With a bang!
The brass bullet hung suspended in mid-air.
Stopping it was a ferocious arm that had emerged from the sand beside Vali.
Seeing the arm covered in barbs, with sharp, claw-like fingers resembling some beast's paw, Marco's glasses glinted as his expression darkened:
"A dragonkind spirit body?"
The beast-like arm appeared quite ethereal, transparent enough to clearly see the yellow sand beneath it.
This form undoubtedly demonstrated the spirit's weakness.
Yet precisely because of this, Marco's expression grew even more grim:
"Such a feeble spirit body can actually block my Michael?"
The Archangel Michael that Marco controlled as his guardian spirit was a power derived from Joan of Arc, a Demigod lifeform inherently possessing divinity.
Using firearm bullets as a medium, each shot represented Michael's full-powered attack.
Combining the bullet's supersonic speed with the destructive power of a Demigod lifeform - this was why Marco held such contempt for the so-called Thirteen Apostles.
But now, this powerful strike had been blocked by an arm that appeared utterly feeble...
Realising something was wrong, Marco immediately positioned himself in front of Joan of Arc:
"Lady Joan, please step back."
But Joan of Arc didn't retreat as Marco suggested. Instead, she stepped forward and softly uttered:
"Shamash!!"
With a roar!
The sun's radiance abruptly intensified overhead.
Within that brilliance, a disc gleaming with solar light manifested in the heavens, slowly rotating as it emitted the ticking sound of a clock.
The chime representing noon sounded!
At the centre of the solar disc, a corresponding rotation opened up, revealing a being suspended high in the air, bathed in the sun's radiance. With a pink tall hat, silver-grey skin, infant-like features, and a dragon's tail sprouting from its back, it stared fixedly with pink eyes at the illusory dragon hand.
This was the spirit body that had formed a contract with Joan of Arc, willingly submitting to her command, originating from the ancient Mesopotamian sun worship.
The god of sun and justice – Shamash!
Aware of this spirit body's descent, a brown vertical eye slowly opened on Vali's exposed forehead. Immediately after, an aged voice rang out:
"An Apostle-level spirit body?"
"What is going on in this Abyss world? First, an Angel appears, and now an Apostle-level spirit body comes in pursuit... Hah. Is this fate's mockery? Or simply the choice of some will?"
Hearing this, Joan of Arc stepped forward, shielding Marco, and asked with a grave tone:
"True Dragon?"
At this query, the vertical eye narrowed slightly, replying in a low voice:
"You know of my existence?"
"Did that unfamiliar Angel send you to pursue my wandering soul?"
"Hah, I voluntarily abandoned my symbol precisely because I understood I couldn't compete with him in an incomplete state, planning to seek life in death once. I never expected he would prepare this move as well?"
Hearing this, Joan of Arc said with a stern expression:
"Gathering strength in secret during the lulls of our exchange, are you? Dragon God of another world."
"So cunning. It seems the prophesied calamity is deeply connected to you."
The dragon's eyes curved slightly. Though lacking facial features to convey expression, the mockery it projected was unmistakable:
"...Calling me cunning? Haven't you been preparing to utterly annihilate me since the beginning?"
"Don't get too arrogant, brat."
"The moment you stepped before me, I saw through everything about you."
"A Top-Tier Class Holder with an Apostle-level spirit body, yet still at Hero Rank. Do you truly believe the power you possess can stop me?"
"If you want to kill me, have that Angel come personally!!"
As the words fell, a black hurricane instantly roared forth.
Centred on Vali, the pitch-black whirlwind swept across the entire desert, dragging all life and even the sand, stones, and rock formations into death.
Facing the storm converging with death, Joan of Arc stepped forward, shielding Marco while her body ignited with golden, sun-like radiance.
"Shamash!!"
The maiden's cry echoed across the sky.
Above, the infant deity emanating solar light extended its left hand, drawing a giant golden axe from the air, while its right hand grasped the golden scales symbolising justice.
The golden axe cleaved through the sky, black-red lightning erupting with deafening roars.
While launching her attack, Joan of Arc calmly stated:
"Though I cannot completely destroy you, I can still cleave your spirit body."
"Leave your power here, True Dragon!!"
The pitch-black death storm, carrying endless lightning, collided with the giant axe descending from the heavens.
In that moment, ear-splitting explosions shook the skies!
Clouds fractured in great swathes, sunlight streaming through the cracks to bathe the earth.
As the swirling dust settled, Joan of Arc lowered the arm she'd crossed before her and looked again towards Vali's position.
All she saw was an ordinary-looking sand dune.
Upon it rested a distinct grey dragon pearl.
Faintly, within the pearl, what seemed to be a pair of brown vertical pupils appeared to be observing all things in the world.
Witnessing this, Joan of Arc stood silently without uttering a word.
Recovering, Marco spat several times, clearing yellow sand from his mouth before stepping forward. He glanced at the dragon pearl on the dune, then at Joan of Arc:
"Lady Maiden..."
Joan of Arc sighed:
"Secure that dragon pearl properly. It should contain partial information about the True Dragon Sorcerer Class and residual power."
"And the evil dragon?" Marco's expression showed slight unease.
"Escaped."
Joan of Arc sighed, speaking with considerable regret:
"A True Dragon at Angel level truly isn't so easily killed."
"If not for it having apparently been sniped by some Angel earlier, if not for it mistakenly believing we were subordinates dispatched by that Angel... perhaps we would be the ones dead here."
Hearing this, Marco said with a sombre expression: "You needn't blame yourself. Failing to completely eradicate this evil isn't your fault."
"I'm tired, Marco." Joan of Arc sighed, and behind her figure, the humanoid metal construct Iron Maiden rose from the ground, scattering yellow sand everywhere.
With a creak, the Iron Maiden opened. Joan of Arc silently stepped into the metal cage hung with blades, and before it closed, she said to Marco:
"Please entrust the dragon ball to the President of the French Union."
"If possible, try to let as many high-ranking Union officials know the news as possible..."
"I have a premonition that the escaped True Dragon will inevitably bring an even greater calamity!!"
Hearing this, Marco knelt on one knee, praying humbly towards the Iron Maiden:
"Your decree shall be obeyed, our exalted Saint Tail Joan of Arc!!"
With a bang, the Iron Maiden completely closed, and drops of red blood slowly seeped out from the cracks.
Watching the Saintess who bore humanity's sins, Marco stood up, pushed up his glasses with a gloomy expression, and said in a tone full of resentment:
"Just how can these invaders from other worlds be made to leave this peaceful world alone..."
No one could give Marco an answer. Even the yellow sand-filled desert left Marco with one more problem.
That was to push the Iron Maiden before him out of the desert, towards the exit leading back to reality.
Somehow, this felt like an even more laborious task than slaying the True Dragon...