Twilight Alchemist 23.2

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23.2. If You Have Determination, You Can Dispel Fear, Isn't It?

The next moment, we realized a significant mistake in our strategy. 

The dragon's massive size and incomparable strength gouged the earth, shattered rolling boulders, and scattered sand-like dust. 

Fist-sized crushed rocks and a massive amount of soil rained down on the entire army. 

The assumption that the dragon's long-range attack was only its breath collapsed at this point.

""""Ooooh!""""

Moda, usually silent, roared and held his ground at the forefront with his shield. 

The rest of us had no choice but to take cover in the safety zone created by his shield.

"What do we do?! Raidoc!?"

"Hah! I expected unexpected events like this from the start! Look! The guys on the left and right are blocking them well!"

Each unit, forming a crane-wing formation, had spread out to create a shield barrier, anticipating such an attack. 

Of course, there were casualties. But they were promptly healed by the generously distributed healing potions.

"The toughest part is here! If we can endure it, we'll be fine! Continue the fight! Bep! Concentrate your enhancement magic on Moda! I'm fine! Moda, I'm counting on you!"

"Yes!"

"Yeah!"

For the third time, a counterattack in the form of a downward strike was added to the concentrated firepower of the first unit. 

However, we endured the brutal but monotonous assault.

"Gyaggyaaaagigegeeeeee!"

After the dragon endured the fourth concentrated bombardment, it roared even more fiercely.

"Look! There's a bit of blood on its forehead!"

"""""Wooooah!"""""

It was a cry of joy, a triumphant roar fueled by excitement. 

It was a sense of accomplishment, even though we hadn't played our trump card yet.

As the dragon roared, it dug its claws deep into the earth with its four legs. 

The experience of former adventurers sounded the highest level of warning.

Before I could shout, Raidoc yelled, "Here comes the breath!"

It was almost a certainty. 

Without hesitation, Raidoc turned to me.

I unfurled my cloak and raised my staff high. 

The dragon's wide-open jaws gathered ferocious magical power in its throat. 

A blue-white radiance expelled from the tooth-lined dragon's mouth, promising death to everything.

"pThousand-Mile Earth Wall]!"

With all my might, I activated the spell. Suddenly rising before us was a thick wall of earth, comparable in height and thickness to a castle wall. 

As planned, it spread out in a semicircle, perfectly enveloping the dragon's head, deflecting the breath with a gleaming flame.

"Ugh! It won't last long!"

I continued pouring magical power into the earth wall, but it turned into glass instantly due to the heat and began to get chipped away.

"All right! Transition to the second phase of the plan! All units, prepare for a bombing attack... release!"

Archers on the left and right, who had been waiting for this moment, drew their Mithril bows, either purchased or rented only for this occasion and shot bomb arrows into the dragon's body with all their might. Soral and Jitaro quickly crossed the earth wall and fired bomb arrows in a smooth, arched trajectory.

It was a gloriously massive explosion.

A roar, incomparable to before, echoed across the plain.

"O...ohhhh! It's working! It's working!"

As the smoke cleared, and the dragon's figure became visible again, the morale of the entire army reached its peak. 

Scales were peeling off its body, flesh exposed, and blood dripped from all over.

Considering the magnitude of the explosion, it was impressive that it had ended with that.

"We can do it... we can do it!"

""We can win!""

Confidence in victory surged. 

The dragon swung its arm, destroying the obstructing earth wall.

Since I had already stopped pouring magical power, the wall on the other side crumbled easily, revealing the infuriated face of the dragon.

"All right! Transition to the third phase of the plan! Once we seal the breath again, unleash magic attacks from then on!"

"Ooooh!"

The frenzied roar of the dragon echoed across the plain. 

Then, it unleashed another heinous breath attack.

In front of the blue-white, intensely hot flames, I poured all my fully restored magical power into the earth wall. The dragon, as if burning itself, was showered in its own breath.

"All right! Full-force attack, everyone!"

"""""Ooooh!"""""

Witnessing a barrage of bomb arrows and various magic and techniques unleashed all at once, the adventurers were convinced of victory.

However...

We had forgotten something very crucial.

The fact that the enemy was a dragon.