Scheme (5)

"OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!!!" 
A powerful roar shattered the air.
The dragon's roar tore through the sky, not just sound, but vibrations that collapsed the roofs of houses.
Buildings made of wood and stone crumbled like biscuit crumbs under the grip of its tower-high feet. The black dragon stood on its two legs, 300 meters tall, blood-red eyes, a mountain of flesh and scales that overshadowed the entire village.
It was a sign for the slaughter that turned into a slightly different mass murder.
The villagers screamed, panicked, and ran in all directions. They were just like frightened little ants. The sound of children's cries, women's screams, and the roars of men trying to protect their families mixed into one. An old man fell, his leg injured, but he crawled, his old eyes filled with terror, seeing the apocalyptic scene before him.
Meanwhile, Ramon's subordinates began to be struck down one by one by the black dragon using its tail.
However, not a single villager was attacked by the black dragon.
In the blink of an eye, the hunters became the hunted.
Ramon might curse his God more times in these 5 seconds than when he lived before. If God truly existed, then they should defeat this evil creature now.
Ramon was a devout person -- why did God allow this?
God does not exist.
In the past, he mocked people who didn't believe in God as fools. After all, if God didn't exist, how could priests cast magic? And now, he realized that he was the fool.
A Monster appeared before him -- a Black Dragon, more precisely -- descending from the sky.
"Hah... Haha... aren't... aren't you just a fictional creature made up by those foolish wizards and priests? So, you're really real, huh?"
As he looked at the giant black dragon figure, a memory replayed in his head.
***
"Ramon the Lame Duster. There's a job for you."
The priest's deep voice echoed in the quiet room lit only by candles. He stood towering in front of Ramon, his dull black robe seeming to swallow all light. Ramon, who was sharpening a dagger with casual movements, looked up.
"Yeah. What's the job?" Ramon answered briefly, without stopping his movements.
The priest smiled thinly. "Kill Nicholas the Protector and Blind Princess."
The dagger in Ramon's hand stopped. His thick eyebrows furrowed deeply, his eyes narrowed full of doubt. Ramon sighed softly, shaking his head.
"No, no, even for me that's still too difficult," he said, his tone sounding serious. "Nicholas is the strongest knight in this kingdom, with so many loyal followers by his side. Meanwhile Blind Princess is a princess loved by the King and his people. Surely she has very tight protection."
The priest only smiled wider, as if Ramon's doubt was something he had expected.
"That's not a problem." He leaned forward, his voice becoming a convincing whisper. "I will help you. Not just me, but the Young Master and other nobles on his side will help in this plan. Your task only needs to create chaos in every village around Corlen city. The rest, let me guide Nicholas to his death. As for Blind Princess, that can be done afterwards."
Ramon's eyes radiated doubt, but he nodded slowly. "Alright then. And since this is a very, very big job," he said, a sly grin appearing on his lips, "surely I'll get appropriate payment, right?"
The priest chuckled softly. "Of course. Then, I will also give you this."
He extended his hand, and in his palm was a black crystal that emitted pulsing blood-red light. Ramon reached for it, feeling the piercing cold aura from the object. He examined it more closely, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"What is this?" he asked, weighing the crystal in his hand.
"That is an object that will help you if you're in trouble." The priest explained, his gaze fixed on the crystal.
"Trouble?" Ramon repeated, his eyebrow raised.
"You know about the Black Dragon in the Yndroval mountains, right?"
Ramon laughed a little. "Isn't that just lies from wizards who want to manipulate resources there?"
"No, it's real," the priest answered, his voice tone firm. "Actually we intended to exterminate that dragon too with the Dragon Slaying Sword, but that sword has been stolen. And currently, we're still looking for it. Well, it would be better if you don't meet that monster. But this is just for prevention. I don't know how effective this object is for that dragon."
Ramon snorted. "You lost such an important artifact? Well, I don't care, though." He looked back at the priest. "The important thing is, I just need to kill Nicholas, right?"
***
"W-What are you looking at? Attack that monster!" Ramon shouted, ordering his subordinates.
Dozens of arrows shot toward the black dragon, but not a single one wounded it.
The arrows weren't strong enough to penetrate its skin's defense.
Even after the arrows were given poison or fire, the black dragon didn't budge at all.
A Dragon is immune to any physical attacks.
You won't be able to hurt a dragon with conventional weapons.
The fishy smell of blood was already wafting in the air.Fear began creeping across their faces.
Ramon's subordinates screamed hysterically. They forgot about the hostages and were busy fleeing from a creature far more terrifying than anyone they had ever faced.
"That dragon isn't attacking the villagers at all?"
Nicholas who had been observing the black dragon all this time, finally reached a conclusion though slightly doubting his own thinking.
Nicholas who didn't have much time, saw this as a golden opportunity. He immediately moved quickly.
His sharp sword cut the ropes binding the villagers. "Quick! Run toward the forest!" he commanded, his voice calm but urgent.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the square, Ramon and his subordinates faced their fate. They tried to fight back. One person desperately jumped, swinging his sword at the dragon's leg. The sword bounced off just like that, not leaving the slightest scratch on the dragon's very hard scales. The dragon only turned, then stepped on that person until his body was flattened.
Two others tried to shoot arrows. The arrows just bounced off the dragon's scales. The black dragon growled. Its long tail covered with black thorns moved, sweeping five people at once. Their bodies were thrown into the air and crashed into the walls of already destroyed houses. The walls cracked, and they died instantly.
Ramon shouted, "Don't give up! Attack its eyes! Or between its scales!" He tried to organize his subordinates, but everyone was already panic-stricken.
The dragon breathed black fire. The fire wasn't hot, but rather sucked life and ether. Two people hit by that breath immediately shriveled and dried up, falling to the ground as charred corpses. Those who saw that horror, dropped their weapons and ran as fast as possible.
Nicholas continued working. He had successfully freed most of the villagers. He led them to a safe path toward the forest, where the Lieutenant and his other subordinates gathered, away from the battle.
Some villagers were still hesitant, shocked seeing what happened. But Nicholas's strong urging made them keep moving.
One of Ramon's frightened subordinates tried to hide behind a pile of rubble, but the dragon found him. It lifted the rubble with its claws, then ate that person alive. The sound of his screams was cut off instantly.
Now only about five people remained, including Ramon.
Ramon who was desperate and seeing Nicholas escaping tried to attack him. "You won't be able to run!" he shouted. He swung his sword toward Nicholas. Nicholas easily dodged.
The dragon, seeing Ramon moving away from his group, turned. It stepped forward. Its movement was slow but each step shook the ground.
Ramon saw the dragon approaching, then he realized.
"I still have that thing!"