BOOM!!
The Dracaena charged forward violently.
Its massive body tore through the forest like a living disaster, crushing trees beneath its feet as the earth trembled from its weight.
Alucard, still in his Qilin transformation, lowered his stance.
The divine white flames beneath his feet spread outward across the battlefield.
The Dracaena suddenly whipped its scorpion tail forward.
SHIIING!!
The tail shot toward Alucard fast enough to split the air itself.
Its sharp tip aimed directly for his chest.
But the moment it touched him—
A barrier of divine white fire erupted around Alucard's body.
BOOM!!
The poisonous tail was blocked instantly.
The flames burned against it violently.
The Dracaena screeched.
And Alucard moved immediately.
He raised one flaming foot—
And stomped down.
BOOOOM!!
The impact shook the mountain range nearby.
Again.
BOOM!!
Again.
BOOM!!
Again.
BOOM!!
Every stomp crushed deeper into the Dracaena's body while divine fire spread through its flesh.
Then Alucard opened his mouth.
A massive beam of white fire erupted downward.
FWOOOOOOOM!!!
The beam blasted directly into the creature while Alucard continued stomping on it.
The forest vanished beneath the flames.
The ground melted.
The shockwaves traveled for miles.
But—
The Dracaena roared violently.
Its durability was monstrous.
Comparable even to the divine beast before it.
Suddenly—
Its waist began moving unnaturally.
Additional heads emerged from its body.
Wolves.
Lions.
Tigers.
Multiple beast heads formed instantly and bit toward Alucard's legs.
CRUNCH!!
One nearly pierced through the divine flames.
Another clamped onto his lower leg.
A tiger head lunged toward his throat.
Alucard immediately jumped backward to create distance.
The moment he moved away—
The Dracaena's lower body transformed again.
Its legs split apart into countless snakes.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
The snakes rushed toward Alucard all at once.
They completely covered his divine barrier.
Hissing filled the battlefield.
The pressure increased.
The poison alone began corroding the earth beneath them.
Alucard narrowed his eyes.
Then he roared.
ROOOOOOOAR!!!
The divine barrier exploded outward in white flames.
FWOOOOOOOSH!!!
The snakes burned instantly.
Their bodies turned to ash mid-air.
The firestorm spread across the battlefield, illuminating the dark sky above.
Meanwhile—
The Dracaena's destroyed legs regenerated again.
Almost instantly.
Its dragon-like wings spread wide.
BOOOOM!!
It launched into the sky and appeared before Alucard in an instant.
Its clawed fist slammed directly into Alucard's face.
CRAAAAASH!!
Alucard was blasted backward through the air and smashed into a mountain.
The entire mountain shook violently.
Before he could fully recover—
The Dracaena was already there.
It pushed off the air itself and punched toward him again.
But this time—
Alucard dodged.
The massive fist struck the mountain instead.
BOOOOM!!
The mountain began dissolving.
Not breaking.
Dissolving.
The stone melted into black sludge instantly.
Alucard's eyes narrowed.
"Poison…"
"Tch."
The Qilin immediately dashed upward.
He ran through the air itself.
Higher.
Higher.
Above the clouds.
The sky darkened completely.
Thunder rumbled endlessly.
The clouds began swirling together violently.
Lightning covered Alucard's body completely.
The divine beast became a storm itself.
Then—
He vanished.
The Dracaena's eyes widened.
Too fast.
The only thing it felt—
BOOM!!
A hit from the left.
BOOM!!
Another from the right.
BOOOOM!!
A strike to the back.
BOOOOM!!
Its jaw snapped sideways.
BOOOOM!!
Its wings shattered apart.
Alucard moved like living lightning across the sky.
The Dracaena couldn't keep up.
It was being thrown around the battlefield repeatedly.
Then—
CRAAAAASH!!
The Dracaena slammed into the ground hard enough to create a massive crater.
Before it could recover—
Alucard descended from the heavens.
BOOOOOOOM!!!
His flaming foot stomped directly onto the monster one final time.
The crater expanded violently.
Shockwaves erupted across the land.
The clouds above split apart.
Silence followed.
Alucard finally stepped backward.
The Qilin form flickered slightly.
His breathing had become heavier now.
Twenty-five minutes.
The transformation was nearing its limit.
In his thoughts, he spoke calmly.
Five more minutes to go.
The Dracaena's body suddenly began twitching.
Then—
It split apart.
Chunks of flesh separated from its main body.
One became a giant wolf-like creature.
Another transformed into a tiger.
Another into a dragon-headed beast.
Then more.
And more.
An entire army of monsters emerged from the Dracaena itself, surrounding its main body protectively.
Alucard stared down at them silently.
The flames beneath his feet burned brighter.
"One final struggle…"
The Qilin slowly stood upright.
Divine fire danced around his body.
He looked down at the monsters before him.
Then smiled.
"Let's run it one last time."