25-207

EP.207 [Eugene Schneider’s Mother, Sabrina Serazade.] 

[Hmm... how strange...] 

The drake tilted its head slightly. 

[By now, I should have reached the oasis, but there’s no way that massive place disappeared under a sandstorm in just one day. Truly strange.] 

As always, the drake had come out to drink water. But now, it was trapped inside Priscilla’s massive barrier, endlessly circling the same area. In the drake’s mind, it was as if the enormous oasis had vanished overnight. 

Logically, one would suspect someone’s scheme, but higher-dimensional beings-especially those unable to fully use their powers-tend to have inflated egos. Unless they feel something distinctly off, they’re more likely to think the world around them has changed than to doubt themselves. 

[Hmm?] 

While wandering the Enclema cliff desert with a puzzled look, the drake turned its head in the opposite direction. 

“Hohohoho...! Have you only just noticed, Mr. Drake?” 

Fsssss...!! 

There was a cliff, and atop it stood Mage Elizabeth, staff extended, radiating a fierce amount of magical energy. 

-Flaaash!!! 

A blue magical flash burst from Elizabeth’s staff. 

-GROOOOAAAARRR...!!!!! 

Elizabeth’s magic formed a massive barrier, about 300 meters in diameter, surrounding the drake. 

“Oooh! Incredible!!” 

Watching from a lower cliff, Eugene Schneider couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. 

It was such a tremendous magical barrier. But it required a long setup time, and the target would usually notice during preparation. In such an open space, this kind of magic is normally impossible. However, thanks to the pre-set grand barrier, the drake’s attention was dulled, allowing Elizabeth to cast this high-difficulty spell on it. 

[So I’ve been caught...] 

The drake finally realized it had fallen into the enemy’s trap. 

[Now, all of its debuff magic poison and similar magical attacks have been neutralized.] 

With the anti-drake debuff barrier in place, Elizabeth sent a telepathic message to the close-combat drake subjugation squad. 

“Let’s go, everyone! Into the barrier where the drake is!” 

-Dadadadadadadadadadadadat!!! 

Victoria was the first to head into the barrier. 

“Priscilla, cover us well!!!” 

-Flaaash!!! 

She was followed by the Imperial Knights’ Farnese and Vincent, and Eugene dashed out with dopamine-charged eyes. 

[You’ve really prepared a lot.] 

Thud! Thud! 

The drake also saw the subjugation squad charging in and shifted its body toward them. 

[Fine. It’s been a while since I’ve exchanged killing intent with creatures of the surface.] 

Flaaash! 

Its eyes flashed with murderous crimson light as it began gathering its magical power for battle. 

-Flaaash!!! 

The drake actually charged toward the subjugation team. 

“Spread out!!!” 

Victoria shouted tactical orders as she watched. 

-KWAANG!!! 

The team quickly spread out and repositioned, and the drake landed with a roar in the spot they’d vacated. 

Swoooosh...!! 

A cloud of dust filled the area. 

Fsssss...!!! 

Within the dust, emerald energy began to form. 

“This is payback for three days ago!!!” 

-Fwoooosh!!! 

Priscilla’s World Tree Bow charged with mana. Her attack, like a laser, shot at the drake-a display of the Archer Seeker’s awakening arrow, more like a cannon than an arrow. 

-BOOOOM!! 

The drake used its tail to block Priscilla’s tremendous attack. 

[You’ve gotten even stronger, elf.] 

Smirk... 

The drake grinned. Last time, blocking Priscilla’s awakening arrow with its tail left it unscathed. But now, the spot where it blocked the arrow flashed with emerald mana. The awakening arrow is not only destructive but can also inflict internal damage. Its true destructive power was now possible even in a continent low in spirit energy, thanks to Priscilla’s stormy sex with Eugene Schneider. 

“Priscilla has drawn its attention. We’ll use this opening to strike.” 

The drake was now wary of Priscilla’s follow-up attacks. Recognizing the opening, Victoria signaled Farnese and Vincent for their planned attack. 

-BABABABABABAT!!! 

The three quickly used Sword Expert mana steps to approach. Normally, the drake would retreat or use magic poison, but with Elizabeth’s barrier debuff in effect, those options were gone, and Victoria’s team pressed the attack. 

[I sensed some unusual magic around, but it was actually a barrier to control my magic?] 

The drake belatedly realized the situation. It knew it was under a debuff, but couldn’t tell exactly what kind in its current form. Only by experiencing it directly did the drake grasp the specifics of Elizabeth’s debuff magic. 

-TATATATATATATATAT!!! 

Victoria’s team climbed onto the drake’s body. There was no point stabbing its legs-their target was its eyes. 

[You think I’ll let you do that so easily, brats?] 

-SWOOSH!! 

The drake thrashed violently to shake them off. 

“Freeze, you lizard!” 

-Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! 

Priscilla, now overflowing with spirit energy, provided covering fire with near-zero cooldown awakening arrows to support Victoria’s team. 

[How annoying...] 

Priscilla’s awakening arrows could inflict cumulative internal damage even if they hit the body, not just the eyes. The drake had to keep blocking with its tail, meaning its movement was restricted-without its tail, it couldn’t move dynamically. Priscilla’s precise shots irritated the drake. 

“So this is the look in your eyes, drake.” 

As a result, Victoria managed to climb all the way to the drake’s head. 

“Let’s see if I can gouge out that eye.” 

Fsssss...!!! 

Victoria’s sword released blue Sword Expert aura. 

-BUAAAK!!! 

With a powerful swing, Victoria’s sword struck the drake’s eye. 

-KAAANG!!! 

It hit dead-on. “Wow!” Eugene exclaimed in awe. 

Crrrrrrk...! 

But where Victoria’s sword struck, there was a diamond-like protective shell. “Damn,” Victoria muttered, frowning. The drake’s ability was infuriating. Some monsters can create protective shells, but almost never this quickly. Usually, hastily made shells are weak, but this one withstood a full-power Sword Expert attack. 

[Don’t panic. It’s all mana-based and consumable. If you keep attacking, the drake’s mana will deplete even faster while trapped in the barrier.] 

Elizabeth, monitoring the situation in real time, updated the team as she approached the scene. 

-ROOOOAR!!! 

-SCREEEECH!! 

Even the drake, after defending, needed a moment to recover and violently shook its head to throw Victoria off. 

“Farnese!!!” 

Wobble!! 

Losing her balance, Victoria called out to Farnese on the drake’s shoulder. 

“Understood, Victoria!” 

Swoosh! 

Farnese crouched and met Victoria’s gaze-they seemed to have a plan. 

“To the left!!” 

-SHUAAAT!! 

As Victoria was flung from the drake’s head, she pulled something from her waist and activated it-a glowing object that shot out like a rope. 

“Vincent!! Throw your rope to me too!!” 

Thud! 

It was a real rope, reinforced with alchemical magic. 

-SHUAAAT! -SHUAT! -SHUAAAT! 

The reinforced ropes quickly wrapped around the drake from all directions. 

The first plan had been to use Priscilla’s ranged support to get close and attack the eyes. When that failed, the second plan-binding the drake with alchemical ropes and focusing attacks to drain its mana-was immediately put into action. 

“All right. Binding complete!” 

The last stake was driven into the ground. Vincent signaled the team. 

Drrrrrrrr...!!! 

[Mage... quite skilled... To create such a high-level counter-magic using my own debuff magic poison.] 

The binding was so tight it caused the drake to vibrate. Normally, even alchemical ropes would be ripped out quickly, but the counter-magic from the barrier was also used on the ropes, allowing them to hold longer. 

Now that the drake had experienced Elizabeth’s magic firsthand, it realized what was going on. 

“My turn now!” 

Slash...! 

Eugene charged at the bound drake, his greatsword inscribed with a special rune. 

-Flaaash!!!! 

Eugene Schneider leaped like a black panther. 

-Slash!!! 

He raised his rune-inscribed greatsword within striking distance. 

-KWAANG!!!! 

And brought it down on the drake’s foot. 

-Fsssss!!! 

A dazzling mana effect burst from the impact point-not Eugene’s blue mana, but a dark red mana. 

‘Oh! It’s working-Elizabeth’s mana breaker!’ 

This was the drake’s demonic mana. The second phase of the plan was to drain the drake’s mana, and Elizabeth had prepared for that too. The “mana breaker” spell, a mix of black magic, only worked for Eugene, who had demon blood, so the rune was inscribed only on his greatsword. 

-Slash!! 

“I’ll keep draining your mana until all the runes are gone!!!!” 

Eugene, seeing the effect, confidently raised his sword again. 

Then, suddenly- 

[Impossible... You, with demon blood-are you Sabrina’s son...?] 

The drake sent another telepathic message to Eugene, mentioning none other than the name Sabrina.