As the two spells collided mid-air, the sh unleashed a tumultuous wave of energy that echoed across the skies. The raging wind, caught in the explosive aftermath, morphed into a colossal fan, fueling the inferno. Within moments, the entire wind column transformed into a massive ming hurricane.


    The swirling mes spiraled with ferocious intensity, consuming everything in their path. The crystal dragon, with its shimmering scales glinting in the ze, was quickly engulfed by the searing heat. Its roars of defiance were drowned out by the roar of the inferno.


    Carius, who was stationed on the dragon''s head, was simrly caught in the fiery maelstrom, his figure silhouetted against the zing hurricane before being swallowed entirely. His screams and cries of agony were muted by the fire''s roar.


    Below, all over the kingdom, the people of Elodoria watched in stunned silence. Eyes wide with fear and awe, they gazed up at the sky, where the heavens was now marred by the colossal me vortex.


    Children clung to their parents tighter, while elders muttered prayers, hoping for the safety of their lives. The townspeople''s faces were illuminated by the flickering light of the mes. The magnitude of the spectacle left the citizens breathless, their hearts pounding with a mix of dread and anticipation.


    As the spell''s energy waned and the roaring mes began to subside, the sky gradually returned to a state of eerie calm. The once raging hurricane of fire dissipated, leaving behind wisps of smoke that curled and driftedzily in the air. The remnants of the sh shimmered briefly before fading into nothingness, as if the violent spectacle had been a fleeting dream.


    As the smoke cleared, Elias could see the charred and battered form of the dragon, the dragon still remained intact. From the way the dragon beat his cracked wings with less enthusiasm and the now dull color of its iplete scales, while it still remained in the sky, it was clear that it wasn''t unharmed.


    Elias'' eyes traced to the top of the dragon''s head. Where Carius once stood was now upied by a protective crystal sphere, In thest moments of Elias'' attack, he erected the construct to protect him from the raging mes.


    The crystal sphere cracked and shattered with a loud sound akin to ss breaking on a concrete floor. As the wind carried the shards away, Carius'' form came into view. As Elias set his eyes on him, a wave of guilt washed over him.


    Although Carius protected himself from the mes with his crystal sphere, he couldn''t fully shield himself from the mes, as the heat alone has almost boiled him. Patches of his skin were taut and shiny like the stretched hide of a drum, while others were scalded and uneven. His hair was singed beyond repair, melted into his scalp.


    His left cheek bore the most severe scars, a web of thick, raised tissue that twisted and contorted his features into a permanent grimace, his old scar had been washed away— burnt way. His eyebrows were sparse and uneven, the hair had melted into his skin, and his lips were slightly misshapen, one corner pulled upward as if in a perpetual half-smile


    He spread out his shaky hands, feeling the winds on freshly burnt skin, pain had be nonexistent to him, his eyes were white as milk and he opened his mouth to speak,


    "Elias Ashdown, you have failed to kill me. That was your mightiest attack was it not? Yet I''m still standing, I''m standing above the Kingdom that will soon be mine.


    I can imagine it already, ''King Carius of Eldoria!'' The masses will chant as I parade the lifeless body of their useless king around the townsquare.


    I can feel it, I can hear it, hear the cries of the non re people as I force upon them the suffering that they forced upon me and my kind,"  He said,ughing madly between sentences as he began foaming in the mouth


    "It''s over Elias Ashdown, there is nothing you can do now. Even you cannot possess the strength and mana to keep fighting after all those spells you used. Die!" He screamed, saliva and foam flew out of his mouth as hemanded his dragon to charge at Elias for the final time


    Elias watched silently as the dragon approached, "Do you know that crystals be brittle after being exposed to fire for a period of time?" He asked


    Carius ignored Elias, or perhaps he was incapable ofprehending him. He continued his fast approach.


    Elias gave Carius onest look of pity before steeling himself. He pulled out his gleaming silver sword from his inventory and a with all his might, he cleaved a wless arc at the dragon.


    "[sh(Basic)]"


    Elias felt no resistance as he sliced away the dragon''s wing.


    Having lost one wing, the dragon spiralled out of control, not giving the dragon breathing space, he appeared below the dragon and drew another arc,


    "[sh(Basic)]"


    This time he cut the dragon cleanly into two equal parts, both halves fell in different directions, and Carius'' body plummeted toward the arena.


    Below him, Carius was a rapidly falling speck, his limbs iling helplessly as he plummeted towards the unforgiving earth.


    The gap between them closed quickly, as Eliss pushed himself to the limit, he stretched out his arms, fingertips brushing Carius''s outstretched hand.


    With a final burst of speed, Elias wrapped his arms around Carius''s torso, pulling him close. Theirbined weight made Elias strain under the added load. He fought to steady their descent, but the ground rushed up to meet them with rming speed.


    They hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, rolling through the dust and debris. Pain exploded through Elias''s body as he shielded Carius from the worst of the impact. The world spun around him, his vision blurring from the force of theirnding.


    When they finally came to a stop, Elias gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he grredily took huge breaths of air. He looked down at Carius, whoy unconscious but still clearly breathing.