Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 62: War Emperor
The descending young man held a lance in each hand and rode atop a creature reminiscent of a Pegasus.
While using two spears is not unheard of, it’s not a common practice, especially with short spears.
“Who are you?”
His aura was completely different from the other soldiers. Despite being an ordinary human except for his almost painting-like appearance, he exuded an unfathomable eeriness.
Following the young man, several Imperial soldiers descended. One of them spoke up.
“Your Majesty, please don’t suddenly appear on the frontlines. You seem to forget your position.”
“Bridgett is always overly anxious.”
“The opponent is a Special Grade Magician. Right now, a dragon is wreaking havoc among the troops.”
“That’s why I came out.”
“But—”
“I’ve made decisions, given orders, and approved strategies. What else should I do?”
“The operation has just begun. You should oversee the entire situation and command.”
“If that’s what needs to be done, then it’s not wrong. The frontlines provide the best overview of the situation.”
The Imperial Guards collectively sighed.
“Only Your Majesty can do that.”
“The Empire is a militaristic nation. If the top leadership hides behind the soldiers, it affects morale—”
Yu identified an enemy and swiftly moved in with his greatsword, attacking. He advanced, gathered strength, released power, and executed a perfect strike.
“Don’t you think so?”
The young man easily caught Yu’s full-strength attack with his lance, while still mounted on the horse, as though brushing something off.
—Even if I turn around… he’s not there
The soldiers that seemed like guards also appeared to have noticed Yu’s attack, but they didn’t seem to care much, as if it were impossible for the blade to reach them.
Without even looking back, the young man launched a counterattack with his lance.
His agility and precision were so extraordinary that Yu couldn’t evade in time, forcing him to use his left arm to block the spear.
The spear pierced through his arm and plunged deeply into his shoulder, flames erupting from the wound.
“Guah!”
Smoke rose from Yu’s entire body.
“Oh?”
“…Emperor of war, Benedict!?”
“That’s right.”
Without looking at Yu hanging from the lance jutting out of his shoulder, Lucius shifted his gaze to Fury.
“Kid, let’s make an exchange. If you point your sword away from Fury, I will also retract the blade from this tiger.”
“No, Lucius! Don’t bother with me! Just go ahead and defeat the Warlord!”
Lucius stared down War Emperor Benedict with his four eyes.
“You’re first.”
“Yeah, I don’t mind.”
As if brushing off blood and gore, War Emperor Benedict effortlessly tossed away Yu, the tiger-man.
Lucius draws blade.
“As I thought, you’re the type I anticipated.”
Yu stood up, blood flowing from his shoulder, and once again lunged at Emperor Benedict.
One of the guards immediately intervened—former female knight Bridgett.
“You’re… a knight from Honogura.”
“Ah, I remember you helped me during that duel.”
“Step aside. If we defeat the Emperor, this war will end.”
“Imitating the possession of beasts has never been my forte. But today, it’s the real deal.”
Bridgett readied her spear. Dark mist seemed to flow downward from the spear.
Yu and Bridget’s battle began.
“Now, shall we begin too?”
Emperor Benedict invited him as if inviting someone to a tea party.
Behind Yu, the evil dragon that sensed a formidable presence descended.
“…Will this ridiculous battle end if I defeat you?”
At the same time, armed with the spirit of Chiyou, Lucius and the evil dragon simultaneously closed in on Emperor Benedict.
Lucius swung his sword clad in light, slashing diagonally.
The evil dragon tore through with its dragon claws, ripping into eight pieces.
However, still mounted on the Pegasus-like creature, Benedict evaded the two attacks and retaliated when the timing was right.
A lance, wiping away fiery embers, pierced Lucius’s throat.
The wound was shallow.
Yet, the lance was pulsating with immense magic, and flames spewed forth.
—This is bad.
The inferno was so intense that it could incinerate even Chiyou on a direct hit, such was their confidence.
Ad
He briskly swatted away the lodged lance with a shield, readying himself for the flames.
The guards, fighting Yu and lifting the injured Fury, sensed the staggering surge of magic power, and halted their battle, dispersing.
In an instant, flames erupted so fiercely that it felt as if they could scorch the sky itself.
Those flames were familiar.
Flames that conveyed heat in an instant, reducing everything to ashes.
—Dragon’s Flame!?
The surrounding beast soldiers were caught in the residual heat, turning pure white and crumbling as they were carried away by the wind.
Lucius, too, was flung away by the explosion, plummeting far.
Meanwhile, the evil dragon, undaunted by the flames, continued to assail with its claws and fangs relentlessly..
The evil dragon struck with its claws and fangs, trying to devour him persistently.
Each of the evil dragon’s attacks was lethal; if they hit, it should be over in an instant.
However, the young man with golden hair and eyes effortlessly dodged them with the smallest of movements.
He strolled as if singing a tune through a battlefield filled with flying arrows.
Swiftly, decisively.
—Unbelievable…
Ad
His muscular strength and defense were undoubtedly enhanced by spells. But the way he controlled and executed them showcased the mastery of a War Emperor.
This abnormality was something that Lucius, who had once experienced the impact of the evil dragon’s attack up close, understood better than anyone.
—A monster…
War Emperor Benedict controlled his Pegasus-like mount with dexterity, soaring into the evil dragon’s range.
Then he assumed a lance stance.
In the aftermath of the dragon’s attack, Emperor Benedict had another spear beside the one used to launch the dragon’s breath.
After nimbly avoiding the dragon’s bite, he leaped while still on his horse.
Seizing the moment when the dragon was distracted, he swiftly impaled the creature’s belly.
“Did it work!?”
Although it appeared that he was devoured as well, the young man used the beast as a springboard and soared even higher.
When the young man’s back faced the sunlight, a resounding explosion echoed from within the dragon’s mouth.
—Did he make the beast self-destruct?
The dragon, hit by a shockwave right below its brain, momentarily hesitated with its mouth agape.
As the Emperor fell while stabbing the lance into the dragon’s mouth, a torrent of water gushed forth.
The water splashed over a broken tea tree, causing white flowers to bloom chaotically.
The released water took the form of a dragon, climbing upwards from under the dragon’s head, like a dragon ascending to the heavens.
—Water of Life…
As the scattered water reverted to magic energy and flowed back into the surroundings, the spear that had pierced the dragon’s upper jaw protruded from its eye.
“It’s sturdy. Despite being impaled from within by the Water of Life, it’s still alive, huh?”
The sensation from the left-hand Core embedded in his body was a mixture of pain, anger, and pleasure.
Even after having its eye gouged out, the evil dragon hadn’t lost its will to fight.
Lucius immediately approached the evil dragon.
He pulled the spear out from the dragon’s mouth and crushed it in his grip.
“Gwuaaa!”
The evil dragon let out a roar of pain.
“Remarkable. Truly fitting for a contractor,”
Indeed, the evil dragon was currently attempting to kill Lucius.
However, that didn’t mean Lucius wanted to inflict pain on it. After all, this was merely an event based on their contract. It was because of the presence of the evil dragon that Lucius had survived many times before.
“Even magic beasts are living beings.”
“Yes, they’re alive. They are valuable resources, just like the people of this country.”
“Don’t mock me!”
“In the operation, we were actually going to add the Chiyou that you are now clad in to the dragons. I didn’t realize you were using it as a formula.”
Lucius ignored Benedict’s words and contemplated.
Both the dragon flame from earlier and the Water of life were as powerful as the evil dragon’s breath, if not stronger.
Where was this immense magic and the spells coming from?
“Does it seem strange?”
As if he had read Lucius’s thoughts, Benedict spoke with a laugh.
“…Magic is being transmitted.”
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the flowing magic, resembling a great river, was being sent from the red dragon and white dragon, suspended in the airship, to the Emperor.
The magic was so dense that it wasn’t immediately noticeable.
“Yes. Now I’m using two special magic and techniques at the same time. Well, the white dragon technique is gone.”
From the spear that remained in Benedict’s hand, flames that seemed like dragon flames burst forth.
Behind him, the cries and moans of the red and white dragons echoed.
“The issue is, it’s quite a nuisance. The technology for stable magic extraction from Special Grade magic stones is still incomplete. It’s necessary for the owner to maintain vital functions.”
It’s enough to make Special Grade magic beings scream in pain.
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The pain and suffering of having magic forcibly drawn from magic stones must be unimaginable.
—It’s too cruel.
Monsters possess high intelligence. Sometimes, they treat creatures that could potentially cooperate with humans as if they’re mere objects, or even less than that.
No, even less than that.
“Evil dragon. I’ll handle this. Shoot that down.”
The evil dragon, connected to Lucius’s consciousness, quickly flapped its wings and ascended.
“It’s probably impossible, though. But well, it’s quite convenient.”
Dripping with blood, the evil dragon ascended to the same altitude as the airship.
After a brief pause, it unleashed a jet-black breath.
Surprisingly, the breath of complete darkness never reached the airship.
This was because a translucent magic membrane enveloping the airship had blocked the evil dragon’s breath.
—A magic barrier.
And it was potent enough to remain undisturbed even after enduring a strike from the evil dragon.
Naturally, it likely derived its power from the two magic beings as well.
“You haven’t fought hard enough!”
Lucius’s voice and the evil dragon’s roar overlapped.
Breathing out dragon flames, it charged straight toward the airship.
It was a fiery assault, enveloped in flames like a shooting star.
Upon colliding with the ship’s magic defense barrier, cracks appeared on its surface.
“Impressive. Adding your body to the breath to tear through the magic barrier, huh? Well, it’s futile.”
As the evil dragon pounced on the magic barrier, the tip of the airship in front of it opened.
A flash of light.
Amid the cries of the red and white dragons, a thunderbolt fired from the cannon, striking the evil dragon.
The god lightning swallowed the massive body of the evil dragon.
“With this, the evil dragon is done for. Now, shall we continue?”
Emperor Benedict prepared his spear once more.
Right next to his composed expression, Lucius’s slash passed through.
Evading it with the smallest of movements, he delivered a powerful counterattack with the spear imbued with dragon flames.
Lucius intercepted it with his shield, and with an explosion, the evil dragon tumbled through the air.
But Lucius laughed.
“…No, it’s not over yet.”
Next came the sound of an explosion.
Scales peeled away, blood flowed, and one of the wings of the evil dragon was missing.
Despite being struck by lightning, the evil dragon had abandoned all defense.
It had barely managed to open a tiny gap in the magic barrier.
The evil dragon thrust its nose into it, letting out a cry.
The Dragon Roar.
In response, the red and white dragons, with vacant eyes, opened their eyes wide.
The two magic beings exerted their final strength, tearing apart their restraints.
In the next moment, they bit into each other’s throats.
—Killing each other.
Red and white entwined, tearing at each other’s necks.
Immediately, vitality drained from both of them and they fell.
The cessation of magic supply caused the magic barrier that obstructed the evil dragon to weaken.
The evil dragon thrust its nose in and jammed its head into the inner side of the barrier.
“Do it, evil dragon.”
A jet-black breath emanated from its slightly open mouth.
Thin black lines pierced through the two airships.
The metallic deck was torn away in an instant, and about a third of the airship was rapidly consumed by the black lines.
Emperor Benedict’s expression remained unchanged.
“…I’m surprised.”
It was pure admiration.
Immediately after, numerous objects that had been ingested were regurgitated, and most of the airship was reduced to dust.
Falling debris made all sorts of uneven sounds as they crashed onto the ground.
Among them were the red dragon, white dragon, and the black-silver evil dragon.
“Wh-what… are those… brains?”
Among the falling debris, countless brains preserved in water tanks caught Lucius’s attention.
There weren’t just a hundred or two hundred.
“All of those… are people? Just how many…”
Emperor Benedict delivered the news with a serious expression.
“That’s right. Roughly 20,000 people. Of course, they are dispersed, so each magic airship holds around 1,500 to 2,000 people.”
“All of them… are from this country?”
“No, that’s not the case. Among them are also members of the Empire’s servant class.”
“Servant class…”
“Those who didn’t have the ability to obtain citizenship. In our country, people are assets. There’s equal value in having people operate magic tools. Unfortunately, people are divided into those who can contribute to the nation and those who can’t.”
“Even your own citizens are sacrificed…”
“I think we’re far more humane than you, don’t you?”
“Don’t mock me!”
“In the Empire, one’s efforts are acknowledged. Individuals aren’t sorted until they reach adulthood, and everyone can receive an equal education. We don’t subject newborn babies to life-or-death rituals.”
Lucius swung his sword, and Benedict countered.
However, the attack lacked the power of the previous strike.
It was likely due to the loss of magic supply from the dragons.
“Our views and opinions are unlikely to align. Let’s put an end to this.”
Benedict stepped back.
“Indeed. Let’s end this. I’ve gathered enough data.”
Benedict thrust the lance’s butt into the ground.
Simultaneously, a death scream echoed.
The voice belonged to a dying Tact soldier, who immediately realized that a lance had pierced his heart.
Flesh and blood which were red and white, intertwined like rapidly growing vines and clung to the spear.
As Benedict wiped it off, he found a mass of brain-like flesh and a spine stuck to the spear’s butt.
“This is madness…”
“Our weapon development division’s sense sometimes bewilders even me. But their skills are unquestionable.”
Purple electricity surged through the lance, accompanied by a sound like splitting wood.
The surrounding air trembled slightly.
—Is it high-frequency?
A powerful blow enveloped in lightning and vibration was unleashed, narrowly dodged by a paper-thin margin.
The fighting style of the dragons, employing spells and magic, seemed like a test run, while Lucius and his companions had their genuine combat style.
“I’m glad you’re still a kid. If you had grown up, you would have grown up to be a tremendous obstacle. I knew it was the right thing to do to come to the forefront.”
A shiver ran down Lucius’s spine.
He recognized this sensation.
He had experienced it several times in the past.
Every cell in his body was sounding an alarm.
Death was imminent.
Lucius heightened his senses, channeled his strength into Chiyou’s body, and swung his sword.
But the man in front of him effortlessly evaded the attack.
Conversely, the spear thrusts, each accompanied by a powerful shockwave, relentlessly descended upon Lucius’s shield.
The magic shield cracked under the impact of the magic cannon, and with each parry, small cracks formed.
—The shield… can’t hold.
Dizziness clouded his vision.
He released a brilliant sunlight from the sword and retreated.
Once, he adjusted his posture.
As the radiance of the sword subsided and sunlight bathed the surroundings, two figures appeared.
A spear was protruding from the figure in the foreground.
“What?”
An astonished voice escaped Lucius’s lips.
After his dazzled eyes refocused, the image became clear.
“…Yu, Yu-san? …Why?”
Emperor Benedict’s spear had pierced Yu’s chest.
Blood was dripping and falling.
With the spear still impaled, Emperor Benedict murmured in a puzzled tone.
“Where did you come from?”
Behind the two of them, the female knight who had been fighting with Yu collapsed to the ground.
“Having broken through Bridgett and then launching a surprise attack while concealed in light, that’s impressive.”
As Benedict withdrew the spear, he praised and commended Yu.
Yu’s body flowed down to the ground.
“Now, let’s continue.”
And once again, he aimed the spear at Lucius.
“Y-Yu…san?”
Bleeding profusely from her chest, Yu lay on the ground.
“Run… away.”
Lying on his back, Yu whispered to Lucius like a murmur.
“I won’t run. Nobles are the people’s sword and shield, after all.”
Lucius readied his sword once again.
“That’s right, you don’t need to be tense. The outcome won’t change no matter what you do. Today, at this very moment, the fall of the Avalontis Kingdom is sealed. If we take the Eastern region, the rest will be the weakened Northern region and the pacified Western and Southern regions. Nothing significant.”
As Lucius was about to launch an attack at Emperor Benedict…
His visual perception seemed to mix with something.
Visual information that didn’t belong to him.
Yet, it felt like it had always been there.
Dust. Scattered brains. Metal fragments.
An enormous amount of magic stones.
Red scales and White scales
—What is this?