The dragon roared, it's wounds no longer closing as the fight had dragged on long enough for it to run out of magical power. The adventurers heavy breathing raised and lowered their armor on their bodies, but their well trained hands stayed perfectly still. Sword points prepared to slice even air apart. Staves ready to let loose the elements. Guns and bows ready for the smallest of opening. The fight felt like a standstill. Even as the dragons wounds no longer closed up, the party of heroes could no longer find solace in their healer. His weapon was still, but body on his knees from fatigue. Another spell no matter how miniscule would cause him to black out and spell disaster. The paladin steeled herself, roaring to match the dragon, provoking it as she hit her shield with the flat of her sword, ready for the worst. She'd slain the dragon many times in its previous incarnations without fail, knew it's habits and commanded her allies in avoiding danger, but one lapse in concentration by both her and the scholar lead to the critical injuries that drained them both mentally.
The roars ended, the paladin charged keeping her shield and body between the weakened monster and man. Arrows and bullets flew over her head from the marksman duo standing beside their exhausted healer, pure trust in their aim from experience. Slowly the unclosing wounds of the dragon dripped blood, the final indicator of the fight being nearly over. They all gritted their teeth. There was one thing that the dragon would always do when it realised it might truly be close to the end. A mighty roar, turning its very breath into fire capable of making even the earth itself ash and lava from its powerful magic. Between the magic of the paladins Divine, and scholars Seraphic Veils, the worst of the breath was turned to what felt more like touching a smoldering burnt out fire. But they didn't have the power between them this time. The scholar raised himself unsteadily, prepared to use the last of his magic and collapse as the dragon took seconds to empower itself, only for the paladin to slowly walk back to the group. They all frowned but the marksmen didn't stop their desperate assault, their projectiles embedding in the expanding chest of the dragon. The paladin spun her sword in her hand, before plunging it in front of the trio. She turned, raising her shield and kneeling, back against her sword as the dragon looked down to her with eyes locked as he began his breath - to be surprised as the fire split apart, a spiritual wedge existing from the paladins will. Blue wings large enough to rival the dragons very own spread back behind her, covering her surprised and huddled allies, the landscape being devastated but for what the wings covered.
The dragons lungs exhausted, the flames stopped but the wings of the paladin stayed strong. The last of his magical power gone, more blood came from the beast's wounds, as he tried to recover. The archer stood up, a glowing crossbow aimed, as did the machinist with his gun sparking. A strong shot from each flew through the dragon's now weakened eyes, sending him into his death throes as he shook his head, blinded before falling to his side with weakening roars. As life finally left him, the wings subsided from the paladin, her shield heavily burnt and beginning to melt, face red from heat and burns, her body resting against the shield with its tip to the ground.