Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Chapter 29 - Sky Island #4
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Ragros, a mid-tier member of the Hecatoncheires, wasn't the type to charge ahead into battle like Balboa or Astra.
He preferred to stay in the shadows and manipulate events from behind the scenes, much like the high-tier member Jenadu.
Using the ritual devices on Sky Island, he planned to unleash a tsunami that would sweep away the south.
To carry out his assigned mission, Ragros descended to the south and began preparations from the rear, as always.
Spies from the Hecatoncheires had long been planted throughout the Malkuth Kingdom.
In fact, the kingdom had fallen into a de facto state without a king due to the Hecatoncheires' machinations.
But Ragros wanted more than that.
In the current absence of the king, if he could convert or control at least one of the three key figures who held sway over the Malkuth Kingdom—Queen Reina, High Priest Matriel, or Grand General Azrael—then he could trigger the tsunami incident without ever stepping forward himself.
Spies had already been placed under all three candidates, so things started off smoothly.
Moreover, Ragros already had the leverage ready—or could prepare it—to manipulate them.
Queen Reina, despite them not being her biological children, truly cherished and loved the first princess Prel Yoru and the second princess Peliaru.
The plan was to shatter the queen's composure and instill a thirst for vengeance against the south by granting the second princess Peliaru a cruel and gruesome death.
It was a solid plan.
The second princess was already on the run from home, making her easy to capture.
But things went awry.
Balboa failed, and the second princess returned to the kingdom without a scratch.
Naturally, the plan to make Queen Reina harbor hatred toward the south became utterly impossible.
Grand General Azrael was another problem.
Ragros had been carefully working to secure the general's loyalty in exchange for curing his daughter, who suffered from a long-term illness, but a miracle healer suddenly appeared and brought everything to a close.
The general's daughter regained her health, and the Hecatoncheires lost their leverage over the general in an instant.
At this point, it wasn't an exaggeration to say the card involving the high priest was meaningless.
They no longer had time to wait for the ritual ceremony anyway.
‘The miracle healer might cure the king too.’
If the king recovered, there was a high chance their plan to seize Sky Island on the day of the ritual ceremony and trigger the incident would fall apart.
Exerting influence over the Malkuth Kingdom would also become far more difficult than it was now.
‘If we're going to cause an incident, it has to be before the king recovers.’
Watching to see if the miracle healer could really cure the king was the worst option.
If the miracle healer succeeded and the king recovered, that existence alone could hinder the Hecatoncheires' movements.
Even if the king had only just recovered and could barely move, there was a world of difference between his presence and his absence.
‘The western devastation plan failed.’
Therefore, the southern tsunami plan had to succeed no matter what.
Not just for the Hecatoncheires, but for Ragros himself.
If he, a mid-tier member, succeeded where even the high-tier Jenadu had failed.
Though the western and southern incidents were separate from the start, that didn't diminish the significance of the fact.
It would leave a deep impression on Lady Iclusia, who was surely monitoring the south.
‘So I pulled the trigger.’
He mobilized all the resources invested in the south to set the incident in motion.
Tonight, he would wipe out the capital and proceed to destroy the south.
And pin all these events on the high priest who had remained on Sky Island.
It was a crude and brutal plan.
But it was feasible enough, and things seemed to be progressing smoothly in reality.
Even though it wasn't the day of the ritual ceremony, he had raised Sky Island.
He had plunged the capital into chaos, and securing the second princess—the essential component needed to activate the ritual device—was also a success.
Luring the high priest, who was obsessed with women, to take a position on Sky Island had been all too easy.
But even this began to go wrong.
‘The miracle healer.’
The bastard protected the first princess.
He joined Queen Reina and, with Sandalphon in tow, attempted an assault on Sky Island—and succeeded.
Ragros, who had only just activated the ritual device, didn't have many options.
He had originally planned to secure the high priest he had lured to Sky Island, but he had no choice but to change plans once more.
‘Protect the ritual device.’
He didn't know how much the Malkuth Kingdom's group, including the miracle healer, had grasped of the situation, but it was clear their target was the ritual device.
So he would protect the ritual device.
He would wait until the tsunami that would swallow the capital was created.
He concentrated the forces he had deployed throughout the temple on Sky Island near the ritual device.
This time, Ragros himself had no intention of retreating to the rear; he would hold the position.
‘Not bad.’
It was a bit twisted, but things were still proceeding according to plan for now.
If he could protect the ritual device like this, it would be Ragros's victory.
Calming his briefly anxious mind, Ragros looked down at the second princess Peliaru, who was kneeling with her arms bound beneath the massive spherical ritual device.
Due to forcing the ritual device's activation speed beyond its limits, the living component—Princess Peliaru—was enduring excruciating pain.
If he removed the sealing orbs covering her eyes and mouth, the entire room where the ritual device was installed would doubtless fill with the princess's wails and screams.
Ragros closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
He attuned himself, listening to the princess's muffled screams.
But this moment of leisure didn't last long.
‘Why?’
They weren't coming.
By now, his subordinates blocking the path to the ritual device should have clashed with them, but no battle had broken out.
“Lord Ragros! This is bad!”
At that exact moment, one of the subordinates guarding the ritual device room's entrance flung the door open with a frantic expression.
And that's how Ragros learned what had happened.
The Malkuth Kingdom's group wasn't coming this way.
Instead of blocking the ritual device, they had chosen a different path.
“They're going to... crash Sky Island?”
They were heading for the control room.
While blowing up parts of Sky Island along the way.
There was only one possible conclusion.
They clearly intended to crash Sky Island itself.
It was bewildering.
For a moment, he couldn't think straight.
If Sky Island crashed in an abnormal manner, it could cause a disaster in itself.
It would be no different from dropping a meteor on the capital.
Of course, given Sky Island's position, it would fall into the sea rather than the capital, so a catastrophe destroying the entire capital wouldn't occur.
But it would still be a disaster.
The massive waves from the impact would surely engulf the capital.
‘They're willing to accept that?’
At least it was better than the entire capital being swept away by the tsunami?
“These mad...”
They really were insane.
Unless they knew Ragros's true goal was the total destruction of the south—which they couldn't possibly know—
Choosing to accept damage and crash Sky Island instead of retaking the ritual device to safely protect the capital?
Without even attempting to retake the ritual device?
“Lord Ragros!”
At his subordinate's call, Ragros snapped out of his thoughts and lifted his head.
What was done was done.
The only thing Ragros could do now was protect the control room.
“To the control room! Squads 3 and 4, come with me!”
With a loud shout, Ragros gave the ritual device and Princess Peliaru one last glance before sprinting toward the control room.
Explosions rang out successively in Ragros's ears.
* * *
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions and flames spread through the vents ravaged Sky Island's interiors, triggering additional blasts.
“I-Is this really okay?!”
The high priest, who had thrown a makeshift incendiary bottle crafted by Integra into a warehouse full of flammables, wore a truly ambivalent expression.
His mind knew this was the best option, but his face showed doubt about whether it truly was.
“It's already happened! What good does regretting it do?!”
In contrast, Sandalphon laughed heartily as if enjoying it, smashing through the blocking door with his spear.
They continued their path of destruction toward the control room.
The effect was more than sufficient.
About half of the Hecatoncheires forces clustered around the ritual device began urgently moving toward the control room.
And among them was Ragros.
“Integra! How much farther?!”
[We're almost there!]
[Turn right at the next corridor for the control room!]
Two numbers appeared in Luther's vision.
One was the time remaining until the ritual device's activation, and the other was the distance to the control room.
[10 meters!]
[9 meters!]
[Master! A powerful life signal is charging from the left!]
Luther could tell as well.
Not just from the deafening sound of the wall breaking, but from the overwhelming presence and massive killing intent.
“I'll handle it!”
Sandalphon bellowed, drowning out the roar, and launched himself toward the source of the noise.
Instead of looking that way, Luther turned toward the control room, and the high priest raised his voice in Luther's stead.
“Y-You're a dragonkin?!”
-Boom!
The high priest's voice was drowned out.
It was due to the massive crash from Sandalphon colliding with Ragros.
The ceiling and floor shook, and terrifying sounds continued from behind.
But Luther didn't turn around.
Ragros was stronger than Sandalphon.
Even if it was an even fight for now, the advantage would soon tilt toward Ragros.
He had to hurry. There was no time to look back.
-Boom!
Luther body-slammed through the control room door and swallowed hard at the sight before him.
He had already anticipated this scene from Sky Island's blueprints, but seeing it with his own eyes still made his heart race anew.
The control room looked almost identical to the submarine tunnel's control room.
It had the Malkuth Kingdom's unique decorations added, but its essence was the same.
‘A relic of the heavens.’
Sky Island was known as a divine artifact gifted to the sea goddess Adonai Melech by beings from the heavens.
And those heavenly beings were undoubtedly the Galactic Federation, once again.
How was this possible?
What connection existed between this planet and the Galactic Federation?
[Master! It seems controllable with the Sea Key!]
It was a relief.
Luther rushed to the controller and inserted the Sea Key.
[System connection initiated.]
[Securing control authority.]
-Boom!
A deafening impact sounded from behind, shaking the entire control room.
It was the crash of Sandalphon, enlarged to nearly 5 meters, against the control room entrance.
“Hurry!”
Following the high priest's shout came Sandalphon's roar mixed with Ragros's bellow.
Drone cameras transmitted the sight of the invading dragonkin trying to enter the control room and the high priest desperately holding a barrier.
“Integra!”
[Control authority secured!]
But right then.
Noise flickered before Luther's eyes, and the Sword Angel and Sword Emperor appeared.
It seemed the Sword Emperor's log was forcing playback.
[Forcing video termination!]
[Master! Orders!]
Sky Island took priority now.
Confirming that Queen Reina, gripping the communicator, and the priests were charging toward the ritual device room, Luther gave the command without hesitation.
“Crash it!”
[Dividing Sky Island's outer hull parts!]
[Overloading the energy control device!]
[20 seconds until explosion!]
-Kaboom!
Successive roars erupted.
The shock and vibrations from forcibly separating the outer hull parts spread throughout Sky Island.
[After outer hull division, dividing C-part containing the energy control device!]
[14 seconds until energy control overload!]
To perfectly prevent the tsunami disaster, Sky Island itself had to be eliminated.
But overloading the energy control in this state would explode the entire island, so they needed to divide the parts to buy time for Aru's rescue and escape.
“Still not yet?!”
The high priest shouted, sweating profusely, and Luther finally turned toward the entrance.
Beyond the high priest's translucent barrier, he saw the bloodied Sandalphon and Ragros roaring furiously.
[10!]
[9!]
[8!]
Ragros spotted Luther too.
His gaze fixed on the controller, and another massive vibration shook Sky Island.
[5!]
[4!]
[3!]
[2!]
Ragros instinctively grasped the situation.
Ignoring Sandalphon, he charged the barrier and unleashed a punch loaded with immense mana.
-Kwaaa!
The barrier shattered—no, was destroyed. The high priest was flung back, and Ragros forced his way into the control room.
[1!]
[0!]
[Energy control device overloading!]
-Kwagagagagagaga!
A colossal explosion, incomparable to any before, rocked all of Sky Island, and everyone unprepared for the current situation collapsed helplessly or lost balance.
But one person.
The one who knew exactly when the shock would hit was unaffected.
He had leaped from the floor just before the blast and charged at the toppled Ragros, spreading black wings.
[Limiter release! Level Ten!]
[Access code! True Star!]
Super-vibration blade.
The vibrating blade struck Ragros's eyes, filled with shock.