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Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi (Light Novel) - Volume 11, Chapter 5 – The Princess of Darkness and the Mechanical Dragon, Part 7-10
Volume 11, Chapter 5 – The Princess of Darkness and the Mechanical Dragon, Part 7-10
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Part 7
Ash guided Brigid to run in a zig-zagged pattern to evade a rain of bullets. Yet, Brünhilde’s gunfire grew more intense and continued to draw close.
“Hmph, the Asia’s movements gradually seem to be getting sluggish, it seems?”
The girl’s comment chillingly entered their ears. In actuality, Brigid’s fatigue had indeed reached its limit.
“Guuuuu…!”
The next instant, a bullet finally pierced Brigid’s hind leg. The large calibre round penetrated through its hard scales.
—Doon!
Brigid’s body violently shuddered, and both Ash and Anya fell from the saddle.
“Ungh!”
Ash’s back crashed onto the ground, assaulting him with a sharp, aching pain. Anya seemed to have hit her head as she lost consciousness.
“Grrr…”
Even despite its wounded hind leg, Brigid stood its ground in front of Ash and Anya. It let out a growl from the depths of its throat, as if to intimidate Brünhilde.
“No, Brigid!”
Ash shouted in anguish towards Brigid from behind. However, Brigid remained as firm as a mountain, determined to use itself as a sacrificial shield.
If this continues, I’ll rob my best friend Raymond of his Pal…
“Hmph, this is exactly why I despise living creatures. I’ll turn thou into a taxidermy mount and display thee in the corridor of my castle!”
After the girl uttered such cruel words, Brünhilde slowly advanced. The reason that she didn’t immediately attack was probably because she was convinced of her victory.
—Thump thump…
With every step, Brünhilde drew closer. To Ash, it sounded like the footsteps of death incarnate. He came to a grim realisation of just how powerless he was when separated from Eco. The girl’s attitude changed from one of mockery to seriousness as she coldly commanded,
“Brünhilde, ready thy cannons!”
Instantly, Brünhilde began to move. Accompanied by a deep mechanical hum, the magic cannons mounted on its shoulders took aim at Ash and the others.
“…!”
Ash gasped in astonishment.
“Farewell, Ash Blake. Be blown to pieces along with that useless dragon!”
There was no longer an option for escape. All Ash could do was figure out a way to move his paralysed body, hold onto Anya, and try to shield her. And then—
“Balmung, fire!”
Just as the girl yelled, the deafening cannons unleashed a sequential blast.
—Boom! Boom!
Two magic blasts drew out perfect parabolic arc in the air as they flew towards Ash and the others.
Part 8
“Hmm. I didn’t expect that of the famous Ash Blake — so that’s all he was capable of. It’s honestly a disappointment.”
The girl stood on Brünhilde’s head as she waited for the dust to disperse.
“There is no doubt that they are an obstacle to the Exalted Leader. Naturally, Eco’s Knight — Ash, is a target that must also be eliminated. The Exalted Leader will surely understand.”
Just after the girl coldly whispered as if trying to persuade herself—
“—You idiot! Don’t get yourself killed without my permission!”
An ardent voice reverberated from beyond the veil of dust and debris.
Part 9
“I’m…still……alive……?”
Amidst the haze and dust, Ash slowly raised his head.
“—You idiot! Don’t get yourself killed without my permission!”
Ash’s heart was instantly filled with courage upon hearing such words of reproach. There was no mistaking that the voice belonged to Eco.
“Nii-san, Anya-san, are both of you okay!?”
Linda’s anxious voice also reached his ears.
“You infidel! Not only have you invaded the territory of my country, but you’ve also brought suspicious weaponry! It seems everything written in the report was true!”
Silvia’s awe-inspiring voice followed.
“…It seems the ‘Leader’ that she spoke of is her boss.”
What followed after was Rebecca’s cautious voice.
“My Ashley was almost killed…how dangerous.”
Ash deliberately pretended not to hear a word that Max said. Then, as a gust of wind blew past, the dust finally settled—. Four Maestros — Cú Chulainn, Lancelot, Arianrhod and Gawain all stood in front of Ash, deploying defensive magic that seemed as impenetrable as a fortress. Rebecca and Lucca rode on Cú Chulainn. Silvia, Cosette and Jessica rode Lancelot. On Arianrhod were…Max and Raymond. Riding on Gawain were Eco and Linda. Taking the lead, both Rebecca and Silvia had already equipped their Arks. Their fiery red and ice blue colours were a stark contrast.
[That was really close, Ash. You owe me a big one this time, okay?]
Navi’s voice was telepathically conveyed to him. The reason why all of his comrades had been able to rescue him in time was because Navi sensed the danger and alerted them.
“Thank you, Navi.”
Ash wiped beads of cold sweat from his brow as he thanked Navi.
Rebecca urged Cú Chulainn to take a step forward, and then said to the girl,
“First, tell us your name and the organisation that you belong to. Then, explain this dangerous vehicle—”
“No, wait! That face…I’ve definitely seen it before!”
Silvia appeared flustered as she interrupted Rebecca.
“Could it be, but that’s impossible…no, but…that beauty…I couldn’t possibly forget. This person…no, you can’t be…!”
The creaking sounds that could be heard from the seams of Silvia’s Ark were clear evidence that she was trembling all over.
“Hmm. If I recall, thou art the Fourth Princess of the Lautreamont Knight Country, Silvia — I didn’t think I’d run into a familiar face here.”
After the girl cast a sharp glance at Silvia, she looked around at everyone else.
“Halt, ye fools!”
The air of majesty that she commanded made it difficult to believe that she was only around fifteen years old. Ash couldn’t help but back away. The girl then proudly declared her name.
“I am one of the Seven Winged Generals of the Magic Association < Demiurge > — Annegert Lara Walpurga von Zepharos!”
“Magic Association? No, more importantly, the surname of Zepharos…!?”
Ash stood there with a dazed expression. It was so sudden that he couldn’t process the situation. No matter how vast the world was, there was only one meaning behind the ‘Zepharos’ surname.
“It’s as you imagine, Ash. Although our countries are not on friendly terms with each other, the Knight Country’s royal family and the royalty of the Zepharos Empire have met several times in the past…and that is why I know…”
After Silvia paused to take a breath, she continued,
“There is no doubt. She is the Sixth Princess of the Zepharos Empire.”
“……!”
Ash was so shocked that he couldn’t utter a single word. At that moment, Annegert scoffed and said,
“Well, you can rest assured. I am only here now of mine own will. Everything I have said and done has nothing to do with the Imperial government.”
Upon hearing Annegert’s arrogant statement, Ash retorted,
“Do you think we’ll just believe what you say!? How did you obtain such a ridiculous weapon? Was it not developed by the Imperial Army?”
“…Preposterous. How could those crude and oil-smothered Imperial soldiers possibly give birth to such a lovely child? Behold its beautiful form! Everything is the result of the technological capabilities that < Demiruge > has cultivated.”
In that moment, Annegert appeared extraordinarily innocent, much like a girl fascinated with a doll.
“The Magic Association < Demiurge >…huh. I may not have heard of the name, but if what she said is true, then the organisation must have financial and technological capabilities comparable to that of a country, right?”
Rebecca solemnly whispered. Beads of cold sweat appeared on Rebecca’s forehead as well, much unlike her usual calm appearance.
“That is the end of my self-introduction. It looks like all the actors have assembled.”
Annegert sneered like a wicked witch.
“Fufu. I wonder which would be stronger between mine Brünhilde and the dragons that you have raised. Wouldn’t it be an interesting contest? It’s just—”
After saying that much, Annegert paused, and then revealed a serious expression. Her cold gaze darted straight to Eco.
“I’m also well aware that the situation will become troublesome if Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor is awakened.”
Annegert brandished her spear and shouted as if casting a spell.
“Rain down, o grace of Pluto. Dye the light of Avalon in darkness with ye black power…”
Brünhilde’s eye gleamed as it responded to the chant of Annegert’s spell. The mechanical figure emitted a dark aura. And then, the aura was gradually absorbed by Annegert’s spear. It was a mysterious and strange sight to behold. A sense of unease took hold in Ash’s mind. Perhaps it was an instinctive fear. The unpleasant shivers that coursed through his body reminded him of something he had encountered in the past…
“Behold and be awed! The name of my great spear is Gungnir! Reveal thyself, < Ouroboros >!”
In an instant, a dark aura was ejected from Annegert’s spear.
“Eco!”
Ash immediately charged out in an attempt to protect Eco, but — the aura released by Gungnir swiftly struck Eco like a bolt of lightning.
“Noooooooooo!”
Eco let out a horrid scream out of fear. Her petite body suddenly floated.
“Eco-san!”
Linda also tried to grab Eco’s legs, but her hands couldn’t reach. In an instant, Eco’s body was already floating several metres above the ground.
“Kuh…what…is this…my…my body can’t move……”
A jet-black snake restrained Eco. In fact, dozens of snakes densely swarmed together almost in the form of an altar. And it was as if Eco was being offered as a sacrifice on the altar. The swarm of < Ouroboros > relentlessly buried themselves under Eco’s armpits and behind her knees. They then entangled themselves around her wrists and ankles. Eco’s distance from the ground continued to grow with each passing moment.
“Help me…Ash……”
Eco struggled in tears as she was strung up in the air.
“Let go of Eco!”
Ash glared at the < Ouroboros > and tried to attack, but…
“Guh!”
Just touching them caused his entire body to be repelled away. It felt as if his entire body was assaulted by a dark aura. Ash’s back slammed onto the ground, leaving him breathless.
“Fufu, it’s useless. If ye want to release her, then try and catch up to Brünhilde.”
—Boom!
A sinister sneer formed in the corner of Annegert’s mouth, and a burst of magical flames erupted from behind Brünhilde. In the blink of an eye, the pitch-black machine had already ascended into the sky.
“What should we do…?”
All Ash could do was gaze at the trajectory of Brünhilde in a daze. Feelings of despair gradually darkened his emotions — but Rebecca’s sharp voice reinvigorated Ash.
“Ash! Your top priority is to rescue Eco!”
“I-I understand!”
Ash immediately straightened his posture. It felt like he had gone back to how things were a year ago.
“Max, Lucca and I will chase down the enemy! Linda, you’re responsible for taking care of Anya and Brigid! Let’s go, Cú Chulainn!”
Under Rebecca’s orders, Cú Chulainn majestically ascended.
“Let’s follow them!”
Silvia also commanded Lancelot and flew into the sky. Immediately afterwards, Arianrhod also flapped its wings and took off whilst carrying Max. Lastly, Lucca jumped onto Gawain and took off. Having finally reunited with its master, Gawain seemed as lively as a fish in water.
—I’m sorry, everyone…!
Ash endured the pain in his back as he stood up. Behind him, Linda and Cosette were taking care of Anya, while Raymond and Jessica tended to Brigid. Ash also felt quite regretful for dragging Linda into this situation when she had just enrolled at the school. Perhaps sensing his emotions, Linda gazed at him with a sincere expression.
“Nii-san, it’s okay. Please don’t worry about me. I may not look it, but I’m quite resilient.”
Ash was deeply moved by his little sister’s mature words.
“—Ash-sama.”
Jessica also spoke to him with a rare, serious expression.
“It doesn’t look like Anya-san or Brigid have any life-threatening injuries. We’ll take cover in the forest momentarily.”
“Thank you, Jessica.”
Ash firmly nodded.
—That’s right. I have to do what I must…!
Ash clenched his fists as he looked up at Eco.
“Ugh…ahh…”
Restricted by the entanglement of the constantly writhing < Ouroboros >, Eco appeared to contort her body due to the increasing agony.
“Just hold on a bit longer, Eco!”
Part 10
The battle between an ‘aircraft’ and ‘four dragons’ thus unfolded above the forest. In order to capture Brünhilde, the team composed of Cú Chulainn, Lancelot, Arianrhod and Gawain continued to fly at high speed in an organised formation. However, Brünhilde’s agility exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“Kuh, how is it this fast!? It’s clearly such a heavy machine…”
Silvia voiced her frustrations as she commanded Lancelot by its reins. After they finally managed to get close to Brünhilde from behind, the distance was gradually widened again.
“Huh!? Watch out!”
As the one furthest in front, Rebecca issued a warning. Silvia also took notice. Brünhilde’s armour began to undergo an odd transformation.
“—Doragvemdr, fire!”
The girl’s voice cut through the cold sky. Accompanied by a loud bang, something was unleashed all at once. They were small white cylinders that seemed distinctly different from ordinary shells. Like a school of fish scattering in water, the shells released trails of white smoke as they fanned out in a radial pattern. It was almost as if each and every cylinder had a will of its own.
“Disperse! They’re probably…missiles!”
Immediately after Rebecca shouted, the mysterious cylinders turned one after another. After a brief moment of silence, they darted towards everyone. Because they were small and fast, it was a difficult task to shoot all of them down.
“Are all of them homing types!?”
Silvia murmured in disbelief.
“Fufu. These missiles are the pinnacle of Magica Technica! They can reach the speed of sound, and they’ll chase a target to the ends of the earth as long as they sense magical energy!”
The girl snickered coldly while Brünhilde continued to glide gracefully through the air.
“This is nothing! Lancelot, deploy a Hexagonal Shield!”
Under Silvia’s orders, Lancelot let out a fierce roar. As a result, a myriad of small hexagons immediately appeared in the air, forming a sturdy defensive barrier. The next instant, several missiles collided with the Hexagonal Shield!
“Huh!? What’s going on…?”
The situation didn’t proceed as Silvia expected — none of the missiles exploded. The missiles simply pressed against the surface of the barrier and stopped there.
—Zaa…!
In an instant, the front of the missiles radiated light, producing a phenomenon similar to electrical discharge. A piercing, crackling sound was emitted.
“What!?”
Unexpectedly, the Hexagonal Shield dispersed as easily as a puff of smoke. The tip of the missile then dropped off and the remainder resumed its trajectory. The halved missiles then aimed at Lancelot’s flanks. Lancelot immediately twisted its body, but the missiles grazed its hips before finally exploding.
“Guuuuuuuuuu…!”
The immense pain evoked an anguished roar from Lancelot. Although it had avoided a direct hit, its silvery-white fur was charred, and it also sustained burns on its skin. After losing its balance in mid-air, Lancelot made a painstaking effort to restabilise itself. Silvia barely managed to hold on and avoid being thrown off.
“Silvia! Are you okay!?”
Rebecca cried with worry. Silvia loudly replied,
“Please be careful! My defensive magic was forcibly undone by them! It seems like defensive magic is ineffective against those things called Doragvemdr—”
“Got it! Max, Lucca, don’t rely on defensive magic!”
Rebecca quickly relayed the instructions.
“Yes, understood…!”
Lucca replied with a soft voice — but Max was one step too late. After being cornered by the missiles, he had ordered Arianrhod to use its defensive magic. The missiles easily defused the defensive barrier and exploded near its forelimbs.
“Uwaaah!”
Due to the tremendous shockwave, Max’s glasses were blown off.
“Max!?”
Silvia’s voice was almost overshadowed by Arianrhod’s cry of pain. It roared as it lost speed and fell, eventually crashing into Rubina Lake. Even if the others wanted to go to the rescue, the fierce missile pursuit didn’t allow them to.
—Max! Arianrhod! Please be safe…!
Silvia prayed to herself. Annegert leisurely gazed down at Rubina Lake as a grin spread across her face.
“‘Twas our goal was to break the defensive magic of the dragon race. That was made possible with knowledge of Magica Technica. What happens when two sound waves of opposite phase overlap? The sound waves will cancel each other out entirely. We applied this principle to the magic of the dragon race.”
The tone of Annegert’s voice was akin to that of a calm scientist.
“Thanks for the detailed explanation, but do you think we have time to listen!?”
Silvia gripped the reins tightly as she evaded the successive missiles that homed in on her. Although Rebecca and Lucca had been forced into defensive manoeuvres, they still seemed calm.
—As expected of Rebecca-san and Lucca. If this continues, I might be the next one to get shot down…
As soon as that thought surfaced in her mind, Silvia shook her head.
—No no! How could think something as pathetic as that, Silvia Lautreamont! Didn’t you decide to become the future Paladin?
Perhaps the Silvia of a year ago really would’ve been dragged down by her own cowardice. But at this moment, she continued to motivate herself.
—Ash. Thanks to you, I feel like I’ve become stronger!
Perhaps sensing Silvia’s emotions, Lancelot let out a fierce roar. The white smoke trails left by the missiles criss-crossed against the darkening sky, forming a web-like pattern. But in that moment, Brünhilde suddenly descended.
“Wait! Are you trying to run!?”
Silvia yelled, but Annegert simply responded with mockery.
“‘Tis the end of the game with ye. Fufu, the spell cast on Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor is nearly complete.”
“Spell?”
By the time that Silvia frowned, Brünhilde was already gliding away towards the horizon of the evening sky.
“Don’t get distracted! Concentrate on dealing with the missiles in front of you!”
Silvia returned to her senses as soon as she heard Rebecca’s stern instructions. There were still dozens of missiles circling around intricately in the air, chasing after the three dragons.
“Silvia! Since it’s come to this, let’s all join together and defeat the missiles in one go!”
Rebecca’s voice was carried into her ears by the wind.
“Understood!”
Despite the situation they found themselves in, Rebecca’s voice was still full of confidence. It’d be nice if I could be like Rebecca someday — Silvia hoped as she prepared to engage.
