Book 3: Chapter 133 (1) |
Leon had used this move during the *Ten Seconds, Six Dragons* battle to fend off a full assault from four Dragon Kings.
Back then, he’d only used the basic form of Shadow of Sumeru to block the attack, but now, facing the Primal Nightmare’s *do-or-die* strike, he upgraded the skeletal frame twice in succession.
In an instant, the frame was enveloped in a layer of lightning armor, its defensive strength visibly enhanced by several magnitudes.
Claudia looked at the Shadow of Sumeru protecting her, quietly praising,
“Among all the people I’ve seen, you’re the only one who’s developed Shadow of Sumeru to this level.”
But faced with his *“auntie’s”* praise, Leon had no time for pride. He gazed at Roswitha’s back, silently cheering her on.
…
The battle in the Upper District was broadcast through the surviving recording stones, projected in real-time via the recording stone resonance array across the Empire’s regions.
At this moment, the recording stones projected an image of the woman known as the “Silver Dragon King,” standing alone against the ultimate monster created by the Empire.
Her slender figure stood before the Primal Nightmare, like *a mantis trying to stop a chariot*.
Yet she showed no trace of fear, the seven-colored light growing ever brighter, her silver hair swaying in the air currents.
“I never thought a Dragon King would actually stand with us…”
“Can she defeat that monster?”
“Believe in her, and believe in Leon Kasmod. They’ll definitely resolve this crisis.”
“…”
On the battlefield, both sides finished charging.
The Primal Nightmare struck first.
With a deafening roar, a cataclysmic energy beam shot toward Roswitha.
Even those at the battlefield’s edge, like Rebecca and the Lionheart Society members, could feel the extreme emotions contained in this strike:
Violence, ferocity, anger, greed…
Rather than a monster’s desperate attack, it felt like the embodiment of *hatred and greed*.
“This feeling… it’s *bone-chillingly cold*.”
As a gunner, Rebecca’s sensitivity to magical energy wasn’t as acute as professional mages like Leon.
Yet even so, she was shaken by the beam.
A numbing sensation coursed through her from head to toe.
Cold sweat slid unnoticed from her forehead.
Nacho and Martin looked equally grim.
“I’ve never seen an attack like this… It’s different from the Dragon Kings’ oppressive aura. This is just…” Martin struggled to find words for his feelings.
Nacho provided an answer,
“The dark side of humanity and **. The Dagger Trio’s betrayal by Kant, and those sentient dangerous species captured and turned into fusion monsters… They’ve lost all sense of self, leaving only rage against this world.”
“Then the Captain and the others—”
“Since they’ve chosen to face it head-on, it means they’re confident they can handle this crisis.”
Nacho sighed, “At this level of battle, we can’t help at all.”
…
Everyone could viscerally feel the Primal Nightmare’s power and terror, but—
Would the Silver Dragon Queen be intimidated by such a chaotic, disorderly monster?
Seven-colored light spilled from between her fingers. Seizing the moment, she unleashed Soul Judgment, meeting the Primal Nightmare’s energy beam head-on.
The two powerful energies collided.
Instantly, fierce winds rose, and the heavens and earth changed color.
The clashing energies exploded outward, pelting Leon’s Shadow of Sumeru with flying debris.
Thankfully, Leon had ordered the Lionheart Society to evacuate civilians earlier, or such a massive energy clash would have caused catastrophic casualties.
The Primal Nightmare continued pouring energy into its beam, its power drawn from the Dagger Trio’s primal energy and the darkness and greed within their humanity.
In a sense, the Primal Nightmare surpassed all enemies Leon and his allies had ever faced in both sustained output and burst damage.
This was exactly why Queen Elizabeth felt so assured of victory.
“Leon brought allies, which means he anticipated we had more trump cards to play.”
Elizabeth said calmly, “And he was right. But he could never have imagined that our trump card far exceeds his comprehension.”
Kant, witnessing the Primal Nightmare’s might, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, he laughed, “The black dragon scale from *Lord Shadow* is truly powerful. It’s a final lesson for Leon before he dies, teaching him there’s always *someone stronger, a sky beyond the sky*.”
Elizabeth glanced faintly at the king beside her, her words carrying a hidden meaning,
“Actually, the black dragon scale isn’t the only trump card the Lord gave us.”
“Oh? What else is there?”
Elizabeth withdrew her gaze from Kant, shaking her head lightly, “I’ll keep that a secret for now. We won’t need it anyway.”
Kant didn’t press further, turning his attention back to the battlefield below.
…
“ROAR!!—Die! All of you, die!!”
The monster let out a low, bone-rattling roar.
The two energies continued their fierce clash, neither side gaining an advantage.
“If this drags on… Roswitha won’t hold out,” Leon said, growing worried.
Soul Judgment was an extremely taxing move. Even in training, Roswitha had never sustained such a large-scale attack for so long.
As he said, if this continued, Roswitha would likely fall.
“Trust your wife, Leon.”