Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Quaang, quaang, quaang, quaang!

Kuzgunaxish’s Flame Strikes struck the ice wall, scattering ice particles into the air.

“Tidal Wave!”

Once again, Baileyphus cast a spell toward the crumbling ice wall. Suddenly summoned from behind the golden knight was tons of seawater.

As the seawater filled the space where the ice wall had been completely destroyed, it collided with the Chlorocyan Flame, producing intense steam.

Chijiit!

The steam was also at a scorching temperature, but it didn’t inflict much damage on the polymorphed dragon.

Instead, it created a temporary state of obscurity due to obstructing visibility.

Baileyphus raised his voice toward that stillness.

“Summoning Tiamat is of no benefit to the Color Clan! Isn’t there any talk of mutual interests while I become an Ancient? The Color Queen is closer to a magpie! Unlike the Metal Dragons who maintain Lord Bahamut, don’t you know why the Color Dragons repeatedly seal and summon Tiamat? If it were to appear, the Color Clan also—”

“Shut up!”

Shiiiiing!

Kuzgunaxish swung his sword toward Baileyphus, parting the steam.

The tremendous speed was so extreme that Haart observing through the scope would perceive a reversal of cause and effect.

It meant that it felt like the steam split after he emerged, not as if he emerged after the steam split.

Teo-eong, teo-eo-eong!

Baileyphus urgently swung his sword and shield, barely deflecting Kuzgunaxish’s curved blades.

“That was close! I, if I had been a little late—”

Baileyphus’s arm would have been severed. The still-growing steam only hindered visibility, but there was no way to find an opening between Kuzgunaxish and Baileyphus’s superhuman battle.

A battle between two beings transformed into their human forms!

With each strike echoing through, the excitement produced by the noise and dust cloud was effectively conveyed to Haart. But one thing was clear.

“It’s just like what the Bronze Dragon Blaugrun said.”

Baileyphus was losing in the 1:1 battle against Kuzgunaxish.

But he mustn’t let himself be consumed by impatience.

Slowly but surely, Haart patiently watched their battle.

“How long will you run, fly? Let me leave you with nowhere to retreat, Fire Pillar!”

“What?! Energetic Shield!”

The ground beneath Baileyphus trembled.

Blue shields surged menacingly, enveloping the golden knight—large pillars of fire!

Quaang, quaang, quaaaang!

The fire pillars erupted from the earth’s depths like oil wells catching fire, tearing through the ground.

Kuzgunaxish, who simply watched Baileyphus retreat behind his shield, wouldn’t let him be.

“Can you stop this too?! Hellfire—”

The Red Dragon ran like the wind, casting the strongest single-target fire magic.

The deep blue flames, so intense that they could engulf even the fire pillars, were mistaken for Lam Hwajeong’s casting. As the dark blue embers entered Kuzgunaxish’s body, Baileyphus finally made a decision.

It was too dangerous to receive that magic in his human form.

“Wild Tornado!”

Whoooosh, whooosh, whoooooosh!

The Gold Dragon cast a fierce gust of wind. As the gust swept through the already soaring fire pillars, they merged into one.

“Damn it, you damn fly!”

Stopping the Red Dragon’s strongest fire magic wasn’t the intention. The Gold Dragon used the magic simply to obstruct visibility.

In the gap where Kuzgunaxish frowned with one eye, Baileyphus had already disappeared after his golden knight form.

[Roaaarrr!]

The majestic Gold Dragon roared as it flew up.

Everyone who watched and experienced this battle knew what the swirling mana cluster in front of the golden dragon’s chest meant.

A scorching hot Flame Breath was spewed towards Kuzgunaxish.

“Kraaaah, you damn fly!”

Would he counter the Gold Dragon’s Breath with Hellfire?

Kuzgunaxish also had to make a choice. Even in his dragon state, the strongest fire magic’s casting time required more than Baileyphus’s breath would reach him.

In the end, Kuzgunaxish canceled the casting of Hellfire.

However, there was nowhere to escape due to the Flame Pillar magic he had used.

Whether he took the breath or threw himself into the fire pillars.

Kuzgunaxish’s choice was obvious.

Thwack!

As Kuzgunaxish flew towards the fire pillars, evading the linear Breath, Baileyphus felt no regret.

He had anticipated that Kuzgunaxish, who possessed swift movements from the start, would avoid the Breath.

[Enchant Fire! Ignition Burst!]

That was exactly what the Gold Dragon had aimed for.

The united fire pillars enchanted by the tornado emitted an even stronger heat. The crimson flames, already exceeding 1,200 degrees Celsius, transitioned from orange to yellow.

It was different from the orange or yellow caused by incomplete combustion.

The color of the flames that were in a state of complete combustion was evidence that they exceeded 5,000 degrees Celsius.

And a small, whitish mass flew towards the whirlwind of flames.

Unlike the dark blue of candle flames, the clean and vivid blue radiated an ominous aura as it burned through the air.

The intense heat emitted was stronger than the Gold Dragon’s Flame Breath exceeding 10,000 degrees Celsius.

The blue flames clashed with the whirlwind of fire, creating a soundwave.

The pulsating energy waves were felt by Haart as well.

The heat that reached beyond 1 kilometer and the even stronger compressed energy violently shook Haart’s body.

“It’s hot, but what is this—”

The sensation of powerful force and the surrounding air being sucked in gradually pulled Haart’s body.

“Ugh, if I move, the camouflage will be undone. I have to endure. Kuzgunaxish and Bluebeard won’t miss my mana… Ugh!”

Was this what it felt like to play tug-of-war with 50 people? However, Haart endured.

With the single-minded determination of capturing Kuzgunaxish, he endured the excruciating pain in his legs and managed to move a mere 30 centimeters.

He barely held on within the range where the camouflage didn’t unravel, but… he still couldn’t relax.

A massive energy shockwave came into Haart’s field of vision beyond the scope.

Qua, quaquaquaquaquaquaqua-!

When the consolidation of energy was complete, the real explosion began. The gathered energy was released into the surroundings along with the flames.

“What kind of damned joint is this?!”

A giant mushroom-shaped cloud appeared above the spot where Baileyphus and Kuzgunaxish stood.

“Cough… Cough, Phew.”

After the explosion subsided, Haart assessed his condition.

His field of vision, now tinged with crimson, covered over 60% of what was in front of him. One could consider it lucky to have survived.

However, considering the distance between the explosion site and their current location, it was safe to say that it had more power than a missile explosion in modern warfare.

Of course, the severity of the damage was also due to Haart’s inability to use any defensive magic. The flow of mana couldn’t be revealed to the enemy’s eyes.

“I… I didn’t move. Kick.”

The camouflage wasn’t released.

A force ten times stronger than when it was absorbed pushed Haart, but he didn’t yield. Naturally, the reason was the skill.

The skill used right before being swept away by the explosion, “Joint Lockdown – Lower Body.”

It forcefully restricts movement, right?

Could it resist Haart’s will and the opponent’s skill? Casting the skill was a gamble, and it succeeded.

Colorless like a force barrier, the skill firmly anchored Haart’s lower body to the ground.

“It really turned into wood. Well, it’s not a very pleasant skill.”

Haart looked down at his lower body.

Mana vines protruded from his boots and firmly rooted themselves in the ground, encasing his calves, heels, and thighs.

Ironically, it felt similar to the familiar sensation of “Forced Lower Body Paralysis,” leaving Haart both pleased and bitter. Of course, now wasn’t the time to focus on that.

-Baileyphus, sir?!

-If you’re ready, fire immediately, Leeha!

Haart surveyed the explosion site while hearing Baileyphus’s urgent voice.

The smoke enveloped the surroundings with a dense texture like cotton. It was a situation where nothing could be seen, but Haart could discern two points where the rising smoke disturbed the surroundings.

“Mana Sight!”

However, even with Mana Sight, the only thing visible was a dragon-shaped mass of mana.

There was no response from Baileyphus, and the quest completion notification didn’t appear.

In other words, Kuzgunaxish was also not dead.

Moreover, what did it mean that the current wind was disturbed?

He’s still alive. And Haart’s skill cannot be seen.

“Darn it, it’s easier said than done to fire immediately! How can I do it when I can’t see anything! It’s because this guy is immune to Mana Sight.”

Fortunately, it seemed that both dragon figures were dissipating the smoke. Through the gradually thinning smoke, Baileyphus’s figure came into view.

Even the silhouette of the four wings was visible through the faint smoke.

[Kyaaah-!]

[Kaah, kaahahah!]

The two dragons roared and began casting magic again.

Flame strikes burst out with Kuzgunaxish’s wing flapping, but the magic disappeared instantly as if erased by an eraser.

Baileyphus’s dispelling was as skillful as Kuzgunaxish’s fire magic.

Land battles had turned into aerial battles, and humans had become dragons. The combat became even more intense, as was expected.

[Sunburst!]

[Ice Cloud!]

An explosive flame magic infused with solar energy clashed with an ice cloud, a cloud made of ice, creating a collision of opposing elements. Kuzgunaxish charged toward Baileyphus.

[Today, I will tear those wings apart!]

[Nonsense! This is the perfect opportunity to snap out of it! Regain your senses in the resting place!!]

Kyaaah-!

The two dragons roared and started their physical strikes.

Neither shields that repelled the attacks of most humans nor dragon scales, which had only been pierced by three people so far, could defend against the physical blows between them.

Their claws, wrapped in golden and crimson energy, were sharper than any weapon.

The two dragons clashed together in the sky, where Gold Dragon Baileyphus, a rare monster, and no users wandered.