TBATE: PRIMORDIAL ASCENSION

Chapter 43: Dragon

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:

I felt a moment of confusion when Alea conjured that massive water spell. Normally, water could be a liability in a fight like this—Jagrette's toxic aura would easily corrupt it, turning it against us. But when Alea called out for me to use [Absolute Zero], the pieces finally clicked into place. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning: she wasn't just using water as an attack. She was setting the stage for me to freeze everything in place.

The battlefield fell into an eerie silence as the spell took effect. The swirling water rapidly solidified, encasing Jagrette in a thick block of ice. The air around us became deathly cold, the atmosphere heavy with an ominous stillness that sent a chill down my spine.

For a moment, I dared to hope that we had won—that this nightmare was finally over. But that fleeting hope was shattered when I heard Sylvie's voice in my mind, soft but urgent. 'Papa, I'm here.'

Her voice surprised me; I hadn't expected her to arrive so soon, and instinctively, I was about to tell her to stay away—to keep her out of this dangerous fight. But before I could respond, the ice that had enveloped Jagrette began to crack, thin lines spidering across the frozen surface.

I felt my heart sink as I was suddenly forced out of my second phase, my body protesting against the strain I had put it through. The overwhelming exhaustion hit me like a wave, and I could see Alea struggling just as much. She was barely holding on, her body trembling from the severe backlash of using such a powerful spell. We were both at our limits, and Jagrette was still not defeated.

No... I couldn't let this be the end. Not when we were so close.

Which direction are you coming from, Sylv? I asked her through our mental connection, my voice tight with urgency.

She responded immediately, her mental presence brushing against mine with comforting warmth. I quickly sent her a mental projection of the ice block where Jagrette was trapped, the cracks spreading across its surface like a ticking time bomb. Sylvie, I need you to blast the center of that ice with pure mana. Hit it as hard as you can.

I could feel her understanding and determination. She knew exactly what needed to be done, and I trusted her completely. As the cracks in the ice grew wider, I steeled myself for whatever would come next, hoping that Sylvie's attack would be the final blow that we desperately needed to end this battle.

As the cracks in the ice grew wider, a powerful surge of mana swept over us. I could sense Sylvie's presence drawing nearer, her aura unmistakable. Alea, better attuned to sensing mana, immediately turned in the direction of the approaching energy. Her expression shifted from fatigue to one of horror, clearly alarmed by the humongous mana signature.

"It's okay," I quickly reassured her, sensing her rising panic. Alea shot me a questioning look, confusion mingling with the fear in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, the ice around Jagrette splintered further. Through the thinning ice, Jagrette's twisted form became visible, her expression contorted with rage.

"How dare you, lesser—" Jagrette began to shout, her voice echoing with fury. But she was cut off mid-sentence by an earth-shaking roar that reverberated through the chamber, causing debris to rain down from the crumbling walls.

"Get down!" I yelled, summoning a stone shield around us just in time to block the falling debris. Alea ducked, her eyes wide as the wall behind Jagrette crumbled under the force of Sylvie's incoming attack. Through the thick dust and destruction, I saw it: a glowing orb of pure, condensed mana hurtling toward Jagrette with terrifying speed and precision.

The orb struck her with brutal force, slamming into her back and sending shockwaves through the air. The ice encasing her shattered instantly, the sharp fragments scattering like shards of glass. Jagrette's scream was abruptly cut off as the sheer power of the attack lifted her off the ground and sent her crashing toward us.