Translator: AnubisTL
The instant he reappeared, he raised his hand and pointed at the red-iron dragon.
Banishment—a spell that forcibly returns a target to its original plane. If the target is already in its main plane, it is randomly banished to a region it frequently inhabits.
In that instant...
An overwhelming repulsive force and spatial distortion emanated from Garos' surroundings, attempting to erase him from existence and cast him into the unknown.
Though the red-iron dragon's sheer size and power ultimately thwarted the banishment, the violent spatial disturbance still forcibly delayed his movements for a crucial instant.
It was precisely this precious moment that saved the Flower Knight from certain death, a fate that would have claimed him the instant he emerged from the space rift.
Simultaneously, the Flower Knight raised his cross-sword high. The blade erupted with a ten-meter-long energy edge, as solid and tangible as steel. He swung this massive blade in a defiant arc, meeting the encroaching dragon arm head-on.
Clang!
The cross-sword clashed violently against the dragon arm, the ear-splitting impact accompanied by a burst of dazzling sparks.
The blade, designed to cleave through fine steel, proved utterly incapable of severing the dragon's arm. It couldn't even leave a deep, bone-piercing wound. After barely piercing the red-iron dragon's impossibly tough scales, it became stuck as if trapped in a viscous, resilient substance. The vast majority of its force was nullified and absorbed, leaving it firmly lodged within the dragon's sinewy muscles.
Garos' training had yielded remarkable results here.
The Serpentfolk Blademaster's countless, razor-sharp strikes from her past had honed her body to an astonishing resistance against bladed weapons.
While the Flower Knight's vitality might not surpass that of the Vicious Wolf General Rhode, his magic energy was far more refined. The instantaneous burst power of his attacks even surpassed that of a level 16 Serpentfolk Blademaster. Combined with his lightning-fast reflexes and agile footwork, this allowed his to barely hold his ground against the four dragon arms transforming into a destructive storm. Truly extraordinary.
Yet, as the red-iron dragon's massive arm violently shook and trembled...
An irresistible, utterly pure, and terrifying brute force surged through the sword like a tidal wave.
Clang!
The cross-sword vibrated violently under the strain, emitting a deafening hum as it flew from the Flower Knight's grasp.
But the instant the blade was about to escape his hand, it dissolved into a phantom image and reappeared, firmly gripped in Charles' hand.
Weapon Link.
A deep connection with a weapon. As long as the weapon remains in the same space as its wielder, it can never be disarmed or knocked away. With a mere thought, it can be instantly recalled.
Meanwhile, as the Flower Knight swung his sword again, several more blades of pure ice energy materialized out of thin air, joining the crossblade in its attack on the red-iron dragon.
A transparent shield shimmering with arcane light instantly materialized, clinging closely to his body.
He didn't recite any incantations, yet the ice blades and the shield formed instantly through magic.
This was a combat style that perfectly blended the Shaping and Warding systems of magic with a warrior's martial prowess.
The signature fighting style of the Arcane Knight, an advanced branch of the Warrior Path.
Clearly, this Flower Knight had simultaneously cultivated two rare and powerful class paths: the Boundary Walker and the Arcane Knight.
Both paths demanded extraordinary innate talent.
Once mastered, they often granted a significant advantage over peers of the same level.
However, the crossblade instantly returning to his hand couldn't alter the dire disadvantage of the situation.
Even the glory of cultivating two rare paths couldn't turn the tide against the red-iron dragon's overwhelming power.
Crack! Crack-crack-crack!
The ice blades collided with the dragon's arm like glass striking an iron mountain, shattering into pieces. At best, they left a few insignificant white scratches on Garos's dark, metallic scales.
Facing the terrifying giant claw that lunged at him again, the Flower Knight was forced to activate Blink Strike for the fourth time. With a flash of silver light, he materialized ten meters away.
However, such frequent and forced activation of space magic was taking a tremendous toll on his body and spirit.
This time, before his true form had fully materialized, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple of spatial distortion appeared at his landing point.
The red-iron dragon's eyes deepened. Amplified by the transcendent insight and perception granted by his star-self appearance, this minuscule flaw was instantly magnified to infinite proportions, captured with perfect clarity.
Got him!
His dragon tail erupted in that instant, tearing through the air at a speed that defied sound, striking with pinpoint accuracy at the source of the distortion—a fraction of a second ahead of the Flower Knight's arrival.
The Flower Knight's figure had barely solidified when his vision was completely filled by the massive, scale-armored dragon tail.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The layers of arcane shields and warding sigils that had just materialized shattered like eggshells under the overwhelming force.
Clang!!!
The cross-sword he attempted to use for interception was violently knocked from his grasp.
Pfft—!
A torrent of scalding blood, mixed with the fragments of internal organs, erupted from Charles's mouth. He felt as if he had been struck head-on by a speeding mountain, his bones groaning under the unbearable strain. Like a kite with its string cut, he was yanked uncontrollably into the sky.
Only then did the sonic boom of the dragon's tail tearing through the air arrive, like a belated death knell, rolling in with a dull rumble.
True, the Flower Knight's Blink Strike and spatial skills had granted him exceptional agility, and the Arcane Knight path had made both his offense and defense remarkably well-rounded.
But given the vast disparities in race, size, absolute strength, and defense between the two combatants, a single mistake, a single opening, would instantly end the battle.
The red-iron dragon calmly raised a massive claw and clenched it in mid-air.
He firmly gripped the tiny, blood-soaked human in the palm of his claw.
Then, the dragon qi helmet dissipated. His colossal, formidable dragon head tilted slightly, his cold eyes calmly appraising the barely breathing prey in his grasp.
To be honest, this human's performance had exceeded Garos's initial expectations.
He had struck first, unleashing his frenzy state and launching a surprise attack, expecting to end the battle cleanly within two or three seconds. Yet this human had stubbornly held on for much longer, relying on his inherent strengths and advantages.
Had it been another dragon of Garos's caliber, one lacking in perception, defense, or absolute strength—unlike Garos, who was overwhelmingly powerful in all aspects—they would likely have struggled to defeat this extraordinary human, and might even have been suppressed and defeated by him.
The fact that he could simultaneously cultivate two such demanding paths as the Arcane Knight and the Boundary Walker was itself proof of his extraordinary innate talent.
To achieve such feats in a human body at such a young age, he was undoubtedly a rare human genius, possessing the makings of a legend.
Unfortunately, today he had encountered Garos.
"Human, as you wished," the red-iron dragon said slowly, gazing at the blood-drenched, barely breathing Flower Knight in his claws. "Now, we can talk calmly."
"Cough... Please, stop the war first..." The Flower Knight seemed unaware that his life hung by a thread at the red-iron dragon's whim. Instead of begging, he tilted his head slightly and looked toward the nearly one-sided battlefield beyond the hill, requesting softly.
After speaking these words, he could no longer bear his severe injuries. His vision darkened, his head lolled to the side, and he promptly passed out.
(End of the Chapter)
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