"ROAR!" Flames spewing from the Dragon King's mouth covered a large area, soaking it within its flames. "Hiss…" The Dragon King's flames licked at them, but the four warriors withstood the hellish heat thanks to their Protective Ice Barrier and battle-qi. The archer mounted the griffin and flew upwards into the air, her bow at the ready. The Vampiric Iron Bull stood steadfast, protecting the two female Magi.
"Swish! Swish! Swish! " With a steely glare and unyielding focus, the archer let loose three arrows in quick succession at the mysterious magus standing on the Dragon King. "Whoosh! " The whip-like tail of the Dragon King swept across with an intensity of lightning and easily shattered the arrows flying midway. Then curved back the tail to the charge of warriors.
The forcefulness of the movement gave rise to a piercing wind, causing the warriors' expressions to change drastically as they tried to jump back. Its tail motion was quite unpredictable and serpentine, so dodging it wasn't easy. "Crash! " One of the warriors did not dodge quickly enough, and thus was hit directly by the tail. His Protective Ice Barrier and battle-qi were instantly obliterated. The tail coiled coiled around him, ensnaring him tightly. "Luke!).
" The red-haired warrior cried in pain beside him, his face a picture of agony. "No! " Luke's screams of terror echoed as the tail hurled him towards the gaping maw of the Dragon King. The Dragon King's jaws closed with a terrifying crunch, reducing Luke to mangled flesh. A half-torn leg fell to the ground, its white bone starkly visible against the bloodied remains. "Don't look." Draven covered Renji's eyes from the horrific view. That was such a brutally discouraging sight that it would shake even an adult greatly. Renji was eight, so he couldn't handle the burden at all. "Huff.
Huff." Renji felt like a huge boulder was squishing his heart.
Renji's breathing also became uneven as the scene of Luke being eaten kept playing in his mind.
The violence and brutality choked him, yet Renji, young in years, strove to steady himself.
He reminded himself of what lay ahead on the path and the roughness of life itself.
Slowly, terror gave way to budding excitement.
"This battle is so fierce. It's exhilarating," Renji mused with an antsy feeling to join the fray. "Is it the Dragonblood in me?" Renji was not sure, but the bloodshed called to him, arousing a combat urge. Sidestepping out from under Draven's protecting arm, he continued to watch the clash going on.
"Renji, don't watch," Draven said, through his alarm at Renji's reaction. "Uncle Draven, I'm not afraid," Renji replied, his eyes reflecting a fierce determination. Draven looked into the glint of excitement in Renji's eyes and so did not stop him. The battle had become even more feverish by then, with Renji continuing to observe. "ROAR!"
The Dragon King roared as it whipped around, its head snapping toward one warrior and its great claws swiping at another. Its tail whirled with an electric speed at the third. There was nothing but retreat for the remaining warriors from their offensive. The magus did not move from his position on the Dragon King as he further incanted, "Inferno Serpent Strike!" The magus's voice was cold as ice as seven enormous fire serpents, extending tens of meters in length, appeared in an instant. They howled and charged toward all directions from the magus, their scales and powerful forms breathtaking with fear. People were shocked at this scene.
The eighth-rank Fire Element spell, Inferno Serpent Strike was cast. It was a devastating spell, one which would summon seven massive fire serpents with gigantic powers of demolition. Such an affair would not be withstood by the Dragon King, strong in its defenses. The small party now realized what real eighth-rank magus power looked like. "It's the Inferno Serpent Strike. We have to run!" The red-haired warrior's face paled as he shouted in urgency. The other party members were stricken with fear. "Too late. Prepare for the baptism of death!" The voice of the magus cut into the tension, like ice—cold and cruel in the face of incoming doom.