The howl of wind rose into a wail, and snow began to drift down from the sky.
The temperature plunged. In an instant it fell from a heat that warped the air to something like the depths of winter.
With a run of sharp cracks, the Mirage Sand Dragon's body, made entirely of yellow sand, took on a veil of pure white frost within a few breaths.
Leon gripped the staff in both hands and leveled its head at the target like a heavy weapon. A double-layered ice-blue magic circle spread open before him, turning slowly.
"Not done yet!"
"Full chant, full charge, freeze applied!"
"Water-Ice Great Magic Spear (Ice Lance)!"
"Hah!"
A giant ice spike more than three meters across and a full ten meters long tore through the air with an ear-splitting shriek and shot at the massive thing ahead like a thunderbolt.
All they saw was a flash of blue light.
The next second, a horrifying hole had been blasted open in the Mirage Sand Dragon's chest.
The ice spike burst, and the exploding ice storm bloomed like a rose of ice, tearing a second wound into the first.
The pain sent the Mirage Sand Dragon staggering back, its head thrown up in a scream that shook the sky.
"Opening with a transcendent-tier spell, out of respect!"
Watching that decisive, vicious strike from Leon, they were stunned for a moment, scalps prickling, mouths hanging open.
But only for a moment. Jeanne, Rose, and Persephone snapped out of it.
Looking at the wounded Mirage Sand Dragon, a sharp light flashed in their eyes at the same time.
They seized the opening perfectly.
"Go!"
Three of them, no, four counting Kureha, all kicked off the yellow sand hard enough to blow it apart, their figures turning into streaks of afterimage like a flight of Stukas diving low, and threw themselves at the giant dragon before it could recover.
"Margaret, we're moving too."
The rearguard and midguard, a step slower, came out of their shock, and seeing Jeanne and the other vanguards already charging, they opened up their own attacks without the slightest delay.
Clear flashes of blade and sword wove together, shot through with the white and gold light of magic, and left one ghastly wound after another on that enormous body.
Jeanne spun the Banner Lance in her hands, gave a clear shout, and vaulted off it, her body whirling through the air like a top. In the final second she stretched out to full length, silver gauntlets locked on the shaft, riding the momentum until spear and woman were one, a streak of golden light.
The entire lance drove into the monster's torso.
Rose bent her knees beneath her skirt armor, sank into a low stance, turned her body and tucked behind her shield, and without a flicker of expression caught the dragon claw as it raked down.
Steel Knight flickered. Her lips parted slightly, and the pure white light on the shield condensed fast, enchanting and compressing onto the shield face. With the terrifying boost of the counter storm, she stamped her left foot down, put her whole body into it, and blasted the pressing claw away.
"So a casual swipe from a Lv.6 hits that hard. Looks like I need to train harder too."
Her brows curved, and a lovely, cold smile touched the corner of her lips. Then she twisted her waist, swung her arm back, gathered her strength, and barked out in a low voice.
"Avenger's Shield!"
The shield flew with a whistle and slammed into the side of the Mirage Sand Dragon's head with a heavy ring, Rose's flying-shield strike at full power, magic and skill combined. The beast's skull snapped sideways, its whole body arching back and going rigid, stunned and silenced.
Farther back, a fierce light surged in Leon's eyes and he shouted.
"Moratta! Got it!"
He clutched that staff like a giant sniper rifle, the magic circle at its head spinning fast, pouring firepower down on the Mirage Sand Dragon. Every five seconds another Water-Ice Great Magic Spear, identical to the last, blasted out, while he called out urgently.
"Margaret, Iri, Aura, Laurier, everything you've got!!!"
Spirits surging, they opened up with everything at once.
"Angel's Poem: Spear!"
"Karmic Flame Calamity: All-Slaying Heavenly Maiden!"
"Karmic Flame Calamity: Flame Sword!"
"Karmic Flame Calamity: Inferno Paradise!"
"Wind Arrow!"
"Feast of the Bacchanal Harvest!"
...
"Haaaaaah!"
Roots thick as dragons ripped deep trenches through the sand, delicate but lethal silver threads drew their net closed without a sound, the queen of all-consuming flame and her paradise descended upon the world, a shrieking hurricane strained to tear everything apart, and a huge ice spike came through the air trailing a cold that froze the nerves.
Every attack crossed the distance, shattered the storm, and gathered in the Mirage Sand Dragon's vision into one dazzling sheet of destruction.
"Now... break!"
The whole 36th floor seemed to shake under that focused barrage, a rolling thunder that went on and on. The sandstorm was blown apart, the ceiling filled with cracks like a spiderweb, and the yellow sand underfoot churned like a tsunami, throwing up towering waves of sand.
The dragon's howls tore out of the dust.
They held their battle stances, wary and solemn, eyes grave as they stared into the dim yellow dust ahead. Quietly, they waited for the result of that burst.
Margaret's cheeks were flushed and she was gulping down breaths. At some point her black hood had come off, baring hair as red as flame. A corner of her cloak, snapping in the wind, lifted to show her full legs wrapped in black over-the-knee boots.
Her legs were slightly apart, one hand on her hip, her head tilted as she peered ahead with a serious face.
"Did we... win?"
A heavy thud sounded.
A glint of amusement showed at the corner of Leon's mouth.
"Guaranteed we didn't."
As if to prove him right, the wind gathered again and blew through, and the dust thinned.
The Mirage Sand Dragon's body, once made entirely of yellow sand, was now a horrifying sight: literally only half a body left, with even a third of the dragon's head shaved away.
Vicious, ghastly, like a demon made of sand.
But what actually put that helpless look on Leon's face was what came next.
Driven by some will, worked by an invisible hand, the yellow sand began to flow and gather with a dry rushing hiss. And the destination of every stream of sand was that ruined dragon's body.
[Read 40+ chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/NiaXD]