Chapter 118

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The Battle with the Red Dragon (2)

The Magic Tower in the Imperial Capital.

The Tower of Astronomers and Astrologers, the Grey Tower.

From the outside, it was just a tower, but to the mages residing there, it was merely an observatory for watching the sky. Thus, the mages of the Grey Tower were, as usual, gazing up at the heavens today.

Their daily routine was to read the flow of constellations adorning the night sky and check for the birth of new stars or the falling of old ones.

Their work was known to be static and uneventful. It was rare for the constellations of the night sky to undergo significant changes. Only a historical event of monumental proportions could cause the stars to tremble.

‘How often do such historical events happen, anyway?’

The master of the Grey Tower.

Nayuta, the tower master, lounged on a sofa, sipping coffee and humming. To her, the position of Grey Tower Master was perfect for a leisurely lifestyle. The budget was generous, yet her duties amounted to little more than gazing at the sky.

‘The Platinum Tower Master has it tough.’

She smirked, thinking of her colleague, who was always working late, cutting down on sleep. Well, who told them to join the Platinum Tower? Working less and earning more was the true victory in life.

Just as Nayuta was about to spend another lazy, honey-sipping day, no different from yesterday, the Grey Tower shook violently with a loud boom.

The Grey Tower, connected to celestial bodies, was highly sensitive to the movements of the stars. Such a significant tremor meant there had been a major change in the heavens. Eyes wide, Nayuta snapped her head up to gaze at the sky.

The sky was in turmoil.

Constellations were moving chaotically, pushed to the sides. It was reminiscent of when Arthur’s constellation had shaken. The mere movement of such a massive constellation could shake the heavens.

‘Is King Arthur’s star moving again?’

No, it was something different.

The stars were fleeing in terror. Nayuta’s gaze followed the flow. Although she usually lazed around, she was an Imperial-certified first-class astrologer. Her eyes pierced through to the core of the disturbance.

And blood flowed from Nayuta’s eyes.

There was a colossal star that could neither be observed, understood, nor dared to be looked upon. Confronting the black and red malign star, the Witch’s Constellation, blood flowed from her eyes and nose. Her pupils trembled.

A constellation that had been silent for a thousand years.

The Constellation of the Witch of the Abyss was there.

The blood-red star appeared for only a brief moment before hiding its presence in the darkness. But even that brief exposure had shaken the heavens and thrown the constellations into chaos. Amidst the turmoil of the constellations, Nayuta lowered her gaze.

She recalled what lay in the direction the Witch’s star had briefly illuminated.

Stonehenge.

It was the resting place of the dragons.

The Red Dragon roared towards the sky and began smashing everything in sight. The Imperial Knights began to retreat, and even the White-rank adventurers hesitated and fell back.

Something was wrong.

The situation had changed from what they had been told.

They could understand the part about the Red and White Dragons reviving without injuries. It seemed possible to capture them, and they thought they could handle it. But now, the Red Dragon was different. It had grown two to three times larger, and its aura had changed.

This was impossible.

They knew instinctively.

That was not an opponent that could be handled by a team of sword seekers. It didn’t seem like sword aura could penetrate the glowing red scales, and they didn’t think they could cut through that thick neck. Most importantly, the pressure emanating from the Red Dragon was real.

They could potentially inflict a few wounds if they risked their lives, but the cost-benefit ratio didn’t add up. After all, they were adventurers, weighing their lives and profit on a scale. They were not bound by duty like knights; they were free adventurers.

“This is impossible.”

“We can’t fight it. It’s impossible.”

“We need at least ten Sword Seekers. This isn’t something four can handle.”

“Or bring a Sword Master.”

At least ten sword seekers were needed.

Even then, it was just the minimum. Even if ten gathered, there was no certainty they could hunt it. They couldn’t grasp where to start and how to proceed.

The three White-rank adventurers muttered as they retreated. One had already been knocked out with a single blow. Continuing to fight in this situation was something only fools would do.

“So you’re planning to run?”

And there was one fool here.

Roselin Ascalo, who had remained silent, spoke up. She hadn’t taken a single step back and stood her ground. Her single remark made White-rank adventurer Richard Polsen frown and speak.

“Retreat is the right choice. Until the Empire’s reinforcements arrive…”

“Do you think that Red Dragon will take longer to reach Cambria than the Empire’s reinforcements? Richard, you know better than that, don’t you?”

Roselin sighed.

If they fled, the Red Dragon would head straight for the nearest city, Cambria. Dragons inherently move to kill humans and destroy civilization.

And Cambria couldn’t withstand the Red Dragon.

The strongest forces in Cambria were already here. Even if they gathered all the remaining adventurers, they couldn’t hunt the dragon. Without the power of Sword Seekers, they couldn’t even scratch its scales.

“So you’re saying we should fight, Roselin?”

“Do we have any other options? Sure, we could let the city folks die and run away…”

Roselin shrugged.

“I have a lot of assets tied up in Cambria, Richard. I recently set up a mercenary headquarters and bought a house. Do you know how hard I worked for that? It would be a shame if it all went up in smoke.”

It wouldn’t be good to let my subordinates die either.

Muttering to herself, Roselin twirled her masterpiece in her hand.

“Of course, this is my situation. You guys can run if you want.”

But, you know, she grinned.

“Don’t blame me if I call you cowardly bastards later?”

Roselin clashed her twin swords together.

As a piercing noise echoed, the Red Dragon, who had been chasing the retreating knights, whipped its head towards her.

“That’s right. Over here, lizard bastard.”

Roselin Ascalo smirked.

“Red ones should stick together, right?”

She tapped her cheeks.

The red swirling eyes were the mark of the witch. A half-blood born between a witch and a human, Roselin glared at the Red Dragon that shared her eyes.

『————————!』

The Red Dragon roared.

Responding to Roselin’s provocation, the Red Dragon recognized her as an enemy and charged. Smashing everything in its path, the dragon’s approach made Roselin click her tongue.

‘This is going to be tough.’

She couldn’t take it down alone.

She glanced back. The three White-rank adventurers. If they joined, there might be a slight chance, but they remained silent and unmoving. They seemed to be pondering something.

Well, running away was not easy either.

They were also attached to Cambria and had their bases there. They were just hesitant to risk their lives for a fight that seemed hopeless. In other words…

If the situation tilted a bit, they would join.

Roselin needed to show potential. She needed to create a situation that made them feel a slight chance of victory. Naturally, it wasn’t an easy task.

‘Damn, I wish there was someone to charge with me.’

There used to be one here. Someone like that.

Someone who would jump in first, not caring about the consequences. A youngster who perfectly fit her taste. But he had been knocked out in a single blow. She didn’t even know if he was alive or dead.

“Hoo…”

Roselin sighed and steadied herself.

She planned to do it alone if necessary. As she readied her masterpiece, Echo, and prepared to step forward, a loud crash resounded from afar.

A heap of rubble shot into the air.

A sudden noise. Roselin turned her gaze to where the sound had come from. Bursting through the debris of a collapsed stone pillar was a boy holding a sword. Seeing him, Roselin’s eyes widened before she burst into laughter.

“He’s really insane.”

He took that hit and is already moving?

Laughing, Roselin nodded slightly. Her gaze met Najin’s over the dragon. No words were needed. As Roselin pointed to the right and charged, Najin moved to the left.

A beast from the mythical era.

A living mystery.

The two swordsmen charged at the giant monster. Compared to the dragon, the two humans were insignificant, but the sword aura emanating from their swords was not.

A glimpse of transcendence grasped by human hands.

Brilliant lights that could pierce the dragon’s scales erupted.

As he ran towards the Red Dragon, Najin caught his breath. Being hit by the dragon’s tail had made his breathing ragged. His body ached, but he could still move.

‘Merlin.’

Running, Najin spoke internally.

‘That star just now, it was the Witch’s star, right?’

-Yes.

‘Did the witch intervene?’

This was the mainland. An area where constellations could rarely intervene due to its stability. But somehow, the witch had intervened.

-Yes, she did. Normally, the Red Dragon would never attack the White Dragon. Being split from one being, they cherished each other greatly.

The witch had manipulated the Red Dragon.

Manipulated it to consume the White Dragon and become whole. In the process, she had tampered with the dragon’s essence, Merlin said.

-I don’t know what method she used, but she can’t use it again. Bedivere has moved the Round Table.

Merlin looked up at the sky.

She would see the constellations being rearranged and aligned. It must be a magnificent sight, but Najin had no time to look at the sky.

With the presence of Camlann and the Round Table, those high in the sky…

He had a dragon roaring right before his eyes.

His battlefield was here. His opponent was the Red Dragon roaring with its feet on the ground. Najin focused solely on the Red Dragon. With creaking legs, he pushed off the ground and ran, his eyes wide open.

‘It’s heavy. It’s fast. It’s hard to cut.’

The Red Dragon had grown several times larger.

Najin instinctively knew, from the single blow he had taken, that he couldn’t cut it down with conventional means. He had to figure out how to tear through those scales and drive his sword in.

The fully awakened Red Dragon was a mystical beast, embodying all the qualities Merlin had described.

A Sword Master might be able to sever its neck in one strike. In his current state, Najin could only hope to scratch its scales. Could he cut it down if he struck the same spot dozens, hundreds of times? He wasn’t sure.

An opponent who seemed almost impossible to defeat. Feeling his heart pounding, Najin steadied his breath.

‘The basics of dragon hunting.’

What he had learned from Merlin.

No matter how strong his opponent had become, his task remained the same. He had to strip away its absurd mobility. Najin’s eyes focused on the dragon’s wings.

If it started flying, it was over.

He had to tear those wings while it was still agitated and grounded. Roselin, who exchanged a glance with Najin, seemed to have a similar idea. They slid towards the dragon’s flanks.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Firmly grasping his sword hilt, Najin charged.

His sword was enveloped in the constellation of white and gold stars, which he knew were the dragon’s reverse scale. Merlin had told him so.

The platinum-hued sword aura, resembling Arthur.

The light that held the potential to pierce the dragon’s mystery.

Reflecting on Merlin’s words, Najin recalled a scene from a fairy tale. The image of Arthur, fearlessly charging towards giants and dragons in the mythical era. At the end of that battle, Arthur had hung a star in the sky.

A star, a feat, the first step to becoming a hero.

Najin couldn’t know if his sword would work against this dragon. But he had decided. He would bring down this dragon. He would achieve a feat greater than Arthur’s and carve a star in the sky.

‘I will.’

He had decided. Therefore, he acted.

Najin pushed off the ground and leapt into the air. His sword energy flashed brilliantly. Responding to his move, Roselin clashed her twin swords together from the opposite side.

“Hey, Najin.”

Roselin called out to him.

Not a brat, but Najin. In a gesture of respect for the boy who had fearlessly charged into battle, she willingly called him by his name.

“I don’t do this for just anyone.”

The echo she spread.

The ripple created by her masterpiece flickered right before Najin’s eyes. It was as if a place had been set for him.

“Give it your all. Hit it with everything you’ve got.”

Najin grinned.

Then, he swung his sword with all his might towards the rippling echo before him. The strongest strike he could muster. As his sword energy intertwined with the echo, it resonated.

A resonating echo, amplified by the combined sword energies of both.