Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Ritual of Dragon Slaying (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Contrary to their fears, there were no elements inside the ruins that threatened the intruder's life. However, the relics stored within—items that the great archmage Kallos must have deemed valuable—were destroyed the moment anyone approached them.
The black mage said,
"What kind of intent lay behind creating these ruins? It's impossible to know. The relics shatter at the slightest touch from an outsider...."
Ruins were typically spaces designed to preserve valuable relics. They were thus protected by robust defense systems, but it was exceedingly rare for them to employ the extreme measure of destroying the relics rather than letting them fall into an intruder's hands.
Yet these ruins were peculiar. There was no robust defense system at all. The relics simply self-destructed the instant an intruder drew near.
"Now it seems only this one remains...."
Kirion and the black mage had reached the heart of the ruins. Along the way, they had been forced to watch helplessly as seven relics were destroyed.
And at this central chamber...
There was something like a crystal made of pale blue-white light.
Kirion muttered,
"What is this? An illusion? Or an energy construct?"
The structure of light gave no sense of being a tangible object. It seemed more like a powerful illusion or energy construct.
But the black mage denied it.
"No, this is a barrier."
"A barrier?"
"It's an incredibly dense barrier enveloping something. But...."
The black mage cast a spell to make contact with it. That was when it happened.
Woooooong...!
Suddenly, the light structure vibrated violently and began to open. Kirion and the black mage recoiled in surprise.
"What is it?"
"No idea. But brace for impact, just in case."
The black mage erected a defensive barrier, his expression tense. The mana emanating from the light structure was immense. If it exploded with destruction in mind, the entire ruins would vanish in an instant.
But the catastrophe they feared did not occur. The violently vibrating light structure simply winked out of existence like a snuffed flame.
Kirion muttered dumbly,
"What the hell was that?"
"Looks like..."
The black mage brought a hand to his chin and said,
"It warped through space and flew off somewhere?"
Arieta muttered dumbly,
"The Ritual of Dragon Slaying? What's that?"
At her words, Azel—who had been glaring at the earth dragon with steely resolve—felt his tension drain away. He looked at her in disbelief.
"You've never heard of the Ritual of Dragon Slaying?"
"First time."
"...What the hell is going on in this era?"
Azel muttered, his strength ebbing.
The Ritual of Dragon Slaying.
It was a rite passed down from an ancient pact between dragons and humans.
When humans, bearers of the wisdom dragons coveted, demanded the Ritual of Dragon Slaying, the dragons accepted. Dragons never refused this rite. For it was the very means by which they could obtain the wisdom they so desperately desired.
The rite was a one-on-one deathmatch. The challenger and the dragon fought without interference.
If the dragon won, it devoured the challenger whole. This was no mere meal; victory in the Ritual of Dragon Slaying allowed the dragon to claim a portion of the challenger's wisdom as its own.
If the challenger triumphed and slew the dragon, they drank its blood and claimed a share of its power.
A decisive battle where human and dragon staked their lives, trading wisdom and power—that was the Ritual of Dragon Slaying.
Having heard the explanation, Arieta looked flustered.
"I've never heard of this before."
"...I have no idea what happened during all that time."
Azel muttered in frustration, then glared at the earth dragon.
A moment later, the earth dragon nodded. It was signaling its acceptance of the Ritual of Dragon Slaying.
"Good."
Azel raised his sword, pointing it at Regina.
"Regina, was it? You might not know about the Ritual of Dragon Slaying either, so I'll warn you. There's one absolute rule to the rite: it must be one-on-one."
In other words, no one could interfere while Azel and the earth dragon conducted the ritual. Anyone who did would incur the dragon's wrath.
"What?"
Regina, apparently hearing this for the first time as well, recoiled in shock.
Azel turned to Arieta and said,
"Please look after Rick and Lady Enora."
"You're really going to challenge a dragon alone?"
"It's not that I intend to—I've already done it. Now that the dragon has accepted, the ritual has begun. No backing out now. So... go."
Azel flashed her a grin. Seeing the bewilderment in her sunset-hued eyes stirred old memories.
'Right. When you stake your life for others, does it need any other reason?'
It had always been that way. He would pick up his sword and risk everything for strangers he barely knew.
If he wanted to live selfishly, it would be easy. He could hand her over to the enemy and flee alone. But the moment he grumbled his way into sticking with her, this outcome had been inevitable.
Azel charged forward, calling out,
"The rest is up to you, Princess. Let's meet again alive."
"Wait...!"
Ignoring her cry, Azel rushed at the earth dragon. And so, the Ritual of Dragon Slaying finally began.
Kuggaaaaa!
A massive wall of earth erupted before Azel as he closed in with Flash Step. He immediately veered sideways, slipping past it.
That direction led straight to Regina and her companions. They panicked as Azel appeared right in front of them, but the earth dragon bellowed.
Kraaaaa!
The ground flipped entirely, unleashing a wave of earth.
"I've always loved surfing since way back!"
Azel shouted as he accelerated. Regina cried out in alarm.
"No way!?"
Incredibly, Azel was riding the surging wave of earth. He dashed upward along the rising tide of soil, then leaped high over it.
The earth wave crashed down on them right after. Cursing, the pair fled the spot.
"Hah!"
Having created the opening he wanted, Azel accelerated with Flash Step from the wave's crest, rocketing toward the earth dragon.
Pashang!
The earth dragon twisted its neck swiftly, but its massive bulk couldn't evade fully. Azel's sword strike grazed its throat.
"Urk...!"
But Azel's face fell despite the perfect hit. He grumbled,
"Damn. As expected, my current power isn't enough?"
The earth dragon turned to him unscathed. Only a faint mark lingered where Azel's strike had landed on its throat.
A dragon's scales were harder than steel on their own. Bolstered by the dragon's immense mana protecting its body, few attacks could even scratch it.
In his current state, Azel couldn't wound the dragon no matter what he tried. No matter his skill, without sufficient power, he would simply be slain.
Staring at the earth dragon with tense eyes, Azel muttered,
"Kallos, this should be enough, right? Time to bring out that 'preparation' you made."
'How did you know?'
A foreign voice suddenly echoed in Azel's mind. It was Kallos's voice, just as he'd heard it in his dream.
"You think there's anyone who knows you better than me? You think getting old and bald would mellow that temper of yours?"
'I told you not to bring that up!'
Kallos's psychic remnant snapped irritably. Azel chuckled.
"And you think I wouldn't notice if the psychic remnant in my spirit veins vanished?"
'Stuck with me until my dying breath, and your senses haven't dulled a bit.'
Kallos's psychic remnant snorted.
Azel had casually mentioned Kallos to Arieta because he'd realized the psychic remnant—whom he'd bidden farewell to in his dream—hadn't actually dissipated. Inheriting Kallos's full personality, it had quietly observed events, waiting for the perfect dramatic moment.
"Krur?"
The earth dragon before him tilted its head, as if puzzled by the conversation unfolding in Azel's mind.
Azel said,
"In my current state, I can't do a thing about this crisis. Quit sulking and help me out."
'No choice, then.'
Kallos's psychic remnant sighed.
'This really is goodbye, then. I wanted to watch a bit longer, but fate won't allow it. Why is your destiny so harsh?'
"Tell me about it. Good to see you. Really."
'Such sappy talk. Don't die.'
Kallos's psychic remnant snorted again. As his presence fully dissipated from Azel's spirit veins, the secret spell preserved for over two hundred years activated.
Woooooowooo!
Blinding light erupted from Azel, vibrating the air. The earth dragon flinched and retreated at the sudden phenomenon.
And then...
A bolt of lightning struck from the heavens.
Kwang!
Thunder roared, shaking the ground. From within emerged a single sword gleaming with blue luster.
"So this is what you prepared."
From within the enveloping light, Azel reached out and grasped the sword.
"To think you'd preserve my Dragon Sword for over two hundred and twenty years... You really live up to the title of archmage. I never imagined this."
Dragon Sword.
It was the very weapon Azel had wielded in his final battle against Dragon Demon King Atein. Unique in the world, it could be used by no one but its master, Azel.
Though shaped like a sword, it was a soul clone Azel had forged himself. Sustained by Azel's will and mana, who could have guessed it had been preserved for two hundred and twenty years?
Fwoooooo!
The lightning scattered, whipping up a gale. Beneath his windswept red hair, Azel's blue eyes burned more fiercely than ever.
In the revealed Azel's hand gleamed a sword with unearthly blue sheen—no metal of this world could produce such luster. It was mana, denser than even that of the Life Rings, materialized through human imagination.
Power surged through Azel gripping the Dragon Sword. Mana from the blade filled his spirit veins to the brim, madly vibrating his Life Rings.
"Regrettably, this miracle lasts only this moment..."
Azel fixed his radiant blue eyes on the earth dragon.
"But behold—the power of the man who felled the Dragon Demon King."
And with that, a blue storm began to rage.