Watching the dragon in the sky, Olga Marie began to slowly gather mana. She didn't activate any spells; she just let the energy pool. This wasn't for an immediate attack but a "test" to see if the dragon would react to her presence.
The difference between gathering mana and casting a spell is how that energy is directed. Simple gathering is incredibly inefficient—no self-respecting magus in the Clock Tower would waste their internal reserves this way—but the benefit was that she could stop at any time without suffering a backlash.
More and more mana gathered at the tip of her staff, but the dragon ignored her completely, focusing its fury on Lancer. This proved just how effective Lancer was at holding "aggro."
Once certain she wouldn't draw its attention, she raised her staff with both hands and slammed it into the ground. The mana surged into the ruins beneath her feet, and a massive magic circle manifested on the wall. However, she hit a snag when it came to selecting the right ritual.
Her specialty was the family's "Astromancy," followed by Spiritual Evocation (which Fiore had helped her with) and her own major, Ergonomics. But Ergonomics required materials she didn't have...
"So, Spiritual Evocation it is?"
That meant summoning. However, none of the things she knew how to summon could stand up to that dragon. She was a genius, but a 20-year-old hasn't fully converted potential into power. Most of her recent growth came from the "miracles" she encountered while traveling with Lancer; her repertoire of summoning spells was still at a student level.
But as she hesitated, she remembered a ritual recorded in her family's archives————"Meteor."
In the records, this was a "Grand Ritual," usually requiring several magi to cast in unison. But looking at the massive pool of mana at her feet and the "Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian" Lancer had "lent" her, she took a deep breath and made up her mind!
In terms of sheer mana volume—boosted by Lancer's reinforcement and her "Silver Witch" gear—she could technically be classified as a "Grand" magus (in terms of Rank, not the Heroic Spirit Class). Given that Atiesh seemed to amplify her family's Astromancy, she believed she could pull it off alone.
Gripping the staff with both hands, she knelt on one knee and began chanting the ancient ritual incantation.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she sang. To an observer, it looked like nothing was happening, but Olga Marie felt as if a mountain were pressing down on her.
In the center of the field, Lancer sensed the massive mana fluctuation behind him. He was confused as to why the spell was taking so long to manifest.
Honestly, he was a bit annoyed that Olga Marie had jumped into the fray. He knew how terrifying this monster was firsthand; its initial mental strike had nearly put him out of commission. Even now, having identified its "weakness," it was a grueling struggle.
The "Demonization" infused with Elder Dragon Energy gave him the offense he needed, but it provided zero defense. Lancer was relying entirely on his agility to redirect the dragon's force—using its own momentum against it—but even so, his hands were going numb. This thing was far more lethal than the "Sapphire Star."
If Olga Marie took a hit, she'd be done for. The dragon's attack wasn't just fire; it was laced with concentrated malice. Even if the fire didn't kill her, the negativity would corrupt her into a vengeful spirit.
But with the battle joined, he couldn't afford to look away. He could only do his best to keep the monster's eyes on him, thanking his stars that the beast had lost its mind to rage.
Suddenly, Lancer noticed something odd. The anomaly was coming from above.
Dodging another claw swipe, Lancer glanced at the sky and saw a meteor hurtling downward, aimed directly at the battlefield.
Was Olga Marie trying to crush him, too?
"Meow~!!"
A cat's cry caught his attention. He saw three Palicoes working together to lift a massive bomb.
Having worked with them many times, Lancer immediately understood their plan. They wanted him to use the blast's shockwave to clear the area. But looking at the rapidly approaching meteor, Lancer had a "crazy" idea.
"Meow!!"
As the signal rang out, Lancer leaped. Instead of turning his back to the bomb, he planted his feet directly on top of it. The three cats froze for a split second in surprise, but the fuse had already reached its end.
BOOM!!!!
A violent explosion carved a crater into the ground. The black dragon, which had been lunging at Lancer, was momentarily stunned by the sudden blast. The shockwave even cracked part of its foreclaw. As it searched for its attacker, Lancer, propelled by the blast, soared into the air and landed right on top of the falling meteor.
He pushed the "Geis" on his right shoulder to its limit, coating the meteor in a "membrane" of ice. It seemed redundant, as his ice wouldn't last seconds against the friction and heat of reentry, but————
"ROAR!!"
In a fit of fury, Fatalis fired a terrifying breath attack upward. The flames melted the ice coating in seconds, but by then, the meteor had reached its destination.
CRASH!!!!
An explosion far louder than any before it rocked the city. The black dragon was slammed by the "meteor," its massive body pinned and partially crushed into the earth.
Yet, even an attack of that magnitude failed to punch clean through it.
The dragon thrashed wildly, trying to crawl out from under the weight, but then————
"From death comes life, a desperate strike: Certain Kill————Gáe Bolg!!!"
With a thunderous roar, a crimson spear fell from the sky, piercing through the dragon's forehead and pinning it firmly to the ground.
Despite this, its incredible life force kept its body writhing in an attempt to break free. But Lancer, falling from the heavens, wouldn't give it the chance.
The "Desperate Strike" normally consumed vast amounts of energy. This time, however, Lancer didn't pour his physical stamina into it. Instead, he channeled all his blood energy, Elder Dragon Energy, and mana. This allowed him to retain enough physical strength to continue the fight.
"Zero!!"
At Lancer's call, Zero—who had been sidelined for quite a while—finally made its appearance.
Grasping the massive lance, Lancer didn't hold it with a standard grip. He held it in a reverse grip, pouring every ounce of his strength into his arms, and then————
SNAP~!!
The neck, which was much thinner compared to the massive body and head, was severed cleanly. Lancer's weapon, Zero, was buried almost entirely into the ground.
With the neck severed, the massive body and the hideous head were instantly separated. The writhing body rolled away, and the ground was immediately corroded by the foul blood of the evil dragon. Lancer and Zero were drenched from head to toe in the dark ichor.
After a few final, violent twitches, the massive body finally went still. The severed head, however, remained with its eyes wide open in a death stare.
Olga Marie, barely recovering from the exhaustion of the Grand Ritual, moved to check on Lancer, but a furry paw immediately blocked her path.
"Meow!!"
Unlike Lancer, while six months of living together allowed her to read the cats' moods, she couldn't understand their specific warnings. But it was clear they didn't want her going down there.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Meow~!"
This time, Jack nodded solemnly.
As the girl and the three cats communicated, the body of the dragon—which had been geysering foul blood—finally fell silent. Simultaneously, Lancer, who was leaning on his spear, suddenly doubled over, his face contorting in agony.
"AAAAHHHHH!!!"
With a roar that sounded barely human, signs of dragonization began to appear on Lancer's body. Scales and plating surfaced on his skin, and dragon horns began to sprout from his forehead.
As the legends say: the hero who kills the dragon often becomes the dragon himself, unless...
Olga Marie, feeling incredibly weak from her depleted mana, forced herself to stand and began casting reinforcement spells.
She didn't know exactly what Lancer was going through, but she knew that strengthening him couldn't hurt.
Meanwhile, the three cats looked at each other. Tiger was the first to take down his Hunting Horn. Jack pulled out a bamboo flute, and even Arrou took a tambourine from its bag.
As the melody of the Hunting Horn began, the crisp sound of the bamboo flute followed, and finally, the cheerful rhythm of the tambourine joined in.
Without a doubt, the three cats were helping Lancer in the only way they knew how.