Canopus observed the approaching Lao-Shan Lung from a distance, praying for the blessing of Lord Flare and his fellow Angelos. Aria's arrival with a supply of the dracophage bugs had raised the morale of his army, but the fact that the beast was still marching placed doubts within his mind. "There are only forty jars of that dragon element bugs and two had been used... Will it be enough?"
The tremors halted as the beast reached Gate Three. It mulled over for a while, head turning side to side, as if looking for something.
Florian was calmly observing the dragon from a distance. He had discussed his altered plan to the crown prince and was now determined to see through it.
After a brief moment of silence, the dragon made its move by smashing its head onto the gate, punching holes with its snout horn. It proceeded to tear into the gate, flinging pieces of wood and metal fragments away, removing any flammable materials from falling onto the same spot. After tearing apart the wooden gate, it smashed onto the escarpment, knocking loose the boulders and sand that buried the remnants of the gate under tons of rubble.
"Smart..." Florian remembered the information Aria had written about Lao-Shan Lung; being an elder dragon, the creature before him carried itself with a level of wisdom and intelligence he had never seen in any living being other than the humans. "That is why, I do not approach this as a hunt, but as a war."
Lao-Shan Lung, finished with dismantling Gate Three, took a step forward atop the buried remnants and continued its march towards the entrance of Area Four.
Florian raised his right hand while watching the dragon's every step. "Welcome to the empire... Now!!!"
Lao-Shan Lung felt a sudden jerk underneath, followed by several abrupt and large explosions all around the valley. The entire ground became loose and its limbs started to sink rapidly, buried by piles of sand and gravel. The gargantuan mass of the beast had further exacerbated its unexpected predicament, pulling itself deeper into the soil.
"Water magic! Now!" Under Florian's next command, all the water-affinity magicians swarmed the beast with their spells. However, they disregarded the dragon, focusing their offenses towards the sunken pit that Lao-Shan Lung was caught within. Torrents of water rushed into the pit, saturating the loosened sand and creating a thick mire that further pulled the dragon into the cavity.
"Pour the grease! Now!" Barrels of grease were poured following the water, lowering the friction and making it harder for the dragon to hold on to the already loose footing.
"Using the earth-affinity magicians to create a network of underground tunnels and filling them with explosive powder." Florian smirked at the dragon who had cratered deep into the slippery pit. "You have never been to a battlefield like this before, have you!?"
Lao-Shan Lung's movements faltered as the terrain changed in rapid succession, unable to fully comprehend the sudden appearance of the depression underneath its feet. The oily grime dampened its strength, making it harder to climb up the slippery slope or to raise its body up.
"Hunters! Climb on the beast!" As the words left Florian's mouth, eight figures immediately leapt out from their hiding spots, landing upon the rugged terrain of the dragon's back.
"This is your next punishment for those you have killed!" Marion rushed in with an iai slash, determined to continue breaking its other shells.
"A lady hates stubbornness." Rosa elegantly spun towards the broken shells, unleashing several destructive slashes upon her path with her new dual blades, Vprey Claws. "So, when I say no, stop making advances!"
Both Marion and Rosa wreaked havoc on the thoracic region of the dragon, where the already exposed area from the previous shell-break became their prime target. They meticulously targeted the surrounding shells, cracking and peeling them layer by layer in order to widen the vulnerable section for more potent attacks. The ruthless assaults flinched the beast, feeling the tenderness after losing more of its prized armour.
"Round three, I'll make sure you remember the pain this time!" Scarlet sent her kinsect to gather monster essences whilst attacking the cervical area of the dragon. Her assaults grew with every extract gathered, powering her every move with wild and fiery ferocity.
"Even I know my boundary." Alfonse followed Scarlet and complemented his offenses using his new blades, Mammoth Direbones, to Scarlet's aerial maneuvers. "You have crossed the line, and crossed my temper, buddy."
Scarlet's repeated strong descending thrusts, coupled with Alfonse's precise cuts, opened a small wound on the dragon's neck. Without missing a beat, Scarlet focused and lodged her glaive into the crack; her momentum put pressure upon the opening and pivoted, twirling her entire body in a devastating attack that burst the shell.
"This is my thanks for letting me awaken the mark!" Catherine dragged her arrow along the dragon's shell, charging her dragon piercer.
"You will not besmirch the land of the empire anymore!" Lilium followed Catherine's example and aimed on the same spot, breaking the shell after Catherine's shot. "The unyielding empire will stand up against you!"
The precise shots from both Catherine and Lilium poked many holes into the shells around the lumbar region of the beast.
"I will turn you into my achievement!" Alfina thrust her glaive on the back head of the dragon and hooked the rope implement that Alfred had designed onto one of its head spike.
"Shoot the dracophage bugs onto the exposed part of the beast!" Aria landed near Alfina and began her assaults. "That will be the most effective use of the dragon element!"
Both Aria and Alfina landed upon the elder dragon's head that swung violently. With Alfred's hook rope, both managed to latch on and return, despite losing their footings several times.
"All mounted weaponries are to support those eight hunters! Aim for its legs!" The knights and supporters adjusted their firing angles under Florian's order, targeting at the very pillars that supported the dragon's entire weight.
"We will keep you in that hell hole for as long as possible." Florian smirked after seeing his tactic succeeded with great result. "Have a taste of that dragon element rampaging in close proximity."
The perforations in the elder dragon's shattered armour became easy targets for the eight hunters. They shot out the jars of dracophage bugs and several bursts of crimson lightning radiated along the surface of the beast. Crackling explosively, the dracophage bugs unleashed their pent up energy from the abundant consumption of the dragonfell berries onto the walking fortress before dispersing back into nature.
Lao-Shan Lung felt every sting from the dragon element burrowing into its body, sapping away its strength a little with every zap.
"It's working!" Several cries of triumph echoed across the valley. The sight of the once unstoppable beast slowing down its movements and eventually halted in exhaustion brought back their spirits. The dragon's body slumped forward, lowering its massive head while taking in several laboured breaths.
"Huh..." Noticing the tail moving side to side in a deliberate rhythm, Catherine's instinct blared with warning. "Your highness, I think it is doing someth-!"
The tail whipped the escarpments with monstrous force, smashing and pulverising the bulwarks that surrounded it and rained down masses of debris onto the arena.
"Wha..." The absurd spectacle unfolding before him left Florian dumbfounded. The moment when humanity had appeared to tame the force of nature, the wild beast retaliated with even greater ferocity.
The falling debris filled the pit and displaced the water and grease, creating a firmer foundation beneath the dragon's feet with every whip of its tail. Rock and boulders fell upon the beast itself, but it paid no mind, for the crushing might of the boulder was puny against its massive frame.
"Hiee! Your highness, we need to escape! Follow me!" Catherine darted along the spine of the beast, avoiding the falling rocks before spinning her hook rope towards a crevice.
"I am right behind you!" Equally panicking, Lilium stumbled behind Catherine and failed to hook her rope. "Oh no-!"
The dragon, having gained enough footing, swayed its tail with greater intensity, throwing Lilium off balance and hurling her towards the earth.
"I've caught you!" With her agility, Catherine propelled herself down and swung to barely catch Lilium's hand. Their remaining momentum halted once they collided against the cliff face and Lilium hastily pulled her rope back before hooking against the wall for stability.
"Such brutish action! Filled with neither manners nor beauty!"
"Lady Rosa, now is not the time for an etiquette lesson!" Marion and Rosa halted their attacks once debris rained upon them and leapt out of the dragon's back. Assisted by Marion's wind magic, both hunters landed into one of the various cave entrances and made their way out of the frontline.
"Miss!" Alfonse pulled Scarlet away from a falling boulder.
"Thanks for the save! Whoa!" Scarlet plunged her glaive into the beast, bracing herself against the violent thrashing. "This bastard!"
"We need to get out! But falling into that pit is basically a death sentence!" Alfonse was deliberating his options, looking for any nearby crevices that his hook rope could reach.
"Hold on to me! I'll give a boost with my magic!" Scarlet began chanting her magic and ran towards the shoulder edge of the beast.
"Will do!" Following Scarlet's pace, Alfonse placed his hand around her shoulder. They leapt off the beast on the same beat as Scarlet's fire spell erupted behind them, propelling both hunters with tremendous velocity. The momentum shrunk their distance with the crag, allowing Alfonse to launch his hook rope and swung them into safety.
"Alfina! We need to move now!"
"I know! But we kept losing our balance!"
Being atop the swinging dragon's head, Alfina and Aria were constantly thrown off before they could unhook their rope. However, as rubbles began pouring at tremendous rate, both hunters were inching closer to their burial and they had to act fast.
As both hunters were dangling on either side of the dragon's head, they swung around, following the momentum generated by the beast. At the apex of her momentum, Aria cleaved her rope, propelling her towards the right flank of Lao-Shan Lung and latching on the rocky surface of the valley with her glaive.
"Alfina!" After securing her landing outside of the pit, Aria turned her attention to her half-sister who was still in a precarious situation. The beast changed its swinging pattern, causing Alfina to be tussled around in every directions and lost her orientations.
"Gah! I am not letting you-!" Alfina's rope snapped, plunging her into the ditch, life flashing before her eyes and seeing light slowly fading under the shadow of the dragon. As she prepared herself for the inevitable, the figure of a person she loathed came into view, catching her to break her fall; both sisters crashed into the side of the cavity, sand and debris flowing atop them, blanketing them under the weight of the earth.
"Aria... Alfina..." Marion who witnessed the horror whilst running towards safety, widen her eyes as her feet came to stop. "We need to save them!"
"Stop it! Not with those injuries we have sustained from the falling debris!" Rosa pulled Marion, who was about to leap out into the arena, at her arm and dragged her deeper into the cave, safe from the collapsing ceiling due to the dragon's onslaught. "I am also filled with anger! I want to save them no matter what, but we are not God nor his Angelos! I am not letting you throw away your life over a sudden burst of emotion!"
"Ugh...!" Biting her lips till blood trickled, Marion could only watch with a bitter expression as piles of debris continued building up atop her companions.
The entire units participating in the siege went silent as they watched their saviour being buried with her sister. Some wept, losing hope for ever repelling the behemoth that had regained its footing and lifted its gargantuan head out of the dirt; sand and gravels tumbled down its body, flowing like water as Lao-Shan Lung surfaced from the pit, locking eyes with the humans standing in its way.
"Earl Sultier..."
"Stop it, Viscount Coteau." Elrion maintained his serious expression, keeping his eyes on the elder dragon that had resumed its advance. "The mission takes priority. We will wait for the orders from above while we get ourselves as ready as possible. Leave all the sentiments for later."
Viscount Coteau wore a difficult face upon hearing the words from a father who had potentially lost his two offspring. Being a father himself, he gritted his teeth, knowing that Elrion had probably hid his pain behind that stoic appearance.
Alfina opened her eyes, feeling battered from the crash and burial under the rubbles. The remaining glass orb containing the dracophage bugs provided little light within the claustrophobic space. "Why did you save me...?"
"Who knows... Maybe because... I am the one... chosen by Lord Flare..." Aria, equally injured, held off a large slab of rock from crushing both of them. Blood trickled down from her forehead.
"Fool... You know... that I hate you..." Alfina coughed out blood, smearing her armour. "Potion..."
"Mine shattered during the crash... I have none..."
"I still have one..."
"Then drink it... I will be fine... I got the mark..."
"Which is why you... should drink it... you are our hope..." Tears ran down Alfina's face, soaking into the ground. "Tell my mother... I am sorry..."
"No... We will get out of here..."
"I have always hated you... and your mother... whom father cherished..."
"Stop talking..." Aria felt a tremor and the slab pushed further down against her back.
"This must be our retribution... Me dying without achieving something big... and mother losing her daughter..." Alfina closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again with a determined smile. She shoved her one and only surviving vial of potion into Aria's mouth, forcing her to take a few gulp in surprise. "I will use my water spell... to bore a hole through... Please... take this as my final act... of filial... and take care of my mother..."
The vial emptied and Alfina tossed the vessel away, ready to chant her magic. However, she was flabbergasted when Aria lowered her face closer to her and kissed her mouth, forcing it open to pour in the content in her mouth. The warm liquid rushed into Alfina's gullet, magically healing her injuries as Aria had apparently saved a mouthful of the health potion for her to drink.
"Do not say such a thing! Such irresponsible thing!" Tears welled in Aria's eyes. "I may dislike you! But I hate your mother who buried my mother even more! Instead of being honourably cremated to join the Lord in heaven, my mother had to rot in the dirt! Being treated like animals and monsters! I can never take care of her!"
"Mother was, and is still, being criticised for that..." Alfina smiled bitterly. "She gave up her right to inherit the prestigious Saphir Marquis House... and married into the Sultier Earl House for love... but what she got was a distant husband... and me... who had weak constitution as a child..."
Both Aria and Alfina continued crying, as if the dam that had been holding off years of painful unresolved emotion broke off. Within the small chamber, embraced by the heaviness of the earth, both sisters could finally confessed their vulnerabilities to each other.
"... I am sorry, Aria."
"So do I, Alfina."
The sisters, separated by unfortunate circumstances, were finally taking their first step into mending their strained relationship.
Sound of tremors reverberated through the ground and into the chamber, indicating that the elder dragon had began moving again. Sand and dirt streamed into their earthen cell with every step.
Aria and Alfina smiled while making peace with themselves, deciding to let go of their bitterness; until they heard the unfamiliar sound of buzzing and seeing light shining from their hands.
***
"The beast has now entered Area Four. If we are to succeed, we would need it to make a sharp turn away from Gate Four." Canopus spoke towards Florian and Duke Baikal with a bitter taste in his mouth. "The morale plummet because we lost both valuable hunters, especially miss Aria..."
The painful silence stretched for a while before Florian broke it. "We still have the others, and if we continue putting pressure on our left flank, we may be able to force it away from the gate. The same tactic used by the cavalry in Area Two should aid in that process as well. The beast must have suffered some damage from receiving those falling boulders."
"We are out of option... The dragon element seems to work but, not as well as we thought..." Duke Baikal faced the sky, taking in the heaviness of the atmosphere all around him. "Lord Flare, I beseech you, please give us the strength to overcome this disaster."
"Nothing will come from standing here dwelling over it. We are losing precious time." The crown prince placed both of his hands on Florian's shoulders. "Duke Charme, I will take your suggestion, please lead us to victory."
"I will, your highness."
Despite the low morale, all units moved accordingly. The six hunters who were atop the moving beast moments ago were being healed in the rear, shock painted across their faces. Alfred, who joined in late to check on them, held Scarlet's trembling hands as she recalled the several painful memories of losing her father and friends.
"The orders just arrived. The cavalry units will be pulling its head towards the other path..." Alfred broke the silent. "All six of you will continue to chip away at the dragon's right flank... and to use the dracophage bugs when necessary."
"How are we supposed to make that thing turn? We've barely made a dent. It just see us as some troublesome bugs that need to be swatted away." Clenching her fists, Catherine's eyes began to water. "We just lost both Aria and Alfina..."
"We just have to continue moving forward!" Lilium slammed her fist on a wooden bench. "As proud citizens of the glorious Coronamars Empire, we shall not yield to fear! We fight until the last men!"
"She is right! We shall avenge both of them!" With a deep glare that radiated with fury, Marion tore into her ration and faced the rest. "If I am ever going to be a knight for the empire, giving up here would mean abandoning that dream! I shall stand at the forefront and fight till my last breath!"
"Beautifully said. I too, shall rise up to the challenge." Rosa walked towards the center of the crowd. "As long as there is hope, we shall grasp on to it! For there is no beauty in turning your back against a formidable foe! Everyone, rise up!"
One by one, hope began to rekindle within the eyes of the humans as they all rose in hearty cheers, swearing to never give up despite the unforgiving odds.
As the humans regained their sense of purpose, the assault resumed in earnest.
The cavalry units led by Elrion moved out first, snaking all over the dragon in an attempt to weaken it. They, together with the efforts from the knights manning the mounted weapons, dealt substantial blows to the right side of the dragon. However, the much narrower valley of Area Four made it harder to manoeuver around the behemoth, increasing the risk of being trampled.
"Urgh!" Elrion, who was galloping underneath the dragon, was struck by the unexpected inward swipe from the dragon's forelimb, making him lose his balance and tumbled from his steed in front of the beast. His fellow horsemen tried to rescue him, but with a side bump from the dragon's massive body boulders rolled down towards them, disorienting and panicking their rides.
Elrion quickly regained his balance and ran towards the gate while whistling to call his ride. However, the tremors and the sound of crashing boulders dampened the sound, causing his horse to speed past and away from him. His breathing became slightly rugged as he tried to dart into safety.
Catherine and Lilium began charging and shooting their dragon piercer shots, hoping to slow the beast and allowing Elrion to escape safely. The other four hunters also began to make their way into the fray. Viscount Coteau broke from his formation, charging forward in order to save his fellow companion.
The maw of death presented itself behind Elrion, who was chanting his water spell whilst running. However, before he could finish, Lao-Shan Lung closed in with its jaw, ready to kill again.
The buzzing sound of something flying resonated within the buccal cavity of the dragon as the two flying objects dispersed some kind of powder. Within a split second, Lao-Shan Lung mouth erupted with fiery explosion, not strong enough to severely wound it, but definitely enough to flinch it. The objects kept flying around, hitting and collecting essences from the beast.
Two figures appeared from behind the dragon's body, landing multiple slashes on its head whilst mid-air and landing in front of it. The flying objects returned to their respective owners: the blue kinsect landed on the blue-haired girl while the silver kinsect attached itself on the silver-haired girl.
"Aria... Alfina..." Elrion widened his eyes after seeing his supposed dead daughters.
Both Aria and Alfina were covered in blood, sweat, tears and dirt. Their breathing was strained and laboured, but they stood confidently in front of the elder dragon. Both of their hands shone with brilliance, showing that Alfina had also earned her mark of Angelos.
Jubilant voices erupted from every human, lifting their morale to the highest crescendo. The bellows of tears and prayers thanking their Lord reverberated in thunderous beats; broadcasting to the elder dragon of the undying and unbreakable spirits of humanity in the face of impossibility.
Lao-Shan Lung took several steps back, finally feeling the puissant presence of humanity's will. Its resolve faltered in a heartbeat. Nevertheless, it continued to advance, knowing that it was an unstoppable force of nature.
"Earl!" Viscount Coteau came on his steed while also dragging along Elrion's horse and without missing a beat, Elrion got on his mount. "Both of you, hop on as well!"
"You go first! We will stall it!" Alfina shot her orb of dracophage bugs. "Are you with me on this, sister?"
"Absolutely, sister!" Aria released her kinsect and began vaulting over the beast that was just struck with a burst of dragon element, slashing its snout.
"Aria!" Marion sprinted into the arena, assisting both sisters with her devastating spirit slash combo. "I am so glad that you came back!"
"You're going to pay for making me worried like that!" Scarlet sent out her kinsect while performing an upward cut. "Here! Take these potions!"
"Thank you! And I am sorry!"
Alfina watched Aria downing her potion and smiled, until a pair of hands hugged her from behind. "Your highness!?"
"Idiot!" Lilium caught her friend in a tight embrace before forcing her to drink two vials of health potion. "I thought I just lost another one!"
"Hey! Leave the reunion for later!" Alfonse unleashed a barrage of slashes on the dragon's forelimb before backing off, avoiding the stomp. "This thing is moving again!"
The cavalry led by Elrion had mostly recovered, despite having many casualties, the remaining horsemen continued putting pressure on the beast. Together with the eight hunters, they managed to lacerate its right forelimb, causing it to stumble and fell on its right side.
"Both of you should return to the rear to get treatment!" Gaining distance, Lilium unleashed her arrows on the fallen beast.
"There is no need for that, Aria had casted healing spells!" Alfina felt power surging within her after obtaining all of the extracts. "This will be the final push!"
Lao-Shan Lung regained its footing and raised its entire body to stand on its hindlegs.
"Run! Run into the caves! Or as far as possible!" A cavalry knight zipped away from the dragon, snatching one of the eight hunters to ride with him whilst his other seven comrades did the same.
After taking a deep breath, Lao-Shan Lung leapt. Despite being weaker than its previous jump, it still covered a significant distance. The force displaced the air violently, sending the escaping cavalry hurling to the air. The dreaded elder dragon had shortened its traveling distance, standing just around a hundred meters in front of Gate Four.
"Ugh! All remaining cavalry units move!" Viscount Coteau ordered his units to tangle the dragon with ropes, trying to force it to turn. Since the dragon was down after the hop, they were able to easily catch the ropes around its head and limbs. "Now pull!"
Lao-Shan Lung felt the tug and as it stood back up, it lunged forward with incredible might, dragging some of the horses and humans with it. It came close to the eight hunters who were thrown off from the horses.
"Urgh! You...!" Marion got back on her feet first and stood off against the beast that took a deep breath. "Oh no... It is going to roar!"
A man with a large frame jumped off a ledge and smashed the dragon's snout, breaking its horn. He proceeded to perform an upward swing, cutting the dragon's chin and causing it to flinch a little.
"Father..." Marion stared in disbelief for her father, Marciano Luca von Savion, stood in front of her with his great sword: Chicken Decapitator.
"Marquis Savion!?"
"Earl Sultier, you have gone soft! Come! Show this guy our might!"
All hunters, knights and cavalry units charged towards the beast. The cavalry units pulled it towards the other valley and several supporters, logistic units including Alfred and even the blacksmiths joined in, contributing every bit of strength they could muster. The knights continued manning the mounted weapons, working through their exhaustion to keep pressuring the dragon. Similarly, the magicians shot out their spells whilst replenishing their mana with mana potions. The eight hunters and Marciano charged in with untamed vigour, pelting the elder dragon with every last bit of strength they had.
Lao-Shan Lung refused to remain silent and retaliated with its herculean might, trying to overpower the hundreds of humans facing against it. Unclasping its jaw, it moved in for a bite, only to be stopped by Marciano who charged up his attack and performed an uppercut slash, off-setting the bite and locking the great sword in a tussle with the dragon's maw.
"Hraaahh...!" Marciano was pushed back. "Earth! Be my strength! Mound!"
Despite reinforcing the earth under his feet to gain traction and power, Marquis Savion was still being pushed back. All the other hunters joined in the power struggle, using every bit of their capability and weapon to push back.
Marciano struggled to keep his hands on the great sword, beginning to lose power with every passing moment, until a gush of wind pushed his back. He remembered his late wife, Milan, who, despite being the opposite of him, loved and supported him. Her gentle voice and wind magic always gave him the push to become stronger, to achieve his dream of becoming a general. "Milan..."
"Father!"
Marciano snapped back to reality and saw his daughter grabbing the back of his great sword and pushing it together against the dragon. He thought to himself about his daughter's wind magic being similar to his late wife. "Ah, Milan, our daughter has grown well."
"Huuurahhhh!!!" Marciano exerted more strength, halting the dragon's advance.
The entire brigade of humanity's unyielding will power converged into this final move: the hunters in the front trying to off-set its lunge, the knights weakening its grip with various weapons and the rest pulling the beast away.
"""HAAAAA!!!!!!!!"""
The great sword dug into the flesh and pushed the dragon back, flinging its head towards the other path. On that day, humans managed to move a mountain.