[Authority: Black Dragon of the Underworld].
More than mere resurrection, this authority allowed Marquis Voban's soul to transform into a 30-meter-long black dragon. With the immortality of the dragon-serpent lineage, his soul was indestructible, and even if his body were destroyed, he could regenerate it using sufficient magical energy.
In his black dragon form, Voban didn't spare Artoria so much as a glance. He turned and prepared to flee.
Yes, Marquis Voban intended to retreat, fully aware that he no longer stood a chance.
Both Artoria and Siegfried were [Steel] gods—natural enemies of dragons and serpents. The power of [Steel] could obliterate the immortality of the dragon-serpent.
Even though his black dragon form was stronger than his werewolf form, with its immortal attributes bolstering him, facing dragon-slayers only made his odds worse.
If his werewolf form couldn't match them, his black dragon form stood even less of a chance.
With decisive resolve, Voban chose to flee, planning to regroup and prepare before facing them again. He had already uncovered Siegfried's true name, but the identity of the female [Steel] god, whose strength rivaled Siegfried's, remained a mystery. Investigating her would have to wait until he returned.
However, whether Voban could retreat depended on others granting him the opportunity.
Artoria frowned, watching the massive black dragon fly away, when she sensed a fierce presence rapidly closing in from behind her.
Without turning, Artoria kept her focus on the fleeing Voban, gripping her sword with both hands and holding it horizontally.
Siegfried, towering and swift, rushed past her, stepping onto her sword mid-sprint.
In the next instant, Artoria swung her sword with all her might, propelling Siegfried forward like a cannonball. The sound barrier shattered behind him as he caught up to Voban in mere moments.
Even Voban, a seasoned warrior and ancient godslayer, was stunned. The fierce and predatory dragon's face twisted into a very human expression of shock.
"What?!"
Siegfried raised his holy sword, [Balmung], high above his head. The radiance of the setting sun gleamed on its blade, casting an ethereal light.
"Evil dragon! Lose your wings and fall!"
The sword strike, imbued with dragon-slaying power, tore into Voban's back, easily piercing his tough dragon scales and dealing a grievous wound.
Roaring in pain, Voban lost control of his flight and plummeted toward the earth below.
On the ground, Artoria stood ready, both hands gripping her sword as she prepared her strike.
"[Devour the light, Excalibur Morgan]!"
A spiral of radiant destruction surged upward, piercing the heavens and engulfing Voban. There was no escape from the torrent of energy.
The searing heat, capable of incinerating all creation, began to burn away even the nigh-impenetrable scales of the black dragon.
However, this devastating power was not enough to completely destroy Voban. Possessing the immortality of the dragon-serpent, his soul-bound black dragon form could not be permanently eradicated by mere physical destruction. If destroyed, he would simply sink into the underworld and enter a deep slumber, eventually reviving after a significant amount of time.
Only the power of [Steel], the natural enemy of the dragon-serpent, could completely nullify his immortality.
Brilliant divine light began to burn, saturating the battlefield with the presence of a [Steel] hero god.
"[Balmung]! A foe worthy of your power has appeared! Awaken now, for the evil dragon shall meet its end!"
The sword's twilight radiance grew even brighter.
Siegfried laughed maniacally, exhilarated. The presence of his natural enemy fanned his fighting spirit to its peak, igniting his body into its most perfect state.
His next strike would be his strongest ever.
"You are a dragon! And I am the hero who slays dragons!"
"The time for retribution has come! Shine, [Balmung]!"
In an instant, Siegfried unleashed a colossal wave of sword energy, radiant as the horizon at dawn, splitting the sky and earth alike.
The slash severed the black dragon's wings and head in one motion.
The next moment, Voban's massive black dragon form was obliterated by a pillar of black light erupting from the ground.
Through the flawless coordination of Artoria and Siegfried, even the oldest godslayer, Marquis Voban, met his end, his body and soul annihilated without hope of resurrection.
The dragon-serpent's immortality, which should have been his greatest advantage, could not withstand the might of two dragon-slayers. Voban was utterly destroyed.
From afar, Artoria's and Siegfried's gazes met in mid-air.
They had worked together seamlessly to eliminate Voban, ensuring he would not interfere in their battle.
Now, at last, they could resume their fight.
But just then, something unexpected happened.
Even after Voban's death, his magical energy did not dissipate into the air or return to the earth. Instead, it surged toward Siegfried like a rushing river.
Artoria could feel it with her sharpened senses—something was changing within Siegfried.
It was as though his body had become steel, plunged into a blazing forge to be melted, reforged, refined, and sharpened over and over. The essence of [Steel] emanating from him grew more powerful, sharper, and purer.
In mythological terms, the Earth Mother goddess could be seen as the embodiment of the earth itself, while dragons and serpents were its avatars.
[Steel], originally ore buried within the earth, was extracted, refined, and forged into weapons to slay those very dragons and serpents. Thus, the essence of Steel gods could draw upon the earth and the essence of the dragon-serpent to temper and strengthen themselves.
That was precisely what Siegfried was doing now.
"Greedy beast, dragon born of darkness, serpent symbolizing immortality—you who spew filth, walk on four legs, and bear scales and claws sharper than swords."
"With this sword, I slay the evil dragon. With this body, I am bathed in dragon's blood. With these hands, I grasp gold."
"I shall recreate the legend. I shall return to my peak. Awaken now from the golden dream!"
As his chant ended, Siegfried's presence surged to its zenith.
When Siegfried stepped back into Artoria's view, his armor had transformed into something even more fearsome. The dragon-shaped patterns on it seemed alive, roaring at Artoria with primal rage.
Siegfried's piercing gaze locked onto her. The flood of magical energy swirling around him turned into gusts of wind, whipping Artoria's hair back and revealing her resolute expression.
The air grew thick and oppressive, every movement feeling weighed down by his sheer presence.
"Come, warrior! Let us continue this mythic battle of fire and blood!"
In an instant, Siegfried closed the distance between them. Before Artoria could react, his massive blade cut through the air, slamming into her with an earth-shattering force and sending her flying.
The overwhelming strength shattered the ground beneath her as Siegfried chased her down, delivering relentless strikes that left Artoria visibly struggling to keep up.
"It's useless! Useless! You're too weak to face the myth reborn at its peak!"
His muscles bulged as he brought down his massive blade in a devastating blow, slamming Artoria into the ground. The sheer force left an immense crater that seemed to swallow the battlefield.
Siegfried's magical energy burned like fire, surging upward and shaking the heavens, as if heralding the world's end.
"If you had used your full power before I killed that godslayer, you might've had a chance. But now, victory is already mine!"
The twilight radiance of [Balmung] grew ever brighter, pulsating with destructive energy.
Siegfried roared in triumph.
"Your defeat—your downfall—comes from your own arrogance! Refusing even to share your name!"
"But it doesn't matter! This is the end!"
A force greater than any atomic bomb erupted upon the battlefield.
It was as if a blazing sun had descended to earth.
As the light faded, a lone figure stood tall at the center of the crater.
Siegfried's wide eyes stared in disbelief. He looked down at his abdomen, where a black sword, etched with blood-red patterns, had pierced through him from front to back.
"Don't worry," Artoria's calm, indifferent voice whispered beside him, as though nothing in the world could stir her.
"Your defeat… had nothing to do with arrogance."
"It was merely… a simple gap in strength."
---
T/N: artoria... mmgh ALSO THEY JUMPED HIM LMAOOOOO i was gonna be a bit miffed if he escaped but LMAOPO
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf