Chapter 99 - The Figure Above The Dragon
Ed panted as he slowly crawled out from the rubble. He saw Johnson descending, eyes widened and lips parted in shock.
"W-What was that ability?" the Guardian asked.
"I can nullify magic," Ed replied, using his sword to stand as he limped over to Johnson. "Although this was the first time I nullified one at will. This sword seem to channel my magic, serving as a magic circle of some sorts."
Instead of a reply, Johnson placed his hands on Ed's shoulders. "I need you to nullify a curse, can you do that?"
"Curse is magic, so I guess I can?" Ed said but wasn't too sure. "I never dispelled a curse before though."
"Live after this battle," Johnson said the sands forming under his feet like they were clouds. "Be sure to live, okay?"
"Okay? But why?." Ed wasn't able to get his answer when Johnson returned to the battlefield. "Hey, I still need to remove the last dragon's trance."
"I'll cover him with my sand and bring him to you," Johnson yelled as he rose. "Stay there!"
"Okay," Ed pursed his lips, flopping to the ground and decided to check on Volt.
Meanwhile, Elliot and Connor were having trouble with Shadow.
"Among the dragons, he's the second in command," Elliot said. "He's in love with Bright but his feelings were unrequited for so long. His emptiness made him fall for Bright's spell."
"Bright has too many love interests, don't you think?" Connor sighed. "Watch out!"
Shadow had a spell that allowed him to fire large rope-like beams that he could control. The boys were having trouble avoiding it, not because of its speed but by how many there were. It was like they were passing through a forest filled with poisonous vines.
Connor had to fire his fifth attack when Elliot was almost hit by one of the beams.
"Elliot, focus!" Connor yelled. "Why are you so distracted?"
"Sorry," Elliot replied, looking back at Lance and Hope who were fighting Bright.
He was worried that he couldn't finish the quest. The instructions said to eliminate Bright and if it says it like that, he needs to at least participate in the hunt.
If they would be too preoccupied with Shadow, he won't have the time to join the battle against the white dragon, therefore he needed to finish this fast.
"Right," Elliot said to himslef. "I'll do just that."
He breathed deeply and gripped his sword. "Okay, Connor. I'm ready."
"Okay," Connor grinned, crossing both his weapons in front of him. "Infernal Morph!"
When Shadow was about to attack Connor and stop him from morphing, Elliot stepped in and blocked all the attacks with Lotus Blast. The petals would swerve the beams, making it easier for him to clear the area.
The immense aura that came from Connor made Shadow pause and roar. Everyone else could only look at the appearance of another high-level being.
"This form drains my mana, so we better make this quick," Connor said. "Let's go, Elliot!"
Elliot nodded and dashed forward. It was handy that his Lotus Blast didn't eat as much mana as his other attacks. It was still draining and he had to constantly use MP potions, but it wasn't as much as Hasty Aspire or Supreme Malevolence.
"Step away!" Connor yelled, raising his sword. "Infernal Blaze!"
The tip of his weapon formed the twirl of flames. He pointed it at Shadow and fired the destructive attack.
Shadow opened his mouth, firing a beam to counter the attack. His darkness had equalize the flames but a figure ran through his arms and into his head.
"Don't forget about me! Hasty Aspire! Hasty Aspire! Hasty Aspire!" Elliot yelled and used the hilt of his sword to smack Shadow's head. The dragon roared and fired a burst of his darkness to disrupt Connor's flames. He shook his head to shake off the shock from the attack
Elliot still had a few seconds off his spell and was about to slash his sword when a surge of sands had covered the dragon from his head down to his tail.
"Sand Cocoon!" Johnson casted. He was raising both his hands and panting as he struggled to keep up the spell.
The fatigue from casting the same skill three times in a row without letting it cool down had gotten over Elliot. He felt his world spin as he lost his balance.
"Elliot!" Connor yelled and was about to fly over his friend when Johnson yelled.
"Stop!" the Guardian grit his teeth and seethed. "He'll be suspended in the air as long as Pommel's gravitation spell is casted. Help me fire this dragon below. It's hard to seal him."
"W-What?" Connor asked. He looked at the unconscious Elliot, a sigh escaping his lips after he saw him floating in the air just like what Johnson said.
"Fire the attack you used and land him down, Ed is waiting on the ground to finish him," Johnson instructed.
Shadow had wriggled from inside the sane cocoon, making Johnson scream in pain. "Goddamn! You're strong. Connor, fire the thing you used earlier."
"The what?" Connor asked, raising his brow.
"The tornado-flame thing. Use it above the cocoon. I will slam it to the ground and wait for Ed to nullify the curse," Johnson instructed.
"Right," Connor said and hovered over the large sand ball. "Infernal Blaze!"
The vortex hit the cocoon and pushed it down. Johnson was now balancing the shape of the cocoon with Shadow forcing to get out, along with the force of Connor's push.
He screamed as he maneuvered the cocoon down, slowly binding Shadow on the ground. He had to sacrifice houses, pulverizing their bricks to add on to his sand cocoon.
He cleared Shadow's head, letting Ed run towards it as the latter placed his hand on the dragon's head. "Nullify!"
The white symbol appeared and shattered along with the tearing of the threads. When Shadow calmed down, Johnson released him from the sand trap. His body felt weak and exhausted, as he let himself float in the air.
"I want to retire already," he groaned and turned.
He was about to go to where Lance and Hope were when a loud roar echoed throughout the city. Lance was knocked out, floating in the air as Hope was competing with his mother with their beams meeting in the middle.
Johnson went towards them, taking Lance back. The match between the dragons stopped after Bright fired a burst of energy that made Hope lose his focus.
She smirked and dashed towards them in full speed.
Johnson tried to put up a barrier but Hope went outside it, darting to his mother with glowing eyes and gritting teeth. He stopped and opened his wings, gray aura started to cover his entire body as he prepared to fire a ray of his attack.
'Supreme Dragon Emperor–'
A black figure that seemed to be of a woman appeared above Bright. The figure was large, the same size as the dragon. It was as if she was made of darkness herself by how she looked. Her skin was pitch black, mist covering it.
"The Queen of Hell!" Johnson yelled. "It really is her."
The immense amount of pressure from above Bright woke Elliot from his slumber. He took a sharp breath as he collected himself, looking around and seeing the figure above Bright.
It raised its hands as a sphere of an ominous and intense darkness formed from between its hands.
This made Hope grit his teeth and continued with his attack.
"Supreme Dragon Emperor Blast!"
The figure pointed its palms and fired the sphere, meeting Hope's gray beam, digging its way through the dragon's attack.
"He can't do it," Elliot muttered under his breath and bolted to where Hope was. He saw the dragon struggling from the attack and it was clear who was winning.
As he got closer, the shadow sphere was nearing Hope. Elliot had arrived in front of his friend when the sphere hit the dragon, blowing him to the ground.
"H-Hope?" Elliot called out to the empty air in front of him. He looked at the ground where Hope laid down, heavily wounded as he panted for his breath.
"Mr. Moon…" Hope let out before he fell unconscious.
Thinking his friend had perished, something inside Elliot clicked.
'Kill.'
As his eyes darkened, his body moved on its own, flowing through the air and maneuvering to the large figure that remained afloat.
A loud scream followed Elliot's actions, waking him up from the trance. He looked down and saw himself in front of a large white creature.
His sword was digging through its skin.