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The rain, sharp and cold as if piercing, struck Lucella’s cheeks. With flickering lightning and swirling water currents akin to a tornado, Kafal soared through the rainy sky.

As the ground receded, amidst the tumultuous storm, even the senses of up, down, left, right, and forward became obscure. It seemed as if everything had been engulfed by the storm to the ends of the earth.

Towards the heart of the storm, Kafal approached, tracing a trail of fierce flames in the sky.

Is that Efrain…?

Gazing from Kafal’s back, Lucella saw a shadow shrouded in the rain. It seemed to have a humanoid form, but it was not human. It was like wearing full-body armor designed to resemble a dragon or being covered in dragon scales and carapace. It was a strange entity that blurred the line between human and dragon.

Its right hand was integrated with a glossy azure staff, firmly fixed in the shape of gripping it.

“Above!”
“Kh…!”

Dumbfounded by Efrain’s appearance, Lucella was almost too late to react. One of the countless water currents circulating in the air was heading towards them, on a route to crush Kafal.

Responding to Lucella’s will, another current was born. Compared to the approaching torrent, it was a thin stream like a brook. Yet, it allowed Lucella to deflect the torrent. The trajectory that was supposed to hit her was twisted.

“Rooooaaar!”

Simultaneously, Kafal swept forward with a ray breath, clearing the path ahead. The onslaught of rushing water was completely obliterated.

The breath, with a terrifying output reaching the horizon, momentarily dispersed the storm and even summoned sunlight. By releasing stored dragon energy, Kafal temporarily gained power akin to that of Shurei, an ancient dragon.

“A wave is coming!” Kafal roared.

Strange light emanated from Efrain’s embraced body, as if it were cracked. From there, a sense of overflowing power emerged.

“On the count of 1, 2… 3!” At Lucella’s cue, she and Kafal simultaneously unleashed their breaths forward. Lucella’s flames entwined around Kafal’s direct breath, morphing into a fiery spear that spiraled like a drill.

The water dragon enveloped Efrain. Light fractured, and cracks spread outward. In a flash, a cataclysmic shockwave burst forth, as if the world around Efrain were being crushed at the epicenter of an explosion.

Amidst the energy radiating outward in a spherical wave, the combined breaths of Lucella and Kafal aimed to puncture through, seeking to break and penetrate the surge.

…At least, that was their intention.

The impact almost robbed them of their consciousness. Despite countering the shock with their breaths, Kafal was thrown back like a slapped insect. Lucella, riding on Kafal’s back, was also thrown off. But she quickly kicked off the air, exploding beneath her feet, and floated back.

“Monica, are you okay!?”
“And you!?”

The mane binding Monica to Kafal’s back was burning.

For an ordinary person like Monica, being exposed to such power would mean certain death. Kafal’s power was protecting Monica. Fortunately, it seemed to have held up, but it also meant that Kafal would be significantly depleted every time they were attacked.

“We’ll dive in at full throttle without thinking about the way back. Got it?”
“Okay!”

Kafal flapped her wings widely, ascending into a fiery tornado. Passing over the head of the colossal humanoid… or rather, dragon-shaped figure made of water, they soared higher.

The water dragon paid no attention to Kafal, only embracing Efrain. Even amidst the raging storm, Lucella could clearly hear the sound of Efrain’s body creaking.

“Here comes the next one!”

Another wave of destruction surged forward. Their dual breaths collided with the wave, yet it pressed on relentlessly. Lucella gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Ugh…!” Clinging to the burning mane, Lucella braced herself to avoid being thrown off.

Impacted by the force, Kafal was knocked off course, enveloped in a spiral of flames. Despite this, she maintained her speed, executed a wide turn, and climbed even higher. The flames of her wings, which were initially larger than Kafal’s original body when she took off, were now less than half their original size.

Lucella realized that there would be no second chance if they failed.

When they positioned themselves directly above Efrain, Kafal pointed her head downward and folded her wings.

“We’re swooping down from here!”
“Leave Monica’s protection to me. You focus on flying!”

They initiated a controlled fall, a dive designed to ensure they would hit the target even if repelled by forces below. Governed by gravity, the descent felt like a sharp pull against their hair as acceleration surged.¹

Kafal transformed into the spearhead of the flame, plummeting directly toward the water dragon and Efrain.

Pierce through!

An explosion followed, the impact so forceful it felt like it could shatter their spines.

Just when Lucella thought Kafal would be propelled away by the force, Kafal intensified her firepower and sharply angled her nose downward, forcefully correcting her falling trajectory.

As the flickering lightning drew near, Lucella noticed Efrain, ensnared by the water arms of the dragon. A chilling gaze met hers, not from Efrain, but something overwhelmingly cold, reminiscent of a frigid current with floating icebergs.

Until that moment, the water dragon had seemed oblivious to Lucella and the others, focused solely on embracing Efrain. However, it suddenly became aware of the dragon plummeting towards it. Reacting swiftly, the water dragon used its enormous forelimb’s carapace to deliver a powerful blow.

“…………!!”

They couldn’t defend against it. The seemingly light swat of the water dragon’s forelimb, reminiscent of shooing a bug, carried the overwhelming pressure of an ocean crashing down.

This force sent Kafal reeling, hurling Lucella and Monica into the heart of the storm.

“Mom! Monica!” Amidst the chaos, Lucella managed to regain her posture, swiftly creating a stream of water in the air to slide along and catch Monica, who was plummeting.

Gratefully, Monica was still alive, still intact. Without hesitation, Lucella bit off her own left ring finger from the base, pouring the overflowing, burning blood into Monica’s throat.

“…Ngh! Cough, gagh…”

Monica choked, regaining her breath. However, their relief was short-lived, threatened by the impending “wave.”

Kafal frantically beat her damaged wings, trying to reach them, but it was clear she wouldn’t make it in time. The flames of dragon aura that once filled her wings were now depleted.

Lucella charged forward toward Efrain, determined to fight until the very end, regardless of the outcome.

The water dragon had ensnared Efrain, and cracks were beginning to spread across his entire body. Lucella felt a massive explosion brewing, one powerful enough to erase landmarks from the map.

It’s only a little ahead, and yet…

Just then, a mysterious gust of wind propelled her forward.

“What!?”

Suddenly, Lucella found herself moving faster. The storm around her seemed to extinguish as effortlessly as snuffing out a candle flame. A calm tunnel appeared, slicing through the tempest in a direct line.

The water dragon had been pierced, leaving a gaping hole in its aqueous form.

A dragon’s roar reverberated through the rainy sky, but it wasn’t Kafal’s voice.

“This is for alcohol.”

The Blue Dragon King swooped through the storm, opening a path for Lucella.

With Monica cradled in her arms, Lucella sped along the water trail she had crafted, heading straight for the storm’s electrified core.

“Efrain!”

There, amidst the turmoil, Efrain hovered as if crucified.

Monica suddenly pushed off from Lucella’s chest and propelled herself forward. Her hands ignited. More accurately, they morphed into pure flames.

“You… you big idioooooot!!”

Her scream tore through the storm as she clashed with Efrain, seizing the regalia staff with her fiery grip and shattering its scales and carapace.

1. Silva Note: I’ve noticed a significant decline in the quality of the writing in the recent chapters. It seems the issue may largely be attributed with the author.

   Although the novel is approaching its conclusion, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to stay engaged. This lack of excitement as the novel concludes reflects the significant issues with the writing quality.