Chapter 177
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: The Demon Dragon's Wrath
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Though not entirely satisfied, Diablo seemed to judge that it was best to stop there, changing the subject of the conversation.
“Rather, we should discuss that demon dragon.”
“That one’s Baril.”
“Pardon?”
At my explanation, Nadia and Diablo’s eyes flew wide open.
“What do you mean by that?”
“He must’ve been furious that I ruined his experiment, so he sent one of his familiars after me.”
I told them how I’d instead planted a manipulation spell into his mind.
At the mention of manipulation magic, the saintess seemed to recall her own actions, her face flushing bright red as she bowed her head.
“I had no idea it was a dragonkin. A being who’s lived as an unrivaled powerhouse, never knowing fear—suddenly feeling it must’ve really gotten under his skin.”
Of course, the creature now probably harbored intentions to wipe the Holy Kingdom’s capital, Rapel, off the map out of wounded pride.
If he’d been smart, he should’ve fled right then and there.
But he hadn’t.
Thanks to that, we had our chance.
“How much do you know about demon dragons?”
“Twisted dragonkin... I know they’re beings transformed from some adult dragons through distortion... They say their mere appearance brings calamity...”
That was the extent of common knowledge about demon dragons.
“With the Holy Kingdom’s current forces, could you subjugate that demon dragon?”
Nadia sought advice on whether the Holy Kingdom’s power could take it down.
I gave her the harsh reality.
“Charging in is possible.”
Charging in itself wasn’t the issue.
“The moment the barrier breaks, the Holy Kingdom vanishes from the map, and the subjugation force gets wiped out soon after.”
Against a powerful lifeform like a demon dragon, quality mattered more than numbers.
But the Holy Kingdom right now didn’t have the caliber to subjugate one.
“You mean even the Holy Kingdom’s forces can’t handle it? If we gather the strong from all regions...”
“Not impossible, but this place would be smashed before that.”
With that, Luna walked out to the terrace and pointed at the sky.
“See that?”
“Yes? What is...”
Until just moments ago, the demon dragon Baril had been unleashing massive breaths toward Rapel from overhead.
Now, it was preparing something else.
Black mist-like tendrils spread from around it, beginning to envelop the sky, the earth, and all of Rapel.
At the same moment, a lion’s roar infused with Baril’s intent exploded from the high heavens.
-How dare... how dare you pull that crap on me!! I’ll rip you to shreds, chew you up, and swallow you whole!!
Its rage was more intense than expected.
When I’d met its familiar, it had seemed unflappably composed no matter the situation.
“Looks pretty pissed, huh?”
It must’ve been brimming with dragonkin arrogance, utterly convinced it couldn’t lose.
When that shattered, the dam burst, unleashing a flood of fury.
“What’s that black mist?”
Gazing at the black mist, Saintess Nadia asked in a trembling voice.
“The demon dragon’s curse. If left alone, this city turns into a land of death corrupted by the demon dragon’s power.”
“Ah. The Land of the Dead.”
As I acted like I knew, Luna looked at me with curiosity.
“You know about that too?”
“Happened to. Looks like those things are about to pop out now.”
“Yeah, they’re coming.”
Luna and I were so nonchalant that Nadia looked like she was burning up inside.
“Is this the time for jokes?!”
True. They were near-immortal, after all.
“No need to worry. Easier to catch one out in the open than hiding.”
Frustrated by Luna’s indifferent words, Nadia thumped her chest.
“No, I mean, how do we deal with something near-immortal...”
“Demon dragons are weak to divinity. Don’t worry. If we start this, we’ll see it through.”
Nadia tilted her head, not grasping my meaning.
“Um... I can’t handle something like that with my power.”
You’re not the one doing it anyway.
Meanwhile, Luna puffed up with energy, piercing the heavens.
“In the Holy Kingdom, I’m more useful than Leon.”
Only Nadia failed to grasp the situation.
Diablo, Luna, and I all understood perfectly.
Luna had hated opening her eyes before.
The reason was that doing so proved her existence.
So I worried she might be pushing herself as a fallen angel who despised her angelic nature.
“Lady... Luna?”
As everything led back to Luna’s identity, Nadia wore an incredulous expression.
“Why Lady Luna...”
“Plan’s simple. Leon trades blows with it to buy time.”
“I buy time?”
“Then strike the finishing blow with divinity.”
“But there’s a major problem with that.”
Saintess Nadia spoke with grave resolve.
“I’ve heard demon dragons are weak to divinity, but I can’t slay one with my stigmata’s power... It’s not even a question of can or can’t. I’m still too immature...”
“Don’t worry. Saintess, just focus on protecting Rapel’s capital.”
She tilted her head at my words.
“Then who...”
“Conveniently, you summoned one already.”
She stared blankly at me, not comprehending for a moment.
“Someone I summoned? Are you talking about Young Master?”
“No. The angel will finish it.”
Her eyes widened at that.
“The Archangel is still here?! I thought they’d returned to God’s side!”
She didn’t know Luna’s true nature, so it was a natural reaction.
“Ahaha! You’re joking too far. As if the Archangel I summoned was Lady Luna...”
In the suffocating silence, she tilted her head.
“Huh?”
“...”
“Wait, what...”
Luna reveled in her confusion, her aura surging triumphantly, as if savoring the moment.
Suddenly realizing something, Saintess Nadia shot to her feet, knelt before Luna, and clasped her hands together.
Her posture was like a devotee greeting a god.
Luna’s presence grew even more majestic.
She kept praying fervently, almost habitually.
I turned to Diablo and asked,
“Is the Holy Kingdom really okay like this?”
“In a place where faith in God is a virtue, that’s common. You’d see more tears or fainting otherwise.”
True. How many priests wouldn’t react that way to an angel—nay, an Archangel—before them?
In the Holy Kingdom, angels were God’s heralds, no different from divine incarnations.
“Have I been rude to Lady Angel all this time...”
Nadia paled, recalling the days she’d spent with Luna and me.
Despite Luna’s initial dislike, she and Nadia actually got along surprisingly well.
Nadia had traded light jokes with her and treated her like a little sister.
Unable to overcome her turmoil, she hyperventilated and fainted on the spot.
Diablo caught her deftly, as if accustomed to it.
Watching with amusement, Luna hardly seemed angelic.
“You’re such a rascal.”
“What’s it matter? I never lied.”
I pinched her cheek as she shrugged smugly, and she chomped my hand.
But it wasn’t hard, so it didn’t hurt.
Instead, it was endearingly puppy-like, so I pulled her into a hug.
Her face flushed as she pushed against my chest with both hands.
“Bracelet still has power left. Five minutes is enough.”
Diablo asked calmly at her words,
“Using it will deplete the bracelet’s remaining power.”
“Doesn’t matter. It wasn’t meant for that anyway.”
She showed no attachment to the power she’d been saving.
“Been wondering—what’s the bracelet actually for?”
“Didn’t I say? Key to Paradise. The only item permitted to her, the angel who managed it.”
An angel tied to Paradise.
Unbelievable healing prowess.
I hadn’t doubted those two things much.
She’d been sealed for ages, and archangels’ powers lingered in the world.
If she was an archangel, her powers shouldn’t exist as they did.
But if that premise was wrong, it all fit perfectly.
I didn’t mention it, though.
What did it matter what she really was?
“Can you punch a hole in the barrier?”
To attack Demon Dragon Baril, we needed to get outside.
But the barrier currently sealed off the Holy Kingdom completely for protection.
Normally impossible to breach arbitrarily, but Diablo wasn’t an ordinary priest.
“I can hold it open briefly.”
I drew my power like preheating an engine, compressing my aura, compressing it further.
The aura gathered at my feet reacted fiercely, ready to explode anytime.
Then Luna unfurled vast gray wings from her back.
Not the illusory ones from her descent before—these were real.
A natural change from channeling divinity, unlike her usual state.
Stepping into the street, Diablo summoned gray-white energies in his hands.
“Hole closes in three seconds. Any attacks slipping through, the Holy Kingdom side will block. Go without worry.”
With that, he thrust his hands forward, parting the air like opening a door.
A hole slowly bored into the sky’s white barrier of gathered energy.
-Hiding like rats, yet making foolish choices!
Baril’s voice, laced with immense pressure, boomed as black mist poured through the brief gap.
Diablo stomped lightly.
Boom!!
Brilliant white lances erupted from the ground toward the sky, intercepting the black mist projectiles.
Of course, some still broke through his defense, bombarding the ground like airstrikes—but only about ten percent.
These weren’t mere projectiles.
Now those things would emerge from there.
I’d struggled at first, not knowing how to deal with them.