My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

Chapter 394 Athena's Crushing Punch

"A dragon!?"

Leon could hardly believe his eyes. In the sky, a massive black dragon soared, its gaze locked on him and Athena.

Its sheer size, reminiscent of a small hill, was enough to send chills down anyone's spine. Moreover, its fiery red eyes seemed capable of stealing a soul with just a glance.

"Damn it! How is there a dragon in the sky? How did I not notice it earlier?" Leon exclaimed in disbelief.

The dragon appeared as though it had materialized out of thin air, without the slightest indication of its presence beforehand.

With his alertness heightened, Leon turned to speak but stopped when he saw the cold expression on Athena's face.

Without thinking, Leon gently patted Athena's hand, which was wrapped around his waist, and asked in concern, "What's wrong, Athena? Why do you look like that? Do you know that dragon?"

Athena narrowed her eyes at the dragon, then nodded slowly.

"Yes, I know it—no, it's more than that. That dragon was one of the two personal guards of my mother, the Dragon Empress, before me," she replied, her voice icy.

Leon was taken aback. He never expected the dragon in the sky to be one of Athena's mother's personal guards.

With a slight furrow in his brows, Leon glanced at the dragon and asked cautiously, "Since it was your mother's personal guard, how should we deal with it? It seems to be glaring at us with hostility and murderous intent. Could it be that the dragon is one of these monsters?"

Upon closer inspection, the dragon appeared to be just a normal dragon, without the strange markings typical of those monsters. However, the malicious glare it cast upon them made Leon wonder if the dragon had already become one of those creatures.

Athena exhaled softly and nodded before replying in a cold tone, "You're right, Leon. The dragon is indeed one of these monsters. We must defeat and destroy it."

Once one of her mother's two personal bodyguards, the dragon should have died three hundred years ago.

She still clearly remembered seeing its lifeless body back then. Yet, she never imagined encountering it again, especially not under these circumstances.

"How could the Temple of Twilight have brought it back to life? What method did they use?" Athena wondered, astonished.

Remembering Leon's earlier words about the chaotic nature of these monsters being linked to the Fourth Apostle of the Twilight Temple, Athena now understood even more why Leon was so ruthless toward them.

The Temple of Twilight was undoubtedly a dangerous cult, one that could not be ignored. For this reason, Athena resolved to issue a fugitive and destruction order for the Temple of Twilight as soon as she returned to the Dragon Empire.

"Since you've said that, I won't hesitate any longer," Leon said firmly.

His golden eyes gleamed with killing intent as he gripped the hilt of his sword, and the holy power within him began to condense around his body.

Sensing the threat from Leon's holy power, the hatred and hostility in the dragon's massive eyes grew even fiercer.

*Roar!*

The dragon unleashed a deafening roar, sending shockwaves that instantly tore apart the building beneath it.

*Whoosh!*

With a swift motion, the dragon ascended into the sky, opening its enormous mouth. Moments later, a deep red fireball began to form between its jaws, radiating an intense heat.

Though the dragon was far above, the fireball's heat was so overwhelming that buildings—houses, shops, and stalls—within a five-hundred-meter radius were instantly melted to ash.

Even the monsters nearby were reduced to nothing in an instant—a testament to the terrifying power of the fireball.

With a sharp twist of its body, the dragon aimed the huge fireball at Leon and Athena, then hurled it toward them.

*Whoosh!*

The fireball shot downward with blinding speed, hurtling straight at the two.

Without flinching, Leon coldly snorted and drew his sword, shouting, "Hero Technique—"

Before he could finish speaking, Athena gently patted him on the back and whispered, "You don't need to take action, Leon. Leave it to me."

With that, Athena brought her index and middle fingers together and pointed them toward the fireball.

"Nature Magic: Absolute Barrier," she murmured coldly.

*Buzz!*

A fire-red barrier suddenly materialized in front of them, expanding to protect an area of two hundred meters around them.

*Boom!*

The fireball collided with the barrier, creating a massive explosion that shook the heavens and earth. The shockwave instantly obliterated all buildings within a kilometer, sparing only those protected by Athena's barrier.

Leon stared in awe at the barrier, noting that not even a scratch had been left on it.

"As expected of the Dragon Empress, her power is truly incredible!" Leon praised with a small chuckle.

The fireball had terrifying destructive power. Even if Leon had deflected it with his hero's technique, the impact would likely have leveled everything within a two-kilometer radius.

But thanks to Athena's magic barrier, the attack's impact was effectively minimized.

Noticing that its attack was easily repelled, the dragon was stunned for a moment before finally roaring angrily.

The dragon once again opened its huge mouth, and this time, five huge fireballs formed between its jaws.

*Whoosh!*

The five fireballs shot out at high speeds, slamming into the barrier simultaneously.

*Boom!*

The resulting explosion was much bigger and more devastating than the previous one. Still, like the previous attack, the fireballs were unable to even scratch the barrier, let alone destroy it.

Leon took a deep breath and glanced at Athena behind him with an admiring gaze.

"What magic are you using, Athena? Why is it so powerful?" Leon asked eagerly, intertwining his fingers with hers.

Although Leon wasn't a mage and couldn't cast magic, he had a deep understanding of it.

High-level magic, typically reserved for high-level mages or Great Mages, usually couldn't withstand the repeated attacks of those fireballs without sustaining some damage. He suspected this barrier was likely a form of ancient-level magic.

However, since he hadn't heard Athena chanting any ancient incantations, doubt and confusion filled him.

Athena flashed a playful smile, her red eyes meeting Leon's golden gaze.

"The magic I use is nature magic. It's a special form of magic that only dragons with the purest bloodlines can wield," Athena explained casually.

Leon was taken aback. His memories of the dragon race from the ancient books in the Palace Library resurfaced.

Nature magic was a rare and unique form of magic that only dragons could wield. Unlike high-level or even ancient magic, which depended on the caster's mana, nature magic drew its power directly from the forces of nature.

Suffice it to say, as long as this world exists, dragons capable of wielding nature magic can cast it at will whenever they choose.

Moreover, nature magic possessed incredible and terrifying power, surpassing even high-level or ancient magic.

However, as the saying goes, "Nothing is without weakness," and nature magic was no exception.

To harness the power of nature, this magic required a sacrifice—specifically, the caster's soul power. Soul power is the essence of all living beings, and without it, death is inevitable.

Thus, while nature magic's power is immense, the cost of casting it is equally devastating.

*Roar!*

Seeing its attack effortlessly deflected once more, the dragon let out a furious roar. With a mighty flap of its enormous wings, it soared higher and higher into the sky.

Then, it performed a sharp vertical maneuver and dove toward Leon and Athena with breathtaking speed.

Leon snorted coldly, ready to leap off his horse, but Athena suddenly stopped him.

"Leon, please leave this to me," Athena said earnestly. "That dragon was my mother's personal bodyguard, and I saw it die long ago. I don't know how the Temple of Twilight revived it, but I'm certain this isn't the real one. I want to be the one to kill it and send it back to the underworld."

Hearing the request, Leon loosened his grip on the sword's hilt and gave a slight nod.

"Since you're asking, I won't refuse," Leon replied softly.

Athena couldn't help but flash a charming smile. She leaned in and kissed Leon affectionately on the cheek.

"Thank you, Leon," she whispered, her voice soft.

She then stood firmly on the horse, her gaze cold as she fixed her eyes on the approaching dragon.

"Humph! Temple of Twilight, how dare you use the body of one of our dragon kin as a weapon? This debt won't be forgotten. When I return to the Dragon Empire, I'll destroy you all!" Athena sneered, her tone dripping with murderous intent.

In an instant, her figure vanished, reappearing ten meters above the ground.

Her hands were clenched tightly as a fiery red aura began to condense and swirl around her.

As the dragon drew nearer, Athena's expression remained cold and resolute. She pulled her right arm back, gathering her strength, then unleashed a powerful punch directly at the dragon.

*Boom!*

The punch struck the dragon's head, and in an instant, its body was torn apart. Black, foul blood sprayed in all directions while its organs were blown away, scattering across the area.

Fortunately, the protective barrier Athena had cast earlier shielded Leon from the blast.

Leon swallowed nervously, his gaze fixed on Athena floating high in the sky.

"Damn... I never expected Athena to be this terrifying. With just one blow, she completely obliterated that dragon monster!" Leon exclaimed, his voice filled with awe and fear.

Now, he truly understood why Athena sat upon the throne as the Dragon Empress. This yandere woman, who always seemed so gentle and affectionate toward him, was undeniably frightening!

Meanwhile, Athena, observing the dragon's shattered body, smiled with a hint of disdain.

Just as she thought the battle was over, something shocking occurred. The dragon's broken form suddenly emitted a pitch-black glow.

Moments later, the dragon's blood, organs, and flesh swirled together and reformed its body. This time, however, the dragon was even larger—towering like a massive mountain.

Athena blinked in surprise, then a cold smile curled on her lips.

"Restoring a body that was destroyed? How intriguing..."