Second World

While the defenders were valiantly defending the capital inside the mountain, the two country guardians continued their tussle outside.

During demonization, Uddroth's physical attributes increased exponentially. Suzaki who didn't excel in melees was forced into a disadvantageous situation. However, Uddroth also couldn't defeat the phoenix. Suzaki took an evasive approach until the demonization ended, which had a one-hour duration. Afterward, Suzaki went back to offense.

Suzaki had a very high HP regeneration ability. After Uddroth's demonization ended, the dragon couldn't land enough hits to continue the damage. Hence, Suzaki's HP slowly recovered.

Once the cooldown of demonization ended, which was six hours, Uddroth used the ability again. This cycle continued.

When the defenders retreated to fortify the second layer of choke points, almost one day had passed. Uddroth was in his fourth demonization since the battle started. He lost more HP compared to Suzaki because he had a weaker regeneration ability. His HP was below sixty percent while Suzaki was still above eighty percent.

Even so, Uddroth's tone sounded like he was the one winning.

"Give it up, old bird! Your time is approaching!" Uddroth exclaimed. "Any time soon, you will have to leave. Your army will lose its protector. I will then show that impudent army below what it means to disturb the place under my charge."

Uddroth had been throwing such statements a few times. Suzaki just responded with silence. Even when the time was almost up, Suzaki didn't show any signs of urgency. This confused Uddroth. Had the phoenix truly given up?

Uddroth's demonization ended and they continued their fight. When it was at the twenty-fourth hour since their battle started, Uddroth bellowed, "This will end soon, old bird!"

This time, Suzaki responded, "You are right. This will end soon."

Suzaki's calmness unsettled Uddroth, which made him stop his offense. He watched Suzaki who had also stopped.

"What are you plotting, old bird?" Uddroth asked. He didn't believe Suzaki gave up just like this.

"Despite you trying your best not to use your fire element, you still emit it with every attack," Suzaki said. "You can't prevent it. It is your nature."

"… What are you talking about?" Uddroth asked.

"Do you remember the fireball I produced when I received your flame breath?" Suzaki asked back.

Uddroth didn't answer.

"It is my special ability that is called Fire Domination," Suzaki said. "I take the fire elements from the environment as well as from enemy's attacks and convert them into a weapon."

Uddroth's eyes narrowed upon hearing the explanation.

"This mountain was rich with the fire element," Suzaki continued. "I can understand why you chose this place as your home. At the same time, you also provided me with an abundance of fire elements."

"You…"

"I have been accumulating the flame for almost a day, Uddroth. If I produce a small fireball from your single attack, how big do you think I can create from our long fight?"

"Where? Where do you…," Uddroth sensed it then. A growing sensation that was coming from above. He looked up.

Red hues appeared on the thick cloud above. They were then incinerated as a humongous ball of fire descended. Suzaki had been absorbing the fire elements and gathering them way high above the sky. Out of sight and out of Uddroth's mana sense. Now that the end of her one-day duration was approaching, she brought the accumulated fire down.

Uddroth's eyes turned wide as he watched the descending fireball. It was almost as large as the mountain below, which made it larger than the capital itself.

"How… How did you gather so much fire…?" Uddroth stammered.

"With patience," Suzaki answered. She then added, "I'm sorry, child."

The huge fireball above burst apart, turning into a blinding firework. Uncountable streaks of fire from the burst fireball rushed downward.

Uddroth moved by instinct. He flew at his top speed, but the fire streaks were as if alive. They were also faster than his flying speed. They chased after him and came at him from all directions.

Seeing that he couldn't flee, his only option was to defend himself. Multiple runic shields appeared around him, forming a sphere. His two huge wings also clasped around him, covering him. The flames arrived then.

They battered the runic sphere. The sphere held at first, but the streaks of fire that came battering were as if infinite. After enduring for some time, small holes finally appeared on the surface of the runic sphere. These holes slowly expanded, like paper being burned.

The streaks of fire entered through these holes and started hammering Uddroth's wing shield. Even when the runic sphere was completely burned, the streaks of fire continued to come.

They merged and reformed the colossal fireball. Uddroth was at the center of this fireball, where the heat was the fiercest.

As a fire dragon, Uddroth had very high fire resistance, but he was not completely immune. The fireball seemed calm from the outside. But inside, it was a raging firestorm. Uddroth continued to suffer damage every second.

He tried to fly away when his HP got dangerously low, but the fireball was as if alive. It followed his movement. It kept the dragon at its center.

Uddroth couldn't flee.

When his HP dropped to zero, he uttered a soul-piercing cry. A portion of the Liguritudum army was still outside the mountain. The soldiers in this army dropped to the ground from the pressure of the cry. Even those who were inside the capital could hear the cry.

Uddroth's body then exploded into a supernova. The explosion obliterated a partial of Mount Sedgebare's summit. The army below was spared because they were too far away, but the shockwave from the explosion kept them lying still on the ground.

No loot was dropped from Uddroth's death because he was killed by another native without interference from players. Even though a country guardian was considered under a sovereign, Master was too far away to trigger either the exp or loot drops.

Suzaki gazed at the falling ashes that were the remains of the once-great dragon. A part of Uddroth's head that was still recognizable dropped to the ground far below. Unlike the wilderness dragons which were considered monsters, true dragons were considered natives. They didn't turn to dust when they died.

There was sadness in Suzaki's eyes as she watched Uddroth's remains but it was soon gone. Her one-day duration arrived then. She turned into a streak of fire and disappeared from there.