Vortigern let out a roar he had clearly prepared in advance, scattering the knights' formation. One knight failed to dodge in time and was stunned, losing the ability to fight.
King Uther glanced at the unconscious knight, seething inwardly, but showed no weakness as he shouted, "Brother! I've come to kill you!"
"Then come and kill me, you cowardly little brother!" Vortigern's dragon roar echoed through the city. He beat his wings and took to the sky, then plunged toward them with a breath of fire.
How could they possibly block that?!
Anno's heart pounded violently.
Vortigern was dozens of meters long. There was no way he could withstand him.
King Uther's expression remained composed. Holding his sword upright, he charged fearlessly at the Demon Dragon.
"Your Majesty!" Anno cried out instinctively.
The knights quickly regrouped and followed behind King Uther.
On one side was the Demon Dragon wreathed in flames; on the other, only a handful of knights.
The sword in King Uther's hand suddenly grew enormous. Just before he collided with Vortigern, he brought it down in a savage slash.
Vortigern's visually overwhelming dive was brought to an abrupt halt by the blow.
But the impact also sent King Uther staggering backward.
Anno and the other knights caught Uther from behind, helping him bear the force.
A trace of blood seeped from the corner of King Uther's mouth.
The sword had already returned to its original size. Vortigern crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Suddenly, flames burst out of the smoke.
"Argh!" Several knights, with no cover to protect them, were melted on the spot by the breath.
"You!" Uther stood at the front, unshaken, though he was heartbroken by the loss of his knights.
He swung his sword, forcing open a gap in the fiery breath just wide enough for King Uther to dodge through.
Anno had no time to get out of the way either. The breath struck him directly, melting the sword that had been at his side for a whole year into molten iron.
The Treasure Armor given to him by the Fairy glowed faintly, barely shielding Anno and keeping him alive through the terrifying breath.
But now he had lost his weapon.
The breath died away, and Vortigern emerged from the smoke.
King Uther's earlier downward strike had left a deep wound across his face, but Vortigern seemed not to feel any pain. He only grinned savagely at Uther and Anno, who had escaped by the skin of his teeth.
Anno's survival had surprised him.
King Uther charged forward with his sword and engaged Vortigern in close combat.
Anno took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
For some reason, Vortigern gave him a strange feeling—as if Vortigern weren't a living being at all.
Though he had lost his weapon, Anno didn't want to show weakness. Besides, not far away, King Uther was still locked in battle with the Dragon, and he had been at a disadvantage the whole time.
The sword in King Uther's hand grew enormous and shone with light. It was clearly some kind of divine weapon. Combined with his practiced swordsmanship and nimble dodging, it was enough to keep Vortigern from overpowering him for the moment.
Anno surveyed the area and saw nothing but ruins destroyed by the breath. He figured there was no chance of finding a weapon.
Looking at the rubble scattered across the ground, Anno came up with a plan.
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