Chapter 1654: Players and Pawns (4) 'A layman might think that Quaron is being overpowered, but I know that in his place all of us would be already dead. The fact that he's still alive proves that he's not an opponent I can take.' Pelan thought. When the violet Origin Flames engulfed Quaron, they burned away the defensive barrier of his artifacts and his skin alike. Darkness fusion couldn't protect him from the pain since the mystical fire consumed even the magic flowing through his veins. His agonizing screams coupled with the smell of cooked meat and fat typical of barbeque broke the hopes of the citizens of Zeska. Lith rode the shockwave until he was safe from the Flames. Then he followed Solus's advice and conjured a golden platform to resume his attack. The construct shattered from the sheer strength of his leg muscles, leaving behind a luminous trail that betrayed his trajectory. Quaron inwardly thanked the gods and took what looked like a small baton out of his belt. The stick shapeshifted into a long pole ending at both sides with a curved blade that resembled a short scimitar. At the same time, he activated one of the enchantments of his armor, releasing a pillar of high-density ice magic from the violet crystal on his chest. The spell was a mix of frozen air and razor-sharp icicles that would push the enemy away while the cold would weaken them. 'It's far from a deadly shot, but I need to recover-' Quaron inwardly cursed the gods for their trickery when Lith conjured more floating platforms in every direction. Not only did he effortlessly dodge the pillar but by bouncing around like a pinball, Lith also turned the stardust from the broken constructs into a blinding curtain of light that hid him from both regular and mystical sight. "Hi, Quaron." Lith appeared in front of him in a downward slash with War aimed at the traitorous Ranger's head. He raised his polearm, blocking the blade with the staff. A noise halfway between the crunch of cereals and the breaking of wood filled the air when Quaron's arms broke at the wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Without Gravity Fusion, Lith weighed several tons and the slash carried them all. "Bye, Quaron." Lith pivoted with War on the enemy's staff, moving the momentum of the clash from his hands to his legs and kicking the hapless Ranger with both feet. The impact overpowered the protective enchantments of the city walls, opening a deep crater behind Quaron while he coughed out blood. The Adamant armor had kept the hit from being lethal, but his internal organs had taken heavy damage. Even the best enchanted armor was weak against blunt hits because a perfect kinetic shield would also paralyze its wearer. The enchantment had no way to distinguish friendly from hostile energy and blocking kinetic energy also meant that the person wearing the armor would be incapable of performing high speed-movements of any kind. 'One breath of Invigoration. All I need is one-' War cut Quaron's head off and him short. Lith also pierced his heart, just to stay on the safe side. The Adamant of the blade and that of the armor clashed along with their respective enchantments, producing white-hot sparks. Yet even though they were made of the same material, one was a masterpiece wielded by a titan whereas the other was a high-end artifact worn by a limp body. It took War a second to short circuit the armor's mystical defenses and plunge hilt-deep into its mark. The angry blade screamed with inhuman joy, making both Lith's allies and enemies take a step back. "Open the gates. Now!" The blood rain produced by the severed neck of his fallen enemy didn't bother Lith yet it gave him a savage appearance. Driven by fear and by the killing intent he emitted, the guards obeyed his command with the discipline of trained dogs. 'Quaron is still alive! Don't drop your guard.' Solus had never stopped looking at the enemy with mana sense in the attempt to understand the secret of his strength. So, the moment the blood that still spurted from the fatal wound started to flow in reverse she noticed it immediately. Lith had no idea what was happening but he opened his palm at point-blank range from Quaron and activated two of his tier five holding rings, combining two Final Sunset into one. Fire and darkness weren't blocked by the arrays so they hit the fallen Ranger with their full might. Or at least they were supposed to. "Don't falter, my children! Not even the full power of the Kingdom can compare to that of a god!" A booming voice said, giving new hope to the citizens of Zeska. Strong gales came out of nowhere, bringing with them black clouds that amassed above the city and formed a swirling maelstrom. Bolts of lightning coursed through the thunderclouds like angry golden snakes that emitted flashes of light with their every move. At the same time, an emerald sphere enveloped Quaron's body. It protected him from the Final Sunsets and generated a pulse of pure mana that sent Lith flying. Everyone could see the blood flowing back inside the traitorous Ranger, even carrying his head and reattaching it to the neck. 'Okay, that's not a god, just a Spirit Magic user.' Lith thought. 'Any idea how did Quaron survive?' 'You never killed him in the first place.' Solus said. 'The violet energy in his core kept his body alive after the decapitation and made his blood flow even with a punctured heart. 'Right now, that very energy is being consumed to heal his wounds. Quaron's mana core is turning into bright blue so unless he gets another infusion of that strange power, the next time you kill him will also be the last.' "Who dares to threaten the children of Syrook and kill their champion?" A colossal figure descended from the eye of the thunderstorm. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮 It was a majestic Dragon covered by pitch-black scales, about 25 meters (82 feet) tall. A 12 meters (40 feet) long tail came out from the small of his back and every flap of his membranous wings produced gales so strong that the army's mages were pushed back despite the distance and the air shields protecting them. The violet light coming from Syrook's eyes and the flames bursting from his mouth made the resurrection of Quaron look insignificant in comparison. Even the people that called him their hero had forgotten about his existence. Yet while the citizens of Zeska kneeled in front of their god, feeling his presence breathe new strength and determination in their bodies, the soldiers surrounding the city kneeled in terror as the aura of fear of the Dragon broke their spirit. Such was the raw power that coursed through Syrook's body that watching at him was akin to looking at an incoming tidal wave hundreds of meters high. Awe and fear made almost no one doubt his words, treating his descent like that of a god among mortals. Almost. "That's it? A Dragon?" Lith slow clapped the enemy's performance. "If it wasn't sad enough calling yourself a god you even talk about yourself in the third person. I met countless arrogant Emperor Beasts but you get the cake."