The Final Battle Begins

Elizabeth’s mind whirled with questions—but she swiftly quelled the turbulence within.

She could feel it clearly:

Jörmungandr’s current power was only Emperor-tier Early Stage—still weakened from its premature unsealing,and deprived of the Abyssal Chasm’s amplifying force.

At this moment… she held the advantage.

Her expression hardened into ice.

A surge of imperial spiritual energy erupted from her body—golden light blazing like a second sun.

She had overwhelming confidence:She could slay Jörmungandr here and now.

No matter how this anomaly occurred,one truth remained unshaken:

Jörmungandr must die.

Slowly, she raised her white-gold longsword,its point leveled at the colossal dragon.

“Since you’ve come to my doorstep,”her voice rang with divine authority,“don’t even think of leaving.”

Her eyes flashed—and with a single slash,countless golden sword qi tore through the storm,lancing toward Jörmungandr.

“Arrogant insect!”

Caught off guard, Jörmungandr took the full brunt—its near-indestructible scales splitting into crimson gashes.

Fury ignited in its draconic heart.

“Dare you treat a Dragon King like vermin?!”

It reared back—its abyssal maw gathering oceanic torrents of blue energy—then unleashed a Devastating Emperor-Tier Dragonbreath!

Compared to this, Little Jinzi’s breath was but a candle before a storm.

A colossal beam of azure light blazed toward Elizabeth—illuminating the darkened world in apocalyptic brilliance.

Any being below Dragon-tier would be erased to atoms by this one strike.

But before Elizabeth?

It was insufficient.

She flickered—and vanished from the beam’s path.

The azure column screamed past,shattering the heavens above.

When she reappeared,she stood a kilometer away.

Emperor-tier combatants could not fight near the fleet—the collateral alone would slaughter thousands.

So she lured Jörmungandr away.

The Dragon King recognized her as a true threat.

In its prime, it would’ve crushed her without effort.

But now—weakened, starved of the Abyssal Chasm’s power—she was stronger.

A human might flee from a superior foe…but dragonish greed chained Jörmungandr in place.

To it, Elizabeth wasn’t just an enemy—she was nourishment.

Swallowing an Emperor-tier human would restore its strength dramatically.

“Mortal! You are strong—but you will only become my feast!”

With a world-shaking roar, it lunged.

Thus began the true battle of Emperor-tier titans.

BOOOOM!!!

A kilometer away,a continent-splitting golden sword qicollided with a sky-rending azure dragonbreath.

The impact vaporized the ocean beneath,shattered the clouds above,and exposed the bare seabed for miles.

Shockwaves hurled seawater hundreds of meters into the air,forming a tsunami wall of liquid glass.

Amid thunder and lightning,human and dragon clashed—a spectacle dwarfing Loyel’s earlier “Emperor-tier” display.

Elizabeth’s spiritual energy was an ocean given form—her swordplay so refined it split hundred-meter waves with a flick.

Jörmungandr countered with raw draconic supremacy—dragonbreath scorching the sky,claws rending space,tail sweeping oceans into maelstroms.

Where it moved, seas boiled, heavens tore.

This battle transcended mortal comprehension—as if two gods waged war above a world of ants.

Even Pascal—Dragon-tier Peak,the so-called “strongest below Emperor”—knew he wasn’t even worthy to step onto this stage.

As Elizabeth and Jörmungandr tore reality apart,a second horror emerged on the distant horizon.

A colossal silhouette—second only to Jörmungandr—rose from the waves.

Orexis, the Dragon King’s mightiest elite lieutenant.

And behind him?

A sea of dragons.

Millions of sea dragons—so dense they blotted out the ocean itself,vastly outnumbering all previous tides combined.

“How… how is this possible?!”

Cyril stood paralyzed on deck, face drained of color.

Like everyone else, he’d expected the final battle at the Abyssal Chasm—not here, not now,and certainly not with this overwhelming force.

“Do not panic!”

Lucy’s voice rang out, amplified by arcane resonance across the fleet.

“Fighting here, the sea dragons lack the Abyssal Chasm’s power boost!”

“Jörmungandr is no match for Her Majesty—and this tide is no match for us!”

Her words steadied the trembling ranks.

“Dragon-Slaying Guards! With me—meet the tide!”

Pascal charged forward, blade in hand—his target: Orexis.

Duke Lambert followed instantly.

Only they could handle that elite dragon.

Other commanders swiftly organized defenses—ballistae, cannons, spell artillery rolled into position.

High-tier scrolls and potions were distributed freely.

This was the final battle—no need to conserve resources.

Within ten minutes,the royal fleet stood fully arrayed for war.

This was the true value of High-Alert Readiness:even in sudden chaos, they could respond with perfect order.

Lucy hovered above it all,yellow-bound tome in hand,surveying the battlefield with steely resolve.

The entire fleet’s survival now rested on her shoulders.

Empress vs. Dragon King.

Pascal & Duke vs. Orexis.

And Lucy vs. the endless tide.

In less than a breath,the sea dragon horde crashed into the fleet.

The final battle had begun.

Thousands of dragons swarmed the Hodyr’s deck,clashing with Dragon-Slaying Guards in a storm of blood and steel.

“The situation aligns with my predictions…”

Black observed from a high cabin,

Little Jinzi perched excitedly on his shoulder—eager to join the fray.

But Black held it back.

Below, Alice, Kristine, Irena, Cyril, Seth,and other nobles fought in perfect coordination—cutting down sea dragons with ruthless efficiency.

“The Draconic Parliament should make their move soon…”

Black’s true purpose in staying backwas to watch for them.

He would not let them ambush Alice or the others.

And right on cue—he spotted three suspicious figures.

While everyone battled the tide,these black-clad shadows slithered through rain and chaos,stealthily converging on Alice’s group.

The leader moved like a wraith—dodging combatants with inhuman grace—closing in on Irena’s back.

“Little Jinzi—go!”

Black commanded urgently—but just as the wyvern tensed to fly—the situation changed abruptly!