Chapter 240

Chapter 240

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 240: Alivrihe (1)

【Capture the intruders!】

The Dragon King’s voice shook the tower. As the beam of light subsided, the world that had brightened for a moment was once again engulfed in darkness. Ronan cursed under his breath, roughly sweeping his hair back.

“Damn it, just my luck.”

The worst possible situation had occurred. He never thought he would be caught by the Dragon King himself. Panting heavily, Aselle spoke up.

“Wh-what do we do now?”

“First, we need to get out of this damn tower.”

“Where to?”

“He said the sewers would be safe, so let’s head there. For now... shit!”

Sensing danger, Ronan rolled to the side with Aselle in his arms. The ceiling above them shattered, and a massive sword shot down. Crash! The weapon, capable of beheading an elephant, pierced the exact spot where the two had been standing. Aselle screamed at the sight of the sword blade glinting next to his ear.

“Kyaaah!”

“You have good instincts. I thought I was good at catching rats.”

A voice came from above. Looking up, Ronan saw a girl through the gap in the broken ceiling. Her white hair marked her as a Lycopos. How could she be so fast?

“But can you stop this?”

Smiling, she gripped the sword hilt. The engravings on the sword began to glow.

Ronan didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t feel good. Instinctively, he grabbed his sword and thrust it toward the ceiling. Thwack! The sword energy shot through the gap, striking the girl. The small shard of energy that pierced her chin shattered her skull as it exited.

“Argh...!”

Thud. The girl collapsed. Blood and brain matter trickled down from the gap in the broken ceiling. To be a Lycopos at her age meant she was quite strong, but this was a stark reminder that no one was invincible against surprise and complacency. Ronan turned to Aselle.

“Can you walk now?”

“Y-yes...”

Aselle nodded quickly, strength returning to his legs as the shock wore off. Ronan shook his head.

“No, on second thought, your legs are too short. It’s better if I carry you.”

“What?!”

“It doesn’t affect your magic, does it? Let’s move before more come.”

Ronan picked Aselle up again. He remembered the examiner’s advice to escape through the sewers if things went wrong. He wasn’t sure where they were, but they had to get out of this cursed tower to have any chance of survival.

They were just about to leave when Aselle suddenly reached out and started chanting a spell. Crash! An ice barrier rose from the floor, blocking the stairs leading down from the upper floor. He stammered.

“Th-this should help.”

“Good job.”

Ronan smiled. He recalled that Naransonia had also blocked escape routes like this. They hurriedly descended the stairs, nearly tumbling down. They had to escape before more people arrived.

“That’s more like it.”

Ronan exulted as they reached the lower floor. It was still empty, likely because little time had passed. Through the large window, the night sky was filled with a river of stars.

“Great. I’m counting on you, Aselle!”

“Y-yes!”

Ronan shouted as he and Shullifen kicked through the window and jumped. Crash! Shattered glass fragments sparkled in the moonlight.

The night wind roared past their ears. As they began to fall, Aselle, on the verge of tears, started to cast a telekinesis spell. Whoosh! A massive shadow rose from below, stopping right in front of them.

“What?!”

【You were here.】

Ronan gasped. A familiar woman’s voice echoed. His eyes widened in disbelief. The three of them were buffeted by a fierce wind. A silver dragon hovered in place before them.

“You...”

It was a dragon so beautiful it made Ronan momentarily forget the dire situation. Covered in sleek, metallic scales that resembled steel, it exuded a formidable presence. A sigh escaped Ronan’s parted lips.

“Naransonia.”

【To repay His Majesty’s grace like this. You must have made up your mind.】

Naransonia spoke, her body beginning to be clad in steel armor. Realizing what was about to happen, Ronan cursed.

“Damn it...”

Ronan took a defensive stance. Naransonia, having retreated with a wide turn, charged towards them. Her speed was incredible for such a massive creature. Boom! The delayed sonic boom exploded through the night sky.

“M-Mana shield!”

Aselle hastily chanted a defensive spell. Several layers of translucent barriers formed between them and Naransonia. The barriers looked sturdy and well-crafted.

But the dragon’s charge was far stronger than they anticipated. Crash! The barriers shattered like brittle wooden boards upon contact with Naransonia’s forehead. Ronan shouted.

Blood gushed like a fountain, drenching the floor and ceiling. Thud! Staggering, Naransonia fell to her knees and collapsed. Her vision blurred and then was consumed by darkness. Ronan sighed in relief, confirming she wouldn’t rise again.

“...Thank you, Lynn.”

[You’re welcome.]

Lynn’s voice echoed in his mind. The blade of the awakened Holy Sword Lamancha glowed faintly white. The exhaustion from resonating with the Holy Sword was overwhelming.

Naransonia was a formidable opponent. The title Empress of Steel was well deserved. If Lynn hadn’t awakened at the scent of blood, he couldn’t have guaranteed victory.

[What will you do now? The situation doesn’t look good.]

“Keep going. We need to find a place to hide.”

Ronan replied in a voice heavy with fatigue. Though he wanted to collapse and sleep, there was no time for that.

“Get up... you bastards.”

Ronan staggered over to Aselle and Shullifen. Shullifen, who had come to his senses, was sitting up and panting. He spoke.

“Did we win...?”

“Yes.”

“To have been unconscious for so long... it’s disgraceful.”

Shullifen gritted his teeth. It was the most frustrated expression Ronan had ever seen him wear.

“At least you didn’t die or shit yourself. We were in a collision with a dragon.”

Ronan chuckled and extended a hand. Silently, Shullifen accepted the support and stood up. He knew there was no time to waste.

“Let’s go then. Aselle, get up.”

“Ugh... R-Ronan?”

“Looks like you’re not hurt, so that’s good.”

Fortunately, Aselle woke up before Ronan had to slap him. Ronan hoisted him onto his shoulder again.

They were much lower down now, so it looked like they could get out quickly. After a brief regroup, they were about to start moving.

“My God! Lady Naransonia!”

“There they are! Everyone, halt!”

A loud commotion erupted from behind. All three of them turned their heads simultaneously, feeling a sense of foreboding. Guards were rushing down the stairs.

“...Damn it.”

Ronan put a hand to his forehead. Despite finishing quickly, it seemed the guards were well-trained. They had already activated their dragonoid transformation. Given the direct orders, they were taking no chances.

‘If it’s just the guards...’

Ronan silently placed his hand on his sword hilt. If it was only them, they could quickly break through. Then, the guard squad split to the sides, and two men walked out.

【It’s true. Naransonia has fallen.】

【What? The Empress of Steel really lost to a human?】

The two men, impeccably dressed, were identical twins. The guards chanted their five-letter names. Unable to hold back, Ronan swore.

“Why the hell is this happening to me, damn it.”

It was obvious even without effort that the two men were dragons, comparable to Naransonia.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the misfortune. Through the stairs and the wall Naransonia had smashed, people in white robes started entering one by one.

“What, you haven’t gone farther yet?”

“You’re slower than I thought.”

They were all followers of Nebula Clazier. There were no bishops among them, but one Lukopos was present. A boy with white hair growled at Ronan.

“You, you killed my sister.”

His crimson eyes burned fiercely. Apparently, the girl with the greatsword whom Ronan had killed earlier was his sister. Ronan bit his lip.

‘This is really too much.’

Dozens of dragonoid guards and Nebula Clazier followers, plus two dragons. Even when they fought Orsay, it wasn’t this bad.

“Life really is...”

It was a situation of utter desperation. No matter how he racked his brain, there was no plausible escape.

The forces of evil were slowly closing in, tightening their encirclement. Ronan and Shullifen stood side by side, backs against the wall, preparing for battle. Shullifen spoke.

“Ronan.”

“What is it, man?”

Ronan answered without turning his head. Suddenly, Shullifen put something in Ronan’s coat pocket. What was this? When he reached in, he felt a pocket watch. Shullifen continued.

“When you get back, give this to Miss Iril.”

[Translator – Peptobismol]