Malzeno roared, its dragon element energy erupting like a volcano, seemingly tearing the very air apart.
The black-and-red dragon energy filled the gorge; Leon and Dumpling could feel their stamina constantly draining.
Fortunately, his Vitality was high enough that he could still hold on.
However, they couldn't allow this to continue. In its berserk state, Malzeno's movements were more frequent and harder to track, and any hit would inflict Bloodblight.
Under Bloodblight, health recovery would be severely restricted...
Spreading its wings, Malzeno suddenly appeared at Leon's side, launching a two-stage wing-tip thrust.
Leon dashed diagonally, jumping to avoid the first strike and sliding right upon landing to narrowly evade the second.
Yet before he could steady himself, Malzeno twisted its draconic body and lunged with a tail stab!
"Too fast!" Leon had no time to dodge. He instinctively lowered his body, dragging his Decimation Claws against the ground and using the hilts to brace himself for a low-profile slide, just grazing past the tail's trajectory.
The tri-tail scraped the earth, sending gravel flying and gouging a shallow trench into the ground.
"Meow! I almost turned into cat food!" Dumpling leaped behind Leon and tossed a Flash Pod.
*Bang!!*
White light exploded. Malzeno's movements faltered for a moment, though its roar still echoed thunderously through the canyon.
Leon seized the opening, firing his Clutch Claw and leaping with his blades drawn.
—Heavenly Blade Dance!
His blades moved like streaks of light, repeatedly slashing across Malzeno's spine, only to be violently repelled by the final strike.
*Clang!*
The Decimation Claws hummed with vibration. Leon's hands went numb from the shock; he could only perform a mid-air flip to land, bending his knees to absorb the impact as stones scattered beneath his feet.
A second later, Malzeno turned with a furious howl, its chest swelling as dragon flame gathered in its maw.
"Retreat, now!" Leon barked.
Dumpling zipped behind a rock wall while Leon yanked out another Flash Pod, shouting, "Choke on this!"
*Bang—!*
The Flash Pod detonated in mid-air with a blinding glare!
Malzeno's breath attack cut off abruptly as the volatile dragon energy backfired. It let out a pained shriek, its head jerking aside as the surging energy exploded inside its mouth.
*Boom!!*
Energy ripples fanned out, cracking the rock walls. Leon and Dumpling were thrown back several steps by the shockwave.
"Meow, meow, meow! It misfired!" Dumpling chirped gleefully. "Let's get 'em, meow!"
Leon's eyes sharpened. He lunged forward, his body becoming a blurred shadow.
—Demon Flurry Rush!
—Demon Slashes!
—Blade Dance!
A flurry of strikes hammered Malzeno's right leg. At the end of the combo, Leon used the Clutch Claw again to latch onto its head, aiming his Decimation Claws at the two massive, golden horns.
*Clink! Clink! Crack—!!*
The first three slashes were deflected by the hardened horns, but on the fourth strike, a spiderweb of cracks finally burst open.
"Its guard is broken—" Leon's eyes lit up. Just as he was about to follow up, the ground shook.
Leon flipped onto Malzeno's head, using the Clutch Claw to steer its momentum...
*Thud!*
Malzeno slammed head-first into the adjacent cliffside.
Leon landed steadily, watching the slumped Malzeno as Dumpling rushed in to add more damage.
Man and cat unleashed a frantic assault!
"Meow, meow, meow—take my ultimate move!!" Dumpling slammed down a Large Barrel Bomb and detonated it with a stone from a distance.
*Boom!!!*
The explosion jerked Malzeno's head to the side, sending shards of golden horn flying into the canyon walls.
"The right horn is broken!" Leon's eyes flashed as he closed in, his blades kicking up a gale.
—Blade Dance! Blade Dance!
Leon spun-slashed against Malzeno's left horn, producing a deafening metallic roar.
*Crack, crack, crack!!*
The second horn finally snapped. Malzeno let out an unprecedented roar, its body twisting as if reaching a critical breaking point.
"ROAR—!!!"
Blood-red mist surged from its wounds, and Malzeno's pupils turned a vivid crimson. It wrapped its wings around its body before taking flight, exhaling a concentrated breath toward the ground.
Leon quickly used his Clutch Claw to zip to a rock wall, putting distance between them.
A moment later, Malzeno ascended higher, its wings churning up destructive pressure before it suddenly plummeted from the sky.
Several waves of dragon energy radiated outward.
The intensity of this strike far exceeded a normal dive; its explosive power carved a deep crater into the canyon floor.
Leon used his Clutch Claw to pull Dumpling into the air as he landed; they narrowly avoided the core of the explosion, yet the aftershock still sent them tumbling several meters!
"Cough... That's too much." Leon struggled to climb up, his left arm trembling as the pressure of the battle mounted.
Before he could catch his breath, Malzeno lunged again, its claws raking across Leon's right shoulder and drawing blood.
At this moment, Leon found it difficult to breathe, as the effect of Vaal Hazak Vitality was suppressed.
'Bloodblight?'
Leon had been avoiding every attack precisely because he didn't want to fall into the Bloodblight state, which prevented health recovery and was a massive headache.
"System, assign points..."
[ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 52, AGILITY 38, VITALITY 38, PERCEPTION 35 (UNASSIGNED POINTS: 28)]
[VITALITY +1, CURRENTLY 39]
[UNASSIGNED POINTS: 27]
"No more stalling. We're ending this now." Leon stood up, his wounds already fully healed.
"Meow! That's what I'm talking about!" Dumpling pulled a stalk of Felvine from his back and took a deep sniff, shouting excitedly, "One hit and my power's over the meow-tain!"
Malzeno's scales stood on end, turning into flowing blades. It lowered its head, flapped its wings, and a wave of dragon flame washed over them.
Leon reacted instantly, sliding out of the way, yet he was still blasted back, slamming into a distant rock pillar. His blood churned.
"Cough—!"
Before he could find his footing, Malzeno leaped with lightning speed, soaring high before diving straight down!
The surrounding dragon energy made it look like a black-and-red dragon piercing through the heavens.
Leon gritted his teeth and rolled, barely dodging, but the explosion behind him sent a tidal wave of fire chasing after him.
"System, assign points..."
[ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 52, AGILITY 38, VITALITY 39, PERCEPTION 35 (UNASSIGNED POINTS: 27)]
[VITALITY +1, CURRENTLY 40]
[UNASSIGNED POINTS: 26]
Red light erupted from Leon as his physical condition was restored. He raised his Decimation Claws, a blood-red slash cutting through the air.
He sprinted beneath Malzeno's belly, coordinating with Dumpling for a pincer attack, focusing his slashes on its left hind leg and abdomen to cause continuous damage.
Malzeno leaped, charged, flapped its wings, and swept its tail, but Leon had already deciphered its movement patterns. He dodged every move and followed up with relentless counterattacks.
*Crack—!!*
A crisp snapping sound rang out. Malzeno's left leg buckled, its movements grinding to a halt!
Dumpling shouted, "It's almost done for!"
"Now!" Leon gripped his Decimation Claws tightly, his slashes exploding like a meteor shower.
—Blade Dance! Blade Dance! Blade Dance!
*BOOM—!!!*
Dragon blood geysered out. Malzeno wailed under the combined assault. With its stamina depleted, it staggered a few steps before violently beating its wings to force an escape.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!*
Malzeno flew high above the canyon, looking back at Leon and Dumpling with a resentful glare, black-red flames churning before it finally let out a frustrated roar and vanished into the horizon.
"It... it actually fled..." Leon remained silent for a long time before sheathing his Decimation Claws and slowly exhaling.
Dumpling sat on a rock, trembling as he gulped down a few mouthfuls of a Potion. "Lived to meow another day... that guy really isn't meant for a Palico to fight."
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED]
[MAIN QUEST: PURSUE MALZENO]
DESCRIPTION: PLEASE PURSUE THE WOUNDED MALZENO.
REWARDS: MALZENO SET, FAIR WIND CHARM X1, DASH/EXPERT JEWEL X2, DASH/ATTACK JEWEL X2, DASH/HANDICRAFT JEWEL X2.
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