Garoth's dragon pupils slightly contracted.
Wherever the white beam passed, the air was torn into a vacuum trail, distorting even light itself. Its speed was terrifying.
Being hit by that would definitely hurt.
The Diamond Stone Giant was stronger than any opponent Garoth had faced before.
To kill it, he needed the right timing and strategy.
Garoth abruptly folded his wings, his body spinning rapidly midair as the beam grazed his wing membranes. Meanwhile, he brutishly smashed through incoming rocks and fireballs.
However, these distractions inevitably slowed him down.
Whoosh!
Garoth unleashed his fiery breath.
Thick flames surged forth, highly concentrated into a pillar that shot toward a Young Stone Giant.
The young giant stood dumbly in place, watching helplessly as the flames approached.
The Granite Stone Giant shoved its kin aside, conjuring a massive rock shield to block the fiery onslaught.
The towering figure was forced back step by step, plowing deep trenches into the ground as the shield visibly melted into glass.
Abruptly ceasing his breath attack,
Garoth twisted his body, narrowly dodging a spear hurled by the Diamond Stone Giant.
Noticing Garoth wasnât using his earth-pounding tactic, the Diamond Stone Giant muttered a deep incantation, preparing a gravity spell to cripple his speed and agility.
However,
Garoth had anticipated this.
With a powerful wingbeat, he ascended beyond the spellâs range.
The Diamond Stone Giantâs magic fizzled harmlessly, wasting its magical energy.
"This young dragon isnât ordinary."
The Diamond Stone Giant solemnly observed the dragon circling above.
It wasnât its first encounter with dragonsâits hands were already stained with their blood.
In its experience, dragons were creatures unable to restrain their fury in battle.
They could fly, but few utilized this advantage well.
Once provoked, most dragons preferred melee combat, especially red dragons, who reveled in bloody close-quarters brawls rather than exploiting their aerial mobility.
This young dragon bore red dragon bloodline.
Its spines, burly frame, and sulfurous scent confirmed it. Yet, it behaved nothing like the reckless red dragons the giant knew.
Under the dark night sky, the battle raged on.
Garoth fully exploited his dominion over the skies. After the initial ambushâa brutal dive that killed a Young Stone Giantâhe refused to land again.
Using fiery breath and explosive scales, he bombarded the giantsâ camp from a distance.
As the attacker, Garoth held the initiative, relentlessly building momentum with each strike. The Stone Giants, forced into endless defense, eventually slipped up.
During another dive, the Granite Stone Giant cast its gravity spell.
Not when Garoth slowed to ascendâbut during his acceleration. The timing was disastrously wrong.
Under the dual forces of gravitational pull and his own momentum, Garoth tore through the night like a streaking comet, straight toward the camp.
His wings spread like guillotine blades.
A towering stone hut, the Granite Stone Giantâs arm, and another Young Stone Giantâs head were simultaneously severed.
The Diamond Stone Giant stormed forward, swinging a massive fist.
Unfazed, Garoth dodged with a swift sidestep before slamming into the giantâs chest.
BOOM!
The ground cratered, fissures spiderwebbing outward.
Upon impact, some of Garothâs spines and scales shattered, explosive scales detonating. Meanwhile, the Diamond Stone Giant was sent flying, tumbling dozens of times, crushing its minions and demolishing huts before embedding into the campâs outer wall.
In raw strength, Garoth was no match for the Diamond Stone Giant.
He was too young, his life rank insufficient.
But with acceleration and kinetic force, he could send the giant flying. Thanks to his daily high-altitude impact training, he only felt slight dizzinessâno serious harm.
Wings flared,
Garoth took to the skies again before swarming minions could surround him.
The Diamond Stone Giant rose from the rubble, its chest visibly dented and crackedâyet the damage rapidly healed as earth and stone gathered to it.
Its defenses were monstrous, its body endlessly regenerating.
Even standing still, it would take forever to kill.
In his current state, Garoth had no perfect counter.
Likewise, the Diamond Stone Giant was stumped.
Garoth was too fast, too relentless, maintaining terrifying speed and stamina without showing fatigue or openings.
Both found the other exasperating.
"It canât kill me, but my kin are in danger."
The Diamond Stone Giant scanned its brethren, grimacing.
The Granite Stone Giant was reattaching a Young Giantâs head, stitching the wound with earth energy to revive it.
Stone Giants werenât flesh-and-blood beings.
Decapitation wasnât fatal.
Yet, the brush with death left the Young Giant tremblingâequal parts fury and terror toward the dragon above.
The younger giants cowered behind the Granite Stone Giant, trembling.
"I canât keep fighting it inside the camp."
"Every attack damages our home, and I must protect my kin, unable to go all out."
Resolved, the Diamond Stone Giant looked up and roared insults.
"Filthy half-breed!"
Its voice boomed like a landslide. "Too cowardly to face me on the ground! Youâre worse than these worthless rock lizards!"
"You fear me! Fear me tearing off your wings, ripping your scales, breaking your bones!"
"No red dragon has ever cowered like you! You shame your kin, disgrace your blood!"
First, provocation.
The Diamond Stone Giant noticed the young dragonâs expression darken.
Heh. Still a juvenileâcalmer than most dragons, but pride remained a weakness.
Given Garothâs composure,
perhaps the taunts needed reinforcement.
The giant snapped off a finger joint, hurling it skyward. "Here, you pathetic lizard! A shiny trinket for your beggarâs nest! Isnât this what dragons hoard? Worthless glitter!"
Then, it dimmed its glow, concentrating it at its left chest.
A radiant light pulsed withinâ
pure, dazzling, brilliant.
Like a miniature white sun.
Its heart: a supreme magical diamond nurtured over centuries within its stony body.
"True treasureâsomething a mongrel like you will never touch!"
After the insults came temptation, preying on draconic greed.
Garothâs eyes flickered, feigning rage and avarice.
"Iâll carve open your stony flesh and pry out that heart."
He growled.
"Try it, if you dare."
The Diamond Stone Giant bent its knees, then leapt far from the camp, sprinting toward distant highlands.
The camp stood on elevated terrain.
The slope was gentle, the land openâperfect for speed. It ran swiftly, putting distance between itself and its kin.
Garoth, seemingly lured by both insult and treasure, abandoned his assault on the camp.
A faint smirk curled the Red Iron Dragonâs lips.
"Finally... it took the bait."
He mused inwardly, wings beating as he pursued the giant.