Chapter 556: Blaze Storm

Chapter 556: Blaze Storm

The two Highnesses mentioned by the airship were none other than the twin brothers Otto Zok and Og Zok, collectively known as the 'Twin Flame Spirits.'

Both were experts in fire magic, and within a year of each other, they both ascended to the rank of Dawnwizard.

This time, due to Sword Saint Tirion's report on the ruins, which suggested that it would be best to have a fire-element Dawnwizard capable of dealing significant damage to the Vile Demon, the Federal Council dispatched the two brothers to Retheron Canyon.

As the airship transmitted the message, two firehawks, each over five meters long, suddenly emerged from below the city.

The firehawks were entirely red, and their wings, when flapping, seemed to be engulfed in roaring flames, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

These were the firehawk mounts of Otto Zok and Og Zok. Although they couldn't compare to the Five-Color Dragons of the Dragon Empire, they still possessed the strength of a Crystallized Wizard, making them formidable and ferocious creatures.

At this moment, several armed airships were stationed midway between Zetaya City and Retheron Canyon, directly in the path of Dolick's flight.

Upon seeing the massive, menacing form of the steel dragon, the airships, under unified command, opened fire with their heavy cannons.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

In an instant, the flanks of multiple airships erupted in a barrage of flames.

The next second, small mushroom clouds exploded across Dolick's massive body. As the concentrated fire rained down, the steel dragon's enormous form was instantly shrouded in a cloud of smoke and dust.

"Roar!!!"

Dolick shook his body slightly and let out a roar.

Strangely, this roar didn't sound particularly fierce or menacing; instead, it had a hint of laziness.

"Nice, the little pellets hitting my body were quite comfortable", Dolick thought to himself.

Taking the cannon fire as a massage, Dolick was in a good mood and had no intention of attacking the few airships that had dared to offend him and blocked his flight path.

However, the Federal airships had a different perspective.

Seeing the monstrous beast approaching them unscathed, the captains of the airships were filled with terror and began shouting frantically:

"Hard to port!"

"Quick, get out of the way!"

Witnessing this scene, the Zok brothers, the 'Twin Flame Spirits,' who were rapidly approaching from below, exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock.

"Whoa, what a resilient beast!"

The armed airships were equipped with the latest ultra-heavy bronze cannons from the Federation. In previous battles against giant beasts, these cannons, while not causing severe injuries, had at least inflicted some minor damage.

But this time, the faint metallic glow emanating from the beast's skin seemed completely unscathed, as if the attacks had merely tickled it.

"Otto, use our ultimate move!"

The older brother, Og, with his Mediterranean-style red hair, immediately made the decision that ordinary attacks would likely have no effect on this beast.

"Alright!"

"First-level wizardry ignition!"

"..."

"Dawn Kill Move: Blaze Storm!"

The two brothers, one on the left and one on the right, performed almost identical movements, each unleashing a fire-based Dawn Kill Move.

Instantly, two massive flame tornadoes appeared in front of them and rushed forward at high speed.

After several dozen meters, the two flame tornadoes merged, forming a colossal fire tornado that stretched a hundred meters high, almost touching the sky and the ground!

"Excellent!"

"Truly worthy of the 'Twin Flame Spirits' Highnesses."

Seeing the sky-piercing flame tornado heading toward the beast, all the Federation soldiers on the armed airships cheered.

"Boom!!!"

The flame tornado instantly enveloped Dolick's massive body. For a moment, everyone believed the beast would be burned to death!

No, that's not right!

Og's senses went on high alert, and he immediately turned his head to shout:

"Otto, get out of the way quickly!"

In an instant!

A monstrous figure burst through the giant flame tornado, as if it were a fire dragon emerging from molten lava or a phoenix reborn from the flames.

The surging flames and shockwaves sent the firehawks under the two brothers' control reeling, making it difficult for them to immediately evade.

However, to their surprise, the dragon-like monstrous beast did not slash at them with its blade-like wings. Instead, it raised its wings slightly, as if deliberately avoiding them.

"Swish!"

The blade-like wings swept over the two brothers' heads, cutting off the last of their remaining hair.

Still in shock, the two brothers paid no attention to their hair loss and remained stunned.

"Otto, are you alright?" Og quickly maneuvered his firehawk to Otto's side and asked.

"I'm fine."

As they watched the beast fly away, Otto was about to say more when the communication mark on his chest began to flash.

"It's Helm! Perfect, I was just about to contact him and have him prepare for battle."

"The beast seems to be heading straight for Retheron Canyon. Could it be heading for the Floating City Ruins?!"

Og activated the communication mark, but a moment later, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?"

"The Federation's team has arrived, but there's only one person. It's that young man, Rayne, who Tirion and Helm hold in high regard."

"An individual? This is—"

Younger brother Otto was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Perfect. We'll leave this formidable beast to Rayne. If he can repel it, we'll acknowledge his strength, and naturally, his ability to represent the Dragon Empire alone."

"Otherwise, the Dragon Empire is clearly not taking this collaboration seriously. I will request a withdrawal from the mission to the Federal Council."

"Hmm, that makes sense. The Floating City Ruins are highly dangerous; the exploration team must have sufficient strength. With just the few of us, it's not enough", Otto nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile.

Retheron Canyon.

Due to the immense size of the black dragon Morthes, it could only remain outside the Cave Camp. Rayne, on the other hand, entered the camp with Helm.

"His Majesty Rayne, Tyrion will be back soon, and the Zok brothers should arrive shortly", Helm said as he saw Tyrion and a few others approaching from a distance.

"Ha ha, His Majesty Rayne, it's a pleasure to see you again", Tillio said warmly.

"His Majesty Tyrion, it's been a while", Rayne bowed slightly with a smile.

"His Majesty Rayne, I apologize for not greeting you immediately. I was just checking the situation at the Floating City Ruins. By the way, where are the others from the empire?"

As he spoke, Sword Saint Tyrion looked around, noticing that Rayne was the only one from the empire. He couldn't help but look around in confusion.

"His Majesty Tyrion, this time, I'm the only one from the empire. To be precise, my dragon companion is waiting outside the cave."

"Really? His Majesty Rayne, you have a contracted dragon? Come, let me see."

Tyrion didn't have many thoughts about Rayne coming alone.

After all, he was well aware of Rayne's strength; at least one Rayne could match three of him. With Rayne having contracted a dragon, his strength had increased even further, making him equivalent to four or five Epic-Level Warriors. Representing the Dragon Empire posed no problem.

However, while Tyrion was familiar with Rayne, the three others were not. Their focus naturally differed from Tyrion's. Upon hearing that the Dragon Empire had only sent Rayne to collaborate on the exploration of the Floating City Ruins, their expressions changed, and they began whispering among themselves.

"This His Majesty Rayne looks quite young. The empire only sent him alone? They really aren't taking this collaboration seriously", the elderly wizard with a fiery red crystal staff said solemnly.

"Yes, even if His Majesty Rayne is as strong as Tyrion says, he is still just one person. This is too frivolous!" Another elderly wizard with a braided beard shook his head.

"Let's go and see what kind of dragon he has contracted", the elderly wizard in a red and gold wizard robe suggested.

"Alright, let's go and see."

Soon, the six of them arrived outside the Cave Camp, where a black dragon the size of a small mountain lay resting.

"This black dragon is enormous! His Majesty Rayne, could this be an ancient dragon-level black dragon?"

Upon first seeing Morthes, both Sword Saint Tyrion and the other three widened their eyes and opened their mouths in astonishment.

After all, Jiulao Dragon-level dragons were rarely seen by most empire guardians, let alone federation powerhouses.

"His Majesty Tyrion, this is my dragon companion, 'Wing of Madness' Morthes, a Jiulao Dragon-level black dragon. In terms of wizard combat strength, it would be around Late Dawn to Peak Dawn", Rayne explained after a moment's thought.

After all, they were a team and would be exploring the Floating City Ruins together. Establishing his authority early would benefit Rayne's subsequent actions.

Additionally, Morthes' mountain-like size clearly indicated his formidable strength.

"Jiulao Dragon? Peak Dawn?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the group exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

The three Dawnwizards, in particular, mumbled a few times and fell silent.

There was no need for further questioning.

The sheer size and the overwhelming, profound aura of the black dragon clearly confirmed Rayne's words.

With such a powerful dragon under his command, Rayne himself must be at least Late Dawn, if not stronger!

For a moment, the three felt ashamed of their earlier comments.

Helm, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold with a smile, inwardly amused.

These three had been skeptical about his and Sword Saint Tyrion's high praise for His Majesty Rayne.

Now, seeing the three of them with their stunned expressions, Helm felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, as if he had quenched his thirst on a scorching summer day.

At this moment, the communication mark on Helm’s chest suddenly flickered. He tapped it to listen.

The next second, Helm’s expression changed, and he immediately said,

"His Excellency Rayne, everyone, just now the Zok brothers reported that a powerful behemoth is heading straight for the Cave Camp. They want us to prepare for battle."

"Hmm? A behemoth?" Rayne immediately thought of something.

"Report! My lords, the lookout has spotted a strange behemoth resembling a dragon, rapidly approaching from the western sky", a federal officer reported loudly.

"His Excellency Rayne, let’s go and take a look together", the Sword Saint Tirion invited.

"Alright." Rayne nodded.

In fact, Rayne was already about 90% sure that the behemoth was the Steel Dragon, Dolick.

However, without seeing it, it would be inappropriate to jump to conclusions. It was better to go and confirm first.

The group then made their way above Retheron Canyon. In the distance, a monstrous creature shimmering with a metallic aura in the sunlight came into view, with several imperial armed dirigibles in hot pursuit.

"That’s that guy, Dolick." The Black Dragon Morthes whispered in Dragon Tongue.

"Yes, that’s right." Rayne smiled and nodded.

From the first glance, Rayne had confirmed the identity of the creature—the Steel Dragon Dolick.

"His Excellency Tyrion, you can stand down the alert. The other party is a friend of Morthes", Rayne said, patting the broad back of the Black Dragon with a smile.

To avoid revealing that he could contract with two dragons, Rayne defined the Steel Dragon Dolick as a friend of the Black Dragon Morthes.

While it was still somewhat shocking, it was at least plausible.

His words, however, made the Black Dragon Morthes inwardly grumble, 'Who is friends with that arrogant Steel Dragon!' But he could only vent his frustration in his mind.

"Your dragon companion’s friend?" Tyrion couldn’t help but be taken aback, looking at the Black Dragon Morthes under Rayne with a puzzled expression, momentarily stunned.

He had never heard of such a close relationship between a Dragon Knight and a dragon. A dragon inviting a friend to assist?

Rayne’s words also left Helm and the others, including Helm, momentarily stunned!

What?

As longtime adversaries, the Federation was well aware of the relationship between the Dragon Empire’s Dragon Knights and their dragons.

Their relationship was more like a cooperative contract, not one where the Dragon Knight was the master. Dragons were too proud to truly recognize a human as their master.

However, the unique dragon bloodline of the Dragun royal family had significantly reduced the resistance of the Five-Color Dragons, leading to a lasting alliance during Emperor Atlas’s reign.

Even so, they had never heard of a dragon inviting a friend to assist.

"The Steel Dragon Dolick enjoys consuming metal, so Morthes was able to invite it."

"Of course, during this exploration of the Sky City Ruins, it won’t take any share of the spoils except for some rare metals", Rayne explained with a smile.

"I see, we certainly welcome it."

As the Federation’s representative, the Sword Saint Tirion naturally welcomed such a powerful dragon.

A rare Steel Dragon with strength comparable to the Black Dragon Morthes was almost as valuable as several Federation elite warriors.

Helm and the others also immediately understood.

That made sense. The Steel Dragon’s preference for metal explained why it could be invited. The Sky City was filled with all kinds of metallic artifacts, making it an ideal place for the Steel Dragon.

"Aide-de-camp, quickly arrange for the cave gate to be enlarged—make sure it’s wide enough for both dragons to enter easily!" the Sword Saint Tirion immediately ordered.

"Yes, my lord!" a federal colonel immediately saluted and responded.

In the distance, the Zok brothers, upon receiving the message, looked at each other in shock.

"What? This behemoth was actually invited by the Empire’s representative, His Excellency Rayne?"

"It was invited by His Excellency Rayne’s dragon companion, the Black Dragon Morthes. The other party is named the Steel Dragon Dolick", Helm corrected Og Zok’s mistake seriously.

But Og was no longer concerned with Helm’s attitude. He muttered,

"It’s a rare Steel Dragon at the Jiulao Dragon level. No wonder we were no match for it just now."

"Incredible", Otto Zok also murmured, his face filled with shock.

However, this also made him realize something.

That’s why the Steel Dragon held back earlier. It makes sense.

"Notify the dirigible fleet to stand down and return to their regular patrol routes", Og, now composed, immediately gave the order.

"Yes, my lord."

"Let’s go, Otto. We should pay our respects to His Excellency Rayne", Og said to his younger brother, his tone filled with regret, all traces of his previous arrogance gone.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end