Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Suspicious Movements (2)
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3
When Azel's group arrived, the village was in utter chaos. A small band of humans was leading a horde of around fifty orcs in a frenzy, slaughtering anyone in sight.
Azel said,
"Leave the command to me, Your Grace."
"Got it. Laura, Yuren—dispel their magic."
Kairen issued orders right away. Azel himself had commanded large forces as a general during the Dragon Demon War. But since he had focused more on personal prowess for tactical missions rather than overall command, he judged Kairen better suited for this.
"And prioritize locating and eliminating their mages."
The enemies had doused the lights to summon darkness not just because orcs had good night vision. A mage was supporting them with spells that let them clearly discern shapes in the gloom.
Yuren nodded.
"Understood. There are three mages."
"Two of them are Dragon Demon Hybrids."
The pair detected the mages in an instant. Everyone turned to Laura at her words. Azel asked,
"Are they with them?"
"Yeah. They're disguising their Dragon Demon energy as mana."
They were using magic tools to cleverly mask it, but Laura could sense the very existence of those tools. At that moment, Kairen spoke up.
"We'll split up and take them out piece by piece. Laura, Yuren—you handle the enemy mages and guide the villagers to safety."
They hadn't charged in immediately because Yuren was setting up a magic communication network for the group. As soon as it was ready, Kairen and Azel shot forward like the wind. Leticia started to follow but paused to ask Yuren,
"Is this formation okay?"
She still didn't fully trust Laura. Even with Azel's magic seal in place, who knew what she might do without close supervision?
Yuren shrugged.
"It's Azel's call, so we have to trust it."
"Blind faith."
"I've already bet everything on him. If his judgment's wrong and we get backstabbed, we'll claw our way out and give him an earful after."
"I sense the talent of a sucker who falls for a bad girl and gets fleeced of his wallet—and his soul."
Leticia snarked and left. Yuren grinned and turned to Laura.
"Shall we go?"
"Should I say thanks for the trust?"
Laura asked. Yuren shook his head.
"Not trusting you specifically."
"Then?"
"Like I said, I trust Azel's judgment. And even if you stab us in the back, I won't go down easy. Let's move for now."
With that, Yuren reached into the air. A orb of light floated up, then burst with a pop, sending intense mana waves radiating outward.
This shattered the spell that had given the enemies daylight vision. Their skill was decent, but it posed no problem for Yuren.
"After you."
Yuren winked at Laura and leaped into action. Laura watched his back for a moment, then murmured blankly,
"Trust..."
She let out a small sigh and headed toward a different mage from Yuren's target.
The enemy mages were thrown into panic as Yuren's spell broke. Spotting Laura, they cried out in shock.
"Traitor Laura Aunsor!"
Her betrayal had already spread to the low-level operatives outside the Dark Frozen Wastes, complete with detailed info. Otherwise, how would they recognize her in human disguise at a glance?
It was expected, but the feeling was odd. Not yet trusted by her allies, here were grunts who wouldn't have dared meet her eyes before, now glaring with contempt.
Laura cast a spell to block the enemy mage's communications, then said,
"Unfortunately, I only want one thing from you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Death."
Her disguise spell unraveled, revealing her Dragon Demon form. A tidal wave of Dragon Demon energy crashed over the mage.
4
A new gust swept through the slaughter. Orcs dragging a screaming woman by the hair froze at the sudden change. Their daylight-clear vision had plunged into darkness.
They weren't blind—orks were nocturnal with better night sight than humans. But the gap from perfect clarity was so stark they couldn't make out anything for a moment.
Splat!
A sound like a bowstring snapping rang in their ears. They flinched, feeling something flick past their throats.
"Grk...?"
Bewildered, they tried to speak, but no voice came. Their throats were more than half severed. Blood sprayed from the wounds, and consciousness faded.
Splat! Splat! Splatter!
An invisible phantom butchered the orcs. Even in broad daylight, its speed would make tracking impossible as it slashed them down. The orcs didn't even know what hit them, collapsing like rotten straw.
Azel didn't linger. He kept moving, cutting down every enemy his senses caught. Prioritizing enemy elimination over rescuing and reassuring villagers one by one.
Kairen did the same. In under two minutes after they charged, the orc numbers halved.
Azel's motion halted when he encountered an enemy facing off against two elderly men who seemed to be Spirit Order practitioners. He felt a mana wave brush his senses.
'Detection magic? A mage nearby.'
Azel's gaze lifted. On a rear rooftop, a mage hid with invisibility.
One elder had already fallen to the enemy's blade. As the foe moved to slash the screaming other, he spun to face Azel—the mage's detection had alerted him.
Clang!
He parried Azel's sword, flew back, and landed, skidding further as the force wasn't fully countered.
"Your deeds grow uglier by the day."
Azel said coldly. The surviving elder asked in confusion,
"Wh-who are you?"
"Self-introductions can wait."
The enemies paled at Azel's response. The swordsman who'd blocked him said,
"A bearer of a grave name? Why are you here?"
Azel was already on the Dragon Demon Worshippers' no-engage danger list. Even executives were instructed to avoid him without a prepared plan.
"It's been ages since I heard that long, annoying title."
"Gasp?"
The enemy freaked. Azel had been approaching from the front, yet the voice came from behind?
But he kept eyes on the advancing Azel. Seizing the gap, Azel struck down.
Clang!
The enemy blocked. A flash erupted, boiling the ground beneath them like soup before exploding.
Boom!
"Not just grunts?"
Azel was surprised. A low-level strike team should've folded to a voice fake-out.
But this one blocked, tracking Azel even as focus wavered. Impressive.
"Drop the sloppy disguise. Hiding Dragon Demon energy doesn't make your Dragon Spirit Arts into Spirit Order, Hybrid."
"Tch!"
The enemy ground his teeth. He'd restrained his power to mask his identity—for a mission needing no full effort.
But with Azel here, no holding back. Full power might not even suffice.
Roooar!
He shed the disguise, revealing a young Dragon Demon Hybrid with dark-red horns and red eyes. Dragon Demon energy swirled, clashing with Azel's.
"Damn it! I won't go down easy!"
"Definitely not low-level grunts. An executive from the Dark Frozen Wastes?"
Azel asked amid furious sword exchanges. Thanks to Laura, Yuren, and Leticia, he knew much about the Wastes. Not just elites like Niberis or Laura—many Dragonkin and Hybrid executives, some strong enough for Dragon-Slaying Rituals.
This Hybrid was skilled. Physically matching current Azel, unleashing high-level Dragon Spirit Art techniques in sequence. Plus...
Bang!
A flash from an unexpected angle grazed Azel's raised shoulder and ricocheted. Light orbs floated around the Hybrid—magic, not Dragon Spirit Arts. The rooftop mage was backing him.
'Good coordination.'
In close swordfight, physical-damage spells were risky. Likely mind-linked, with the Hybrid calling shots on timing and targets.
Bang bang bang!
Hybrid's sword from front, mage's orbs zipping wildly, firing flashes.
The mage layered curses targeting sight, sound, pain, then tried binding Azel's feet with earth. Supporting with orbs while precision-casting—impressive skill.
'Both top-tier.'
The Hybrid couldn't match Durang but could solo Arietta or Seiga. The mage outclassed Dragon Shadow mages.
Boom!
A flash exploded above the roof. Azel frowned.
'My info leaked, so they prepared? Or...?'
He'd snuck a dagger subtly at the mage—blocked. Reactive barriers surrounded her, as if anticipating.
Too precise for just skill. Analyzed his past fights into an anti-Azel manual?
Azel asked,
"No answers for me?"
"I'll tell your sinful soul before it flees its lowly flesh."
"Pity. Means I'll never hear it."
"Think so? Tremble before my majesty!"
Roooar!
Spirit Chant unleashed overwhelming psychic waves. Not just mental—physical shockwaves followed, shaking the area.
"Urk!"
Harmless to Azel, but Dillon was behind. Lethal to normals—Azel had to block.
The Hybrid pressed. Flash-wrapped strikes rained like a shower.
Bang bang bang!
Once pushed back, Azel yielded ground. Not just sword—the growing light orbs hounded him.
"Won't give you time to manifest Dragon Demon Armament!"
Azel's armament would flip the fight. Knowing this, they pushed to end it.
Azel's defense grew frantic. Pinned, he scrambled.
Bang! Bang bang bang!
Flashes pierced his sword barriers. Magic was the issue—mage spammed spells, forcing Azel to split defenses.
Meanwhile, omni-angle assaults swelled. Sword-boosting orbs now numbered ten.
The Hybrid's eyes gleamed.
'Amazing defense! But time's up!'
Azel's guard awed even the aggressor. Cornered yet allowing no more than grazes—parrying, deflecting, angling off armor.
But limits hit. Azel's motion faltered...
Boom!
Intense impact slammed the Hybrid.
'What?'