Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Chapter 29 - Sky Island
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Luther had seen that light before.
Even though it had been through a screen on the other side of a monitor back then, that light was unmistakably the glow emitted by Sky Island's illumination device when the ritual device was activated.
Luther's eyes widened.
He continued his train of thought.
The tsunami sweeping across the entire south and the one targeting only the capital.
Naturally, the latter was far smaller in scale than the former, and being smaller meant it required far less time and energy to prepare.
And now, that light had appeared.
It was the countdown to the tsunami.
‘But how?’
Aru had been kidnapped just a few minutes ago.
And the location of the kidnapping wasn't Sky Island, but the Hundred Flowers Palace in the capital.
‘Spatial leap? Some special device?’
There, Luther cut off his thoughts. Either way, it was pointless speculation right now.
Light had entered the ritual device.
The countdown to the tsunami had begun.
No matter how the process had unfolded, the result was already clear.
The kidnapped Aru was on Sky Island.
She had begun functioning as the core of the ritual device.
“Integra! Check the ocean's condition from the air!”
[Huh? Oh, got it!]
Integra hadn't immediately understood Luther's command, but she didn't bother asking for clarification.
Seeing the drone shoot up into the sky, Luther turned his gaze back to Queen Reina.
Queen Reina, sensing his presence, looked back at him as well, and even with her face veiled, her eyes conveyed a great deal.
‘She knows.’
Queen Reina knew about the ritual device.
And she had realized that it had just activated.
Queen Reina was asking with her eyes.
Did he know more about this situation? What was the story about the ritual device she had been about to mention earlier?
Luther swallowed once. He steadied his breathing and thought, instinctively realizing what was needed right now.
‘Trust.’
Deeper trust than before.
There was no time to explain how he had come to know the things he did once he shared that knowledge.
But without such an explanation, even Queen Reina, who could discern the truth, wouldn't fully heed his words.
So what was needed in this moment was trust.
Making Queen Reina believe in him was the top priority.
And there was one key phrase for that.
Luther approached Queen Reina.
Her guards reflexively tried to position themselves between them, but Queen Reina stopped the knights and cleared the way.
Queen Reina looked at Luther with her red eyes.
Luther met her jewel-like eyes with his purple ones and said curtly.
“I am the successor to the Sword Angel, one who comes from the heavenly realm.”
Luther's declaration caused the surrounding atmosphere to grow chaotic.
Some were flustered, others looked at Luther with strange eyes.
But Luther ignored them and focused only on Queen Reina. She, too, did not avert her gaze from him.
“It's the truth…… isn't it.”
The atmosphere shifted dramatically again at Queen Reina's words laced with astonishment.
Shock spread among the guards, and Yoru, who was holding Iru, blinked her large eyes at Luther.
It was just as Luther had thought.
Queen Reina could discern the truth.
But that didn't mean she was an absolute arbiter of truth.
What Queen Reina could read was whether the speaker was telling the truth—or more precisely, whether they were lying.
In the world of Dragon Hunter Origin, the Galaxy Federation was the heavenly realm, and the Sword Angel from the Federation was an angel.
By the same logic, Luther himself was an angel, and the moment he inherited Clairheim Morr, he had become the successor to the Sword Angel.
So it wasn't a lie.
Luther believed his own words to be true.
Thus, Queen Reina had no choice but to accept them as truth.
Of course, one could see Luther as a delusional maniac, but given the incredible abilities he had demonstrated so far, that was unlikely.
And Luther had one more piece of evidence to back up his claim.
“Indeed, so that's why the Hecatoncheires……?”
Luther nodded in response to Queen Reina's inadvertent murmur.
Hecatoncheires.
The group composed of the descendants of the Demon Dragon Helcanes, who sought the world's destruction.
In Queen Reina's common sense, it would be only natural for an angel from the heavens to oppose such Hecatoncheires.
Because he was an angel, he opposed the Hecatoncheires.
Because he was an angel, he knew more about the Hecatoncheires.
And it was right then.
[M-Master! The ocean currents are acting strange!]
[We'd need to observe farther out to sea to be sure, but a definite anomaly is occurring!]
Luther gritted his teeth.
As expected, the Hecatoncheires were clearly preparing a tsunami to wipe out the capital.
‘Then everything falls into place.’
Whether the forces attacking the capital ultimately lost didn't matter.
What the Hecatoncheires needed was just the time required to create the tsunami that would sweep it away.
Luther opened his mouth.
But before he could, Queen Reina whipped around toward the sea with a startled face.
“The sea?!”
Fear spread across Queen Reina's face.
She had instinctively sensed the anomaly happening in the ocean.
Moreover, she knew about the ritual device, and as the Sea Witch, she understood the ocean far better than Luther or Integra.
She might have already discerned that this anomaly was a tsunami meant to destroy the capital.
[Master! The Grand General's forces have begun their counterattack!]
[The palace guard is launching an organized counteroffensive from the west gate!]
It was good news.
It greatly reduced the chance that the Grand General was a spy.
But with the ritual device already starting to activate, there was no time to wait for the Grand General's counterattack.
Luther took another step toward Queen Reina and asked.
“How much time until the ritual device fully activates?”
Queen Reina had already realized that the ritual device's purpose was to create a tsunami to obliterate the capital.
After a brief hesitation at Luther's direct question, she answered.
“One hour…… One hour should be enough.”
A short yet long time.
Luther steadied his breath, then looked back at Sky Island—and the ardragons and giant bats blanketing the sky.
“Integra! Return!”
[Got it, Master!]
The drone, now in stealth mode, began weaving through the ardragons and giant bats back to Luther.
Instead of watching the drone, Luther kept glaring at Sky Island, thinking.
‘No time.’
To rescue Aru and stop the tsunami, they had to infiltrate Sky Island right now.
Queen Reina had said one hour, but that was likely the time needed for a perfect tsunami.
‘Even an incomplete tsunami could damage the capital.’
Even half-formed, if it crashed into the capital, it would cause massive casualties.
“Your Majesty, we must go now. Is there no path to Sky Island or a spatial leap spell?”
At Luther's question, Queen Reina bit her lip.
She understood the gravity of the situation, but she had no real solution.
“Sky Island is entirely the temple's domain. Even we royals have no direct path there.”
‘Then the High Priest really is the spy.’
Recalling Lagros, who had taken Aru to Sky Island in an instant, Luther turned back to Queen Reina and said.
“Understood. Then we'll fly in directly. Can you provide support?”
Queen Reina looked at the ardragons covering the sky in response to Luther's question, furrowed her brow, and said.
“The skies mean we can't deploy large numbers. Joining the Grand General would take time, and even if he could come, he'd have to command the guards to fight the intruders storming the palace.”
It seemed like she was speaking as much to herself as to Luther.
She organized her thoughts as she spoke.
She reviewed who could be deployed using process of elimination while scanning the room.
“Sir Luther—no, Lord Luther, Sandalphon, and myself are the best option.”
Those who hadn't fully followed the situation widened their eyes at Queen Reina's words.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“You don't mean you're going to Sky Island yourself?!”
Instead of answering the guards' questions, Queen Reina turned to Yoru and said.
“Prel Yoru, protect the palace as crown princess. Link up with the Grand General and defend the capital.”
Yoru was momentarily flustered by the firm command, but she soon swallowed dryly and nodded with a serious expression.
It was a frightening and scary situation, but she remembered her duties and responsibilities as crown princess.
The guards dared not speak amid this exchange between mother and daughter—the queen and crown princess.
Queen Reina's aura conveyed such resolute will.
“Sandalphon is coming.”
Luther could tell as well.
From the direction of the Hundred Flowers Palace, a giant was charging toward them, shaking the ground, its form growing larger.
Queen Reina removed the veil covering her face and stood facing Sky Island. Luther knew what she intended.
“Dracona Ignis.”
As she murmured the incantation, light swelled around her entire body.
Her silhouette, enveloped in pure white light, transformed into something like a massive dragon.
Dragon transformation magic.
The powerful combat form she would assume in a boss battle against her if she turned out to be a spy.
“Your Majesty! Luther!”
As if on cue, Sandalphon arrived.
Queen Reina, now a beautiful red dragon, spoke in a draconic voice.
“We're infiltrating Sky Island now to rescue Aru. Sandalphon, Luther, mount up.”
Sandalphon knew little of the current situation.
But as a seasoned warrior, he said nothing and shrank his size before climbing onto Queen Reina's back.
An eight-meter dragon from head to tail.
Luther followed Sandalphon onto Queen Reina's back and sent the returning drone ahead once more.
“Integra! Find a path!”
[Got it, Master!]
The drone flew ahead first.
And at that moment, Queen Reina spread her wings and leaped.
“Eek! Luther!”
As Yoru's cry faded into the distance, the ardragons and giant bats drew nearer.
The light from Sky Island high in the sky grew ever brighter.
“To Sky Island.”
With Queen Reina's low voice, immense mana erupted like an explosion, shaking the heavens.
And as if that were the signal, the ardragons and giant bats blanketing the sky surged toward Queen Reina.
“To Sky Island!”
Sandalphon roared, raising his massive spear, while Luther fixed his gaze on the blindingly white Sky Island.
With the ardragons' roars, the battle in the skies began.