The dragon-abomination watching from the rear.
"Time for us to move."
"Indeed."
Woojin and Roland followed.
Thud, thud, thud!
The drake carrying them and the holy knights surged forward without hesitation. Not to be outdone, Veshkan's drake advanced alongside them.
The two drakes ran neck and neck.
Veshkan cast a sidelong glance.
"…Did you attach something to that drake's back?"
Woojin gave the same answer as before.
"You'll see."
There was no need to bother translating.
The preparations were complete.
Kiiiiiiing—!
A sharp whine, like the cry of an eagle.
The large amethyst embedded in the ballista glowed brilliantly.
Two large ballistae.
Before leaving Gnoll territory, Woojin had ordered craftsmen and laborers to secure them firmly onto the drake's saddle.
Click.
Woojin and Roland pulled their triggers simultaneously.
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!!
The twin ballistae unleashed a storm of bolts. Silver streaks tore across the battlefield, carving through the enemy ranks.
"GRAAAAH—!"
Screams erupted.
The silver bolts, imbued with divine power, were lethal to abominations. Wherever the streaks passed, the creatures dissolved in sequence.
Veshkan muttered,
"…Magnificent."
With drakes for mobility and ballistae for firepower, they possessed both speed and destructive force.
Following the path carved by the rhinoceroses, Woojin and Roland targeted especially powerful foes.
The Gnolls advanced far more easily.
The abominations, meanwhile, desperately sought to destroy the nuisance weapon.
SHWEEE—
A vicious gust.
Woojin instinctively ducked.
A bone spear whistled past his head, grazing his hair.
Naga-abominations hurled captured javelins. Most missed—but several flew with deadly accuracy toward Woojin and Roland.
"Damn it, no breathing room!"
Roland raised his shield, deflecting incoming projectiles. They could not allow even a stray spear to damage the ballista.
They had to block, evade, aim, and fire—all at once.
It was a perilous role, and thus the two strongest—Woojin and Roland—served as gunners.
…Then—
Click. Click-click.
The ballista suddenly fell silent.
Already?
They had exhausted their bolts.
Woojin yanked free the long wooden ammunition box slotted into the weapon. He handed the empty container back, and a waiting holy knight passed him a fresh one—packed with silver bolts like a massive magazine.
As he reloaded, a chill ran down his spine.
"…Watch out!"
Woojin spun and shouted.
CLANG!!
A charging spear struck a holy knight in the side.
The knight staggered—and toppled off the drake.
Woojin lunged, catching his wrist just in time.
The knight dangled precariously, but Woojin hauled him back up.
Fortunately, the armor had dented but not been pierced.
There was no time for reassurances.
Woojin returned to his seat and resumed firing.
Their resistance is intensifying.
Naturally.
The allied forces were driving deep into enemy lines like a wedge. The deeper they penetrated, the stronger the opposition.
CRACK!!
A gigantic Gnoll-abomination seized a rhinoceros by the horn.
The beast shoved forward—but the abomination barely budged more than two steps before bracing itself.
Then it slammed the rhinoceros' head into the ground.
BOOM! BOOM!!
Each impact shook the earth.
The rhinoceros shrieked in agony, struggling wildly. With every slam, its skull visibly crumpled.
Gnoll and Naga warriors rushed to intervene—
But the abomination swung its forelimb.
Its claws never touched them.
It merely slashed the air.
SHRAAAAAK—!
But the bodies of the charging Naga and Gnolls were torn apart.
The arc of the claws seemed to ignore distance itself. Warriors staggered back, blood pouring from deep gashes.
Braknark bared his fangs.
"…Blade Wind Jagnor."
Once, he had been a Great Warrior of the Gnoll tribe.
Long ago, Jagnor had sacrificed himself to protect the tribe. His death had left a vacancy among the Great Warriors—one Braknark had filled.
It had never been what Braknark wanted.
"I always wanted to defeat you myself."
He had trained for years to surpass that warrior.
Crack, creak—
Braknark's muscles swelled grotesquely, veins writhing like worms beneath his skin. Gripping his bone hammer, the Gnoll Great Warrior leapt forward.
BOOOOM!!
The hammer smashed into the earth with a thunderous blast. Jagnor retreated swiftly, claws flashing.
Blades of wind, sharp as steel, surged forward.
Braknark ripped his hammer upward from the ground in a powerful swing.
BOOOOOM!!
Dirt and gravel exploded outward like a crashing wave. The flying debris collided violently with the slicing wind.
While the two warriors clashed, the allied forces of three races continued their breakthrough.
Woojin scanned the battlefield.
…We're almost there.
In their furious advance, the distance to the dragon had shrunk dramatically. Just a little further—
But the losses were mounting.
Pssshhhh—
Gray smoke rose from the large ballista.
The mana stone was nearly depleted.
Woojin ignored it.
There's no time to replace it.
Reloading bolts in the heart of enemy lines was difficult enough. Replacing the mana core would take far longer.
They had done enough damage.
With that judgment, Woojin abandoned the ballista without hesitation and withdrew. Roland soon released his trigger as well.
"Hey, Jin! What now?!"
Roland shouted while deflecting a hail of spears.
Before Woojin could answer—
The dragon-abomination rose and fixed its gaze on them.
Their eyes met.
Is it just my imagination?
But then—
It began striding directly toward them.
Each step closed the distance at an alarming rate.
A vast shadow fell over them.
The dragon stood upright on its hind legs and opened its jaws wide.
"…Jump!"
Woojin shouted and leapt from the drake's back without hesitation.
Roland cursed and followed, along with the holy knights.
CRUNCH!!
The dragon's jaws snapped shut around the drake's neck.
The drake convulsed violently—but the dragon ignored its thrashing and continued chewing.
Woojin and the holy knights landed hard on the ground.
Even as it crushed flesh between its teeth, the dragon stared unblinkingly at Woojin.
Its green eyes burned like sulfurous fire.
…Does it remember me?
It seemed the dragon retained memories from when it had still been alive.
Otherwise, that gaze made no sense.
A sigh escaped Woojin.
How the hell do we kill that bastard?
As he pondered—
Reinforcements arrived at his sides.
Naga King Veshkan.
Gnoll Queen Krnartash.
The three stood facing the dragon.
Roland muttered to the holy knights beside him,
"Looks like we'll just sit back and watch."
Shrrrng!
Despite his words, Roland and the knights drew their swords in unison.
As if that sound were a signal, the leaders of the alliance charged.
Krnartash led.
The Gnoll Queen kicked off the ground repeatedly, accelerating in a straight line toward the dragon—no feints, no hesitation.
Fast, but simple.
The dragon spat a torrent of venom at her, as though spitting at an insect.
The poison engulfed her.
Boom.
The air shimmered strangely—like heat distortion.
Krnartash vanished without a trace.
In the same instant, she reappeared seven strides ahead.
Blink.
Short-range teleportation.
Using it, she closed the gap in a heartbeat.
The dragon raised one massive foot to crush her—
BOOOOM!!
Its foot slammed into the ground.
But Krnartash had already blinked away.
Into the opening stepped Veshkan.
Thrust!
The trident drove deep into the dragon's opposite ankle.
The massive body flinched. It was not a fatal blow—
But Woojin had arrived.
He clenched his right fist.
Weight Amplification.
His fist grew heavier.
He smashed the end of Veshkan's trident shaft as if hammering a nail into stone.
THOOOOM!!
A deafening impact.
The trident plunged deeper.
The dragon howled in pain and retaliated wildly.
Venom sprayed in torrents. Claws crashed down. Its tail swept the ground, shattering everything nearby.
It was determined to annihilate the entire area.
The three moved with uncanny agility, narrowly avoiding the onslaught.
Roland blinked.
"…How are we supposed to help with that?"
He had no intention of merely watching—
But this was a clash of titans.
If they interfered carelessly, they would only be crushed in the crossfire.
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