Volume 5, Chapter 5 – Black Dragon King, Part 2
Volume 5, Chapter 5 - Black Dragon King, Part 2
A messenger from the rear rushed across the battlefield, but Hugin’s arrow killed it. The horses, having lost their masters, fled at once to leave the battlefield.
“How did… you get the army to the rear? No way. Her Highness Celia Estrella is…”
“No way. If you take into account the distance, time, and other factors, it should be obvious――”
Hiro’s voice is cut off. Because the screams of the enemy painted over it. The rebels who had been rushed from behind seemed to have been so focused on them that they had not paid any attention to the rear.
The reason for this was that Ghada, who had sunk his fangs into the rebels’ rear, had appeared there.
The appearance of the evil demon ― bathed in red blood and clothed in demonic energy ― is precisely that of a demon.
“Looks like he managed to get there before the whole thing went down!”
Ghada swung his greatsword and cut down the unsettled enemy soldiers, scattering their bodies on the battlefield.
“The only target is the commander! Aim relentlessly and kill only the commander!”
A thousand troops led by Hiro, who had been on the verge of collapse, came back to life as another force, the 800 Raven Army, poured in at a furious pace. It’s no secret that they have regained enough momentum to be able to leave the battlefield, even if only temporarily.
“…So you’re saying this was a setup from the beginning?”
“Yes, it was.”
After Ghada created the sandstorm, he hid behind it and separated the detachment from the main force. The rebels were so distracted by the sandstorm that they didn’t notice it, and their attention was completely drawn to Hiro and the others who had penetrated the center. The rebels, who had lost their wall, hurriedly sent reinforcements from the rear to the main camp, but this caused the formation behind them to thin out, making it a perfect feeding ground.
Then, another force led by Ghada bypassed the battlefield and took a bite out of the rear. However, there was still a clear difference in numbers. But the momentum is completely on Hiro’s side.
“But I guess we’re both on the same side, aren’t we?”
Loing sighed in admiration of Hiro’s words.
“You seem to know what we’re trying to do.”
“No, I don’t have it all figured out, but I think I have a pretty good idea.”
“…You’re a terrible person, after all. That day ― the day we first met, I now understand why the First Prince Stobel said you were dangerous.”
Loing holds up his spirit weapon and looks at Hiro.
He must want to settle this. If the battle is prolonged, victory is certain, but it is clear that he is really a warrior and truly loves warfare.
Hiro also moved away to settle the matter.
“Shall we begin?”
Hiro’s high spirits swelled. The wind was blowing wildly, and the Black Princess Camellia danced happily. Loing’s eyes narrowed as the silver sword, the Heavenly Emperor, began to emit a black light.
“I see. His Highness Stobel knows about this…”
Loing gave a slight nod, giving off a somewhat convinced vibe. Loing gave Hiro, who was frowning, a good-natured smile and took a step forward.
The high energy that no ordinary person can have risen from his muscular body.
“Now, let’s play out the final battle to the death!”
A warrior with a long history of fighting ― perhaps his five senses made him do so, but he caught Hiro’s slash even though he couldn’t see it.
“Your reaction time is also quite good.”
“Gah!?”
But then Hiro unleashed a fierce kick to Loing’s solar plexus. Losing his grip on his stomach, Loing retreated.
Hiro kicked the ground lightly, and with tremendous momentum, Hiro thinned out and unleashed a slash.
A high-pitched sound echoed throughout the battlefield as they began to exchange blows.
Even so, the difference in speed gradually began to appear. One after another, lacerations were created on Loing’s body, and he wore an agonized expression.
“Guh, gaaaahh!”
Loing gave a fierce cry, but in front of Hiro, his body was cut into pieces like a child’s play. With high-speed slashes that can’t be reproduced in time.
“Haaahh!”
Hiro stabbed Loing in his chest. He felt a definite response. Hiro tried to pull out the “Heavenly Emperor,” thinking that he would tear off the limbs and finish him off.
“Gobuhh… I’ve finally got you.”
Loing lifted his mouth and grabbed Hiro’s arm while a large amount of blood flowed out of his mouth. Hiro has cut off the flesh and cuts off the bone, and by the time he realized that he had been invited, it was too late.
“――!”
Loing’s slash struck down on Hiro’s shoulder. But a different scene than he imagined was reflected in his eyes.
“Guh… The Black Princess Camellia, huh?”
Loing said as he spat, his face distorted with regret.
His blade would probably have given Hiro a fatal wound if it weren’t for the Black Princess Camellia.
Hiro gave a front kick to the discouraged Loing and pulled him off.
Loing blows up, which activates the fast regeneration of “Fallen One.”
“As I thought, you are a strong person even if you do not rely on the Fallen One.”
“…Your Highness Hiro, a blessed person should not say such a thing.”
His face is very sad and weak as if he is about to disappear.
“You are still young. You have never been afraid of growing old, have you?”
The Grantz Empire is a large country, and as such, it is full of talented people. No matter what kind of person you are, the day will surely come when you grow old, and they will overtake you.
“The only way to reach your potential is to fight. What should I do when that day comes? Should a man who could only find his potential by fighting just live out his life on his bedside table with his family watching over him?”
“I think that would be the happiest thing for me.”
A thousand years ago, people fought against the tyranny of the demon race in order to obtain that peace.
It’s commonplace happiness, but Hiro knows it’s the happiest thing of all.
“I don’t have to worry about anything; I can just leave this world surrounded by my family. I don’t think there’s anything more to it than that.”
“A difference of opinion, then.”
He simply refused. It was not the answer the warrior wanted. Then it is impossible to sympathize. Hiro and Loing are different.
“You will have to stay with me until the end. To this old man’s big moment!”
Since they were fundamentally different, there was no way they could agree on anything.
“Ughaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Loing suddenly shouts out. His body becomes huge, as if it is expanding. It seems that Loing has let go of his consciousness to the devil. His eyes were bloodshot, drool was dripping from his mouth, and his appearance was becoming uglier and uglier as one wanted to cover their eyes.
“It’s a mistake to abandon reason… You can’t gain power just by letting your instincts rule you.”
Hiro muttered, dexterously turning the “Heavenly Emperor” hilt in his hand and holding it in the opposite hand.
The sound of space cracking echoed. An enormous amount of light began to illuminate the ground as if to moisten it.
The spirit weapons that appeared were not just one. There were two, five, ten, twenty, and so many spirit weapons that they filled the space.
Hiro’s feet caved in under him, unable to withstand the supreme energy, and a vicious presence was thrown into the void, seeking domination.
“Let’s finish this.”
Kicking the ground lightly, the young man――
――He left the sounds of the world behind.
All that was left was the eerie sound of the wind cutting through the air. Tens of thousands of stars are born and fall to the ground with a hundred sparkles, a thousand twinkles, and ten thousand brilliant lights.
This is a blessing and a privilege reserved for those who possess the Heavenly Emperor.
――Divine Lightning and Fire
This is an absolutely inevitable slash that is unleashed from the speed of light. A divine line of lightning runs across the earth in all directions.
Each time the afterglow passes by, a large amount of blood splashes up from Loing’s body.
Even so, Loing did not stop chasing his prey, Hiro.
However, the man who had become a pathetic beast lost an arm, a leg, his throat was slit, and his heart was gutted.
“……”
Hiro plunged the tip of his sword into Loing’s head in an attempt to finish him off. Then a strange phenomenon occurred.
In a matter of seconds, Loing’s body began to shrink and regain its original form.
Hiro watched the scene with wide eyes.
Loing looked satisfied, wearing a smile on his wrinkled face.
“…Your Highness Hiro.”
Amid his ragged breathing ― Loing muttered quietly.
“…Thank you very… much. Now I can go… without any regrets.”
In the meantime, Hiro posed a question to Loing, who let out a snatched breath along with blood.
“I just want you to answer one question. Where is Stobel?”
He was unable to betray his loyalty to his lord until the end; he had nothing to say until the light was gone from his eyes. But silence is like an answer.
Then, there would be only one thing for him to do.
(The rest is… up to Liz and the others.)
In front of Hiro, who had made up his mind, Loing’s body disappeared as if the wind snatched it.
Hiro looked up at the sky with black eyes that were not lit with emotion.
Darkness was about to begin its invasion at the edge of the sky, which was dyed with the color of fresh blood. Unlike the quiet sky, the ground was swirling with wild winds. The screams coming from everywhere were superimposed on the shouts, creating an unusual atmosphere.
The commander, General Loing, was dead. And yet, his remaining men were still trying to fight on. Vengeance, chivalry, and self-respect are all intertwined, and their will may be unbreakable.
Hiro throws himself into the battlefield again. In order to save as many people as possible who had followed him, he attacked behind the enemy soldiers surrounding his allies with the blade of the “Heavenly Emperor” flying.
“――!?”
He didn’t even give them time to scream. Hiro cut down the enemies in the vicinity with a single sword.
At that moment, the cavalry jumped out from the side of his sight. The enemy soldiers around Hiro fell to the ground, falling prey to the spears as if they were being reaped. They were crushed by the horseshoe, and before they had time to scream, they were suffocated by the flashing tip of the spear.
“One-Eyed Dragon! What happened to former General Loing?”
Suddenly, a horse pulled up in front of Hiro. The owner of the horse was Ghada.
Hiro pulled out the Heavenly Emperor from the throat of the enemy soldier and let the fresh blood fly into the sky.
“I killed him. I didn’t get the head, but…”
“I see… then, there’s no need to stay long. Let’s get the hell out of here!”
He kicked the approaching enemy soldiers, and with a single stroke of his sword, he ended their lives and pointed his greatsword at the bannerman.
“Sound the victory call! Beat the drums and blow the horn! Tell the entire battlefield that former General Loing is dead!”
Now all that remains is to get out of this place.
With no one left to fight, the enemy army would slowly begin to understand the situation. Now that they have become a bunch of crows, the only thing left for them to do is to surrender.
“Wise brother! We can escape at any time!”
Hugin pulled her horse closer. The quiver on her hip was empty, and a bloody sword was clenched in her hand. Next to her was the Swift Dragon, who was covered in blood from their fight together.
Hiro pulled on the reins and jumped on the saddle of Swift Dragon.
That’s when it happened.
As the allies cheered, flames shot up into the sky from the west, where Liz was positioned.
“Wha ― that’s…”
It’s a dragon.
Someone on the battlefield muttered.
The flaming dragon, which was ascending the sky with great force, was pouring down as if it were flattening its prey on the ground. The sound of explosions that drowned out the sound of the battle there roared out into the world.
An overwhelming sense of supremacy coursed through the air, making Hiro’s body tremble. The next thing he heard was a scream. He knew that it was not an ally but an enemy that was screaming.
“It’s a familiar feeling.”
That was exactly what Altius was capable of. In other words, the power created by the Flame Emperor, Liz, had moved into a new realm.
He could not help but be curious as to what made her grow.
“It’s dangerous. If she’s not careful, she won’t be able to leave the battlefield.”
Too much power drains one’s strength rapidly.
“Ghada! As soon as you gather the troops, get out of here!”
He shouted to the back of Ghada, who was still cutting down the resisting enemy.
The rebels have no choice but to surrender now that Loing is dead, but the current situation, with the chain of command in disarray and information mixed up, doesn’t give the enemy any room to think.
They will lose control and continue to fight. If that happens, not only will soldiers die in vain, but they might also be annihilated.
So, they should immediately leave the battlefield and recommend the rebels to surrender.
“Hugin, tell the lie that the nobles’ reinforcements are on their way here. It will speed up the enemy’s surrender.”
If Loing is dead, there should be no one left who has the backbone to rebel.
“Very well!”
Hugin left with a cheerful reply, and Ghada came riding up, out of breath.
“What are you going to do, One-Eyed Dragon?”
“I have no more business here.”
If so, there’s only one place to go: upward to the sky, where the flaming dragon was floating; Hiro kicked lightly at the belly of the swift dragon and ran across the plain.