(Ken POV)
Well... Shit.
I, Ken Bruce, grandson of Sir Robert Bruce, a simple farmboy hailing from the small village of Rivershire.
Ever since I was just a kid, I dreamt of becoming a Mage going on a grand adventure. I often fantasized about being a protagonist of a dramatic tale about a hero from humble beginnings, seeking my way to glory and defeating countless enemies along the way who dare threatened the safety of this land.
In short, just like every other child's dream.
I also imagined myself starting from the very bottom, with my first foe being naturally a weak monster like a Slime as a stepping stone in being the greatest Mage to ever exist.
But this one right here...
Is fate screwing with me or something!!??
Who the fuck did I offend for this bullfuckery to happen?!
This is a legit fucking Dragon, the mythical beast from the legends with wings and everything!!! This one is supposed to be a final boss, not some generic monster appearing in this early stage of my journey!!!
Did I activate some sort of cheat and skipped a lot of steps in the process??!!!
Oh right... Magic of Infinity... Thank you so much oh great Lady of the lake.
Not that my self-rant mattered any longer. The real issue is how I'm going to get out of this one alive.
Anastasia in her full mythical glory eyed me hungrily like I'm sort of snack ready to be taken away and eaten from the pantry.
I promptly turned my sights towards the Headmaster, hoping that he would intervene and stop this match immediately...
And... All I got is a sickeningly sweet smile from him. It's like he was telling me that everything is going to be alright and I can manage without his intervention.
What... The... Hell.
I'm about to be digested in this Dragon's stomach, and you, a powerful mage with the freaking title of Headmaster and Illusion Demon would ignore me, just like that?! By the Gods, I've been abandoned to my fate.
It's also worth mentioning that Anastasia's brother, Alex, is right beside him. He harbored a completely serious yet tensed look.
Anyways, I don't have time to ponder about their inaction any further as Anastasia made her first move.
She instantly breathes fire from her mouth, but unlike her Flamethrower from Half-Dragon Mode, this particular variation is significantly more powerful, hotter, and bigger.
I was forced to run to the right to avoid the streaming Dragon flames that were chasing right at me.
While doing so, I cast the spell that would hopefully save me from this dangerous crisis.
"Rock Bullet."
I shot the Earth Spell right at the Dragon's open mouth from the side, effectively staggering her slightly and stopping her flaming onslaught.
Hopefully, that should also shatter some fangs in the process.
Anastasia recovered quickly and begun her approach at me. Despite being in four legs, she was fucking quick and bared her razor-sharp unbroken (much to my disappointment) fangs in preparation for devouring me.
I had little room to breath freely, but with enough courage mustered, I rashly run and slid under her exposed scale-less stomach. While doing so, I conjured the spell-
"Wind Blade!!"
The sword of air appeared and I used it to stab at her stomach, causing her to roar in pain.
Even if the pain definitely affected her, it was clearly not enough to cause enough damage to end this fight. As a result, her rage turned more intense and she utilized her right front arm in an attempt to swipe me at my spot below her.
I instantly rolled to the side to avoid her attack and swiftly regained my footing now that I'm temporarily out of harm's way.
Even in pain, Anastasia shows no signs of stopping and continued her relentless assault.
I also wondered how the whole freaking stadium was still in overall good condition and only some minor damage occurred. Not to mention, the spectators were still unharmed despite the destruction caused by a huge Dragon.
Must be some kind of healing and barrier magic respectively.
Anyways, the battle was basically a game of cat and mouse, with Anastasia being Thomas while me being Jerremy. The names came from the famous comedic literature of Thomas and Jerremy, a cat and mouse with their various shenanigans.
Of course, this battle was anything but comedic. It ain't fucking hilarious when my life is clearly on the line!!!
From a more serious perspective, this battle was taking a toll on me. Despite the many projectile spells thrown at her, she's shrugging it off like they were mere insignificant flies.
Obviously, my current strategy is not working and my stamina, even when enhanced by my newly acquired Dragon blood, won't last forever. I needed a crazy amount of magical firepower to cause enough damage to take her down.
Then, an idea popped in my mind while I evaded a stomp from the Dragon's long tail.
"Al-fucking-right you crazy oversized lizard, time for you to grovel to the ground!!"
I chanted the spell that I learned from Davis.
"Summon: Pact Golem."
I half-expected the same golems to be summoned at my command, but instead, they were remarkably different, as what my other half expected.
I used the word half in this context because of what I found out from the summoning spell's mechanism itself when I learned it from Davis.
"Summon: Pact Golem" is an A-rank summoning spell that can only be wielded by Mages like Davis who possessed incredible gift and affinity with the Earth Element. Unlike a normal Golem, a Pact Golem's appearance and all-around ability were determined and slightly matched by the Mage's physical characteristics and attributes.
Attributes that include the Mage's race it seemed.
Thus, it was only the most logical explanation as to how my three Golems that were summoned took shape in the form of rock-skinned winged Dragons that were around three times smaller than Anastasia.
Above the stands, I failed to notice the awe coming from the original caster himself.
I commanded the Dragon Golems to hold her down. They flapped their stony wings for take-off and made their respective incursion.
One Golem bit her neck, causing Anastasia to shriek in pure agony.
The second took advantage of its rock-heavy weight and managed to pin her down to the ground from her back.
And the third held her tail so she won't use her rear to swipe my summons off and further entrapping her.
With my plan in place, now is the time to cast this spell...
The spell to end it all, courtesy of none other than Davis Ulford himself yet again.
Even if this particular spell that he attempted to cast was incomplete, it does not matter. I was still able to learn it completely despite his interruption by Mikoto.
"I, the great Ken Bruce, heir of the Infinity, heed my call and let the earth tremble to those who oppose me. Oh great Goddess of the Earth, Gaia, I implore as your humble servant and grant me the permission in exacting one of your everlasting glory. Earth on the sky and not on the ground, let this deviation marked the gruesome affair to vanquish those who oppose your everlasting wisdom..."
With my long incantation complete, the spell was activated and ready for use.
"Heaven's Wrath"
The sky turned dark as an ominous shadow clouded the whole stadium, much to the confusion of the Mages on the stands.
The confusion did not last long when they looked up at the sky. Their eyes widened with fear and shock at what they have witnessed
"Heh, so Davis was planning to actually summon a fucking meteor of all things."
(Davis POV)
What... What in Gaia's name is this!??
How did this Ken Bruce use not just any Earth spell, but an Earth spell that's exclusive to our family alone due to our unnatural affinity with the Earth Element.
My ancestor, Bjorn Svensson Ulford, the first Ulford, and renowned Nordic Earth Mage, was blessed by the Goddess of Earth, Gaia herself when he completed the trial of the Spirits. Thus, he was also awarded a part of her essence which allowed him to manipulate the Earth with an incredible amount of control and power unmatched by all Earth Mages throughout the land.
Our blood run deep with the almighty powers of the Earth. Accompanied by my focused mind, I was able to learn most Earth spells with ease.
Including the A to S-rank spell known as Heaven's Wrath, one of my ultimate trump cards that I was about to reveal during my match with the samurai girl.
An A-rank Heaven's Wrath only comprised of small and less powerful but several meteors being launched from the sky.
And what I saw was definitely anything but small. That's one fucking gigantic rocky ball of death heading towards the Dragon's location.
In short, the spell's S-rank version.
Yes, it's not only just an A-rank spell but an S-rank as well. The Mage can adjust its overall power as fitting for the situation that they found themselves in.
Naturally and as per common sense dictated, the spell that I was about to cast is mere of A-rank with the spell's efficiency slightly toned down a bit. Even if the samurai girl, Mikoto, is a powerful Mage with godly swordsmanship skills, she is just one person, and using it on S-rank was ridiculously overkill and was inappropriate for the circumstance.
That, and my Mana level would be instantly drained should I cast such a powerful spell. Under normal circumstances should I never cast its S-rank version. Furthermore, I have only the exact mana to do so.
Thankfully, because of our Earth affinity granted by Gaia, using Earth spells cost us only around 15% of its normal Mana. That's one of the reasons why the Ulfords are one of the Wessoria Kingdom's powerhouses and esteemed Noble clan, alongside the Dragonheart and many others.
And someone of humble origin appeared to have the capacity to accomplish such a remarkable feat. Is he secretly perhaps an Ulford, an illegitimate child, or a distant relative?
Hmm, that seemed to be plausible as many in our family possessed the quality of being a wanderlust. Exploring was in our blood ever since Bjorn's time and it's a possibility that one of our family members fathered a child of the Earth blood during their journey.
Or maybe he's none other than the Magus of Infinity then? Heh, how absurd. The notion is crazy at its very core.
It was also a known fact that Vivian Algrande, the last wielder of the Infinity Magic, was Bjorn's respected comrade and friend.
During the historical Demon War from around 500 years ago, it was Vivian, Bjorn, and many of their comrades who stood against the Demon King Asmodeus and his minions of darkness. Not to mention, the Dragonslayers were also enticed to join with Asmodeus in exchange for the purge of every dragon in the entire land.
The Magus of Infinity huh...
His masterful usage of the Dragon Magic, Dragonus, the Water spells from Rain, and my other Earth spells...
And most importantly, the summoning of the Pact Golems taking shape in the form of the Dragon unlike mine assuming a closer semblance of humans instead.
By Gaia's luscious tits...
It's him...
The Magus of Infinity...
I never would have thought that I would get to witness such an ancient form of magic at this current age.
Such power, right in front of my very eyes.
Vivian Algrande was a friend and honorable member of the clan as well due to her being able to use our magic.
If Ken Bruce is indeed the Magus of Infinity, then it is up to me, Davis Ulford, heir to the Earth house of Ulford, to extend the same privilege to him.
Honor and tradition demanded such an act.
While I was lost in my thoughts, I was interrupted by Mikoto joining by my side and poking my shoulder to catch my attention. She then pointed to the meteor with a stoic expression on her beautiful face.
Although underneath that serious look harbored something quite sinister that I can't help but be terrified at.
"So... you really are about to cast a huge meteor... on me?"
As per Ken Bruce's words of wisdom.
"Well... Shit."
I have a lot of explaining to do it seemed.
(Ken POV)
With the giant meteor at my full authority, I naturally directed it at Anastasia while she was being held tightly by my three summons.
The Dragon Lady struggled to break free from the golems, and... Her efforts are turning fruitful this time with each fleeting moment when I saw the golems toiling to hold her down.
Crap, at this rate, she might break free and let hell loose all over once more. I'm confident with the meteor, but if she managed to break it with her full draconic strength, then my efforts are going to be naught.
And indeed, she broke free, shattering my golems while doing so.
Well, at least those were my initial worries if not for "Heaven's Wrath" reaching her just in time.
Anastasia, being a full Dragon, was naturally gifted with strength beyond measure. As a result, she was pushing the meteor back with her two front arms.
I watched in horror when Anastasia was actually winning the struggle as the meteor was slowly showing signs of cracks and deterioration.
Fuck, if this kept on, then it would be a matter of time before my worries are going to be a reality. I needed to do something before she managed to destroy "Heaven's Wrath".
I supposed there's only one thing to do then.
This is going to hurt like shit, but if it meant not being turned into human crap being ejected from that Dragon's ass, then an injury or two is worth it if I get to see another day.
With every mana that I can muster, I mumbled the spell to stop her efforts.
"Hell Dragon's Wrath!!!"
Mimicking Anastasia's actions earlier, I plunged my fist to the ground, imbuing it with Dragonfire.
The effect was almost instantaneous as a volcanic stream of Dragonfire burst from below, engulfing Anastasia directly with the only type of fire that can hurt a Dragon.
The intense volcanic attack of "Hell Dragon's Wrath", coupled with the overwhelming weight of "Heaven's Wrath", was too much for even a full Dragon to handle.
In the end, Anastasia succumbed to two of my deadliest spells as she roared with intense agony.
My two spells also resulted in a huge explosion that occurred throughout the entire stage.
Luckily for the spectators, they were unaffected by the severe impact since the barrier protected them from any dangers of the battlefield below them.
The two spells of Wrath took a tremendous toll on my Mana and body. Thus, my Half-Dragon form was forcibly deactivated and I was reverted to my good old Human form.
I waited no further for the smoke to cleared and focused on my Mana Sense to check if the Dragon is still a threat.
To my astonishment, I still sense her presence and consciousness. I immediately turned alarmed and sighed in exhaustion at this troublesome predicament.
When the smoke was finally away, I saw Anastasia all battered and injured with numerous burn marks on every part of her body.
Still, she had the strength to stand and bared her fangs with immense anger at the damage I inflicted upon her.
Although, as a newly established Dragon, I harbored respect to my foe for exhibiting such an immense amount of willpower to keep ongoing.
"Even when being hit by two overpowered spells, you still possessed the determination to continue, despite the grave injuries that you have attained. Very well, I'll end this match and your suffering."
I still felt some Mana within me, even when it's quite scarce already. Fortunately, I still had the level to cast at least two spells.
"Wind Blade"
When I cast the spell, I instantly covered my mouth and coughed as result. My eyes widened a bit when I saw blood on my hand from the cough, but I ignored both the red liquid...
And the immense pain that accompanied it.
Fuck, I seemed to have overexerted and I felt the exhausting and painful effects dulling my senses.
If I delay any longer, then Anastasia would simply regenerate and resume the battle like nothing ever happened to her.
Of course, I shared the same restorative benefits, being a Dragon and all, but based on what I observed from this battle, Anastasia recovered at a significantly faster rate than I, with her most probably being a Full Dragon while I'm only at half.
This is really troublesome...
It's almost tempting to simply faint right here and now, be fucking done with it, and offer myself as a dinner to this Dragon lady.
Unfortunately, my Dragon blood won't allow any of that shit. It has heightened my sense of pride and losing here is completely unacceptable.
When I mentioned two spells, I was not lying. The second spell is something that needed a requirement to pull it off.
And that something is none other than a bladed weapon.
And the spell, "Wind Blade", fulfilled the requirements of the next spell that I'm about to cast.
With the stance of a certain Akanir swordswoman, I took a deep breath and whispered the spell-
"Thousand Cutter."