[Vol. 8] Chapter 321: My Way, My Words
Tens of thousands of punches landed in just a single breath against the glowing shield in front of the girl. The strength was so heavy and the speed so fast that, for a moment, Violet almost mistook the attacker for one of her own dragon gods.
The terrifying force piled up, making cracks spread all over the golden shield. Finally, as the White Dragon Emperor’s power reached its peak, she struck with a lightning-fast punch, unstoppable!
“Ha!”
But then—
Boom!!!
The cracked golden shield suddenly shattered before her fist touched it. In its place, a long, glowing staff appeared, looking fragile and without power, yet it swung forward right at her!
Bang!!!!!!!
A simple clash, but it was like planets colliding. A terrifying shockwave exploded out, and everything in its path, even space itself, split into cracks of darkness, only to be quickly repaired by the world’s own restoring power.
Under this impact, Yolandal was finally forced backward. She looked in surprise at the black-haired girl who still stood firmly in place, now surrounded by divine rings and spreading six holy white wings. The White Dragon lowered her gaze, staring at her palm that still tingled with an odd feeling, then finally fixed her eyes on Violet’s staff, which was completely unharmed.
“...A Primordial Artifact?”
“Sharp eyes,” Violet replied calmly, casually spinning her staff in her hand.
It looked like the White Dragon Emperor was shocked by Violet’s hidden power and deep foundation, but in truth, the priestess herself was no less surprised.
In a fight at this level, she could no longer use simple tricks like [Light Protection], which were only useful against weaklings. The golden shield she had used just now was actually one of her strongest eighth-tier defensive spells, Mercy. With her divine gear and her own boosted power, it should have been able to withstand even a ninth-tier spell without problem.
Yet that shield had been shattered by a bare fist.
Even among dragons, such a thing was impossible, especially since Yolandal was a holy white dragon, skilled in divine magic, not in physical strength like a diamond dragon.
Unless—unless that dragon was Xiao Guang.
As the master of the Holy Crystal Dragon, Violet knew very well what abilities it had. That’s why she recognized at once that Yolandal had just used a skill unique to diamond crystal dragons, Diamond Armor.
This skill greatly boosts a crystal dragon’s natural physical strength, while also giving it powerful defense and resistance to control. It’s one of the best dual-purpose divine skills, which explained why Yolandal had stayed completely unharmed even after such a clash.
But Yolandal White, as the former White Dragon Queen and ruler of her race, should only have the abilities of a pure holy white dragon. How could she use a diamond dragon’s power?
Thinking of this, Violet turned her eyes around the battlefield. The ten Chosen Ones Yolandal had summoned still stood in their places, holding their positions in the array. They hadn’t attacked her directly, but under the protection of the formation, they were also unharmed by the previous shockwave.
From each of their spots, nine different lights rose into the sky. Violet saw it clearly—the transparent glow similar to the crystal armor on Yolandal’s body was the brightest. In comparison, the other eight lights were clearly weaker.
So that’s it. This is the true power of the [Nine Dragons Annihilation] Array.
Interesting… very interesting.
“Why stop? Come on, keep going~” Violet teased, beckoning at her opponent.
The White Dragon Emperor didn’t respond. Instead, the nine lights around her suddenly shifted, and in the next instant, sharp spikes burst up from beneath Violet’s feet!
“Hah!”
The spikes were sudden and aimed perfectly at a hard-to-defend gap. But with the passive protection of her [Feather Robe Graria], the only effect was to knock the black-haired girl high into the air. Before Violet’s surprised laugh even faded, the sky above suddenly roared with thunder!
Rumble rumble rumble rumble!!!!
The White Dragon Emperor raised her hand, and bolts of lightning of many colors fell from the heavens at once. Different elements mixed together in violent thunder, all striking toward the black-haired girl in midair, filling the sky with a deafening roar like burning oceans and shattering mountains.
But then, all the thunder and the noise was covered—by a calm, soft hum.
“I say, let there be light.”
“Oh~!”
The golden holy spirit swung its sacred spear. The endless spear tip swept across the sky, and with just a single thought of God, flames went out, winds stopped, ice melted, rocks collapsed, and even the deep darkness like the universe itself was completely pushed away by the eternal light.
In the end, the only thing left standing in this world was Light.
[Not bad. Your use of power is very skillful. You can feel many elements and even mix them together freely. That’s something even I cannot do.]
Floating in the sky with golden eyes, she gave this calm evaluation.
The White Dragon Emperor was indeed worthy of her name. To dare appear here, she must have prepared fully. With the array boosting her and with the powers of all nine dragon types, even a Main God like Sethlin would need real effort to defeat her.
And this was only a simplified version of the formation. If it were the true Nine Dragon Kings casting it… perhaps it could really match the power of the highest gods.
“...”
Violet did not know what thoughts were running through White Dragon Emperor Yolandal’s mind. Looking up at the golden figure in the sky, which gave her endless pressure, Yolandal bit her teeth. Her raised hand trembled slightly, but she could no longer strike again.
As the famed White Dragon Queen, said to have lived for many decades, Yolandal’s battle experience and skills were unquestionable. Yet at this moment, she felt a deep, helpless weakness inside.
Even among gods, none had ever blocked the full power of the [Nine Dragons Annihilation] without using their divine realm. Yolandal had already given her true effort, yet the goddess in front of her acted like it was just a game, only defending and never attacking. That calm ease was the same as when Yolandal herself once taught young dragonlings.
What humiliation!
But there was nothing she could do.
While Violet observed and judged her enemy’s strength, Yolandal was not idle either. Compared to the inexperienced [Agent of Fate], she understood far better the terrifying power of the Primordial Artifact.
From just the first clash, she had already guessed that the [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart] could absorb all elemental powers through contact. She immediately changed her tactics, but close combat was suicide, and long-range spells were too weak, like scratching an itch through boots. Against this flawless opponent, even Yolandal’s experience seemed useless…
She took a deep breath, closed her beautiful eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, all doubt and hesitation were gone, replaced by firm will and determination.
The fight was not over!
Her aura surged violently, and the complicated ancient dragon words poured from her mouth like flowing water.
“O winds, flames, earth, and frost, hear my call—”
“With dragon wings I tear open the sky, I make the stars cry in the abyss of ruin, and with dragonfire I burn the chains of law!”
“He is the beginning of all elements, the salvation of creation! When He awakens, fire will burst from the flow of time, mountains will rise beneath His scales, eternal frost will freeze moments into forever, storms will roar and tear apart false stars and moons!”
“Roar! Spread your wings! When I call your name, open the book of the highest elements for me!”
“Ancient Dragon Emperor — Nine Hells!!!”
Inside the array, the nine lights of the nine dragon clans all shone brightly at once. Behind the White Dragon Emperor, a towering shadow appeared. Lightning ran across it, day instantly turned to night, and even the remains of the “Serpent” in the sky seemed pulled back into view, glowing with resonance!
[A dragon forbidden spell…]
Violet did not try to interrupt the chant. She simply watched silently as the vague but overwhelming shadow appeared behind Yolandal. It was a dragon she felt she had seen before.
It had nine heads, each a different color, gold, silver, white, black, void, red, green, yellow, and blue. The nine heads stretched from one body, yet each seemed to have its own will and personality, each showing different auras and expressions.
Nine heads, one body. Its massive form covered the sky. It seemed both like a mix of all dragons and also a perfect whole, filled with the deepest mysteries of law and order. Its very existence felt like it was the meaning of Rule itself.
After the shadow of the nine-headed dragon appeared, Yolandal’s face turned visibly pale. Clearly, using the power of all nine dragons at once to cast a forbidden spell was a heavy burden even for her. But her eyes still showed strong determination. She kept forcing out her overwhelming elemental magic, pouring it into the giant dragon shadow called [Nine Hells].
The four dragon heads that stood for fire, wind, ice, and earth shone brighter and brighter under this power. In the dark sky above, thunder of four colors twisted together. It was clear that if this strike landed, it would be far stronger than any attack before, so strong it could decide the final result of the battle in a single moment.
If the White Dragon Emperor’s goal was only to stall for time, this kind of direct clash of ultimate powers would be foolish. But Violet had already talked with her for a long while, giving her the time that normally would have been bought through drawn-out fighting. Because of this, the nature of the battle had changed.
Although Yolandal knew she could not win, she could have chosen to retreat. But things had already gone this far, and the pride of the dragon race would never allow her to run without a fight.
So now her goal was simple, to risk everything for the small chance of victory against Violet, this terrifying enemy who was never meant to be defeated, who might even require Yolandal’s life just to be held back.
Using the forbidden spell was, in her judgment, the only possible way.
[Ancient Dragon Emperor: Nine Hells. Dragon Forbidden Spell: Nine Hells… I think I finally understand why you managed to convince that silly dragon of mine to help you. So maybe your relationship isn’t all trickery after all. That’s good~]
Looking up at the proud nine-headed dragon shadow in the sky, its majesty no less than the golden holy spirit behind her, the priestess actually seemed relieved. The jewel at the top of her staff began to glow, golden sparks spread out like stars, and even in the crushing pressure that could kill any being below myth rank, the young woman continued to rise higher into the heavens.
Thunder raged. She left the ground, bathed in storm, cutting through fire and frost. She was like a golden sun rising into the sky. Her light grew brighter and brighter, driving back the darkness and becoming the center of this world.
[Destruction Mode], start!
“How… is this possible?”
Yolandal’s face went even whiter as she felt the girl’s power, no longer hidden but rising endlessly, shaking her very soul.
Now she finally understood, why this girl could stay calm no matter what, why she walked willingly into a trap even knowing it was a trap, why she had shown no fear even now.
She… had always been holding back her true strength? Even when surrounded by the Twilight Council, she had never used her real power? Where were her limits?
Just the aura she gave off now was beyond imagination. She wasn’t even on the same level as them anymore.
Had she already gone beyond the limits of the gods!?
Yolandal knew very well that the so-called Primordial Light preached by the Goddess Church was false, that no salvation really existed. But at this moment, watching with her own eyes, she could not help but feel a strange thought.
She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined.
If… if there really was a Primordial Light, if there really was a god with a true heart who wished to save this cruel world. Perhaps this mysterious girl before her might be the one most likely to make that miracle real.
But because of that…
The White Dragon Emperor shook off her hesitation. When her golden eyes opened again, they were filled with wild passion.
“Roooaar!!!”
The nine-headed dragon, charged to its limit, threw back its heads and roared. The four heads of fire, wind, ice, and earth spat out sky-piercing dragon breath at the same time. The breaths joined into a four-colored thunder beam and came crashing down!
“Let me see the true power of a god! Forbidden Spell: Four-Element End!”
BOOOOM!!!!!!
The forbidden spell of ultimate elements shot straight at the golden sun. For a moment, time itself seemed frozen under such power.
Yolandal held her breath, staring without blinking at the place where the thunder struck.
Yes, she wanted to see it with her own eyes, even if the backlash would crush her to dust.
If I can hear the truth in the morning, it is worth dying by the evening.
And then—she saw, she heard.
Her voice echoed across the sky, shaking the universe itself.
The Light bloomed under the thunder, just like the beautiful vision told in ancient legends.
[I declare, Sinners shall face divine judgment.]