Ch.116Dragon King Subjugation Battle

After returning to the Blue Wing headquarters, Se-arin had to prepare a funeral after completing her report. It was a funeral for her brother Hakam. His body, which had been transferred to the Imperial Palace for investigation, had been returned to the Blue Wing headquarters.

She wanted to bury his remains in their homeland, but couldn’t. This was because her next mission was already scheduled. Since it was a large-scale mission rather than a regular one, Se-arin couldn’t leave headquarters.

Thus, Hakam’s funeral was held modestly.

It was time to bid farewell to her brother. The deceased, who couldn’t rest due to a reincarnator, would finally find peace. Se-arin opened a small box she was holding and released the powder inside to the wind.

The white powder scattering in the air looked like snow from their homeland.

Se-arin closed her eyes and prayed silently. She hoped her brother could return to their homeland.

***

Shortly after Se-arin’s group returned, a large-scale subjugation force began to form. This was possible because Alberich had extracted a soul fragment from the reincarnator, allowing them to track his location.

The scale of the subjugation force was substantial. Most available intermediate and senior members were assigned to this mission, and two deputy commanders, including Karnok, would join them.

In the early dawn while everyone slept.

The dim moonlight illuminated the training ground, revealing the figure of a girl standing there. It was Se-arin.

Though the subjugation force had been organized, the departure date hadn’t been set yet. Se-arin used this time to train.

She needed to master the technique called Sun Force that she had recently acquired. While it existed in her memory, using it skillfully with her body was another matter. There could be no gaps in her technique.

“Haa…”

But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Se-arin sighed and stopped her mana manipulation.

***

Blue Wing members departing on missions isn’t an uncommon sight. Citizens living in the Imperial capital might witness it once or twice a week.

However, seeing thirty members setting out on a mission at once was a rare occurrence.

“There’s quite a lot of attention.”

“Can’t be helped with a large-scale mission.”

“Makes me nervous.”

Se-arin looked at the senior members walking ahead. When she first joined, they had seemed so distant. But now they didn’t. They seemed within reach.

“That’s quite a fierce look in her eyes.”

“I found it a bit chilling.”

Some senior members turned back and commented. The gaze of their junior who had joined not long ago felt like a sharp blade. It meant she wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. The senior members expressed surprise at Se-arin’s rate of growth.

“…”

Se-arin quickly lowered her head. She belatedly realized her gaze might have seemed unpleasant. However, no one expressed discomfort at her stare.

Such was the nature of Blue Wing as an organization. A junior who rises strongly would always become a powerful asset who could be responsible for their lives. These were people whose lives had never been easy. Rather than wasting energy on unnecessary emotions, they preferred to capture more reincarnators.

At the relay station not far from Blue Wing headquarters.

Thirty horses were already lined up at the place where knights borrowed mounts before missions. Due to the large-scale mission, the Imperial side had made preparations in advance.

There was no signal to depart. The moment all thirty knights mounted their horses, they galloped off. A cloud of dust scattered along the road.

***

A group emitting fierce aura galloped along the mountain path. Thirty in number. The Dragon King subjugation force rode without rest. If anything blocked their way, they cut it down with their swords. If the path was broken and horses couldn’t pass, they moved trees and rocks to create temporary bridges.

The thirty Blue Wing members could make the impossible possible.

Karnok spread out a map and, using the direction Alberich had provided, identified the area where the Dragon King’s base was located. That place was called the Dragon’s Gorge.

“Dragon’s Gorge…”

Karnok muttered to himself. Rumors about dragons were abundant. Information about dragons could commonly be found in legends passed down from ancient times.

However, the existence of dragons in this world was uncertain. Even those who claimed to have seen them couldn’t prove it. Stories had merely been embellished as they passed from mouth to mouth.

That was why Karnok hadn’t believed the rumors about the Dragon Heart.

What made it ominous was that the Dragon King was a reincarnator. From what he’d heard, dragons existed as actual beings in the dimension where they lived. They had tangible forms and reigned as absolute rulers over all living creatures.

Most rumors and information about dragons had also come from other dimensions.

“Isn’t it fortunate? That there are no dragon corpses in this world… If that fellow had gotten his hands on a dragon’s corpse, this world would have been destroyed.”

Karnok folded the map and put it in his pocket at Alberich’s words. He was right. It was just needless worry. Karnok’s hand tightened on the reins.

***

They rode for a month straight. The target, the Dragon King, hadn’t moved. From the moment the subjugation force departed until they arrived at the Dragon’s Gorge, he hadn’t moved.

Upon reaching the gorge, the Blue Wing members dismounted and drew their weapons. Yet no aura leaked from their bodies. Everyone was holding their breath for an effective surprise attack.

It was a strange place. Everyone who arrived thought the same. The area wasn’t much different from an ordinary gorge. However, there was an inexplicably eerie atmosphere enveloping the entire gorge.

As everyone tensed, Alberich spoke.

“Wait a moment. He’s sensitive to holy power, so from here on, it would be better if Clara moves instead of me.”

As he finished speaking, the faint light surrounding Alberich’s body completely disappeared. Before entering the gorge, he completely handed over control of the body to Clara, aiming to avoid detection by the Dragon King.

“I’m ready.”

“Then let’s enter.”

Karnok said this and approached the gorge. The vast gorge didn’t seem particularly special. The subjugation force continued to advance following the direction Clara indicated.

Se-arin walked awkwardly. This was because of the many swords she had brought. The swords lined up on her back strangely didn’t clash with each other. It meant all the sheathed swords were under Se-arin’s control.

“What are you, a hedgehog…”

Theo clicked his tongue at the sight. She had refused his offer to carry some swords. If she were just a bit bigger, it wouldn’t have looked so ridiculous. Now she just looked like a greedy girl who had brought too many swords.

That’s why she was cute.

While crossing the gorge, they encountered a considerable number of animals. This was because they had extremely concealed their presence. Small animals approached the members with curiosity, as they seemed to have become one with nature itself.

They could smell humans, but couldn’t sense their presence. Yet humans were moving right before their eyes, which made them curious.

Particularly many animals approached Se-arin. Small creatures like squirrels and sparrows perched on her head and shoulders.

“Go away…”

This was an important mission. Se-arin tried to blow them away with her breath or glare at them sternly to drive away these sudden intruders.

But the squirrel that received her breath just closed its eyes as if enjoying the cool air and stretched out its body.

“This is driving me crazy…”

That’s when it happened. The faint breeze suddenly stopped as if cut by a knife. The loud insect sounds also ceased, and birds perched on trees everywhere took flight with noisy wing flaps.

Even the squirrel that had settled on Se-arin’s head fled.

“Seems like we’ve been discovered.”

As Alberich finished speaking, the thirty Blue Wing members unleashed their previously concealed aura without restraint. The released energy shook the entire forest, distorting the space.

The suddenly expanded detection area covered the entire gorge. Simultaneously, all Blue Wing members began to run.

KWAAANG-!

It was the charge of a group of supreme masters. Trees blocking their path were uprooted and sent flying, or cut down by powerful sword strikes.

“Three approaching from the right! Five ahead!”

A member with exceptional senses shouted. At the same time, Karnok called out.

“Schulet! Bastid!”

The named members immediately sprang forward. They were intermediate and senior members respectively. The rest of the group continued their charge without stopping. This scene repeated several times.

Eventually, only about ten members remained.

KWANG-!

KUUNG-!

Fierce shock waves echoing from behind shook the entire gorge. It was the energy released by the members left behind. The violently erupting mana vortices created a resonance phenomenon, producing magnificent echoes.

“He’s gathered quite a number. Must have dug up an enormous number of graves by now.”

Alberich, who had regained control of the body from Clara after the battle began, clicked his tongue while looking back. He turned his body and pointed to a location.

“It’s over there. The place where his soul feels strongest.”

The place Alberich pointed to was beyond a large waterfall. It was a location where endlessly pouring water created a misty spray. Through that hazy mist, five knights in black armor appeared.

The five black knights walked on water. Clear mana dispersed through the ripples spreading beneath their feet. It was a technique of walking on water by releasing mana.

Watching this, Theo stepped forward.

“I don’t think I can handle this alone… Anyone want to join?”

Reynard was the one who responded to Theo’s request. His empty sleeve fluttered. With his one remaining hand, he pulled out long threads and spoke.

“The black knights of Niflheim? Judging by the five of them, that seems right…”

The released threads lifted a total of five swords. The floating swords resembled Se-arin’s formless flying sword technique.

Watching this, Karnok turned his body. Not to completely turn around, but to slightly step aside, heading toward the path behind the waterfall that the black knights were blocking.

Se-arin also followed behind him.

The five black knights reacted as well. Perhaps because they were handling dozens of corpses, none of the knights spoke with a clear sense of self. Step-

The moment one knight standing on the far right moved to block Karnok’s group’s path, a sword wrapped in transparent thread plunged down on him.

KWANG-!

As if a bomb had exploded on the calm water surface, water shot upward. That was the signal for the battle to begin.