Chapter 55

After observing Ethan for some time, the dragon laughs heartily, flapping its wings forcefully.

"I understand! Yes, now I understand! So that's your goal? Is that why you kept him alive? Are you still playing this pathetic game?!"

Raising his arms in front of his face, the wind strikes like a gale, and Ethan struggles to stay in place.

"But, since it's like this..." its many eyes shift their gaze, lowering to look at the man facing them. "It doesn't seem like you've taken everything yet, so... How much would you lose if I broke him now...?"

In a sudden burst, the dragon flies swiftly towards Ethan, who, flapping his black wings, escapes far from the kingdom. His massive wings tear the ground as he changes direction in mid-air to continue the pursuit.

Its great mouth opens and the glow expands rapidly like a cannon. Spinning to the side, Ethan narrowly escapes the icy hurricane that hits the giant trees of the Great Forest. But... the trees remain... intact...?

Curious, indeed. But there's no time for surprise now, for as it moves its head, the creature changes the direction of the hurricane. The icy roar chases Ethan all across the sky.

"Ridiculous! Despite being trash, those two were certainly capable and brave. Now, you... damn it, don't you have a sword? Use it!"

Ethan turns and, looking at the creature, he slices through the air. The frozen clouds falling from the sky shatter and the dragon's wing separates from its body. However, after a brief imbalance, the bluish liquid emerges and the wing is reattached to its body.

"I see, so that's why you do nothing, you can't! How much shame would you bring to them being so pathetic?!"

The black wings beat and a counter impulse is given. Ethan returns at an incredible speed, passing by the creature's mouth, which could only try to bite him while spinning its enormous body.

Spinning his body with the blade, once again, the dragon's wing is cut off. The liquid emerges to reattach it again, but, stepping on that huge icy surface, Ethan descends to the ground and creates a huge trail in the soil using it as a simple board.

Without one wing to keep that body in the air, the dragon falls quickly. A tremendous crash is generated when it hits the ground, raising a large cloud of dust.

"Sorry, but I don't know exactly who you're talking about."

Stepping to the edge of the created crater, Ethan stops. Part of the bodies on the battlefield no longer exist, and from all sides, the blood accumulated on the ground flows down into the hole where the dragon lies.

"So you're saying you don't know those two...? Impossible, your eyes are definitely like hers! And that arrogance... you definitely have a connection with that bastard!"

The creature's head emerges imposingly from the dust and, after a flash, the nearby blood is frozen and the icy hurricane rises uncontrollably to the skies.

"Arrogance..?"

The sword moves and the ground is pierced. With this movement, a large gash is created on the beast's neck, leaving its head hanging to one side.

"Finally, a bit of silence."

In the air, Ethan approaches the dragon again. His fists tightly gripping the hilt. He should kill it now, and he knows it. But...

"Who are these people you're talking about?"

A laugh echoes and, as the bluish liquid slowly pulls the creature's neck back to reattach it, it remains hidden under the dense dust.

"So you really don't know them? Well... it's obvious, since she probably didn't last long after that day. But that damned man? He chose to join her and left you behind?"

"That's not an answer."

"An answer...? Fine, I'll give you an answer!"

Suddenly, the dust is dispersed with a flap of wings. Immediately, Ethan looks to the side, but the wing is still there.

"Are you satisfied with this answer?!"

The fangs shine around him and, narrowly, half of his body isn't swallowed. However, in fleeing, one of his legs is wounded.

"Hahahaha! Are you running again? Where did all that courage go?!"

The glow appears in its throat, the white ray extends and, creating a long path, the ocean waters freeze dozens of meters below sea level.

With some distance gained, Ethan stops and, quickly turning, moves his blade towards the ocean waters. A strong pressure is exerted, shaking the air and raising the waters, a tsunami is created.

The dragon tries to stop in mid-air by flapping its wings, as the glow in its throat intensifies. However, due to its size, this becomes impossible. Its body is hit by the wave and the icy hurricane is unleashed, freezing everything.

Concentrating the aura in his blade, Ethan begins the cutting motion, but the ice breaks and a roar echoes. The waters sway creating waves, the generated wind pushes him and, meanwhile, the dragon's mouth shines.

"Damn it...! Die!"

With no time to conserve energy, while strangely his body continues to struggle to move, Ethan creates a thick barrier using every element he controls.

First the wind, which, before being destroyed, disperses part of the hurricane when it is hit. Then the aura, which manages to resist for a few seconds. The earth follows, but is quickly frozen. Succeeded by fire, which, with its intensity increased, evaporates the waters below his feet and withstands the icy breath for a while.

With his vision darkening and his flames waning, Ethan realizes; his mana is nearly depleted.

His fire disperses, but just before that, for some reason, the hurricane is contained. His eyes blink and his vision blurs, as his body sways, his wings disappear and, in the distance, Ethan catches his last glimpse before passing out.

Black feathers sway as red eyes shine. Over the waters appears a being as grand as the dragon itself, which, in a single strike, tears off its head with its beak.