Reincarnated as a Sickly Princess, She was Kidnapped by the Evil Dragon Lady - Chapter 9

Outside the palace, the meticulously prepared Magic Arrays suddenly lit up.

With modern magical technology, notifying distant allies was remarkably swift. The moment the Dragon’s descent was detected, specialized personnel immediately alerted mages and Paladins across the Roland Empire.

As the Magic Arrays glowed, pillars of magical light surged skyward from each array. The entire Roland Empire witnessed these radiant columns erupting from the Royal City’s center, a spectacle so awe-inspiring that countless people stopped to gaze in wonder.

Many initially assumed it was another training exercise by the Magic Academy, until a colossal Dragon suddenly soared overhead. The gale it generated scattered street vendors’ stalls and tore down shop signs, a testament to its incredible speed.

In that instant, news of the Dragon’s appearance spread like wildfire across the Roland Empire, plunging the populace into panic.

“Citizens! There’s no need to fear! Your Highness has long anticipated the Dragon’s arrival and prepared countermeasures!”

As panic gripped the crowds, threatening to erupt into riots, Great Sages clad in robes and conical hats appeared in mid-air across the Roland Empire, calming the public’s fears. This was precisely what Rodas, as ruler of the nation, had anticipated and prepared for in advance.

At that moment, pillars of light erupted from the Palace grounds, gradually coalescing into a semi-circular, translucent protective barrier that enveloped the entire Palace complex.

This was no ordinary shield; it had been forged by a hundred Overlord Mages, and under normal circumstances, even a meteor strike couldn’t shatter it.

As Rodas observed the rising shield from within the Palace, his anxiety eased slightly.

After all, the existence of such a barrier gave him a measure of confidence.

Though Rodas had no idea why the Dragon had suddenly appeared or what its intentions were, preparing defenses in advance was only prudent.

Moreover, given the current circumstances, it was unlikely the Dragon had come seeking peace or negotiation.

If it truly desired friendly communication, it wouldn’t have made such a grand spectacle of itself, deliberately exposing its presence to the masses and inciting panic.

“Roar!”

Just as Rodas was strategizing, the Dragon reached the Shield. It tilted its head back and unleashed a deafening roar into the sky.

Before everyone’s eyes, the Dragon unexpectedly spat out an eerie, azure beam of light that struck the Shield directly.

Yet, just as the crowd believed the Shield that’s forged from the combined power of all present would withstand the Dragon’s assault, the beam shattered it completely in less than three seconds.

The sound of shattering glass echoed in their ears, plunging the crowd into horror.

They had anticipated the Dragon’s strength, but never imagined it would be so overwhelming, leaving them utterly defenseless.

“Swear to defend the Empire to the death!”

Seeing the mages’ morale plummet, the Saint-rank Knight on the ground roared with a powerful, rallying cry.

The shout seemed to work like magic. The mages, who had been despondent and even despairing after the Shield’s destruction, suddenly felt a spark of hope ignite within them, their spirits surging with renewed fervor.

This was one of the Paladin’s signature techniques: Mass Inspiration.

As the words were spoken, the group regrouped. Over a hundred Overlord Mages, alongside an equal number of Paladins, now stood before the colossal Dragon.

“Dragon, we know not whence you came, but if you seek to destroy our Empire, you must first trample over our bodies!”

Among the Paladins, one stood out with uniquely ornate armor, clearly a Knight Captain. He faced the Dragon directly, his voice ringing with unwavering resolve as he drew his greatsword.

“We swear to defend the Empire with our lives!”

At the Knight Captain’s rallying cry, the other Paladins roared in unison, their voices swelling with fervor.

The effects of Mass Inspiration intensified with each shout, until a faint white flame flickered around every warrior’s body.

Yet the Dragon, their enemy, merely observed this spectacle without stirring, as if curious to see what these humans that just were mere ants in its eyes, would attempt.

But just as the group prepared to charge the Dragon, a Magic Array suddenly unfolded beneath their feet, engulfing them all within its glowing runes.

“No! Get back—”

One of the group, with sharper eyes, recognized the Magic Array and cried out in alarm, urging everyone to retreat.

But the array gave them no time to react. Before the warning could be completed, it had already trapped most of them in place, leaving only a handful to escape.

To those who escaped, the moment the array activated, intense beams of light engulfed everyone within.

When the light faded, the trapped individuals had been transformed into petrified statues, their forms frozen in stone. Neither Overlord Mages nor Saint-rank Knights were spared.

Such a grand scheme could only be the work of the Dragon.

The remaining survivors tried to regroup, but the Dragon unleashed another earth-shattering roar.

“ROAR!!!”

The deafening sound pierced the ears of every person present.

As the roar echoed, the Dragon’s colossal form vanished from sight.

By the time the survivors turned, their eyes met only the Dragon’s rapidly approaching silhouette…

*****

Inside the Royal Palace, Isabella was hiding with Illycia, waiting for the Archmages and Paladins outside to drive away the Dragon.

During their escape, Illycia had also spotted her Fourth Sister, Emilia.

As for their two elder brothers, their whereabouts remained unknown. Only the three sisters had made it to the backup Magic Array, prepared for immediate teleportation.

“Illycia, get in first,” Isabella said, holding Illycia. She placed the younger girl in the center of the Magic Array and prepared to activate it, ensuring Illycia could be instantly teleported away should the Dragon appear.

The reason Isabella had carried Illycia all this way was simple: Illycia had run out of energy halfway through their escape, leaving her Second Sister to carry her the rest of the way.

“Emilia, you get in too,” Isabella added, pulling Emilia into the Magic Array.

Standing at the edge of the array, Isabella began chanting an incantation, activating its power.

Soon, the Magic Array slowly lit up and began to hum with energy.

At that very moment, the entire Royal Palace began to shake violently, accompanied by a resounding dragon’s roar.

This sudden upheaval extinguished any lingering hope Isabella might have harbored.

Illycia, too, glanced around at the trembling palace, her heart pounding in her chest.

As Illycia stood dazed by the chaos, an even more violent tremor struck, sending Isabella and Emilia, who had been observing from their positions, crashing to the ground.

Then, before their horrified eyes, the entire palace was ripped open by the colossal dragon.

The dragon’s massive, crimson eyes were now exposed before them.

At such close range, even the dragon’s breath alone was enough to force the three women to squint against the gale. Illycia, already frail and weighing less than a hundred pounds, was spun around several times by the force of the dragon’s exhalation.

Despite her terror, Isabella forced herself to her feet and continued channeling power into the Magic Array.

For her, as long as her two younger sisters could escape, she was willing to die here without regret.

As Isabella activated the Magic Array, the runes etched into the ground began to slowly dissolve.

Before Isabella could react, the Dragon extended its claws and seized Illycia, whose face was contorted with terror.

“Illycia!!!”

Standing beside Illycia, Emilia watched helplessly as her sister was snatched away. Driven mad with desperation, she frantically attacked the Dragon’s claw holding Illycia, even resorting to biting it in a desperate attempt to keep her sister from being taken.

After all, Illycia was vital to Emilia and their entire family.

They had owed Illycia so much for so long…

The Dragon merely released a surge of its aura, sending Emilia and Isabella, who had been about to intervene, flying backward.

Before their eyes, the Dragon soared into the sky with Illycia in its grasp. Reaching a certain altitude, it vanished into thin air.

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