Not-So an Extra

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

A series of explosions reverberated through the air, causing the earth to tremble and sending debris and dust swirling around. Several spears relentlessly pursued the Hydra, prompting it to glance downward in search of the culprit. There, it found a white-haired boy wearing a wry smirk, clearly relishing in its discomfort, which only further irritated the Hydra.

In an instant, the Hydra's wings thrashed with great velocity, abruptly halting its flight and suspending it in mid-air. A Magic Circle materialized behind its rightmost head, conjuring a colossal fireball that hurtled towards the airborne Earth Spears, its fiery brilliance illuminating the darkened sky.

—Boom!

A thunderous explosion erupted the moment the two forces collided, unleashing powerful shockwaves that resonated in the aerial space, obliterating the Earth Spears. 

Levitating in the air, the Magic Circle behind the Hydra's head crackled with energy as it locked its gaze with Adrian's indifferent eyes, poised to unleash its Fire Magic upon him.

Unfazed, Adrian mumbled, "Fire, huh?" Wasting no more time, he began to chant a mud spell to counter it. 

But just as Adrian was about to complete his incantation, the Hydra abruptly canceled its spell and ascended higher into the sky, prompting Adrian to raise an eyebrow in confusion. 

Hovering in the far reaches of the skies, the Hydra halted its flight and unleashed a relentless barrage of fireballs to the surrounding area, setting the forest ablaze. 

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

With each resounding boom, the ground shook beneath their feet, and the temperature rose steadily, engulfing the battlefield in an oppressive heat.

'Ah, I see,' Adrian scoffed and wondered. 'Does becoming a God enhance its intelligence?' Knowing that he would undoubtedly counter its Fire Magic with Mud, the Hydra opted for a different approach. 'How clever.'

Running alongside Adrian, Nathaniel voiced his concern. "I think the Hydra is trying to cook us. Can you do something about the flames?" Nathaniel's eyes darting anxiously towards the encroaching inferno.

However, Adrian shook his head. "No," he replied firmly, "I need that flame." 

Confusion etched on Nathaniel's face. "What for?" he asked, seeking an explanation for his brother's seemingly reckless decision. 

"My ultimate attack," Adrian replied nonchalantly, leaving Nathaniel even more perplexed. 

The crease on Nathaniel's forehead deepened, "Your ultimate attack?" He had no clue what Adrian had up his sleeve. 

"Yeah, but I'll put the fire down if it becomes more dangerous for us," Adrian reassured him.

"...alright." Uncertainty crept in, but Nathaniel decided to trust Adrian and refrain from asking further questions.

Adrian glanced upward toward the Hydra, which was now engrossed in shooting fireballs at the forest. 'I need to find a way to ground it.' There was no way he would let the Hydra have the upper hand.

After a few minutes of guerrilla-style fighting and sprinting, they finally managed to join forces with Graham. Nevertheless, Adrian couldn't help but notice the exhaustion etched on the faces of the Knights and Elementalists who had been battling the monster relentlessly. 

Arriving before Graham, Adrian wasted no time and urgently relayed the information he had gathered. "Grandpa," he began, "the Hydra has an attack pattern. It starts with Lightning, followed by Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water. Since it's currently using Fire, its next attack will undoubtedly be Earth Magic." 

The others who overheard Adrian's revelation widened their eyes in surprise. They had been so focused on defending against the Hydra's onslaught that they hadn't had the opportunity to observe its attack pattern. 

Suppressing his surprise, Graham acknowledged, "I see. Thank you so much for gathering such valuable information in such a short amount of time." 

Now he understood why Adrian had called out to use the Water Wall. While he had only managed to discover that each head of the Hydra had different affinities, his grandson's keen observation skills had once again proven invaluable.

However, an immense concentration of Mana gathered in the sky, prompting them to look upward. To their surprise, a Magic Circle materialized behind the Hydra's second head on the left side, radiating with energy.

Wasting no more time, Adrian conjured transparent shields above them, and addressed the issue that had been bothering him, "Given that the Hydra has realized its attack would be nullified, I had a hunch it would attempt something new."

Comprehending the gravity of the situation, Graham inquired, "Do you have a plan?"

Adrian paused, his mind racing through various possibilities, "For now, let's stick to the usual."

"Alright." Grasping the plan, Graham bellowed his order, "First line, Second line, Earth Walls!" In an instant, a set of Earth Walls materialized, reinforcing Adrian's barriers. Adrian reciprocated by strengthening the Earth Walls with his magic. 

"RROOAARR!!" The Hydra roared and unleashed a volley of Earth Spears.

—Shattered! —Shattered! —Shattered!

One by one, Adrian's shields broke into shards before eventually striking the Elementalists' Earth Walls.

—Boom! 

A deafening sound reverberated through the space, sending debris and dirt to scatter then crashing into Adrian's second barrier.

—Shattered! —Shattered! —Shattered!

As the surrounding area became engulfed in clouds of dust, the Hydra seized the opportunity and spread its wings, swooping downward rapidly toward the people behind the shield, intending to stamp on them. 

With the distance between them expeditiously diminishing, the Hydra prepared its sharp talons.

—Boom! 

In an ear-splitting collision, the Hydra rammed its enormous body into the Earth Walls, causing them to explode into pieces before finally landing on the ground.

—Boom! 

The impact violently shook the ground, unleashing shockwaves of debris and clouds of dirt to billow into the surroundings. However, amidst the chaos, not a single cry of pain or anguish could be heard. Only the crackling fire and the falling rubble filled the area as if the Hydra had descended upon an abandoned wasteland. 

"Fire!" Graham's voice pierced through the tumult, and immediately, a storm of wind bullets erupted from behind the veil of dust, hurtling toward the Hydra. The creature's eyes widened in surprise, realizing that it had fallen into a trap. 

Without wasting another moment, the Hydra frantically flapped its wings in a desperate escape bid.

—Boom! 

A thunderous boom resonated throughout the night sky as the missiles veered off course, dispersing debris and dust to swirl into the air. But the Hydra's momentary relief was abruptly interrupted as a Magic Circle materialized above it, eagerly awaiting its arrival.

—Crackle!

'Huh?' Suddenly, a bone-chilling sensation seeped in, and instead of soaring through the skies, it found itself descending rapidly. Bewildered, the Hydra glanced towards its wings, only to discover them encased in a layer of ice. 

Yet, Adrian's assault was far from over; in the blink of an eye, the Magic Circle above it unleashed a barrage of Ice Palisades and impaled the Hydra's wings.

"RROOARR!!" A mournful roar escaped the Hydra's jaws as it plummeted toward the ground.

—Boom!

Wasting no more time, Graham bellowed his next order, "Fire!"

Instantly, everyone present unleashed their magical abilities. Elemental attacks of various kinds hurtled toward the fallen Hydra.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

The battlefield erupted in a symphony of explosions as the attacks collided with the Hydra's massive form. Each impact sent shockwaves through the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet. 

"RROOAARR!!" The Hydra let out a deafening wail amidst the relentless onslaught. 

Adrian watched the scene insouciantly, 'Now, the real game is about to begin.'