Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Chapter 947

“Hey…….”

“Uh, uh, uh! It appeared! It’s here!”

The reason the light had disappeared and the reason it had reappeared were both the same.

“Tia― Tia―”

“It’s Tiamat! Tiamat!”

A colossal being, so enormous that even users on the northern battlefield could see it as if it were right in front of them.

The queen of the chromatic dragons, Tiamat, was hovering in the central part of the New Continent.

At the end of a much more intense struggle than last time, the six mouths on its six heads were groaning in their own ways.

Most users did not notice such differences.

This was also true for most users in the central part of the New Continent.

However, to a few users who had experienced Tiamat last time and who were directly below Tiamat, it was quite clear.

“Tiamat is…….”

“In pain?”

Why on earth had there arisen a darkness capable of absorbing all the light from the battlefield?

Chromatic dragons were in a state where they could completely share Tiamat’s pain, so why now was she suffering again?

No one clearly understood it.

Except for the very one who had created the darkness.

Even Onyx, who had brought Tiamat to the battlefield, was bewildered, which was the proof.

* * *

『My, my queen― Why―』

───────────────!

『―Grrk!』

Onyx had to back away, flapping his wings.

Tiamat’s thrashing was so intense that even her subordinate, the chromatic dragons, could not get close.

It was not just mere thrashing. The massive amount of mana energy shooting out unpredictably every time ‘she’ moved was something.

It couldn’t be called magic, nor could it be seen as a skill. However, each blast’s destructive power equaled that of a formidable dragon’s breath attack.

That power was flying towards various fronts where users and chimeras were fighting, exploding without distinguishing friend or foe.

Even the metal dragons, who had fought by exchanging countless skills and breaths during the moments of darkness, sensed their bewilderment.

『What is happening, Onyx!』

Bailephus asked as he flew rapidly.

Onyx quickly evaded the white fireball launched by the gold dragon. He didn’t answer.

“When Tiamat advances, isn’t it when all her afflictions are resolved…? Wasn’t that the case?”

『If it was the Lord’s words, it must be true. But then why…….』

Why was she acting more wildly than her last appearance?

They couldn’t answer. Alexander and Bailephus deflected the skills fired by other chromatic dragons as they flew around Tiamat.

Tiamat was so enormous that from their flying position, they could hardly see her head and tail.

“We need to see her head, partner.”

『I agree. To understand her condition as stated in the humans’ records―』

*Shwoo――!*

Bailephus accelerated.

『Let’s confirm. Everyone, minimize confrontations with the chromatic dragons! Until Tiamat’s condition is grasped, hold your positions and refrain from excessive engagement!』

Even amidst this, the top-grade ‘elder’ of the metal dragons took command.

Approaching the dangerous factor personally while protecting his subordinates was one of the reasons Bailephus was a respected dragon.

“We need to report this.”

『Blaugrunn has already informed the Lord.』

“I see. So that means Ha Leeha is also observing Tiamat?”

『Indeed.』

Alexander briefly observed the ground.

Users, NPCs, and chimeras, all mingled and tangled to the point where distinction was impossible.

‘What method have you found, Ha Leeha?’

Is there a way to kill Tiamat?

Thinking of Leeha, Alexander then shook his head once again.

If there was no special contact from Leeha, it obviously meant he had his own methods.

“We will execute our justice.”

『Of course.』

Bailephus and Alexander flew toward Tiamat’s heads.

As Tiamat had appeared at a point close to the center of the front lines, the users on the ground below still felt a sense of darkness.

This was because Tiamat’s massive body completely blocked out the sun.

“How on earth are we supposed to handle that!?”

Jin Gonggong, transformed into a druid, shouted as he rammed a chimera with his body.

Biyemi, in the meantime, quickly collected the toxins and acids spewing from the chimera into his categorized containers, all while-nimbly dodging their attacks.

“Kikik, let’s not worry about that. Tiamat wasn’t made for ordinary users to hunt anyway.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“We can’t even deal any damage in the first place, so what can we do? Kikik. Our goal is to deal with the endless chimeras and undead rather than just one Tiamat.”

“Biyemi is right. Even if we can’t fight Tiamat, our purpose is clear!”

Tale agreed with Biyemi’s words as he swung his fire sword.

The chimera’s tentacles recoiled in surprise, but Tale was already at its face, driving his sword deep into the chimera’s body.

“Dealing with the ground forces and stopping the invasion!”

“Kikik, correct. The enemy isn’t just Tiamat. There are also the dragons and Le.”

“Kyyaaaah—!”

“Hyaaaap!”

Biyemi was momentarily startled by a chimera charging at him, causing him to stumble. But no attacks reached him. Kijung had stepped in, parrying the chimera’s tentacles with his shield and launching a counterattack.

“Biyemi! Are you okay?”

“Kikik, I’m fine. Anyway, our goal is… this person.”

Biyemi then pointed to Kijung.

“Huh? Me?”

“Tiamat and Le. There’s still one more, right? The ‘Holy Knight’.”

“Oh.”

Ghibrid.

Even if their front line wasn’t the largest, the Demon King’s Fragment occupied a significant portion. So far, the primary cause of user deaths had been the chimeras and manticores.

If they couldn’t eliminate the “Chimera Nest” producing the chimeras and manticores, this front line might continue indefinitely.

“But we can’t get there. We couldn’t even break through last time, and we can’t pinpoint the exact location.”

Kijung shook his head while dealing with the chimeras.

The current situation was completely different from when the exact location had been identified on Rubini’s map.

“Should I go with you?”

“I know Bobae is reliable! But no, the role you’re playing here is too important.”

If the top-ranking archer left, the support for the frontline would suffer significantly.

Bobae understood this too and just smiled at Kijung’s words.

“Kikik, if he hadn’t said Bobae is reliable, he would’ve been scolded again, huh?”

“Did you just say everything, Biyemi-ssi!?”

Bobae snapped at Biyemi’s teasing.

She had indeed appreciated Kijung’s words and stayed silent, so she felt even more flustered.

Continuing to lead the Paladin forces and other elite groups, Kijung let out a small sigh.

“Unless someone accompanies me.”

He needed more strength.

Rubini would still be working hard to pinpoint the location of the Demon King’s Fragments.

Once their locations were completely revealed, if he had someone to accompany him…

There would be no obstacles in breaking through the chimeras and charging toward Ghibrid.

“Lee Jiwon!”

Kijung recalled the top-ranked player who had once fought alongside Ghibrid and Le. Where could he be at this moment?

However, there was no trace of Lee Jiwon anywhere to be seen.

“Alright! Let’s deal with the chimeras first! The path will definitely open up!”

“Ki, kikit— If we survive there… won’t we?”

“What?”

Kijung tried to clear his mind and refocus on the battle. It was at that moment that Biyemi, who was fully engrossed in the fight, pointed his finger towards the sky.

“Kijung!”

“The head of Tiamat?!”

Bobae and Tale were also looking in that direction.

They couldn’t see the head, but they had enough evidence to infer it was the head area.

At one end of Tiamat’s massive and elongated body, various colors of light were gathering.

“This is… that breath attack from before!”

“It’s alright! If it’s coming like this— we’re actually the safest right now!”

Kijung encouraged the panicking Jin Gonggong. Tale quickly grasped his meaning.

“Indeed. Being ‘right under’ Tiamat means there’s no fear of the breath attack.”

The area where they currently were positioned was Tiamat’s belly.

The breath attack would move in the direction the head was facing, so weren’t they in the safest place?

“Yes! We should focus on our battle!— Argh!”

“Eek! What is that sound?!”

Just as Kijung and Tale were about to continue their fight against the chimeras and manticores, a deafening roar echoed throughout the battlefield that all users and NPCs could hear.

It was more like a scream than a roar.

As the utterly chilling scream of a woman sent shivers down the users’ spines, a distinctly audible word could be heard.

Baile——phus——!

The rough male voice, entirely discordant with the female scream, broke off intermittently but clearly shouted the word.

“Bailephus? Did someone just say Bailephus?”

Leeha was surveying Tiamat’s head area through his scope.

A golden dragon flying near the absurdly massive face could only be Bailephus and Alexander.

But who was shouting Bailephus’ name?

One of the six thrashing heads and bodies of Tiamat?!

‘No, how— could it be!?’

A shiver ran down Leeha’s spine. He recognized that voice.

“Kuzgunak’sh!”

Why could Kuzgunak’sh’s voice be heard separately from Tiamat?

As Leeha’s mind made the connection, a hypothesis emerged.

‘Kuzgunak’sh’s head— Kijung crushed it. But even then, Tiamat could be created. And Bahamut’s advice that Tiamat is ‘imperfect’! This means!’

Didn’t the Demon King’s Fragments use Kuzgunak’sh’s head to break Tiamat’s seal?

Even opting to use the completely crushed head…

“They made it into a chimera… and attached it.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Kyaaaaaa──────!

Kieeeeck─────────!

One of Tiamat’s six heads flared up intensely.

As the intensity of the flare grew, the breaths accumulating in the other five heads evaporated and disappeared.

Only one remained.

Out of the wide-open eyes of one head, a breath attack remained.

Baile——ph——-us!

One of Tiamat’s six heads, the head that had become the chimera, Kuzgunak’sh’s head, flared up and spewed a breath attack.

In the direction the breath was spewing, a golden dragon was rapidly descending.