REFDL 111
It wasn’t a lake; it looked like a monster with its maw wide open, waiting for prey to fall in. From the perspective of the winged species, that wasn’t a far-fetched description.
Screeeech!
Grrr!
The battle turned into a chaotic brawl. Giant winged monsters entangled in the air. Knights fell into the lake, and armored Pensiltas fell along with them.
“Aaaagh! No! Argh!”
Gurgle!
The hunk of iron paddled a few times before it sank and didn’t surface again.
“…”
Yuram gave up on reaching Odan and made a turn.
Thwack!
Crunch!
He tore and bit into anything wearing armor.
“Ah! T-thank you!”
Rotten flesh and organs were exposed.
“Ugh!”
“W-what is… urgh!”
“Blegh!”
An unbearable stench vibrated through the air. Even with their guts spilling from their split bellies, they still charged. Yuram swung his tail with all his might.
Thud!
Crack!
The wounds on some of them gaped wide, and their torsos snapped in two. One armored Pensilta plummeted. Its teeth were still clacking together even as it fell.
…That thing.
That thing wasn’t something you could call “alive”.
“Dark magic…!”
Everyone there realized the truth. The knights regrouped, even though they were furious. Standard combat methods wouldn’t work. Once they realized this, they didn’t panic anymore. They were veterans, they started shooting down the zombie dragons one by one, even without Yuram’s help.
[ It’s no use. ]
[ It would’ve been different if you weren’t here… but I’m actually happy you’re alive. ]
[ I hope this feeling reaches you. ]
A voice echoed through the air. The laughter of the demon, or to be exact, the demonized Valita, trailed off into the distance.
Grrrr!
[Stop talking nonsense and hand over Odan!]
[ Oh dear. I guess it didn’t reach you. Hmm, was my sincerity lacking? If so…]
In that instant, his spine tingled. Just before Yuram reached Odan, he hurriedly beat his wings in reverse and soared upward.
Boom!
A sound incomparable to the one before erupted.
An explosion.
A mountain of earth rose. Stones flew like shrapnel and pelted his wing membranes. Amidst that, a giant club swung.
Thwack!
“Yuram!”
The impact was strong enough to almost send Kaelus flying off Yuram’s back. Yuram endured the pain and quickly flipped his body. Kaelus gripped the connecting rope, stabilized himself, and settled back into the saddle. He slid his feet into the stirrups to lock himself in.
Meanwhile, the tsunami of earth subsided, and the hidden enemy’s form began to emerge.
[.….]
Grrrr!
…That can’t be.
Yuram was so shocked that he briefly forgot to flap his wings. He hurriedly flew back up only after his body dropped. One of the knights screamed in horror.
“A Kremlis!”
The creature was wrapped tightly in armor, but he was certain. That size. That overwhelming pressure. For Yuram, it wasn’t just any Kremlis. He recognized him instantly.
…It was his dead parent dragon.
A few of the dragon’s final words played in Yuram’s mind like a recording.
‘Hunt weak monsters first.’
‘Don’t go near places where humans are.’
‘Be careful of humans.’
‘…Be careful.’
The parent dragon had lived in the Sea of Trees the whole time. The wounds the dragon had sustained before dying were from sharp claws or teeth. So why did the dragon say humans were the ones to be careful of, not monsters? Could a monster capable of mortally wounding the parent dragon, one of the inhabitants of the deep Sea of Trees, even exist on the outskirts?
[…Valita!!]
[ Ah. ]
[ You finally called my name. ]
[ I’m happy. ]
The parent dragon’s head turned around. Contrary to the expectation that the dragon would charge at him, the creature targeted the other knights who were still fighting the few remaining zombie Pensiltas.
“…Yuram!”
[I know!]
Whoosh!
Crunch!
Crash!
Growl!
Screeech!
Kaelus, balancing on the Kremlis’s back, unsheathed his sword. The blue sword aura glowed like a crescent moon and flew through the air. the parent dragon quickly dodge. Kaelus’s attack only grazed his wing joint.
By then, Yuram caught a movement below. Valita, who had been staying still as if to lure them, began to move while riding a Rojuta.
[…!!]
Since he succeeded in setting the trap and saw its effects, it seemed he was moving elsewhere to set another one, or perhaps he was heading straight for Denos. Judging by the speed, it was the latter.
‘Damn it…!’
There was no time. Kaelus swung his sword again and tapped Yuram’s neck.
“I’ll go.”
[Don’t say something so ridiculous!]
“Why is it ridiculous? No one here is better suited for this than I am.”
[We can just take this thing down and go together!]
“Then it’ll be too late. The environment here favors the Rojutas. Above all, if the Prince is taken to Denos, there’s no hope after that. The probability of a successful rescue drops to single digits.”
[…]
“They’ll have everything ready across the border. They might even be prepared to capture you… no, they almost certainly are. You’re his primary target right now. Don’t forget that.”
[…]
“I don’t plan on doing anything reckless. It’ll be enough to just buy time until you arrive. It’s fine. Rojutas’ attack power is pathetic compared to Pensiltas. As long as I’m careful of Valita, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
[Valita is the problem!]
“But we can’t just let our precious person go, right?”
Yuram let out a groan. After hearing that, he couldn’t stop Kaelus anymore.
“I promise I won’t overdo it.”
[…If you break that promise, you’re in for it.]
Separate rooms for a week… no, a month.
When Yuram added that in a low voice, Kaelus’s eyes widened. A hint of amusement appeared in his gaze. A rare, bright smile spread across his statue-like face, like the sky when clouds clear to reveal the Milky Way.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Fwoooosh!
Yuram spat flames to push the parent dragon back.
Screeeech!
The armor turned cherry red, but the damage wasn’t significant. However, it bought them time. He caught up to the Rohutas in an instant. The moment he landed and blocked their path, Kaelus cut the connecting rope.
Grrr!
After letting out an ear-shattering roar, Yuram soared back up toward the parent dragon, who was heading this way while ignoring the knights.
Crash!
They collided head-on. It felt like my bones would shatter. Impacts this heavy were rare since I became a Kremlis.
Grrrr!
Screech!
They became entangled in the air as if they were one body. The knights finally finished off all the Pensiltas, but they couldn’t easily intervene. They kept their distance and circled around. It was a wise decision. It wasn’t like they’d be particularly helpful if they jumped in. Besides, the knights’ damage was severe. Not a single Pensilta was unscathed, and their numbers had thinned. It was terrifying to even check who was injured or dead.
Crunch!
Crack!
Yuram’s whole body started to ache. But it was manageable. Regardless of his heart breaking, his body was full of confidence. The days when he was a helpless creature that rolled over at a breeze were long gone. He was a full-grown adult now.
‘Once you’re fully grown, you won’t have anything to worry about.’
…That was all thanks to your sacrifice.
Crunch!
Yuram bit the parent dragon’s neck through the armor. He shook the dragon and breathed flames into his throat.
Fwoooosh!
Thud!
A couple of his teeth broke and his cheek was torn by the exploding flames, but he didn’t care.
Snap!
He felt the part he was biting detach completely. The undead dragon, his torso split in two, struggled until the moment he fell. But the head was different. Once his neck was severed, the parent dragon stopped all movement. The eyes, which had been glowing with an eerie light like ominous lanterns in the dark, went out.
It was quiet.
[…]
…Thud.
Yuram placed his forehead against the lifeless body. It wasn’t a headbutt; he just gently touched it. With just that, his wingbeats stopped, and the body, caught by gravity, fell downward.
The soulless body fell into the Sea of Trees.
Splash!
It disappeared into the lake.
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!