Chapter 622
Chapter 622 Finally, I Meet You Again. (1)
Kaaaang!
As Arterion raised his hand, a transparent veil appeared in the air, blocking Ghislaine’s sword.
“Huh?”
Crack!
The veil shattered as the sword came crashing down. Arterion pulled his head back to dodge.
“Pretty impressive.”
After a brief moment of admiration, Arterion attempted to counterattack Ghislaine. However, others were already on the move.
Booooooom!
Parniel swung a massive mace towards Arterion’s head with a terrifying expression.
Since the moment Arterion denied the goddess, she had been contemplating how to smash that dragon’s head.
“Oh.”
Arterion’s eyes widened slightly. If he took that hit, he wasn’t even sure he could get out unscathed. Parniel’s attack was that formidable.
But no matter how strong the attack, it didn’t matter if it didn’t land.
Swish.
Parniel’s mace only sliced through Arterion’s afterimage. Before long, Arterion had used magic to move backward.
Boom!
“Huh?”
Arterion suddenly glanced around in surprise. Dozens of daggers were targeting him from all directions.
“W-what’s this technique…?”
Chills ran down his spine. How did an old friend’s secret move appear here now?
He looked at Belinda and urgently asked, “Who are you? How do you have this technique…?”
Before he could finish his sentence, the daggers flew towards Arterion in a trajectory of light.
Papapapapa!
Arterion quickly pulled his body back to evade. Gillian and Tenant followed close behind and swung their weapons.
Booooom!
Both their attacks also failed. Arterion jumped through space again, nearing Belinda.
He was curious about who she was. Was she a descendant of an old friend or just a follower?
Ka-ga-ga-ga-gak!
Arterion, moving swiftly, suddenly froze. The energy of the world was hindering his movement.
“What is this?”
His movements slowed down abruptly. It felt as if time flowed differently in this place.
His mind was clear, but his body felt sluggish as if he were submerged in water.
Within that alien spatiotemporal environment, Ghislaine’s sword appeared out of nowhere.
A smile spread across Arterion’s lips.
“Interesting. To think there was a person among the humans of this era who reached this realm.”
This was the realm that heroes and their companions, along with apostles, had reached a thousand years ago.
Dududududud!
As Arterion watched the slowly approaching sword, he muttered, “Impressive. But…”
Red light began to emanate from his eyes.
“You are still far too lacking to be with this world.”
To Arterion, Ghislaine was merely someone who had barely scratched the surface of that realm.
Kwaaaang!
Ghislaine’s eyes flickered as he thrust his sword forward.
The space began to crumble. Arterion, who had appeared right before him, reached out his hand.
Kaaaang!
Ghislaine raised his sword to block Arterion’s hand. But Arterion ignored him and pushed forward again.
He was in a hurry. He wanted to capture Belinda and ask her who she was.
“Why is the shadow still here? Wasn’t it supposed to vanish by now?”
Arterion muttered incomprehensible words and laughed.
At that moment, two swords flew toward his neck.
Clang!
Kaor, who had been waiting in silence, suddenly charged in.
“Look at this punk!”
Arterion chuckled derisively and pulled his head back, simultaneously reaching out his hand.
Kwaaaang!
“Ugh!”
Kaor hastily crossed his swords to block but was sent flying backward. Even just releasing magic was immensely powerful.
Boom!
Belinda’s daggers blocked Arterion’s path. But Arterion brushed them aside and continued forward.
Belinda fell back and continued to maneuver her daggers, but Arterion brushed them off as if they were nothing.
Ghislaine, Parniel, Gillian, Tenant, and Kaor, who had risen again, all charged towards Arterion simultaneously.
Only then did Arterion’s movements come to a halt.
Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kang!
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Arterion evaded or blocked all those attacks. He was confronting superhumans who charged at him without using any magic.
“Crazy! Why is the dragon fighting so well?!”
Kaor was taken aback. Arterion was truly a master of combat. His movements were efficient and without excess.
At this level, even without transforming into a dragon, he would still be considered the strongest in the world.
Arterion was no ordinary dragon. He was a dragon that had battled the monsters of the rift for a long time.
That’s why his combat skills were outstanding.
However, the ones here were also powerful beings who had reached the top level on the continent. The longer the fight dragged on, the more unfavorable it would be for Arterion.
“Hmm, pretty good.”
Wounds began to appear on Arterion’s body. He started to retreat. No matter how strong he was, he felt he couldn’t defeat them in such battles.
Moreover, the two saints were continuously radiating divine power for defense and recovery. This would only disadvantage him further in a long battle.
So he decided to use “magic” as well.
“Let’s see what preparations you’ve made to come and fight me.”
He smiled and lightly moved his hand.
Whooosh!
Dozens of gigantic fireballs began to rise into the air. It was curious how those who could only fight up close would respond.
Just as he was about to unleash the fireballs—
Kuuuung!
“Huh?”
Tremendous pressure fell around him. And the fireballs began to scatter one by one.
For the first time, surprise appeared on Arterion’s face.
“This is…?”
A magic barrier had unfolded. One strong enough to suppress the dragon’s magic.
Arterion finally realized what the scattered structures in the distance were for.
“You gathered the wizards!”
How many had they gathered to dispel his magic powerful enough to reach the 9th circle?
It seemed humans had thoroughly prepared to fight against him.
Crack.
Arterion gritted his teeth. How dare they seal the magic known as dragon’s magic!?
It was quite humiliating, but he had to acknowledge their level of preparedness.
Taking advantage of the moment of confusion, the humans rushed in.
Kaaang! Kaaang! Kaaang!
Arterion was being pushed back continuously.
“These punks… how dare…?”
A murderous intent began to surface in his eyes. Until now, he’d regarded the bugs as mere nuisances, but now the situation had completely changed.
Those bug-like things were threatening his life.
He could use magic if he wanted to. He could somehow find a gap and manifest it.
However, even then, the power would drop significantly, and it would take longer.
With such weakened magic, he couldn’t deal any real damage to these “pretty strong” humans.
Kaaaang!
After brushing aside Ghislaine’s sword, Arterion created distance again.
Tap, tap.
His murderous intent deepened. He ground his teeth until they threatened to break.
It was humiliating to either flee from such weaklings or reveal his true form.
“One by one, let’s deal with them.”
Even if it took time, he could take them down gradually. The implementation of magic had been blocked, but he still held immense power within him.
True to the nature of a dragon filled with arrogance, Arterion intended to fight only with his combat skills.
That was until a human appeared in front of him.
Kaaaang!
As Arterion deflected the incoming attacks, he broke free from the encirclement.
Just as he was about to retaliate against the one wielding dual swords, he suddenly froze. A chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps spread across his body.
“What is this?”
His thoughts didn’t linger long. Arterion’s body had already begun to shift sideways.
Swish.
As he felt a slight slicing sensation on his neck, Arterion poured tremendous magic into his foot.
Kwaaang!
In an instant, he distanced himself from the humans, entering a temporary standoff.
Without paying even a glance to the ones he had fought, Arterion slowly turned his head.
His gaze fixed on one man.
His hair was as dark as the abyss.
His eyes held a depth that seemed to be a bottomless pit of infinite darkness.
The man’s expression was colder and more merciless than the eternal blizzard wrapping around Arterion’s territory.
There was no trace of emotion at all. Only a sharp, icy detachment remained.
“That face…”
Arterion stared at Yulien for a long time.
That appearance was far too familiar. It felt as if the shadow from the past had revealed itself in the present.
A sound akin to a sigh escaped Arterion’s lips.
“Ah…”
He knew it well. He knew that face all too well.
Wasn’t it the face he had so dearly missed and longed to see?
And the attack he had just executed against him.
It was a force that rejected the very principles of the world and ignored the laws of reality. This was not something an ordinary being could manifest.
A power that overturned the fundamental rules of this world created by the goddesses.
It was something no being belonging to this world could possess—even a dragon like himself.
Only one person could wield such a power.
The one who received the energy of the demon god and would plunge this world into chaos.
Arterion’s eyes brimmed with madness.
…Finally.
…Finally, I meet you again.
Arterion’s roar echoed like thunder around him.
“Rival—!”
Yulien showed no reaction. He simply gazed at Arterion with an indifferent look.
In contrast, Arterion burst into mad laughter.
“I can’t believe I found you so quickly!”
“I will surely annihilate you today!”
“Now! Let’s end this tiresome fate once and for all!”
Seeing Arterion scream like a maniac, everyone stopped moving.
He looked anything but normal. It was worse than Ereness had ever been.
What on earth did the term ‘rival’ mean to them that made him so incensed?
Even Ghislaine, who could glimpse the past through dreams, found it puzzling.
“That’s… not just a gaze towards an enemy.”
Having fought for so long, she could understand a sense of dislike. But between Arterion and Ereness, there was something that couldn’t be explained in mere words.
It was genuinely a hatred akin to love-hate.
What on earth had transpired between them?
Why were they radiating such murderous intent just because of a resemblance?
“Is Yulien really the rival?”
Ereness eventually put her judgment on hold. Meanwhile, Arterion showed no signs of doing the same.
The dragon, lost in madness, had undoubtedly made up his mind to kill Yulien. There was no way to communicate with a frenzied being.
Yulien began to walk slowly, drawing his sword. He looked at Arterion and spoke.
“Now it’s time. As promised, I will settle things with the dragon. Everyone else, step back.”
At those words, Ghislaine snickered.
“Ah, don’t get all high and mighty on your own.”
“…”
“And it’s me who’s going to settle things with you, not him. Not now, but later. People are curious about who’s stronger between us.”
“…Just say I won.”
Yulien’s answer was filled with annoyance, and Ghislaine laughed heartily. That was a truly unexpected reaction.
It seemed that cold-as-ice guy had changed a bit while being with the Ruthania Army.
Half of it was said in jest, but it wasn’t entirely empty words. The goal of becoming the greatest sword on the continent was set since his previous life.
Thus, when everything was over, the only one left to battle Yulien would be herself. Yulien could stay quietly until then.
“Now, then…”
Ghislaine smiled wickedly as she gripped her sword tightly.
It no longer mattered whether Yulien was the rival or not.
What was important was that he had fought alongside them all this time—as a friend and comrade.
Thus, the only remaining “conversation” against Arterion was with this sword.
“Shall we start the Dragon Hunt?”
Clang!
Ghislaine moved first, and the others quickly followed suit. Yulien also swung his sword decisively without hesitation.
Kaaaang!
Wounds began appearing all over Arterion’s body. His clothes were torn, blood spraying out.
“Hah, ha ha ha! Uwahahaha!”
Yet he continued to laugh. His eyes emitted a murderous glow as he kept on cackling.
Belinda had now fallen from his thoughts altogether. All his senses were focused only on Yulien.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Powerful attacks kept bursting forth. Arterion was pushed back helplessly.
The shockwaves from their clashes turned the ground upside down. The earth split, and energies collided, creating a storm.
Trapped within, Arterion was drenched in blood.
“Uwahahahahaha!”
Despite the continuing laughter, the expressions of those around him gradually hardened.
Now that Arterion couldn’t use magic, the best option would be to kill him before he transformed into a dragon.
However, Arterion skillfully avoided critical blows. Everyone could sense the surging magic within him.
Dududududud!
The dragon’s magic gradually radiated outward, pressing down the surroundings. Those attacking him felt powerful resistance.
The pressure grew stronger. It was as if gravity was defying them, and everyone was being pushed back little by little as they attacked.
Dududududud!
Arterion spared no energy. After all, he couldn’t properly use magic now. With the rival appearing, he had no more reason to hold back.
He intended to use every ounce of his power to kill the rival and wipe out the humans.
Kwaaaaaang!
An overwhelming energy erupted from Arterion’s body. For a moment, everyone braced themselves, but they were all pushed back.
Only Yulien, who was slightly further away, swung his sword against the pressure.
Slice!
Yulien looked ahead. He was sure he had struck. Yet the radiant light emanating made his vision unclear.
The energy pouring out from Arterion grew more potent. Being close enough could injure one merely from the impact of that energy.
Everyone had no choice but to distance themselves from Arterion.
Creeeak…..
After a while, the light gradually began to fade. Everyone lifted their heads.
In the sky, a colossal dragon, flaunting its pure white form, spread its wings wide.
Arterion, with a long wound on his neck, spoke.
“Rival… Today, I will annihilate you here. You and the saint…”
Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly stopped. His eyes turned crimson once more.
Soon, Arterion opened his massive mouth towards Yulien.
