Chapter 197: 197
Chapter 197 - Message (4)
6
In the end, Azell was able to explain the entirety of Saibein’s situation to Niberis before he exited the place .
Laura had been in a far away location, so she could harass their enemies . She had remained inside a barrier . Laura asked him a question .
“What if we…… . ”
“Mmm?”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to kidnap her?”
“You’ve seen Niberis’ personality . It wouldn’t have been strange to see her kill herself if we did that . ”
“However, we could’ have completely subdued her . Couldn’t we have just taken her straight to Sir Saibein?”
“…we were in debt to the Simpleton Prince, so we carried out the promise we made him . Still, I don’t want to go that far in trying to fulfill that request . Moreover, our opponent isn’t that easy . ”
While Azell taunted Niberis, he thoroughly assessed her intentions .
However, this didn’t mean Niberis was a foe that we could take lightly . In the process of pulling her up into the air, he could have killed her at any moment . However, once she regained her footing in the air, it had been hard for him to pierce through her defense .
The biggest problem had been the time limit .
“I believe Sir Almarick is here . ”
Laura was using a mid level Magic Eye . She had been monitoring the waypoint in the far distance .
While he had been having a conversation with Niberis, Kieren had exited the collapsed cave . Then Almarick revealed himself through the recovered waypoint of the Road of Darkness .
However, they were too late . Azell and Laura was already exited the location at full speed .
Azell let out a bitter laugh as he spoke .
“If we could defeat that bastard, we wouldn’t have to do this… . . ”
The tracking of the Dragon Demon general’s Dragon weapon was an ability possessed by Almarick . Aincera didn’t have that ability . Basically, Azell’s party would be freed from the pressure of moving endlessly if they killed Almarick .
However, it wasn’t time yet .
They had to get rid of as many waypoints to the Road of Darkness . At the very least, Azell had to create a scenario where he could fight Almarick or Reygus in a one on one fight . He had recovered the strength he possessed during his prime, but he couldn’t guarantee he could win in a battle against two of them .
‘The opportunity will come . ’
Azell buried the humiliation he had suffered in his past battle, and he made a cool judgement .
Laura queried him .
“What are you going to do about Niberis?”
“I’m not sure . ”
Azell told her the truth .
He told her how her mother had died, and he had told her what her father had suffered within the Plain of Darkness… . .
At first, she had been incensed . However, her face started to turn pale as the story continued . At the end, she was frozen . She didn’t even think about catching Azell, who was making his exit .
It was all a lie . That was what she had thought . It was all bullshit that was meant to deceive her .
However, there was something she could not deny . Azell knew too much details into her personal affairs . Laura used to be a high ranking officer in the Plain of Darkness, but there was no way she would have known about Niberis’ personal affairs .
“If possible, I would like you to come to a sensible decision . She was someone I wanted to kill at all cost in the past, but… . I’m reluctant to do so now, because of Saibein . ”
Azell let out a bitter laughter as he asked Laura a question .
“Which option do you prefer?”
“I’m of the same mind as you . ”
Laura didn’t like Niberis . From Laura’s perspective, Niberis was someone that hadn’t grown up doubting her own existence . She was someone that had been revered by everyone . Of course, Laura had become jealous of her .
However, such emotions became faint when she became Azell’s comrade .
Laura already lost the source that had caused her to be jealous of Niberis . She wasn’t a tool within Azell’s party . She had comrades, who respected her . She was treated as someone with feelings .
“Maybe… I might be feeling sympathy towards Niberis . ”
Laura wasn’t sure of her emotions, yet she continued to speak .
In the past, Niberis and Laura didn’t care about each other’s personal life . The only thing that was important to them was the way they treated each other as competitors .
It was different now . She had learned the truth about Niberis through Saibein . Laura knew the truth now, and she could no longer look at Niberis with the same eyes .
Azell spoke .
“That might be true, but it is as you’ve said . She had been deceived and lied to by the specters of the past that refuses to die . She lived her life by being blinded by their fanaticism . ”
In the past, Azell had considered Niberis only to be an enemy . However, his perception went through a change when he met Saibein .
He saw Niberis as a person now . She was a person that could cry, laugh and grieve .
It was an unwelcome change . It was best to only have hatred and hostility towards one’s enemies . Once one found a reason to be sympathetic towards an enemy, it was inevitable that the sword would be dulled .
Laura spoke .
“I no longer want to fight Niberis . ”
“If I’m being truthful, I feel the same way . I suffered a big loss in trying to keep this promise . I just have to hope her choice won’t let this end on a sour note . ”
Azell had suffered a lot of losses in this venture .
The fact that he could have eliminated a strong foe like Niberis was a big loss in itself . Even if he knew information that made him feel sympathy towards her, this might result in her killing one of his allies in the future .
Moreover, he had revealed the extent of his powers to her . He hadn’t shown her everything, but every information about his Dragon weapons would have already been transmitted through the Great Darkness .
Azell had shown good faith in keeping Saibein’s request . If Niberis chose to fight him despite all of this… . .
‘At that point, it can’t be helped . ’
7
While Azell’s party took a break, the Guardian Shadows and the Dragon Demon king worshippers continued their fierce battle .
The damage to both sides was proliferating .
The role of attacking and defending was flipped, but it wasn’t as if one side was overwhelmingly superior to the other . The Guardian Shadows were a bit ahead in terms of gathering information, so they were able to take the Dragon Demon King worshippers by surprise . However, one couldn’t underestimate the fighting strength of the Dragon Demon king worshippers .
The members of the Guardian Shadows in each country were dying in ones and twos .
The spirits of the Guardian Shadow were no longer immortal, and their numbers were steadily decreasing .
“It is unfortunate that the continent was divided into seven kingdoms . ”
Kairen was commanding the Guardian Shadows from the Rulain Kingdom .
He was taking a break from fighting, but he still had to play his role . He gathered the information being sent to him from all over the place, and he was giving orders in real time .
Arrieta, who had been monitoring the situation from his side, let out a bitter laugh .
“It might have been better to have this war out in the open… . No, if that happened, I doubt we would be able to unite our forces . ”
If the Plain of Darkness declared their existence as they waged a war against the world again, would the world really fight back under one banner like the Dragon Demon war?
She didn’t think so .
Aside from the kingdoms closest to the Plain of Darkness, the other kingdoms wouldn’t consider it to be their problem .
The fear of the Dragon Demon war was etched in history, so there would be some sort of cooperation between the kingdoms . However, the loss of one kingdom meant the gain of another kingdom . She was sure each kingdom would try to maneuver, so they would benefit the most .
Kairen let out a sigh .
“This is frustrating . I am a noble of another kingdom . I hate the fact that I have to think about using someone in a similar situation as me . I am capitalizing on their deaths . ”
Kairen was tied to the position of duke in the Rulain Kingdom . That fact made it difficult for him to reveal to the others that he was the commander of the Guardian Shadows .
A member of the Guardian Shadow had died moments ago .
After seeing how the enemies were being mobilized, he had ordered a retreat . However, this person hadn’t listened . It was something that happened often in battle even if the command structure was crystal clear . The command structure hadn’t been established in the Guardian Shadows, so it wasn’t surprising to see this occur .
A noble from another kingdom had died, and he was troubled by it . Moreover, it was also a loss to the organization called the Guardian Shadow .
However, there was a more important factors that troubled him . The dead member was in the same position as Kairen in the past .
This person had become a member of the Guardian Shadow, because he had enmity towards the Dragon Demon King worshippers . This was the reason why he had fought with his life on the line .
Instead of feeling respect and sadness towards the dead member, Kairen felt revulsion towards himself .
“Someone has to do this task . ”
“…it seems I’ve lived long enough, since I’m being consoled by you . ”
Kairen let out a bitter laugh . He had only seen her as his young student, who he had to look out for . However, he realized that she was an adult in her own right .
Soon, he changed the topic of conversation .
“How’s your Dragon Soul coming along?”
“It keeps on staying at the precipice of succeeding and not succeeding . ”
They had decided to move independently from Azell and Laura . This was why Kairen had decided to return to the Rulain Kingdom, and his party had joined up with Seigar . Moreover, he started teaching Arrieta and Seigar about the Dragon Soul in earnest .
Both of them were Dragon Majins, but they possessed as much Dragon Demon magic as Dragon Demons . This was especially true for Arrieta, who had gone through the Dragon Slayer’s Ritual . She had grown in leaps and bounds .
On top of that, she had learned the forgotten techniques . She possessed all the prerequisites needed to learn the Dragon Soul .
However, the Dragon Soul wasn’t that easy to awaken .
Kairen spoke .
“There is no other way than to be make steady progress . You’ve already learned the method, so you just have to work on it . It’ll awaken before you know it . ”
“How long did it take for Leticia and you?”
“It took us about a month and a half . However, your environment is inferior to what he had . ”
Kairen didn’t think he was better at teaching the Dragon Soul than Reshoo . Reshoo was the founder of the Dragon Soul, and he possessed deep understanding of this technique .
On top of that, Saibein’s absence was the biggest factor . Reshoo had driven Kairen and Leticia to their limits, because Saibein possessed a healing ability . He couldn’t do the same with Arrieta and Seigar .
Arrieta asked him a question .
“I see . So who awakened the Dragon Soul first between you and Leticia?”
“…… . ”
At her words, Kairen visibly frowned . His expression was an answer in itself .
“She was ahead of you, teacher . She’s amazing . ”
“That is…… . ”
Unlike him, Leticia had known about her own nature . He was about to make an excuse, but he shut his mouth . He thought it would be unmanly of him to do so .
Kairen grumbled .
“You learned all the bad things from Azell, while you traveled with him . That is why you are being so mean . ”
“If it isn’t now, when will I get to make fun of you? Hmmph . I should try hard to break your record . I can understand falling behind Leticia, but my pride as an elder sister would be hurt if I fall behind my brother”
On the other hand, Seigar’s pride as a man would be hurt if he came in behind her . This was why he was trying very hard . The two siblings didn’t look alike, but they were alike in every other way .
Arrieta spoke .
“However, it seems we won’t be able to rest until Seigar and I awaken our Dragon Soul . ”
“That’s right . Our absence is putting a lot of stress on our side, so we’ll be moving in four days . ”
In four days, it would exactly be two weeks since they decided to move independently from Azell and Laura . Everyone was well rested, and they were back to peak condition .
Currently, they had destroyed 40 waypoints . There were 182 left .
“The deciding battle will start when the number of waypoints falls below 100 . We just have to hope that our forces will be able to hold out until that time comes . ”
Kairen was planning on dispatching Reygus or Almarick at that point . He would set up a stage where they would be able to kill either of them for sure .
However, it was always true that no plan survives contacts with the enemy .
8
It had been 220 years since they had started the battle behind the scenes . This was the first time the Plain of Darkness had their hands full .
They knew the value of the Road of Emptiness . They knew it better than anyone . It was a relic left behind Atein, who they had deified . This added to the value of the relic, and they decided that they would have to protect it no matter the cost .
They could no longer leave the fight to the younger generation . The survivors of the Dragon Demon war had pulled the strings from the background . Now they would have to move their heavy butts .
Of course, if one thought logically about it, not much would change even if they did move into the field . It was the same as the elders of the Aunsaurus tribe . They were Dragon Demons, but they had all weakened from old age . It had been too long since they had abdicated their places from the front line .
However, those that were swept up by fanaticism usually made irrational decisions .
Reygus spoke .
<Hmm . I shouldn’t be saying this, but what an ungainly sight . >
“I feel the same way . However, the extra forces will be useful . ”
Almarick smirked .
Laura and the younger generation were told that only 20 survivors of the Dragon Demon war were left within the Plain of Darkness . Everyone else was dead thanks to passage of time … .
However, that wasn’t the truth .
There were some amongst survivors of the Dragon Demon war, who had voluntarily changed themselves into the Undead .
If one thought about it rationally, it was truly a foolish choice . Even if one became an Undead, one couldn’t maintain one’s sanity for long . Of course, if the Undead was made well, there were various methods that could be used to maintain the Undead . One could last for another several dozens of years, but this time period would be filled with pain .
However, these beings wanted to see the revival of the Dragon Demon king with their own eyes .
It was as Saibein had told Azell . It didn't take too long for the Plain of Darkness to be changed into a religiously fanatic organization . Those at the top were filled with madness, so it wasn’t strange to see them act in such extreme manners .
When they changed themselves into the Undead, they had put themselves into a long hibernation in order to maintain their sanity .
However, the upper echelon of the Plain of Darkness had no choice, but to wake them up . This was how desperate their situation was .
Reygus shrugged his shoulders .
<How much help can they be? I guess the magicians might help, but those that wield swords need a lot of time to re-attune their senses . >
Spirit Order practitioners and the Dragon Arts practitioners lost a lot when they became Undead .
When they became Undead, they lost all reference points for their techniques . They had to re-tune their techniques to the standard of the Undead, and it wasn’t a thing that could be solved in a short amount of time .
Almarick let out a bright smile as he asked a question .
“Are you speaking from experience after being drubbed by Azell?”
<…ughh . You are poking at a painful memory . >
When he became an Undead, Reygus had lost all his Dragon Demon magic . As a Dragon Arts practitioner, he had lost a lot of his skills in comparison to his past self . However, he had used battles to get used to the senses of an Undead .
Almarick spoke .
“Anyways, just the magicians will be of big help to us . These bastards have a lot of things hidden away, so it has been nice to continually use their resources . However, it seems the well is about to dry up, and I’m not too happy about it . ”
For the most part, he had Aincera’s support, so Almarick had been acting as the supreme commander within the Plain of Darkness . However, those that were in power respected him, but they refused to reveal all they possessed to Almarick .
<Mmm?>
Suddenly, Reygus raised his head . Almarick asked in puzzlement .
“What is it?”
<Someone is coming . >
“Is it someone that is worth paying attention to?”
“How could it not be?”
However, the one to answer Almarick wasn’t Reygus . Almarick and Reygus became surprised .
<Who are you?>
Someone had entered into the room after tricking their senses . After being revived, this was something both of them had experienced for the first time .
The other person had his head covered with a black hood . No, if one was to be precise, a magical power was creating a curtain of darkness beneath the hood . It obscured the identity of the being, and it also modulated his voice .
“It seems a lot of time has passed . ”
The being in front of them took off his hood as he spoke .
When his face was revealed to Reygus and Almarick, they felt more surprised than the surprise they had felt when their senses were deceived .
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