Nidhogg

At this moment, Nero had already reached a position less than ten kilometers away from the battlefield. With her keen sense, she could see a black dragon soaring in the sky and its surging magical energy fluctuations resembling raging waves.

However, she didn't stop, keeping her head down and charging forward even faster than before.

She didn't know the identity of the black dragon, but she could guess, this dragon must be from Camelot. Moreover, judging from the situation, it wasn't hard to think that this dragon was in a battle with someone.

Nero's main concern was that Ritsuka and Mash might get caught up in this battle.

After all, the only ones qualified to match Camelot's strength were the Holy Roman Empire, but their main forces were currently concentrated within the city. Needless to say, the only exceptions were Ritsuka and Mash, who were out searching for survivors.

It was precisely because of this concern that she charged forward into the dangerous area ahead, regardless of the danger.

'Hold on a bit longer! I'm almost there!'

===

At this moment, it wasn't just Nero who was serious, Arkhan's mood was equally serious.

Although he could indeed escape before this black dragon prepared her deadly attack with his speed, the crucial point was that behind him were Mash, Ritsuka, and hundreds of ordinary people below. He couldn't bring himself to abandon them and flee alone.

"Looks like I'll have to get serious..."

Arkhan flipped his palm, and a deep red sphere appeared in his hand, which he swiftly threw downward without hesitation.

Star of Eden descended all the way, abruptly hovering directly above Mash's Noble Phantasm, emitting a hazy glow like a blooming flower, enveloping the entire white city.

With the double protection from Star of Eden and Mash's Noble Phantasm, when he went to fight the dragon seriously later, it shouldn't affect the ordinary people inside Mash's Noble Phantasm below.

Now, he should be able to act without restraint.

Taking a deep breath, Arkhan clenched his left hand into a fist, and after a moment, a golden greatsword appeared in his hand.

The appearance of this greatsword was exactly the same as the Cleaver of Shamash on his other hand, only lacking the overwhelming destructive aura.

This was another Cleaver of Shamash replicated by Void Archives, although it had a considerable gap in power compared to the original, it was still a powerful weapon.

With another wave of his hand, a golden cross appeared behind him, and thirteen golden chains flew out, surrounding him like a protective barrier.

The Key of Binding - Oath of Judah.

Although it didn't possess the destructive power of Shamash, its weakening effect on enemy energy could still be useful.

As for why he didn't directly unleash the Zeroth Power of Oath of Judah to interrupt the dragon's attack, on one hand, this power was completely uncontrollable, and he feared that he would be reduced to a mere ordinary human by then, easily killed by her.

On the other hand, this was not the original Divine Key, so its effectiveness was not as powerful as the original. He wasn't even sure if this Noble Phantasm version of Oath of Judah could truly suppress this powerful dragon.

As for the other Divine Keys, there wasn't much room for them to be effective at this time, and to conserve his magical energy, Arkhan also didn't bother to use them.

Fortunately, as a Servant, he wasn't limited to just Divine Keys.

"The ruler of destruction, the twilight of gods, the harbinger of the ultimate end of the world. Descend, O Dragon of Despair!"

With Arkhan's incantation, a black light darker than the night instantly filled the entire sky and earth, the indescribable silence and tranquility making it feel like entering the afterlife.

However, this feeling only lasted for a moment, and what followed was the deep and majestic roar of a dragon.

*ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR—!!!*

At the moment when they heard the dragon's roar, Melusine, who was already almost ready to unleash her Noble Phantasm, suddenly stiffened.

The black light that seemed to engulf the entire world lasted only a few short seconds before vanishing without a trace. When people's vision returned to normal, they found a massive shadow looming over them.

Instinctively, they lifted their heads, their gazes momentarily frozen.

A colossal creature hung above the white city, its massive wings stretching to the edge of visibility, casting a shadow that completely covered the entire city like a dark, shimmering coat of armor, gleaming with a cold, sinister light.

Its ancient and solemn figure, as vast as a mountain, exuded a terrifying pressure even without any movement, making it hard for people to breathe.

Nidhogg, the Dragon of Despair who devoured the world, had descended!

"No way..." Nero's footsteps abruptly halted as she stared blankly at the sudden appearance of another black dragon. "How can another one pop up again..."

At the front of her Noble Phantasm, Lord Camelot, Mash wore an equally dumbfounded expression as she held her pitch-black shield.

"Mr. Arkhan... summoned a dragon..."

Since the mysterious disappearance of true ether from Earth, it had become increasingly rare to witness phantasmal species roaming the surface, let alone dragons, the apex of phantasmal species.

For modern mages, discovering even a fragment of a dragon's remnant would be a tremendous find, not to mention witnessing a living dragon with their own eyes!

And not just one, but two dragons—pure-blood ones, at that!

For an ordinary mage, such an experience would suffice to boast about for a lifetime.

Before this, Mash had already held Arkhan in high regard. His formidable strength and endless collection of skills made him the most powerful Servant and the most formidable version of King Arthur she had ever encountered.

But what she didn't expect was for him to harbor such a deadly ace up his sleeve—a dragon!

Moreover, the pressure emanating from this massive black dragon was no less than the legendary evil dragon, Fafnir, she had encountered in the First Singularity, if not greater.

At this moment, Mash finally understood why Grand Servants were considered the pinnacle of Servants.

Meanwhile, as Arkhan gazed at the gigantic black dragon he knew well in the sky, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Nid..."

The moment he summoned Nidhogg, he sensed that something was amiss.

The large black dragon's eyes were devoid of the familiar spark, replaced only by a cold, lifeless stare. Unlike the previous summoning, this time, what descended seemed to be merely a dragon named Nidhogg, devoid of its true consciousness.

'Is it because of the barrier covering this world?'

Arkhan had already noticed that this world was shrouded in an invisible barrier, isolating it from the outside. This barrier weakened his connection with his true body and made communication nearly impossible. And now, it seemed that because of this barrier, the Nidhogg he summoned only had her body, but not her consciousness.

Looking at the majestic and legendary Dragon of Despair, Arkhan sighed softly in his heart, shaking his head to cast away the slight disappointment.

'Never mind, if it's not Nidhogg, it's fine. At least this way, there's less to worry about when using this Noble Phantasm...' Arkhan remarked inwardly.

Though lacking his wife's consciousness, the power within this massive dragon's body hadn't diminished. As a summoned entity, it would wholeheartedly obey his commands, making it easier to control.

No longer focusing on Nidhogg, Arkhan turned his gaze toward another black dragon in the distance.

'Now, even if I have to face this dragon head-on, I should—huh?'

Arkhan paused for a moment, noticing that the black dragon had stopped the process of accumulating magical energy and just floated dumbly in mid-air as if in disbelief of something.