While waiting, Midir happened to overhear the other Church Army soldiers chatting.
“Whoa! A pass personally issued by the Saint Lord... that's a first for me. Just who are those two?”
“Shh, keep it down. Don't offend them. Instead of worrying about that, you'd better think about what to eat after our shift.”
“Speaking of the weather, it's really strange. There wasn't even a hint of a blizzard warning, so why are the clouds as black as ink? If it really starts snowing, we might have to spend the night at the pass.”
“We haven't received any reports like that. Hopefully, it's just a particularly heavy cloud bank. My wife and kids are waiting for me to come home for dinner tonight.”
...
As these whispers echoed in his ears, Aila quietly leaned in and asked in a puzzled tone.
“Do you notice a strange smell in the air? Like... sulfur? Could it be a leak from the gunpowder magazine inside the pass?”
Hearing this, Midir immediately took a deep breath, trying to catch the scent Aila mentioned. However, aside from the sound of the wind and the distant noise of the crowd, he smelled nothing out of the ordinary.
Just as he was about to reassure Aila that it might be her imagination, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the horizon. It sounded like the prelude to the end of the world, making everyone present tremble in their boots.
Everyone turned to look. The thick clouds above had turned pitch-black at some point, with silver snakes of lightning darting through them, bringing one thunderclap after another.
Then, a staggering sight met their eyes—a rain of fire arrived unexpectedly. Each fireball was about the size of a fist, streaking across the sky at an incredible speed. In an instant, they rained down upon the unsuspecting Emerald City, exploding and releasing destructive power. For a moment, flames and black smoke intertwined, completely shattering the city's peace.
Fortunately, the buildings in Emerald City were built from thick stone to withstand the harsh cold. Although this wave of fire rain caused several small fires, they were all within controllable limits and did not lead to a major catastrophe.
At that moment, a sharp and piercing alarm sounded within Baldur's Pass. The squad leader who had left earlier rushed back with a look of desperation, shouting to Midir, Aila, and the others who were still standing there watching.
“Quick! Retreat inside the walls for cover! You two honored guests, please come with us!”
The soldiers moved upon the order, quickly retreating toward the walls. However, Midir and Aila seemed deeply captivated by the scene before them, staring motionless at the transformation in the sky.
Above Emerald City, accompanied by deafening roars, dozens of colorful and massive figures pierced through the dense clouds, looking like gods from the Age of Gods.
Those figures were the legendary pureblood dragons, and their numbers far exceeded anything a normal person could imagine—there were at least dozens of them.
Even more terrifyingly, as these dragons descended, countless sub-dragons of various forms also emerged. In an instant, they filled the once-empty sky. The sound of their wings beating was like rolling thunder echoing through the heavens.
The powerful figures stationed within Emerald City responded immediately, appearing on rooftops and in squares to face off against the dragon swarm in the sky.
“How can this be? How could the Dragon Race suddenly launch an attack on humans at a time like this? Haven't we maintained peace for so many years?” The squad leader stared at the sky-blotting dragon shadows, his voice trembling with disbelief.
However, the dragon swarm in the sky acted as if to answer his question. Almost simultaneously, they launched a fierce assault on the city below.
At this moment, the sky above Emerald City was shrouded in a violent magic storm. Colorful elemental powers wove together into a giant net. If allowed to fall, the prosperous city would be reduced to ruins in an instant.
Yet, at this critical juncture, a brilliant white light erupted from the top of the solemn church in the city center, transforming into a vast light screen that gently but firmly protected the heart of the city.
This light screen seemed to possess a miraculous power. When the overwhelming magical attacks touched its surface, they were silently neutralized like melting snow, leaving only slight ripples without causing any damage.
Judging from this alone, the strength of this light screen seemed to have already surpassed the city defense array of Azure City.
But Midir, watching from a distance, used his keen insight to glimpse the unique nature of this defense.
The secret of this barrier lay in the clever use of the light element's properties to neutralize and dissolve elements other than light and dark. It was remarkably similar to the strategy he had used when fighting the Void Demon.
But as everything in the world has its flaws, this array was certainly not perfect. When facing attacks of the same light or dark attributes, its defensive power would be greatly reduced. It also couldn't block physical attacks like a standard city defense array could.
Although the dragon legion in the sky was not adept at light or dark magic, their powerful bodies were unmatched on the continent. Even the hybrid sub-dragons possessed physical strength far beyond that of other races.
After realizing that their magical offensive was ineffective, the dragon swarm, led by a majestic Blue Dragon, decisively abandoned their long-range attacks. They dove straight toward the light screen, intending to decide the outcome through melee combat.
Seeing this, the human experts and Church Army warriors within Emerald City, who had been waiting in readiness, surged toward the battlefield like a tide to engage these masters of the sky in fierce close-quarters combat.
In the city center, the flash of blades and the roar of dragons and humans intertwined, marking the beginning of a heart-shaking war between humans and dragons.
“It looks like we've been caught up in another strange incident. I didn't expect those two guys who ambushed us to show up here too. But this time, they aren't on their home turf.” Aila's eyes were sharp as she quickly locked onto those two familiar figures among the flying dragon shadows, a meaningful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Sigh, I'm really curious who has such great luck. I just wanted to go to the Valley of Ice. At this point, we can't just stand by and watch.” Midir let out a heavy sigh, his voice tinged with a hint of annoyance.
“Of course~ Aside from anything else, we have to at least settle the score for the other day!” Aila said as she tucked away her communication stone. She stretched her limbs with fluid movements, then stylishly whipped off her purple cloak and tossed it backward. The squad leader instinctively caught it in shock, looking completely bewildered.
“You two, what are you...?” The squad leader, not yet recovered from the shock of the scene, stammered a question.
“With your strength, you definitely shouldn't get involved in this kind of fight. Go back inside the walls and do your jobs. And remember to take good care of my clothes!”
Aila turned back to give him a dashing smile and pulled her weapons from her waist pouch.
“It looks like you're ready. Then let's go... and slay some dragons!”
Midir's words carried an unquestionable determination. A blue light flashed from his hand as Starflame appeared, and he immediately buffed both of them with the power of the wind element.
The two of them vanished in a flash, like two bolts of lightning, racing toward the heart of the chaotic battlefield.
Rate on N.U.
