The ground melted as the air ignited, thick waves of heat radiating outward. Even though
Werf, Jil, and Fenr had already retreated far from the battlefield, they still felt the intense scorching wave reaching them, the very air growing thin and suffocating as it was consumed by the dragon's infernal breath.
Then, they saw something horrifying.
The dragon's body began to ignite, veins of molten lava pulsing beneath its armored scales, glowing like cracks in the surface of a raging volcano.
The heat distorted the very air around it, making the beast appear even more terrifyingly monstrous.
Each breath it exhaled sent waves of liquid fire spilling onto the battlefield, reducing stone to slag and warping steel beyond recognition.
The knights and warriors had managed to retreat, escaping the blast zone, but not without injuries.
Their armor was scorched, their bodies battered. Luckily, no one had perished—yet.
Some knights clutched at their burned flesh, others helped drag their wounded comrades away from the deadly heat. The previous confidence they had in their numbers was beginning to waver.
The giant knight, who had led the charge, stepped forward once more, his ornate silver armor now blackened by heat.
Despite the dragon's transformation, he remained undaunted. His cape, once pristine, was now singed at the edges, barely clinging to his shoulders.
His breathing was steady, unshaken, his eyes locked onto the beast as though he had seen greater threats in his lifetime.
He took a deep breath, his battle-worn sword steady in his grasp. The air shimmered around the molten beast as it reared its head back, preparing another breath of flame.
The knights braced themselves, their shields raised, despite knowing it would do little to protect them.
"Surround the beast," he ordered. His voice was firm, unwavering, cutting through the chaos like a blade. "It cannot be allowed to escape."
The remaining knights followed his command, forming a tight formation around the dragon. Some mounted their horses again, circling the beast, while others took defensive positions, shields locking together, lances poised for a decisive strike.
The beast roared, thrashing wildly, flames erupting from its mouth as it scorched the earth around it. Even as it was being surrounded, it refused to be cornered, its rage manifesting in sheer destruction.
The giant knight lowered his stance, his muscles coiling with power. His eyes gleamed with deadly resolve.
Then, he shouted, "Knight King Swordsmanship—First Form: Cut!"
The ground shattered as he disappeared in a blur.
The earth itself cracked beneath the force of his step, dust and stone exploding outward as his speed defied human limits.
In a blink, he was gone from sight—then, with an earsplitting boom, he reappeared beneath the dragon, his sword slicing upward in a single devastating arc.
The blade cut deep into its throat, piercing the legendary scales and flesh with terrifying precision, stopping only when it met the unyielding spine.
The ground dragon shuddered violently, its molten blood gushing in torrents, sizzling upon contact with the cooling stone.
The beast's head snapped upward, jaws opening in a silent scream, its fire-spewing maw unable to release another breath of death.
Gritting his teeth, the giant knight adjusted his grip, his arms bulging as he forced the blade deeper. His next words were like a war decree—unstoppable, absolute.
"Knight King Swordsmanship—Third Form: Half-Swording!"
Grasping his sword by the blade with his left hand, he pushed forward with all his strength, leveraging his body weight to force the sword through the remaining resistance of the beast's spine. The blade severed bone, muscle, and tendon with relentless finality.
In one final, decisive slash, the Armored Ground Dragon's head was severed completely.
The battlefield froze. The air, once filled with battle cries and death, became eerily silent as the monstrous form of the dragon remained upright for a moment longer, as if defying death itself.
Then, with a deafening crash, its massive body collapsed into the smoldering ruins of the battlefield. Its molten blood seeped into the cracks of the earth, causing the very ground to hiss and steam as the fires of its existence were finally extinguished.
The giant knight stood motionless, his sword still embedded in the beast's neck. His breathing was heavy but controlled, his posture still as powerful as it was when the fight began.
He yanked his blade free, flicking the scorching blood from its surface before sheathing it in a single smooth motion.
The remaining knights and warriors watched in awe, their weapons slack in their grips. It was over.
The Armored Ground Dragon, a creature thought to be indomitable, had been slain.
Then, the first cheer rang out.
Then another.
And then the entire battlefield erupted into deafening roars of victory.
Werf and Jil, still stunned from the sheer spectacle of what they had witnessed, could only stare as the giant knight turned, his gaze shifting toward the knights and warriors who had fought alongside him.
He sheathed his sword, exhaling deeply. "Tend to the wounded," he commanded. "This battle is over."