Published at 18th of July 2022 10:20 am

Volume 10, Chapter 8 – Twin-Winged Oratorio, Part 1-5

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

“I am the true descendant of the illustrious Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Family…mine own name is Eco Pendragon Aurora…”

Eco immediately tossed < Avalon’s Bracelet > up into the air as soon as she jumped out of the magical ship. After chanting her lengthy full name, she loudly declared,

“I shall bewray mine own true form here!”

Her petite body was instantly enveloped by a dazzling radiance. An enormous amount of magical energy erupted from her body as gale force winds swirled about.

“Hmm. It’s still just as spectacular…”

Silvia stood on the Escavaron’s deck as she gazed down at Eco’s transformation, but just moments later, she became the one who was gazed down upon.

Three mighty angular horns. A silvery pink mane. Bright red eyes which seemed to peer into the abyss of the world. Her enormous body made the Escavaron look like a mere toy. An elegant piece of jewellery hung around her neck. The majestic Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor sat alongside the Escavaron. Perhaps bewildered by the inconsistency between her mind and her body, Eco momentary looked a bit dazed — but she abruptly shifted her gaze to Silvia who stood upon the deck.

“Grrr…”

Beads of cold sweat dripped down Silvia’s forehead. Without Ash, did Eco really have no way of maintaining her own will?

“Calm down, Eco!”

If an ungoverned Eco went out of control here, not only would the Escavaron be wrecked, the entire Ecbald Autonomous Region could also be destroyed. All of their efforts until now would be in vain. Although avoidance of this outcome was necessary, Eco turned a deaf ear to Silvia as she made a heavy stomp.

“Grrr…”

Silvia was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes and her knees trembled unwillingly.

“Guuu…”

Through her slightly opened mouth, Eco’s densely packed teeth could be seen.

“Eco, no! I can assure you that I don’t taste good at all!”

Silvia slumped to the ground, frightened to the point that she almost wet herself—

“Ah.”

However, Eco’s demeanour instantly softened as she extended her right forelimb out. It seemed as though she was beckoning for Silvia to get on.

“Y-You…you were purposely toying with me, weren’t you!?”

Silvia grumbled in anger as she sat on Eco’s forelimb. Eco then lifted her forelimb and carried Silvia to the top of her head. Although the height made Silvia feel a little timid, she eventually found the courage to stand firm. Eco had clearly maintained her consciousness. Silvia no longer had anything to be afraid of. Although sweating profusely, a smile of relief spread across Silvia’s face.

“Let’s go, Eco! Our goal is the Necroplant’s body!”

“Uoooooooooooooooh…!”

Along with a thundering roar, Eco’s three horns and the sharp claws on all of her limbs glowed pink. And then, she soared into the night as if slashing the darkness apart—.

Part 2

At the same time, in The Shrine of Jylhä’s < Inner Sanctuary >.

“Haa, haa, haa, haa…”

Ash spread himself on the ground, panting breathlessly and sweating profusely.

“Haa, haa, hu…”

Lucca also lay beside Ash, similarly exhausted. The way that her sweaty silvery hair clung to her cheeks was somewhat enticing. Both Ash and Lucca’s fatigue had reached its limits. They had hardly slept these past two days as they desperately continued their training. Casting their gaze to the lake, Lancelot and Gawain could also be seen grazing there to rest. Maestros were certainly in a league of their own — their expressions and breathing appeared calm and steady. It seemed as if they still had the stamina to take off into the skies again.

“Hey, Lucca…”

Despite his exhaustion, Ash managed to summon a small ounce of strength. He turned his face to the side and began a conversation with Lucca.

“Was my earlier performance worthy of around eighty points?”

Lucca sat up and gazed at the sky. A faint outline of the trajectory that Ash and Lucca had made was still visible in the sky. It was a twin-winged emblem majestically splayed out across the sky. Ash thought that he’d done a pretty decent job, but—

“…Seventy points.”

Contrary to his expectations, Lucca’s scoring standards were rather strict.

“Really…”

Ash dejectedly looked down as if disappointed. Having said that, it was the first time that he had scored seventy points, so it was a definite improvement.

“If I had another month, no, even if I only had another two weeks…”

After voicing his grievances, Ash gazed into Lucca’s eyes.

—It’s fine. I believe that you can do it, Ash.

—You’re right. I also have faith in you, Lucca.

They were able to communicate with each other just by making eye contact. Putting their Dragon Riding Dance performance aside, the mental results were certainly sufficient. After learning about how the other thought, a spontaneous surge of confidence arose between them. Lucca opened a flask and then poured tea into the lid which acted as a teacup.

“Here, Ash.”

“Oh, thank you — wait, isn’t this thick black liquid that one?”

“Yes, this is the last cup…< Arlandel’s Spiritual Herbal Tea >.”

“I see, I think it’s best that you drink it yourself, Lucca…”

“No. You’re more exhausted than me, Ash.”

“In that case…”

After drinking half the cup, Ash handed it back over to Lucca.

“Mmm…thank you.”

After staring at the edge of the flask lid for a while, Lucca finally drank its remaining contents. After drinking it, both of Lucca’s ears went bright red and she averted her eyes from him. In the past, Ash might’ve felt confused by such an expression. However, Ash was no longer the same. He immediately realised that Lucca’s mind was filled with thoughts of an indirect kiss. Ash began to feel embarrassed simply because he’d gotten caught up in Lucca’s mood. It was at that moment — a flash of light burst before their eyes, and a shining door emerged out of thin air.

“Whoa! What is that…?”

Ash widened his eyes as Celes peered across from the edge of the door.

“So this is where the two of you are!”

“Celes? Is this door your doing…?”

“Of course not! When I brought Oscar to The Shrine of Jylhä in preparation…the door suddenly appeared by itself!”

“…How did that happen?”

Ash wondered to himself, and Lucca murmured,

“It seems like the time has come. That’s why…the door opened automatically.”

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

“Now is not the time to leisurely nod and ponder! Do you know how critical the situation outside is!?”

Celes’ right eye emitted a fierce glow.

“If you don’t come up with something, the entire Ecbald Forest may get wiped out!”

Upon hearing that, both Ash and Lucca stood blankly on the spot, completely dumbfounded.

Part 3

Once Eco was in flight, Silvia looked down upon the vast forest that lay below.

“Hmm…what should I say?”

The Necroplant continued to erode the forest as it slowly moved forward. On the other hand, the < Gates > that totalled a number of twelve illuminated a pale light which clearly disclosed their location from the sky above.

“It’s already too late to start destroying the < Gates > one by one. We’ve got no choice but to take down the main body directly.”

While Silvia muttered that to herself, she was suddenly shocked by something that caught her eye. The Shrine of Jylhä was located along the Necroplant’s current path.

“No! We have to stop it from getting close to the shrine!”

Regardless of how powerful Kiira was, she was probably unaware of the fact that Ash and Lucca were currently training in the < Inner Sanctuary >. It had probably become Kiira’s top target of destruction purely because it was a sacred site for the Ecbalds.

—I absolutely can’t allow the Necroplant to get close to The Shrine of Jylhä—!

Silvia knelt down on one knee and gently stroked Eco’s head.

“Eco, do you understand me? First, hit the enemy from the side to change their direction of travel! After that, drive them out of the forest!”

That was the plan that Silvia had come up with. In fact, allowing Eco to use a breath of fire was the most effective way, but the breath of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor was too powerful. It would not be worthwhile if the forest was transformed into a patch of scorched earth. Eco followed the instructions and glided ahead steadily.

—Zoooooooooon!

Eco then landed directly beside the Necroplant. Due to her rapid descent from the skies, her enormous body and tail crushed a large area of the forest. Although Silvia felt somewhat heartbroken by this, there was no choice but to seek forgiveness from the Ecbald Tribe for collateral damage of this level.

“Uoooooooooooh!”

Eco let loose a tremendous roar as she stood up on her hind legs. As Silvia’s perspective was elevated to a higher degree, she once again had a panoramic view of the vast forest.

“Let’s go!”

As Silvia shouted, Eco’s hind legs forcefully kicked the ground.

—Dooooon!

A loud noise and earthquake shook the entire forest, as if two large mountains had collided with each other. Eco’s sturdy forelimbs pushed against the trunk of the Necroplant. Her sharp claws pierced into the bark, and thick black sap trickled down like streams of blood. Despite the immense pressure that Eco exerted on it, the Necroplant remained on course, insistent on advancing in the direction of The Shrine of Jylhä.

“Grrrr…!”

“Don’t give up!”

Just as Silvia cried out as if in prayer—

“Ha! So even a glorious Dragonar can be at their wit’s end, huh? There is a limit to stupidity though!”

A spiteful taunt came from atop the Necroplant.

“Open your eyes and feast them upon this!”

With a cruel snicker, Kiira snapped her fingers. In response to that signal, the Necroplant stopped moving. After a while, an entanglement of vines slowly descended from above.

“Wha—!?”

Silvia gasped. Like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web — a completely constricted Rebecca was dangled before her eyes.

“President!”

Silvia yelled as her face turned pale. Rebecca’s entire body was limp, and she gave no response. She had probably fainted and fallen unconscious, or perhaps — a most terrifying thought flashed through Silvia’s mind. Silvia’s fists trembled in disbelief. Her bright red Ark had vanished. Her uniform was in tatters and it looked like torn rags that clung to her skin. Fresh red scars could clearly be seen on her exposed skin.

“Grrr…”

Eco was probably taken aback by this as well. She seemed to release a regretful, low-pitched growl from the depths of her throat.

“Don’t worry, there’s still breath in her yet. Fufu…”

“Are you using her as a hostage? How despicable!”

“What are you talking about it? Even without any hostages, as long as I have Gawain here with me, I’ll be able to wipe the Ecbald Tribe off the face of this world in a single night.”

“If that’s the case, what’s your intention in capturing her…?”

“It’s plain and simple. I just want to see what expressions humans make in their moment of despair — just like your face right now. It’s gorgeous. Haha!”

“I can’t believe a woman as deplorable as you can exist in this world!”

Silvia clenched her fists as her body quivered.

“Hmph. I didn’t want myself to turn out like this. The Mother Dragon is to blame as the ultimate culprit.”

“…The Mother Dragon’s criteria are indeed strict. If not for a true miracle, I would have dropped out of the selection.”

Indeed, on that fateful day when she was seven years old — Silvia had also participated in the < Orphan Ceremony >. If she had participated alone, there was no doubt that she’d have been eliminated. However, she happened to run into Ash, and that reversed her situation. Lancelot, who was originally meant to be awarded to Ash, ended up residing in Silvia’s body.

“—But, Kiira! Even if you were eliminated, it’s far too unreasonable for you to resent the Mother Dragon!”

“You’re only able to say such self-righteous words because you succeeded in becoming a Breeder! You wouldn’t understand the pain of not being chosen!”

“You are…certainly correct. However, even if my position differs from yours, there’s one thing that I can say with certainty — it’s not the Mother Dragon’s fault that you’ve been reduced to what you are now!”

“…Oh. Then, pray, tell me whose fault it is then?”

“Naturally, it was caused by your own weakness!”

Silvia fearlessly declared.

“What!?”

For the first time, Kiira seemed to waver.

“I was once a weak person myself, so that’s how I can relate. In the past, I always put a wall up around myself to keep others at a distance. But in truth, I was just afraid that other people would see through my weaknesses…”

“…What are you trying to say?”

Just as Kiira interrupted Silvia, something in a bush shone brightly. The light flickered on and off like some kind of signal. Silvia confirmed the source of light in the periphery of her vision without making a move as she continued to stare at Kiira.

“If not for a friend, I’d have spent all of my time and effort on study and dragon training…I wouldn’t be who I am now if I didn’t get to know Ash. At the very least, I can say with confidence that I’m stronger than I was before! And that’s why I can’t help but look down on your weakness, Kiira!”

“Tsk. You’re damn talkative…!”

“To begin with, did you ever consider Lucca’s feelings after you abandoned your hometown? If you truly regarded Lucca as a precious friend, you should’ve offered your blessings to her! But, given how narrow-minded you are…I’m guessing you didn’t even say ‘congratulations’, right?”

“…!”

Seeing Kiira pause to gasp, Silvia seized the opportunity to continue her assault.

“Even if you couldn’t become a Breeder, there were still so many ways that you could have lived your life as Lucca’s friend, right!? In the end, you’re just frustrated that you lost to Lucca, and became corrupted because you couldn’t bear to face the reality of it — you’re an immature brat!”

“What…did…you…say…?”

While Kiira was still stunned, Silvia jumped up.

“Give me an Ark!”

“Guuuuuuuuuuuu!”

After Eco roared, a blue light engulfed Silvia’s body. In an instant, Silvia had transformed into a majestic princess knight. With a golden crown on her head, the armour that covered her body was as radiant as the brilliant full moon that hung in the night sky. Although it was only a replica that Eco had constructed, it was common knowledge that it was just as good as the original. Silvia flew through the air, summoning her Ark Weapon.

“Dragonar Gun Arondight — [Royal Halberd]!”

A pale light erupted from the muzzle of the manifested Dragonar Gun. With a flash of light, the vines that entangled Rebecca were instantly torn apart. Rebecca’s body drifted through the air.

“Damn you!”

As Kiira yelled, the Necroplant tried to recapture Rebecca once more.

“Now, Cú Chulainn!”

As Silvia shouted, Cú Chulainn, who had been waiting in ambush among the forestry lurched forward.

“Uoooooooooohhhhh!”

It extended its forelimbs to catch Rebecca, and then flapped its injured wings to fly away. It escaped the onslaught of the Necroplant in the nick of time.

“Excellent, we rescued the President!”

Having returned to Eco’s head, Silvia clenched her fists after watching Cú Chulainn fly towards the Escavaron. Silvia had taken note of an earlier signal that Cú Chulainn was lying in ambush nearby in the forest. The flickers of light in the periphery of Silvia’s vision were none other than Cú Chulainn’s signal. Thanks to that signal, Silvia understood what Cú Chulainn’s intentions were. Given its severe injuries, the best thing that Cú Chulainn could do was a tactical retreat with Rebecca.

“You damn bitch! Did you deliberately say all of that just to make an opening!?”

Contrary to the fury that Kiira displayed, Silvia remained calm.

“That was one of my intentions. I had to cooperate with Cú Chulainn in order to safely rescue the President. However, I didn’t say all of that just to upset you, Kiira. If you can’t even understand that, then you really are just a shallow child.”

“Nghh…”

“You can’t even find the words to deny it? Very well, it’s our turn to attack! Eco, we have to push the Necroplant out of the forest for sure this time!”

“Graaa!”

Following Silvia’s order, Eco bared all of fangs as she roared. Magical energy erupted from her entire body, and the surrounding area was filled with a radiant silvery light. Eco charged forward, hitting the Necroplant with everything that she could muster. The violent impact caused the earth to tremor.

“Goooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh!”

Eco then extended her forelimbs and slowly pushed the Necroplant away. The Necroplant’s body finally began shifting to the side.

“Damned thing—!”

Just as Kiira prepared to give new orders to the Necroplant—. Silvia pointed to the sky — or more precisely, to the full moon that illuminated the night sky with incredible luminosity.

“Kiira, keep your eyes open and look carefully. The moon is beautiful tonight. I’m sure it’s the perfect stage for those two to show off their skills.”

“…What does that mean?”

Just as Kiira murmured in a low voice — two specks of light with elongated trails flew into the night sky, unleashing a dazzling brilliance. Like rising meteors that went against all common sense, they soared into the sky at an alarming speed.

“That is…!”

“It’s time for you to stand in awe now!”

“It can’t be—!”

“That’s right, it’s Ash and Lucca!”

After making that loud declaration, she revealed a triumphant smile. In the centre of the night sky — Ash and Lucca flew at extremely high speed as they gradually traced the outline of a twin-winged emblem.

“That’s impossible! The only Dragon Riding Dance that needs two Dragonars is the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’. But, why…?”

“It’s obviously so that the curse of < Galatea > can be lifted! In order to save Oscar, and to save the Chevron Kingdom which can only be protected with Oscar’s help — those two are risking their lives as they resolutely challenge the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’!”

“Huh, so that’s what it’s for. Certainly, it might be possible to heal her with the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’. But, you’re all deluded! It’s impossible for any race other than the Ecbald Tribe to perform a Dragon Riding Dance!”

“Whether it’s impossible or not, I’ll let you be the judge of that after you see the two of them dance for yourself!”

—Zoon!

Echoing Silvia’s enthusiasm, Eco also continued to push forward with all her might. The Necroplant’s body continued to be pushed all the way to the western end of the forest.

“You can do it, Eco! Once we push it to the plains outside the forest, we won’t have to worry about the safety of the Ecbald Tribe anymore, so we can set the Necroplant ablaze!”

After Silvia yelled with an energetic voice, Eco responded in kind with a spirited roar. At that moment—.

Part 4

Kiira was confused. Dancing the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ with Lucca was the dream that Kiira once had. It was a dream that could never be achieved. Logically speaking, there was no one in this world capable of acting as Lucca’s partner. That was the only consolation that Kiira had. She didn’t want to see anyone else dance the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ with Lucca. She didn’t even want to imagine it. It was something forever impossible — a dream that no one could make come true. Because of that, Kiira treated it as a good memory that she locked deep in her heart. However — as if to forcibly pry open the treasure chest that she kept hidden deep in her heart…the twin-winged emblem gradually took shape in the night sky, stroke by stroke. Even from a distance, it was clear that their flight speed was beyond imagination. No, it wasn’t just their speed that was surprising. The coordination and synchronisation of Ash and Lucca was incredible. Unless the two of them truly understood and deeply trusted one another, it would be impossible for them to match each other so seamlessly. The two of them were firmly united in the depths of their hearts—.

“Tsk. You guys…it seems like any more chatter will be useless.”

Once her anger tipped over its boiling point, her mind gradually regained its calm. Kiira had experienced similar mental states like this in the past.

“…Gawain, show off your flying skills too!”

Part 5

After Kiira shouted, the entire Necroplant began to act odd. Magical energy gushed out of its body like a raging wave. The Necroplant was clearly affected by Kiira’s emotions.

“This isn’t good! Get away from it!”

“Grrr!”

Eco obeyed Silvia’s instructions, jumping away to maintain a distance from the Necroplant. A whirlwind of magical energy appeared to surround the Necroplant now. The surrounding trees were snapped in half one after another.

“Kuh!”

Silvia struggled to stay firmly planted on Eco’s head. If not for the assistance that her Ark provided, she probably would’ve been blown away by the powerful winds.

—Dodododododododododododo…!

The earth rumbled as a tremendous boom rung out.

“…The Necroplant is floating? She really plans on having such an enormous mass fly into the air!? Besides, does a plant-based life form…really have a way to fly!?”

As if to defy Silvia’s notion of common sense — the Necroplant slowly floated into the air. The absurdity of it was like watching a city float into the air. A hazy cloud of dust filled the air, obscuring Silvia’s vision. Dirt and rubble fell from the sky, blowing towards Silvia along with the gusty winds.

“Kuh…!”

The harsh conditions made it impossible for Silvia to even keep her eyes open. All she could do was lie on Eco’s head as she endured the strong winds. However, the air pressure only continued to increase, almost breaking through the protection granted by her Ark.

“Guuuuhhh…!”

Even despite her enormous body, Eco was unable to resist the force of the winds as she was steadily forced to retreat.

“Hold on, Eco!”

“Guuuhh…!”

After a while, the wind gradually died down. Silvia looked up in amazement.

“That can’t be…”

The Necroplant was well and truly flying. Its creepy appearance was exposed for all to see under the illumination of moonlight. It was almost as if scenes from the end of the world were being played out before their eyes.

“—My Pal Gawain! Concentrate all of your magical energy on offense!”

The Necroplant began to act erratically as soon as Kiira screamed her new orders. Branches, vines and tree roots entwined with each other intricately, gradually constructing a long and thick cylinder. Silvia’s eyes widened. The Necroplant’s entire shape and appearance had transformed in order to strengthen its offensive ability. It eventually became a floating fortress, with a cannon that could rival even the main gun of a large magical ship. Its new form completely complied with Kiira’s orders, and it poured all of its magical energy into an attack. The muzzle was clearly aimed at a corner of the night sky — where Ash and Lucca were.

“Damn it! She’s totally serious!”

Silvia was in awe as she understood Kiira’s intentions. If such a large calibre magical cannon was to be fired, it would not only hinder their Dragon Riding Dance, but it would also result in collateral damage for Ash and Lucca. Kiira had gone astray in the first place because of her zealous obsession with Lucca. And now, she wanted to mercilessly kill Lucca—

“Eco! We can’t let her have her way no matter what!”

“Uooooooooooohhh!”

In response to Silvia, Eco ascended from the ground with a flutter of her wings.

“As if!”

Kiira barked as she stood above them on the Necroplant. A countless number of vines rained down from the sky and attacked Eco. In an instant, Eco’s limbs and wings had become entangled.

—Pew! Pew!

In addition, a stream of seed pellets struck her in succession. Attacked on both sides by a web of vines and a barrage of seeds, it became increasingly difficult for them to approach the Necroplant. Seizing the moment in which Eco was constrained, the Necroplant’s body began to glow green. It looked like it was accumulating magical energy. Silvia couldn’t help but shudder as she sensed an immense magical reaction.

“I’ll set you free straight away!”

After Silvia raised the [Royal Halberd] up, she used the power of her Ark to soar through the air. She circled around Eco’s body, cutting away at the branches and vines that entangled Eco’s limbs.

“Good, now you can fly—”

Just as Silvia cut the last vine and shouted back to Eco…

—Boom!

A seed pellet landed a direct hit on Silvia’s abdomen.

“Kuha!”

The powerful impact generated a crack in her Ark, and her body lost its buoyancy — causing her to fall into the ocean of trees.

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