Chapter 427
Chapter 427
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 427
Chapter Title: Three Days Before the Alkaya Extermination Begins
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Three days before the start of the Alkaya extermination battle.
"As I mentioned before, there are two ways into Alkaya. One is the vertical shaft. The other is the slope path."
Raniel reviewed the plan with all the personnel assigned to the extermination battle gathered in one place. She spread her index and middle fingers wide with one hand while tapping the extended index finger of her other hand.
"The vertical shaft at the center of the forest. Armored dragons guard its walls—five of them. Factoring in some margin for error, probably around six..."
She tapped her middle finger next.
"And about seven on the slope path. Of course, these won't be as refined as the original armored dragons we know. They're hastily conjured beasts, not masterpieces honed over centuries."
Even so, the danger of the armored dragons couldn't be ignored.
A special air current flowed through Alkaya, at the end of the abyss, and the apostate was using it to strengthen his familiars.
"The first hurdle of the plan is breaking through those armored dragons, but that shouldn't be a major issue."
But Raniel declared confidently.
It wouldn't be a big problem. She tapped the wall with the back of her hand, where she'd sketched Alkaya's layout.
"Kalt, Draka, Kariot, Rak, Belnoa."
Five superhumans specialized in close combat.
"Kelrhalhm, Resti, Chloe, Natida."
Mages and saintess specialized in support fire and assistance.
And...
"Destel."
The deputy commander who would lead them.
With a lineup like this, they could surely break through six or seven armored dragons. Judging as much, Raniel clapped her hands and continued.
"The ones I just named will enter via the vertical shaft. Wait at the entrance for the signal."
Most of the operation's personnel would enter through the vertical shaft.
So who would take the slope path?
"Remia and I will handle the slope path—just the two of us."
Divine Archer, Remia.
Hero, Lania van Trias.
She was saying they'd face seven armored dragons alone, but no one raised any objections. Lania continued.
"Right before entering the slope path, I'll fire a signal flare into the sky. When you see the ring of light in the heavens..."
She flicked her finger.
Raniel swept her finger downward.
"Enter under Destel's command."
She let out a smirk.
"Enter."
The finger she'd swept downward. The hand pointed down. Raniel clenched it into a tight fist.
"And grind them all to dust."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
The twisted, ruined forest.
No proper lifeforms existed in the forest bordering Alkaya. Even the denizens of this demonic realm avoided it. All that lurked here were the apostate's warped familiars.
Grrk, grrrk.
Familiars patrolling the woods.
From corpse reapers to all manner of beasts, they absentmindedly glanced up at the sky. Rustling branches. Crimson eyes descending from above.
And between them.
Gray ash was drifting down.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Thwip, thunk!
Remia leaped over twisted branches and loosed an arrow. A steel wire trailed from the arrowhead, weaving a path between trees. Running along the wire, she kept firing arrows nonstop.
Etched into the wires was Raniel's circuitry.
Firing wire-tipped arrows in rapid succession, Remia wove a net across the entire forest. The spiderweb of wires began encircling the woods. Once the net was dense enough, she fired one final shot.
Thunk.
The diagonal arrow embedded at the base of the slope path. Riding the slanted wire, Remia landed at its entrance.
"Raniel."
Raniel was already waiting where Remia touched down, her hero's garb fluttering as she tugged on her gauntlets. She turned at Remia's call.
"Preparations are complete."
"Good work."
Raniel exhaled shortly and nodded.
Her gaze shifted forward again. The slope path plunging deep underground. Staring into the darkness that swallowed it whole, Raniel spoke.
"Fire."
A single word.
Remia immediately looked skyward, drawing her bowstring taut. The arrow nocked on the fully drawn string pointed to the heavens.
Twang.
Remia released.
Drawing in moonlight, the moonlit arrow shot straight up. Trailing a streak of light, it climbed. At peak height, it detonated.
What burst forth was a soft glow of moonlight.
The moonlit arrow's explosion scattered silvery-white flashes in all directions. In the darkness-cloaked demonic realm, its gentle light stood out even more.
The signal flare was away.
This wasn't just for their allies.
Beasts patrolling the forest reacted to the presence and began swarming. Amid the thudding, booming footsteps echoing through the trees, Raniel spoke.
"From this moment."
She lifted her foot.
"The Alkaya extermination battle begins."
She slammed her advanced foot down with a thud.
What she stomped was Remia's arrow embedded in the ground and the wire connected to its tip. Eyes closed, Raniel stood on the wire etched with her own circuitry.
One breath. One blink.
When she opened her eyes again, vast mana surged around her body. The suppressed mana erupted outward. Her concealed presence—a calamity-like aura—crushed the forest with its weight.
Hummm—the air grew heavy.
The forest grew more chaotic at the giant entity's arrival. To eliminate the intruder, to erase the clear 'threat,' the apostate's beasts all charged at Raniel. Just as the woods shook and monsters burst forth.
Tsssk.
A spark flew.
The wire beneath Raniel's foot. The circuitry etched into it hissed and burned—chiiiiiissssh!
"Operation start."
The net encircling the forest. The circuits within it. The ash scattered throughout. The fuse awaiting just a spark ignited. The moment Remia plugged her ears and crouched.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
A roar echoed as the forest flashed blinding white.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
At the vertical shaft's entrance, the hidden group suppressing their presence looked to the sky. The moonlit arrow streaking upward. The signal for the operation's start.
All eyes turned to Destel.
Destel, who'd been watching the sky, swept his hand forward. The signal to advance. They shed their camouflage and superhumans charged out. The instant they cleared the forest, it flashed white.
Fierce glare, followed by a deafening boom.
As the flash and roar faded, looking back revealed the forest engulfed in flames. Beneath the raging inferno, countless beasts burned away. The apostate's traces charred to ash in the blaze ignited by the hero.
The vast forest was being wholly consumed by fire.
Extermination battle. Leaving the ravenous flames devouring the woods without mercy behind, Destel swept his hand again. The prearranged signal.
"Summon."
The Ash Witch, Resti Eleanor.
Space tore along her swung finger. A portal to another realm opened, familiars pouring out. Leading them: wyverns.
The wyverns took to the sky carrying the operation's personnel. They hovered above the vertical shaft, wings beating.
"..."
Destel looked down.
The vertical shaft shrouded in churning darkness and thick fog. Swallowing hard as he stared into the abyss-leading passage, Destel steeled himself.
"Star Garb."
The constellations etched into his starry robes shone brilliantly.
"Mimic: Radiant Hatton."
He called forth Radiant Hatton.
Four centuries ago, the hero's sacred relic that swept battlefields with the indomitable knights. Hatton's star armament was a feathered spear. Engraved with stellar patterns, Hatton wielded it thusly, proclaiming:
"The stars are with us."
Hatton's starlight was radiance.
To knights on the battlefield, Hatton bestowed blessings. Destel gripped the feathered spear and swung it wide. It fluttered, tracing a circle. Encompassed within: the entire operation force, the one-man armies mounted on wyverns.
Flash.
Starlight infused the superhumans' bodies. It maximized physical prowess and reflexes. Sword superhumans aboard wyverns drew their blades.
Shing—the ring of steel resounded.
Destel released the spear and spoke again.
"Mimic: Divine Bow Ephta."
A platinum bow materialized.
Gazing down at the vertical shaft, Destel drew the bowstring. The stellar arrow on it gleamed radiantly.
"Operation start."
Destel loosed.
The stellar arrow streaked toward the shaft, trailing light. Plunged into darkness, it flashed!—dispelling the gloom shrouding the vertical shaft, if only briefly.
Revealed with the flash: armored dragons.
Looking skyward, the armored dragons roared and surged up. With momentum to pulverize anything in their path. And charging to meet them were...
Thud.
They leaped from the wyverns' backs.
Rak van Grace.
Kalt.
Belnoa van Draconic.
Draka.
Kariot.
Blessed by the saintess and radiant light, the superhumans hurled themselves at the gaping-mawed, ascending armored dragons.
Kagagagagagagagagak!
The moment they clashed with armored dragons shredding the shaft walls, devouring falling boulders as they rose.
⚙ SPELL BARRAGE ⚙ Weakening Restraint Restriction Control Deceleration A massive circuit glowed in the sky. Layered debuff spells engulfed the armored dragons. No matter their resistance, they couldn't escape spells from two pinnacle mages and the hero.
The Witch of Ashes, the Torrent, the Maniac.
They chanted as one at the sufficiently slowed armored dragons.
"Chain." Chaaaaarrrrrrk! Chains erupted from all sides, binding the armored dragons. Their movements halted—for an instant. Truly just an instant.
Clang, kagagagang!
The binding chains shattered, debuff spells on the dragons' bodies fading. Yet the mages had pinned them down, however briefly.
By the clock, a mere 1-2 seconds.
A blink for some.
But for superhumans who lived split-seconds, it was more than enough. Sword auras rippled from blade tips, storms swirled around draconic claws.
Kwadududududuk!
Rak's greatsword crushed the head of the highest-climbing armored dragon protrusion. Amid screeching space, its skull exploded. The gaping maw from the shattered head.
Thud!
Toward that maw, Draka, Kalt, and Kariot leaped over the broken chains. Diving into its throat, they tore it apart from within. After several convulsions, the trio burst out, slicing its belly open in a spray of blood.
Shaaaaaaaack!
As the mangled armored dragon plummeted, Belnoa swung her arm. A fierce gale held its remains aloft. She cleared the splashing blood for visibility.
The suspended wreckage became their footing.
Crunch—the superhumans took position. Even in darkness, their fierce gazes fixed on the ascending dragons. The sword auras surging from their grips sharper than ever.
They weren't the only ones targeting the dragons.
Another massive circuit lit the sky. A grand spell manifesting. With two superhumans' aid completing it, the hero Chloe pointed her staff into the abyss. Mana swirled at its tip.
Torrent.
Drawing in the whirling stellar mana.
Chloe uttered the completed spell's name.