Outside the sacred temple at this moment, more than a hundred giant dragons were circling.
Their dragon flames ignited the entire night sky, the roars and howls of dragons continuously resounded, and massive dragon corpses kept plummeting from the sky.
The battle on the ground was even more brutal. In less than half an hour, the soldiers of the Silver Dragon and Crimson Flame Dragon clans had entered a blood-soaked, white-hot phase.
Magic bombardments and close combat—every possible method was being used.
Dragon blood stained the earth red, severed limbs flew in all directions, and the battlefield was a gruesome scene filled with countless corpses.
At this moment, the sky seemed to be falling, as if it were the end of the world.
The brutality of the war between the dragon clans had exceeded the limits of what words could describe.
Ten kilometers outside the temple, the head maid Anna led the elite members of the maid corps in a fierce struggle.
Shirley coordinated with her, fending off several waves of attacks from the Crimson Flame Dragon clan.
For now, they had not shifted into their dragon forms for battle.
Staying in humanoid form allowed for more precise magic casting, as well as better command and battlefield observation.
On the other hand, dragon forms moved slightly slower, and in such a dense battle, they also posed a risk of accidentally injuring allies.
Thus, in ground combat, humanoid form had a tactical advantage.
Meanwhile, another contingent of Silver Dragon guards had seized aerial dominance. The Silver Dragon clan had a natural advantage in speed—though their overall strength was inferior to the Crimson Flame Dragons, their speed allowed them to hold their own in aerial combat.
The Crimson Flame Dragons' fifth attack was repelled. Anna and Shirley leaned against each other back-to-back, catching their breath.
"Has the encirclement at the back of the mountain been broken?", Shirley asked.
"No. They came prepared and had been lying in ambush for a long time. Even the emergency escape tunnels have been blown up," Anna wiped the blood from her face.
"What about reinforcements? Have none of the nearby dragon clans sent troops?"
Anna bit her lip and shook her head, "No one wants to provoke Constantine. No one dares to send reinforcements."
"Idiots. If the Silver Dragon clan truly falls in the end, do they think Constantine will spare them?", Shirley cursed angrily.
As the two discussed, a soldier came forward to report.
"Head maid, Queen Isa of the Red Dragon clan has sent a reply. They are aware of the battle here, but a contingent of the Crimson Flame Dragon clan is holding them back. The soonest they can arrive is in three hours."
"Being stalled by the Crimson Flame Dragons...", Anna's pupils trembled, and her thoughts swirled.
She recalled that His Majesty had mentioned a while ago that the Crimson Flame Dragon clan intended to attack the Wind Dragon clan, and the Wind Dragon King had sought help from His Majesty's sister, Isa.
However, for months, the war had not erupted—only small-scale conflicts and harassment.
But now, as the Silver Dragon Temple was under attack and the Red Dragon clan was trying to reinforce them, they were suddenly intercepted by Crimson Flame Dragon forces that had long been stationed there.
All of this was Constantine's plan.
From the start, he never intended to truly strike the Wind Dragon or Red Dragon clans. He merely feigned harassment to avoid alerting them, drawing the attention of the dragon kings elsewhere.
Then, on the day when Rossweisse was giving birth, he launched a sudden attack, leaving the Silver Dragon Temple isolated and leaderless.
The series of plans was meticulous, but there was one thing Anna could not figure out: How did Constantine know this exact day?
"Head maid, they're attacking again."
Before Anna could think further, the Crimson Flame Dragons launched their sixth assault.
She clenched her teeth and raised her sword, its tip aimed at the advancing Crimson Flame Dragons.
"""SWEAR TO PROTECT HER MAJESTY WITH OUR LIVES!"""
The Silver Dragon soldiers roared and charged into battle once more against the Crimson Flame Dragon clan.
———
Meanwhile, inside the sacred temple, Rossweisse was still enduring the agony of childbirth.
This pain was not unfamiliar to her, yet the tearing sensation remained unbearable.
Several magical explosions echoed from the back of the mountain—it must have been the squads Anna dispatched, desperately trying to break the encirclement to ensure the safe evacuation of His Majesty, the prince, and the two princesses.
Moments later, the door swung open, and a maid rushed inside. She looked around and found that Anna was not present.
Rossweisse was in no condition to issue orders, so after some thought, the maid approached Leon.
"Your Highness, we... we've opened up a route. The Crimson Flame Dragons on that path have all withdrawn. Her Majesty can leave through there."
Hearing this, the maids and doctors in the room all sighed in relief.
Breaking through the encirclement meant they could safely relocate Her Majesty.
But Leon did not immediately order Rossweisse's departure.
He frowned in thought, "Something's wrong..."
"What's wrong, Your Highness?", a doctor asked.
Leon stepped onto the balcony, turning back to the reporting maid.
"An hour ago, the Crimson Flame Dragons had the back of the mountain completely sealed off—so tight that not even a fly could get through. Now, they suddenly leave a clear path? That's suspicious. Where did they withdraw to?"
The maid was momentarily stunned. She bit her lip, then walked to Leon's side and pointed to a small trail at the back of the mountain.
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly, "Are you certain? All the Crimson Flame Dragons on that path have withdrawn?"
The maid hesitated, then nodded, "Yes, I'm certain."
Leon furrowed his brows even deeper. Slowly, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
In the next instant, brilliant lightning flashed above the small trail the maid had indicated.
Beneath the lightning, several crimson dragons emerged from the forest, breathing dragon flames toward the light, seemingly thinking it was some kind of trap.
Unfortunately, it was just a simple birthday blessing.
Had the maids actually led Rossweisse through that path, they would have fallen right into an ambush by those Crimson Flame Dragons.
Leon slowly turned his head, coldly staring at the maid, "Use your brain when fighting a war."
The maid panicked, immediately kneeling, "Your Highness, it was my negligence... I deserve punishment..."
Leon ignored her and instead walked toward his two daughters.
The maids and doctors in the room exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.
If not for the prince's caution, they might have made a catastrophic mistake.
After regaining their composure, they resumed caring for the laboring Rossweisse.
Leon, too, said no more.
He was unfamiliar with the Silver Dragon clan's military strategy and had no authority to issue combat orders.
But he could recognize the deceit and tricks of war.
The empire once hailed him as the strongest dragon slayer—not just because of the number of dragons he had slain.
Tactical command, strategic planning, troop deployment—Leon was skilled in all.
However, since Anna had already devised the battle plan, it would be inappropriate for him to seize control, as that would disrupt the Silver Dragon forces.
Besides, Anna was capable.
Given the sudden attack and the absence of a leader, even Leon couldn't think of a better plan.
He crossed his arms, gazing at the brutal battlefield. The Silver Dragon clan seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
On the battlefield, Shirley impaled a Crimson Flame Dragon with her sword, then flung its corpse aside.
She looked toward the temple gate—they had pushed forward roughly seven kilometers in the past two hours.
Good. The Crimson Flame Dragons' encirclement was breaking. They might actually hold out.
But when things seem certain, that's when the unexpected happens.
Shirley had no time to smile at their advantage before noticing the ground's shadows darken.
At that moment, a terrifying realization struck her.
Trembling, she slowly turned around.
A massive pair of dragon wings blotted out the sky.
A powerful wind pressure forced Shirley to bend forward.
A deep dragon's breath swept across the battlefield—scarlet wings and a long tail marked the arrival of a terrifying figure.
The overwhelming pressure suffocated all present.
Shirley's sword slipped from her hand as she stared blankly, her silver dragon eyes losing focus.
"Con...stantine..."
The Crimson Flame Dragon King, Constantine, had personally arrived on the battlefield.
Fear instantly soaked into Shirley. Even when that fierce dragon flame was about to engulf her, she had yet to react.
Fortunately, Anna reacted quickly, grabbing her collar from behind and pulling her back from the brink of death.
Shirley fell to the ground, and the pain brought her back to her senses.
"Report back immediately. Constantine has appeared. Accelerate at full speed to break through the encirclement at the rear mountain," Anna ordered.
This order meant that the battle here would soon be over due to Constantine's arrival.
A Dragon King-level opponent and an elite dragon like Anna were separated by an unfathomable chasm in strength.
So, since the collapse of the frontal battlefield was only a matter of time, they had to put all their effort into breaking through at the rear mountain.
If the Silver Dragon Sanctuary couldn't be saved, at the very least, the Queen's life had to be preserved.
Anna looked at Shirley's back and suddenly felt a sense of relief, "You were right, Your Majesty. A dragon's life is too long. Now, like you, I have come to prefer brief beauty."
With that, she turned to face Constantine, spreading the wings on her back, transforming into her dragon form.
However, even in dragon form, she was only a quarter of the size of the Dragon King Constantine.
In front of him, Anna was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
But she would not retreat. Every member of the maid squad had sworn to protect Her Majesty.
Anna flapped her wings and charged with full force toward the towering enemy before her.
Like a moth flying into the flames—knowing it was a near-certain death, yet pressing forward without hesitation.
Dragon flames gathered in her mouth and then erupted.
Constantine's crimson dragon eyes glanced at her with disdain. With just a flick of his dragon wings, he shattered Anna's full-power dragon flame into nothingness.
Anna was even affected by the shockwave, struggling to adjust her posture in the air before launching another attack on Constantine.
Several fireballs hit Constantine's dragon body, but none seemed able to leave a mark on his scales.
The enormous body slowly advanced toward the sanctuary, completely ignoring Anna and the other silver dragon soldiers' attacks.
Seeing that magic attacks were completely ineffective, Anna let out a roar and used her own body to block the Crimson Flame Dragon King's path.
She flapped her wings with all her might, using her body as a weapon, recklessly ramming toward Constantine.
However, in Constantine's eyes, such an attack was no more than an ant trying to shake a tree.
He raised his sharp, massive dragon claws and effortlessly pinned Anna to the ground.
His claws pierced through Anna's wings, and blood flowed uncontrollably.
Even while being firmly held down, Anna still attempted to fight back. She struggled and continuously spewed dragon flames at Constantine.
But it was all in vain.
Realizing the absolute power gap between herself and Constantine, Anna froze.
She could hardly believe that a dragon could be this powerful.
But only a Dragon King with such terrifying strength would dare to wage war against other dragons so recklessly.
Despair gradually shrouded Anna and the entire Silver Dragon army.
[T/N: Fu*k cliffhanger, we all are getting more chapters]
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