CHAPTER 126: WORLD-SAVING GAMBLE

XENON WINGATE

PRESENT DAY

The sound of explosions continues as we battle the greatest enemy of our lives. The Elder Ancientech Dragon is a world-level threat that needs to be stopped no matter what, no matter how many people die in the process. As of this moment, about twenty airships and thirty-three dreadnoughts have been destroyed by the continental abomination. Around thirty dragon knights were killed, and eighty are now severely injured and combat ineffective. 

The battle rages on. The countries of Sargus and Fleija also sent for our backup, and there are over forty airships that were added to our forces. Some ultranationalists from Elysia who are against Eldritch’s dictatorship also contributed thirty dragon knights and twenty-five airships. This is an all-out war not against humans, or not against dragonoids, but against a supernatural threat. 

However, the power of the Elder Ancientech Dragon is otherworldly. One whip of its claws and several people will die. It’s been almost half an hour since we engaged in battle with that thing, but there’s not even a scratch or dent on its golden skin.

Slowly, the Elder Ancientech Dragon marches with its foot still underwater. It’s going east, which means it will be targeting the country of Elysia. A single smash of its hand would demolish an entire city and make a crater out of it. We may be Elysia’s enemy, but thousands of innocent lives would be lost. We have to do what is necessary to stop this thing.

“The survey about the Elder Ancientech Dragon is complete.” One of the dragon knights reported to us. This dragon knight is using his Futuretech Dragon to track down anything it picks up around the Elder Ancientech Dragon’s body for the past fifteen minutes. “We have not detected any life force in the area around that colossal dragon. Our heartbeat sensors are not detecting anything either.”

“That’s weird,” Alphonse muttered. “If Danielle’s presumption about the Elder whatever-the-fuck Dragon using Vesryn Pulse is correct, there must be a heart to maintain its dragon form.”

“I can feel Vesryn Pulse-like energy on its core.” The dragon knight continued his report. “However, that’s the only thing worthwhile I have found out. I’m sorry, Sir Faradeiss.”

“That’s okay. Fuck off now, will you.” Alphonse said. He’s still as rude as ever to everyone he talks to.

When the dragon knight with the Futuretech Dragon exited the scene, I and my Nexus Dragon hovered beside Alphonse and his Elemental Dragon. We turned on our communications with Danielle once again to brainstorm.

“So the Vesryn Pulse-like energy is our only lead, huh?” Danielle said. “This might be a lot more troublesome than I thought.”

“You still have a plan in mind, Miss-Acting-Genius-Bimbo-Chocolate?” Alphonse smirked with a slight annoyance on his eyes.

“Oui Senor,” Danielle said. “But it is a gamble.”

“Then we’ll fucking take it. The world is ending, and we’ve been gambling for all our lives every time we go to the battlefield.” Alphonse said.

“Alphonse is right. Everything was a gamble from the start. We’re running out of ideas to defeat that guy anyway.” I seconded.

“Fine…” Danielle can be heard making a deep sigh as she said that word. “...So here is another presumption. If we can’t find the dragon knight outside the Elder Ancientech Dragon, then there is only one other place to look for. It’s inside.”

“Inside… Do you mean its belly? Or anus? Or…” Z telepathically guessed which makes it awkward. Alphonse was about to punch his dragon’s head to knock it off, but good thing she was immediately cut.

“...It’s the chest.” Danielle gave the answer. “Since the source of the Vesryn Pulse-like energy is in the chest, it might contain the dragon knight we’ve been looking for.”

“So you’re suggesting that we go inside and look for the dragon knight? That’s fucking gross!” Alphonse exclaimed.

“I don’t think that thing has some yucky fluids inside, Alphonse,” I said with a worried smile. “That thing is a living island after all. It doesn’t even have a beating heart.”

“And even if Xen is wrong about the fluids, we still have to save the world.” My Nexus Dragon seconded me.

“Well shit.” Alphonse settled down, calming him for a while.

I gazed upon the Elder Ancientech Dragon, which is busy swatting down airships, dragon knights, and dreadnoughts. The Pentagram Dragon’s Supreme Death Ray was blown to its head, but there is no damage like always. Even with the dragon knights’ united efforts, they could do nothing but to be pushed back. There’s roughly a mile before the Elder Ancientech Dragon makes its landfall to Elysia, and civilian casualties would go to the top when the battle takes place there.

The only entrance I could see is its mouth. For some reason, the Elder Ancientech Dragon never unleashed any magical attacks involving its mouth. All it does is to slash through its enemies using its claws and roar out loud to unleash sonic waves. Its Eye of Deus looks like an ornament as it’s not using its psychic abilities after all.

“I’ll go,” I said to my friends. “I may not care about my origin country, but this thing… this whole thing about the original Psychic Amplifier is part of my fault. It’s my responsibility to go inside and finish this once and for all.”

“I’ll go too, Xen.” My Nexus Dragon roared. “We’re in this together, right?”

“Y-Yes!” I nodded energetically.

“Hey, don’t go rushing on your own. I’m fucking going with you too. I can’t have you stealing the spotlight.” Alphonse said as he offered his fistbump. “Besides, this is the way of my atoning for the sins I committed when I was mind-controlled.”

“Yeah! Master and I will go too!” His Elemental Dragon roared in affirmation.

“Good luck, Senors, and Mademoiselles.” Danielle happily cheered. “All you need to do is to enter its mouth since it's the only visible point of entrance. Or you could try and dive underwater and enter its anus if you prefer.”

“Hell no!” Alphonse said. “We’re going through the front door! Xenon, Serena, we are going in swift and rough! Don’t get left behind!”

I tapped my Nexus Dragon’s head and poured my magical energy on her. With my Forge magic, I reformed Serena into a Nexus Booster Dragon that is the pinnacle of her flight speed force. With this, we can be as fast as Alphonse’s Elemental Dragon on its Rainbow Form.

“I have informed you about our plan of going inside the Elder Ancientech Dragon to the emperor, and he will be going with you,” Danielle reported. “Make sure you guys enter the mouth with the Pentagram Dragon so that your victory will be guaranteed.”

“Roger that.” I saluted. Then I tapped my dragon, signaling her to boost forward. “Let’s go, Serena!”

“Graaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!” My Nexus Booster Dragon blasted its jet rockets as it went beyond the speed of sound.

“Z, let’s fucking do this!” Alphonse shouted as if he’s in for the competition.

“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!” The Elemental Dragon revealed its rainbow wings. As soon as it flapped, they dashed forward like a teleporting stealth jet that is capable of going lightspeed.

Nothing can beat Alphonse’s Elemental Dragon on Rainbow Form in terms of speed. So naturally, he was able to overtake me and Serena when we hit the kilometer mark. We are aiming ourselves to shoot directly to the Elder Ancientech Dragon’s mouth without any breaks or stops. 

“Everybody, clean the way for them!” The emperor shouted out loud as he commandeered the airships and dragon knights to shoot the enemy’s eyes. Clouds of dark smoke filled the Elder Ancientech Dragon’s head. Even though all attacks are nullified, it should be enough for it to be distracted.

“-----_______--------___________________---------------!!!!!”

The Elder Ancientech Dragon’s mouth is wide open as it roared. The sonic waves it's unleashing from its throat neutralized our speed, and now we're’ just as fast as a freaking hummingbird.

“Go! Go! Push through!” I cried out loud.

“F-Fuck this voice!” Alphonse cried.

Slowly, the Elder Ancientech Dragon’s mouth started to close. Our chances of winning are also starting to diminish as we can’t get in time to enter its throat. Furthermore, the emperor and the Pentagram Dragon are way far behind us. 

“Fuck this shit! I’m going to use this!” Alphonse was enraged as he tapped his chest. “Dracaryx! Activate Dance of the Thousand Elements!”

When the Elemental Dragon opened its rainbow-colored wings, thousands of fists with each and different color combinations appeared. All those hands pushed the teeth of the Elder Ancientech Dragon to prevent its mouth from snapping. Alphonse and Z are doing a great job of preventing the mouth to close.

“Everybody, go inside!!!” Alphonse cried out loud.

“Boost On!” I shouted as I used extra magical energy for my Nexus Booster Dragon to surge towards the mouth. In a matter of a second, I finally made it to the interior mouth of the continental dragon. Both I and my Nexus Booster Dragon crashed on the golden tongue of the Elder Ancientech Dragon that looks more like a large launchpad for airplanes.

“Y-You’re majesty…. G-Get in!!!” Alphonse cried out loud.

“Coming in!” The emperor affirmed as his Pentagram Dragon tried to fly at its maximum speed. There are roughly twenty meters before they reach us, and I think Alphonse and his Elemental Dragon won’t take it much longer.

Eighteen meters. Fifteen meters. Twelve meters. The sonic wave from the continental dragon’s roar is like a storm that repels everything that dares to go inside.

“Hang in there!”

However…

The Elder Ancientech Dragon’s mouth immediately snapped close, leaving the emperor and the Pentagram Dragon outside. 

And that’s not even the worst news. 

Because somebody has to spend a life again just for this gamble. Just for this glimpse of hope. Just for this small speck of light. Somebody has to pay the price.

“Noooooooooo!!!” I cried loudly as I stressed my lungs out.