At this moment, Komodo was still locked in battle with Essek. Of all the wizards who had gone to encircle and suppress Komodo, only Essek could trade moves with it. But Essek's stamina was also being steadily drained. Once it fell to zero, Komodo would have no more reservations and would drive straight at the floating ice behind them.
The black dragon phantom behind Essek was visibly fading, while Komodo's ferocity continued to rise.
As everyone's hearts grew heavier and heavier, the man who had taken the coagulation potion from Monchi turned to look at Komodo.
He rose to his feet and silently walked toward the center of the battlefield. It was as though invisible steps had appeared in the air.
Step by step, the man walked toward Komodo.
The dark-red fire patterns drifting across the horizon formed his backdrop, outlining his lean, slender figure.
At that very moment, in that very scene, it was like a painting. The man's back looked utterly solitary, yet incomparably powerful. The crimson clouds stretched his shadow thin and long, while before him stood a hideous, terrifying great demon steeped in blood. Yet he marched forward without hesitation, without the slightest flicker of doubt.
It was like a soldier on the battlefield standing alone against an army of thousands, advancing against the tide while everyone else retreated.
But in truth, the great demon before him was even more terrifying than an army of thousands.
A Hand of Flame from Komodo struck Essek in the chest. Though the black dragon's scales temporarily blocked the fire poison trying to invade his body, they could not withstand that immense force. With a muffled cry of pain, Essek was hurled backward in an arc.
With great difficulty, Essek adjusted his posture in midair and stopped his fall. At