Having been knocked aside once, Grosell was ready for the impact, both physically and mentally. This time, he withstood the Frost Dragon's dive.
He tossed away his useless Greatsword and thrust out both hands. Like a brawler in a tavern, he braced them against the Ice Dragon's shoulders beside its neck. One hand even pressed into its wound. Ignoring the icy blue blood freezing his arm, he dug in his feet and heaved with all his strength, stopping Ulyssan in his tracks.
The enraged beast roared. Its jaws, packed with sharp teeth, opened and snapped down at the vulnerable back of Grosell's neck.
Crack!
With agility that belied his size, Grosell dodged the fatal bite. He pushed his hands higher, lifting the dragon's upper body off the ground. Its thick hind legs gouged furrows through the ice, but for the moment, it could do nothing against the stubborn giant.
Whoosh! Boom!
As man and dragon remained locked together, Shatas drew her bow again and fired an arrow shaped like Storm Convergence. Together with another empowered shot from Angel, it struck the dragon's right shoulder, now bare of ice armor. The wound that had only just frozen shut once again exploded, bled, and froze over.
Longzeer, the Disciplinary Paladin watching the battlefield with keen eyes, noticed the weakness in Ulyssan's wound. He pointed with his free left hand and declared:
"Death!"
The Ancient Hermes word carried overwhelming force. An invisible hammer seemed to strike the dragon's right shoulder. The battered wound caved inward with a pop, its blue, icy blood turning deathly black. The flesh beneath withered and fell away, exposing translucent bones like ice.
"Roar!"
The King of the North screamed and drove forward with his hind legs, forcing Grosell back. Bracing himself on his uninjured left foreleg, he thrust