Ashen Dragon

"Awooo—" Cassius let out a resonant howl, seizing the rare opening as he swung his massive claws with all his might and struck ruthlessly at Gush, who was still holding his shield ready.

"Boom!"

Another colossal crater appeared on the ground, and the unprepared Gush was smashed deep into the earth. A mouthful of golden divine blood spurted from his lips, and even the black plate armor encasing his body had cracks ripped into it.

Such was the power of the Red Dragon's forceful strike! With a body length approaching sixty meters, just the claws of this massive dragon could wreak havoc surpassing most spells.

But the body protective divine light surrounding Gush was swiftly healing his injuries, mending the black plate armor on his body. In less than a single breath, most of his wounds had already recovered.

"As expected of the incarnation of a powerful divine being! What terrifying regenerative abilities," Cassius secretly marveled in his heart. He had intended to follow up with another claw strike, but sharp-eyed as he was, he caught sight of a faint smile curling at Gush's bloodied lips.

That smile sent Cassius's heart racing, an intense and dangerous premonition erupting in his mind.

Something's wrong!

In an instant, he made his choice. Cassius flapped his broad wings, scattering the dust that surrounded him, pressed his claws against the earth, and launched into the sky!

The next moment, under Cassius's shocked gaze, the battle axe flew back at breakneck speed, spinning wildly.

"Swish—"

The battle axe burst through the spot where the Red Dragon had been moments earlier, releasing hundreds of blood-colored blade arcs that nearly tore the space apart before it landed steadily in Gush's grasp.

With the axe firmly in hand, Gush let out a faint sigh, seeming slightly disappointed. That cautious Red Dragon hadn't fallen for his trap.

Hovering high overhead, Cassius felt the brush of true fear. If he'd been even slightly greedier for an attack and swung his claws again, he'd have surely been shredded to pieces by that axe.

Locking his gaze firmly on the Divine Incarnation of the Beastman God in the distance, Cassius cursed inwardly: "What a dangerous bastard... Carelessness could mean death."

The dynamics of this battle had become abundantly clear—Gush remained heedless of consequences, while Cassius had to tread carefully every step, on constant high alert.

Certainly, Cassius had his contingency plans and could instantaneously retreat to the Empire, escaping the threat to his life altogether.

But if he fled, the Empire's northern territories in Fianso would undoubtedly fall into the hands of the orcs, and the prestige of the Red Dragon within the Empire would take a severe hit.

Moreover, if he lost this once-in-a-millennium opportunity, he'd likely spend the rest of his long lifespan holed up in the remote North, reduced to being a petty regional emperor despite living for thousands of years.

Gush, shrouded in a black mist, ascended steadily once more. In his right hand, he clutched the battle axe, while in his left, he conjured a blood-stained spear. His confident tone echoed: "I told you, the strength of a god is far beyond your comprehension.

Cassius, I'll give you one last chance—submit to me, and you'll also be worshipped by billions of beastmen across the Multiverse. However..."

He grinned wickedly before continuing, "You will appear beneath my statue, as my eternal steed."

To demonstrate his sincerity, a divine contract materialized mid-air, radiating an alluring brilliance that suggested signing it would grant immortality and immense power.

In Gush's eyes, this frightened Red Dragon should have been scared out of its wits, ready to abandon all principles to preserve its life—especially given how favorable the offered terms were.

After all, trading away dignity for the chance to become a sub-god? How many mortals would kneel before Gush and still not receive such a gift!

But what Gush didn't realize was that the terms he presented held absolutely no temptation for Cassius—particularly since the Red Dragon had already accumulated several paths to becoming a god.

"Screech—"

Cassius sliced through the air with his claws, unleashing several shimmering claw-shaped force fields that ruthlessly shredded the divine contract into fragments.

From his high perch, the Red Dragon glared down at the orc disdainfully, his tone ice-cold: "Old green-skin, have too many of your followers died? Did you drive yourself mad in your grief?"

"Ingrate."

Gush's gaze turned steely, his veins bulging as an immeasurable surge of divine power erupted from his single eye. Blood-red light pierced the sky, shrouding the space within a hundred-mile radius.

Step by step, Gush advanced, and with each stride, his form grew exponentially, the pressure emanating from him intensifying with every passing moment.

At last, a nearly hundred-meter-tall one-eyed beastman stood towering over the land. Spear in his left hand, axe in his right, black armor draped over his frame, he radiated a primordial and savage aura of absolute terror.

The oppressive force of a powerful divine being descended, causing even Cassius to feel his shoulders sag, nearly falling from the sky. Only frantic beating of his wings allowed him to maintain balance.

It was clear now—Gush had consumed a portion of his divine power origin to fully manifest his incarnation. He was the embodiment of war and conquest itself, relentlessly pursuing victory at any cost.

Cassius struggled to keep his wings moving while gazing down at the immense beastman, yet fear did not enter his heart. Instead, a smirk accompanied by sarcasm flickered across his face: "Old green-skin, you're even willing to drain your essence just to kill me.

So it seems... your old adversaries must be attacking your Divine Realm, huh? Haha, you're eager to rid yourself of me quickly to tackle them. Did I guess right?"

"You court death!"

Gush roared in fury, his blood spear pointing toward the Red Dragon soaring high above. A deafening battle cry reverberated as his killing intent locked onto Cassius.

Cassius pushed himself to his limits, ascending rapidly with a trail of dazzling flames bursting from his tail. He broke through the barriers of divine power and soared thousands, even tens of thousands, of meters into the air, staring down at the orc from his secure vantage point.

Despite Cassius's outward taunts meant to provoke the Beastman God, he still dared not let his guard down—after all, Gush was indeed a formidable incarnation created by depleting divine origin. A single slip could spell death for him.

"Roar—"

The Red Dragon bellowed into the heavens, channeling fire from the Inner Plane and flames of the sun onto his draconic body. The ferocious energy surged, and in an instant, Cassius's form swelled to over a hundred meters, rivalling the massive incarnation of the Beastman God below.

"Boom!"

Gush gripped his spear and axe tightly, stamping his feet upon a hill and crushing it, causing it to collapse into rubble.

The battlefields were fraught with tension and chaos, thick with choking gunpowder smoke. The earth quaked, artillery fire thundered in the distance, and shells streaked through the sky, their explosions relentless. Soldiers clutched their weapons, their expressions resolute and anxious, charging into the maelstrom of warfare.

In the trenches, warriors fought hard to repel the enemy's onslaught amidst the baptism of iron blood. Bullets rained down like torrential downpours onto enemy lines, intertwining gunshots and explosions into a cacophony, the air drenched with the smell of gunpowder. Each blast rocked the ground and kicked up clouds of dust. Hidden behind cover in the smoky aftermath, soldiers exchanged shouts of command and barked orders, punctuated by the near sounds of gunfire as the combat intensified fiercely.

The frontline shifted constantly as assaults met counter-attacks in unending waves. The earth lay battered and blurred beneath tank tracks and armored vehicles. Blood, soil, and rust blended into a grotesque tapestry. Pain-filled cries of soldiers and the devastating loss of comrades deeply scarred the battlefield. Artillery and machine gunfire seemed to be the only universal language heard, while shattered shell fragments scattered wildly. Bullet casings, exposed to sunlight, shone with a cold light amidst the mayhem.

Near the trenches roared tanks, their fortified armor shields proving near indestructible, their firepower delivering ruinous blows. The tank barrels spat fiery red bursts, launching shells into enemy ranks with devastating explosions. From within the inferno, the opposing forces appeared unable to withstand such ferocious assaults. Soldiers, their faces streaked with sweat and dirt, held unwavering determination in their eyes, fully absorbed in the fever of war.

Some troops hunched low and moved cautiously through the dense smoke, evading gaps torn open by artillery blasts. Their slow progress marked them as ever closer to victory—or perhaps death. Countless lives crumbled on this scorched earth, where survival and demise seemed only a razor's edge apart. Heroes fell gloriously one after another, trading their lives to turn the tide of the chaotic battlefield ever so slightly.