Kays Translations

Chapter 44: Chiyou's Power (Part 2)

"My name is Lucius Norris Dragon, Baron of this land. I will stop you."

Lucius held his sword at the ready, pondering his next move.

How could he deal with the high-ranking demon before him? The enchanted sword couldn't cut through it, and his spells were ineffective.

The last resort was to lure the demon to Mount Kuron. The stronger the demon, the more it favored concentrated magical power. The deepest part of Mount Kuron would undoubtedly have the most concentrated magical energy, comparable to a human's magical core.

It would take about two days to reach Mount Kuron from the foothills if they took a detour.

—Can I endure it?

Facing off against the high-ranking monster for two whole days was, by all rational thinking, reckless. Even a few minutes of confrontation might be enough to prove that it was superior to humanity in strength.

However, this was the path Lucius had chosen. Resolve always precedes action.

"There's no choice."

Lucius started running.

As he did, a black figure wielding the same sword as Lucius closed in. Closing the distance, the light of the sword swung down.

Lucius felt the intent to kill in the light that usually resembled the aura he emitted.

—Sharp!

The downward strike lightly slashed Lucius's left shoulder, causing blood to spurt out.

Despite that, the armored figure didn't stop. It used its inhuman strength to redirect the downward swing, raising its blade again.

—Can't dodge it!

Lucius poured all his magical power into his sword, enveloping it in a beam of light.

Then, he clashed with the swinging sword.

The lights mixed, repelled each other, and exploded.

"Gaah!"

Lucius's small body was blown away by the impact and slammed against the wall. He managed to narrowly avoid the blade, with the shockwave passing just inches beside him.

The shockwave created cracks on the walls of the mausoleum and sliced the already weakened Earl O'Malley's mansion in half. The mansion, already fragile from the evil dragon's breath, now collapsed completely from the final blow.

Though it might be considered better than the battle against the evil dragon, each strike was a disaster in itself.

—Gotta get up quickly!

Anxious to raise his sword, Lucius struggled to stand, but his body, slammed against the wall, wouldn't respond.

As Lucius tried to stand up, the armored figure leaped toward him.

With an agility that belied its massive size, the figure appeared to almost touch the high ceiling of the mausoleum, swinging its sword downward.

"Run!"

Lauren, tied to the shield, shouted.

The leaping armor swung its sword down without hesitation.

Just as the armored figure began its descent, Lucius was finally able to stand.

Despite his bravado and determination, he couldn't become instantly stronger.

However, giving up was not an option.

Lucius focused light at the tip of his sword.

He aimed only for the chain entwined around the shield.

"Lauren, I'll help you now."

The shadow of the armor loomed over Lucius, and the massive sword of light swung down.

"Now!"

Just before the strike, Lucius twisted his body toward where the shield was. Abandoning all defense, he sliced through the chain that wrapped around the approaching shield.

Lucius leaped while avoiding the sword and grabbed the fallen Lauren's back.

"Good."

As soon as his foot touched the ground, he ran with all his might.

The armored figure pursued with intense speed. Its previous cold demeanor replaced with a fury-driven charge.

"It's fast!"

The armored figure closed in on Lucius, who was carrying Lauren with one hand, and swung its sword fiercely.

Lucius tried to ready the enchanted sword in his right hand, but his response was slightly delayed.

—Not in time.

As the blade of light almost reached Lucius's neck, a metallic sound echoed.

In front of him, he saw orange and black stripes of a tiger.

"Huff, huff. Sorry I'm late."

A familiar voice reached his ears. At the same time, the tip of a great sword danced in the air.

The light sword had been sliced like a twig by the great sword.

"Yu-Yu-san!"

Yu must have rushed over at full speed, judging by his heavy breathing.

The black armor didn't stop; it swung its sword again, aiming for Lucius.

Yu created a new great sword.

The two swords clashed.

In the distance, only the faint sound of air being cut was audible.

Whenever Yu's great sword was cut away, he generated a new one as they clashed again.

Yu shielded Lucius on his back and spoke.

"I never imagined Chiyou would resurrect. Lucius, take Lauren and run."

Creating weapons required a massive amount of magical power, as Yu had mentioned before. The tactic of generating and clashing the swords was like running at full speed while holding one's breath.

It wasn't even a proper strategy; it was just a desperate struggle to buy time.

No longer was it possible to lure the enemy to Mount Kuron. Yu would die if they continued like this.

—It won't work.

Lucius desperately looked around.

He needed something, debris, a hole, a rock—anything he could use.

At that moment, Lucius's eyes caught sight of the "White Specter's Eye Root."

The large eyepatch that covered his field of vision.

It seemed to be among the scattered artifacts.

He had done this before.

A method to end the fight with an unbeatable monster.

—Turn it into a spell.

Lucius rushed immediately to where the "White Specter's Eye Root" lay.

After gently setting Lauren down, he put the artifact he picked up on his forehead, covering his eyes.

"I still can't see anything."

But he kept his eyes covered.

There was no time to take it off leisurely. The moment he did, he would be slashed three times.

As Lucius covered his eyes, he started walking toward where he sensed the magical power.

The magical power was undeniably there, with an overwhelming presence that could burn everything. There was no way he wouldn't notice it.

But as he took step by step, suspicion and anxiety crept in.

Was it really far away, or was it right in front of him?

What if that armored monster could deceive his senses, and the source of the magical power was actually right in front of him?

His heart pounded, and his breath became labored, to the point where it was almost deafening.

It was only natural.

Approaching someone who swung a massive sword with their eyes covered was undeniably scary.

"Lucius, stop! Chiyou isn't the kind of monster you can turn into a spell!"

As the sword's wind began to graze his cheeks, he heard Yu's scream close by.

Soon after, a sound of Yu being knocked away resounded.

And then, the armored monster confronted Lucius.

Lucius sheathed his sword.

He wouldn't be able to receive the attack anyway.

Everything condensed into a silent space, where everything seemed to slow down.

Lucius knew this.

The world he could feel with extreme concentration when death approached.

"I'll face you."

Lucius swallowed the fog of anxiety swirling in his chest and started running.

A tremendous magical power.

And the presence of a sword gathering that power.

—Right sidestep.

Lucius lowered his posture.

His body felt sluggish.

There was a significant gap between his consciousness and his body.

In an instant, a blade of light passed above his head.

.

Lucius sidestepped to the left.

The diagonal slash from above passed near his right shoulder.

Although he couldn't completely evade it, a sharp pain shot through his right arm, where he had been hit.

Blood dripped from the injured arm, but he ignored it.

The sword he had used since he was three years old.

He knew everything about it—the weight, the range, the pivot point of the swing—everything as if he could feel it with his hand.

The armored figure's swordsmanship had reached a master level.

Therefore, Lucius could predict its attacks.

Ironically, it was now possible because he closed his vision and focused his senses.

Even if the armored figure's movements had adapted to its massive size, the trajectory of its strikes was clearer than what Lucius could feel through magical power.

If it had been a sword he wasn't familiar with, he would have been cut down with the first strike.

—Thrust.

When he stepped to the right side, a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder.

The armored figure's thrust must have hit his shoulder, but Lucius ignored it.

At this moment, if he stopped even for an instant, his body and head would be separated forever.

Running parallel to the extended arm of the armored figure, Lucius jumped and struck the forehead of Chiyou with all his might.

At the same time, a sound rang in his brain, reaching his ears from inside.

"Chiyou, kneel!"

A massive surge of Chiyou's magical power flowed into the eye of the white specter, located in the depths of Lucius's eyes.

A torrent of magical power similar to when he defeated the evil dragon.

Black hair, purple eyes.

The distinct features of the man, clad in an unusual outfit rarely seen, seemed familiar.

The man smiled.

"However, my journey ends here. I had intended to swallow you and all impurities."

Chiyou looked down at the man.

"I won't tell you to form a contract with my child. But if you meet him on this mountain, please spare him at least once. Besides, you used a massive amount of magic power for your evolution. You can devour me now."

Chiyou grabbed the man with trembling hands.

As the man said, he had been hungry for quite some time now.

The man's magical core, as the contract holder, looked like a delicious treat.

"Thank you for everything, my finest blade."

Chiyou devoured the man.

And roared.

Over and over again.

What was the finest blade? It was a dull cushion that couldn't even protect half of his body.

His demonic nature didn't know tears.

It could only express all emotions through roars.

A long time passed after that.

The demonic creature that stood at the top of the mountain's ecosystem confronted a dragon of equal status.

A white dragon with white feathers.

Around it were nine other dragons.

For many creatures, releasing power brought sheer pleasure.

As they fought, battling to become the finest blade, both humans and monsters sought weapons, causing them to confront and fight the monsters that had lived in harmony with them.

The battle became fiercely intense.

Chiyou wielded six weapons and used his clones, while the dragons employed breath attacks, storms, mist, and light to fight.

After a long battle, Chiyou's magic spear finally pierced through the body of the Yinglong.

At that moment, as he believed in his victory, a woman appeared from behind the fallen Yinglong.

Black hair and purple eyes, just like his former master.

It was unmistakably her kin.

Chiyou halted his pursuit.

Exploiting that momentary opening, Chiyou was struck by breath attacks from all directions.

He lost all the swords, spears, and bows he had gathered. Everything was in tatters.

However, Chiyou had no regrets.

He kept his promise.

After that, he fell into a long slumber.

When he woke up, he once again saw someone with a deep connection.

The successor of his master and a boy who controlled an evil dragon equal to the one he had confronted in the past.

Without hesitation, Chiyou shielded the girl from the evil dragon's breath and hid her in the shadow of his shield.

Then, his dream came to an abrupt halt.

"...I see, I was trying to protect you. Keep the promise."

Chiyou's magic core trembled but did not respond.

Perhaps he had already fallen asleep.

Likewise, Lucius felt terribly sleepy.

He had used too much magic power.

Considering this surreal space, he might have already lost his bodily consciousness.

The drifting consciousness scattered and disappeared.

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