Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Maleirn of the Heavenly Horn Magic Tower (2)
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*
Maleirn's flagship, a massive fortress rising from the sea. From this strongest vessel on the ocean, wrapped in countless protective spells and blessings, dozens of cannon shots began pouring down.
-Kwaaaang!
Water sprayed into the air. Leia's fleet started evasion maneuvers, but because they were too close together—and the enemy ships were too near—vessels were continuously caught in the bombardment and run aground.
The sea was descending back into chaos. Fernandez admired Leia's ships scattering in orderly formation even in this moment. It meant this wasn't their first time in such a battle.
-You said you've clashed with Maleirn at sea before.
'Yeah. Impressive.'
It was a maneuver to build the maximum encirclement with minimal losses. Maleirn's flagship stayed rooted in place, relentlessly firing its cannons. But its precision and reload speed couldn't compare to Leia's ships.
-Kwaaaang!
Counterfire erupted from Leia's fleet. Cannonades rained down on each other's vessels. Yet the gap wasn't just in the crew's proficiency—it was in the difference in the ships' hittable surfaces as well.
The problem was that Gaimern's fleet, led by Leia, could be crippled by just three or four shots, while Maleirn's flagship only bore scorch marks, showing no visible damage.
'Destroying the Serpent King's flagship physically is nearly impossible.'
-Indeed, power that transcends physical force. You need strength that can interfere with the material world itself.
Powerful explosions and concentrations of force could interfere with the material world beyond mere physics. Leia had no such weapons. They had broken Maleirn's protective spells, but to inflict more damage...
-You need a dragon.
Fernandez whispered into the horn trumpet in his mouth.
"Abelessas. Now."
*
A flash like lightning striking down erupted in the midst of the fleet. Maleirn's crew on the upper deck frowned at the glare.
"Magic?"
"Restoring the great magic protective spells on the ship—over 30% remains."
"Mages. All hands, prepare great magic. Fall back from the cannons."
From the upper deck, looking far down below. Neither the crew nor the Wild Princes panicked or grew impatient. The flagship's defenses were the strongest on the seas, and there was no way to breach them in the material world.
Leia's forces were quick and annoying. That was all. Crush them slowly and steadily, one by one, and their resources would inevitably run out.
-Goooo...
Some time had passed since the flash, yet no attack came. Even the enemy cannon fire had stopped. The Wild Prince glanced at the mages, who shrugged.
"We didn't do anything."
"Did the spell fail?"
It wasn't uncommon. Mages often died from backlash while attempting spells beyond their limits. But in the heat of this fierce battle?
Though the enemies' shots couldn't breach the fortress walls, unlucky high-angle shells sometimes arced over. Thus, the crew waited, hunkered near the gunports of the galleys.
Maleirn's spells were now 50% restored. The mages on the upper deck could feel the mana circuits enveloping the ship healing. The Serpent King was wielding magic himself, from deep within the palace.
"Hah, incompetents. The longer they waste time, the further victory slips away."
The Wild Prince sneered at Gaimern's young queen and gestured. Crew members sheltered on the upper deck rose one by one toward the gun carriages. Time to resume the cannonade. And once the king's spell completed shortly after, they would have no chance of victory.
Their king, the greatest mage in the material world. Maleirn of the Heavenly Horn Magic Tower wouldn't fall to the same tricks twice.
-Hwaruruk.
At that moment, the Wild Prince on the upper deck saw the snowflakes pouring from the sky turn red.
"...?"
Red? No, the snowflakes were sparking like embers. The winter sea's chill had vanished, turning humid enough to sweat. A temperature impossible at this altitude on the upper deck.
"The snow's burning?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Snow is water. How can water burn..."
"...Magic? Is it magic?"
The Wild Prince glared urgently at the mages. But they stared blankly into the air before jolting in alarm and rushing to the battlements.
"What is it? What's happening?!"
"...A dragon, sire. A dr-dr-dragon has appeared!!"
"What nonsense..."
The air was heating up. Slowly enveloping the battlements, now unmistakably so! The Wild Prince, mages, and crew soon felt a presence pressing down harder than the heat itself.
A predator's presence. Familiar to godslayers who hunted demigods and quasi-deities...
The pale-faced mages stared blankly outside the walls. There, far off. Beyond the shimmering, heat-hazed air, faintly.
A dragon loomed over the ship, mouth agape toward them.
"Evacua—"
But to where? Before the word finished, before the thought could complete. Liquefied flame grazed the battlements.
*
-Kwaaaaang!!
Fernandez gripped the violently shaking hull, pulling the flying Kirhas into one arm while grinding his teeth. Even though they'd dodged sufficiently, it was still this bad.
The pillar of flame from Abel evaporated the sea, scorched the air, and slammed into Maleirn's battlements. The walls glowed red like iron in a furnace, then slowly began to melt.
-Kwaaaa!!
Repeated shocks shook the sea, birthing tidal waves. Even Maleirn's flagship trembled from the massive impact radiating in concentric circles from its center. Fernandez's lifeboat wailed grotesquely.
-Wood-crack.
Sounds of tearing came from his hand gripping the rigging, the arm holding Kirhas, and the small lifeboat itself. Veins bulged on Fernandez's neck. That his body hadn't shattered was entirely thanks to his Demonica flesh and the divinity now infusing his spirit.
"B-benefactor, your ar-arm."
"Not broken because of you."
It snapped grabbing the rudder earlier. Fernandez soothed the terrified Kirhas and whispered. The eternal-seeming flame barrage slowly tapered off. The half-collapsed battlements spilled molten metal as they crumbled.
Those within that range had probably vaporized without leaving corpses. Their backs scorched by the immense heat, clothes smoldering, blisters rising.
-Hey, how's the body holding up?
'Better now that my mind's clear.'
His overheated brain from excessive data and calculations had cooled into calm from the pain. Fernandez soothed Kirhas and slowly released his arm. The waves were subsiding.
"Benefactor?"
"Raise the anchor, Kirhas."
"You can't fight anymore, benefactor. Both arms are..."
"So?"
Fernandez forcibly moved his twisted, powerless arms. The blood infused with Demonica divinity churned wildly, tending his wounds. Given a moment to breathe, they'd heal fully within a day.
But he couldn't waste a day. Abel lacked time. He couldn't squander the chance she'd risked her life to create.
-Giiiing.
Then, a eerie sound burst from Maleirn's flagship. Fernandez narrowed his eyes, glaring at it. Its mana circuits were reactivating. The spell wedges he'd driven in were scattering rapidly.
-Impressive level.
'The opponent's the elves' greatest mage. That's the least he can do.'
Removing simple wedges embedded in bodily mana circuits wasn't hard. Mastering one's own circuits was the start of magic. But on the scale of an entire ship—the elven dynasty's flagship—scattered across its circuits? Not easy.
'Right. He has his own moves.'
Fernandez crooked a finger, eyes narrowed. The circuit recovery was faster than expected. Less than an hour until his protective spells reactivated.
Once complete, even with the battlements destroyed, boarding would be impossible. He'd prepare even more thoroughly.
Originally, his role ended here. What remained was army clashing with army. Next came the siege on the now-equivalent flagship.
Infiltrate during that, steal the divinity Maleirn held. But there was no room for such a comfortable path.
'Good. Hands are moving.'
Weak as could be, but barely back to normal human strength. Astonishing recovery. Fernandez looked at Kirhas.
"Kirhas. We need to approach those battlements."
"We should wait for Queen Leia's army. What's the chance boarding alone?"
"Not a time for calculations. This is a race against time. You with me?"
"No need to ask, benefactor."
Kirhas nodded with resolute eyes. The sea boiled hot, steam clouds veiling the winter night sky's moonlight. Fernandez nodded back and gripped the oars.
-Kiiik.
The half-wrecked lifeboat began advancing toward the melted battlements.
*
"Atailatl. Delicious divinity."
White hair cascaded to the floor like waves, crowned by a complex diadem of horns and branches. The man in silk robes white as his hair grimaced with eyes closed.
"Your Majesty, the ship's damage is severe. We should retreat..."
"Shh."
He raised a finger to his lips. At the gesture, the ministers bowed below the throne fell silent. Purple tattoos intricately covered the white arm visible through his dangling sleeve.
The dense tattoos gleamed with ominous light. The king sat cross-legged on his jade throne, eyes shut.
"Two fading, one just beginning to blaze. Ha, splendid."
The king whispered like singing, crooking a finger.
-Thump.
From deep beyond the throne room, where light didn't reach, a heartbeat echoed. Beneath the ornate throne embossed with moon and stars, he hummed.
"Amusing. A mage who can bloat divinity to fool Ye's eyes."
"Not the gods intervening?"
The minister's doubt was reasonable. Who but a god could challenge this great Serpent King's magic? The king shook his head, eyes closed.
"A human. This Atailatl feels familiar. Abelessas. Yes. Humans' guardian dragon. If she's aiding elves, a human chosen by her in between."
"How can a dragon live in this era..."
"I've heard of her death far across the sea. Not surviving, but revived. By that mage. Amusing. She must have seen a chance of victory to call Ye forth. Curious what move that is."
-Thump.
The king whispered, waggling his finger. The heartbeat resounded through the hall again.
"The enemy is preparing boarding. The eastern outer wall is completely destroyed—no way to avoid melee on deck. Your Highness, I'll deploy troops."
"No need."
"Pardon?"
"Before Gaimern's young queen begins boarding, Ye's spell will recover. Just block a single human."
The king slowly opened his eyes. Gray-white flames burned in them, sweeping the ministers. They flinched and bowed deeply at the gaze.
"Figure out what trick he has."
"Even if such a mage exists, would he dare board the flagship alone?"
"He will. He knows time is short too."
The king smirked. Enjoyable diversion, but the king never gambled. Only sure moves on a perfectly designed board.
"Until he realizes even the time he thinks he has isn't enough."
-Thump.
The heartbeat echoed through the hall. The ministers withdrew with fearful expressions. Alone in the empty throne room, the king sat cross-legged again.
The king didn't gamble. But he needed diversion. So struggle all you want. Until you realize it's already over. The king chuckled faintly and began forming seals.
-Thump.
The constellation reliefs filling the hall's walls and ceiling glowed purple, flickering with the heartbeat.