Published at 18th of July 2022 8:46 am

Volume 8, Chapter 8 - The Knight Who Drives a Maestro On, Part 1-10

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

—High up in the air, at the border between the Chevron Kingdom and the Knight Country.

The magic ship Claíomh Solais hovered through the air like an eagle eyeing prey below it. There were many other small magic ships which surrounded it on all sides, acting as a convoy. The main force of the Chevron Kingdom had gathered in this airspace. Uriel and Cassandra were in a particular room of the Claíomh Solais. Not long ago, they had both received a report that the <Schwarz Drachen Panzer> had departed from Ansarivan and was marching north. Uriel savoured the taste of the finely aged red wine in his glass as a grin surfaced on his face.

“Next, we just have to wait for the Order of Holy Dragonars protecting the capital to come out, and victory will be in our grasp. Even one as strong as Cú Chulainn is unable to resist the command of Kriemhild. The Order of Holy Dragonars may be renowned, but they are still vulnerable.”

“They shouldn’t be capable of doing any more than watching as their Pals fall into the hands of others.”

Cassandra faintly smiled. She wore a cut-out evening dress which emphasised her cleavage while she leisurely relaxed on the leather sofa. Despite being a princess, the vibe that she gave off was closer to that of a prostitute. Even so, she maintained a certain distance from Prince Uriel.

“I wonder how the next event will develop.”

“After Kriemhild takes command of most dragons in the Knight Country, I’ll order her to destroy Fontaine City first. Then it will be time for me to make my appearance.”

“I see. At that time, you’ll lead the Kingdom’s army into Fontaine City — under the guise of protecting the people of Fontaine City from the deadly dragons which are attacking them. Besides, so long as Kriemhild orders it, the dragons will stop their destruction…fufu, no one would suspect that it was all directed by you.”

“Those ignorant civilians will all welcome me as their saviour. Regardless of the era, people always love a hero.”

“The only thing worth keeping an eye on now is the whereabouts of Ash Blake and the young dragon Eco, as well as Oscar and Tristan.”

“Worry not. Even if Eco and Tristan join forces to launch a counterattack, the difference between the two sides will be worlds apart once Kriemhild takes control of the Order of Holy Dragonars. It’s not even worth worrying about.”

“Is that so?”

“Moreover, Klaus has already taken action against Ash Blake and Eco. The power of the Avalon Princess is certainly attractive — but it’s a shame that there are too many uncertain factors.”

“Fontaine City was almost turned into a pile of ashes by her.”

Cassandra brought up the incident that occurred earlier this summer when Klaus forcefully awakened Eco, causing Fontaine City to fall into a crisis.

“Exactly. It’s better to simply get rid of the Avalon Princess. The Holy Dragons’ Emperor Family has already lost all value, after all, I have you by my side now.”

“To be precise, it’s not me — but the Dark Dragon King attached to my body, right?”

As she made a seductive smile, Cassandra stroked her abdomen. It was almost as though she was a pregnant mother speaking to the unborn child in her belly.

Part 2

In the Fontainia Plains that surrounded the capital of Fontaine City, there was a slightly taller hill at the southern end. Built on top of that hill was a stronghold known as Kingsley Fortress. If enemy forces broke through it, the path to the capital would be wide open, leaving it completely defenceless. That was why it was truly the final fortress. The guards who stood watch at the sentry tower looked through their binoculars as they cried out

“Enemy figures confirmed! Distance of two thousand! Estimated numbers…eight hundred!”

Under the cover of the night, the demonic dragon troops which marched northward without rest finally invaded the Fontainia Plains. The Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragons had already gathered around the fortress. The squadron that Ursula L. Selwyn commanded had a total of five hundred knights. The Pals of all of those knights were Maestros. Included within this group of five hundred knights was Veronica’s personal guard which was led by Glenn. He had come to fight under Veronica’s orders.

In contrast, the <Schwarz Drachen Panzer> had four Maestros, around three hundred Stradas, around three hundred Asias, and approximately two hundred Hydras. Although their numbers were inferior to their adversaries, the Order had an overwhelming advantage in terms of combat power. Even if a group of average dragons were assembled together, they weren’t nearly as strong as a Maestro. Moreover, because the enemy’s Hydra troops travelled upstream along the Astraea River which ran through the Knight Country, rather than across the plains, they were separated from the main force. This river had a tributary named the Durham River which ran through the centre of Fontaine City. A total of two hundred Hydras attempted to make their way into the capital via this waterway. Naturally, a Hydra unit belonging to the lower ranks of the Order was also sent to the Astraea River. There was also a Strada unit responsible for patrolling the airspace above the capital, and an Asia unit for patrolling the city.

At first glance, although it seemed as though the Knight Country had the upper hand, there were actually two major concerns. One of those was the Knight Country could not kill any of the dragons that had fallen into enemy hands. These dragons had originally formed a contract with the students of Ansarivan’s Academy. This meant that their objective was not to kill them, but to return them to normal. In addition, the act of dragon slaying had always been regarded as the gravest taboo in the Knight Country. Anyone who took the life of a dragon was fated to be given the stigma of a Dragon Slayer, just like Prince Julius. The second problem was the method with which the enemy controlled the dragons. According to the latest information that they had received from Ansarivan, the enemy had used a strange kind of magic — they appeared to use the voice of a girl as a medium for controlling the dragons. If the sound of a song was enough to control the soul of a dragon, then countermeasures were first necessary. Riding the Maestro Galahad, Ursula shouted to the entire army with vigour

“We have information that the enemy will use a strange song to charm all of the dragons. When our forces advance, make sure that you use magic to build a protective barrier that blocks all sound waves.”

Gazing at her heroic glow — Captain Ursula, often regarded as a reincarnation of Saint Rosa Maria, caused all members of the Order to rally and shout for her.

Part 3

After seeing the appearance of the holy relic that sat at the bottom of the underground city, Oscar was rendered speechless. Anya and Celes couldn’t stop their lips from quivering as they looked up at it either. It was as though they were believers of a faith who had a chance encounter with god on a pilgrimage. Eunice was the only one who maintained a calm manner as she brewed black tea for Mirabel. Even though they had made a breakthrough, it seemed as though tea was still necessary.

“It truly is amazing…!”

It was rare to see Mirabel show such interest in anything, and her excitement was made clear by how her body trembled. It was the first time that Oscar and the others had seen Mirabel with such an ecstatic expression, a clear contrast from her usually cold demeanour. What appeared before all of them was an ancient magic ship. According to Mirabel, the magic ship was from a super-ancient civilisation — a legacy of the Zono Ton Civilisation. Ancient text was painted on the side of the ship, and the pronunciation of it seemed to be something along the lines of ‘Escavaron’. Mirabel explained that it was likely to be the name of that magic ship. However, the most striking thing of all was that the entire magic ship seemed to have been preserved in pristine condition. Whether it was the Kingdom’s Claíomh Solais or the Knight Country’s Silvanus, both of their hulls had been manufactured through modern means, and only the internal machinery used components that had been excavated from ancient ruins. This was also the case for the Holy Espada Agency’s prided holy magic ship, the Esperanza. Oscar had never once heard of a magic ship that was in such good condition that it seemed untouched. Having said that, is this old antique really the key for us to return to the surface? Oscar couldn’t help but feel doubtful. However, Mirabel turned to face everyone, and declared in a completely natural manner

“Let’s all find the entrance first. We don’t have any more time to waste. This is a dire situation, and our only chance at survival lies with this magic ship.”

“The situation may be dire, but how do we do it…? Your Highness Mirabel, surely you do not believe that this thing will move, right?”

Although Oscar asked in jest, Mirabel replied with a solemn tone

“Generally speaking, the Millennium Bright Dragon Crystals used as a power source should contain a vast amount of energy. As far as the outer appearance is concerned, the preservation of the hull is excellent, so there is a high possibility that it will be able to function normally.”

After Mirabel calmly finished her analysis, she strode towards it. Regardless of the era, the design of magic ships didn’t seem to differ too much, and so Mirabel was easily able to locate the entrance at the side of the hull. After Mirabel pressed the button that she suspected of being the one, the entrance opened. The exterior section which appeared no different from the hull’s wall slid open, revealing the entrance. Mirabel stepped through the rectangular hole that stood before her without any hesitation.

After Oscar ordered Tristan to keep watch outside, she followed the others in. Naturally, the interior of the ship was pitch-black, thus Oscar used an Oracle to illuminate their surroundings. After walking down a narrow passageway, they arrived at an area that appeared to be the bridge. After continuing up a spiral staircase, they arrived at the very top of the magic ship. Obstructing the path in front of them all was — a rather sturdy looking metal door. An abstract pattern was engraved onto the surface of the door, and it seemed to somewhat resemble a royal emblem. Oscar was well-acquainted with all of the family crests of every noble house across the continent, yet it was the first time that she had laid eyes upon that emblem. If one had to liken it to something, the emblem seemed to have a slight resemblance to the <Seikoku> on Ash’s left arm.

“This should be the cockpit.”

Mirabel stepped toward the unknown territory, and fearlessly began to investigate her surroundings. After a moment, she stumbled upon a switch and pressed it. The large door smoothly slid open, inviting them all in. As soon as Oscar stepped in, she couldn’t help but admire the sight before her eyes. Celes and Anya also gawked at their surroundings with widened eyes. Only Eunice showed signs of indecision as she seemed a bit lost as for where to push the trolley for brewing black tea that she had somehow brought along. There were glass windows in front and on both sides which allowed them to overlook the scenery outside the ship. Various complicated controls and devices covered the walls and panels beneath the windows. Once Mirabel stood in front of the operating controls, she began to investigate each of the devices, seemingly at random. This was something that Oscar was powerless with, even if she did want to help, and so she was forced to simply watch Mirabel from behind. Anya probed around near the steering column, Celes appeared to yawn out of boredom, and when Eunice finally decided on where to position the tea trolley, she prepared to brew another pot of black tea. After a short while — Mirabel dropped her shoulders in apparent disappointment as she slumped into what seemed like the captain’s seat. Her depressed look was a far cry from her usual expression.

“Your Highness Mirabel, what is the matter?”

After Oscar asked that in puzzlement, Mirabel blankly stared straight up at the ceiling.

“…I’m lost. I’ve finally been able to determine that the magic engine is still operational, but I can’t find the key to launching this magic ship’s system…what else could be missing?”

After saying that, Mirabel isolated herself in silence and refused to speak another word. Even though Eunice had brewed a pot of black tea for her, Mirabel remained lost in thought and she didn’t even glance at her favourite black tea. A gloomy atmosphere soon descended upon the cockpit.

Part 4

In Fontaine City — someone knocked on the door of the castle office. Veronica did not turn her eyes away from the window which overlooked a view of the capital, and she simply said

“You may enter.”

“Princess-sama.”

The one who entered the room was the personal maid of her father, Frieda Shelley. As soon as she noticed Frieda’s expression, Veronica was able to understand what had transpired.

“…I see. So even the Order of Holy Dragonars has been defeated?”

“Yes. Kingsley Fortress has fallen. The enemy has taken control of all five hundred Maestros that the Order rode for their own army, turning them into a large brigade with more than thirteen hundred dragons. At present, the status of the knights that Captain Ursula led is unknown. The group including Captain Glenn whom you ordered to help out at Kingsley Fortress is also…”

“I didn’t think that knights as strong as even Ursula and Glenn would be defeated so easily…”

“Captain Ursula’s combat strategy was to have the dragons deploy a wind-based magic barrier to try and block the sound waves emitted by the enemy…but the voice of that girl on the enemy’s side seemed to be transmitted directly into the dragons’ minds.”

“So this is as far as—”

Watching as Veronica sighed, Frieda spoke resolutely in a plain tone

“Princess-sama, please retreat immediately. Although your personal guard may not be here, we maids of the Shelley family vow to protect you, even if comes at the price of our lives.”

“I refuse.”

“Princess-sama!”

When Frieda yelled, Veronica exposed a gentle smile and then placed her hand on Frieda’s shoulder.

“It is fine, Frieda. You should know that I, Veronica Lautreamont, would never run away from an enemy.”

“In that case, at least…allow me to accompany you as a retainer…”

“…You fool.”

Although Veronica whispered such a complaint, she did not openly refuse. Concluding her conversation with Frieda, she stared out the window once more. The bad news of danger descending upon the city had been spread to all of its residents. While sirens rang out across the city, roads became crowded with people who all tried to board dragon carriages, horse-drawn carriages, as well as some citizens who tried to pull their own carts along. On the other hand, fierce battles broke out just outside the city walls between the squadron of Hydras which attempted to invade the city via the Durham River and the knight squadrons.

Beyond the chaotic city — the moon which hung in the sky cast a pale light over the Fontainia Plains, illuminating the figures of various dragons. A grey cloud of dust trailed behind the dragons on land as they mightily marched closer to the city. Veronica could also feel the shockwaves which rippled across the earth. The singing voice of that girl on the enemy’s side had yet to affect the urban area of the city. However, if the enemy’s advance continued, the defence team protecting the capital would soon face the same fate as the Order of Holy Dragonars. At that moment, the dragon leading the enemy’s army suddenly sped up, and after breaking off from the larger group, it began to accumulate magical energy. Veronica felt goose bumps as a warning signal from her instincts. Frieda also seemed to have an ominous premonition, and she took out a pair of binoculars as she rushed to the window to investigate.

“Princess-sama! That dragon’s fur may be painted black, but that is indeed Lancelot!”

“Wh…!”

Veronica gnashed her teeth.

“To think that they would send Silvia’s Pal to the forefront…how vile…!”

Veronica complained with a rarely-seen voice of agony as her expression turned bitter. Despite anticipating the general flow of the situation, Veronica was reluctant to simply sit still, and so she prepared to take hold of her favourite great sword to put up some resistance—. But at the last moment, she allowed her fingertips to slip away from the hilt. And then — Lancelot let loose an Azul Ex-Blizzard. An ice-blue blast rocketed straight toward the spire of Fontaine’s castle, and a blinding glare smothered Veronica’s vision.

“I love you, Silvia…”

Just as those words were about to accompany the last breath of the valiant <Ironblood Valkyrie> — First Princess Veronica Lautreamont…

“Uoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh…!!!”

Along with a roar that seemed as though it could tear the night asunder — a majestic and grandiose figure beyond all belief descended outside the city walls. It was a dragon of extraordinary size, greater than even that of the castle itself. With three horns, crimson red eyes, and a regal stance — it was precisely the same dragon that had brought disaster to Fontaine City in the summer of this year.

—Boom!

With a single swipe of her forelimb, the offensive magic was deflected — the magic carved out a beautiful parabola in the night sky before it fell onto a plain and exploded, turning that area into frozen tundra.

“Is that…Eco…!?”

Veronica immediately lifted her face and snatched Frieda’s binoculars for herself and looked through them in shock. On top of the dragon’s head was a student wearing the boys’ uniform of Dragonar Academy—.

“It’s Ash Blake! Does that mean he’s managed to control Eco…!?”

Veronica could do nothing but stare at Ash and Eco in amazement.

Part 5

The <Schwarz Drachen Panzer> which had absorbed a force of five hundred Maestros was only a short distance of several hundred metres away from the walls of the capital, Fontaine City.

“Why!? Why has the Avalon Princess appeared in this place…!?”

Responsible for the army’s rear guard, Klaus couldn’t help but clench his fists as he stood on top of Cú Chulainn’s head. The Dragonised Eco was like an impenetrable wall as she positioned her own enormous body in front of Fontaine City to act as a shield. Klaus had also been able to confirm with his naked eye that someone was riding on Eco’s head. Although he was too far to make out their appearance, it was probably Ash Blake given that he was riding on Eco.

—Ash and Eco.

The destruction of Klaus’ airship, the Beowulf, was the incident which had caused his status and position within his country to fall tremendously. And the culprits behind that incident now stood in his way.

“The special task force failed huh…!”

Klaus cursed in disdain. According to his original plan, Ash and Eco should already have been captured as prisoners of war.

“Master, what should I do now?”

Kriemhild temporarily stopped singing, and turned to ask him that question with a blank expression. Her emotionless face only further provoked Klaus’ fury. Klaus yelled out as if a bout of madness had engulfed his entire being

“You have the gall to ask such a stupid question!? Your task is to control all dragons and have them fall to your dominion! Eco is also a dragon, so use your voice to overpower her! She is the reason for your existence!”

“…Understood, Master. I shall sing with all my strength.”

The two Pluto beneath her mask let off an even stronger glow than before—.

Part 6

The <Schwarz Drachen Panzer> which had seemingly fallen into chaos due to Eco’s appearance began to charge forth like an avalanche as soon as Kriemhild’s voice pierced through the air. The thirteen hundred dragons moved in an orderly arrangement.

—Such power…!

Eco was stunned. Even though her appearance had transformed into that of Avalon’s Holy Dragon Emperor, she was still the young girl Eco on the inside who was accustomed to school life on the campus. The sense of incongruity between her mind and body was still unreconciled. Even now, she was unable to erase the feeling that she was simply sitting inside a large shell and controlling its movements. Moreover, Kriemhild’s song constantly attacked Eco’s mind as well. The reason why she was able to preserve her sanity was probably in part thanks to her royal blood as a descendant of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Family. Pluto was originally a weapon developed by Nehalennia’s Dark Dragons’ King Family. In other words, Pluto had the attribute of being a polar opposite to Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Family. Therefore, it seemed likely that the <Demonic Attribute> of Pluto was offset by Eco’s innate <Holy Attribute>.

The horde of demonic dragons kicked up a grey dust storm as they approached. The screams which were like cries of madness and the roars which were like ripples of an earthquake only deepened the fear within Eco’s heart. Perhaps noticing Eco’s distress, Ash shouted from atop her head

“Don’t be afraid, Eco! They’ve all just fallen under the influence of Pluto. As long as you call out to them, they’ll definitely turn back into the gentle dragons that they originally were!”

After Ash shouted those words of support, Navi also offered some words of advice from the Dragon Workshop.

—First, use defensive magic to enshroud Fontaine City! With the power of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor, you should definitely be able to do it!

—I understand…I really want to say that, but the problem is that I’ve never used magic!

—Do not worry. You only need to follow my lead and repeat the spell’s chant once.

—…T-Thank you, Navi.

—There is no need to thank me. So long as you desire it, you can integrate yourself with me, and thus all of the magic recorded in the Dragweiss will be free for you to use. But, both you and Ash see me as a companion…so if there’s anything that I can do for you two, I’m happy to do so.

Strictly speaking, Eco didn’t particularly like Navi in the past, but she now found her incredibly reliable. Eco thought that if the status quo was maintained, Navi could continue to provide strong support, and things would turn out fine even if the two of them didn’t merge.

—Alright, look at me then!

Eco thought as she expelled a valiant roar.

Part 7

After Eco released an extraordinary roar, Ash couldn’t help but turn and look at Fontaine City behind them. There was a gigantic magic circle which floated above the city, letting off a brilliant radiance. A vast amount of magic instantly shaped itself into a dome-shaped shield, covering the entire city. Ash had seen a fair number of defensive magic barriers from dragons in the past, but it was the first time that he had seen magic which could be deployed on a city-wide scale. It was probably an ability that only Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor was capable of. The winged dragons, the Stradas which had already flown over Eco’s head and attempted to attack the city were suddenly blocked out. Although they appeared to be trying their best to destroy the dome-shaped magic barrier, their attacks didn’t surmount to even a scratch against it.

“…You’re amazing, Eco!”

Ash couldn’t stop himself from offering such words of praise to Eco, but—

“Ugh…!”

Intense pain suddenly struck the wounds on his shoulders, chest and sides. Beads of cold sweat quickly ran down his forehead. But he refused to kneel down at such a time. Eco had successfully Dragonised, and she was fighting hard to protect the capital, and to protect the country. As her knight, he couldn’t allow himself to be taken down by one or two mere injuries, especially at such a crucial moment. At that moment, Navi’s voice resounded within Ash’s mind.

—Be careful, Ash. For the time being, I don’t think there’s any need to worry about the safety of the capital…but you’re still wounded right now. I think you should leave this to Eco, and head into the city to take refuge first—

Although Ash felt happy about Navi’s well-intentioned concern, he endured the pain as he replied

“Thank you, Navi. But my injuries are a trivial matter compared to all of the obstacles that Eco has managed to overcome.”

Ash boldly looked down at the large army that had begun their advance towards them.

“I won’t run away! I want to fight alongside Eco!”

Part 8

The <Schwarz Drachen Panzer> had finally made it to the area right in front of Eco. Just as Navi said, even though the main target of Fontaine City lay right before them, the troops which had been blocked off directed all of their firepower toward Eco, who had become gigantic.

—Hexagonal Shield!

Eco activated magic once more, and constructed a sturdy barrier in front of herself. This was also another high-level type of magic. Although it was something that she had only just learnt through a crash course with Navi, Eco was instantly able to deploy a shield composed of a countless number of hexagons. The barrier was of such a grand scale that it almost matched Eco in height. Needless to say, Ash who rode on top of Eco’s head was also covered by its protection.

—Zoooooooooooooon!

The dragons began ramming into the barrier at high speeds, resulting in deafening bangs and frequent tremors. The colourless and transparent surface of the wall absorbed all of their attacks and emitted frequent flashes of light with each point of contact. The Hexagonal Shield was just barely able to withstand the combined assault of the dragons. However, a single failure didn’t deter the dragons, and they continued to collide against it over and over again.

—Please, everyone! Please hurry and remember your true selves!

Eco desperately cried with a roar. However, even though Eco roared until her throat became coarse, the dragons showed no sign of stopping. On the contrary, their attacks grew fiercer, and they continued their assault against the Hexagonal Shield. Some dragons chose to ram their bodies against the barrier incessantly, while others used offensive magic against it. In particular, the dragons which originally belonged to the Order of Holy Dragonars were all top-notch Maestros. Every single one of their moves packed immense destructive power. Just as Eco felt that the barrier would eventually give way, three Maestros broke through the barrier with a concentrated assault.

—This is bad!

Although Eco immediately repaired the hole, those three dragons that had made it through charged directly at her body. Eco quickly realised that those three were Lancelot, Gawain, and Arianrhod. Even though their entire bodies had been smothered with a black coat, Eco was still able to recognise them based on the characteristics of their figures. After the three dragons rapidly ascended into the air, they began to circle above her head.

“You guys…!”

The three dragons issued intimidating growls while the one that they gazed upon with malicious stares was—

—Ash.

Part 9

Located behind the large army, Klaus stood on top of Cú Chulainn’s head with a lively expression on his face.

“Hmph. That’s it, that’s right! As long as you can kill the Dragonar, even the Avalon Princess will become helpless without Astral Flow!”

With this, I’ll be able to take my revenge on Ash Blake and the young dragon Eco. I’ll then join hands with Prince Uriel, and the road to fame and power will lie open…!

Klaus’ entire body was enraptured with a sensation of mad joy.

“Kriemhild, it’s almost time to sing the finale!”

Under Klaus’ orders — Kriemhild’s singing finally approached its apex.

Part 10

Lancelot, Gawain and Arianrhod — when these three dragons appeared in front of Ash, he immediately shouted

“Eco! Don’t touch them!”

Ash looked up at the three Maestros which hovered above him in the sky, and he spread his arms wide to show them that he held no hostility.

“You three. Do you really…not remember who I am?”

Ash shouted to them in a sincere tone. In contrast, those three dragons made explicit displays of their hostility as they let off low-pitched growls. It was possible for them to attack Ash at any moment. Ash first called out to Lancelot which was in the centre and tried to sway it with emotion

“Lancelot. I still remember that when the enormous Necromancia appeared in the city, you let me ride on your back. It was all thanks to the help of you and Princess-sama that I was able to defeat the Necromancia. During the summer break, I also rode on your back and we went to the Albion Church together, remember? It felt like we were going out on a trip, and it made me so happy. And in the Dragonar’s Gunnar Bout, you finally bestowed your Ark to Princess-sama, didn’t you? Are you really willing to let someone manipulate you with such lowly trickery?”

Ash then turned his attention towards Gawain.

“Gawain, I haven’t known you for a long time, and you hurt me pretty badly when we first met…but everything that we experienced together in the Selective Training Camp is a precious memory to me. Although there was a Necromancia appearance back then as well, and the situation was critical…we were able to overcome that difficulty thanks to everything that you and Lucca did. Please don’t tell me that you’ve forgotten those feelings when you completed your first Dragon Riding Dance together with Lucca!”

Just as Ash was about to shift his focus to Arianrhod — he suddenly coughed.

“Kuh…!”

The palm of his hand that he scarcely covered his mouth with had been dyed red. The aftertaste of blood remained in his mouth, he grew short of breath, and his heartrate also accelerated as a strange coldness prickled against his body.

—This might actually get pretty bad if I can’t make things right this time…

Even though there was the risk that he could pass out at any moment, Ash mustered the willpower to keep himself awake.

“Arianrhod. Because Max is always so stiff, I haven’t had many shared experiences with you…but Max, Raymond and I are practically inseparable. Even though it’s clear that our three personalities, preferences and grades are completely different, the strange thing is that we all get along. It’s always me and Raymond who do stupid things and then get scolded by Max…it’s truly been so much fun…”

Before he even realised, Ash had begun to cry. Tears constantly rolled down his cheeks, and with his vision blurred, even the outlines of those three Maestros had become faint. Lancelot, Gawain and Arianrhod still looked at Ash with the same fierce glares though, much like a congregation of animosity.

“““Guooooooooooooooooooooh!”””

The three dragons unrelentingly roared in unison, their cries an embodiment of pure aggression—.

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