Chapter 424: The Skyfall Barrier

“ROAR——!”

A pillar of jet-black flame descended from the heavens, slicing directly through the center of the dwarf formation.

In the span of a few short seconds, many dwarves perished in the inferno.

Charkin and the others snapped their heads upward, staring at the sky.

“The main course has arrived!”

Eugene tightened his grip on his greatsword and roared at the figure above.

“Bastards of Gulos! Prepare to die!”

CRACK!

The ground beneath his feet shattered into a crater as Eugene launched himself into the air, streaking toward Narzis.

“Heh-heh-heh~!”

Narzis dodged Eugene’s charge with a playful smirk, pulling out his wand and pointing it directly at the dwarf.

“Begone, dwarf~!”

BOOM!

A violent tempest erupted instantly, slamming into Eugene and blasting him out of the sky.

THUD!

With a deafening tremor, Eugene was driven deep into the earth.

“Heh-heh-heh~!”

Narzis stared down at the smoking crater, laughing triumphantly.

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a whistling sound sliced through the air beside his ear.

“Hm?”

He turned his head just in time to see a massive warhammer growing larger and larger in his vision.

Just as the hammer was about to crush him——

BOOM!

A jet-black breath attack swept over the weapon, sending it flying away.

“That was close, that was close~!”

Narzis grinned, putting on an exaggerated show of relief.

“I almost got squished there~!”

“Hmph. Don’t get too cocky!”

A voice echoed from directly below.

“Huh?”

Narzis looked down.

There stood the last A-Rank dwarf, Aznov, shouldering a massive cannon-like magical device aimed directly at him.

The barrel of the device glowed with a blinding crimson light as a massive amount of mana gathered within it.

“Die!”

BOOM——!

A brilliant beam of light shot toward the sky, engulfing both the Demonic Flame Dragon and Narzis.

But almost instantly,

a magic circle flared to life beneath Narzis and the dragon.

The artillery fire unleashed by Aznov was completely blocked by the sudden appearance of a barrier.

As the beam faded, a new figure floated into view in the sky.

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“Tch!”

Aznov clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“As expected...... he’s here.”

Upon his arrival, Tanoklian did not immediately attack the dwarves.

Instead, he looked down at them from his lofty position and spoke.

“Dwarves. Was it not better to stay outside the mountains? We could have coexisted in peace, with neither side suffering losses. Why must you rush in here to die?”

“You have a lot of nerve.”

CRUNCH!

The ground rumbled as rocks and dirt shifted.

Eugene climbed out of the crater, covered in dust. He shook his body, sending dirt flying, and stared up at the three figures in the sky.

“We coexist in peace while you achieve your goals, conquer the elves, grow even stronger, and then turn around to invade us? Are all you people from Gulos complete idiots?”

“......”

Tanoklian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“......It seems negotiations have failed.”

With that, the wand in his hand began to glow.

Behind him, Narzis also pointed his wand downward, and the Demonic Flame Dragon gathered flames in its jaws once more.

Likewise, the three on the ground gripped their weapons, standing their ground.

However, their expressions were surprisingly calm—completely lacking the tension one would expect when facing such powerful foes.

This sight filled Tanoklian with an inexplicable sense of unease.

But before he could ponder it further——

Hum! Hum! Hum......

Layer upon layer of massive magic circles suddenly unfolded above them.

Tanoklian’s heart skipped a beat. He snapped his head upward, his face paling drastically.

“No good! It’s a trap! Retreat! Now!”

But he had realized it too late.

A massive barrier expanded rapidly across the sky, covering an area of several thousand meters in the blink of an eye.

The two men and the dragon were completely trapped inside.

Tanoklian’s expression was grim.

“How is this possible? Magic of this caliber...... Who exactly are you?”

Whoosh~!

The sound of wind rustling a skirt echoed in the air.

A young girl holding a silver wand descended slowly from the sky.

“......” Tanoklian stared at the girl gravely, his heart sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

As the Vice-Captain of the Great Demon Mercenary Corps, he had faced countless formidable powerhouses that could not be taken lightly.

Yet, none of those powerhouses could hold a candle to the figure before him.

The mere wisps of magical aura she casually exuded were suffocating, feeling exactly like facing a beast one could never hope to defeat for the first time.

It even subconsciously reminded him of......

That existence who ruled over them—the strongest in the world.

“Impossible...... This is impossible.”

Cold sweat dripped down his face as Tanoklian struggled to believe the reality before him.

Just as he froze completely——

“It was you who ambushed me from the shadows! How dare you show your face! Die!”

Narzis launched a spell directly at Hulim.

“Stop, you fool!”

Tanoklian shouted in alarm.

“Huh?”

Narzis looked at him in confusion, even as the magic in his hand activated.

A green tempest streaked directly toward Hulim.

But the next moment——

HUM!!!

Layer upon layer of magic circles unfolded in front of Hulim.

WHOOSH!

A terrifying beam of light instantly shattered the green tempest, continuing forward without any attenuation.

Narzis had just turned his face toward Tanoklian, the question barely leaving his lips, when the corner of his eye caught the light rushing toward him.

BOOM——!

Then he was swallowed by the light, unable to make even a single move.

When the light finally faded,

nothing remained in front of Tanoklian.

WHOOSH!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tanoklian abandoned everything and fled toward the rear as fast as he could.

Not far away, the Demonic Flame Dragon, terrified by Hulim’s attack, turned and fled as well.

Hulim raised her wand, pointing it at the dragon.

“Hulim, leave that one to me.”

A voice rang out from above, and a moment later, Ignir descended.

“That creature has fallen into the dark. At the very least, allow me, the Fire Dragon King, to clean up our own house.”

“Okay.”

Hulim nodded, then shifted the direction of her wand, pointing it at Tanoklian.

In the distance, the fleeing Demonic Flame Dragon suddenly sensed that the deadly crisis hanging over it had vanished, allowing it to breathe a sigh of relief.

But before it could relax for long, a new sense of danger descended.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The Demonic Flame Dragon looked back in confusion.

It saw a massive crimson dragon, even larger than itself, staring at it with unblinking eyes.

“To think a fellow dragon would fall to darkness and then flee at the sight of a strong foe. Do you possess even an ounce of dragon’s pride?”

“......”

The Demonic Flame Dragon came to a halt, staring at Ignir with hostile eyes.

Ignir bared his fangs at it.

“Have you made peace with death?”

“......ROAR!”

“ROAR!”

The two dragons clashed instantly in the air.

Meanwhile,

watching Tanoklian reach the edge of the barrier and bombard it repeatedly in a desperate attempt to escape, Hulim hesitated, not attacking immediately.

“Damn it! Break! Just break! Why won’t it break?!”

Tanoklian was in a state of panic, but no matter how he attacked the barrier before him, it showed no reaction.

“Give up.”

A voice echoed abruptly behind him.

Tanoklian’s movements froze instantly. He stiffened, unable to move.

Hulim raised her wand, pointing it at him.

“I can spare your life. But in exchange, you must honestly reveal the true purpose of Gulos.”

“......”

Tanoklian had his back to Hulim, so she could not see the way his panicked expression gradually calmed, eventually turning into one of resolve.

“......You want to know our purpose?”

Tanoklian spoke with surprising calmness.

“Very well. As long as you spare my life, I will tell you everything.”