Esmeria

A colossal dragon, towering over four meters tall, emerged from the field of flowers. Its entire body was adorned with vibrant blossoms. The dragon's wings resembled flowering branches, each petal shimmering in the sunlight. At the tip of its tail, a gigantic flower bloomed, adding to the creature's awe-inspiring and menacing appearance.

“It’s an adult dragon! Is that damned Shinal planning to invade this region?” Richard thought, his mind racing with the implications.

“You need to run!” he urged Regina, his voice urgent and commanding.

“B-but…” Regina stammered, her eyes wide with fear and confusion.

“Hurry!” Richard insisted, giving her a firm push to get her moving. "Go, now!" he shouted, his eyes never leaving the monstrous dragon.

Regina quickly ran, intending to find Milli and Zafir to help Richard.

"It seems there's a smart one here," the dragon spoke, its voice rumbling like distant thunder.

"Flowers covering its body... it must be a dragon of the wood element," Richard thought, his eyes scanning the dragon's floral-covered form.

"I am the dragon Blossomwing. You shall be turned into nutrients for my flowers," the dragon declared, echoing through the field. It shook its massive body, causing petals to scatter in all directions—the petals, sharp as blades, aimed straight at Richard.

He leaped to the side, swiftly loading two Fire Bullets. With a steady aim, he fired the first bullet at Blossomwing. Flames erupted upon contact, but the flowers adorning the dragon's body remained unscathed.

"Tsk, I was hoping fire would be more effective against it," he thought, frustration mounting.

He quickly aimed and fired the second bullet at the flower field. Again, fire erupted, but the blooms did not catch fire.

“These flower petals are my scales; they will not burn by your puny fire, human,” the dragon boasted, a wicked smile spreading across its face.

Richard's mind raced. "I need a different strategy," he thought, glancing around for anything that could be of use. The petals continued to drift towards him, their sharp edges glinting menacingly in the light.

Blossomwing took a step forward, each movement causing a ripple of flowers to spread across its body. "Prepare to become nourishment for my garden," it growled, its eyes glowing with a sinister light.

Richard steadied himself, eyes locked on the massive dragon before him. Blossomwing's eyes glinted with malevolent intent as it prepared to strike.

Without warning, the dragon's flower petals detached and swirled around it like a deadly cyclone, their edges sharp as blades. Richard quickly loaded a Wind Bullet and fired it at the approaching petals.

The gust of wind temporarily scattered the petals, but they regrouped and continued their deadly dance. Richard dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a slice to his arm.

Blossomwing didn't wait for him to regain his footing. The ground around Richard erupted as [wood spears] shot up, aiming to impale him. Richard jumped back, barely evading the spears, and quickly loaded a Fire Bullet.

He fired at the dragon, but the flames were absorbed by the resilient flower scales. Blossomwing laughed. "Your fire is useless against me, human!"

Richard's mind raced. He loaded a Lightning Bullet and fired, aiming for Blossomwing's chest. The bullet struck, sending a jolt of electricity through the dragon. Blossomwing roared in pain, its movements momentarily halted.

Seizing the opportunity, Richard loaded an Ice Bullet and shot at the dragon's legs. The ice spread, freezing one of its legs to the ground. "Got you!" Richard thought triumphantly.

But Blossomwing wasn't done. [Wood spears] erupted from the ground again, this time aiming directly at Richard. A spear grazed his side, drawing blood. Richard staggered, pain flaring through him.

He quickly loaded a Light Bullet, hoping to find a weak spot. He aimed for the dragon's eyes and fired. Blossomwing flinched, the light momentarily blinding it.

Richard used the distraction to move closer, trying to find an opening. But the dragon recovered quickly, the petals swirling menacingly around it again.

The deadly petals flew towards Richard with renewed fury. He tried to dodge, but one of the petals sliced across his arm, drawing a deep cut. Blood flowed freely, and Richard's vision blurred with pain.

[Wood spears] erupted again, aiming to impale Richard. He barely managed to dodge, but his movements were slower now, hampered by his injuries.

Breathing heavily, Richard realized he was losing ground. He loaded a final Ice Bullet, hoping to at least slow the dragon down. He aimed for Blossomwing's other leg and fired, the ice spreading and locking the dragon in place.

But Blossomwing's petals still swirled around, ready to strike. "You fight well, human, but this ends now," it hissed, preparing for another attack.

Richard, bleeding and exhausted, knew he couldn't hold out much longer. He needed to find a way to escape and regroup. As Blossomwing prepared its final strike, Richard gathered his remaining strength, looking for any possible way out.

Blossomwing flapped its wings and launched a barrage of razor-sharp petals toward Richard, intending to end his life then and there.

Suddenly, a massive glob of water leaped in front of Richard, absorbing most of the deadly petals.

"Phew, made it in time! Are you alright?" Milli asked, panting heavily.

"Took you long enough," Richard replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

Regina had found Milli and Zafir and returned with them.

“W-w-w-what is that?!” Zafir stammered, trembling at the sight of Blossomwing.

"It's an adult dragon!" Milli exclaimed, her eyes widening in recognition.

"More have come, huh? All the more nourishment for my flowers!" Blossomwing boomed, its voice dripping with malice.

'Thump!' Blossomwing slammed its claws down on the ground, conjuring over ten wood spears to impale the huge gelatinous blob in front.

"Laspi, jump away!" Milli shouted desperately.

The Slime King, Laspi Versillio, found itself entrapped by the [wood spears], unable to move, and was slowly being absorbed by the enchanted wood.

“I need to chop those [wood spears] or Laspi will be in danger!” Milli thought.

Milli quickly took out a card from her pouch and released it, letting it hover in the air. She touched it with her staff and chanted, “Crush them, Baltimore!”

A huge shadow emerged from within the card, charging toward the entrapped Laspi. With swift, powerful strikes, the shadow chopped away the [wood spears], freeing Laspi from its confines.

"Come back, Laspi!" Milli urgently commanded, releasing the summoned Slime King just in time. Laspi shimmered briefly before fading away, its form dissipating into the air.

“RRRRAAAHHH!” Baltimore's mighty roar echoed through the nearby forest, shaking the very ground. It surged forward, poised to charge at Blossomwing, but Milli swiftly intervened, halting Baltimore in its tracks.

Baltimore trembled with rage as it faced the dragon, its fury intensifying.

"Hooh? A summoner and a minotaur?" Blossomwing mused, its voice dripping with curiosity. "I did not expect to see a summoner in such a rural area."

As Blossomwing examined the minotaur more closely, it continued, "Hmm... I recognize that form. It's the Minotaur King. Young girl, who are you, and how are you able to summon it?" Its eyes narrowed, scanning Milli from head to toe.

Baltimore could no longer restrain its anger and charged toward Blossomwing with a roar.

"Wait!" Milli shouted desperately, but her voice couldn't reach the enraged minotaur.

Baltimore roared and charged towards Blossomwing with unbridled fury. The ground trembled under the weight of its powerful strides. Blossomwing flapped its wings, sending a flurry of petals towards Baltimore in a deadly [Petal Dance].

Baltimore raised its massive axe, deflecting the petals with a sweeping [Slash]. The petals clattered to the ground, unable to penetrate the minotaur's defense.

Blossomwing roared and conjured [Wood Spears], launching them towards Baltimore. The minotaur king dodged and weaved, avoiding most of the spears, but a few managed to graze its sides. Ignoring the pain, Baltimore continued its relentless advance.

With a mighty leap, Baltimore brought its axe down in an [Overhead Strike], aiming for Blossomwing's head. The dragon, however, was quick, twisting its body to avoid the blow. The axe embedded itself into the ground, causing a shockwave that sent debris flying.

Blossomwing retaliated by casting [Wood Crusher], conjuring wooden spikes in a wide arc to pierce Baltimore. The minotaur managed to block some of the spikes with its axe, but a few found their mark, causing it to stagger.

Undeterred, Baltimore charged again, its eyes blazing with determination. It swung its axe in a powerful [Slash], aiming for Blossomwing's legs frozen by the ice bullets earlier. The dragon screeched in pain as the blade connected, crushing the ice and drawing blood.

In a desperate move, Blossomwing used [Petal Dance] once more, filling the air with razor-sharp petals. Baltimore tried to shield itself, but the sheer number of petals overwhelmed it, causing multiple deep cuts.

Blossomwing took advantage of Baltimore's momentary weakness and launched [Wood Spears], piercing the minotaur's body in several places. Baltimore roared in agony but refused to fall.

“RRRRAAAHHH!” With one last burst of strength, Baltimore charged forward, attempting to land a final blow. But Blossomwing conjured [Wood Crusher] again, and the wooden spikes pierced Baltimore's body, finally bringing the mighty minotaur to its knees.

Baltimore's axe fell from its grasp, and it collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. Blossomwing loomed over it, victorious.

“Come back, Baltimore!” Milli commanded, releasing the summon before it’s injury could get any worse.

“Hmph! In the end, he is nothing more than a beast,” Blossomwing sneered, its voice dripping with contempt.

“Does he always go berserk?” Zafir asked, concerned.

“No, Baltimore has a deep hatred for dragons. They murdered most of his kin during a war in the past,” Milli explained somberly.

“This could get dicey. Zafir, protect Regina,” Richard commanded, rising from the ground and preparing to strike back.

Zafir nodded and quickly grabbed Regina’s hand, pulling her further back from the battlefield.

"Can you still fight?" Milli asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Heh, this is nothing," Richard replied, brushing off his wounds as if they were mere scratches. He stood tall, his eyes locked on Blossomwing, determination burning in his gaze. "We've faced worse. Let's finish this."

"It has high-tier fire resistance," Richard explained. "I assume only fire of the seventh tier magic and above could really burn it."

"My Laspi can block the petals, but it can't block [wood spears]. If it takes any more damage, it might disappear for real," Milli added, her voice tinged with worry.

"I only have one Wind Bomb left," Richard continued, glancing at the pouch on his belt. "After that, I won’t be able to escape its [Petal Dance]. We need a plan."

"I can't summon Xenado here; Regina and the others might get caught by its skills," Milli said thoughtfully.

"Belphegor only works on enemies weaker than it," she added, considering their options carefully.

"All of you will not escape!" Blossomwing's roar echoed through the air.

Multiple branches erupted from the ground, weaving together to form a giant cage that enclosed them like a domed prison, extending even into the nearby forest.

"Ahhh!!!!!" Screams echoed from the edge of the cage.

"Why did they come here?!" Milli exclaimed in dismay.

"Help us!!!" The desperate cries resonated through the nearby forest, but soon fell silent.

Multiple bodies, pierced by the wooden branches, were slowly lifted towards the center of the dome, blood dripping as they ascended. As they neared Blossomwing at the center, the branches released their gruesome cargo, dropping the humans from a height of around ten meters.

Milli's eyes scanned the chaotic scene, her heart sinking at the sight of the dying scattered around the dome created by Blossomwing's branches. Amidst the despair, she spotted a woman, still clinging to life despite her grievous wounds. With urgency in her movements, Milli rushed to the woman's side, her staff glowing faintly as she cast [Minor Recovery], trying to stabilize her.

"Why did you come here?!" Milli's voice trembled with a mixture of concern and frustration as she knelt beside the woman.

"W-w-we…wanted to…" the woman gasped, her breaths labored and shallow. "S-see i-i-if you were…the one who unleashed t-this monsters o-on us…"

The woman's words were punctuated by heavy coughs, each one wracking her weakened body. Her grip on Milli's hand tightened, fingers trembling with desperation.

"S-save us please…!" The woman's voice pleaded, eyes wide with fear and pain.

"Leave her, save your mana, she won't survive," Richard's voice cut through the grim atmosphere, his words stark and unsympathetic.

"B-but…" Milli's protest faltered as she looked into the woman's pleading eyes, torn between compassion and the harsh reality of their situation.

"You know it," Richard's tone softened slightly, a hint of sympathy beneath his stoic facade.

As Milli continued to channel her magic, the woman's grip gradually slackened, her breathing growing fainter until it ceased altogether. Milli's efforts to heal her proved futile, the woman passing away despite her desperate attempts.

The silence that followed was heavy with sorrow and the bitter taste of loss, the cries of the dying echoing in Milli's ears as she knelt there, grappling with the harsh truth of their circumstances.

As Milli grieved beside the fallen woman, wooden spears erupted violently from the ground, their sharp tips aimed directly at her, threatening to take her life.