"The third option is to break what you call your 'never-to-be-broken defense'."
Nacho looked at the battlefield, hands casually in his pockets, his tone indifferent.
Good news: he had guessed correctly General Leon had invincible written all over his face.
Bad news: such a General Leon was now his enemy.
Nacho glanced at Ravi, whose face had already darkened. "So, now you should understand why the Empire is so desperate to kill Leon even to the point of using an ancient monster like Star, right?"
Ravi's expression was grim, and he remained silent.
Seeing Ravi's silence, Nacho urged, "Now that Leon Cosmodeous has broken that damn bell and Star's defeat is just a 'matter of time,' as you put it"
Nacho continued, "Hurry up and get ready for the final blow to secure victory."
Ravi exhaled slowly and shook his head. "It is not time yet."
"Not time yet? Are you waiting for Star's corpse to turn cold, his head to be chopped off and placed next to Constantine's as a neighbor before it is 'time'?"
Witnessing Star's strongest defense being shattered and enduring Nacho's mocking tone, Ravi suppressed his shock and irritation, responding coldly,
"Do you think Star became a legend of the dragon race relying on just one move, 'Absolute Defense'?"
"There is more up his sleeve?"
"Of course. Just wait and see."
Though his words were firm, Ravi's confidence was no longer as solid as before.
After witnessing Leon's strength firsthand, he realized he needed to tone down the boasting.
After all, the next second might bring a face-slap from that guy.
And the slap would be louder than Chidori painful, indeed.
On the battlefield, after breaking Star's Dusk Bell, Star was immediately attacked by Rossweise's flames.
A wave of scorching heat swept across, sending him flying.
Star's body shot into a small mountain, embedding itself deep inside.
The husband and wife reunited.
Rossweise retracted her dragon wings, placed one hand on her hip, and looked at the "tunnel explorer" Star with a smile.
"We are really something!"
General Leon could tell she was joking, self-deprecating.
From an onlooker's perspective, or even from her own, during the recent struggle, she had only added a little extra damage.
If it were not for Leon's Chidori breaking Star's defense, they would not have been able to land a single blow.
But Leon was clear-headed, without a hint of false modesty. Calmly, he analyzed the situation:
"After piercing through that broken bell, I also exposed a weakness. If you had not followed up in time, I might have been counter-attacked by him. You are right, we really are something!"
The Queen gave him a sidelong glance, unsure whether he was being sincere or trying to cheer her up between battles.
Either way, she was happy.
Suppressing the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, Rossweise said, "You sure know how to talk."
"What do you mean 'sure'? I have always been eloquent and smooth-tongued."
"Smooth-tongued is a neutral term leaning toward the negative."
"You are right, but the focus is on 'smooth.'"
Rossweise furrowed her pretty brows and let out a soft 'tsk,' then landed an elbow on Leon's chest plate. "We are in the middle of a battle. Be serious."
Her command to "be serious" ended the lighthearted banter that had momentarily eased the battlefield tension.
The couple re-entered combat mode.
At this moment, Star, embedded in the small mountain, did not rush to retaliate.
That one attack Chidori, which had shattered his absolute defense that had not been broken in thousands of years forced him to calm down and think.
"No wonder the Empire is so determined to kill him. Letting a monster like that live, wiping out all the dragons active on the surface, would just be a matter of time."
Star pulled his arm out from the crevice and struggled to stand amidst the rubble.
He said, "If possible, I would really like to see how strong someone like you would become after becoming a 'vessel.'"
He gazed at the distant point of light, his golden armor slowly beginning to glow.
"But Leon Cosmodeous, since you have chosen to oppose the Empire, it means you will not live to see the day the 'Ultimate Power' is unleashed."
"For you, everything in this world ends today."
As soon as he finished speaking, the light from his armor burst out from the cracks in the mountain.
Instantly, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. Huge boulders rolled down the slopes with a thunderous roar.
Even Nacho, watching from afar, felt the violent tremor.
"W-what is going on? Is Star about to shift into his dragon form?" Nacho asked anxiously.
Ravi responded, "But did not your 'master' already warn you? When facing Cosmodeous, turning into a dragon leaves bigger weaknesses. He is better at killing dragons than people. Constantine is the best example."
"Your 'master' should have excluded Star. His dragon form is different from ours."
Nacho inquired, "Different? How different can it be?"
"Why do you keep asking? You will see for yourself soon enough."
"You!"
Nacho snorted coldly, turning back to the battlefield.
The small mountain was gradually crumbling, and from it, a massive golden figure slowly rose.
With a mighty roar, the debris and dust of the mountain were scattered in all directions.
A colossal golden dragon appeared on the battlefield.
It was so enormous that even the mountain could not contain it. Even Nacho, from several kilometers away, could see it clearly.
Star's dragon might grew exponentially.
Thud In an instant, Nacho could not withstand the overwhelming dragon might and fell to his knees.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably, and tears, snot, and sweat poured onto the ground.
That fear permeated his bones and churned his insides.
It even made Nacho, a human, harbor thoughts of suicide. The dragon soldiers behind him did not fare any better.
Of those present, only Ravi stood tall.
But his face was drenched in cold sweat.
Even a Dragon King like Ravi was affected by the overwhelming dragon might.
"I told you, Star is not included in that 'master's' concerns," Ravi said flatly.
Nacho swallowed hard as he gazed at the massive golden dragon. "I should not have come here"
Maybe he should not even have been born.
Meanwhile, at the Silver Dragon's border, Anna's heart pounded wildly.
Star's dragon might drove her to madness. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, blood dripping from between her fingers.
Anna forced herself to stay awake by this means.
She glanced at Shirley beside her, noticing the scales appearing on her face and neck, and her tail swaying unconsciously.
Those beautiful eyes were now fixated on Star's figure.
Unconscious dragon transformation was a reaction dragons experienced when subjected to immense pressure.
But this reaction usually only happened within the same species. For Star to influence other dragons like this Anna had never seen such a thing.
She placed a hand on Shirley's shoulder and softly called her name.
Only then did Shirley snap out of it.
She gasped for air as if waking from a nightmare.
"Head Maid I, just now"
"Star's dragon might is too strong. Stay alert, Shirley."
"Okay sorry."
Regaining her composure, she looked toward the battlefield, her eyes full of worry.
"Her Majesty and the Prince are even closer How can they withstand such dragon might? Should we help them?"
"Have faith in them."
Anna sighed heavily.
"In a battle of this magnitude, the best help we can offer is not dying by going in."
Roar!!
The dragon's roar pierced the heavens, and the golden dragon's awe-inspiring might pressed down on the entire battlefield.
Although the rumbling explosions never ceased, the entire scene gave off an eerie feeling of deathly silence.
No one knew how the two people closest to Star felt at that moment.
Were they terrified?
Were they breaking down?
Or, had they already decided to surrender
The answer "You son of a bi*ch"
Leon Cosmodeous raised his right hand, lightning instantly bursting forth,
"Why the hell are you yelling so loud?!"