Chapter 303
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 303
Chapter Title: Lesson 59. Trap - 3
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Enrollment Was a Mistake (303)
Lilith's voice was brimming with excitement, utterly out of place in the dire situation.
Abel gets to shine for the second time today already! At this rate, reclaiming my spot from Eve sis is just a matter of time!
"Hiss, hiss, shhhiss!"
Eve reacted fiercely to Lilith's taunt, which was rare for her.
Eve's spot? Did she mean Ban Yu-won's own right-hand woman?
He sighed at the petty squabbling among his familiars over their positions and tried to focus back on controlling Abel. That's when he heard Aire, still sitting on his lap, take a deep breath with a soft "Huuuah."
"Still uncomfortable, Aire?"
"No, it's fine. Really."
Aire replied in a tense, subdued voice that was unlike her usual self.
The cockpit wasn't exactly spacious with two people crammed inside, so it had to feel stifling.
Even as she insisted it was okay, she pressed herself even closer to Ban Yu-won's chest.
If this had been anything but the cockpit of a combining robot, the situation might have felt downright erotic. But the chaotic battlefield rushing by and the massive enemy flagship visible below Abel's monitor screen killed any such illusions.
"Your familiars get along... so well. Fascinating. We'll make sure to install egos in the dragon child soldiers we create too."
"That's what I'm saying, if you do that, they'll become my familiars... Wait, are you really okay? You sound out of breath."
"The air... it's so sweet...! I never imagined... something like this..."
"...Huh?"
There was no air freshener in the cockpit.
But there was no time to ponder Aire's odd remark.
They were about to charge into the S-7 dimension flagship swarming with Prominence elites—and not some dimwit like Ulrike, but true direct lineage, maybe even the family head themselves.
As if reading Ban Yu-won's thoughts, Eve—who had been glaring at the monitor with senses on high alert—suddenly let out a hiss.
"Hiss, shhhiss."
"Yeah... no sign of the family head, huh? Makes sense they wouldn't show up on the front lines personally. Still, if we keep pushing, they'll have no choice but to come out."
No, they had to come out.
Only if the family head deployed to Fairytale would Prominence's main base be left vulnerable.
It was a sudden raid, but as Ban Yu-won had forewarned, the Level Force Mercenaries—who had skipped their mercenary mission to train and stand by—and his older sister were ready to infiltrate Prominence at any moment.
He had closed the mirror after signaling her with the "mountain" hand sign in response to her usual barking message of 'Hurry up and finish so you can come help!' Now, he clenched both fists, glaring at the enemy flagship that had closed to within 20 kilometers.
"When we hit 5 kilometers, I'll give the signal to start. I'll combine, and you add yours, Aire."
"Haa... Got it."
She suddenly seemed off—really okay to go like this?
Maybe this position was too much for her, given she rarely had contact with men.
But there was no choice.
Back when they fought the mecha dragon in Camelot, Aire's ice shield reinforcement had been incredibly effective.
Her abilities would shine even more against Prominence's fire wielders.
He couldn't have her riding on Abel's shoulder like before during the charge, so they'd settled on her joining him in the cockpit. He'd urgently contacted her, and she'd rejoined before atmospheric entry.
Of course—Dokgo Yeon's expression when he made that call had been downright terrifying.
Having fun? Lovey-dovey robot charge?
Dokgo Yeon's telepathic message arrived just as he thought of her.
After charging together to shatter the moon and planning to storm Fairytale side-by-side, for him to suddenly tell her to go ahead and bring another woman into the robot instead? No wonder she was fuming with jealousy.
Still, "lovey-dovey charge"? Didn't she usually stick to her martial world concept and avoid English?
"No, Yeon. Hear me out. You'll understand my choice once you see the results."
Of course. But even if I'd come along, we could've gotten results our way.
"You're right. I was short-sighted."
He apologized sincerely—while recording it, of course.
Dokgo Yeon showing jealousy was a rare treat, even if just her voice.
"Hee hee."
Then Aire suddenly giggled.
She pressed even closer to Ban Yu-won, pulled out her mirror, and snapped a selfie—something she'd never done in her life.
Ban Yu-won had no romantic intentions toward Aire, but the photo looked exactly like one a couple would take.
Aire probably didn't see him that way either, so why the selfie...?
"Gotta show Asha and that other girl."
Probably just to tease her friends.
"Eavesdropped on the telepathy?"
"Simple for a magic practitioner and dragon descendant."
Aire tucked the mirror away, now looking much calmer than before. She summoned her dragon orb and began channeling magic in earnest.
Ever since absorbing the ice magic crystal from Diabolo, a chill that transcended mere magic—reaching the realm of divine authority—had gathered in the orb.
Five kilometers to the enemy flagship.
"Let's do it."
No combining robot was complete without a combination attack.
Having Aire in the cockpit was part of the combo, but the core of this one was adding the ice shield's chill to the awl sword!
To pierce the powerful fire barrier still protecting the entire Prominence fleet even after the red moon's destruction and deal a fatal blow—Ban Yu-won slammed Abel's left and right hands together in midair!
A feature he'd built into the robot's design from the start: weapon-shield combination mode activated!
The shield decomposed into countless crystals, spiraling from the awl sword's tip and enveloping it—like a true drill.
Then the waiting step-drill-shaped familiar Abyss combined, merging chill and penetration into a genuine drill sword.
Three kilometers to the flagship.
"Asha, ready?"
"Huuuah...!"
Not much of a reply, but the magic activated perfectly.
Revealing her true dragonkin form, Aire's demeanor shifted dramatically. Her eyes—wrapped in the orb—opened wide.
The compressed and rearranged ancient dragon magic recreated forgotten spells, and the chill filling the orb vanished in an instant.
More precisely, it summoned and channeled amplified chill through the orb into the drill sword Abel held.
"Perfect, Aire."
"Huuuah..."
For Ban Yu-won, it was unimaginable grand magic. Aire went limp atop his chest, utterly drained.
He supported her firmly, and she clung to his waist with both arms, breathing raggedly.
Look at this lofty dragonkin acting spoiled. See, sis? Leaving them alone in a tight space is dangerous.
"Shhhiss..."
Something from the familiars, but Ban Yu-won was too focused on the impending clash to catch it.
Abel plunged vertically through the atmosphere in assault position, drill sword in both hands beginning to spin furiously.
The helical ice protrusions around the drill sword, infused with Aire's chill, whipped up a vortex that formed a conical chill barrier enveloping even Abel.
One kilometer—no, 800 meters.
600 meters.
The flames' mana spreading through the area pressed back as pressure, but the drill-shaped chill winds around Abel forced through.
—What?! That's—!
Perhaps dulled by the prior fairy skirmishes and Dokgo Yeon's spaceship (Lilith's clone) joining the fray, the Prominence fleet froze at the sight of the massive robot dropping from above—something they hadn't anticipated.
But no time to cheer about startling the top ten families or dominating their emotions.
The moment Abel approached, the fire barrier concentrated on the flagship, plus a barrage of spells from all directions.
Each one potent enough to obliterate a hundred Irectos with ease.
It's fine! Enhanced Abel won't even flinch at weak attacks like that!
"Defense spell... deploying... Haaa..."
Aire, slumped after the grand magic, barely regained her strength. She took a deep breath, sat up, and gripped the orb again.
A barrier appeared around the drill-formed Abel, sweeping away incoming spells.
The chill concentrated in the drill alone held immense magic power, but Aire's full dragonkin might was beyond Ban Yu-won's wildest imagination.
200 meters.
—So you're Ban Yu-won. A mere sidelined branch dare raise a spear against direct lineage!
Even sweeping away the spells, the enemy's momentum didn't wane.
The flagship showed no sign of fleeing, swiveling its prow-mounted main cannon to target Abel.
The firepower concentrating there was absurd—truly worthy of a top ten family.
"No way—3,000?!"
Ban Yu-won and Aire at full power, plus Abyss combined, barely hit 2,500 depth. And they jacked it up by 500 to 3,000.
Adjusting for real combat variables, it was still equivalent to level 300 by system standards.
12 Irectos—no, more!
'But it's pure Crimson Flame.'
Prior spells had been mixed with other elements and, as magic, carried strong caster intent, leaving little room for Ban Yu-won's authority.
But this?
A ship-mounted main gun—human intent fired it, but once launched, it became an independent concept.
Exactly like when Ban Yu-won blocked the tower intruder's bullets.
Of course, it embodied Crimson Flame, likely crafted with direct stellar power. They'd assume a mere Union Academy freshman couldn't touch it.
'But I have Crimson Flame too.'
Having absorbed all from the shattered red moon, his Crimson Flame depth was a clean 1,000.
Plus his authority?
—...?!
—It's gone! The Crimson Flame Divine Light!
They even gave it a fancy name.
The crimson beam, poised to devour Abel in a straight line from ground to space... dispersed like a mirage just before impact.
Absorbed a massive amount of similar power infused with deep authority. Crimson Flame depth has reached 1,500.
"Should I just become the family head myself?"
Ban Yu-won smacked his lips, having quintupled his Crimson Flame depth in a single day.
100 meters.
—Again— No, I have to step in myself! His authority is greater than expected!
—Impossible, from a mere branch—!
50 meters.
30 meters.
Abel thrust its drill sword forward with all its might.
Ban Yu-won poured the essence of the swordsmanship he'd learned from Dokgo Yeon into it.
And if he had to add one more... Annihilation.
A power beyond his current grasp, Dokgo Yeon's alone.
Using all-transforming vital energy, he dared to mimic it.
0 meters.
—Kwarungkakakakaka!
The result was quite successful.