Hunting the Blue Dragon (1)
Powerful mana swirled violently around Kerdihak. Countless magic circles activated their spells one after another, manifesting their effects. The first to complete were a barrage of enhancement magics, which wrapped Kerdihak in a kaleidoscope of colored light before fading away. Physical defense, mana defense, curse resistance, strength amplification, mana reinforcement, mental fortitude—every conceivable buff layered upon the dragon, sharpening his power to a razor's edge.
"Electric Pulse!!"
A sphere of blinding white lightning formed above Kerdihak's head. The orb was composed of overwhelming high-voltage current, the kind that could incinerate anything it touched. Cadistella had never even heard of such a spell. Even with her considerable knowledge of magic and arcane arts, this was her first time witnessing it. That ignorance was only natural—the spell was Kerdihak's own creation, never revealed to the outside world. It was a technique he had developed solely for himself, allowing the dragon who commanded the authority of lightning to wield its power under optimal conditions.
The lightning sphere hovering above Kerdihak did not launch toward his enemies. It simply pulsed at regular intervals above his head. It was a seed meant to summon a raging storm.
Crackle—! Crackle—!
With every pulse, massive amounts of current were generated, causing the sphere to swell larger and larger. The electricity connected with Kerdihak's body, and soon a vast wave of current began to coil around the dragon's massive frame.
Kerdihak raised a claw and pointed at Cadistella.
BOOM!!
"Tch…!!"
The tip of his outstretched claw flashed for an instant, and a single bolt of lightning slammed into Cadistella. It was an overwhelming strike that would have reduced any ordinary being to ash in an instant. Yet Cadistella instantly conjured a veil, shielding both herself and Crawford. A curtain of blood born from a vampire's authority. The crimson wave, reeking of iron, materialized in the blink of an eye and swallowed the lightning whole. However, a single layer of blood could not fully withstand the bolt's crushing voltage. A violent explosion followed.
The blast occurred at a distance, so neither Cadistella nor Crawford were caught in its direct radius, but the shockwave that tore through the air was strong enough to rattle their bodies.
"Ice Spike!!"
It was only a low-tier spell, barely reaching the 2nd Tier. Yet the sheer number of Ice Spikes Kerdihak summoned was absurd. The massive wall of ice spikes that formed before him was large enough to obscure most of his colossal body. The structure collapsed, and the countless spikes rained down upon Cadistella like a deluge.
WHOOOOOOSH!!!
Crackle—!
The ice spikes shot forward like arrows, their numbers far exceeding the thousands. They surged like a raging wave, their formation breaking apart as they crashed forward, each one crackling with the current generated by Kerdihak's Electric Pulse. A storm of azure ice spikes carrying blinding white lightning within them—it was nothing short of a calamity.
Yet Cadistella showed not even a hint of alarm. If anything, a calm, almost leisurely smile played across her lips. She flicked her fingers.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
The wave of current and ice spikes Kerdihak had prepared vanished in a chain of violent explosions before they could reach their target. The currents had been caught in the coordinate-blast magic Cadistella had cast, triggering a cascading detonation. It would have been a devastating storm of lightning had it reached its mark, but because the attack was composed of highly unstable currents that could explode at the slightest contact, dismantling it had been relatively simple. Of course, the decisive factor was Cadistella's transcendent reaction speed—she had prepared her counterspell the instant the ice spikes began their charge.
WHOOOSH!!
"Ahahahahaha!!!"
Cadistella burst through the glittering mist of shattered ice and the flash of the explosion, hurtling straight toward Kerdihak. She laughed with genuine delight. There was no trace of concern for her own safety or impatience in that laughter—only the cruel, anticipatory smile of someone who expected nothing but the thrill of crushing and trampling her opponent. That smile grated on Kerdihak so deeply that his reason began to fray.
ROOOOOOAR!!!
"How dare you look down on me!!! You corpse bat bitch!!!"
CRRRRRRRRRACKLE!!!!
Along with the dragon's thunderous roar, his artificially created voice spat out curses. It was not only the air-shaking sonic blast that erupted from Kerdihak's fury—the vast current stored within his body began to discharge all at once. Through Electric Pulse, he had continuously stockpiled an enormous amount of electricity. Now he released every last bit of it in a single burst, aiming to counterattack the vampire rushing toward him.
Lightning bolts erupted in every direction, their paths twisting irregularly as they seized control of the surrounding area. Even the smallest tendril of lightning possessed enough power to shatter boulders and crumble fortress walls. Yet Cadistella did not slow down. If anything, she accelerated, her smile deepening. In her wake, only the crimson afterimages of her burning eyes remained—a long, bloody trail marking the path she had taken. Nothing else betrayed her movement.
She was watching the lightning. With the smallest adjustments, she dodged every single one of the countless branching bolts. She moved faster than the thunder that shook the air, faster than the flashes that struck the ground. To anyone incapable of perceiving the lightning's movements, Cadistella's speed would have been invisible, her position impossible to track.
CRASH!!!
Kerdihak could not suppress his shock. The current he had been releasing wavered and dimmed for a moment. He thought he glimpsed Cadistella's smile through the glittering mist of destroyed ice spikes—then her figure vanished from his sight entirely. At the same time, the 8th-Tier defensive spell Absolute Shield that had been protecting him shattered and disappeared. His complacent belief that he would be safe while discharging electricity in all directions had been utterly destroyed.
Crackle…!!
BOOOOOOM!!!
While Kerdihak was still reeling from the destruction of Absolute Shield, an ominous crackle sounded above his head. He reflexively looked up to see the Electric Pulse sphere split in half. It released all its stored power in a violent explosion. And Kerdihak, who had been closest to the blast, was caught directly in it.
GAAAAAARGH!!!
The sudden impact struck his head first. For a brief moment, his pupils shook. Then his massive body was drenched in blue blood, and his eyes rolled back from the overwhelming pain. He could not even muster his usual majestic roar—only a weak, choking scream as he coughed up blood.
Five long, deep gashes ran from Kerdihak's cheek all the way to his tail. The wounds were so severe they covered the entire right side of his body, as though a single massive blade had carved through him. It looked as if a giant claw had raked across him with razor-sharp talons. And that was exactly what had happened—Cadistella's claws. The moment Absolute Shield broke, she had slashed him in passing. The wounds had opened only after the fact, blood gushing forth, but they had been inflicted at nearly the same instant the shield shattered.
Kerdihak desperately tried to regain his scattered focus and looked behind him. What he saw was Cadistella, five enormous crimson claws manifesting around her. Blood Nail—the signature offensive magic of the Empress of Fresh Blood. A colossal hand of blood hovered there, dripping with the dragon's blue ichor. There had been no time for the blood to seep in during the fleeting instant of the attack, yet Cadistella's massive blood-claws were saturated with dragon blood. It was clear the Blood Nail itself had forcibly absorbed the dragon's blood the moment it struck. A weapon of truly vicious greed.
Cadistella glanced sideways at Kerdihak, a playful smile on her lips as she offered a light warning.
"Is it wise to let your guard down like that?"
Kerdihak's blood ran cold. He looked around. He had momentarily forgotten the other presence in the face of Cadistella's overwhelming power. An enemy that could never be underestimated. A deadly threat. Then he heard it—the faint sound of air being sliced above his head. He snapped his gaze upward.
There, hidden by the explosion of Electric Pulse, was Crawford. The knight was falling at tremendous speed, Luina-infused Mana Sword raised high, ready to strike.