CHAPTER 325: BATTLE AT DIFFERENT FRONTS

Around them, the Tigerkin Dukes engaged furiously against their Lionkin counterparts, the intensity of their clashes creating turbulent whirlwinds of energy.

The instant the two armies collided, the once-desolate battlefield exploded into a violent tempest of roaring soldiers, clashing steel, and dazzling spells. Orion felt adrenaline surge through his veins, sharpening his senses and amplifying his resolve.

His gaze quickly locked onto a figure barreling towards him. One of the anomaly’s generals, tall, muscular, and radiating a primal savagery.

The general’s skin was an eerie, luminescent grey, and his eyes burned crimson beneath a furrowed brow. In his massive grip, he wielded a pair of intimidating axes, glowing faintly with a corrupted, malevolent aura.

Orion dashed forward without hesitation, his dual longswords already shimmering with powerful sword aura, both swords enveloped in blazing red flames.

They collided with a resonant crash. The general swung both axes down ferociously, aiming to cleave Orion in half. Orion crossed his dual swords above, barely parrying the powerful blow. The shockwave shattered the earth beneath him, sending debris flying outward.

"Tch," Orion muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth. He immediately counterattacked, spinning swiftly, his blades trailing arcs of fire. The enemy general deftly stepped back, avoiding the blazing sweep, a sinister grin forming on his lips.

"Interesting... You’re stronger than you appear, especially your body," the general rumbled, his deep voice laced with arrogant amusement. "But mere humans can’t match me!"

Orion calmed his breath, quickly assessing the situation. The opponent was clearly an apex warrior, radiating strength equivalent to or even surpassing the peak of Tier 7. To defeat him swiftly, Orion would need every ounce of his strength.

Nearby, Arya faced her own daunting opponent alongside Emilia. Arya’s violet eyes flickered with determination, her staff radiating soft golden and electric light. Emilia stood at her side, spear crackling with lightning, her aura icy yet focused.

Their adversary was a female general, slender yet menacing, her movements disturbingly graceful. Her long silver hair fluttered behind her as she approached, a whip coiled around her hand, filled with dark electricity, pulsing dangerously.

Without warning, the female general snapped her whip forward, sending a serpentine bolt of dark thunder toward Arya.

Emilia reacted instantly, stepping forward and spinning her spear swiftly. The spear tip burst forth with brilliant blue water aura. The water energies formed a protective barrier, absorbing the corrupted lightning.

"Careful, Emilia!" Arya called gently, her staff channeling luminous power. She softly chanted, invoking her Light element. Her chant finished, a radiant dome of shimmering white enveloped Emilia, enhancing her physical attributes.

With newfound speed and agility, Emilia dashed forward, meeting the general’s attack head-on. Sparks exploded as lightning clashed against dark thunder, illuminating their battle in stark, electric bursts.

Returning focus to his own fight, Orion swiftly dodged another brutal strike. His opponent’s raw physical strength was overwhelming, his movements violent yet precise. The general unleashed a relentless flurry of axe strikes, each swing carrying immense force.

Orion struggled momentarily, forced onto the defensive. Blocking a strike directly would leave him vulnerable; he could only redirect and evade. Recognizing this disadvantage, he urgently called upon his inner mana, reinforcing his muscles, accelerating his perception.

Suddenly, an opening appeared. The general swung horizontally, his axes leaving him momentarily exposed. Orion surged forward, dual swords slicing upward, creating intertwined arcs of flame.

The attack struck true, carving shallow gashes across the general’s armor, causing him to roar furiously in pain. However, rather than weakening, his enemy seemed invigorated, eyes blazing brighter, his aura intensifying dangerously.

"You dare injure me!?" he snarled, visibly swelling as his muscles expanded grotesquely. A suffocating wave of corrupted mana flooded outward, forcing Orion backward several steps. Realizing the severity of the threat, Orion’s expression hardened.

’No choice left,’ he thought in annoyance. ’Time to use that.’

Orion closed his eyes momentarily, allowing his consciousness to dive deep within himself, resonating with his dormant bloodline. He called forth his True Dragon heritage, feeling a blazing heat surge violently from his heart, spreading rapidly throughout his body.

An explosive burst of draconic aura erupted around Orion, shrouding him in blinding crimson and gold brilliance.

His body rapidly expanded, bones reshaping, muscles multiplying. When the transformation settled, Orion stood three meters tall, a mighty Dragonoid form, covered in crimson-golden scales, powerful claws flexing at his fingertips, draconic wings unfurled proudly behind him.

The general’s expression twisted into astonishment, swiftly replaced by a dark eagerness. "A Draconian! Now this has become even more thrilling!"

The Realm Guardian Sword shimmered in response to Orion’s transformation, rapidly enlarging to match its wielder’s colossal stature. In his other hand, Orion summoned forth a second giant blade, dark silver and exuding raw, primal energy.

Looking at Realm Guardian, he silently thanked himself for asking Selene to imprint the enlarging runes on the sword.

Taking a deep breath, Orion charged forward with a deafening roar, dual giant swords sweeping in tandem.

The general raised both axes quickly, clearly managing to block Orion’s powerful strike. But the sheer force of impact sent him skidding backward, feet gouging deep trenches into the earth.

The general retaliated fiercely, launching into an aggressive offensive. But Orion, now a towering Dragonoid, matched every blow with overwhelming power. The clash between them resonated thunderously across the battlefield, sending shockwaves radiating outward.

Nearby, Arya observed Orion’s drastic transformation with awe, briefly distracted. Emilia’s sharp voice brought her attention back. "Arya, focus!"

Snapping back, Arya nodded resolutely, channeling a surge of pure thunder mana into her staff. She aimed at the enemy general, chanting rapidly, voice steady and serene, despite the chaos.

"[Judgement—Heavenly Thunder]!"

A massive bolt of lightning descended, engulfing their foe in searing brilliance. Emilia capitalized instantly, thrusting her spear coated in crackling lightning. The spearhead pierced the general’s defenses, drawing a painful hiss and dark blood.

The female general emerged from the massive bolt of thunder and spear barrage, unharmed. She looked at Arya and Emilia calmly, "Only this? Trash."

Arya and Emilia looked at each other for a brief moment with slightly alarmed expressions. Emilia took a deep breath as she called forth the help of the Spear Spirit. "Let’s see how you handle this."

Meanwhile, Orion felt his new draconic power surging relentlessly within him. Each strike he delivered was stronger, sharper, and carried the unmistakable aura of a True Dragon.

However, the general matched blow for blow, seemingly becoming stronger with each attack.

Not far from Orion’s fierce battle, Nyss and Sylvia stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes locked intently on their approaching opponent.

The general heading toward them was slender yet unnervingly powerful, cloaked in shadows that writhed like living serpents around his lithe figure.

His face was obscured beneath a dark hood, revealing only sinister red eyes gleaming with malice and cold calculation. In his hands, he wielded a dual-bladed spear, pulsing ominously with corrupted shadow energy.

Sylvia narrowed her eyes, gripping her longsword tightly. The wind swirled gracefully around her blade, creating faint, invisible currents that gently lifted her hair and robes.

Beside her, Nyss stood still and silent, her scythe held casually but ready, faint streaks of shadow coiling around her weapon.

"You take the front," Nyss whispered calmly, her icy gaze fixed firmly on the advancing enemy. "I’ll flank."

Sylvia gave a slight nod of understanding, exhaling slowly as she rushed forward in a blur of speed, the wind augmenting her every movement.

With extraordinary agility, she met the general head-on, her sword slashing downward with a burst of compressed wind slicing the air sharply, imbued with her Intermediate Grade Sword Aura.