Chapter 12 Opening Ceremony (3) The most pathetic creature, the best...
"In the abyss, retreat means surrender."
During the brief confrontation with the dragon, Xia Ying recalled the words spoken by the Demon Lord.
Without hesitation, Xia Ying took off running.
The moment Xia Ying turned around, dragon fire pierced the sky, destroying most of the high platform closest to her. Rocks rolled down, blocking Xia Ying's path.
She scrambled over rubble, desperately running through the relentless rain of fire. Shadows cast from above relentlessly pursued her, and fireballs rained down, ravaging the ground and giving her no chance to catch her breath.
Xia Ying's chest heaved violently from running at full speed, forcing her to gasp for breath. The dragon's breath mingled with the air in her lungs, making her internal organs feel as if they were on fire.
Another fireball struck her feet, quickly turning into a wall of fire. Xia Ying instinctively turned to the other side, only to find that there was also a line of fire spreading rapidly ahead.
She didn't know when it started, but she was lured into the depths of the Dragonfire Maze.
Xia Ying unconsciously slowed down. The shadow above her head was not in a hurry to catch up with her, but waited until she completely stopped in front of the raging flames before leisurely flapping its membrane wings to slowly engulf her figure.
Xia Ying turned her face and met the pair of dazzling dragon eyes in the air that looked down on all living beings. From the evil and pleasure revealed in them, she understood the dragon's intention.
Those eyes seemed to be mocking: Where can you run to now?
Where can I run to now? Xia Ying asked herself, should I still run away?
"Xia Ying!!!"
A familiar voice called out from afar, and Xia Ying immediately looked up: "Ke'er!"
The red-eyed demonic hound broke free from the encirclement of a large number of enemies and leaped toward the wall of fire. Black flames suddenly rose from beneath its feet, tearing a gap in the defense line built of dragon fire.
Xia Ying's heavy legs regained their courage, and she ran towards Cerberus with all her might. However, the dragon's mouth gathered unprecedented heat, and this time its breath was so intense that it could melt the earth. The scorching flames instantly divided the battlefield and also left an insurmountable barrier between Xia Ying and Cerberus.
Her last escape route was also cut off. Xia Ying opened her eyes wide and was acutely aware of the approaching death. Every moment that the pillar of flame swept towards her became slow and clear. Fear engulfed her body before the dragon fire could destroy her. Despair had rendered her unable to move before she was destroyed by the intense heat.
In that tense moment, Xia Ying suddenly saw a snowflake.
The pillar of flame collided with the ice wall, and white smoke suddenly exploded. Xia Ying was violently pushed away by the shockwave and crashed into a cold embrace.
Xia Ying exclaimed in surprise, "Fenrir!"
The silver-haired frost wolf glanced at her, then quickly focused his attention back on the current crisis. He carried Xia Ying in one hand and swiftly broke through the gap where the wall of fire was not completely closed. Frost crystals constantly dissolved and regenerated around him, resisting the dragon fire that kept falling from the sky.
The red dragon seemed to be growing weary of this game. It let out a long roar, and the thunderous sound made the already dying arena, struggling in the high temperature, even more precarious. The rain of fire fell faster and denser, and the ice magic in the arena became increasingly thin, making the ice shield defense increasingly inadequate...
Finally, a ball of fire broke through the gap formed by the ice crystals. Frostwolf turned around abruptly and used his body to block the dragon fire for the girl in his arms, but he did not experience the expected burning pain. It was Xia Ying who grasped the flame with both hands.
No, that's no longer a flame.
Xia Ying opened her five fingers, and the ice ball that had been frozen during the burning moment, emitting a chilling aura, rolled out of her hand.
Fenrir's pupils unconsciously narrowed slightly.
He remembered that magic. It was this very attack that killed him on the Charon.
Xia Ying spoke up: "Fenrir."
Fenrir was startled, abruptly waking from his reverie.
The Frost Giant Wolf's synchronization rate has been updated to 47%, with a current total of 297 synchronization points, unlocking 2 skill slots (3 points remaining to unlock a new skill slot)
"Thank you for saving me. If it weren't for you, I probably would have died in the dragon fire long ago."
Xia Ying said earnestly.
"More importantly, that way I wouldn't realize how to use my abilities, nor would I be able to figure out a way to defeat the dragon."
The Frost Giant Wolf's synchronization rate has been updated to 48%, with a current total of 298 synchronization points, unlocking 2 skill slots (2 points remaining to unlock a new skill slot)
Frostwolf stared at her, her glistening eyelashes fluttering: "A way to defeat the dragon?"
“That might not be quite right, because I’m not really sure if this method can actually defeat the dragon,” she said. “But someone told me, ‘In the abyss, retreat means surrender’... Now, I’m starting to understand what that means.”
Xia Ying tilted her head slightly and smiled at him: "So I think this is at least a way to face the dragon head-on."
The Frost Giant Wolf's synchronization rate has been updated to 49%, with a current total of 299 synchronization points, unlocking 2 skill slots (1 point remaining to unlock a new skill slot)
"Xia Ying," Fenrir said softly, "what can I do for you?"
As the dialogue took place, devastating dragonfire was gathering in the dragon's mouth, and bright red light seeped from the gaps in its scales, like lava surging in its veins.
"I need your love."
In the air that trembled with the signs of impending doom, Xia Ying carefully cupped his face in her hands.
The Frost Giant Wolf's synchronization rate has been updated to 50%, with a current total of 300 synchronization points, unlocking 3 skill slots (100 points remaining to unlock new skill slots)
[Selected Skill: Frost Giant Wolf - Ice Mirror Stealth]
[Skills equipped.]
The dragon fire poured down like a waterfall, and the golden-red waves raged and surged across the ground, creating a grand spectacle of death and annihilation.
The dragon, having once again unleashed its destructive power, flicked its tail listlessly. Just as it was about to cease its dragon breath, the wave of fire suddenly halted somewhere.
The dragon increased its firepower, but the arena did not quickly turn into a pool of boiling lava as it had expected. The dragon fire stopped moving forward and instead began to flow backward... The dragon swooped down to see what dared to stop the destruction it had bestowed, only to find it was a solid sheet of ice.
Yes, solid ice.
Starting from the very front of the fire wave, the ice is rapidly returning, with ice pillars engulfing the flames inch by inch, eventually reaching the source of the calamity and forming an ice cliff that rises to the dragon's head.
Xia Ying sank into the ice and instantly slithered to the end of the ice cliff. Then she leaped high into the air and was finally able to look the dragon in the eye.
Xia Ying's sharp blade tore through the night: "You're a dragon, so you could also be considered a snake, right?!"
A deep hum echoed in the air as the [Kusanagi Sword] cleaved through the solidified frost, the unreleased dragonfire, and the trembling air. The blade pierced the crimson scales at the corner of the dragon's eye, but unfortunately, it missed the dragon's eye slightly.
Scalding dragon blood overflowed, dripping onto Xia Ying's sword and staining its snow-white blade crimson.
The dragon was wounded, but far from being defeated.
The sword light reflected the crimson color into the dragon's eyes, which suddenly widened, becoming even more brilliant and dazzling. Its fighting spirit and destructive desire surged exponentially, and the gradually released pressure had only just revealed the tip of the iceberg of the dragon's terrifying nature...
At that very moment, the Moon of Bloodscars completely embraced the skeletons and the undead, and the three months completely overlapped.
The giant dragon, poised to pounce, vanished from the sky in an instant.
"Beep! Mission: [Entertainment Program] has ended."
"New student [Xia Ying] has completed the mission [Entertainment Program] and obtained 1000 [Opal Coins] and the equipable title {Survivor}."
"New student [Xia Ying] has completed the hidden quest [Facing the Dragon] and obtained 2000 [Opal Coins] and the equipable title {Unyielding}."
Exhausted, Xia Ying fell from a great height, her eyes still fixed on the sky as she plummeted.
With the dragon's disappearance, the hurricanes, flames, and dangers it brought also vanished, but this did not mean that the sky would return to tranquility.
Even at the highest point, there are still things that must be faced directly.
A thought was born in Xia Ying's mind, and it quickly grew into a desire with the force of wildfire. She couldn't explain what had bewitched her, but in short...
At this moment, Xia Ying listened to the voice of her heart.
Xia Ying swung her elbow, channeling all her remaining strength into her right arm, and hurled the [Ama-no-Murakumo Sword] upwards with all her might.
The Kusanagi Sword pierced through the clouds, aiming for the platinum throne above.
It certainly failed to reach the ruler on the throne.
Before it could get close to the great six-winged demon, the sword was struck down by the magic barrier, but it did attract the attention of the demon lord.
A flicker of surprise crossed the Demon Lord's eyes, and then a smile spread across his face like cracks.
Black wings unfurled instantly, and the primordial demon burst forth from the throne. In a mere instant, he leaned close to Xia Ying, wrapped his right arm around her waist, and forcefully pulled her into his embrace.
The black feathers began to multiply and grow wildly without end, quickly trapping Xia Ying in a soft cage. At extremely close range, she could clearly see those diamond-shaped pupils trembling slightly with excitement, and cracks appearing on the Demon Lord's flawless body, from which the primal essence of the abyss cast an indescribable gaze.
"You are the most presumptuous and pathetic creature, and also the best student."
Chaotic, viscous evil squeezed into the shadows cast by the wings, and the image and voice of the Demon Lord were crumpled and twisted by the dark hand into a joyful roar in the abyss.
"In any case, I admire your courage."
Xia Ying did not answer.
She suddenly lost her strength and fell into a black coffin made of feathers.
Tartarus brushed aside the feathers that buried the girl, revealing her face with her eyes closed.
“zzzZZZ huff huff huff…”
It appears that he has fallen into a deep sleep due to extreme exhaustion.
The six-winged demon looked up at the sky. March had begun to separate, and the blood moon showed signs of slowly dimming.
"The night of slaughter is about to pass," Tartarus said softly.
Black feathers scattered, and the gaps gradually closed. The [Kusanagi Sword] had been summoned back to its master at some point. Even in her sleep, Xia Ying still held the sword tightly.
"For human beings, they did a pretty good job."
Tartarus bent down and gently kissed her forehead.
Goodnight, Xia Ying. Sweet dreams.
A note from the author:
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The anthem of humanity is an anthem of courage! (No)
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