Chapter 30 – Part 3: The Wrath of Antares, the Dragon of Fire
The eyes of Antares turned into two golden slits — reptilian and inhuman.
His burning gaze fell upon the hunters.
The mere weight of his presence made the air tremble — each breath felt heavy as lead.
> Drake: "Stay sharp… this is dangerous."
He gripped his sword tightly, a vein pulsing on his forehead.
> Drake (thinking): If only I had my shield… Without it, I can't give it my all.
He turned toward Valor.
> Drake: "Valor! Ignite my sword!"
Valor: "Leave it to me. Throw your weapon!"
Drake hurled his sword into the air.
Valor raised his hand, his eyes glowing an azure light. A black flame burst from his palm, devouring the blade before he sent it flying back.
> Valor: "Devouring Flames – Abyssal Fire!"
Drake caught his sword, now wrapped in dark fire, and grinned.
> Drake: "Perfect… Now, I'll show you who I really am."
He charged straight at Antares, who remained motionless, eyes cold.
> Antares: "Fool. You rush toward your own death."
> Drake: "Titan's Strike – Horizontal Slash!"
The impact echoed like thunder.
Antares tried to block, but the force of the blow sent him flying.
Both his arms were severed cleanly despite his scales, and the black flames began to devour his flesh.
> Drake (smirking): "You felt that one, didn't you?"
But Antares suddenly opened his mouth, inhaling the black flames into his fiery breath.
His arms regenerated instantly, now covered in blazing scales.
> Antares: "These flames may be eternal… but fire is my essence. They will never consume me."
With a powerful step, he lunged at Lya.
His punch tore through the air — and sliced Lya in half.
But the Lya he struck faded into a shadow.
> Lya (behind him): "Surprise."
Her real body emerged from the ground and slashed, but Antares turned at inhuman speed, striking her violently in the head.
Lya staggered, but her body became translucent.
> Lya: "Third Movement – Spectral Form!"
The dragon's strike passed through her harmlessly.
> Lya (smiling): "My turn… Shadow Power – First Movement: Weapon Transmutation!"
Her daggers merged, forming a dark blade.
> Lya: "Path of Shadows – Fourth Movement: Spectral Strike!"
A wave of darkness split the air—
Antares' head was severed clean off.
His body faltered… then the head instantly grew back, eyes blazing with fury.
> Antares: "Manipulation of Domain Laws… Here, only I decide what can exist."
Sweat dripped from Lya's brow. Her shadows vanished — erased by the dragon's authority.
Antares charged again, his bestial roar shaking the realm.
Lya barely parried the blow with her blades, only to be hurled across several rocks.
> Antares: "This domain is mine. I can alter its laws at will."
Lya stabbed her daggers into the ground to stop her fall, panting.
> Valor: "Things are going south fast…"
Ryn stepped forward, her violet eyes glowing.
Her aura thickened, her strength amplifying.
> Ryn: "Guess it's my turn. Reinforcement – Triple Impulse!"
She darted forward with incredible speed and struck Antares with a punch charged with pure energy.
The dragon blocked with his claws, barely deflecting it.
He countered with a kick, which Ryn blocked — then retaliated with a right hook.
Antares ducked, his claws slicing the air.
Ryn raised her arm to defend, but her forearm exploded under the sheer power of the blow.
> Valor (shouting): "Ryn!"
She instantly regenerated her arm in a flash of light and leaped back into the fight, delivering a kick.
Antares caught her leg and hurled her across the lava field.
Before he could pursue, Valor raised his hand:
> Valor: "Mana Distortion – Spatial Prison!"
Space warped around the dragon, compressing him within a sphere of unstable light.
But an energy wave burst from Antares' body, shattering the spell with a single roar.
> Antares: "Your magic is insignificant before mine!"
Drake seized the opening, appearing behind him.
> Drake: "Titan's Strike – Vertical!"
The impact split the ground apart.
The dragon's arm exploded under the blow, devoured again by the black fire.
> Antares (furious): "Enough! Dragon's Breath!"
A torrent of fire engulfed the battlefield, even extinguishing Drake's supposedly eternal flames.
Covered in ashes, Drake gritted his teeth, grabbed the dragon's head, and roared:
> Drake: "Die!"
He smashed Antares' head into the ground, crushing it with a swing, then hurled it against the volcano's wall.
But before it even touched the rock, the head regenerated completely.
Antares roared, his entire body igniting in infernal light.
> Antares: "Enough games… Feel the true fury of a Dragon!"
A pillar of fire erupted, piercing the sky.
The realm trembled, turning into an inferno of flame and magma.
The ground melted beneath their feet.
Even Nova, who had stayed back, narrowed his eyes at the sheer power.
> Nova (darkly): "…He's unleashing his true form."
---
Chapter 30 – Part 4: The Second Form of Antares
A crimson light enveloped Antares.
The ground shook, magma rising around him as if drawn by divine force.
When the light faded, the dragon was gone.
Before them stood a man — pale-skinned, with jet-black hair and golden eyes that burned like twin suns.
His scales were replaced by flawless human skin — too flawless.
He wore a white tank top and black pants, and behind him materialized a massive black sword that seemed to swallow light itself.
His gaze swept over the hunters.
But now, there was no aura.
Worse — what they felt was absolute nothingness.
A pressure so deep it erased the will to fight.
In an instant, Antares vanished.
A hot breeze brushed their faces — then he was already before Drake.
> Drake (thinking): How…? He didn't teleport… he just moved.
> Drake: "Titan's Strike – Horizontal!"
The sword tore through the air with a deafening sound —
But Antares caught it with his bare hand, unfazed.
> Drake (shocked): "Impossible…!"
He tried to pull away, but the dragon's grip was unbreakable — living steel.
> Antares (coldly): "Too slow."
With a flick of his wrist, he threw Drake dozens of meters back, the ground cracking beneath him.
> Nova: "Void Art – First Movement: Spatial Cut!"
An invisible wave struck Antares at the neck.
No effect. Not even a scratch.
> Nova (gritting his teeth): "Tch… He absorbed the attack?!"
His gaze darkened.
> Nova: "I've got no choice… Everyone, down!"
His energy flared.
Space cracked behind him, warped by magical pressure.
> Nova: "Void Art – Fifth Movement: Dimensional Slash!"
The air itself split in two.
Reality was sliced apart, and Antares stood at the center of the rift.
Moments later, space closed with a devastating shockwave.
The earth quaked.
But when the dust cleared, Antares stood unharmed.
His torso had already reformed.
> Antares: "All effort is meaningless. You have no chance."
Lya clenched her fists, frustration burning in her eyes.
> Lya: "Without my shadow powers… I'm limited."
> Valor: "Yeah… and it's only getting worse."
> Drake: "Ryn, you're up!"
Ryn: "Got it! Chains of Light!"
Golden chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around Antares.
The dragon sniffed the air, intrigued.
> Antares: "Light magic? Hmph."
> Drake: "Now! Everyone, hit him!"
Lya lunged, tracing a silver arc through the air.
> Lya: "Consecutive Strikes!"
Ryn raised her hand.
> Ryn: "Disintegration Magic!"
A white beam pierced the sky and struck its target.
Valor followed, a black sphere pulsing above his palm.
> Valor: "Absolute Void – Devouring Orb!"
The sphere shot toward Antares. The air trembled — everything around began to collapse, sucked into the void.
> Valor (panting): "I'm out of mana… finish him!"
> Nova: "Dimensional Slash – Consecutive!"
Drake: "Titan's Strike – Final!"
Their combined attacks struck as one.
A cataclysmic explosion engulfed the battlefield.
Fire, light, and void merged into a devastating shockwave.
Then… silence.
Dust slowly settled.
When their vision cleared, a lone black silhouette stood in the crater.
Antares was unharmed.
In his right hand, he held Drake by the throat — effortlessly.
> Antares: "I warned you… your efforts are futile."
He tightened his grip, ready to impale Drake on his dark sword—
But suddenly, he froze.
An overwhelming pressure fell upon the battlefield.
Even the volcano seemed to stop moving.
The air vibrated, distorted.
Antares slowly turned his head.
His gaze tightened.
> Antares: "…What is… that?"
A figure descended from the sky, slow and silent…
A presence far more crushing than his own.
> Nova (trembling slightly): "That mana… no… impossible…"
The figure floated down, his steps not touching the ground.
He had short midnight-blue hair and wore a large brown assassin's cape.
Each movement distorted the space around him.
> Nova (whispering): "That mana… it can't be human…"
The figure's eyes opened — glowing with a cold, cutting light.
> Naël: "I've waited a long time… to see you again, Antares."
The dragon's breath caught.
Even he… trembled.
---
Chapter 30 – Part 5: Naël, Transcendent-Rank Hunter
Naël landed upon Antares' domain.
A massive sword rested across his back, and his aura was so dense it seemed to split the air with each step.
Lya managed a relieved smile.
> Lya: "Naël… what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be on a mission?"
> Naël (smiling slightly): "I was tracking down a cult — one that worshiped your dear Antares. Following their trail led me here… and to you."
The other hunters bowed respectfully, exhausted yet filled with renewed hope.
> Naël (shrugging): "Come now, no need for formalities. And don't worry… I'll handle this big lizard."
A tense silence fell.
Then, a deep, rumbling voice broke it.
> Antares: "…Who are you calling a lizard, you insolent insect?!"
In an instant, Antares appeared before him, wielding his black sword.
He slashed downward, tearing through the air itself.
Naël raised a single finger.
The strike was silent — the blade deflected like a twig.
Before Antares could react, Naël pivoted and kicked him with monstrous force.
The dragon's humanoid body crashed through several rocky peaks before slamming into the ground.
The entire domain trembled.
> Lya (stunned): "He… he sent him flying… with one kick?!"
The hunters stood frozen. Even Nova, usually calm and analytical, couldn't hide his astonishment.
> Nova (thinking): His power… it's beyond anything I've ever seen. Even the laws of this domain bend before him.
Antares rose slowly, golden eyes burning with rage — yet behind the fury was a flicker of fear.
> Antares (panting): "He's dangerous… I feel a constant unease… as if he could bypass my immortality."
He roared, unleashing a fiery storm.
The domain's sky turned blood-red.
Antares rushed at Naël, slashing upward with enough force to rend space.
Naël simply tilted his head — the attack passed inches from his face.
A cold smile curved his lips.
> Naël (calmly): "Too predictable."
His hand became enveloped in dark, devouring energy.
He struck Antares in the abdomen — a wave of negative energy spread through him like poison.
The dragon screamed, staggering back.
His body cracked, tore apart, unable to regenerate.
> Antares (panicking): "I… I can't heal… because of this energy…!"
In desperation, he sliced himself in half, forcing his regeneration through sheer will and agony.
His flesh reformed slowly, his breath ragged.
> Antares (terrified): "This energy… no… impossible! Negative energy… no human can wield that!"
Naël advanced, unfazed.
The air around him shimmered, where light and shadow merged.
> Naël (coldly): "Immortality doesn't exist, Antares."
He vanished — reappearing right before the dragon.
Their faces were inches apart.
Naël raised his hand.
A tiny black orb formed between his fingers.
It didn't glow — it devoured light, sound, existence itself.
> Antares (panicked): "Wa—"
The orb touched his chest.
A silent wave rippled through the realm.
Antares' body disintegrated — not burned, not cut — erased.
His name. His soul. Gone.
Silence fell.
The volcano went still.
And amid that absolute calm, Naël sheathed his sword.
> Naël (softly): "Rest in dust… Dragon of Fire."
Behind him, the hunters stood frozen.
Drake finally whispered, voice trembling:
> Drake: "…So that's what a transcendent-rank hunter is…"
Naël slightly turned his head, his calm, piercing gaze meeting theirs.
> Naël: "No. It's just… a human who stopped fearing gods."
Chapter 30 – Part 6: Back at HQ
Antarès' body had disintegrated, and the dimension slowly began to stabilize.
Naël, calm and composed, turned toward the five hunters still standing: Drake, Lya, Nova, Valor, and Ryn.
> Naël: "Well. That's taken care of."
He nodded toward their injuries and added in a calm tone:
> Naël: "Ryn, heal our comrades."
> Ryn: "Yes, sir Naël."
Naël raised a hand, feigning offense.
> Naël: "Don't call me sir Naël, that makes me feel old. Just Naël is fine."
Ryn gave a shy smile before channeling her healing energy.
A soft light wrapped around the hunters, closing their wounds.
> Ryn: "There… that should do it."
> Valor: "I'm a bit low on mana, but otherwise, I'm fine."
> Lya: grumbling "Because of the stupid domain rules, my powers were limited. So frustrating…"
Naël crossed his arms, a faint smile curving his lips.
> Naël: "I saw your combined attack. It had potential… but you made a big mistake. Valor's strike should've been last."
> Nova: "Why last?"
> Naël: "Because it would've amplified the shockwave from the other three. You reversed the order, and your power scattered."
The hunters nodded, taking mental notes like students before their instructor.
> Lya: sarcastic "So you were just standing there watching us struggle, huh?"
> Naël: pretending to think "Struggle is a strong word… let's say I was observing your determination."
> Drake: "Yeah, while eating popcorn, I bet."
Naël flashed a mischievous smile but didn't reply.
He then bent down and picked up Antarès' black sword, still vibrating with energy.
> Naël: "Here, Drake. It's yours."
He tossed it lightly.
Drake barely caught it, eyes wide.
> Drake: "Me?! But that's a dragon relic!"
Naël: "And? You'll use it better than he did."
A brief silence followed.
Then, as if a thought struck him, Naël lifted his gaze and scanned the area.
> Naël: "This domain must be full of treasures…"
His eyes turned crimson, darting rapidly as he scanned every inch of the collapsing world.
In seconds, hundreds of glowing objects began to rise, pulled toward him like magnets.
> Lya: eyes sparkling "Ooh, look at that! Rare crystals, artifacts, mana stones! Let me store them in my shadow, Naël!"
> Naël: "Did you forget the law, Lya?"
> Lya: grimacing "...What law?"
> Naël: "The one that says: all rewards go to whoever prevented the end of the world. In other words — me."
> Lya: "...That's not a law, that's organized greed!"
> Naël: chuckling "Call it whatever you want."
Without further discussion, he raised his hand and made all the treasures vanish into a pocket dimension, as if he were packing them into an invisible suitcase.
> Naël: "There. Much tidier."
> Valor: "Bet he's gonna sell that to the Guild for a fortune."
> Naël: "Correction: I'll sell it for a transcendent price."
The hunters burst out laughing, the tension finally breaking.
Then, with a wave of his hand, Naël opened a blue portal leading out of the domain.
> Naël: "You go first. I've got one last thing to take care of."
The five hunters stepped through without question.
Naël remained behind, gazing at the ruins of Antarès' domain.
He stretched out his hand — the entire dimension began to shrink, compressing into a red sphere of light, and then he blew gently on it.
Everything vanished.
No more mountains, no more lava. Just emptiness.
> Naël (softly): "End of the nightmare."
He stepped through the portal.
On the other side, Lya was waiting, arms crossed.
> Lya: "So, you blew up another world, huh?"
> Naël: smirking "It was already unstable. I just… sped up the process."
> Drake: "Typical transcendent."
Naël walked past them, eyes lifted toward the sky.
> Naël: "Let's head back. HQ's gonna complain that we went over the mission budget again."
The hunters laughed, following him down the road home.