Episode 425
Episode 137. The Battle of the Jetten Knights (1)
After departing from the mansion of the Zach family to the Jetten estate, Ariel did not say anything to Yuma for a while.
He couldn’t make jokes about how he dared to enjoy the luxury of riding on my back, and he couldn’t grumble like he usually did.
It was because Yuma’s face was so dark.
To say it was just dark was insufficient. I can only guess that even Ariel, who has lived for over a thousand years, is making Yuma suffer because of so many emotions intertwined that it is difficult to read them all.
As soon as we left the capital, the burning smell began. It was the unique smell of magic bombardment.
It was often seen that fires were raging in road areas or small towns only tens of kilometers away from the capital.
Outside the capital, large and small battles were taking place without a break.
In the capital, which was directly protected by the Dragon Lord Mahatricha, neither the possessor nor the demonic cave activity had begun, but this was not the case for other regions without Mahatricha.
The fortunate part was that the things that Yuma had prepared so far were being used in all of them.
The magic bombardment amplifier, wide-area shield, and the dispatched dragons were also trained in anti-demon warfare thanks to Yuma’s insistence that there would be a war.
It was those elements that kept the burning cities alive.
“Ariel.”
A full day passed, and Yuma spoke for the first time. In the meantime, there were more than 20 battle areas that had passed through, and battles were still taking place all over the place.
[Why is that?]
Ariel answered with a little notice.
“I heard that there are no traitors among the Balaur.”
[Now it is.]
“Is that because the dragon race is strong?”
[Well… Is it because we’re strong that we don’t betray? If it had been before I met you, it would have been easy to answer, but now I’m not sure.]
When Yuma was silent again, Ariel sighed. It was the first time that Yuma, who always made her feel comfortable by taking care of herself and saving face, had been in such a difficult situation.
[Haa, if this is the answer you really want to hear, think about it for a while and give me the answer.]
Another day passed in the sky.
Ariel pondered Yuma’s questions throughout the flight. Yuma stared endlessly at the traces of battle that continued under the sky.
[I gave my own answer.
Why do we not betray?]
“Tell me.”
[Because it is missing. What I felt after coming down to the world of humans, albeit briefly, is that you guys are very colorful. Most of us dragons live with only one or two types of light for thousands of years.]
Upon hearing the answer, Yuma suddenly smiled. Of course, Ariel couldn’t see Yuma’s expression, so she had to ask with a somewhat trembling heart.
[Did you get a satisfactory answer?
Or it was helpful…]
“Yes, after meeting Lady Catherine, it was difficult to shake off the futile and melancholy feeling, but the phrase ‘Human beings are colorful’ takes that away.”
[okay? Why?]
“That is because there is not one light. There may be another light that will give the young lady a reason to live her life to the fullest. No matter how dark it is now.”
[You’re saying something you already know as if it’s the first time. Is it enlightenment?]
“It is a kind of resolution.”
[Okay, can I pay less attention now?]
“Did you notice me?”
When Yuma said something really startled, Ariel frowned.
[The battle is right around the corner, but you don’t look as strong as before, so I was anxious.
It made me feel like an adolescent boy rather than a great eighth grandmaster.]
“Actually, I was worried too.
Because I felt like my mindset was uneven before the fight started.
Thanks to Ariel, it was resolved.”
[Now that it has been resolved, I will speed up.] “Okay.”
Phi!
Ariel’s two wings were dyed with thicker magical power. The chilly wings made a sharp sound that tore the wind.
Because of the tremendous speed, the ground spreading below seemed like a flowing river.
Yuma closed his eyes and meditated until he reached Jeton.
[I started to see the wall in the distance. And bombers… countless. But I think I can handle this.]
Ariel was just a guide, just like when she solved Tejiz’s demonic dragon seal. Fighting was entirely up to Yuma alone.
That’s why he felt sorry and tried to deal with the bombardment of the fortress wall.
“No, Ariel. Leave it alone. Could you drop me off as close as possible to the citadel instead?”
[Okay.]
Yuma opened his eyes and slowly got up. In the meantime, the distance between Ariel and the citadel was rapidly narrowing.
My dear…! My dear…!
A heavy bell began to ring from the walls of Jetten.
It was a signal to announce the raid of the Balaur, but the guards at the watchtower had yet to find Yuma.
“All batteries! Aim for the white dragon ahead!”
The knight leading the defense of the fortress shouted. He was a knight of the Zach family who betrayed Damian. And he was still wearing armor with Zach’s pattern engraved on it.
More than 1,000 bombers turned in unison. Bombardment planes that Yuma had placed himself someday.
Amplifiers developed by Adeline Woods were also installed in them.
It was placed to protect the master’s territory from the demons of the underworld. Yuma had never even imagined that the day would come when he would be attacked by these bombers.
From the start, a bitter taste rose from within.
However, I have enjoyed enough for the past two days to be sentimental. I no longer had to bother with bitter thoughts.
Simplify your thoughts. Just like holding a sword.
No matter how many causalities and how painful things were before Yuma came here as a recaptured patient.
Those in front of him were enemies, and he was the strongest warrior who could never be defeated.
They could not speak of the poles of nothingness and the realm of infinity, and they themselves were human beings who had already grasped them.
“Shoot!”
Peryoung! pop…! pop!
A thousand gunfire overlapped. Ariel’s field of vision was instantly covered with shells, and before the first shell could even reach it, a second shot followed.
fleeting moment.
Ariel wondered if she should spread a protective shield for a moment. It was because Yuma hadn’t taken any action yet, even though the shells were right in front of him.
But Ariel’s worries were meaningless.
Aaaah-!
A single sound that instantly erased thousands of gunfire.
foot sword. It was a rupture sound caused by Yuma’s blow as it spread across the sky.
It was the sound of Ascalon, who was just a tool compared to this wide sky, cutting the air once.
But Ariel thought so the moment her vision was covered in white with an aura for a moment.
Even if the sky is high, it will be lower than this sword, and even thousands of shells will be nothing but a joke in front of it.
Boom bum bum…!
The moment after Yuma finished the action.
Thousands of cannonballs swept away by his aura shattered and scattered like decaying stones. The remnants of shells pouring down in the form of countless black dots.
It looked like a swarm of locusts that would chew and swallow everything clean. It seemed to hint at the beginning of the disaster and the end of the traitors.
The knight who ordered the first shot was unable to shout the next shot, just staring blankly at the gloomy sky.
[…Huh Yuma.]
Ariel was just as mesmerized as the knight.
It wasn’t like this until just a short time ago. They first met only a few months ago, but Yuma had entered a state that dragons could not reach even after thousands of years.
Is this the power of a grandmaster? Is it really a power that non-gods can wield?
It was as shocking as the moment I accidentally witnessed the creation of Yuma while on my way to the free country.
“Yes, Ariel.”
[Although this is a question that does not suit me right now. You mean there are two more people like you? Historically, there were five more.] “That’s right.”
[Feel so good. When the war is over, you and they will protect our dragons. Until we rebuild the land again.]
“Of course. Break through the wall now. I’ll get off when I see the Zac family’s stronghold.”
[All the shells have just been destroyed, but the bombers are still intact.]
As Ariel said, all of the bombers of the Astronomical Gate were still fixed on the wall.
“Yes. But I won’t be shooting any more.”
It was the artillery man after all to use the bombers.
And the artillerymen had already completely lost their will to fight after seeing Yuma’s sword. To the point where even pulling the trigger of the bomber felt far away.
The same was true of the knights who commanded them.
Among the knights of the wall, there was no human who had been endowed with great power by Rizol like Damian. Even dragons like Ariel were in awe of Yuma’s sword, so it was unreasonable for ordinary knights to hold on to their spirits.
[Well, that was pointless,]
Ariel said as she casually passed the castle wall.
Indeed, the gunfire was no longer heard. And while passing the wall, not a single human dared to look up at Yuma.
[Why did you let them live?]
“Because they are meaningless lives no matter if they live or die. Their colorful light ended after they joined the betrayal.”
While heading to the fortress, Yuma carefully inspected the estate.
It was to see if the traitor who had once been ‘Damian Jacques’ left even a single piece of honor behind himself.
“…Fortunately, there are no traces of the traitor abusing the villagers.”
Youngji was the same.
No, in some respects, the atmosphere of the citizens of Jetten seemed better than in the capital.
Because of Damian’s betrayal, they were protected by Rizol.
If Damian is punished, their lives will be endangered like the rest of the Empire’s civilians.
But what they are enjoying now is a fake peace.
If Yuma didn’t break the fake, they were destined to become sacrifices to eventually create the ‘single light’ called Xile.
[The closer you get to Yuma Fortress, the stronger you feel a strange energy that you have never felt before.]
“It is a mixture of the power of light and demonic energy. It’s probably what Damian got from Rizol… Drop him off. I will move directly from here.”
[i get it. Don’t get hurt too much.]
“Do they dare to hurt me?”
[No, it was a story about the heart.
Let’s meet again when we return.]
Yuma jumped off Ariel’s back.
There was no reaction from the fort yet.
Yuma unleashed his speed in the midst of strange silence.
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