136 Chapter 136: Dragon Slayer (1/2)
I deflected the humongous jaws with Aquarius, blocking the immense serrated teeth and saving myself from a painful death. However, the force behind the blow threw me off my feet and sent me flying across the mountaintop.
”Kuh!”
Skidding across the ground, I managed to somehow flip myself back to my feet and halt my momentum while leaving a trail in the dirt. Huffing, I straightened up, only to receive an immense stream of fire in the face.
Swinging Aquarius, I managed to counter the fire with a geyser of water that vaporized instantly again upon contact.
”Oh, the flames aren't as powerful as I thought they would be,” I remarked in surprise. ”Even the Crastrate's flames were much more powerful.”
As if it understood me, the dragon roared furiously in response. The spikes lining its back exploded with red-hot fire. Its eyes glowing crimson, the Hellfire Drake's maw yawned and superheated flames forcefully erupted from within. The ground melted as the superheated blaze washed through the entire area like an unstoppable river.
”Me and my big mouth,” I grumbled to myself, swinging Aquarius and launching the biggest tidal wave I could muster. In seconds, the tsunami was completely vaporized into steam, leaving no trace of the intimidating wall of water I had just summoned. My eyes widened in disbelief, even though I was already aware of what had just transpired. ”Fuck! I knew it! Of course a rank A Hellfire Drake's flames will be more powerful than a rank B Crastrate!”
There was no way I could evade the flames in time, having wasted precious seconds conjuring that tsunami that was now boiling steam. Before the flames could reach me, however, Troy bowled right into the dragon, rocking it and slightly altering the trajectory by a few meters.
”Get the fuck out of there!” Troy roared.
I snapped out of my stupor and dove out of the way. The dragon swatted Troy away, but he managed to roll to his feet and dodge the superheated flames. Undeterred, the Hellfire Drake twisted its serpentine neck and directed its unrelenting torrent of fire at us, pursuing us mercilessly as it baked the entire mountain peak.
Exchanging a glance with Troy, I nodded and the both of us split off in different directions. That maneuver was supposed to delay the dragon for just a few seconds as it struggled to decide which one of us to incinerate. However, far from being indecisive as I hoped it would be, the Hellfire Drake didn't hesitate and chose to roast me, its head instantly turning in my direction and continuing to deliver the terrifying torrent of superheated fire after me.
”Are you ignoring me, you bastard?!”
Furious, Kureha thrust her sword at the dragon while its attention was still focused upon me, silver mana gathering around her blade.
”Meteor Strike!”
The powerful Franklin Sword Style allowed Kureha to pierce through its armored scales and draw some blood, but the Hellfire Drake was more irritated than hurt. Its tail whipped out in retaliation, forcing Kureha to withdraw.
Even though they didn't directly brush against her, the blazing spikes that tipped the entire length of the tail were so hot that blisters began to appear on Kureha's face and arms, red patches of burns that erupted upon her snow-white skin.
”Kuh!”
Credit to the young Sword Saint, Kureha didn't falter and continued to retreat in a disciplined fashion before readying another attack. The dragon continued to wash the entire mountaintop with its red flames, turning the place into a hellish inferno and melting the earth beneath us. I could feel my feet gradually grow hot to the point where it turned painful.
”Ouch! Ugh!”
Glancing down, despite myself, I realized the reason why my feet were hurting even though I was wearing shoes.
The earth had been transformed into boiling, red-hot and black magma.
”Aw, jeez!” I moaned as I jumped around in pain. I must have struck a comical sight, but poor Troy and Kureha were suffering from the same problem. Fortunately, Troy had managed to conjure a wall of earth on which he was standing upon while Kureha was literally levitating in the air by brewing a gust of wind.
Unfortunately, unlike the two of them, I didn't have such spells to save myself. I couldn't walk on air like Kureha, nor could I erect a wall of earth to jump on (though I had no idea how Troy was keeping his corner cool).
Fortunately, the magma had yet to burn its way through my shoes. However, the burning agony was making it difficult for me to run and I had to halt. Focusing my mana, I summoned Scutum Sobiescianum to shield myself from the incoming flames.
The superheated torrent of fire washed over my Constellation shield and immediately melted it into molten slag.
”What the hell?!”
My jaw dropped in disbelief as Scutum Sobiescianum dripped into liquid metal before dissipating, and I could only watch helplessly as the flames rushed toward me. Just the searing heat alone made me sweat buckets and scaled my skin, and that was even before it reached me.
”You ain't roasting my bro!” Troy bellowed as he leaped from his raised earth and barreled into the dragon. Raising his fist, he hammered the side of the Hellfire Drake, causing it to stagger to the side. Snarling, the Hellfire Drake whipped its head toward him and bathed him in flames, but Troy was already running to the side and continued to pummel the dragon. It struck out with its claws, trying to swat him away, but Troy was too swift, darting between its massive paws and landing several powerful punches that rocked it to the side.
”Heh! Not so tough for something of your size, eh?”
And like me before him, Troy just had to go and tempt fate.
The rage building up inside the Hellfire Drake had reached boiling point and it erupted in the form of a massive inferno that rippled from its entire body. The first signs were the blazing spikes, which seemed to flicker at first before igniting even more furiously than before. Troy was literally blasted from his feet and sent hurtling several meters to the side, his body smoldering from the sheer heat. Even as he continued to skid across the scorched earth, leaving a deep furrow in the ground, the dragon stomped and let loose a triumphant roar.
”Fuck you…” Troy managed, and he raised a defiant middle finger at it. The Hellfire Drake's eyes narrowed and it unleashed another superheated volley of fire in his direction.
”Oh no, you don't!”