The first time, the last word.
Take over, Merlin, Escanor!
Time, noon!
Bond, the sun that never sets!
Unlimited repower mode, duration — five minutes!
The frost lizard only saw a flash before its eyes, and then a fist, infused with both dragon-slaying magic and sun magic, smashed into its face.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, a wave of blazing solar flames surged like a raging tide, ruthlessly burning the frost lizard's entire body. It was severely injured and hurled away by the impact, tumbling farther and farther from Qilala Snow Mountain.
At the same time, at least half of its sharp teeth shattered, the broken fangs and blood raining down upon the land.
"Roar!"
As expected of a beast with dragon blood, it could take a beating.
Even after enduring a full-strength blow comparable to Escanor's strongest punch, it did not faint. It stubbornly stayed conscious and exhaled a powerful breath toward Caesar.
However…
"Dragon-killing Sun!"
Caesar also opened his mouth, a cluster of stars flashing within it alongside a small magic circle. In the next instant, a massive beam over thirty meters thick roared forth like a raging torrent!
The sound was deafening, the power unparalleled. It swallowed the frost lizard's breath and blasted the creature hundreds of meters away.
The poor frost lizard was dragged along the ground for a great distance before coming to a stop. Its body was in ruins, the dragon scales shattered, exposing bloody muscle and bone beneath.
Wounds of all sizes covered it, some emitting the scent of roasted meat.
Raising its head with great difficulty, the frost lizard felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds. Its vision blurred.
It blinked hard, realizing only one eye still functioned — the other had been burned away, leaving a gory, hollow socket.
Enduring the pain, it looked toward where Caesar had stood. The sight that met its eye shocked it.
Caesar's right hand was shaped into a sword finger, dazzling light flickering at his fingertips, infused with both dragon-slaying magic and solar magic. The strike shot straight toward its remaining eye.
The attack was so fast and fierce that the air itself seemed to split apart. There was no time to react. The frost lizard knew that if the strike landed, it would pierce not only its eye but also its brain — certain death.
Feeling the sharp sting at its eye, the frost lizard jerked its head downward.
Caesar's sword finger skimmed along its scalp instead.
With a tearing sound, the skin atop its head split open and blood sprayed out. Beneath the wound, pale bone gleamed, cracked from the heat.
The strike was so powerful it left a deep groove in the skull, as if ready to split it in two.
"Roar!"
The frost lizard howled in pain, unleashing all its draconic power at once. Endless frost surged out like a tidal wave, threatening to freeze the entire space.
Yet when the frost approached Caesar, it stopped — as if striking an invisible wall.
"Only this much?"
Caesar tilted his head, regret flickering in his eyes. He stared at the frost lizard calmly.
In that moment, fear filled the lizard's gaze. Memories buried deep within its mind came flooding back — the time it was small, weak, and helpless, facing beings far more powerful than itself. The fear then had seeped into its bones.
Now, though it had grown strong, the same fear returned upon sensing this familiar, overwhelming aura. Its body trembled and shrank back, trying to put distance between itself and Caesar.
"Then, it's over."
Before it could react, Caesar's hand swept through the air. A tremendous force struck.
The frost lizard's world spun. It caught a glimpse of its own headless body before darkness swallowed everything.
…
"Haa… haa…"
Caesar released his take over state and quickly smothered the lingering solar flames still burning the frost lizard's remains.
Mirajane approached, eyes full of admiration.
Power could conquer hearts — a truth etched deep in instinct. Watching Caesar unleash his full strength and effortlessly slay the frost lizard made her heartbeat quicken, her body going slightly weak.
"Mira, help me out. We need to process this quickly before it goes to waste."
Caesar stamped out the last of the flames, eyeing the burnt meat, and waved her over.
Mirajane laughed lightly before hurrying to assist, salvaging usable parts from the frost lizard.
Fangs, scales, skin, claws — all valuable for crafting magic items. Caesar gathered them, planning to make something for Mirajane, with the rest going to Erza. After all, Erza, like Caesar, might look wealthy but was actually broke.
They were guildmates — help where you can.
She had also been his sparring partner for quite some time.
After harvesting the parts, Caesar switched to his chef deck and began preparing the meat. Together with Mirajane, they processed the rest.
In the end, Caesar obtained over 600 kilograms of tender meat, numerous bones, and carefully cleaned organs.
Lighting a fire, heating the pan, and pouring the oil, Caesar wasted no time cooking the frost lizard.
The highlight was its heart.
From what Caesar knew, a dragon-slaying magic crystal was crafted from a dragon's heart.
While this frost lizard was no true dragon, it did have dragon blood. After Caesar's unique cooking — sliced thin, paired with cheese and lime juice — he ate the entire thing.
The first generation of dragon slayers were mages taught by dragons themselves.
The second generation implanted magic crystals containing dragon-slaying magic into their bodies.
The third generation combined both — taught by dragons and implanted with crystals.
The fourth generation, in the Kingdom of Stella, were artificial creations made using the magic from a dragon's tear. Caesar dismissed this entirely.
The fifth generation were dragon slayers who gained power by eating dragons — dragon eaters.
After eating the heart, which retained most of its magic, Caesar felt a trace of ice dragon slayer magic forming within him.
However, it was faint. Without years of training, it would be difficult to develop.
He let his space dragon slayer magic absorb it entirely, saving himself the trouble.
As for the rest of the meat, Caesar looked at Mirajane, who was eating happily, and decided to store it in his game backpack to keep it fresh. He'd take it to the guild for everyone to try.
After eating and drinking, his magic power was restored by half — enough for now.
Carrying the frost lizard's head, Caesar and Mirajane returned to the city hall and handed in the quest.
Seeing the frost lizard that had plagued them for years slain, the officials happily paid the reward.
Caesar mentioned that there were other powerful monsters on Qilala Snow Mountain.
The officials immediately said they would send a commission to the Magic Council — and hoped Caesar and Mirajane would handle it.
Caesar wasn't entirely pleased.
The white crystal marten had been killed too early, wasting millions of J in potential reward.
Still, once the Magic Council processed the request, an S-class commission appeared.
Caesar looked at the reward and nodded with satisfaction.
Another trip to Qilala Snow Mountain: 30 million J, plus the frost lizard's bounty — a small goal easily reached.
For the city officials, this amount was nothing.
The island's annual tourism income reached 10 billion J. Spending 100 million to solve the snow mountain's monster problem and open a ski resort would pay itself back in a year.
A sure profit — and they'd gain the favor of an S-class wizard who could handle frost lizards.
Why not?