Chapter 159
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Great Air Raid
"Yawn..."
"Ugh!"
The Sky Knights of the Bazran Empire's Vaslan territory had fallen into a deep sleep, basking in the comfort of imperial lands and skipping their patrol flights.
Only the soldiers dispatched from nearby territories had endured the long night, huddled by their campfires.
They lacked even the leisure to admire the rising morning sun, stifling yawns as their heavy eyelids drooped.
"Huh?"
One soldier, stretching toward the sky, froze in place.
"What's wrong?"
The soldier beside him, who had been watching, turned to follow his comrade's gaze.
"Gasp!"
"Th-those aren't birds, right?"
Far off, a flock emerged through the dark red sky as the sun rose.
There were far too many to call them birds.
No—the shapes hurtling toward them at tremendous speed were all too familiar to the soldiers.
"Gyaaaaaaaah!"
The screams erupted first.
Even these poorly informed soldiers could tell that the wyverns flying from the sunrise over the Rual Mountains weren't imperial.
"E-enemy! Enemy wyverns inbound!"
"Air raid! Air raaaaid!!!!!!!!!"
The soldiers screamed themselves hoarse.
"Ugh!"
"Wyverns incoming!"
The sentries on guard whipped their heads around at the cry of air raid, their faces draining to pale blue as they unleashed their own ragged screams.
"Wh-what is it?!"
The Sky Knights burst outside at the soldiers' piercing shrieks.
Most were violating regulations, having tossed aside their air plates and rushing out in pajamas.
"Heok!"
"Th-those things!"
The Sky Knights couldn't even think to mount their own wyverns and race toward them.
At the forefront of the unidentified incoming wyverns was a distinctive hybrid breed.
One lead wyvern gleamed under the reddening sunlight: stark black with golden stripes etched across its hide.
"Ka... Kaiser has appeared!"
"Neruman's lord Kaiser is attacking!"
The Sky Knights, recognizing the enemy, scrambled toward their own wyverns.
The beasts had been resting with saddles removed in preparation for tomorrow's air raid.
Only about half were properly equipped for combat.
Paat!
By then, the Neruman territory Sky Knights were already in range, hurling blessed spears infused with mana.
The spears cleaved through space toward the imperial wyverns standing dumbly, awaiting their riders.
Sreeeeeeek.
Shwishshwishshwish.
A barrage of spears slicing the air.
It was no different from murderous hail falling from a clear sky.
Kueeeeeeek!
Kiaaaaaaaaak!
Agonized death cries burst from the wyverns struck by spears.
These imperial wyverns had never seen real combat under the empire's might, never felt the pain of battle wounds.
More than half weren't even wearing their wyvern armor, relaxed for a comfortable rest.
Into those defenseless bodies plunged the venomous spears brimming with mana.
They buried deep, leaving only the shafts protruding.
"Wh-what's happening?!"
He had spent the long night in a booze-fueled "meeting" with nobles, then bedded a woman to his liking before sleeping.
Poltviran, whose face had been injured by a snapped flagpole but fully healed by top-grade holy water and the imperial mage-priests, awoke to the wyverns' tremendous screams in the early, hard-to-rise dawn.
His emperor's pavilion, enchanted with silence and temperature control for restful sleep, maintained a cozy warmth.
"Your Majesty!"
Silberon burst through the pavilion flap without permission.
His face was ashen white.
"What's the matter?! Why the commotion at this hour!"
Poltviran, savoring his late sleep, snapped at Silberon in surging irritation.
"Th-that one has appeared. You must flee at once!"
"That one? Flee from what?"
This was imperial territory.
Poltviran couldn't comprehend the sudden talk of "that one" and fleeing.
"Neruman's lord Kaiser is leading wyverns in an attack. You must depart immediately for your safety."
"Wh-what?!"
Poltviran kicked off the blankets and bolted upright at the name Kaiser.
The poor girl who hadn't slept a wink due to Poltviran's lust last night lay fainted, her naked body exposed.
"Where are the knights?!"
"They've been ambushed and are now engaged. But the situation is extremely unfavorable."
"You fool—right now!"
Boiling with rage, Poltviran stormed outside without even donning his air plate.
"Your Majesty, it's dangerous!"
Silberon paled in horror, trying to stop the emperor.
"Even an ambush—our imperial knights are hardly..."
Splaatt!
Pffbbtbbt.
Poltviran opened his mouth to bellow—
Just then, a spear tore through the pavilion's shielded fabric and embedded deep in the magic beast hide on the floor.
"Kraaaaaak!"
"Protect His Majesty!"
"Take off! Take off and counterattack!"
Ragged screams and the knights' hoarse shouts poured through the torn gap.
"Heok!"
Only then did Poltviran grasp the dire situation, his face turning as pallid as Silberon's.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
The pavilion flap opened, and in strode a group of royal guards along with Marquis Kermon, lord of the imperial magic tower.
"Your Majesty, use a teleport spell to escape at once. Wyvern evacuation is impossible."
After checking the emperor's safety, Marquis Kermon urged flight.
It was an unwritten rule that the magic tower lord always accompanied wherever the emperor went to battle.
In this crisis, only the tower lord could cast a 7th-circle teleport.
Kuaaaaaak.
Kiaaaaaaaaak.
"Gyaaaaaaaak!"
"Guh!"
Relentless screams from wyverns and knights alike rang out in succession.
"Q-quickly, get Us to safety..."
With his life on the line, Poltviran saw nothing else.
"Silberon and two knights only."
Kermon carried teleport scrolls for such a day.
Even with a scroll, only a mage of matching circle could use it.
And their numbers were limited.
No sooner had the words left than Silberon and two royal guards stood beside Marquis Kermon.
Swish.
Kermon drew a single mithril-alloy scroll from his robe sleeve.
It was densely inscribed with intricate magic arrays.
Tap.
He pressed his mana staff, embedded with a 2nd-grade magic stone, to the scroll's center.
"Teleport!"
He chanted without delay.
Paaaaaat!
Blue light erupted massively from the scroll as the incantation completed.
Zzztzzzzzzt.
In that instant, the runes engraved on the scroll glowed golden, and the emperor, marquis, and royal guards vanished from the pavilion.
Shwaaaaaaaaak.
'Not bad!'
Even exploiting surprise, the empire's reserves couldn't be underestimated.
Over a hundred wyverns dispersed across the wide plain had evaded attacks and taken off.
Knights who hadn't forgotten their combat manuals and stayed by their wyverns instead of sprawling like idiots.
Once airborne, they hurled spears at me and the Neruman knights.
Paaaaat!
'That light!'
Dodging incoming spears for a counterattack, a massive golden glow burst from one of the knights' pavilions.
'7th-circle teleport...'
The shock was enough to make him forget the battle.
The 7th-circle spell he'd dreamed of even in sleep.
The signature golden hue of teleport magic flashed through his mind.
'Escaped, huh.'
A pity.
There was only one reason a 7th-circle teleport would activate here.
That damn Poltviran had abandoned his knights and fled.
Shwaaaaaaaaak.
"Shield!"
Pffgrrrrng.
In an instant, over 300 wyverns had been killed or crippled before even taking off.
But the surviving imperial knights soared up fiercely, rebelling.
A moment to regain composure and achieve the objective as best as possible.
He shook off incoming spears with a shield spell.
Swish.
Two spears gripped in both hands.
"Eat this!"
He hurled them with full force at two enemy wyverns charging toward him.
'I'll shatter you!'
Neutralizing their forces here would ensure Neruman's peace ahead.
A lord's wyvern count was proportional to his arrogant power.
He intended to utterly destroy that power.
This was imperial territory anyway.
No need to capture wyverns alive—no mercy for survival.
"Enemies incoming! Battle stations! Battle stations!"
At Da Vinci On Fortress, headquarters of the Bazran Empire's Southern Legion facing the Kerper Kingdom border.
A knight's mana-infused shout swept through the fortress just 20 kilometers from the border.
Tadadadadak.
Trained imperial soldiers grabbed weapons and raced to the walls at the battle alert.
"..."
One climbed to his post atop the wall, then froze at the sight.
Clickclickclick!
The vital fortress housing about 40,000 elite Southern Legion troops out of the legion's 140,000.
Toward it surged an immense army like a black ant swarm.
Easily over 100,000 strong.
They had crossed the border silently, boldly pressing the fortress without a whisper.
"Th-those mad bastards!"
"Commander, what are your orders?"
The Kerper Kingdom army invading imperial soil across the border.
Fortress commander and Southern Legion's 3rd and 7th Legion overall commander, Count Huales, trembled with fat rippling in shock.
An unthinkable royal incursion.
He'd received reports of suspicious troops gathering near the border lately.
But dismissed them as annual winter monster sweeps from the Kobion Mountains.
Yet the kingdom bastards had ambushed across the border.
Unthinkable without madness.
Amid shock, fury blazed.
"Send the wyvern squadron—wipe them out!"
Of the legion's 300 wyverns, 100 had been loaned to the Neruman attack by the emperor, 50 more to the Krantz occupation force—but 80 remained here, over 70 in nearby fortresses.
"Order!"
Count Huales barked the assault at the kingdom infantry marching stupidly without wyverns.
"Heok... what the hell is that now..."
But the order didn't last.
Gray shadows dotted above the Kerper soldiers' heads.
"Kingdom wyverns!"
The staff officer cried in alarm.
Not dozens—many of Kerper's wyverns had left for Neruman subjugation, yet an enormous flock flew in formation.
Over 200 strong.
Huales, who moments ago had barked vigorous orders, stared at the enemy with terror-stricken eyes.
"Pre-prepare wyverns. Prepare my wyvern!!!"
He shrieked.
The Kerper Kingdom's calculated imperial invasion.
Terror gripped him: stay here and die like a dog.
His mind held one thought—flee or never see tomorrow's sun.
Sreeeeeeek.
Pffbbtbbt.
"Kraaaaaak!"
"C-counterattack! Don't panic—hold the walls!"
At Krantz Royal Castle, headquarters of the empire's occupation force.
Since the king died and the crown prince fled with most kingdom Sky Knights, the occupiers had seen no real fighting.
With kingdom nobles surrendering without resistance, they'd idled daily, toying with castle women or looting for sport.
Then, hundreds of Krantz wyverns appeared without warning.
Exploiting the 200 garrison wyverns dispersed to vital fortresses, they launched a surprise assault.
Kiaaaaaaaaak.
Even now, fierce air battle—no, slaughter—raged over the castle.
They'd scrambled airborne upon spotting the enemy but couldn't form up before Krantz Sky Knights unleashed attacks.
Massacre followed.
"Waaaaah! Drive out the imperial dogs!"
"Let's enthrone Crown Prince ourselves!"
Enemies weren't airborne only.
As imperial occupiers gawked skyward from the walls, massive cheers rang in their ears.
Tens of thousands of citizens surged from streets everywhere.
Armed with shields, swords, spears—as if prepared for this day.
Dududududu dududududu.
Not just that.
Beyond the castle walls appeared a cavalry unit.
Thousands strong at least.
"Surrender! Your protecting wyverns are gone!"
Kwaaang!
The last resisting imperial wyvern crashed to earth; a dozen survivors fled. Citizens seized the moment to shout.
No—elite Krantz soldiers disguised as citizens.
Clang.
Chingching.
Soldiers who knew well what Sky Knight-less combat meant.
This was enemy soil, not empire.
Terror-stricken, one dropped his weapon; 50,000 occupiers followed, abandoning defense.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
"Long live Krantz Kingdom!"
"Long live Crown Prince!!"
Everyone in Krantz Castle—citizens and former kingdom soldiers—knew.
Those flying with Krantz banners slung under wyverns.
Crown Prince Bjorns and his kingdom knights.
"Spirits have appeared."
"Mages are joining the attack!"
Helm voices of squadron leaders rang in flustered tones.
'The empire after all.'
I, once trained in Bazran, couldn't underestimate their power.
'Those are the problem.'
The one-sided slaughter halted, turning to chaotic melee.
A dozen territory knights, still unaccustomed to wyverns, emergency-landed or crashed from enemy spears.
At the counterattack's core: imperial royal guard Sky Knights.
Despite first strikes, about 50 had safely airborne, ruling the skies.
'Huhu.'
Especially targeting me and Bebeto.
Over a dozen wyverns already downed before me, bellies pierced by spears after yapping.
I gathered mana.
Imperial summoners grounded had called mid-rank spirits Shuriel to harass knights, but no time for them.
Core of counter: black wyverns.
"Hashipot, hit the black ones hard. All squadron leaders, focus black wyverns!"
"Got it, master."
"Chweung!"
No need for long talk.
Beastkin warriors always flew five-per-squadron, shadow-like.
They charged the black wyverns.
"Jin, help me a bit."
Whiiiing.
Shuriel felt friendlier, but no time to play.
Whiiiing.
High wind spirit Jin answered my call, opening a dimension.
His transparent form refracted sunlight into eerie patterns in the air.
"Scatter all black wyverns!"
Shuuuk.
Vast mana vanished from my mana hole the instant I spoke.
'Ugh...'
That occasional drain—never got used to it.
Kiaaaaaaaa.
Kuuuuwuwuwu!
In a flash, high spirit Jin plunged amid the black wyverns flying in defensive formation.
He unleashed a mighty wind storm, instantly shattering their flight array.
"Now! All squadrons, spears on black wyverns!"
As black wyverns flailed and turned, I ordered focused barrage without missing.
Peebeebeebeebeeng.
Over a hundred spears cleaved space.
Without Jin, hard to find opening—but with the gap, straight for wyvern hearts.
'Die!'
Shik, shik, shishik!
I hurled spears nonstop too.
Kwaaaang!
Rooaarrr.
Craaaackcraaaack.
'Heok!'
Amid frenzy, sudden magic flames and lightning storms erupted.
Beastkin charging gold wyverns per my order unleashed 5th-circle spells, incinerating wyverns midair and torturing with electricity.
'Brute force is bravery, they say.'
My "one shot" meant lead the charge, keep blacks off-balance—but beastkin literally one-shot.
Kuaaaaaaaa!
One wyvern roasted like fried chicken in Bane Flare flames flapped burning wings, plummeting.
Pffbbtbbtbbt.
Kiaaaaaaaaak.
Others electrocuted properly.
Mithril alloy armor weakened sharply from 5th-circle up.
Full-power Lightning Cross spells struck.
Wyverns foamed at mouths, diving earthward desperately.
'Finish them!'
Black squadron lost cohesion; pursuing Sky Knights panicked.
I smirked at one clustered group of a dozen, distance 300 meters.
Two spears in succession, then a flashy 6th-circle lightning show.
"Lightning Rain!"
Activated mana bolts streaked like thunderbolts toward their flight path.
Puuung! Puuuung! Pffbbtbbtbbtbbtbbt!
Magic mana exploded brilliantly around the panicking foes dodging spears.
"Kraaaaaaaaak!"
"Kaaaaaaaak!"
Wyvern or knight, hundreds of watermelon-sized Lightning Rains pummeled them into agonized screams.
Full-power barrage lit a 50-meter space like fireworks.
Sreeeeeeek.
Kauuuuwu!
Blacks shattered, spells chained—imperial knights finally terror-stricken.
They yanked reins, fleeing the battlefield desperately.
One fled, then chain reaction turned wyverns everywhichway.
"1st and 2nd Wings, pursue fleeing enemies to prevent regroup. 3rd Wing, finish wounded enemy wyverns, recover blessed spears."
"Yeees!"
Aerial battle mirrored ground—no overwhelming force meant momentum decided.
Tails between legs, imperials scattered every direction, forgetting their fierce charge.
'Close.'
Hundreds of wyverns writhing injured on ground.
Regret surged.
First: couldn't bloody that bastard Poltviran's nose.
Second: turning usable wyverns into corpses when rehab could've salvaged them with time.
But couldn't dawdle.
Despite surprise, dozens of territory wyverns dead or injured.
Plus high-circle mage Sky Knights from the magic tower.
Greed could backfire badly.
Escaped wyverns: about 200 by eye.
If nearby territory and tower wyverns joined, victory uncertain.
'My part's done. Hardaim, fulfill your duty.'
Kueeeeeek.
Pffbbtbbtbbt.
Kaaaaaaaak.
Last screams of imperial wyverns turned ground targets by ordered Sky Knights.
Only Neruman territory wyverns now ruled the skies.
The battle was over.
The sun, parting red curtains, blessedly stepped to earth.