Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Chapter 11 - Astra
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The Gleston Earl's mansion was located right in the heart of Venus City.
In other words, it was a building smack in the middle of downtown.
Even for the Hecatoncheires—an organization made up of superhuman legends—no matter how you sliced it, suddenly deploying a bunch of lesser dragons in the city center was a stretch.
Sure, digging tunnels or using large-scale spatial leap magic could make it possible, but going to that much trouble was insane even for the Hecatoncheires.
The gains just didn't justify the costs.
Of course, the spirit jewel was essential for the Hecatoncheires' plan to summon the beast lord, but even so, there was such a thing as cost-performance ratio.
[In short, even an organization of dragonkin like the Hecatoncheires can't escape the grip of budgets!]
[The world is ruled by budgets, anytime, anywhere!]
It was true, but somehow it felt depressing.
‘Anyway, the number of lesser dragons won't be that high.’
At most around twenty.
And even then, something as big as a Jogres would be too much—they'd probably go with mid-sized ones like Cateradons.
‘Astra commands wyverns under her. She probably dropped them in using wyverns.’
Luther's guess was spot on.
[Multiple Cateradon life signatures detected.]
[Five Cateradon specimens.]
[Five more lesser dragons detected—first encounter for me, but similar in size and weight to Cateradons.]
Hearing Integra's report, Luther didn't bolt down the hallway—instead, he leaped out through a window.
Augmented reality began picking up silhouettes of lesser dragons scattered throughout the mansion grounds.
Just as Integra said: the Cateradons he'd already faced in the pioneer village, plus five new ones—at least new to Integra, but Luther knew them well—rampaging around.
‘Rumbleons!’
Lizard-like, resembling iguanas, quadrupedal lesser dragons that moved at insane speeds and spat acidic fluids.
[Master! There are lesser dragons in the sky too!]
The night sky of Dragon Hunter, with its two moons, was never truly dark.
Ten wyverns with massive wings spread wide flew between sky and ground, attacking the earl's guards.
‘Antagoras.’
Mid-sized wyverns whose body length, tail included, reached eight meters.
With strong wing and leg power, they hunted by snatching prey and dropping it from high altitudes.
And among them.
In the midst of gray-scaled ones, an alpha specimen with dark red scales.
A gigantic, muscular woman sat astride its back, far bulkier than the others.
[Powerful life signature detected!]
[Is that woman Astra?]
Luther nodded as he drew his sword from his waist.
It was a new sword he'd acquired, replacing the large axe he'd used until now.
And he had no intention of using it ordinarily.
[Commencing equipment enhancement.]
[Enhancing blade.]
[Adding thrusters.]
Blue lines traced over the broad, heavy blade specialized for lesser dragon hunting, with thrusters added to the spine.
Luther didn't wait any longer—he kicked off the ground.
“Kyaa!”
A woman's scream.
A Cateradon trying to break into the annex.
Luther charged straight at it. By the time it whipped its head around in response to his killing intent, his sword was already swinging.
-Tssschwak!
The thrusters on the spine ignited, severing the Cateradon's neck.
Less power than swinging the large axe, but less recoil too, allowing for more precise control.
[Get inside!]
At Integra's shout through the drone, a fallen maid trembled as she pulled herself up.
Luther didn't glance back at her—instead, he scaled the wall and thrust his left arm toward a Rumbleon trying to infiltrate the second floor.
A long barrel extended from the back of his left forearm.
[Heavy flamethrower! Firing!]
-Tssshwaaak!
The barrel spewed fire.
Like a dragon's flame, it shot straight out, incinerating the Rumbleon's back and the wall together. The Rumbleon screamed shrilly and plummeted.
[Master! The wyverns have locked onto you!]
“Kiaaa!”
An Antagoras.
One broke from the pack, diving straight at Luther like a hawk snatching prey.
But Luther didn't panic.
He looked up at it, then unhesitatingly hurled the sword he held.
-Kwagagagagaga-!
Not thrown straight like a javelin.
The sword, spun from above downward, gained speed and power from the thrusters on the blade, accelerating into a spinning sawblade that shredded the Antagoras's wing.
“Kyaak!”
Deprived of one wing, the Antagoras crashed messily to the ground.
Luther rapid-fired his energy gun into its head, then dashed toward the main building.
“Block the lesser dragons!”
“Fight! The city guard will be here soon!”
Guards pouring from the opposite annex tried to hold the line, but anti-personnel weapons were next to useless against massive lesser dragons.
As Cateradons charged and shattered their formation, the dozen or so guards instantly became dragon fodder.
“Gaaak!”
A guard's head chewed clean off sprayed blood everywhere as he collapsed, while the guard captain screamed, waist pinned by a Rumbleon's tongue.
[Master, too many enemies!]
“Kyak!”
A scream from behind.
Several Antagoras had smashed through the mansion roof and infiltrated.
And that wasn't the only problem.
The culprit behind this mess.
The alpha carrying Astra began charging toward the mansion.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Javelins hurled by Astra battered the outer walls.
Whether they weren't ordinary spears or due to Astra's transcendent strength, the walls crumbled at impact, creating an entrance to the second floor.
“Karus! Rampage!”
Shouting loudly, Astra kicked off the alpha's back and hurled herself inside.
The alpha obeyed the rampage command, veering off to spew flames at the panicking servants and guards.
[Master, large groups of humans gathering toward the mansion—]
“Save me!”
“Hel—”
“Uwaak!”
Screams from the entrance cut off Integra.
The Venus City guard, responding to the commotion, was getting hit by the lesser dragon assault.
As expected, ordinary guards couldn't hold back lesser dragons.
To resolve this, they needed professionally trained lesser dragon hunters.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Roars echoed continuously from inside the mansion where Astra had entered.
Wyverns rampaged in the sky, screams and lesser dragon roars resounding on the ground.
Luther thought.
The absolute win condition was stopping Astra.
So right now, pursuing her to the main building was the right call.
But leaving the lesser dragons outside unchecked would lead to far greater casualties—
“Look at me!”
It was right then.
A clear, refreshing girl's voice shattered the night sky.
And Luther knew.
The voice's owner.
The girl who appeared at the entrance, drawing all the lesser dragons' attention.
[No way?]
Integra shifted focus.
The drone camera captured the girl, and Luther saw through shared vision.
A blonde girl in a short white skirt and silver partial plate armor, roaring.
Pure white sword and shield emblazoned with the sun emblem.
The protagonist of Dragon Hunter Origin's Western arc, future one of the Seven Great Heroes: the Sun Maiden, Queen of Lions, Anne Rose!
It was a scene that shouldn't be possible.
She wasn't due to arrive in Venus City for several more days.
But due to the butterfly effect, the Hecatoncheires' assault on the earl's mansion had been moved up days ahead.
Perhaps some unforeseen event had accelerated her visit to Venus City.
“Kiaaa!”
“Kak!”
Antagoras charged at Anne Rose.
But she showed no fear, rolling aside to dodge before calmly engaging them in combat.
‘I'm counting on you!’
It was none other than Anne Rose.
And the Venus City guard was with her.
Useless so far, but with her at the center forming up, they could hold against the lesser dragons.
-Boom!
Luther kicked off the ground, his body rocketing upward like a missile.
Thanks to his nanosuit-enhanced full-body strength.
In one leap, he infiltrated the second floor, then instead of rushing inside, shouted at full volume.
“A—S—TR—A—!”
Astra reacted to the clear call.
Confirming her turn via life signature through the wall, Luther followed up.
“I! Killed! Balboa!”
-Kwaang!
A massive boom.
Astra smashed through the wall in one go, charging straight at Luther.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Smashing walls continuously, Astra's approach was terror incarnate.
But it was exactly as planned, so Luther held his breath instead of trembling in fear.
He swung his sword at her legs as she charged.
But the moment the blade began its arc, the instant his eyes met Astra's as she burst through—
He knew.
It would miss.
This attack couldn't touch Astra.
-Tssschwak!
The sword sliced empty air.
The moment their eyes met, Astra leaped, twisting mid-air to evade, her snake-like pupils fixed on Luther as a javelin materialized in her right hand, aiming at his back.
She throws.
Even relying solely on arm strength, its power was enough to shatter walls.
Astra's muscles swelled.
Luther turned late.
The javelin's tip entered his vision.
[Get lost!]
Integra shouted then.
An electric shock burst from Astra's blind spot, engulfing her body.
“Kraaak?!”
Muscles stiffened by the sudden shock, Astra plummeted in her throwing pose.
Luther spun fully toward her, unloading his energy gun.
But Astra rolled as if the shock meant nothing, dodging the blue energy rounds.
And that was exactly what Luther intended.
He launched toward her roll direction, kicking her side like shoving a ball.
-Pbbyeok!
This time unable to dodge or block, Astra's massive body flew out of the mansion like a struck ball.
[Master! Astra's life signature is maxing out!]
Just as Integra said.
Intense light poured from the airborne Astra, followed by a roar shaking the atmosphere.
“Krarrararararara!”
Dragon fear blanketed everything.
Luther gritted his teeth, focusing. Through fading light, a red giant soared skyward.
Wyvern Astra.
Smaller than Balboa, but massive wings erased that thought.
[Master! Dodge!]
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Black, long javelins rained down like a shower.
Luther threw himself outside, evading as he locked onto Astra via drone vision share.
Dark red wyvern.
Unlike Antagoras with one wing pair and two legs, she had four legs, one wing pair, two horns—glaring at Luther as he tumble-rolled in the garden, she roared again.
“Kiaaa!”
Not mere cry.
One Antagoras attacking Anne Rose and the guards turned toward Luther; ground Cateradons and Rumbleons did too.
[Incoming!]
Luther swallowed.
Astra, Balboa's lover, was hot-tempered but no fool.
Instead of landing for close combat, she'd use minions to create an opening.
-Papapapapap!
Luther first sprayed energy gun to halt Cateradon charges, then flamethrowered the garden to buy a momentary wall of fire.
But ground flames couldn't touch sky Antagoras.
“Kia!”
One dove at Luther.
Having wasted time blocking ground threats, he couldn't opt for throwing his sword to slice its wing again.
Only one choice.
Luther and Antagoras crossed.
Precisely: as it struck ground, sky-high leaping Luther vaulted its head, landing on its back.
“Kak!”
Sensing the rider, Antagoras soared high, twisting wildly.
Luther clung to its neck; Astra spotted him.
To her, killing Luther mattered—not the Antagoras's life.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Black javelins formed under Astra's wings boomed toward him.
But Luther accelerated instead of cowering.
Using the thrashing for height, he leaped; the javelins missed him, piercing only the unlucky Antagoras.
“Kiaaak!”
It screamed miserably, plummeting.
Astra didn't care.
A thick smile spread on her face.
Mid-air.
Luther had leaped high to dodge javelins, but that was it.
No wings—he was defenseless in the sky.
Kill.
Rip him to shreds with teeth.
Astra beat her wings hugely, charging.
Integra counted down at the sight; Luther twisted his body mid-air.
-Kwagaga!
Flames jetted from his nanosuit backpack.
Propelled momentarily higher, Luther vaulted Astra's head, sliding down her neck.
“Insolent worm!”
Astra roared at the fool daring to mount her back.
She whirled high again, spinning to shake him off.
But Luther was a hair faster.
Before she could twist, he kicked off her back again, now looking down from the sky high above.
Astra glared, gathering draconic energy.
Dragons' ultimate weapon—breath weapon.
Luther watched.
Feeling dizzying height and raging winds, he extended his right arm.
“Integra!”
[Combine sequence!]
[System all green!]
His backpack surged behind him.
Merged with Integra's drone, it coupled to his right arm, forming a massive cannon barrel.
Left arm braced it.
Muzzle locked on Astra.
Integra's trump card.
Recreating the shot that downed Balboa!
The white barrel glowed blue.
Blue lines covered not just the barrel but Luther's whole body; his HUD crosshairs merged.
Then, the Dragon Heart in his chest blazed.
Infusing the cannon with draconic power.
That instant, Astra gaped wide.
Their gazes clashed; twin draconic auras unleashed terrifying might.
“Integra!”
[Energy charge 100% complete!]
[Buster Cannon! Firing!]
Light.
Then flash!
-Kwaang!
Boom warped the air.
Blue flash pierced darkness, hurtling forth.
At its end: Astra's maw.
The beam pillar swallowed her scream.