Looking at the giant dragon blocking their way, Jeanne d'Arc's expression grew serious. Stopping the cavalry in the enemy's formation would spell disaster; it wouldn't be long before the entire group was wiped out.
"Please follow my flag!" Jeanne called out.
Avoiding the dragon would only give it the chance to attack, causing even greater damage. Although there was a risk of annihilation, pushing through seemed like the better option given the elite strength of their army.
Jeanne raised her holy flag, surrounded by golden light, as the dragon's flames roared towards them.
The knight behind her raised his shield to block the attack, but soon realized it was unnecessary. The flames, with their immense power capable of splitting mountains, were effortlessly dispersed by the holy light surrounding Jeanne . The knight and the rest of the cavalry were unaffected by the dragon's assault.
Determined, Jeanne pressed forward, charging directly at the dragon. Though the dragon's intelligence was slightly higher than that of ordinary monsters, it was still limited. Seeing that its flames failed to breach Jeanne's defense, the dragon became enraged, intensifying its attack.
Jeanne easily evaded the flames, rushing under the dragon and slashing at one of its front legs with her weapon. The strike left a bloody mark, but it wasn't enough to seriously wound the dragon. The weapons provided by Ophis were top-tier, but even they struggled against the dragon's tough scales.
Despite wielding such powerful equipment, Jeanne couldn't unleash any special abilities. The wound she inflicted was significant for ordinary beings but barely more than a nuisance for the dragon.
As Jeanne continued forward, she noticed something unusual. A subtle stream of purple magic flowed from her weapon into the dragon's wound. The dragon roared in pain, the purple magic writhing like a snake on its injury.
"King Ophis…" Jeanne recalled the special gift from Ophis. While she hadn't seen such effects with other monsters, the magic seemed to be having an impact now.
Ignoring the puzzling details for the moment, Jeanne thrust her spear upward, piercing the dragon's belly.
"Drink!" she shouted.
The dragon's roar turned into a cry of agony as blood gushed from its wounds. The knights followed her lead, attacking the dragon's legs and thrusting their weapons into its belly as they charged.
Purple snakes of magic appeared from their weapons as well, burrowing into the dragon's wounds. Finally, the dragon, overwhelmed by the relentless assault and the persistent magical attacks, lost its mind and unleashed a final, desperate wave of flames.
Seeing the chaos, Jeanne bit her lip, knowing that she couldn't save everyone. The flames would likely force the rear knights to stop, making them vulnerable to the monsters behind. Still, she took solace in the fact that most of her knights were safe.
After unleashing one last fiery assault, the dragon fell, its power spent. A few knights had been trampled or crushed, but most survived.
Jeanne's team had successfully broken through.
Lily's eyes widened with panic as she faced the giant dragon blocking her path. Despite her initially unremarkable strength as a servant, Lily possessed the memories of King Arthur. Given time, she could grow to match King Arthur's prowess, but the current situation offered no such luxury.
"What should I do?" Lily thought, sweat beading on her forehead as the dragon prepared to breathe fire.
She searched her knowledge for a solution, but her sword in the stone lacked the advanced functions she needed. It was designed as an anti-person weapon, not for dealing with dragons. Using her Noble Phantasm might kill the dragon but wouldn't stop the flames, which would likely result in heavy losses for her troops.
Calming herself, Lily took a deep breath. She needed to think of something.
Then it came to her.
"It's risky, but I have to try…"
Lily's mind flashed back to the goddess who had given her the last relic. The goddess had left a final fragment, full of powerful will and influence, even though Lily had feared using it.
But now, with a knight relying on her and a Master believing in her, Lily had to act.
With a determined gaze, Lily extended her free hand toward the dragon.
"Light, emerge from the furthest reaches of existence!"