Chapter 321: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 321
Smaurne's blood sprayed.
The current flowing through Caesar's Thunder burned the red blood, turning it into black ash.
Smaurne suffered a long wound on her right shoulder, and blood poured out. But if you asked whether it was a fatal wound, it was ambiguous.
So honestly, it was disappointing.
In a situation where Smaurne is reading Caesar's thoughts, the greatest weapon to land a blow on Smaurne is 'ignorance.'
Caesar didn't know how sturdy this armor was, but thinking it would block Smaurne's sword to some extent, he struck Smaurne with Thunder while disregarding defense.
In other words, the recent clash was no different from Caesar gambling with his life. Smaurne also knew about Caesar's gambling move, and the reason she still thrust her sword until the end was because of her high pride.
Either pierce through the armor and kill Caesar, or have it blocked and offer her skull to Caesar.
As a result, Smaurne's sword failed to penetrate Caesar's armor, and Caesar's axe failed to split Smaurne's head. This was because Smaurne offered her shoulder instead of her head.
Clatter!
Caesar looked at the armor.
There was a spider web-like crack right in the middle of the chest. Although it successfully blocked once, it doesn't seem like it will block a second time.
Caesar rushed toward Smaurne.
He needs to finish this by pressing when Smaurne is in bad condition.
She just watched Caesar until he swung his Thunder right in front of him. She shows no sign of defending or counterattacking.
Caesar felt an eerie feeling and used psychometry.
"Arrogant bastard...!"
Caesar swung his Thunder faster toward the her neck. But Smaurne's left hand moved to block Caesar's Thunder.
Clang!
Two horns grew on Smaurne's head, and blue scales emerged around her eyes and hands. If there was a difference between her horns and those of a succubus or devil, it was that her horns were as white as snow.
Smaurne grabbed the blade of Thunder and threw it along with Caesar.
Caesar quickly landed on the ground riding the wind. But Smaurne was already where Caesar landed. Her right arm was fully healed and covered with blue scales like a lizard. She was preparing to draw her sword as if to sever Caesar right away.
Caesar had the conviction that if he took that head-on, he wouldn't even be able to gather his bones.
Caesar chose to avoid rather than block.
Whoosh!
Buildings completely disappeared where Smaurne's sword passed. The power is such that it might be more accurate to see it as magic.
Smaurne's sword chased after Caesar.
"Caesar!"
Green aura flowed from Caesar's body. It's Raven's one-man support magic. Caesar countered Smaurne's sword.
Claaaaang!
Caesar didn't budge from Smaurne's attack. It feels like the balance of power is finally equal.
"...My goodness."
The huge dome supporting the ground began to crack due to Caesar and Smaurne's battle.
A boulder fell toward Raven's head.
"Lady Raven!"
Raven immediately used shield magic. The rock bounced off the shield magic and fell. It was thanks to maximizing the ability of the wand made from phoenix feathers.
"Don't worry about me and check inside the pillar right now!"
"What? The pillar?"
"Yes. The pillar."
Honestly, I'm not sure if Caesar can win. That woman's strength was comparable to the Demon King’s.
So we need to find that woman's weakness somehow.
"Go in right now and find a clue. Here!"
Raven handed Gloria the Moonflower.
"Lady Raven! I don't know how to see magic."
"I don't know much about dragon language magic either."
Raven deflected a rock that flew over her head.
"But there must be some kind of artifact that can stop that woman. Shine the Moonflower on that woman."
Gloria followed Raven's instruction and shone the Moonflower on the woman.
Dragon language was drawn on the woman's headband, and something like a white thread connected from the headband to the entrance of the pillar.
"Do you see the thread connecting to the woman's headband? Follow it! There must be something there."
I'm not sure if the woman's weakness is in that pillar. But in this situation, all Gloria could do was find hope in an unknown space. Gloria spoke to Kos, whose arms had been cut off.
"Kos! Come with me!"
Gloria went around the battleground of Caesar and Smaurne.
***
Caesar made Thunder smaller and threw it at Smaurne.
Clear Field Form 5
Flying Wind
Thunder flew like a boomerang, aiming for the back of Smaurne's head. Smaurne lightly struck it away and left her position. Sharp winds burst from Thunder and spread in all directions, scratching everything.
Smaurne pulled out the Spear of Penetration stuck in the ground. Smaurne breathed dragon language into the Spear of Penetration.
『It will definitely hit.』
Ring!
The Spear of Penetration imbued with dragon language cried out.
Smaurne threw the javelin toward Caesar with a straight posture.
Thump!
The Spear of Penetration flying straight toward Caesar with a low, heavy sound. Caesar blocked the Spear of Penetration with Thunder.
Clannnng!
Caesar's body retreated as Thunder screamed.
The Spear of Penetration advanced toward Caesar's heart as if it were alive, and Caesar had the instinct that he couldn't withstand it. Caesar twisted his body and offered his shoulder.
Thud!
The left shoulder blade burst and red blood gushed out.
Smaurne didn't give Caesar time to catch his breath.
A sword mercilessly lunges toward Caesar. Caesar barely evaded the sword.
Clear Field Form 3
Dragon Rising
The counterattack follows immediately.
As a powerful whirlwind erupting from lefty engulfed Smaurne, Smaurne suppressed the dragon rising with a single swing.
Through the calmed wind, Thunder flew like a living bird and pounced on Smaurne. Smaurne was annoyed by Thunder that kept coming at her relentlessly. Smaurne grabbed Thunder and drove it into the ground.
Meanwhile, Caesar picked up the Spear of Penetration.
"Try this for a change."
The spear of penetration flew straight toward Smaurne.
Smaurne barely dodged the spear of penetration, but it grazed from her left forearm to her shoulder.
In that moment, Caesar grabbed Thunder he had driven into the ground and swung it upward at Smaurne.
Clear Field Form 2
Wind Blade
Smaurne blocked Caesar's sharp wind with the scales that had sprouted on her right hand. Both Smaurne and Caesar's gazes simultaneously shifted to the spear of penetration.
The decisive reason they had been able to inflict meaningful damage on each other was because of the spear of penetration.
They both knew that whoever grabbed that spear first would determine the outcome. That's why Caesar and Smaurne fiercely competed around the spear of penetration.
Of course, that didn't mean the spear could be easily grabbed. When Smaurne reached for the spear of penetration, Caesar's Lefty flew in to target Smaurne's opening.
Conversely, when Caesar tried to grasp the spear of penetration, Smaurn's sword came in to stab at his vital point. As the mental battle centered around the spear of penetration continued intensely, Caesar was the one showing signs of defeat.
"You seem tired."
As Smaurne said, Caesar's body was completely exhausted.
He had used Storm's Eve once to escape from the waterway, and because he had used Storm's Eve to its limit to match Smaurne's strength and speed, his aura was running low.
"Stop struggling. Insect."
"What does that make you, getting beaten by an insect?"
Smaurne tilted her head slightly to avoid Thunder aimed at the back of her head. Caesar caught Thunder.
"No matter how I think about it, I can't believe you're Smaurne. If you were a real dragon, there's no way you'd be getting beaten by me like this. Or is this really all a dragon amounts to?"
Smaurne's mouth twisted.
The remark had hit home.
"I am a completely different species from you. Insect."
"You're not a dragon. So why do you keep pretending to be one?"
Caesar's words seemed to pierce deeper into Smaurne's heart than expected, causing her true feelings to leak out.
"I am a dragon."
"No, you're not a dragon. What should I call you? A knockoff perhaps?"
"What, a knockoff?"
"Yes. A fake."
Caesar deeply scratched at his opponent's heart.
"You're just Smaurne's avatar."
Smaurne's eyes grew fierce.
"I am not an avatar."
The more she denied it, the more her true feelings leaked out.
"I am Smaurne."
"Stop bullshitting. If you're a dragon–"
As Smaurne's heart wavered, her sword path became rough and her depth of thought became shallow. That meant mistakes would come from her.
Caesar didn't miss even the smallest mistake and kicked her in the abdomen.
"I am a god."
Caesar threw both Thunder and Lefty simultaneously. Thunder and Lefty both rushed at Smaurne's blind spot at the same time.
Smaurne swung her sword to deflect Thunder and Lefty.
Meanwhile, the spear of penetration flew toward Smaurne's heart.
Bang!
Smaurne's sword dangerously bent.
Crack! Crack! Bang!
Eventually, Smaurne's sword shattered into pieces.
Thud!
The spear of penetration grazed Smaurne's side.
A wound appeared as if someone had taken a large bite out of Smaurne's side.
Cough!
Blood flowed from Smaurne's mouth, soaking the floor. Though clearly a fatal wound, Smaurne smiled.
"Superhuman willpower. Caesar."
Thump!
Caesar's body collapsed. That previous javelin throw had wrung out the last of Caesar's strength.
Smaurne slowly got up and walked.
"You've been at your limit for a long time. I'll give you credit for your willpower alone."
Golden needles flew toward Smaurne. Smaurne deflected all the needles with her right hand.
Smaurne glared at Raven.
"Come to think of it, there was one more insect."
Raven stood in front of Caesar, who was gasping for breath, and raised her wand.
"Your strange talent is praiseworthy. But compared to dragon language, it's nothing more than child's play."
『Magic Stop.』
As Smaurne's dragon language magic activated, Raven's magic was cut off.
"Dragon language is about communicating with magic. It's a completely different concept from merely using magic."
Smaurne picked up one of the golden needles that had fallen to the ground.
"Well, how would you understand what I'm saying......"
Whoosh!
A hot ball of flame shot out from the tip of Raven's wand and hit Smaurne directly in the face.
Smaurn's lips twisted.
"Playing little tricks."
Raven could see that Smaurne's dragon language was surprisingly very similar to the magic used by beast people. Communing with magic itself.
While beast people use senses and emotions to give commands to magic, dragon language is different. Raven muttered.
『Move.』
The golden needle that had fallen to the floor floated up.
Until now, Raven had thought that dragon language magic required speaking the dragon language for the magic to manifest.
Most dragon language scholars thought so too, and that was the conventional method of analyzing dragon language.
But after seeing Smauren use dragon language a few times, I think I understand. Dragon language, to be precise, is making a contract with magic.
When Raven demands a result from magic, magic asks Raven for a price in return.
That transaction contract is precisely the 'dragon language'. It's not that magic manifests because dragon language is uttered; rather, dragon language follows the magical phenomenon.
『Fly quickly.』
The needles flew toward Smaurne at the speed of sound. Smaurne deflected all the needles with the golden needle held in her hand.
"How dare a mere human utter dragon language...!"
Smaurne advanced toward Raven with quick steps.
『Stop.』
Raven used dragon language. Then a handful of blood poured from Raven's mouth.
"Kuk!"
Smaurne hesitated for a moment when she received Raven's dragon language, but soon moved as Raven vomited blood, unable to bear the dragon language.
"It seems you don't even know that the price of dragon language is the physical burden on the caster. It's not a technique that mere humans can dare to use."
Raven couldn't understand what Smaurne was saying, but she could understand why her body had become like this. It was because the result of stopping Smaurne was not something Raven's mental strength and physical body could handle.
As a recoil, her internal organs twisted and she collapsed.
Smaurne raised the needle.
"Die, insect. Still, you are better than other humans."
Smaurne's needle approached Raven. When Raven was blankly staring at Smaurne's needle, a huge shadow enveloped Raven.
Thud!
Smaurne's wrist was caught by a huge hand and couldn't advance. Smaurne looked at the owner of the hand.
"...No way."
Raven turned around. Barre was standing there. [TL/N: Lol, totally forgotten about Barre]
"Woooooooooaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
Barre's battle cry resonated loudly throughout the city of sin.