Chapter 141: A Giant Dragon Never Retreats!
Teles Volcano.
As if a sleeping giant dragon had awoken, the earth began to tremble. Scorching, thick smoke spewed from the volcano's crater, like a tangible fire of rage, churning and intensifying. The searing volcanic dust swept across the area like phantoms. Trees were toppled with devastating force, the lava roiled restlessly, and orange-red flames bloomed in the dark of night.
In an instant, blazing flames erupted. Massive boulders were flung into the sky by nature's great power, like cannon shells tearing through the heavens. Thick smoke and heat diffused, the fumes filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. Volcanic ash fell like a sky full of black snow, blanketing everything. The gushing lava spread down the mountainside like a scorching, savage giant dragon, devouring trees, houses, and everything it could consume.
Burning boulders rained down from the sky, and people on the street scattered in panic. A mother cried out, instinctively shielding her child with her body and closing her eyes, awaiting the arrival of the searing grim reaper.
But that didn't happen.
When she dazedly opened her eyes, she saw a red-and-silver figure suspended in mid-air, holding up the scalding boulder with both palms.
"Ultraman!" The child's eyes widened, full of joyful surprise.
Orin Vale put his strength into his arms, tossed the red-hot boulder aside, and turned to fly towards the volcano.
A large amount of lava had already overflowed, advancing down the mountainside like a scalding army. The erupting volcano was their horn, sounding the charge.
The mobile armor flew past under countless hopeful gazes, lasers shooting from the backs of its hands. The beam carved a new path along the mountainside. The lava, which had been heading towards the town, was diverted onto that new track. Following a winding arc, it plunged into the water outside the town, hissing as white steam billowed up.
Among the retreating crowd, someone couldn't help but cheer loudly, followed by a burst of applause.
Orin Vale, hovering in mid-air, waved to them before turning and continuing his flight toward the volcano.
"The flow rate of the underground magma has accelerated. The abnormal activity is still ongoing."
The armor scanned the underground structure and displayed the resulting diagram before him, while Pal reported in Orin Vale's ear.
"We've only temporarily stopped the situation from worsening, but it's just a stopgap measure, not a real solution."
"I noticed."
As he spoke, Orin Vale plunged straight down into the churning black smoke. He soon saw a pool brimming with magma. The intense heat distorted the air, making it look like a reservoir on the verge of overflowing.
"Freezing energy ready." Pal marked a charging notification on the interface.
Use the freezing ray to cool and solidify the material, converting the excess magma into rock to block the inflow. The Victory Team did the same thing against Golza back in the day.
What was it the seniors used to say?
Another homage.
The armor's right hand transformed and reassembled, the entire forearm becoming a cannon. An icy-blue brilliance, converted into freezing energy, churned and condensed within it before shooting out, taking the form of a roaring ice dragon.
It worked. The magma that was hit solidified rapidly, and the magma level stopped rising.
"Problem solved."
Orin Vale's arm reverted from its cannon form, but a new alarm symbol immediately popped up on the interface, accompanied by another violent tremor.
"Something is approaching, sir. It's huge and it's fast!"
The flame giant dragon from Krypton, Dikarn, was furious.
It had been deployed to Earth by General Zod, with the target of destroying a human base. After the job was done, it had dug a hole and comfortably settled into this temporary den.
Its instructions until the next order from its commander were to hide underground and keep a low profile. So, it found this relatively comfortable environment, spent a good while digging tunnels, and filled a pool with hot water.
Who knew that just after it had finished its work and comfortably lain down, ready to enjoy a rare, relaxing hot bath, it would suddenly feel a bone-chilling cold moments after settling in.
The cold shocked it so much it leaped from the magma as if zapped by an electric current, howling in outrage.
Who the hell was the bastard that turned on the cold water!?
So, the next moment, a heatwave surged through the magma, and a massive, crimson maw burst from the bottom of the pool, snapping straight at Orin Vale!
Orin Vale's brow furrowed slightly. His figure flickered sideways in mid-air, dodging the attack. The giant dragon bit down on empty air, its sharp teeth tearing a huge chunk out of the mountain rock. With a roar, another torrent of hot magma poured into the pool.
"The volcano is becoming active again, danger of eruption—"
"You handle it," Orin Vale interrupted Pal. "Divert the magma to prevent an eruption. I'll take care of this thing."
"Understood, sir. Switching to autopilot."
As Orin Vale's voice faded, the body within the armor glowed intensely. The blinding light was so strong Dikarn couldn't open its eyes. Countless particles of light swirled together, shaping the form of a giant who appeared before the giant dragon Dikarn, now fully grown.
The flame giant dragon was startled.
Whoa, it's actually as big as me.
But do you think I'll submit just because of that!?
A Kryptonian giant dragon will never be a slave!
Dikarn roared, mobilizing all the thermal energy in its body. Blazing flames coursed along the mane on its back and into its mouth, where a fireball began to churn. It felt as if all the heat in the sealed space was converging into that abyss-like maw.
The eruption of flame was like a crimson rainbow. A tornado of fire churned the air, a deep red impact more chaotic and violent than lava itself. It danced in mid-air like burning lightning, letting out a rumbling roar.
It was a giant dragon that commanded fire, capable of absorbing and manipulating the heat of its environment. This space was its ideal home turf, allowing it to unleash far greater power than it normally could.
It could melt even a body of steel and iron into a molten puddle!
The air was torn into countless tiny ripples by the scorching currents as a heatwave swept out like a tidal wave. Yet, facing the flames, the Giant of Light before it neither dodged nor evaded, simply raising his right hand and giving it a gentle wave.
With a surge of light energy, an invisible path was seemingly drawn in the air. The magnificent blazing flames were involuntarily pulled off course, following that path of light and moving in the direction he had waved.
Following that, Orin Vale hooked his finger, casually tracing a half-circle. The flames immediately began to spiral along the path of light, forming a vortex that was completely absorbed into his fingertip.
Dikarn remained in its fire-breathing posture, but no more flame came from its mouth. It was frozen in place, its jaw agape.
Its flame… and a flame amplified by environmental attributes at that…
Was eaten!?
Uh...
At this moment, the Kryptonian giant dragon's not-so-abundant wisdom began to consider a terrifying possibility.
This glowing thing... Don't tell me I can't beat it?
Seeing that the situation might be bad, Dikarn immediately wanted to turn, jump into the magma, and dig a tunnel to escape.
A giant dragon is never a slave.
Unless the beating is too vicious.
But it was already too late to think of running. The next instant, an electric current radiated through the space. A red-and-silver afterimage shot through the air. Before the giant dragon could react, the glowing figure was right in its face, and an upward-arcing silver heavy punch was already about to connect with its jaw.
You there?
Uppercut!
(end of chapter )