After Augustus ordered it, there were more than 7,000 dragons in total, and a loud roar erupted in unison. The sound shook the sky and could be heard from far and near.
"Is Augustus going to take the initiative to attack?" Many spectators widened their eyes at the sight of the head-to-head dragon above the sky.
A hint of curiosity flickered in their eyes; they wanted to see the Astra Militarum's defense. What means does the Dragon Army have? In all previous matches, no opponent had ever broken through the positions of the Astra Militarum.
Don't talk about breaking through; no one even came within a kilometer, mainly because of the fearsome firepower of the Electromagnetic Rifle, combined with occasional missile support from the sky, which caused countless powerful species to fall under this devastating output. Even Iris and Baroque were no exceptions.
"If the firepower of the infantry and pilots is insufficient, Augustus is superior." From the Imperial Region's side, they looked on with anticipation, knowing that Augustus possessed other abilities.
"The enemy is about to launch an attack; be prepared and act according to plan," Lando ordered. Since this was the final, the command returned to him.
Beneath the loud roar, the Dragon Army began to move slowly. The massive Earth Dragon guarded the outermost perimeter, while smaller Wind Dragons followed closely behind. The two types of dragons were inseparable; the Earth Dragon provided strong defense, while the Wind Dragons relied on their speed and high mobility to strike unexpectedly.
As members of the Dragon Clan, even the Wind Dragons, despite their smaller size, possessed formidable attack power. Not far behind, the Green Dragon and the Red Dragon, the main arms of the army, were arranged in four directions to prevent potential attacks from all sides.
The powerful Golden Dragon coiled in the center, like a noble king overlooking its surroundings. As the entire Dragon Army moved, the RQ-4 Global Hawk drones also operated. No need to get close, these drones, equipped with ultra-high-definition long-range cameras, captured every move of the enemy from afar.
Lando, Cyrus, and the scientific team immediately observed the enemy's formation, ready to seize any opportunities. Their closest missile test had been destroyed from a distance.
However, the Dragon Army was very cautious. Despite their speed, their group movement kept their flight relatively slow to maintain formation and order.
"They are so cautious," Huo Kong couldn't help but say. "Augustus is so careful."
"It's frightening," Patton nodded beside him. "I've watched previous matches. Don't let the high reputation and status fool you, he doesn't give opponents any chance, even against weaker foes, and he goes all out!"
"Augustus, this is..." In the Imperial Star Region, Mok and others frowned slightly. Mok hesitated and then said, "Aren't you going to quickly eliminate Sebastian?"
Based on the Dragon Army's speed, it was impossible to kill the opponent quickly, at least not within the expected timeframe. It appeared that Augustus had abandoned that plan.
The black-clad youth glanced at the situation, nodded, and said, "That's very wise. If he aimed to end the fight within ten minutes, he might have that ability. But if he did, the entire formation would be compromised, possibly costing some of the dragons their lives."
The leader of the Imperial Star Region replied, "Only those who are safe can go to the end. Augustus's temper isn't accidental; he will go far in the future."
The Dragon Army advanced slowly, relatively speaking. To ordinary observers, it was quite fast. When they reached five kilometers from the Astra Militarum on the ground, a Dragon began preparations. All Red and Green Dragons spat their Dragon Breath, igniting the sky with fiery red flames that heated the surrounding air.
Huo Kong and others almost cursed again; this was too much. Even before reaching the Electromagnetic Rifle range, the defensive circle was activated. As the Dragon Army approached the Astra Militarum's position, a Golden Dragon suddenly appeared, flying out of formation alone. It coiled high above the sky, looking down.
"This is..." Many were taken aback by this Golden Dragon's strange behavior. They quickly reacted, their faces twisting with curiosity and caution.
"Is Augustus testing the power of the Legendary Infantry?" Huo Kong blinked, instantly guessing.
"The pilot can't match the firepower, let alone the infantry. Only the most powerful Legendary Infantry remains," Shia frowned, pausing before adding, "This is a provocation and a test."
Others also understood Augustus's intention: if even the Legendary Infantry couldn't handle the Golden Dragon, Sebastian's morale, far from collapsing, would likely plummet. There was no need for such a game; they could simply admit defeat.
"Want to try our Railgun?" Lando, experienced and quick-witted, immediately saw the opportunity. A smile touched his lips as he said, "If that's the case, then let's do it. The Railguns are ready to fire."
The Railgun was already prepared, awaiting this command. When the muzzle aimed at the Golden Dragon in the sky, all eyes focused, anticipation and curiosity filling the air. Despite their confidence in Augustus, even the people of the Imperial Star Region had to admit that Sebastian's Legendary Infantry was currently the most formidable unit. Even the Battle Treant couldn't withstand its power.
"In terms of output alone, the Golden Dragon can't compare," someone said.
"It's probably not comparable. The Golden Dragon excels in versatility, with high defense and attack, but in terms of raw output, the Legendary Infantry is superior," someone nodded. "At least in range, the Legendary Infantry is unbeatable."
Range was universally acknowledged: the Railgun could strike targets ten kilometers away, a feat unmatched by other species. The Elf Prince's longest range was only three kilometers, except for the Frost Ice Spirit, which possessed a special ability allowing a longer reach.
Soon after Lando's order, the Railgun fired straight at the Golden Dragon above. The metal projectile shot out of the muzzle in a flash, just a second to reach the target. Even with the Golden Dragon vigilant and attempting to dodge, it was too late. Its massive body became a perfect target for the Railgun.
Feeling an unprecedented threat, the Golden Dragon instinctively tried to escape. But at that moment, a "pop" sounded; the projectile had flown past, piercing through the Golden Dragon's body, creating a large hole.
The projectile's force persisted, continuing forward. Behind, the Red and Green Dragons hastily increased their breath strength, forming a fiery net to destroy the metal bullet.
After passing through the Dragon's body, the projectile caused a splash of Golden blood to fall from the sky.
"Khosla, come back," Augustus ordered.
Because there were only 500 Golden Dragons, each was given a name. The Golden Dragon was slightly dejected; it glanced at the Railgun below with some dissatisfaction but obediently returned to the team. Despite being among the top Golden Dragons, it couldn't withstand the Railgun's powerful strike.
Watching this, Huo Kong and others finally let out a sigh of relief.
"The Legendary Infantry is still formidable," Huo Kong said. "Even the mighty Golden Dragon couldn't withstand their attack."
"It's ridiculous if you think you can handle it," Shia nodded. "I believe only a Level 3 Golden Dragon might manage. In defense, the Golden Dragon isn't top-tier, definitely not as good as the Battle Treant built by Aini and Aiya, but it's close."
Huo Kong frowned slightly. "Moreover, the Golden Dragon's vitality and resilience are incredibly strong; this injury won't matter much, it'll recover soon. Augustus probably has medicine ready to treat the wound."
As he suspected, when the Golden Dragon, pierced by the metal projectile, returned to the team, it immediately received a green Leaf of Life, an extremely potent and expensive healing item from the legendary Tree of Life, capable of rapid recovery.
"The Leaf of Life?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow upon seeing the green leaf. This was a rare and costly treasure, difficult for even a Level 6 Planetary Lord to obtain.
"It's not surprising," Augustus said with a smile as he looked at the Railgun. "Even my Golden Dragon can't withstand the Legendary Infantry's power. Without a trump card, this Legendary Infantry is the strongest attack unit in this competition. I wonder if it can stop my dragon army." His tone turned cold as he shouted, "All units, attack! Break through the enemy's defenses and find opportunities to eliminate the Legendary Infantry first."
A deafening roar sounded again as the massive Dragon Army surged forward toward the Astra Militarum below.
Huo Kong and others' hearts pounded; this was a decisive battle. If Sebastian's side faltered or the position was overrun, it would lead to a one-sided slaughter.
Red and Green Dragons spewed fire, accelerating the assault. Below, Guardsmen began to use Electromagnetic Sniper Rifles. Despite their slow rate of fire, these weapons had longer range and greater power, yet they proved ineffective. The high-velocity bullets, upon contact with the Dragon's breath flames, were destroyed.
"It's like we're helpless," Lando said with a slight smile. "Use that missile."
The Typhoon Fighters received Lando's command, and instantly, another missile was launched beneath them. Unlike before, these missiles were specially made, carrying a warhead inside, with a fireproof outer shell designed to withstand the Dragon's breath.
Whoosh! Ten missiles led the way; this was their first real engagement, and they aimed to test their effectiveness.
"Stop them," Augustus immediately ordered as another ten missiles flew overhead. His expression was grim. Above the Dragon Army, a thousand Green and Red Dragons waited, their breath flames unstoppable.
"The Dragon Clan is too powerful. Even sustained breathing like this, they can last over an hour without recovery," someone outside calculated. They concluded that the dragons' endurance was remarkable.
After the missiles flew through the flames, they followed the previous ones, enveloped in breath fire. But this time, they did not detonate. The outer layer of the missile's special material withstood the breath flames, allowing it to continue flying forward. Its length of flame was only a few hundred meters, less than a second for a high-speed missile.
"What?!" Augustus's face first showed surprise as he watched the missile cut through the flames, the first sign of unexpected trouble.