A really, really overwhelming performance
A really, really overwhelming performance
"Argh, aaaaaah!"
One of the Northern unit members screamed and fell on his butt. The sight of Saklasi reattaching his upper body was beyond what his faint-hearted self could handle.
Saklasi's [Wish] 'Boom', which had sliced a massive glacier in two with a hand chop, was phenomenally overwhelming.
However, the sight of him calmly reattaching his severed upper body like fitting a clockwork gear was the very definition of creepy, grotesque horror.
This is a monster. He doesn't seem like a human being. Eventually, the member shouted in fear.
"W-what on earth is that!!"
"Watch your mouth! That is His Highness the Archduke!"
"B-but, it's just so..."
"I'll say it again! That is His Highness the Archduke of the Empire!"
The Northern senior knight was calming down the member who had fallen on his butt. However, he didn't even realize that his own hand, which had subconsciously gripped his sword hilt, was shaking like a leaf.
"Mother, I'm so glad that child is of our bloodline."
Even Sonya was whispering as if afraid, which was unlike her usual personality. However, the Emperor couldn't say a word in response to Sonya.
It was something even the Emperor couldn't understand.
'That... what is it? How is something like that even possible?'
The overwhelming power and performance Saklasi had envisioned were exactly as expected, but the situation was the same for his allies!
If the allies were like this, the Dragon Beastkin on the enemy side, despite their numerical superiority, were no longer able to easily approach Saklasi.
A brief lull in the fighting, and then a Dragon Beastkin appeared to break the stalemate.
A Dragon Beastkin wearing a flashy red robe embroidered with gold thread. It was the appearance of Varla-jin Kasak, the current Emperor of [Dragonia] who still claimed to be the Emperor.
"Y-Your Imperial Majesty!"
"His Imperial Majesty of [Dragonia] has arrived!"
Following by his side were the 'Sajunsagu', the eight generals called the greatest warriors of [Dragonia], and Kasak's younger brother, Juchir.
"It's the Generals!"
"And the Grand General too!"
The Sajunsagu were all Seongwi-rank ability users. Including Kasak, that was nine Seongwi-rank ability users appearing all at once.
The Dragon Beastkin regained their morale, seeing that all their top forces had gathered.
It wasn't that they had forgotten the bizarre scene of Saklasi and his [Wish] 'Boom' just moments ago, but they forced themselves to erase it from their minds. They couldn't back down.
"A Soi tribe bastard, the lowest of the low, possessing power beyond his station!"
"You can't possibly take us all on by yourself! Kalina, stop hiding and come out!"
The emboldened Dragon Beastkin warriors shouted. From the perspective of the Dragon Beastkin, anyone who wasn't a dragon was inferior. To them, the Soi tribe was beyond even mentioning.
And Kasak stepped forward and spoke.
"Where is Kalina?"
Kasak spoke, mixing in a dragon's roar. It felt like his voice was chilling the cold, frozen land even further. It was one of the physical abilities of the Dragon Beastkin, using only their voice to exert pressure.
"Is it over there?"
Kasak's gaze turned toward the infiltration craft that Kalina and her party were riding. In truth, Kasak was worried. If Kalina wasn't here, that would actually be a problem.
Because if she manifested 'So-taeyang' here with the intention of killing that Soi tribe guy along with them, everything would become useless. Every living thing here would disappear.
Still, he couldn't lose his dignity while his warriors were with him. He maintained an atmosphere of being completely relaxed in the current situation and manifested his [Wish].
'Dragon's Breath', which high-ranking Dragon Beastkin can manifest, erupted from the mouth of Kasak, a Seongwi-rank ability user.
Even for the same type of [Wish], the one manifested by a Seongwi-rank ability user was far more destructive. Immediately, ultra-high-temperature flames melted the atmosphere and rushed in a straight line toward the infiltration craft.
Seeing this, Saklasi used 'Mist Transformation' to teleport. He spread his arms wide in front of the infiltration craft to block the 'Dragon's Breath'. Even so, his body only lasted for a split second. It burst apart immediately.
But that was enough.
In the moment he stopped the 'Dragon's Breath', a Dragon's Ascent manifested by Saklasi surged up. The Dragon's Ascent, as thick as a massive tree and shooting up as if to pierce the sky, ultimately prevented the 'Dragon's Breath' that Kasak was spewing from reaching the infiltration craft.
Kuaaaaang——!!
Chiiiiiiik——!!
The steam released as the Dragon's Ascent that had blocked the path dissipated, covering the entire area and obscuring vision.
"D-did he die!?"
"But how did he do that just now? It was like he teleported!"
"It doesn't matter! That incompetent fool dared to block His Majesty's 'Dragon's Breath'!"
Although they had pride as Dragon Beastkin warriors, in reality, fear was slowly creeping up deep inside their hearts.
'Won't he appear nonchalantly once that steam clears?'
It felt like that would happen. It didn't seem like such a being would die from that.
The [Wish] called 'Boom', the sight of him fitting his severed upper and lower body together, and finally, the fact that he outsped and blocked the 'Dragon's Breath' that had already been spewed.
It didn't seem like such a monstrous being would die just from being hit directly by 'Dragon's Breath'.
But the more they felt that way, the more they couldn't admit it. They couldn't possibly admit now that their history had been heading in the wrong direction for two thousand years.
By their side was the Emperor of [Dragonia]. The Sajunsagu were there. Juchir, who was close to Seongwi-rank, was there. And dozens of high-ranking and hundreds of mid-ranking ones.
It made no sense that with this force, they couldn't reach Kalina and couldn't handle that Soi tribe guy.
However, the saying that bad premonitions always come true kept popping into the Dragon Beastkin's heads. Soon, those words became a reality that entered the Dragon Beastkin's eyes.
That Soi tribe guy, whose body had clearly burst apart, was truly starting to show himself in a perfectly fine state.
Every time he waved his hand as if dusting off dirt with an annoyed expression, the steam that had been obscuring their vision was cleared away in an instant.
Even this was Saklasi intentionally putting on a performance.
Normally, the Dragon Beastkin would have jumped in, prepared to die in any situation, but as a sense of defeat gradually took root in their hearts, they remained rooted to the spot.
Kasak, as someone raised to be an Emperor, instinctively sensed the current atmosphere.
He had to subdue that Soi tribe guy quickly. Even though he was facing only one person, this was a war. If they lost their momentum, they would collapse in an instant.
"The target is the aircraft. Mid-level warriors, 'Fire Arrow'!"
'Fire Arrow' is a mid-level fire ability that shoots dozens of arrows made of fire. 'Fire Arrow' manifested by hundreds of Dragon Beastkin was filling the sky and being fired from all sides of the infiltration craft.
[Scorching]
The target of 'Scorching' was Saklasi. 'Scorching' was a fire [Wish] that ignited the air at a specific point, intended to block Saklasi's vision.
Flames rose around Saklasi as if he were trapped in a prison of fire.
Kasak had to confirm if the Emperor was in the infiltration craft that Saklasi had jumped in to protect. Not having heard of the [Wish] 'Boom', he still rated the Emperor's danger level higher than that of the Soi tribe guy, Saklasi.
He didn't know what trick he had used, but this time, he would surely die without being able to regenerate against the greater firepower of 'Pillar of Fire'.
Kasak, too, was ignoring the anxiety rising deep within his heart.
[Pillar of Fire]
Peopeopeopeopung!
A large mass of water was created, more than enough to envelop the infiltration craft. It had defended against the 'Fire Arrow'.
At the same time, a pillar of fire rose from beneath Saklasi's feet.
Even though it must have been weakened because it was manifested over the sea, it was an incredibly high temperature.
Even this was Saklasi intentionally taking the hit. Saklasi was gradually realizing his own power.
That he would absolutely not die.
Perhaps the power of 'Pillar of Fire' was immense, as even his clothes, made of fiber mixed with Orichalcum material and coated with Mandite, ultimately couldn't withstand it.
It was a garment with incredible durability, rare even in the local [Aojibas] where Mandite and Orichalcum are forged, but it had melted away in Kasak's 'Pillar of Fire'.
While the 'Fire Arrow' had been rendered useless by the water mass Saklasi created to envelop the infiltration craft, it seemed he had succeeded in eliminating Saklasi. Just as the 'Pillar of Fire' was slowly subsiding,
Suddenly, heavy snow began to fall. It had become a very disadvantageous weather for the Dragon Beastkin, who are born only as fire ability users.
"Why such a heavy snowfall in this situation of all times!"
"Has the sky forsaken us!"
Sususu—
Saklasi brought the board he had left behind by floating it on a small Dragon's Ascent.
Along with that small Dragon's Ascent, dozens of Dragon's Ascents as thick as logs also rose up. The dozens of Dragon's Ascents were for performance.
Using the dozens of Dragon's Ascents as a background, Saklasi released 'Mist Transformation' only on his head to cover his naked body.
Appearing with only his head floating, Saklasi was using the board he had brought as a headrest for himself.
"Do you have any stronger abilities?"
The sight of him speaking with only his head floating, with the background of dozens of Dragon's Ascents soaring high into the sky behind him, made even Kasak flinch in surprise.
"What on earth are you?"
"Wouldn't it be better to give up by now? Your daughter asked me to neutralize your plan with overwhelming power, you see. I can't let you live if the Empire suffers damage."
"I'll admit that monstrous regenerative ability. But? Is there anything else? Does a lowly Soi tribe bastard have any more power to show me?"
The more anxiety rose in Kasak's heart, the more he gritted his teeth and spoke, mixing in a dragon's roar.
He was certain that Saklasi must have wasted most of his [Wish] quota on that monstrous regenerative ability.
If not that, there was only one other possibility. He wanted to believe it wouldn't be that.
"Does that mean you're not giving up and will continue?"
"Don't you know? I am the Emperor of [Dragonia]."
[Blood is also water]
When Kasak showed no intention of giving up, Saklasi manifested his [Wish]. Immediately, the hundreds of Dragon Beastkin who had been floating as if embroidering a straight line in the sky plummeted and fell into the sea.
"What... was that [Wish] just now? What, on earth... what did you do!!!!"
As hundreds of his troops, whom he had gathered until now, fell into the sea all at once, Kasak flew into a rage and charged at Saklasi.
"I've held out here until now!"
Kasak's sword, having gained propulsion from 'Wings of Fire', flew at supersonic speed and pierced Saklasi's head, but it left nothing but the feeling of piercing through mist.
Kasak's face, which had wanted to believe that there was really no more power to show, distorted, and he shouted in a voice filled with malice.
"What on earth are you, you bastard who suddenly popped out!!!"
As soon as he heard Saklasi's 'Blood is also water', Kasak realized. The truth he had wanted to believe would absolutely not be the case.
As if driving a wedge into it, Saklasi said.
"A Transcendent."