"Kraaaaaaah!"
As feathers and a tremendous amount of blood sprayed from the severed wing joint, Wingian let out a terrible scream.
The creature that lost a wing lost all balance and lift and started to plummet immediately. From afar, Verdandi, having sliced through the creature's back, could be seen deploying her parachute.
"It hit the mark...!"
I shouted in triumph.
It was only natural to drop it from as high as possible if it was going to fall anyway.
Verdandi had carved off Wingian's wing right when it was preparing its breath at its highest point.
And even for a dragon, falling from that height.
Kwoooooom...!
It couldn't possibly be unscathed.
Wingian crashed into the ruins of the museum building—the very palace ruins it had destroyed—and smashed into the ground.
Due to the dragon's massive body and tremendous weight, a thick cloud of dust erupted in all directions.
'Even for a dragon, this is a decisive blow.'
I judged that the creature must have died instantly or at least been in a groggy state.
It seemed other heroes made the same judgment as they all sensed victory and relaxed their expressions. There was no way it could survive a fall from that height...
Whoosh-!
But, it wasn't so.
Just a few seconds later, the thick cloud of dust swirled and converged into a single point before clearing up.
And there, amidst the ruins, battered and bloodied... Wingian was seen preparing its breath again.
Its one remaining eye was staring right at me.
"...?!"
That thing had continued to prepare its breath even while falling from the sky!
Even as its wings were sliced off and it crashed to the ground, shattering its body!
"Breath! Everyone, dodge...!"
I shouted a beat too late,
"You've underestimated the offspring of the Black Dragon, human..."
Wingian, finishing its preparation, uttered with an evil grin.
"You thought mere wounds like these would stop me?"
I calmly tried to dodge the trajectory of the breath it was about to unleash.
"...!"
But then I realized the existence of my fellow heroes behind me, equally petrified and immobile.
The support heroes had gathered together, not expecting Wingian to fire a breath in such a dire situation, thus their scattering was delayed. We couldn't dodge the breath in time...
"Grr...!"
Instead of dodging, I slammed my standard into the ground.
Chrrrrr!
The ultimate skill [The Foremost Flag] activated, and a wall of magic power bloomed like a flower, instantly springing up directly in front of the breath's path.
And at the same time, Wingian unleashed its breath.
Kwaaaaah!
Between the gaping beak, Wingian's breath was fired. The violent swirl of magical power surged towards us like rays of light-
And the next moment, it collided with the magic wall.
Thwoooom-!
Wingian's breath burst over the layered magic walls.
It was unbelievable how such a wounded creature could emit such an overwhelming breath. The walls melted away and were pierced in an instant.
Pumping magic power desperately to repair and erect new walls, I screamed.
"Everyone, get out of the trajectory!"
"Your Highness!"
"Hurry! I'm at my limit! Quickly-!"
The layered walls fell like dominoes.
The heroes behind me scattered desperately to either side, and I, no longer able to hold on, tried to dodge as well.
Thwack-!
But before I could completely escape the range of the breath, the last wall was penetrated, and the breath bore down right in front of me.
"...Damn it."
As the breath pushed forward, I suddenly remembered my comrades who had scolded me to wear some armor.
'Would I have survived this if I had worn that new armor with the barrier function?'
As I pondered this, the last wall was penetrated by the breath heading straight for me-
"Huup!"
Tsuk-!
It split into two streams.
Suddenly, Hecate in her blue armor had rushed forward and swung her sword, splitting the dragon's breath in an instant.
"...?!"
In front of this unbelievable miracle, too stunned to move, I just stood there with my mouth open... when someone suddenly yanked me aside.
Turning around, it was the other knights of the Glory Knights. They were pulling me in unison, dragging me out of the range of the dragon's breath.
"Hecate!"
As I called out while being dragged away, Hecate, still in her sword-wielding stance, flashed a brief smile.
Kwaaaaah!
And the next moment, she was enveloped and disappeared in the breath.
I gritted my teeth as I watched her beige hair, red eyes, and the blue armor she received from Lucas burn away in an instant.
"Where do you think you're escaping to-!"
I have no idea how it managed to speak while spewing breath.
Wingian relentlessly twisted the trajectory of its breath to pursue me.
And just like their Captain had done, the knights of the Glory Knights did not hesitate to throw themselves into the path of the breath to save me.
The knights each deployed their noble skills to momentarily halt the advance of the breath, and in the next moment, they burned to death.
While they sacrificed their lives one by one, I was held by the firm hands of the remaining knights, struggling to escape the range of the pursuing breath.
As if indifferent to the lives it swallowed, Wingian continuously adjusted the trajectory of its breath to target my life.
And right after the last knight threw himself into the breath without a moment's hesitation.
Ssssh-!
Hecate, her body burnt and melted, dashed along the ground and once more swung her sword, cutting through the breath.
At that point, Wingian's breath finally ceased.
The attack of Wingian's breath felt eternal, but in reality, it lasted only a few seconds.
"Hecate!"
I ran to Hecate.
The blue armor gifted by Lucas had completely melted away, and in her old magical bandages, regenerating her burnt body... Hecate was gasping for breath.
"...Are you hurt, Your Highness?"
"Is that what you should be asking right now?! Are you okay?!"
"We are fine. We became like this for this very reason."
I gritted my teeth and surveyed the area swept by Wingian's breath.
Everything swept up in those few seconds of magical radiation had turned to ashes. And within these ruins, the knights who saved me were gasping for breath, regenerating their bodies.
This is the Glory Knights.
Knights who would sacrifice their lives again and again to protect the emperor.
The immortal curse etched in their flesh, the ever-unyielding Imperial Guard...
"His Imperial Majesty has commanded us to protect His Highness the Prince as we have protected him all this time."
Hecate gave a weary smile.
"We are merely doing what we must."
"..."
I had much to say, but it wasn't clearly formed, and there was no time to clarify. Wingian was preparing its next attack.
"You rat-like creatures! I'll finish you with this attack!"
Wingian fiercely raised its remaining right wing.
Like a missile battery, black magic power wrapped around the feathers on the wing, readying them to fire.
"Block it-!"
The vanguard heroes were rushing desperately to stop Wingian.
But because there was quite a distance between the point where 'Wind Wave' was used and the current point of descent, they were short on time.
And Wingian, as if the vanguard heroes rushing to kill it were invisible, swung its wing mightily only at me.
Dudududududu-!
A sound like a machine gun firing erupted as thousands of feathers poured from the wing.
The feathers, filling the sky and targeting not just me but also the rear support heroes behind me, flew at us.
Hecate quickly came in front of me, ready to shield me with her body, and the rear support heroes prepared their defenses as well... but it was dangerous.
I once again planted the standard into the ground and summoned a wall of magic, gritting my teeth. Could we withstand it?
"Waaaaaaah!"
Especially problematic was Violet, who lacked defensive abilities. Seeing the rain of feathers falling over her head, Violet crouched down tightly.
"I don't want to dieee!"
Watching Violet scream, I clicked my tongue.
'Should I use the mage party?'
Currently, the mage party and Damian were positioned far away for some reason.
I prepared to pull out the [Blue Flame Torch] from my inventory. No choice, it's too dangerous. I had to send a support request...
But then.
Crrrack!
At that very moment.
Above Violet's head, the entrance to my exclusive dimensional space for capturing beasts tore open...
Thump-
Elegantly waving its six tails, a dragon without eyes, nose, or mouth—Claw of the Black Dragon - Parekian—emerged.
"...?"
I blinked in disbelief.
Hey, I didn't even summon you, why did you jump out?
Clink, clank...
Parekian emitted noises as if armor was moving all over its body and turned its long, blunt head towards Violet, who was crouched down,
"..."
Thump-!
It suddenly kicked off the ground and leapt into the air.
Then, it started to coil its body and spin around in mid-air.
Whiiiiiing!
With a sound like an engine starting, Parekian's body heated up red as it wrapped its own body with dark magic power and spun like a top, and following its movements, Parekian's magic power shot out into the air like a torrential rain.
And this barrage of black magic met with Wingian's feather bombardment coming from the opposite sky...
Kwoooooom!
It exploded.
It wasn't a complete mutual destruction, but more than half of the feather bombardment was canceled out by this interception.
"...?"
Everyone watched this scene with their mouths agape.
What's it doing?
I mean, it's a captured beast, but... why is it blocking its sibling's attack without being asked?
Gracefully landing on the ground, Parekian stood in front of Violet and then scooped her under its belly.
"Huh? Wh-what?"
Violet looked confused but, not wanting to die, she quickly crawled and hid under Parekian's belly.
Amid my confusion, a desperate shout from the merking reached my ears.
"I will assist with the remaining interception, Prince Ash!"
"Thank you, King Poseidon...!"
King Poseidon summoned a stream of water with his trident, creating a barrier in the air, and I also erected a wall behind it in preparation.
Boom! Rumble rumble...
Blam!
Wingian's feather bombardment was still powerful.
Thanks to Parekian's interception, the number of feathers was significantly reduced, and we were able to block them more easily.
Thus, through the cooperative barrier creation of King Poseidon and myself, we were safely able to withstand the bombardment.
"Phew!"
After the bombardment, I finally took a breath as a bewildered voice came from the other side.
"...Parekian?"
Wingian seemed incredulous, seeing Parekian fluttering beside Violet.
"You, what are you doing..."
However, Wingian couldn't finish its sentence.
Because our vanguard heroes had already aggressively approached and swung their weapons fiercely.
"How dare you attempt to harm our lord...!"
"I'll crush the rest of your horns too-!"
Lucas and Dusk Bringar, infuriated, led the vanguard heroes who clung to Wingian.
Yet Wingian, even in that state, roared fiercely and responded.
It swung its sharply severed left wing joint and unleashed a dragon roar from its broken beak. It even managed to lift its crushed hind legs fiercely.
The vanguard heroes struggled unexpectedly, and that's when it happened.
From the ruins of the museum—Wingian had crashed into—the eerie wailing began.
"Huhu, ugh, hehehehe...."
Everyone looked puzzled at the source of the sound when suddenly, the banshee legion commander appeared, holding the head of the Dullahan legion commander in her arms.
"Huhu, kuh-huh-huh..."
Mournfully wailing, the banshee legion commander lifted the dead Dullahan legion commander's head and carelessly flung it towards Wingian's rear.
Thump.
Roll roll.
The head of the Dullahan legion commander hit Wingian's rear and then rolled pitifully on the ground.
"kuh-huh-huh..."
The banshee legion commander continued to wail, pointing at Wingian's rear.
"..."
"..."
What.
What does that mean?
As everyone watched her silently, trying to figure out the meaning, the banshee legion commander suddenly swept back the veil covering her face, casually brushed back her disheveled bangs,
"Ah, really."
She said.
"His weak spot is here, you human brats! Try to understand...!"