The battle between the elder dragons was a fusion of physical combat and magical warfare.
Jenkinson and Cheongcheon made full use of their bodies, the most robust and powerful among all living creatures on Earth.
The Red Dragon's attacks were varied and used everything from its teeth and limbs to its entire body and headbutts. Cheongcheon used her elongated body like a whip. It was an extremely feral and instinctive clash, far removed from the political or economic stakes it might have represented.
However, even as they exchanged blows, they were also engaged in a fierce magical duel.
One of the six brains of a dragon was solely dedicated to magical calculations. With calculations and spell constructs that no other species could even attempt, dozens of spells were continuously formed, canceled, and modified within a single second.
A brutal battle of wits.
Meanwhile, successfully cast spells would find precise strike points, hitting their targets while deftly avoiding the caster. As Jenkinson headbutted, liquid nitrogen froze Cheongcheon's scales, and as she shook off the ice to bite Jenkinson's wings, twisted gravity struck him in the back of the head.
Even amid this most exasperating physical struggle, Cheongcheon was observing something.
'That alien isn't interfering?'
Minjun kept his distance, focusing his mental energy on creating a spell.
The surrounding area was filled with a massive flow of magical power. Initially, it seemed he was preparing a decisive attack against her, but soon Cheongcheon realized it was not the case. The alien's spell was similar to the magic circle Cheongcheon had used to throw them all out of the lair.
'Teleportation?'
A spell designed to transport multiple entities, including the caster, at once.
'But why now?'
The answer became clear quickly.
They were fighting above the lair, high above Namsan. Cheongcheon had intentionally adjusted the altitude to prevent damage to the lair from affecting the ground below.
But if this dragged on?
'I see. He's afraid of damaging the city, so he's trying to force a change of battlefield.'
A smirk was about to form on her face.
Cheongcheon also owned various properties and businesses throughout Seoul. However, having already decided to leave the city with Ryooho, she had no luxury to worry about losses. Whether there were damages or not, it was irrelevant.
But Jenkinson's concern was different. He was trying to minimize property damage as much as possible.
'That's his weakness!'
Cheongcheon thought.
If that was his weakness, then what was her own?
The lair beneath her feet, the magic circle where Ryooho was trapped.
The alien, fully aware of this, was threatening to destroy the lair and drop magic on the commercial district of Namsan, trying to force a change of location rather than battling directly.
'Fools.'
Cheongcheon devised a plan.
Even while she fought with Jenkinson, she reactivated the lair's grand barrier. As a result, the escaping employees were suddenly trapped by closing doors and suffered injuries or death. The sounds of the survivors' sobs and cries filled the air, but she ignored them.
With the safety of the lair secured, the continuous spells raining down on Jenkinson momentarily paused. The Red Dragon tried to use this opportunity to overpower Cheongcheon, but failed. The reason for Cheongcheon pausing her magical attacks was simple. She was using the brief interval to prepare a more powerful spell.
As a result, an unfamiliar constellation appeared in front of Jenkinson and Minjun.
=?!=
Citizens who witnessed the scene from a distance suspected a silent explosion on top of Namsan.
A brilliant and massive flash that did not lose its grandeur even under the sun. Observed from afar, it resembled a gigantic sphere of light, like another sun rising.
But those who got closer, such as citizens taking refuge near Namsan, understood the reality. It wasn't a single immense light source but hundreds of light orbs the size of a human head appearing around Cheongcheon. The combined light from these orbs created an overwhelming illumination.
Jenkinson was horrified.
'Cheongcheon! Have you truly lost your mind?!'
Cheongcheon sneered.
'That's not something you should be saying.'
The two dragons, each considering the other a lunatic, locked eyes.
Inside the hundreds of small spherical barriers was an amorphous mixture of heat and destructive force. Jenkinson recognized them as ultra-small stars that could not exist in their natural state.
The transparent barriers contained superheated plasma that even the highest boiling point tungsten could not endure. In other words, each sphere was undergoing nuclear fusion.
And the moment Cheongcheon turned her body—
Poof!
Like fireworks, sand-like light burst out from around Cheongcheon. Missiles targeting key locations throughout Seoul, except for the lair beneath, were scattered. The projectiles, instead of having steel casings, were shells encased in barriers.
Jenkinson could no longer focus on hand-to-hand combat with Cheongcheon.
'Damn it!'
The elder dragon cried out urgently before Minjun could act.
'Minjun! I—!'
The meaning of the unfinished sentence was understood by his ally. While Minjun continued concentrating on his spell, Jenkinson rapidly drew upon his magical power to generate gravitational forces.
The spheres that had been freely spreading according to Cheongcheon's guidance hesitated and slowed down. Jenkinson exerted all his effort to redirect them and threw them high into the sky.
"Kurk!"
The pain of his internal organs twisting due to the intense use of magical power overwhelmed him. But there was no respite from the enemy.
Seizing the opportunity while he was struggling to deflect the spells, Cheongcheon charged at him. The battle continued with a mix of large and small spells pouring down like bombardments. Even so, Jenkinson did not stop guiding the magical projectiles.
Higher!
Even higher!
-----!
And finally, from a distance, a heavy explosion and flash of light spread out.
The dazzling light erupted from the high skies.
Barely escaping a catastrophe, Jenkinson glared with eyes blazing with fury.
'This psychopath will not be satisfied even if I kill her a hundred times!'
It was at that moment that Minjun's spell was completed.
Poof!
The surroundings changed once more.
Cheongcheon realized that Minjun had teleported them all over the West Sea.
'This far? Including both elder dragons? What is this alien's true identity?'
Minjun glared at her with quiet rage.
The elder dragon thought.
'He seems to have quite a few hidden tricks, but it doesn't change the fact that the situation hasn't flipped.'
In the end, allowing the opponent to complete the spell had its benefits. It had inflicted significant damage on Jenkinson. If she could deal with the elder dragon first, dealing with the alien would be easier.
After that, he would have to evade the committee and embark on a journey through dimensions, but... he was confident he could at least save his life, even in the worst-case scenario.
Fwoosh!
The second round began the moment Minjun's body was enveloped in shadows.
And Cheongcheon realized she had completely misunderstood the alien.
'······This isn't just hiding power!'
Cheongcheon thought she knew enough about alien convicts. They were those who, having committed various atrocious acts, were arrested by the committee and paid for their crimes with their bodies. Dragons didn't interfere with them because they didn't want to conflict with the committee behind them, not because they were afraid of the convicts.
No matter how powerful they were, they couldn't match the elder dragons. Even if their true identity was a dragon before their capture, unless the committee granted them new bodies as dragons, they could not stand against an elder dragon.
'But that...!'
The synergy between Jenkinson's and Minjun's attacks was fluid and smooth to an eerie degree. It seemed like they had worked together many times before.
Since curses wouldn't work on elder dragons, Minjun focused on more direct attacks. He maneuvered carefully to avoid intersecting paths with Jenkinson's movements and magic trajectories, forcefully inserting his spells.
Compared to the two elder dragons, he was merely a small fly, but it was a fly capable of delivering a fatal blow if given a moment of negligence. When his shadow-covered blade grazed the gap between Cheongcheon's scales, she realized that such a small inch could potentially mean her death. The shadow he summoned had the power to penetrate the dragon's barrier and scales.
Minjun took advantage of the gaps between the dragon's attacks. Each swing of his blade split the scales, causing flesh and blood to fall into the sea, creating ripples. The visible wounds were minor, but the internal shocks were significant. Jenkinson, clearly showing signs of damage from the recent battle, was now driven by a fierce determination to annihilate her, attacking mercilessly.
Cheongcheon gradually felt her strength waning.
It was then that Jenkinson launched a surprise spell.
Whoosh!
A massive magic circle covered the dragon's body.
White beams of light radiated from the center of the circle, spreading out like a spider's web.
This was an application of the principle used in the dragon's grand barrier protecting the lair. Originally meant to cover a vast area with resistance or to 'cut off' space, the property was condensed into a 0.2-millimeter line. Hundreds of strands were pulled out and roughly spread. Few materials could withstand the tremendous elasticity and strength of such a whip.
Even the dragon's scales.
Raaaaaagh!
The white threads created by Jenkinson wrapped around Cheongcheon, binding her. As he focused, the threads began slicing through her scales and digging into her flesh. The more her elongated body thrashed, the deeper the cuts became, and blood flowed steadily.
The elder dragon laughed.
"Hmph! You look like a snake caught in a rope!"
And the next moment, Jenkinson regretted using that particular phrase.
Crackle!
Sparks ignited between Cheongcheon's two antler-like horns.
Like a tiny spark growing into a great conflagration, a small flash quickly transformed into a magnificent lightning bolt.
"Damn it!"
Cheongcheon, bound by the glowing net, unleashed lightning from her entire body.
"Kraaaah!"
The whole world turned white, then black spots splattered like droplets amidst the intense heat. The lightning, changing forms dozens of times in a single second, made the shadows of the three combatants dance wildly. The lightning struck Jenkinson's body with such weight that it felt as if it rivaled metal. Everything in sight was painfully sharp.
In this lightning storm, Cheongcheon remained unaffected. It was natural that her own magic would interact favorably with the barrier she had created.
At the moment she was increasing the output to roast Jenkinson,
Whizzing!
An entity that Cheongcheon had momentarily forgotten flew up behind her.
"?!"
In the brief time she looked away, the shadow enveloping Minjun had changed. The form, which was only slightly different from a human, had collapsed into a drill-like structure with intertwined arms.
Pointing the deformed structure forward, Minjun flew towards the dragon's nape.
Boom!
Cheongcheon twisted her body desperately. Thus, Minjun, now a black drill, targeted a spot slightly below the intended nape—roughly equivalent to a human's chest.
The shadow cone tore through the air.
Thud!
Pach-pach!
The scales were split and the mucous membranes torn apart by the dynamic rotating drill. As the drill burrowed deep into the flesh, the erupting dragon's blood came into contact with the electric currents. A significant amount boiled away instantly, but some spilled onto Minjun's face.
"······!"
A sharp, unfamiliar sensation. It was a feeling both strange and familiar, like a pleasant breeze or a warm wave—a peculiar throb that contrasted with the fierce battle. The amnesiac convict was overwhelmed by a profound emotion.
How long had it been since tasting elder dragon's blood?
Sensing an inexplicable surge of feelings, Minjun lowered his own resistance slightly.
Of course, even in that moment, Cheongcheon did not stop emitting the electric currents.
Crackle!
The high-voltage current running along the dragon's scales became a conductor for Minjun's shadow, beginning to penetrate into Cheongcheon's body.
At the same time that Jenkinson and Minjun were fighting Cheongcheon, Ha Eunsung was still inside Cheongcheon's lair.
He had returned to a state of free spirit. No matter how many exorcism wards were set up here, they could not confine his freedom; he could simply fly away and escape.
However, Ha Eunsung did not do that.
Meanwhile, there was great confusion among those hired by Cheongcheon inside the lair. The ghost observed quietly.
"Ah! The elevator won't budge!"
"Damn it, do something!"
"The barrier has started working again!"
"What?"
"And the door's closed too! We're trapped in here!"
Ha Eunsung was still on the 30th underground floor. The hired hands who had witnessed what was happening realized that something serious was going on and tried to escape, but it seemed to be impossible.
The reason the ghost had stayed here until now was simple.
He had heard what the elder dragon named Cheongcheon said.
There will be the largest ghost gathering ever at Gwanghwamun Square this week.
The most opportune time would be right after the gathering ends, right? I'd like you to release the wraiths there and capture as many ghosts as possible.
Once he was free from the human body, the fear of dragons vanished quickly. Instead, anger took its place.
'Capture the ghosts and grind them up? And feed them to that wraith?!'
Fortunately, Minjun seemed to have no intention of accepting that proposal, and it appeared that they had gone outside the lair for a life-or-death struggle.
Ha Eunsung thought. Then what about me?
Can I just escape like this?
'No, I can't.'
Ha Eunsung observed the hired hands and searched for someone. Since this facility was designed to confine wraiths, there would naturally be a spirit-sensitive person among them.
And finally, he found one: an elf with a shamanistic constitution.
"Gasp?! You're...!"
The ghost rushed roughly at the surprised elf.
"Stop! Don't do it!"
Ha Eunsung tried to forcibly take over the elf's body. This time, he wasn't trying to annihilate the opponent's soul as he had with Jiseon-kyung, nor was he trying to drive the spirit out of the body; he simply wanted to temporarily share the body.
"Ugh! You're so persistent! Just wait a moment. I'll just use it for a bit and then give it back!"
"Ahh! No! Get out! Don't do it!"
However, regardless of his intentions, the struggling and writhing seemed to make him feel certain thoughts and emotions involuntarily.
Whoosh!
When the Talent responded and emitted light from within the elf's soul, Ha Eunsung was startled.
"Hey! No! Stop! This isn't what I meant!"
Ha Eunsung was worried that the Talent might cause an accident beyond his intentions, but fortunately, nothing of the sort happened.
"Phew, that's done."
Having taken the elf's body without harming the soul, Ha Eunsung moved his limbs around.
It felt light. It wasn't even strange anymore.
'Is this... the power of the Talent?'
Ha Eunsung turned his head to look at where he needed to go.
It was only natural to harbor a grudge against Cheongcheon, who had suddenly appeared, torn off one of his arms, kidnapped people, used their souls to annihilate others, and even tried to eternally 'destroy' his ghost friends.
Though Minjun seemed to have followed, the opponent was an elder dragon.
What if that agent loses and Cheongcheon goes ahead with her plan?
There might be no one else in the world with the unique ability to control wraiths.
'I have to stop this!'
Ghosts are not protected by law.
Even if that elder dragon were to kidnap all the ghosts gathering at Gwanghwamun, I would not intervene.
The rights of ghosts are for ghosts to protect.
'How can someone plan and be willing to execute such things?'
Ha Eunsung thought about Cheongcheon.
The most frightening part was that she had the power to carry out such an absurd plan.
'This is wrong.'
And it is deeply wrong.
Is it right for someone with such power to live among us as if nothing is wrong?
Anyway, there was only one thing Ha Eunsung could do now.
If successful, it would be enough to make Cheongcheon no longer need to pursue her plan.
'Cheongcheon or whatever, take this!'
From today onward, the ghost who had come to despise dragons more than any other race in the world moved forward with a determined expression.
< 64. 21st Century Robin Hood (18) > End