Chapter 216: The Dragon Lord (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: The Dragon Lord (3)
At Iries's words, the light from the magic circle dimmed, and the spell that should have poured forth was held back.
This was thanks to the Dragon Lord, Kaisullan, who had barely managed to control the magic. Without dispelling the magic circle entirely, he voiced his question.
-Mother. This human has sullied my honor and yours with his glib tongue. Why do you ask me to stop?
-Is a few insults really such a big deal? If you sit in a high position, you should be able to endure that much!
-...
-Heehee..! A joke. It was just a joke.
Iries burst into laughter at Kaisullan's sour expression.
Only after her laughter subsided did she reveal her true intentions.
-Kaisullan, the human you are facing is an unknown.
-An unknown... Do you mean that even you, Mother, do not know this human's identity?
-Putting it like that makes me sound incompetent... but unfortunately, yes. His shell is of this world, but his inner self is from another.
-Another world? Do you mean he is a being from another dimension?
Kaisullan asked, his voice rising in surprise. Iries affirmed it.
His expression hardened.
-He is a dangerous element. Should we not eliminate him at once?
It wasn't entirely unprecedented for a human from another dimension to enter this continent. They were occasionally summoned to serve as heroes or for other purposes.
However, that was only when the situation was completely under control, part of a meticulous plan.
The appearance of a soul from another world whose identity and intentions were unknown, like now, was nothing short of a dangerous element threatening the continent's safety.
To put it bluntly, he could have been ordered by the creator of another dimension to spy on this place.
Therefore, he needed to be eliminated swiftly, but...
-Kaisullan. Are you trying to take away my fun?
His mother already seemed to have taken an interest in this mysterious being from another world.
...Once she got like this, no one could stop her.
Even Lord Lebeus, an evil god of the continent and an old friend of his mother's, would just shake his head and give up.
Suppressing a sigh, Kaisullan dispelled the magic.
He glared at Cloud with narrowed eyes.
[You are lucky. But do not think that luck will follow you forever. The day Her interest fades will be the day your wretched life comes to an end.]
Cloud tilted his head.
Her?
How many beings were there that the Dragon Lord would address with such reverence?
As far as he knew, there was only one.
"You were acting like you were going to tear me limb from limb, so why the sudden calm? Are you bipolar? Or did your mommy tell you to stop?"
[...]
"Looks like I was right. Fucking mama's boy."
[Shut your mouth.]
Kaisullan growled, grinding his teeth. The oppressive aura emanating from him made Cloud's companions and the ancient dragons flinch, but as expected, Cloud seemed unfazed.
Kaisullan clicked his tongue, polymorphed, and turned his back.
[We will meet again.]
With those final words, he used a teleportation spell and vanished.
A moment after the Dragon Lord left.
Finally free from the Lord's Dragon Fear, Cloud's companions let out ragged breaths, drenched in cold sweat.
Cloud was wondering if he should pat them on the back when one of the ancient dragons spoke.
[Ahem! Our clan still finds you disagreeable, but we cannot defy the Lord's decision. The punishment for your sins will be postponed, so enjoy the reprieve you have been given.]
In other words, they were letting them go for now but would capture them and hold them accountable for their crimes when they had the chance.
It was a rather self-serving declaration, but Hailey was relieved, thinking it a stroke of luck.
Just buying time is enough.
Watching Cloud confront the Dragon Lord without the slightest bit of fear, Hailey saw his potential.
If only there's enough time...
Perhaps he could become the first human since the dawn of mankind to escape the shackles of mortality.
Then the best choice I can make is to help him.
She had betrayed the Blood King to survive, and now she had caught the eye of the Dragon Lord. The only way for her to preserve her life was for Cloud to reach a level equal to those two monsters.
And fortunately, she was confident she could provide him with the right kind of help.
She had once been the Blood King's confidante, glimpsing fragments of his power, and she also had experience raising Gis into a strong, if not exceptional, hero.
If nothing else, she could at least point him in the right direction.
It's funny to be thinking this in this situation, but I'm actually a little excited.
He was a different breed from Gis.
When all his potential blossomed, what heights would he reach?
Her heart pounded with an excitement she hadn't felt in a long time.
Hailey wished the ancient dragons would hurry up and leave.
She needed to discuss future plans with Cloud.
However, it seemed Cloud had other ideas.
"Hey. Cut the bullshit and get down here. Before I rip your wings off."
"Pardon?"
Hailey's eyes went wide as he calmly uttered such an outrageous statement. She rushed to Cloud's side and grabbed his arm.
"Master! I understand how you feel, but this is not a matter to be handled emotionally. Please, reconsider!"
The usually proud woman pleaded with a rare display of agitation, but Cloud simply ignored her, counting the ancient dragons with a flick of his finger.
"Thirteen... fourteen... Well, this should be about right."
Having finished his count, Cloud sent a telepathic message to his Ego Sword, Leah.
-Leah.
-Oh, Master. Is it time already? Hold on. Let me change my clothes.
-No, not you. Send Erbute.
-...I'm sorry, I must have misheard you?
-You heard me right, so just send it over.
-Ah, why! What is it! Why are you calling for it when I'm right here! Was it that good for you? Is its hilt soft? Does carrying it around make you look all cool and sophisticated?
-Yeah.
-That's so mean! This is cheating! You're cheating on me right now!!
-Erbute isn't even an Ego Sword. How is this cheating? Just send it over.
-Kay.
After her playful reply, he could hear Leah chanting a spell. As the incantation neared completion, the connection between Cloud and Leah strengthened, and when it reached its peak, a small rift opened before his eyes.
Cloud reached his hand into the rift.
He felt the coarse hilt of the sword.
The moment he gripped the hilt, his head spun and his stomach churned as if he were seasick.
This bastard.
Was it throwing a tantrum because I haven't called on it in a while?
What a temper... This is why demonic swords are a pain.
Cloud clicked his tongue and pulled the sword out.
A magnificent black sword, glowing brilliantly, revealed itself.
The sword was beautiful in appearance, but it radiated an aura so menacing that its beauty went unnoticed.
Hailey flinched and stepped back, startled by the terrible malice emanating from the blade.
Cloud spoke to her.
"Stop talking and go make a barrier with the other two. If you don't make it properly and someone gets hurt, you'll be the first one I kill."
Cloud's cold tone made Hailey realize it once more. No, she had known, but this time she felt it keenly. Unlike the other women, she was nothing more than a slave. She bowed her head.
"Yes, I understand."
Hailey approached the other women and created a barrier with Eri and Leslie. Two layers of barriers made of ordinary mana, and one barrier covered in blood. It looked quite sturdy, so Cloud was reassured and turned his attention back to the ancient dragons.
Dozens of magic circles were forming around them.
Cloud's expression soured.
"I thought you were being polite and waiting for me, but I guess not, huh?"
[Is there any reason we should wait?]
"If you look hard enough, you might find one."
[Try your best to find one.]
The magic circles flashed brightly as the spells manifested.
Giga Lightning, Ice Storm, Hellfire, and more.
They couldn't compare to the great magic the Lord had used, but the spells were still quite powerful, raining down like an artillery barrage.
BOOOOM!!!
The impact of the magical bombardment sent dirt and sand flying, which then swept over the area like a tidal wave. The resulting dust cloud covered the sky and showed no signs of settling.
A moment later, the ancient dragons broke through the dust and soared high into the sky.
They looked down and conversed.
[Is he dead?]
[Impossible. He is a special human, acknowledged even by the Lord. There's no way he'd die from something like this.]
[That's a relief. Killing him would mean going against the Lord's will. We held back a little since he was being a nuisance, but any more than this would be dangerous. Let's just go... Gack?!]
A black chain shot through the dust cloud and wrapped around the neck of the black dragon, Balakas. It happened so fast, and she had let her guard down, thinking of returning to her lair, so she failed to react in time.
[This thing!]
She belatedly tried to sever the chain, striking it with her sharp claws, but...
[What...?! It won't break?!]
Her claws, which could easily cleave cliffs, couldn't even put a scratch on the demonic sword, Erbute, which had taken the form of a chain.
Before she could even process her shock, the chain yanked hard, causing her to lose her balance and plummet.
Thud. CRASH!
The ancient dragon's massive body collided with the ground, causing a small earthquake.
And before the tremors even subsided.
[KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!!!!]
A horrifying scream echoed in all directions.
[Balakas!]
The ancient dragons beat their wings, creating a gust of wind that blew away the dust. It revealed Balakas, her heart pierced by Cloud's sword. Strangely, her body was gradually withering, and with each moment, the black blade of Erbute pulsed with a red light, like a heartbeat.
Cloud only pulled the sword out after Balakas's corpse had completely shriveled up. The blade, which had been glowing red, returned to its original color.
The Demonic Sword, Erbute.
Said to have been forged by grinding the horn of an archdemon, this sword consumed a vast amount of life force in exchange for power.
And that life force didn't necessarily have to be the user's.
The eyes of the ancient dragons trembled as they stared at Balakas's corpse.
Cloud beckoned to them.
"It won't hurt. It's okay. Come on down."
[...]
The ancient dragons began to turn away in silence. Cloud was dumbfounded.
"They're running away from this?"
A 13-on-1?
Do these bastards have no pride?
...Guess not, or they wouldn't be running. I should have known when I saw them ganging up together like that, despite being dragons.
Dragons these days...
Sighing, Cloud plunged Erbute into the ground.
Of course, he had no intention of letting them go.