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Alessandro tightened his grip around her waist, a reassuring reminder that she was not alone.His warmth eased the turbulence in her heart. This would be a difficult battle, and Abril wished to save her strength for the fights to come. Yet, with her husband, companion, and friend by her side, she felt comforted. After several brutal attacks, the barrier shattered. As the first dragon breached their defenses, its roar filled the air. The noise of battle surged, and Abril realized this creature was no ordinary dragon; it was a monster born of darkness. The dragon's skin was so tough that their attacks barely scratched it.Cira flew alongside, a cruel smile on her lips as she taunted them. "Is that all you can do? Pathetic," she sneered. When the second dragon entered the fray, Alessandro unleashed a powerful gust of wind, knocking its rider off balance while Abril focused on Cira and her mount. But then the dragons split; one headed for the city while Cira's dragon dove toward the temple. The wizards unleashed their magic against the dragon approaching the city, while the cavalry targeted the one ridden by Cira, determined to prevent her from reaching the temple.noveldrama"Alessandro, we need to stop Cira," Abril urged. "She's trying to land; we'll have an advantage if she's on the ground," he replied, his voice steady. Abril and Alessandro joined forces to take down Cira, but her dragon was swift, and its hide was resilient. Every time they launched an attack, the dragon shielded her, blocking their efforts. Yet Abril refused to yield. She exchanged her plated arrows for crimson flames. Even though Cira wielded fire, the heat from Abril's magic could still burn, and she hoped the dragon would not withstand it.After her first strike, the dragon retaliated, sending Abril's flames back at them with increased ferocity. Alessandro quickly pulled her aside to avoid being engulfed in the inferno. Maintaining their balance in the air while attacking was a challenge they shared. Abril decided it was best to descend and strike from the ground. "Let's go; we're no match for her in the air," she said, determination in her voice. "Agreed," Alessandro replied. As they descended, Cira began her assault, her voice ringing out above them. "Where are you going? Tired of playing with me?" she taunted.Alessandro unleashed a powerful burst of wind, giving them time to land and regroup. They needed to break the ground and join the others. Without them, the battle would become even more chaotic. They continued their attempts to overthrow Cira, but the dragons proved difficult to defeat, especially with a dark wizard in the mix. Fay pointed out the dragons' weak spots to the cavalry while launching fire arrows at the beast. Everyone was focused on the battle when Abril suddenly sensed a great darkness spreading through the city.Moments later, a massive horde of monsters surged across the land. Abril instructed Kiara to focus on the monsters while she attempted to confront Cira. She sprinted toward the approaching horde, joined by Barto, Sirius, and Cassian, who worked together to fend off the attacks. Sirius waited until the monsters were close before raising a barrier, allowing them to enter one at a time while he maintained the shield. The others concentrated on attacking the monsters that breached their defenses.Though Cira's army was not large, they moved with precision, having centered their strategy on her arrival to prevent her from seizing Hades' key. Cira was a young but formidable strategist, having learned from her past mistakes. Meanwhile, Tarik had fallen into the palace on orders from his priest. Hearing the cries of terror from the city, he drew his sword, mounted his winged horse, and headed toward the chaos. "I can't abandon the palace without doing anything," he muttered as he moved away from the safety of the palace, knowing Lissana needed protection.Several monsters were attacking the citizens, and a massive dragon soared overhead, heading toward the temple where the battle raged. Tarik could see the confrontation unfolding below. Fay had warned Tarik that defeating the dragons would be challenging due to their tough skin and limited weak points. If that dragon joined the fight at the temple, it would complicate matters significantly. Tarik flew toward the dragon, aiming to unseat its rider.The woman atop the dragon shot him a deadly glare and shouted, "What do you think you're doing?" "Stopping you, obviously." Liona couldn't afford to waste time; chaos was spreading through the city, and she needed to confront Cira. "I'm not leaving. I don't have time for games." "I don't think I'll let you go. If you want to leave, you'll have to get past me, but I doubt you can." Liona commanded her dragon to attack with fire, but Tarik managed to dodge the flames. With a mocking smile, Liona taunted him, "That's it? We'll see, boy."