Chapter 289

Chapter 289

“You’ve arrived.”

Ronan paused. The holy place, or heart of Dainhar, was still as magnificent as ever, even after three years.

In the center of the white-tiled room floated a giant chunk of magic stone, larger than any farmhouse. Now that he looked at it, it seemed to be similar in style to the seed vault or whatever Elsia was living in. Looking around, the Savior marveled.

“Ah–three months later and still the same, the remains of those closest to the stars.”

“What the heck is this place doing here?”

“The bridge and powerplant of the greatest ship in the world. It’s a sight to behold.”

“Ship?”

Ronan shook his head. Instead of answering, the Savior pointed a finger at the crystal, which, now that they had reached their destination, seemed unwilling to disembark.

It was hard to tell what was what. Ronan took the first step he was told to take. The scars of his past battles with Terranil were everywhere. When he reached the crystal, the Savior tapped him on the shoulder.

“This is the engine. An essential powerplant to move the massive hull, developed by the geniuses of the day.”

“I don’t know what an engine— is, but it’s like a heart, right?”

“Yes. The heart. Your native friends’ analogy was spot on.”

The Savior nodded. A voice of thunder and gusts of wind echoed from behind him.

“Huh-huh-huh, I got it!”

“Ro, Ronan, I’m coming with you!”

I turned my head and saw my native brother catching his breath. He was impressed that they had caught up to him so quickly, given their lack of mana. The Savior looked at the tattoos on their bodies and spoke.

“The tattoos on their bodies are a kind of identification code. Even in the past, not just anyone could pilot this ship. Only those who had undergone genetic modification to increase their sensitivity were allowed to become sailors, and they’re all tattooed with proof of that bloodline.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, first of all, where the hell is the ship?”

“I made a mistake, it’s better to see it once than to hear it a hundred times, just wait a minute.”

Suddenly, the Savior raised his hand in the air and muttered something, and the tiles in front of him flipped over, revealing a massive cuboid. Dozens of mechanical devices were attached to its smooth surface. Ronan raised an eyebrow.

“This is—.”

I remembered it unmistakably. It was a cube that was supposed to hold the secret of the ruins. Dainhar had been heavily fortified ever since the angry gusts had tampered with it.

It had originally been lying at the bottom of some stairs, but it seemed to have been summoned by the Savior. The angry gust of wind that had just caught up to Ronan shouted, eyes wide.

“You can’t touch that! You can only touch it on the day of the appointment!”

“Today is the day.”

The Savior replied blandly, and without a moment’s hesitation, he reached for the mechanism. He pressed a few buttons, and before long, the ground beneath his feet began to shake like an earthquake.

“Nimi. What the hell are you trying to do–what?!”

Ronan was about to say something when a searing pain rose from deep within his body. His chest heaved as if he were about to collapse. The Savior glanced at his son and smirked.

“There it is. It’s finally happening. There can’t be any side effects.”

“Holy shit, what the—.”

“I told you there would be side effects. The curse is breaking down in your body and being expelled from your system. You’re going to be incredibly sick.”

Ronan gritted his teeth, unable to speak. The terrible pain, like his organs were boiling, was more than he could bear. The angry, startled wind and thunder brothers rushed to Ronan’s aid.

“Ro, Ronan. Wake up!”

“Don’t die!”

The Savior closed his eyes. The vibrations that shook the ruins grew stronger with each movement of his hand. The black gem of an engine or something flickered frantically.

“Don’t worry, the pain will subside soon enough. Think of it as a bird’s struggle to crack an egg, Ronan. You were born with a talent that surpasses mine.”

“Kaboom–kaboom!”

“I feel belittled by the comparison to Iril, but it’s also a terrifying power, and I’m grateful that I’ve been raised to be a good boy who won’t abuse it.”

Ronan could barely lift his head to look at the Savior’s back, glistening mana spilling over his dwarf shoulders. The sheer volume of it made him look more like a small volcano than a man.

He’s humming something to himself, but it’s hard to hear over the noise around him.

“—Fly. Fly again.”

However, I couldn’t help but feel that it was somehow precarious. It was like watching the last eruption of an old volcano. I felt like if I spit out all the lava, it would just cool down.

“——!”

He wanted to say something, but his voice wouldn’t come out. Then the pain swept through Ronan’s senses once more. He could feel the curses that had imprisoned his heart dying. Glancing back at his son, the Savior finished his song.

“Let’s fly one more time.”

****

“Man, this is ridiculous—.”

Bishop Theresia muttered. She was on the ramparts of the fortress, watching the fall of the Order in real time. The star guarding the fortress, which she believed to be impenetrable, was about to break.

“This is the last time. Don’t back down!”

“Damned fanatics, I’ll make you pay!”

The Allies were now attacking the last two remaining fortresses simultaneously. The shouts of the soldiers shook the white earth. Each time the catapult lowered its head, a parabola of diluted warheads shot out.

Bang, bang, bang, the roar of projectiles pounded the defenses. The faithful let out a despairing sigh as they saw the Allied forces swarming like bees. The artificial giants and the siege had reduced their numbers considerably, but they still numbered well over a hundred thousand.

Drunk on blood, their momentum seemed to tear the sky. Allied flags fluttered from the seven forts that had already fallen. The carcasses of the artificial giants lay strewn everywhere, spilling purple blood.

“How did this happen—!”

Theresia chewed her lower lip. It had all happened so fast. The Alliance’s power was far greater than the Order had anticipated. Centuries of sabotage had been undone.

The artificial giants that had been their secret weapon had shown promise early on, but they were falling apart at the seams, unable to overcome the might of the Allied forces. At this rate, they would not even make the time the Archbishops had ordered them to hold out, let alone win. Suddenly, a gravelly voice rang out from the sky.

[Bring in the Master, not these bums!

The voice was familiar. Teresia looked up and chewed her lower lip. An unprecedented slaughter was taking place in the sky. The sporadic sounds of the artificial giants’ terminals could be heard.

[Kaboom!

[Ignorant dragon, how can you–aah!

The artificial giants were crashing as Orse, spear in hand, disappeared from view. He was flying at high speed in his human form, wings spread wide.

[Wait—]

A giant wind hole tore through the giant’s chest as he writhed about. Purple blood and guts spewed out of Orce’s body, but he didn’t care. Before the giant could even realize it was dead, the head of the giant right behind it exploded.

“Demon Dragon—!”

Ouch. Theresia’s mouth made a cracking sound. It was no exaggeration to say that that one had killed half the artificial giants. Orse was living up to the legendary name of the Demon Dragon, completely dominating the battlefield’s offerings. Then a cry erupted from near the city walls.

“Come out!”

Theresia lowered her head again. This time, a Dark Weartiger was charging at Unyielding. Black mana pulsed and crackled on the razor-sharp blade of its spear.

Having gathered enough Aurors, Zaifa swung Unworld Sword. A black line was drawn across the starry sky, creating a massive crack. His aurors, tearing through space with their power, had already claimed triple digits of lives since the offensive began.

“Maybe he shouldn’t have gone that way.”

Theresia muttered. I thought we were attacking Fortress 7, but here we are. The shields swayed precariously, and the acolyte beside her cried out in horror.

“Lord, Bishop, we’ll be overrun at this rate. We must retreat!”

“Shut up!”

Clang! Theresia swung the sword still in her hand. The head of the believer who had insisted on retreating fell to the floor. The agitated congregation around them froze for a moment.

“We must hold on, it’s our only hope, and if we’re not ready and that Navarordoze spits fire, it will blow our headquarters away!”

Theresia raised her sword and pointed to the sky. The bloodied tip of the blade pointed toward the Navardoze flapping in the air. Still in the form of a dragon, her mouth crackled with the condensed flames of the primordial fire.

The elemental light and heat were so intense that it was like seeing another sun rise. The moment all nine forts collapsed, it was the first shot that would be fired at the headquarters mountain.

It was not thought that even the strongest protection of the archbishops could prevent such a thing without damage. The congregation nodded, realizing that there was nowhere to retreat.

“Okay, I won’t run away!”

“Fight, I will fight, for the sake of the Order!”

“That’s it! I, Theresia, am with you!”

Theresia raised her sword higher. It was a good thing she’d managed to keep morale up. She knew it was a hopeless situation with no answers, but there was little she could do but fight.

‘You’ll do something. Somehow—.’

The only hope she had was in the priests and the lost archbishops. Steeling herself, she turned her attention back to Mercury. A small hole opened in the shield, and darkness descended.

“Hey, what’s this?”

“Whew, I can’t see!”

The darkness was pitch black, and bewilderment erupted from every corner. As Theresia regained her senses, she was about to activate one of her powers, Frenzy. Suddenly, an eerie voice rang in her ears.

“Where’s the Master.”

“Huh—.”

Teresia was paralyzed. It was an eerie, blood-curdling sound, and she could no longer hear the voices of the congregation. Poof! The darkness that had enveloped the area instantly dissipated.

“What the—!”

Theresia’s eyes widened to the point of bulging. A map of Hell was stretched out on the city walls. The hundred or so worshippers who had been talking a moment ago were all lying in rows, shriveled mummies. Pale-complexioned men and women hovered over the corpses, nibbling at them.

“Children of the Night.”

It wasn’t hard to deduce their identity. Vampires. Vampires of the Warsaw bloodline, the most powerful known. The Shadow Archduke, standing behind Theresia, placed his hand on her head and spoke.

“I ask you again, where is your master?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know, get off me—”

She was about to say something when Archduke Shadow’s outstretched hand gave way. With a crushing sound, Theresia’s head exploded. Blood, cerebral fluid, and brain fragments from her skull spattered in all directions. Wiping his hands off, the Archduke muttered to himself.

“—Balzac.”

His eyes burned with anger at the loss of his sister. Theresia didn’t say it, but it was obvious anyway. The bastard was surely in that pale castle.

“You’ll have to open the door.”

The Archduke muttered to himself as he headed for the gates. With a powerful explosion, the gates of the fortress collapsed like an explosion. Having managed to break through the defenses, Zaifa entered the city. He spun Unwaldo around and opened his mouth.

“Don’t leave any of them alive.”

“Waaaaaaaah!!”

The soldiers came in like a tide. Most of the remaining worshippers had given up resistance and began to flee, but there was nowhere to run. The stellar covering of the fortress was shattering.

With this, all but one of the forts fell. This happened only seven hours after the general offensive began.