Chapter 314: The Powerful Fireball
The Romanian Longhorn's pitiful whimpering echoed across the rocky valley as Sean patted its massive head with surprising gentleness. Turning away from his newest conquest, he stepped carefully onto the prostrated Australian Opaleye's head, preparing to seek the third target.
A sudden thought halted his advance. His gaze fixed on the Longhorn's magnificent horn, still embedded in solid stone where his supernatural strength had driven it. The golden spear gleamed in the harsh desert sunlight, its surface unmarred despite the violent separation from its original owner.
Sean wrapped his arms around the horn's base and applied steady pressure. Stone cracked and crumbled as he extracted the improvised weapon, testing its balance with experimental swings. The horn's weight and reach felt perfect for his enhanced physique.
"Take this and follow us," he commanded, tossing the horn beside the Romanian Longhorn's head before claiming its golden egg.
The Australian Opaleye puffed out its chest with obvious pride at being chosen as Sean's primary mount. It cast a superior glance at the wounded Longhorn before launching skyward with powerful wingbeats, climbing toward the direction Sean indicated. Behind them, the Romanian Longhorn grasped its severed horn in massive hind claws and followed with determined loyalty.
In the distant stands, Blaise stared at the magical screen displaying Sean's unprecedented performance. "He's not planning to subdue every dragon in there, is he?" he asked Andy and Jensen with bewildered fascination.
"Knowing Sean? Absolutely," Andy replied with complete certainty.
"For him, this is probably just standard procedure," Jensen added with a knowing smirk.
The third dragon proved to be a Common Welsh Green, its grass-coloured scales providing perfect camouflage among the sparse desert vegetation. Smaller than its predecessors but possessing hauntingly beautiful calls, the Welsh Green immediately sensed danger as two dragons descended from above. Its melodious voice transformed into aggressive roars while streams of emerald flame erupted from its maw in warning.
Sean's response was elegantly direct.
He signalled the Romanian Longhorn to release its horn, then leapt from the Opaleye's back with acrobatic precision. Catching the golden spear mid-flight, Sean spotted the Welsh Green preparing another fire blast and swung his improvised club in a devastating arc. The impact against the dragon's skull rang like a struck bell, stunning the creature into dazed silence.
Before the Welsh Green could recover, the Australian Opaleye and Romanian Longhorn descended like hunting hawks, seizing the smaller dragon's wings from opposite sides. Pinned helplessly between its larger cousins, the Welsh Green could only cry out as Sean's methodical beating commenced.
Each attempt to breathe fire earned a precise strike to its sensitive nose, transforming roars of defiance into pitiful whimpers. Tears actually began streaming from the dragon's eyes as the systematic punishment continued, its pride crumbling under Sean's relentless assault.
The Australian Opaleye and Romanian Longhorn exchanged meaningful glances, their expressions carrying unmistakable schadenfreude. The universal sentiment of "if we suffered, you must suffer too" seemed perfectly understood by both creatures.
BANG!
Sean's horn club struck the ground with finality. He studied the trembling Welsh Green with analytical detachment. "Do you submit, or shall we continue? I still have plenty of time."
The Common Welsh Green gazed up at him through tear-filled eyes, then lowered its head in complete capitulation, prostrating itself at Sean's feet.
Drawing his wand, Sean provided basic healing for the Welsh Green's battered nose before tending to wounds on his other conquests. The third golden egg joined its companions as he returned to his elevated position.
"Northwest this time," Sean commanded, his voice carrying absolute authority.
"ROAR!" the Australian Opaleye replied enthusiastically.
"Roar..." the Romanian Longhorn agreed with resigned acceptance.
"Roar..." the Common Welsh Green whimpered its compliance.
The aerial procession continued toward their next target, now a formidable squadron of subdued dragons following their human master's will.
The fourth encounter proved almost anticlimactic. Before Sean could even deploy his horn weapon, the Swedish Short-Snout found itself facing three enraged dragons charging in perfect formation. Completely overwhelmed by the coordinated assault, the blue-grey dragon barely had time to comprehend its situation before Sean delivered three sharp slaps to its head.
Wisdom prevailed over pride. The Swedish Short-Snout prostrated itself immediately, reasoning that if three other dragons had submitted, joining them carried no shame.
Now only two dragons remained in the vast arena.
Sean had planned to defeat them individually, but fate had other arrangements. When his aerial scouts located the final pair, they discovered something that immediately shifted the entire dynamic.
In a sheltered valley between weathered peaks, a Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail were engaged in intimate courtship, nuzzling each other's necks with tender affection. Their golden-red and black scales created a striking contrast as they shared what could only be described as romantic moments.
The sight triggered immediate outrage among Sean's four conquered dragons.
We endured beatings while these two enjoyed romance?
Burn them! They must burn!
Without awaiting Sean's command, all four dragons descended like avenging angels, breathing coordinated streams of fire at the oblivious couple below. The valley erupted in flames as jealous fury met startled surprise.
The Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail showed no fear despite the overwhelming odds. They launched themselves skyward as a coordinated team. The Horntail charged directly through the flame barrage toward Sean's position on the Opaleye, while the Fireball demonstrated why it was considered among the most dangerous dragon species.
Moving with supernatural speed that made the other dragons seem sluggish, the Fireball struck the weakest member of Sean's group first. Its claws and fangs opened terrible wounds in the Swedish Short-Snout, sending the smaller dragon crashing into a mountain peak with anguished wails.
The Fireball didn't pause to savour victory. Climbing rapidly, its golden-red scales created sunset-like afterimages as it targeted the Common Welsh Green. Twin mushroom-shaped fireballs erupted from its nostrils, exploding against the Welsh Green in devastating blasts that wreathed it in black smoke.
The Welsh Green's panicked fire-breathing couldn't prevent its inevitable defeat. Wreathed in smoke and flame, it too crashed to the valley floor.
But the Swedish Short-Snout wasn't finished. Struggling upward from the rocks below, it launched itself onto the Chinese Fireball's back, joining the Welsh Green in a desperate two-against-one assault.
The Fireball's power was genuinely terrifying. This creature had no business existing in what was supposed to be a student tournament.
Outside the arena, Madame Maxime watched the magical screen with growing horror. If Fleur had encountered this monster during her trial, the outcome could have been catastrophic.
Meanwhile, in the VIP section, Gavin observed the Chinese Fireball's display with contemptuous disdain. His voice carried barely audible mockery as he muttered, "After lying low for so long, this is your grand revelation? Borrell, when will these pathetic tricks of yours ever amount to anything meaningful?"
Elena, seated beside her husband, was too focused on Sean's safety to notice his cryptic words, but the implications hung in the air like gathering storm clouds.
The tournament had just revealed layers of complexity that went far beyond simple magical competition.