---

Chapter 54: The Frost Giant Dragon

Blood rained down like a torrential downpour.

In the air, the figures of griffon knights intertwined with dragons, clawing and slashing at each other’s bodies, all falling together amidst the pouring blood.

On the ground, countless dragons swooped down, but not a single soldier flinched. Instead, they stood resolutely, spears held high, delaying the dragons with their flesh and blood, creating opportunities for their comrades.

The knight who had faced the Crimson Fire Dragon head-on, leading them through the chaos, still stood tall. How could they possibly give up now?

Blood stained the rivers, and fierce flames scorched the mountains.

After yet another earth-shattering clash, the crimson knight’s phantom finally pierced the heart of the fire dragon.

Accompanied by a mournful wail, the massive dragon body slowly fell, burning blood flowing out, as the indomitable knight stood atop the corpse of the fire dragon.

The grieving dragons fled back to the sky, while the surviving knights cheered, tears of joy streaming down their faces.

The knights of the kingdom once more crossed the limits of blood and fire, achieving victory as they repelled the once-mighty dragons.

At the edge of the smoke, a vague ray of warm sunlight broke through.

Karl lowered his sword, propping up his battered body, gazing at the indistinct glow, suddenly thinking that freezing time right here wouldn’t be too bad.

After a desperate battle, leading his troops to turn the tide, for a knight, it was an impeccable conclusion.

Roy had already matured enough to stand on his own; although it was a pity he couldn’t witness Roy’s continued growth, there was no need for him to worry now.

His heavy eyelids, too fatigued, began to close, and Karl felt as if his body was not his own, ready to tumble into the pool of blood.

But just then, a chilling wind swept in.

“For an ant, you’ve performed quite well.”

A massive sense of crisis pierced Karl’s heart like an icy blade, forcing him to instinctively grip his sword tighter and tense his body once more.

The sunlight vanished, leaving only dark clouds.

Heavy, ominous clouds enveloped the valley, blotting out the sun.

The dragon horde returned.

This time, the leader was no longer a pure-blood dragon.

Instead, it was a silver-haired woman with a cold expression, her draconic features unfurling behind her.

This woman brought a terrifying pressure to Karl, far surpassing that of the fire dragon, emitting an aura so fearsome it could freeze the blood of the knights.

Frost and snow whitened Karl’s grave face.

In the two wars against dragons, only one creature could instill such fear to make the bloodied knights of the kingdom tremble.

That was the might of a being beyond the extraordinary—a true mythical creature.

“The Seven Great Dragons…”

“Frost Dragon Mariyagis, remember my name well.”

Mariyagis glanced at the corpse of the fire dragon, soon losing interest.

“Pitiful waste. You boast but ultimately fall to ants. Truly a disgrace to our dragon kin.”

“Perhaps you are not as invincible as you believe,” Karl said darkly.

Mariyagis shot a glance at Karl, assessing his figure, and for a moment, her cold expression softened.

“Forged through life and death… Even in our era, you were among the elite of the ‘Iron Blood’.”

Karl was slightly stunned, almost doubting his own ears.

A dragon, full of contempt for ants, was actually praising a human?

“Haha, don’t misunderstand. I’ve never thought of humans as weak beings.”

“Through the baptism of time, as numerous divine beings fell, only humans, by merging with extraordinary powers of other kinds, have survived to this day. How could such beings be weak?” Mariyagis couldn’t help but express some admiration.

“But I still look down on you.”

With those words, her expression shifted.

In the frost-blue slit of her eyes, there was a deeply-seated disdain and hatred, as if she wished to tear apart all humans within her sight.

“You are too base.”

“Possessing power and wisdom, yet indulging in selfish desires. No race in the world is as utterly shameless as yours! Such ants should have never existed!”

“Do you know? Every time you speak of honor, charging at me like heroes, I feel disgusted!”

Karl was furious and completely baffled.

Since the First Era, beginning with the war between the ‘Evil Dragon Fafnir’ and humanity, dragons had always been the ones to invade, mercilessly slaughtering the innocent. If anyone should be deemed shameless, it should be them!

“You are clearly the invaders.”

“…It seems your heinous crimes have been forgotten by history.”

Mariyagis’s expression suddenly became somewhat dazed.

“However, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to know your sins; just obediently repay them.”

Verbal disputes were meaningless; power was the key to victory.

And the gap in their strengths could no longer be described as just vast.

Mariyagis slowly raised her hand.

The dragon horde roared, like stars falling from the sky.

The thousands of fire dragons had exhausted their strength, but now the number of dragons coming at them had multiplied several times. They were no longer able to withstand such a wave.

At this moment, even the bravest knight found it hard to muster any courage to fight back, as the glorious image of battle was crushed under the sheer numerical and powerful superiority.

Even Karl felt a surge of powerlessness, momentarily lost and forgetting to raise his sword.

Forget the dragons; just the presence of the Seven Great Dragons alone was enough to smother all their hopes.

Everything was over.

It was meant to end this way.

“Hmm?”

Mariyagis suddenly looked up, her brow furrowing.

The next moment, golden lightning fell straight from the sky, like a blade descending from above, piercing through the gloom and frost, and cutting through the mass of dragons blocking the sun.

Followed by crimson flames.

Then came the griffons, gigantic fireballs, and pure, warm Holy Light.

“It’s Lord Oath Knight!”

“And Prince Naz! They’ve brought reinforcements!”

The resplendent figures engulfed in flames reignited hope. The fireballs incinerated the ferocious flying dragons, while the Holy Light personally healed their wounds, granting them the strength to continue fighting.

The golden-winged griffon descended, and Roy handed over his magical sword and various potions to Karl, looking over his blood-stained form with deep regret: “Sorry, I’m late.”

Then Roy mounted the griffon and soared up to confront the Frost Dragon woman in the sky.

Swallowing holy water and healing potions, Karl and Prince Naz followed closely behind Roy.

Glancing at the three before her, Mariyagis’s gaze turned increasingly frigid.

“Heirs of the Lionheart, heirs of the ‘Iron Blood’, and… the filthy blood of the False King.”

“Perfect, I can clean up you despicable ants all at once.”

Taking a glance at the knights fighting below, Roy nearly laughed in anger: “We’re despicable?”

“Do you need me to remind you who the real invaders are?”

The Frost Dragon woman narrowed her cold eyes slightly, no longer arguing, only letting out a long sigh.

With that sigh, Roy felt a deep, shared sorrow tremble within his very soul.

 

---