"Morantus, why has your dragon race once again launched a sudden attack on us?" As the great battle commenced, the thirteen human saints only defended against the dragon's assault, refraining from counterattacking.
"Greedy humans, stop pretending," Morantus' massive tail, glowing red, mercilessly swept towards three humans in front of him. His gigantic claws also struck simultaneously.
"Morantus, make yourself clear. We had an agreement a month ago. Why are you reneging now?" The peak-level saint, radiating fighting spirit, thrust forward with both hands, emitting a tremendous force to block the dragon's tail, while two late-stage saints also confronted the incoming dragon claws.
"All this talk of five years is just your greedy excuse. Gabriella's death is the best proof," a fierce red dragon flame burst forth rapidly. The three swiftly dodged.
With no target, the dragon flame struck the ground, instantly turning all magical beasts and humans within fifty feet into ashes. As top beings among magical beasts, dragons had little concern for the lives of lesser creatures.
Watching numerous swordsmen perish under the dragon flame, a late-stage saint spoke to the peak-level saint who had just spoken, "Jester, if the dragons don't honor their promise, why should we?" Holding a long spear, he surged with fighting spirit and struck towards a late-stage dragon.
"Exactly, why show courtesy when they are the first to break their word. Are we really afraid of the dragon race?" Soon, aside from Jester, the other twelve saints drew their weapons and attacked the dragons.
Jester couldn't intervene in time, and the battle escalated. Three late-stage and one peak-level dragon fought fiercely against twelve late-stage human saints, both sides showing no mercy.
"You finally reveal your greed, dragon slayers," Morantus, the peak-level dragon, roared into the sky as he spewed relentless dragon flame from his mighty maw.
The other three dragons each faced attacks from three to four human saints, gradually falling at a disadvantage. The sky was ablaze with intense combat, causing calamity below. Powerful attacks raged within a thousand feet, increasing the toll of magical beasts and human casualties.
A dragon, seizing a moment, fiercely swept its tail, smashing a saint to the ground, who coughed up blood profusely.
Before the dragon could retract its tail, three powerful attacks arrived, causing a tremor in the space.
Blood sprayed skyward as the dragon, also a late-stage saint, couldn't withstand simultaneous attacks from three of its peers.
The dragon roared in agony as one of its wings was pierced, flapping its enormous, blood-soaked wings in pain.
Meanwhile, three other intense battles raged on, with both dragons and human saints paying close attention to each other, unleashing powerful attacks.
The sky was filled with fierce combat, but the ground was equally treacherous. Due to the constant barrage from above, many swordsmen retreated to Arlenkelman City on military orders, while mages on the city walls cast spells non-stop to halt the advance of magical beasts. Despite the heavy casualties, the beasts eventually reached the city's outskirts.
"Everyone, charge!" The swordsmen below could wait no longer. They knew that if the magical beasts breached the city, their lives would be lost.
Determined to survive, a swarm of soldiers, mercenaries, and independent fighters rushed out, leading an assault against the horde of magical beasts. Those at the forefront were all ninth-tier powerhouses.
"General, at this rate, the magical beasts will soon break through," said a soldier standing on the walls of Arlenkelman City.
The general, observing both the battle in the sky and on the ground, became utterly cold. "Magicians below eighth-tier, keep casting spells. Those eighth-tier and above, unleash large-scale attack spells indiscriminately."
At this critical juncture, the general, responsible for Arlenkelman City's defense, could not afford to hold back. The city must not fall while under his command.
Spells from magicians below the seventh tier rained down like machine-gun fire, while the air above Arlenkelman City buzzed with magic, more active than ever. Eighth and ninth-tier magicians tightly grasped their magic cores, chants echoing continuously.
The mercenaries and soldiers, eyes red with fury, trampled a thick layer of magical beast and human corpses. Blood flowed like rivers, the stench of death engulfing the area.
"Fire Rain Meteor!" The first eighth-tier spell was cast, followed by other immensely powerful eighth and ninth-tier spells. These indiscriminate attacks caused heavy casualties among both the magical beasts and humans on the ground.
Roars of beasts and screams of humans filled the air, as colorful, merciless eighth and ninth-tier spells bombarded the ground. The earth trembled, space warped, and countless people, abandoning the frontline, ran frantically towards Arlenkelman City. But the city gates were already shut, unyielding to their cries for help.
The first wave of indiscriminate magic attacks killed no less than ten thousand, with the death toll of the magical beasts being no less significant.
With a thunderous crash, a huge figure hit the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. The agonized roar was deafening. A water-elemental dragon, bombarded by the full force of four saint-level fighters, crashed heavily onto the ground, its blue scales stained red with blood.
"Since you've come down, stay here," a chilling voice sounded just as the water dragon prepared to take flight again.
With a "boom," a blood-soaked tail smashed where the voice had come from. But before the dragon could react, eight figures shot out from the dust.
"I will capture every one of you, dragons," the cold voice echoed again. The eight figures, with their powerful attacks, struck the dragon, driving its body a further ten feet into the ground.
The water dragon, amidst the dust, thrashed its huge body, roaring in defiance, "The dragon race will not spare you!"
Feeling the turmoil on the ground, the three dragons in the sky and the twelve saint-level humans all looked down. A sense of foreboding emerged in the minds of the twelve.
"You dare, you madman!" Jester, with immense momentum, dived down, directing his powerful fighting energy towards the source of the voice.
"It's fine, Jester. This is the second dragon we've caught. Now, quickly deal with those three," the person on the ground nonchalantly dismissed the incoming attack.
With a "boom," the ground trembled violently again. The ferocious fighting energy dissipated in all directions, creating a crater ten feet in diameter.
"I'll take this one then," the cold voice said indifferently, and then the dragon on the ground vanished, leaving no trace. The three dragons in the sky immediately sensed the disappearance of the water dragon's aura.
"Roar! Greedy humans, your charade ends here," Morantus, completely enraged, viewed all these events as human deception, a ploy to slaughter their dragon race.
"This is not what you think," Jester yelled upwards as he landed, his face dark with fury, realizing he had been thoroughly deceived.
"No more excuses. Sludy, go and exterminate all the humans there," Morantus ordered another fire dragon, unfolding his massive wings like a sharp heavenly blade, and cleaved towards the humans ahead.