The rock layers of the Elder's Recess vibrated incessantly the moment Malzeno landed, the entire azure crystal landscape seemingly resonating with its roar.
Leon's footing grew heavy as his eyes locked onto the Elder Dragon slowly emerging from the dust.
This silver-white monster was the one he had once fallen before under its draconic pressure; now, challenging it once more, the crimson pupils revealed not just hostility, but an intense longing.
Leon said in a low voice, "Dumpling, follow the plan. We'll surround it together!"
"Roger that, meow!" Dumpling shouted as he leapt up, quickly throwing the Flash Pod in his hand.
BOOM!
White light briefly blinded Malzeno's vision.
Leon took the opportunity to dash forward, bolstered by Demon Mode, lunging straight for Malzeno's right foreleg.
However, Dumpling was even faster, already positioned at Malzeno's left foreleg. He raised his Vaal Hazak Felyne Sword high and slashed down fiercely.
Normally, a Felyne's attack couldn't cause much damage to a monster, but since Dumpling's attributes now mirrored Leon's exactly, this strike left a shallow gash on Malzeno's hard scales.
CLANG!
Simultaneously, Leon's Decimation Claws struck the scales of the right foreleg. Although they didn't break the armor, the impact made Malzeno stagger. It countered with a tail swipe, but Leon had already predicted the move.
He evaded with a side-step, redirecting a Demon Flurry Rush toward the right side of the belly, followed immediately by a Demon Reverse Slash.
[DEMON DOUBLE SLASH!]
[DEMON SIX-FOLD SLASH!]
The entire combo erupted in an instant.
Malzeno's attacks were relentless as well, and Leon took some heavy hits in return. Fortunately, Vaal Hazak Vitality provided super-recovery, preventing his health from dropping too far.
'The attack frequency...' Leon analyzed rapidly in his mind, 'Its movements are faster than before, but it hasn't entered its berserk state yet. I can't let this chance slip away.'
Dumpling hovered on the flank. Because of his small stature, Malzeno's enmity remained locked on Leon.
With those thoughts, Leon brandished his Decimation Claws and shouted, "Dumpling, keep up the pressure!"
"Here I come, meow!" Dumpling leapt high, his Vaal Hazak Felyne Sword striking Malzeno's cheek.
Wincing in pain, Malzeno snapped its jaws at Dumpling, but the cat easily evaded with agile movements.
While dodging, Dumpling even managed to slash at its protruding beak. Although the damage was minor, it was certainly insulting.
Leon seized the moment, locking onto the head with his Clutch Claw.
Whoosh!
He sprang into the air, pouncing onto the dragon's head like a meteor.
[HEAVENLY BLADE DANCE!]
Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!
The wheel-like series of slashes traveled from Malzeno's head all the way to its tail, leaving shallow bloody gashes across its back.
But an Elder Dragon was, after all, an Elder Dragon.
The next second.
Malzeno roared in fury, its wings snapping open as black and red dragon energy erupted from its mouth like flames.
The temperature in the air seemed to soar instantly. Leon could clearly see Malzeno's scales glowing with a strange blood-red light before its silhouette flickered and suddenly vanished.
'Teleportation!?' Leon had just processed the thought when a violent gale hit him head-on, the sharp whistling of wind piercing his ears.
Whoosh!
Malzeno appeared directly in front of Leon, sweeping a storm with its wings.
Leon gritted his teeth and side-stepped out of the way, just barely avoiding it, though the residual wind sent him stumbling back.
"Newbie, meow!" Dumpling cried out, clutching a green water orb as he ran over quickly.
Pop!
The water orb burst, restoring Leon's vitality.
Giving no room to breathe, Malzeno's two-stage charge came one after another.
Leon and Dumpling evaded to the left as planned. The massive golden dragon horns brushed past them, dealing no damage.
With his offensive rhythm disrupted, Leon chose to use consecutive side-steps to create distance and reset his stance.
At that moment, a swarm of Qurio took to the air, filling the sky.
"This time, we won't be beaten into a corner like before." Leon took a deep breath, the fire of battle reigniting in his eyes.
He stood up and activated Demon Mode once again.
Leon pounced forward instantly, his Clutch Claw snapping into the gaps between the dragon scales. Using the momentum to spin in mid-air, he drove a Demon Flurry Rush into Malzeno's left chest.
"ROAR!!" Malzeno howled in anger, its tail raised high as the two-stage tail stab came again.
"Back off!" After landing, Leon shifted his footwork and side-stepped, his body gliding across the ground like water to evade the first segment of the tail stab.
The second segment followed immediately.
The Clutch Claw fired again. Leon launched himself upward, grazing the edge of the tail as he soared past, delivering an aerial strike to the dragon's back.
Dumpling had already moved to the lower right, his Vaal Hazak Felyne Sword slamming into Malzeno's belly.
Now that Dumpling possessed Leon's attributes, his damage was enough to make Malzeno feel the sting.
Leon took the opportunity to land and slid directly under the dragon's belly, where a Blade Dance erupted!
The blades slashed repeatedly, sending blood spraying!
"ROAR!!" Malzeno's wings snapped open, causing the air to vibrate violently.
Seeing this, Leon was already prepared. He warned, "Spinning Charge Tornado! Get clear, fast!"
Hearing this, Dumpling immediately pulled away to the far edge.
[SIDE-STEP!]
Leon also made a split-second judgment, side-stepping backward twice to narrowly avoid the sweeping tornado.
However, in the next second.
Malzeno opened its maw and spat out a Dragon Element Orb. The ground was scorched with charred cracks. Leon couldn't dodge in time, but just as he was about to be hit, Dumpling lunged and shoved him aside.
Leon tumbled to the ground and scrambled back to his feet instantly.
Reflected in the black and red light, the silver-white Elder Dragon continued to march forward, making the crystalline canyon shake violently.
Its massive frame was like a snow-covered mountain peak. A slight flap of its dragon wings whipped up a gale as sharp as blades.
Leon's gaze became as cold and sharp as a blade. He crouched low, his Decimation Claws grazing the ground as he bypassed the wind blades, his dark silhouette sliding into the center of the battlefield.
"Dumpling, keep up the offensive!" he shouted in a low voice.
"Understood, meow!" Dumpling leapt onto a high platform and pulled out a Large Barrel Bomb. "I'll draw its attention!"
With a loud bang, the Large Barrel Bomb struck Malzeno's left cheek accurately. The Elder Dragon's crimson eyes shifted, its wings flared, and its roar shook the heavens.
The next second, its sharp tail lunged forward like a spear!
Leon's pupils constricted. He fired his Clutch Claw, launching himself into the air to dodge the consecutive tail thrusts. He flipped and landed steadily on the dragon's back.
Blade light fell like meteors, sending bursts of blood from Malzeno's spine. At the same time, the Elder Dragon flapped its wings violently.
BOOM!
Leon was blown back and rolled onto the ground. He immediately deployed a Health Booster on the spot.
Malzeno didn't stop, pouncing forward. But Leon didn't dodge; instead, he met it head-on with a Blade Dance, striking the dragon's right foreleg. Scales flew and blood splattered.
"I'm not done yet!" Leon licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, dashed to Malzeno's flank, and slashed upward.
Thanks to his previous experience and Dumpling's assistance, Leon's attacks were much more fluid this time.
'I can win...'
'I can beat it!'
Next, Malzeno flapped its wings to lift off slightly before slamming heavily into the ground.
But Leon had already sheathed his blades and sprinted out of the attack range.
Seeing this, Malzeno thrust its wing forward. Leon side-stepped to the right.
[DEMON FLURRY RUSH!]
A few slashes landed on Malzeno's right foreleg.
"ROAR—" Malzeno howled. The sky suddenly darkened as black and red dragon energy overflowed.
Berserk state!
Facing Malzeno's second form, Leon didn't back down. He murmured, "Come on then..."