"My goodness… Adonis."
Grand Mage Lucielle was currently staring at the boy that lay at her feet as she poured the liquid of the Recovery Potion into his barely open mouth.
She was lost for words as she looked at her student.
'I never knew he was this strong.'
Lucielle had been training everyone alongside Brutus, and she knew just how talented everyone was.
She already knew Adonis was not like the others, and that he was far stronger.
She also knew he trained in private.
But… even she could never expect him to have already advanced this far.
'In combat alone, he has already exceeded Brutus.'
The mere fact that he fought a Dragon Commander and managed to injure something like that several times proved it.
Even she wasn't confident of making such an accomplishment.
'If not for being distracted, he wouldn't have gotten injured.' Her thoughts flowed
She silently wished Adonis had just focused on the enemy, since she ended up saving the Otherworlders.
If he had done that, he wouldn't have gotten injured, and perhaps they could have even won.
However, Lucielle realized how unfair that thought was.
There was no way Adonis could have known that Lucielle would swoop in when she did. Besides, he had simply acted on reflex.
That was admirable, if nothing else.
'He just wanted to protect his friends…' She smiled sadly as she saw him slowly open his eyes.
Right now, Lucielle was using both Healing Magic and a Recovery Potion to restore Adonis' state.
From what she was able to see from the fight, he was their best hope in winning against such a monstrosity.
"T-thank you… Lucielle…" He whispered, slowly smiling at her.
"W-what are you even saying? I should be the one thanking you!"
Sure, she was the one who saved him from being destroyed by the Dragon Commander, and right now she was nursing him to full health.
But that didn't hold a candle to what Adonis had been doing thus far.
"N-no. Don't thank me. It was… all pointless…" Adonis groaned as he spoke.
His injuries had closed, but a lot of work had to be done with his internal organs.
"What are you—?"
"He's healed already. All that effort… all the damage… and he's healed already…"
As Adonis' voice trailed, Lucielle looked at the floating Dragon Commander in the sky.
He looked as good as new.
"It's so unfair, isn't it? We try so hard, and yet…" Adonis looked and sounded like he was about to break down and cry.
It wasn't like Lucielle didn't understand the boy's sentiment.
Even on the battlefield, the unfair advantage of the Dragons made war a living hell.
Dragons possessed incredible physical abilities and heightened Magical prowess.
They could also heal from injuries, as long as the damage inflicted wasn't fatal. Of course, the speed of the regeneration depended on the type of Dragon in question.
Other than these cheat-like advantages, they were also capable of far more in terms of Skills and overall Stats.
It was no joke.
They truly were the supreme race in H'Trae.
"I thought I could end it very quickly… but it seems I was too slow. Too indecisive. Too weak." As Adonis said this, he slowly sat up.
"No. Don't say that, Adonis. You did your best!"
The other students were currently throwing the best Skills and Magic attacks at the enemy, but none of them were even reaching him thanks to the spatial barrier he placed around himself.
Other than Adonis, no one had even managed to seriously hurt him.
"My best, huh? It wasn't enough to protect all those Mages and Knights that died for nothing."
Lucielle's face fell a little as she remembered the deaths that the Dragon Commander caused when he first arrived.
He must have somehow shifted space and compressed it on the frightened people who were still too stunned at the sight of a Dragon.
Some of them were even her protégés.
Yet, their deaths were so meaningless that it was an insult to the lives they had lived and the many years they dedicated to Magic.
"Do you think… we're going to make it out of here alive?" Lucielle finally blurted out.
She could no longer hold the burning question that echoed in her soul.
She knew she was the oldest of the surviving bunch, so naturally all responsibility had to fall on her.
She was also meant to be the mature pillar of the group; leading them to victory thanks to her experience.
But right now, she was confused.
She had told the students to keep the Dragon occupied while she healed Adonis, but their attacks weren't doing anything.
Her Magic Barrier around them would wear out pretty soon, and it wasn't like the Dragon Commander couldn't simply bypass it.
Everything about this situation seemed hopeless—a despairing cage that would force them to keep fighting until they died.
Lucielle saw no hope of survival or victory.
She hoped that maybe… just maybe… Adonis was seeing something that she couldn't.
"I… I don't know."
Adonis' response did not meet her expectations.
"A-ahh…" Lucielle knew her face fell the moment he said those words.
"My Stats are about half what they were before. Even if I used my [Limit Transcendence], I would only be half as strong as I was before…"
It was despairing for Lucielle to even hear him utter those words.
'So this really is the end…?' She could feel her thoughts flowing.
"BUT, that doesn't mean I'll give up!"
As Adonis said this, he jumped to his feet, groaning a little as he stood.
"A-ah! I'm not done healing you, Adonis!" Lucielle yelled, stretching her hand towards him.
In response to this, Adonis grabbed her by the outstretched hand and pulled her up.
Before the Grand Mage realized it, she was on her two feet.
"Conserve your Mana, Lucielle. You'll need as much as you can in the upcoming fight."
Adonis' distant smile slowly faded as he turned to the Dragon Commander who seemed to be waiting for them from his high estate.
"You and I are going to fight that thing. I'll need all the help I can get."
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Thanks for reading!
Looks like we're going to have a tag-team battle!
Adonis and Lucielle vs Dragon Commander. Don't worry… he has a name.
I hope you're not too bored of the fight.
