CHAPTER 304: CHAPTER 304 - THE DRAGON LORD DESCENDS

Atlas remained seated calmly on his throne as the flying assassins revealed themselves, rushing toward him all at once. He could admit that this opposing lord was strategic, he wasted no time destroying enemy structures but went straight for the lord himself, knowing that taking out the leader could quickly end the battle.

However, Kurogasa moved even faster. His shadow clones shot into the air, each one hurling the blade of his kusarigama toward the enemies. And he didn’t stop there, he kept creating more and more clones, until their numbers doubled those of the incoming assassins.

But damn, how could he control that many shadow clones at once? The precision and technique of this ninja rat were truly exceptional.

The assassins tried to defend themselves atop their flying blades, weaving and spinning to evade the incoming strikes. Yet Kurogasa was relentless. He cut through them with swift, deadly motions. One head fell, and its owner tumbled from his flying sword, then another, and another, as the assassins scattered, desperate to find which of the shadow figures was the real one.

Atlas guided his floating throne farther from the clash. Kurogasa could clearly handle this alone. To doubt even for a moment the ability of this ninja rat would have been an insult to him.

On the other side, the enemy troops hovering atop their flying swords began to move, casting their magic spells from a distance.

"I suppose this is your turn, Kryth?" Atlas murmured.

Krythalis stepped forward and gave a respectful bow toward him. "I will take on the three hundred of them, my lord."

"Alright," Atlas replied. "Let the others handle the rest."

At that moment, the carapace on Krythalis’s back opened wide, revealing two pairs of radiant, blade-like wings that shimmered with a metallic gleam. They quivered once, then beat rapidly as he launched himself from before Atlas. In the blink of an eye, he had already soared high into the air, ready to confront the enemy forces head-on.

"Facing three hundred at once?" Atlas muttered under his breath.

Edrik bowed slightly and answered, "Kryth’s power was designed for large-scale combat, it seems. This kind of battle suits him perfectly."

Atlas nodded slowly, his eyes following as Krythalis began his assault in the sky, displaying his true capability in the open heights above.

Krythalis instantly filled the area around him with a violent storm. Fierce winds howled as the sky darkened, and countless small tornadoes spun outward in every direction. Seeing this, the enemy troops quickly scattered and charged toward him from all sides.

Krythalis darted through the air, effortlessly avoiding the rain of long-range attacks aimed his way. From both of his forearms extended sharp, natural blades. Organic weapons that were part of his own body, much like the deadly forelimbs of a mantis. With each slash of his twin arm-blades, enemies were cut down, their bodies falling helplessly from their flying swords.

One of the most remarkable things about Krythalis was his ability to wield the Lightning element. As he moved, every beat of his wings sent out wind blades that sliced toward his enemies, while arcs of crackling lightning surged across the storm, striking those caught in his path.

From a distance, all that could be seen was a streak of green and gold light weaving through the dark sky. Dancing, twisting, and cleaving through opponents with impossible speed.

"This isn’t even Kryth using his insect legion yet," Atlas murmured quietly.

Right after Atlas spoke those words, more insects burst into the sky, their numbers rapidly spreading across the battlefield. The dark, shadow-colored creatures swarmed with astonishing speed, darting in every direction as they attacked the enemy forces. They were nearly impossible to track, striking from all angles and quickly breaking the enemies’ formation by forcing them to divide their attention.

Atlas shifted his floating throne once more, moving away from the area littered with falling bodies. He guided it swiftly to a higher vantage point where he could observe the battle more freely from a distance.

One thing he noticed immediately, Bai Yun, the enemy lord, still hadn’t shown himself. He was clearly calculating his every move, letting his troops fall first before making any personal appearance.

Or perhaps he had no intention of showing himself at all? If that were the case, then this massacre would continue until the enemy forces were completely annihilated by Krythalis, Kurogasa, and Serenith, who were already wreaking havoc in the distance.

Atlas suddenly noticed two figures darting through the air and landing upon his floating throne. He turned his head, recognizing Morganna and Lyrassa standing there. In Morganna’s arms was someone much smaller, Vienne, who reached out toward him with a bright, innocent smile.

"Papa!" Vienne called out cheerfully.

Atlas drew in a sharp breath, his chest tightening every time he saw Vienne brought into a battlefield like this. He had already asked Morganna countless times to leave her safely inside the fortress, under protection.

But Morganna merely loosened the wrap holding the little girl and handed her over to him.

"Why?" Atlas asked quietly.

"To join the battle," Morganna replied. "What else do you think I came here for?"

And just as she said that, several figures suddenly appeared as if emerging from the void itself, floating in the air around them and encircling the throne from a distance.

One, two, three, until there were thirty of them, spreading out in every direction to surround Atlas’s position.

Holding Vienne close against his chest, Atlas shielded her with his arms as the enemy figures began forming rapid hand seals. A moment later, they raised their hands, and glowing magic formations flared to life in their palms all at once.

"They really don’t know when to give up," Edrik said after a short breath.

"Let’s see if you can withstand this, Atlas!!" they shouted as their spells reached completion.

In the next instant, they thrust both hands forward, forming dense magic spheres that appeared and solidified in midair. Within a heartbeat, those spheres shot toward Atlas at tremendous speed.

Lyrassa reacted immediately, raising both of her hands as a protective barrier of shimmering green light appeared. Interlocking octagonal patterns spread outward in perfect symmetry, forming a shield that wrapped tightly around the floating throne.

A series of deafening explosions erupted as the enemy’s magic slammed into the barrier, each impact shaking the air. Yet, it was as if the attacks struck an unbreakable wall. Every blast simply dispersed, bursting apart upon contact with the shield.

Still, the attackers did not stop. They kept firing one spell after another, endless waves of magic raining down on the green barrier, determined to tear it apart through sheer persistence.

Morganna stepped forward to the front of the floating throne, her body now wrapped in swirling energy of dark crimson and deep shadow. In her hands, her signature weapon appeared, the Bloodkissed Scythe.

But before Morganna could launch herself forward, Atlas’s attention was drawn elsewhere, far beyond the explosions lighting up the sky. Through the smoke and chaos, he saw it: a massive azure dragon avatar twisting and coiling through the air. From its gaping maw, a lone figure floated calmly, standing at its center as though commanding the beast itself.

"I thought he’d hide until the battle was over," Atlas murmured quietly.

"Do you want the quick way, or will you face this lord yourself, my lord?" Edrik asked evenly.

Before Atlas could respond, Morganna had already dashed forward, piercing through the protective barrier like a streak of red lightning, heading straight toward the chaos outside.

Yet Edrik’s question lingered in Atlas’s mind.

Would he end this quickly... or face the flying lord, Bai Yun, with his own strength alone?