Take pride in your actions today

A jet stream of water, with pressure enough to blow apart steel, careens towards Ann’s shield. While the shield holds strong, no opportunity to advance towards our opponent presents itself.

“Shiidou, how close must you be for your attacks to be effective?”
“At least some twenty metres closer than we are now, but I have an idea.”
“Whatever play you’re making, you must make it quickly. My barrier shan’t hold forever.”

Attacks from this range won’t work, but physical damage isn’t the only thing I’m capable of. Standing to my feet, I aim my casting hand towards where I assume the beasts head the be. The jet stream slamming into the barrier somewhat blocks my vision, so I have to calculate this right. I may have only one shot.

I analyse closely, trying to follow the path of the jet stream with my limited vision. Factoring in angle and fall-off due to gravity…

“DISRUPT!”

A cloud of black erupts from my hand, initially concentrated and in a small surface area, but expanding outwards as it moves it. Around a second after it leaves my hand, the jet stream ceases pounding the shield, and the dragon frustratedly stops channelling mana.

“Ann, let’s move up!”
“I’m with you!”

The time window is short, but it’s enough for us to get within my effective range.

Disrupt is an incredibly useful skill exclusive to darkness mages, and I’m thankful to have learned it. As darkness is the element of distortion and chaos, darkness users can disrupt the flow of mana within an area, making it impossible to channel into spells. When surrounded by it, casting becomes costly. When inhaling it, it’s effectively impossible. Hence why I had to aim it straight for the dragon’s mouth.

“That trick won’t work twice, we have to make the most of this.”
“Understood, what will you have me do?”
“Buff my mana flow efficiency and keep defending, and make sure not to exhaust your mana.”
“As you wish. And fret not, my mana pool is not so shallow.”

She casts the buff I ask for and resumes defensive position, just in time for the dragon to start rechannelling mana from the atmosphere.

An impressive trick, young warrior. I was unaware there were humans with mastery enough over darkness to disrupt my mana so effortlessly

We humans tend to be full of surprises, after all

Indeed, but I’ve no more patience to entertain these games. Prepare for thine annihilation.

If the level of mana he absorbed from the atmosphere before was scary, this was downright terrifying. Even the sea beneath him was deprived of so much energy that it began to freeze. He limits his own movement, but in exchange he’s able to launch an attack of catastrophic strength.

“Fuck, Ann, get down!”

This time, we lay side by side, and she casts a shield covering our entire bodies.

While before we were assaulted with a fast, narrow stream of liquid water, we were now at the mercy of several tonnes of ice being launched at us in the form of long, extremely heavy icicles. The force would be enough to turn a stone building rubble in seconds.

“Shiidou, my barrier will not hold out against such a barrage indefinitely. We must end this fight soon.”
“I got it, I got it. Just… prepare to feel a little shaking.”

I plant both of my hands into the ground and focus my mana flow straight through my fingertips. At first it’s just sound, but after a second the ground begins to shiver beneath us, and then a violent shaking occurs. All at once, the icicles cease battering us.

The dragon scrambles to move itself away from the shallow water it sits in, desperate to escape the epicentre of the earthquake I had just unleashed under its body. This time, the tsunami is of my creation, and in its rush to escape the open ground ready to swallow it whole, the dragon is powerless to stop the enormous wave from crashing down atop it. It’s unlikely to do much damage, but hopefully it sends the message I’m hoping for.

Great dragon, I find myself disappointed. You’ve an enormous body, many times the size of my own, and yet you insist on fighting mages with magic. Can’t you see that you’re outmatched?

“Shiidou, what on Earth are you planning? Why antagonise it?”
“I have an idea. It’s a dangerous one, and incredibly reckless, but it would end the fight instantly.”
“Dangerous and reckless? This sounds no different to any other plan you’ve formulated.”
“Just trust me on this.”

Aye, young warrior, there is truth to thy words. I had wished to fight thee on even terms, but it is apparent that I am outmatched in terms of magical finesse.

Are you admitting to defeat?

Nay, I suffer no defeat. I must simply change mine approach.

“Ann, drop the barrier, but everything you have into boosting the strength of my magic.”

“You’re sure?”
“Certain, and hurry.”

Ann begins channelling mana through the staff, imbuing my body with a stream of intensely fine magic.

This is the end of the line for thee, young warrior.

Is that so? Then approach me, with everything you have!

“Shiidou, have you gone quite mad?”
“Have I ever let you down before?”
“If you had, we’d be dead and buried. I do not wish for the trend to be broken.”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of breaking it today. Do you trust me?”
“…I trust you. Do not waste that trust.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

I turn my head and give Ann a quick wink, before turning my focus back to the gargantuan blue dragon before me.

It lowers its body into the water, preparing to pounce like a lion. Despite the distance between us, once it makes its move, I’ll have a half- no, as little as a third of a second to react. If my timing isn’t perfect, this really will spell the end for me and Ann.

“Ann, increase the intensity of the mana stream.”
“By how much?”

“As much as you can.”

Without a word of protest, she pumps out mana at a rate most mages could only dream of, boosting my magical strength more and more by the second.

The dragon and I stare at each other, the great distance doing nothing to break the eye contact between us.

He’s waiting.

I have to pay attention to every twitch. Every small movement. Every dart of the eyes. My execution has to be perfect, lest it lead to my execution.

He holds his position. I hold mine.

Concentrate.

Prepare.

Predict.

…now!

The dragon launches its long body towards us at a speed nearly exceeding the sound barrier. The sound of Ann’s manastone shattering fills my ears.

And I time my spell to perfection.

“GRAVITATE!”

A mere tenth of a second after the dragon leaves the water, its entire body is assaulted by a powerful gravitational pull, exceeding Terra’s 9.45ms^-2 surface gravity by a factor of almost a hundred.

I’m only able to maintain the spell for a tiny fraction of a second, but it’s enough. The dragon’s leaping body is violently dragged to the ground, slamming into the wet muddy ground below. Despite the soft surface, the collision with the ground exerts a momentous force on the dragon, one that would kill any other animal in an instant.

But while the attack doesn’t kill the dragon, its body slides along the ground and comes to a halt a mere ten metres in front of us, the friction burning away much of the skin of its worm-like underbelly.

Our foe felled, Ann and I walk towards its still-conscious face, until we’re close enough to feel the heavy breath from its nose.

Such power… a human can wield magic of this strength?

Not alone. Without my partner, I wouldn’t have been able to bend space and time enough to stop your attack. You were a formidable foe, but the combined power of a realised dark mage and light mage in tandem is not one most could overcome.

I see. Then it was my hubris in fighting alone that lost this battle.

“Shiidou, look…”

Ann points to the ground, and I realise the amount of blood leaking from the enormous body. The whole bay may turn red.

It is as you see. The wound thou hath inflicted upon me will be fatal. Young warrior, may I ask of thee a final favour?

What do you need from me?

Drain me of my remaining life. I wish not to waste it by dying here by loss of blood.

Wave dragons carry an immense amount of mana. At my current skill level, I could likely harvest it as enough life force to extend my life by several years. But…

“Sorry, man, that’s not how we do things here. Ann?”
“I’ve already begun.”

Ann touches the great dragon’s nose, and begins imbuing it with healing magic.

Thou would heal thine adversary? With the chance for great power before you, you choose mercy?

“We came here today to prevent casualties. I can’t forgive you for killing so many of my comrades, but I also can’t fault a ruler for wanting to protect his people.”
“My mana pool runs low, but he shall survive. I’ve done all I can.”

…such an act of kindness bestowed upon thine enemy. The human race is one I fear I may never understand.

“We don’t really understand ourselves either. But if you wanna repay that kindness, we’d appreciate it if you stop attacking human lands. Next time, we won’t be able to give such mercy.”
“One we cared for deeply was lost during your assault. I extend this kindness as I respect your will to protect your people, but such an act will not happen again.”

The dragon exhales heavily. I think that was a laugh? Sort of?

Very well. As long as I and my descendants live, Dragons shall never again enter human territory.

The dragon’s enormous body slowly rises from the muddy, blood soaked ground it lays in.

Hmph. Take pride in your actions today, children of the humans. The denizens of the land and the sea shall never again have quarrel. You have my word.”

Now risen fully to its short legs, the dragon gives a deep bow of its head, and slowly turns back to the sea