The onslaught of thunder and fire crashed down simultaneously, sealing off every possible escape route.

Yet Stahr's stance showed not the slightest intent to dodge—he stood rooted like a mountain.

He would meet their combined assault headlong, armor against fury, without yielding an inch.

Dragon Flame slammed into the golden armor, detonating in a cataclysmic chain reaction.

The ensuing shockwave drove Stah's feet deep into the hardened ground, producing concentric cracks that spread outward from where he stood.

Seeing Roswitha's attack had landed, Leon immediately followed up.

Leon swung the thunder sword in a blazing arc, its electricity screeching—only to shatter upon impact with a thunderous crack.

Yet only a muffled thunderclap was heard, and the thunder sword in Leon's hand broke cleanly into two pieces.

The blue radiance reflected off the helmet of the Black Gold Chariot, as Leon’s gaze pierced through the countless fragments of shattered lightning, locking onto Stah.

At that moment, the elder Dragon King turned his head ever so slowly, looking in Leon's direction through the heavy helm.

"Is this the might that felled Constantine?" rumbled the voice beneath the helm, laced with glacial scorn.

Leon snorted coldly, "You won't be disappointed."

As soon as the words fell, the two halves of the broken thunder sword, along with the surrounding fragments of lightning, suddenly erupted in blinding brilliance. The shards swiftly transformed into sharp thunder needles, shooting toward Stah in unrelenting waves.

Thunder needles pelted Stahr's armor in a torrent, their searing voltage seeping through the joints, numbing his limbs with a thousand stinging ants.

Naturally, such an attack was far from enough to harm Stah.

But Leon never intended to hurt him with this move.

The thunder needles merged into the golden armor. At first, Stah merely thought this to be some trivial follow-up trick from the human boy—harmless and inconsequential as always.

However, as the bombardment continued, Stah gradually began to feel a numbing sensation spreading throughout his body.

The paralysis felt like countless ants burrowing into his skin, coursing along his nerves and through his bloodstream to invade his entire being.

With the paralysis taking hold, the couple split like twin shadows—Leon to the left, Roswitha to the right—pincering their prey.

After creating enough distance, the two began to channel their respective elements, combining the powers of thunder and fire, and aimed everything at Stah in the center.

Dragon Flame materialized into numerous fireballs, launching from Roswitha's hands in rapid succession.

Meanwhile, Leon's thunder coalesced into elongated needles, which not only amplified the paralyzing effect but also significantly heightened the damage.

Fire and lightning converged in a crucible of annihilation, hammering Stahr from both sides in a relentless symphony of detonations.

In an instant, the battlefield was engulfed in dense clouds of smoke and dust.

But the couple’s assault showed no signs of letting up.

As Roswitha had just mentioned, their coordination was seamless. Whatever they did, they did in perfect harmony.

The billowing dust and smoke quickly shrouded Stah entirely.

The two prepared to unleash one final move to finish the assault.

The bombardment abruptly ceased.

Roswitha extended both arms, conjuring blood-red flames in each hand before merging them together.

The resulting flame took the form of a dragon's head, roaring as it shot into the smokescreen ahead.

**S-Class Fire Magic: Dragon Flame Reforge – Dragonfire Extinction.**

Yet the queen's assault did not stop there.

As the dragon-shaped fireball charged toward Stah, Roswitha unfurled the dragon wings at her back and gave a powerful flap.

The generated air currents formed air cannons, greatly enhancing the force behind Dragonfire Extinction.

Leon, of course, was not about to be outdone. After halting his own bombardment, he too unleashed his ultimate move.

The general clasped his wrist tightly as the power of thunder gathered within his palm.

In the next second, a ferocious wolf made entirely of lightning emerged from his hand, tearing across the battlefield in arcs of electricity before charging straight into the smoke towards Stah.

**A-Class Thunder Magic: Thunder Wolf Destroyer.**

The couple released their ultimate techniques simultaneously, their combined might vanishing into the thick smoke. Moments afterward, a powerful magical shockwave rippled outward.

The residual energies of thunder and fire dispersed into the air, like a dazzling display of fireworks.

On the ground, the smoke and dust began to settle—

Amid the devastation, Stahr stood untouched, encircled by a colossal phantom bell whose surface thrummed with primordial power.

The bell flickered faintly, its surface glimmering with remnants of Leon and Roswitha's energy.

Roswitha’s eyes widened in shock, her silver pupils trembling.

“That... What on earth is that?”

Stah, the Shining Star Dragon King. One of the oldest living Dragon Kings.

And yet, his abilities had never once been documented in any texts or ancient records.

Going into battle against such a figure without any prior knowledge was bound to incur losses early on.

From afar, Anna and the others bore witness to the spectacle.

Sherry, her mouth agape, stared at the ancient bell in disbelief, her voice trembling.

"That was His Majesty and the Prince Consort's combined attack... Even someone like Constantine wouldn’t be able to withstand that. But Stah... seems completely unharmed."

"It's no wonder His Majesty needed the Prince Consort's help to confront this enemy... This time, the foe far surpasses Constantine," Anna muttered in a somber tone.

Even without stepping onto the battlefield, she could feel the oppressive aura emanating from Stah. It was stifling, suffocating.

That ancient Dragon King was far too enigmatic and unfathomable.

This was merely the opening act of the battle, and yet he had already showcased a defense that was beyond their comprehension.

It was unclear whether His Majesty and the Prince Consort would be able to find a way to break through.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away on the command platform, Ravi's usually stern face finally broke into a smug smile.

"I'll admit it. Leon Casmodeus is indeed somewhat capable, managing to force Stah to use that move so early on. But this is as far as he’ll go."

Nacho looked at Ravi curiously. "That enormous bell? What is it exactly?"

"That," Ravi said with deliberate satisfaction, "is Stah’s ultimate defensive magic, an ability he spent a millennium perfecting—**Absolute Defense: Twilight Bell.**"

As if giving a lesson to a naive human, Ravi began boasting about Dragon Clan achievements in the realm of magic.

"Four hundred years ago, deep within the hidden and uncharted territories of the Dragon Clan, Stah competed with four other Dragon Kings for the golden battle armor he now wears.

"After obtaining the armor first, Stah became the primary target. The other four Dragon Kings launched simultaneous attacks against him.

"But before the impenetrable Twilight Bell, their combined assaults were no more than tickles—utterly ineffectual.

"In the end, the Shining Star Dragon King successfully claimed the armor and earned the title of 'Absolute Defense.'"

Nacho listened silently, pondering for a moment before asking,

"So... no one has ever broken through his defense, correct?"

"Correct. In this world, it has never happened before, it isn't happening now, and it won’t happen in the future."

Ravi exhaled slowly, gazing toward the distant battlefield.

"Which is why I said, this ends here. If you can’t even penetrate your enemy's defense, continuing to fight is meaningless. Leon Casmodeus now has two choices:

"One, exhaust himself and await death at Stah’s leisure.

"Two, retreat while he still has strength, only to inevitably face execution later.

"Different choices, same outcome. It's merely a matter of time."

Nacho, acutely aware of the monster Empire had trained, drew a deep breath and murmured somberly,

"I think he may have a third option."

Ravi blinked in surprise, frowning. "What option?"

It wasn’t Nacho who answered the question.

Instead, it was the piercing cry of a bird that suddenly echoed across the battlefield.

Stah slowly turned towards the source of the sound.

A figure clad in silver armor stood resolutely, brimming with thunderous energy that crackled and flashed continuously.

"Thunder Thrust?—Oh no, by human terminology, such magic would be called 'Chidori,' but there’s no difference."

Stah’s voice carried a trace of derision.

"Do you seriously intend to use such a child's trick to break through my ultimate defense?"

Though he restrained himself, Stah almost let out a laugh.

He had expected more surprises from the human who defeated Constantine.

But to his disappointment, this was it.

Leon bent his knees into a low stance, preparing for a charge.

"The strongest defenses often need only the simplest methods to be shattered. Old Dragon King, watch carefully."

As his words fell, the thunder in Leon's hand surged even more violently, its birdlike chirping growing piercingly loud across the battlefield.

Ripples of air radiated outward, scattering the dust and debris around him.

A Chidori executed with only fifty percent magical power would never be enough to pierce that infernal bell.

So, Leon compensated with—

**Nine Hells, Fourth Gate: Open!**

With a thunderous stomp, Leon launched forward like a missile.

The Chidori in his hand hovered just centimeters above the ground, its searing electricity tearing up dust and stone, leaving a long trench in its wake.

The trench resembled a colossal serpent, charging relentlessly toward Stah with unimaginable speed and force.

The sheer velocity and aggression of Leon’s assault left onlookers in stunned awe.

The reduced magical strength wasn't due to mere caution—it was because Leon and Stah’s proximity had been too close for the Chidori to gain momentum earlier.

But if there wasn’t enough distance to accelerate? Then speed would make up for it. Speed wouldn’t negate inertia, but it would generate the kinetic energy Leon needed to amplify the Chidori's impact.

Opening the Nine Hells Gate's fourth stage greatly heightened mobility, unlocking a new ability—**Godspeed.**

Leon’s speed surpassed Stah’s calculations.

But it didn’t matter. Stah fully intended to confront the attack head-on.

**Absolute Defense: Ancient Bell!** Once again descended.

The imposing bell enveloped Stah protectively, as he calmly awaited the "foolish boy" to rush blindly to his demise.

If Leon truly collided with such force, the absolute defense would undoubtedly reduce him to a smear of blood and flesh.

And at this moment, retreat was no longer an option.

Stah’s mouth curled into a smirk.

"Constantine, how could you have been defeated by such an impulsive and brain-dead individual? You’re an embarrassment to the Dragon Clan—"

Thunder roared, and the cry of birds echoed through the heavens.

The ancient bell that enshrouded Stahr trembled incessantly under the assault of lightning.

Waves of energy rippled outward, one after another.

Beneath the golden armor, Stahr's smile gradually froze.

*Crack!* —

A fissure appeared on the surface of the Twilight Bell!

"W-What... How... how is this possible?!"

"There is no defense in this world that cannot be breached. If there is, it simply hasn’t met me yet."

Chidori pierced through the so-called absolute defense of the Twilight Bell in a single strike, followed immediately by an all-encompassing inferno descending from the skies.