The sudden voice, coupled with the overwhelming dragon's aura and the citywide surge in temperature, left the Eye Tyrant Lord before Caroll visibly shaken.
Its five grotesque eyes, varying in size, fixated on Caroll, though it was no longer her it was wary of—it was the aura rising from her body.
A faint, hazy light emanated from Caroll and coalesced above her head, forming an intricate yet small magic circle. From within this glowing sigil, a claw—covered in crimson scales, its muscles rippling with latent power—emerged and gripped the circle's edge.
The claw tore the space apart like fragile fabric, revealing a black rift. From this dimensional tear emerged a terrifying draconic head, its magma-like eyes glaring at the retreating Eye Tyrant Lord. The head radiated a thirst for violence and destruction.
"What... what are you?" the Eye Tyrant Lord asked, its psychic voice tinged with disbelief as it confronted this menacing being.
"What am I?" The red dragon's maw stretched into a grin, its sharp white teeth gleaming with malice. "I'm your grandpa!"
With a thunderous roar, the red dragon wasted no time. Opening its maw wide, a torrent of fiery energy surged from its throat, forming a blazing beam that struck the Eye Tyrant Lord's largest central eye.
Boom!
The sound of an explosion echoed as the central eye burst, releasing a foul-smelling fluid that splattered everywhere. The psychic scream that followed was not heard by ordinary humans—it resonated solely on the soul's plane, a piercing wail of agony.
"Pathetic trash!" the red dragon sneered, unimpressed by the damage it had inflicted. As it mocked its foe, more of its colossal body emerged from the spatial rift.
Meanwhile, other monstrous entities within the city, noticing the severe injury sustained by one of their own, began converging on the red dragon's location.
Encircled by these grotesque creatures, the red dragon felt no fear—only exhilaration.
Snap!
It grabbed the trembling Eye Tyrant Lord, which was still reeling from the destruction of its main eye. With a flick of its claw, it tore off the smallest of its remaining eyes and crushed it, dark fluid spraying into the air. The intense heat radiating from the dragon's body instantly vaporized the liquid, filling the air with a pungent stench.
The dragon, relishing the sensation, moved to tear off another eye.
At this moment, the surrounding monsters could no longer stand idly by. These creatures, minions of the Evil God, would not tolerate such a brutal humiliation of one of their own.
"What's this? Do you maggots think you can gang up on me?" the ancient red dragon, Auston Igneel, taunted. His voice dripped with arrogance as he scanned the encroaching monsters.
Though born a proud ancient dragon, Auston no longer held pride solely in his bloodline. Now, he found his confidence bolstered by the entity he served.
"Didn't you hear me earlier? Do you know whose territory this is?" Auston roared, his massive red wings unfurling to block out the sky. "This is the domain of His Excellency Muria!"
The name "Muria" clearly meant nothing to these monsters. They exchanged puzzled glances before turning their attention back to the dragon, their gazes growing more hostile.
"And I," Auston continued, his voice swelling with pride, "am Auston Igneel, the strongest dragon under His Excellency's command!"
He hovered in the sky, his immense form casting a shadow over the entire city. The monsters hesitated, deterred by his imposing presence.
"You dare attack one of His Excellency's domains and challenge his strongest subordinate? You're courting death!" Auston declared, and with a triumphant sneer, he crushed yet another of the Eye Tyrant Lord's eyes.
This act of wanton cruelty pushed the surrounding monsters over the edge. Regardless of the dragon's allegiance, such an affront could not be tolerated.
Zap! Zap! Boom!
A barrage of elemental beams, curses, and destructive energy blasts erupted from the monsters, hurtling toward the massive red dragon.
But to Caroll's astonishment, the majority of these powerful attacks passed harmlessly through the dragon's form, dissipating into the distant sky. Only a small fraction hit their mark, and even then, they failed to inflict any visible damage.
"You wretched scum!" Auston roared, his pristine scales gleaming as he ascended into the sky. "You've scratched me!"
With a mighty flap of his wings, he unleashed a torrent of flames from above. A fiery rain descended, each drop targeting a monster below with deadly precision. One by one, the Evil God's minions fell, their grotesque forms consumed by dragonfire.
When the battle was over, Auston descended to Caroll's side, his towering figure exuding confidence.
"Well, little girl," he said, puffing out his chest. "How strong am I?"
"Strong," Caroll replied mechanically, still processing the sheer scale of destruction she had just witnessed. The child in her arms had fainted long ago, overwhelmed by the dragon's presence.
"Haha!" Auston laughed, clearly pleased with her answer.
"This girl isn't even a fraction of your age, and you're already trying to impress her?" Muria's voice echoed within the dragon's mind, tinged with exasperation.
"Boss, you don't understand. True love transcends species and age!" Auston replied with mock seriousness.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll personally ensure you're permanently castrated. Believe me, even a dragon's regenerative abilities are no match for my power."
"I believe you," Auston said quickly, his tone turning sheepish. "But Boss, haven't I already completed my mission? Can't I at least chat a little while I'm idle?"
"Who said you're done? The war has just begun. You claimed to be my strongest subordinate, didn't you? Then prove it by heading to the most dangerous part of the battlefield!"
As Caroll watched, confused, the mighty dragon before her began to fade from view, its massive form vanishing into thin air.
Elsewhere, in a chaotic aerial battlefield, one-eyed giants clashed with storm giants riding colossal eagles. The skies were filled with carnage as bodies fell to the earth below.
Suddenly, a black rift tore open above the battlefield, and Auston was unceremoniously shoved into the fray.
"One-eyed giants?" Auston's eyes gleamed with interest as he surveyed the enemy forces.
With his brute strength and unmatched ferocity, Auston quickly captured one of the Evil God's minions. Employing his usual "research" methods, he tore the creature apart piece by piece, examining its anatomy.
By the time he was done, he had dissected 17 of the giants, meticulously peeling their flesh inch by inch.
"Boss," Auston said, licking the blood off his claws. "These creatures have decent physical strength. Maybe you should create your own one-eyed giants?"
"Too ugly," Muria replied curtly. "I might consider three-eyed giants, but never one-eyed ones."
"Three eyes? Need any suggestions for the design?"
"Shut up and fight," Muria ordered. "You haven't killed enough yet."
"Wait—what are you planning?"
"To lure out the Evil God's avatar."
"Are you insane? That's way too dangerous!" Auston protested, panic creeping into his voice.
"With great power comes great responsibility," Muria said cheerfully. "And since you're the strongest, who better to handle it?"
Before Auston could argue further, the overwhelming presence of a power beyond legend appeared above him. The battlefield grew silent as the red dragon prepared for what was to come.
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