Fierce Battle

The air detonated with a thunderous crack. A pillar of blue-white fire surged from the red dragon's maw, descending like divine retribution straight toward the efreeti pasha. The horrific heat warped the surrounding space, reaching temperatures that even the Elemental Plane of Fire could scarcely endure. *Primal Fire Breath.* "Lord of Flames..." His face blanched in the blazing light. Ismail could not help offering a desperate prayer as he raised his shield with every ounce of strength he possessed. If this breath weapon struck him directly— He would die! Even as an embodiment of elemental fire, Ismail could hardly withstand energy of such an exalted order. The rings and necklaces adorning his body flared in unison. Ward after ward triggered in rapid succession, conjuring overlapping hemispherical barriers above the efreeti. *Boom!* The colliding energies detonated. Flames burst in all directions as wild elemental tides surged violently across the battlefield. Yet the deadlock lasted mere seconds. The next instant, the blue-white fire pierced straight through the protective layers of magic and slammed into the efreeti's shield. "Red dragon—!" Ismail held the shield aloft, the muscles of his arms bulging as he miraculously held his ground against the roaring pillar of flame. Even so, the immense force bore down on his entire body. The earth cracked beneath his feet, fissures exposing veins of flowing magma. While bracing against the breath weapon, the efreeti shifted across the ground, searching for an opportunity to strike back. Yet an inconspicuous ray of murky green light streaked toward him. The efreeti failed to notice that high above, Cassius had just extended a single claw, pointing directly at him. *Bang!* The dull green ray struck the shield, immediately unleashing a spherical field of disjoining magic. The Shield of the Ancient Beast instantly lost its luster. Fissure after fissure spread across its surface before it shattered into pieces, disintegrating into a pile of fine powder. "What is—" "Damn it, *Mage's Disjunction*!" Ismail's expression changed drastically. Still, blessed with centuries of combat experience, he reacted the moment the disjoining field threatened to touch the rest of his gear. *Antimagic Field.* The silver ring on his finger flared, conjuring an antimagic field that held the disjoining force at bay. While *Mage's Disjunction* had a one percent chance to destroy an antimagic field or an artifact, the efreeti was spared such misfortune. For any warrior of true renown, protective magical items like this were standard equipment. Ismail dove forward into a roll, slicing through space to reappear hundreds of meters away. "A dragon sorcerer..." "This just got troublesome." Ismail peered up at the dragon in the sky, his expression growing ever more grave. A standard red dragon was already a born engine of slaughter. Their scorching breath, razor-sharp fangs, and massive tails were devastating weapons in their own right, to say nothing of their innate spellcasting abilities. Yet a red dragon sorcerer was even more terrifying. Beyond their traditional inherited magic, they could master utterly unpredictable spells. Engaging in a long-range magical duel with a sorcerer who served as a veritable artillery battery... Was never a wise choice. Cassius, however, granted Ismail little time to think. He quickly swung his head around. The pillar of fire plowed through the earth, carving deep trenches as it swept relentlessly toward the efreeti pasha. Deprived of his legendary Shield of the Ancient Beast, Ismail had no choice but to scramble frantically across the ground. "No, I can't keep this up!" Rolling forward once more to evade the sweeping torrent of flame, Ismail gritted his teeth, a flicker of ruthless resolve entering his eyes. There was no alternative. This red dragon's breath weapon was simply too catastrophic, and the beast possessed an endless array of sorcerous tricks. If this continued, defeat was inevitable. He might even perish here! The efreeti pasha bellowed in fury: "Red dragon! I intended to save the power granted by the Grand Sultan for the Prince of Sacred Fire!" "Yet—you dare provoke me!" Ismail threw his head back and roared. The adamantine rings circling his neck spun continuously, releasing an overwhelming surge of power. The earth trembled. The surrounding flames leapt wildly. The entire Elemental Plane of Fire seemed to rejoice. Steam billowed, fire surged, and a rain of ash poured from the heavens. Everything appeared to resonate in an uncanny harmony with the efreeti pasha. As natural rulers of the elemental planes, every genie shared an innate bond with their realm. And the mightiest among them could harness that primal force. Cassius was not one to stand idly by and watch an opponent power up. He unleashed a barrage of breath attacks in rapid succession—a freezing glacial cascade, crackling arcs of lightning, and pillars of searing white fire. Yet every breath was repelled by the planar laws of the Elemental Plane of Fire, unable to pierce the barrier of flame, ash, and steam. Cassius could certainly have unleashed far more devastating abilities. Yet there was no need. He watched the roaring efreeti in the distance, a flicker of intrigue shining within his pale gold pupils. *So this is the power of the Grand Sultan...* *Heh, I was wondering why the system assigned him a Challenge Rating of 24. A fellow like this is actually worth my time.* Ismail's incantation echoed across the desolate plains. "O Lord of Flames, in the name of a son of the Elemental Plane, I pray to You..." "Grant me the strength... to repel this invader!" *Boom!* A column of fire shot straight toward the heavens! Amidst the dazzling blaze and the enveloping cloud of steam, Ismail's body expanded rapidly, swelling to immense proportions. In the end, a titan nearly thirty meters tall stood towering over the magma-streaked, fire-choked earth, letting loose an earth-shattering bellow. "Red dragon!" "You have enraged the one enemy you should never have provoked!" "I, the noble Efreeti Pasha Ismail, in the name of the Grand Sultan, grant you your end!" Ismail raised his brass scimitar high, glaring furiously at the distant red dragon. Wreathed in wisps of flame and rippling with molten magma, his massive form warped the surrounding space with every movement. The Elemental Plane of Fire was the essence and incarnation of fire itself. And as an elemental spirit who styled himself a ruler of this plane, the efreeti pasha had now temporarily seized a sliver of planar power. "Ismail." "Only now are you worthy of a bit of my effort!" Cassius exhaled a plume of sulfurous vapor, watching the towering efreeti with an exhilarated gaze. He slowly beat his wings, ascending once more into the sky. *Undying Inverted Scale.* *Draconic Agility.* *Energy Immunity.* *Greater Energy Scales.* ... A radiant interweaving of magical auras flared across the red dragon's scales, layering protective enhancements over every inch of his body. Moreover, Cassius fought with greater opulence than ever. Beyond the draconic spells he had mastered, the crevices of his scales were studded with numerous magical items offered as tribute by the subjects of his empire. Even his wing membranes were inscribed with various spells, including *Otiluke's Dispelling Screen*, *Scintillating Pattern*, and multiple others. —An art Cassius had learned from "Silver Wings" Oszedro himself. "Damned reptile..." Feeling the boundless power surging through his veins, Ismail glared viciously at the distant red dragon, yearning to tear the beast limb from limb. This was an ability he could only call upon once every century. He had intended to use this power to make his name and achieve glorious feats during the Burning War. Yet this unexpected red dragon had shattered his plans, even threatening his very life. "Red dragon! You are formidable!" "Yet never shall you defeat a noble efreeti pasha within the Elemental Plane of Fire!" *Boom!* Ismail bellowed with ferocious intensity. His foot shattered the earth beneath him as his colossal frame leaped hundreds of meters into the air. Trailing plumes of ash and smoke, the efreeti pasha swung his scimitar with all his might, throwing himself straight toward the dragon aloft in the heavens. The brass scimitar tore through space, cloaked in a blinding, searing radiance.