The finishing event of the banquet was the dismantling show of a 7th class dragon. While everyone was overwhelmed by the sight of Echjar's remains, Yu IlHan agilely hopped from the head to the tail while stripping the skin perfectly and separated the bones.
Although Echjar had lost a lot of blood while falling down to a lower existence and cursing Yu IlHan, there was still a considerable amount of blood left, and not a single drop was wasted as everything was sucked into the Cradle of Miracles.
The Cradle received all the blood and alternated between rising and falling. Liera realized this was the 'concentration' process that Yu IlHan had mentioned before.
"IlHan, that looks really abnormal... doesn't it become more dangerous by becoming distilled?"
"It's fine, I'm not giving them to the others."
"So it's dangerous after all!"
Yu IlHan didn't deny that, it didn't have the word 'miracle' in its name for nothing. The moment the Cradle of Miracles received Echjar's blood, it was returning the blood to the original state at a frightening speed. Meaning, the form it had prior to Echjar's falling. There was literally no way it was not dangerous.
"So it really is the Cradle of Miracles."
"Perhaps it will go further than that. Though, there should be a limit...."
Yu IlHan thought – if he just left it there, perhaps he may be able to make a splendid 'Breath'.
"It will become the greatest mana potion of all time."
"Just a mana potion?"
"Of course not."
Dragon's blood was at the apex of all blood of magical lifeforms. Mana recovery wasn't the only result. The Breath that Yu IlHan had drunk all this time had etched themselves into Yu IlHan's records.
Although the incident that awakened the power of dragons was the contract with Yumir, Breath did indeed play a pivotal role in the development of the power..
"So it might be possible for you guys as well. Let's start from a relatively weak 4th class dragon. Drinking wine and bathing, isn't it all good?"
"That sounds really ominous... well, it should be fine if it's with you, I guess."
Echjar's blood was only a minute portion of the remains. His skin, bones, and muscles were all of the highest quality. The most important aspect was the sheer quantity of them due to the size! There would be enough to equip an entire army and still have some left over.
"But they all have their equipment."
"Please don't tell me you'll make a third levitating fortress."
"I also think I won't need it for the time being."
Although there was an infinite amount of things he wanted to make with this dragon body, there was no time for that right now. In the end, the cleanly dismantled corpse went inside Yu IlHan's inventory again. He only left out a portion of them – his two eyes, heart, and the hardest chunk of scale at the chest.
However, Liera looked at the heart that Yu IlHan was holding with his two hands and asked while tilting her head.
"IlHan, isn't that a DRAGON HEART?"
"Oh what? Yeah, this is the heart. You saw me extract it."
"No, not just any heart."
Liera's two eyes glistened like the milky way galaxy.
"A DRAGON HEART."
"...what?"
Yu IlHan immediately put down the heart and checked. At the moment of extraction, the heart was like any ordinary dragon's heart, squishy and massive, but now that it became separated from the rest of the body, it was reducing in size while the hardness and the brightness was increasing. Of course, the mana inside was transforming as well!
"Whoa."
Yu IlHan exclaimed with a single syllable and proceeded to touch it. It was indeed a DRAGON HEART. The exact same one that was infinitely more precious than a magic stone! This was a 7th class DRAGON HEART, so its worth would definitely be several orders of magnitude higher than a 7th class magic stone.
"Wh, whwhwhwhwhwhwhat do I do with it."
"Cccccc…ccalm down, IlHan."
Even though she was the one who said it, Liera, who noticed the value of it afterwards, also panicked. First, Yu IlHan hurriedly stored it inside his inventory. Even if Lupin appeared here, he wouldn't be able to steal Yu IlHan's DRAGON HEART. Yu IlHan finally heaved a sigh of relief and muttered.
"I did need a source of power for the final stage of my armor that I was designing..."
An item that could fit that role, and was stronger than he had expected, had so suddenly appeared. He didn't even have the confidence to mana craft with this properly! Perhaps mastering the skill will allow him to?
However, while Yu IlHan and Liera were at a loss what to do, the magic formation beneath their feet glowed lightly. Yu IlHan's expression stiffened as if someone had poured cold water over his face.
"That woman's coming."
"What do you mean by coming?"
"The magic formation is restraining her from entering. It won't last long. It looks like I need to hurry."
Although he was slightly excited about the unprecedented treasure of a 7th class DRAGON HEART, this was no time to be like that. He had to make the necessary equipment as soon as possible, in order to commence the operation.
Yu IlHan finished up the banquet that was almost broken up anyway, and made the people board the two respective fortresses. He hesitated a little before declaring.
"Everyone wait on Earth for around 2 hours. When I bring you back to Dareu, it will be the final battle."
Although he was a little sorry for them as they were all prepared for battle, there was no turn for them this time either. This was due to Yu IlHan's lack of foresight, thinking that there would be no 7th class participants. He thought that there was no reason that they couldn't participate since the horror of Echjar had disappeared as well.
"Why do we need to wait 2 hours?"
"Dad, are you going to do something dangerous again?"
Yumir's eyes glistened again. However, Yu IlHan made a bitter smile and shook his head.
"It's nothing like that. It's just.... some affair between a man and a woman."
"You idiot!"
He said something so stupid trying to say it in a roundabout way! And to a little kid too! However, Liera was frustrated that she couldn't deny that. What's more was that Erta also had feelings for Yu IlHan. Of course, the person in question did not know that.
"This will become a really big battle. Everyone prepare and resolve yourselves."
"Understood!"
He gave a glance to Paté, Mirey, Jirl, Ericia and his other subordinates and nodded his head and moved to Earth, and the next moment, he returned to Dareu alone... or he tried to, when his sleeve was grabbed.
"Let me go with you."
"You need a buff, don't you?"
"I want to go too, dad!"
With a sigh, he looked back at them. They were Liera, Na YuNa, and Yumir.
"Are you confident in your resistance to charm?"
"I've received the blessing of the god of love. Meaning, I won't be affected by any charm while I still love you."
"For me, it's the blessing of the goddess of beauty. There's no one prettier than me so don't worry."
"Dad, I'm immune to all status ailments."
He thought that Liera and Na YuNa may possibly resist the charm, but he blinked his eyes after hearing Yumir's reply.
"Mir, what did you say?"
"I'm immune to all status ailments, dad! It was around 70% when I was born, but after I became 4th class, I got a title saying I'm immune!"
... Thinking back, he was born with the title 'Birth of Chaos' (T/N: Check chapter 106). The OP title that gave him 70% resistance to all status ailments. He remembered that he gritted his teeth while thinking about the difference in status at birth, but to think that was a foreshadow for this moment… this was a mistake on the part of the foreshadow meister Yu IlHan.
However, Yu IlHan knew very well that immunity didn't mean invincibility.
"But for 7th class being, they can break your immunity. It will be difficult."
"I still have other titles and have around 250% resistance in total!"
There was no gap at all for any status ailment. Yu IlHan had to admit his loss here.
"...Okay, I guess I can't help it. Let's go together."
"Fuu, I'll definitely be of help to dad."
"I'm going to laugh at her after seeing how pretty she is."
"Na YuNa, you have a good life."
As soon as Yu IlHan returned to Dareu with the three of them, he immediately gave a call to Erta. She received the call as if she was waiting for this.
[Yu IlHan, are you alright?]
"Erta, things are progressing a little too fast."
[Hm, this side is the same in that things are progressing 'a little too fast'.]
Erta's words were very carefully said, but Yu IlHan instantly realized what was happening after hearing her words. The Garden of Sunset! He was sure that the they were trying to snatch Erta while the Destruction Demon Army and the Heaven's Army were fighting it out.
Fortunately, she was looking like she was following the will of the Garden of Sunset, and they would not cause any harm to her, but the problem was what was about to occur from now on. He was sure that the instance of an angel transferring to the Garden of Sunset would be very noisy, and it wasn't like the Heaven's Army would not know of that fact.
It would be better if he still had some more time, but not everything went smoothly in life. Yu IlHan immediately took out an anvil and a hammer and checked with her.
"Can you wait 5, no 10 more minutes?"
[10 minutes, that's plenty.]
Good, he could only try now. Echjar's two eyes and the hardest scale, and the blood inside the Cradle of Miracles would allow him to do this!
[You, you're finally touching my body after you split me up to pieces?]
"Shut up."
After silencing Echjar, he dipped the two eyes and the scale in the blood. The Cradle of Miracles immediately resonated with them, and as he had wished to, they quickly regained their former leagues. However, there was no time for any exclamation right now.
"Let's do this quickly...!"
The mana crafting materials were two 5th class magic stones. These were the last 5th class magic stones he had.
Yu IlHan teared up a little but still powdered them and applied them on the hammer before hammering the scale. This was a very difficult process of blacksmithing and mana crafting at the same time! Such a difficult technique was being used to speed up the work process.
"2 minutes passed."
"good."
What Yu IlHan was making was a helmet. The helmet that would cover for his weakness!
Eternal Flame combined with Blaze licked its tongue and melted Echjar's scale just as he had wished to. Yu IlHan cooled the scale with the blood and coated it thinly over the surface, and made a draconic-shaped helmet that fit his size. His speed was frighteningly fast.
Although this was actually a process that required more effort, he couldn't help it right now. Fortunately, the skills he had piled up weren't for nothing and there were no big flaws. Liera checked the time for him.
"5 minutes."
"The next is…"
The core materials for the helmet would be the two eyes. The body part that possessed the most magic power and resistance after the heart. This too, would have been refined slowly and with more effort if he had the time, but not now. He'll just solve it all with mana crafting!
"Hhp!"
Yu IlHan struck down on Echjar's eyes with the hammer covered in 5th class magic stones and immediately started mana crafting; to make it smaller and harder; to process it into the right direction that Yu IlHan wanted!
[Hell Seeker's Demon Eye was completed.]
The completed product were two thin panels that were tens of times smaller than the original. At least on the outside, it went as Yu IlHan had intended to. Considering that this had an independent name like the Destruction mirrors of the Hundred Eyes, its functionality should be splendid as well. However, Yu IlHan was unsure of that name.
'I don't know if I succeeded or not with such a name.'
"8 minutes."
"Ugh."
There was no time for groans either. Yu IlHan placed the two eyes that became the right size for the helmet, onto the frame and struck down with his hammer again. Eternal Flame softly wrapped itself around the helmet.
He was a little unsure about the end product since the work process was rushed, but the next moment, he could rest easy after the helmet and the eyes became one and gave off immense light. That was a light that he could only see when everything went as he wished to.
[Dragoneye of the Avenger was completed.]
[Rank – Chaos]
[Defense – 18,600]
[Durability 1,104,000/1,104,000]
[User restrictions – Magic 800]
[Options –
1. Reflects all status ailments at a 50% rate. However, the probability halves every league difference the enemy is higher than the user.
2. 150% increase in all status ailment resistance.
3. 50% increase in all magic resistance]
The moment the information appeared on his two eyes, he was relieved. At least he had no confidence in making a better helmet than this for quite a while. Meaning, this was a success."
He liked that the functions he wanted were all attached at a decent rate. The defense was also nothing to scoff at since he had made this from the scale of a 7th class dragon, and with magic resistance increase on top of status ailment resistance increase, it could be said that his resistance to charm magic had increased by 200%! Curse resistance and cures immunity wouldn't just play around either, so he was really confident now.
Yu IlHan immediately put on the sharp helmet that had two dragon eyes.
"How is it?"
"It's cool!"
"It's cool."
"It's cool~."
"You girls will probably say I'm cool even if I dance around naked…"
"But you are really cool!"
Wearing the helmet that imitated a dragon's head, it went well with the Infernal dragon body that also imitated the scaly body of a dragon. The aesthetics also was not bad with the black shadow around the gauntlet.
"It's so cool. You're almost like a demon lord!"
"Oh, it's that side...?"
Just one, rather than a hero of justice, he was closer to the pivot of evil. Well, it was fine since no one would be able to find Yu IlHan anyway once the battle started.
Yu IlHan pulled down the visor on the helmet to cover his eyes. The part where Echjar's two eyes were attached to was there...or not! It was a feint and was actually an eye blind. In fact, just wearing the helmet would activate all the options. It was truly a Yu IlHan-like trick.
Anyway, with this, all the preparations he could do were done.
"Well, then. If I still get cursed, you can start calling me the Cursed King."
"That sounds cool for some reason! If you get seduced by that succubus, I'm going to call you fluffylegs. Oh, ten minutes are up." (T/N: I have NO idea what that's supposed to mean googling didn't get me anything)
The moment a new reason he could not be seduced was added, Yu IlHan checked Erta's status and location and activated the formation.
At that moment, the seal from the magic formation was undone and the succubus entered Dareu, while Erta lost her qualifications as an angel and was put through the process of an arch-magic that made her into a member of the Garden of Sunset, just as the Heaven's Army realized that Erta was doing something strange, the Army of Brilliant Light realized that the Destruction Demon Army had sent two 7th classes to Dareu.
This was the rise of the curtain to a period of chaos and calamity.
Author's notes
Start of book 11! Chaos and destruction right from the start.
At first, I thought about how to explain the charm – as a curse or pure magic, but I decided to go with that it has properties of both.
Translator's notes
110 left…?
Generally, becoming a higher existence referred to a lower existence being sharing the records of the higher existence factions and becoming their member. An entity acquires more potential that way, and the faction would also increase its amount of records.
At first, there were no higher existence factions other than Heaven's Army. However, someone who felt disgusted about how Heaven's Army handles things decide to leave the Heaven's Army by piling up new records, and this was the beginning of the Army of Brilliant Light.
By mutating the records that any angel would have, he opened the possibility of creating fallen angels. With his power, he made all angels a potential candidate of fallen angels. He was the first traitor, and the leader of the second higher existence faction. The Army of Brilliant Light rapidly expanded in power and went against the Heaven's Army.
Meanwhile, the Destruction Demon Army was started by a monster that ate an entire world. Neither the Heaven's Army that emphasized balance, nor the Army of Brilliant Light, that went against them in attempt to raise a new set of rules, met the expectation of that monster, it wanted to devour all of the balance and rules as well.
The monster that eventually surpassed its limits with its endless desires gathered monsters that were like itself and established a faction, which came to be the Destruction Demon Army. All they wanted was pure destruction. The Heaven's Army resented them, but the Army of Brilliant Light cooperated with them from time to time. Of course, there was never any heartfelt alliance. What everyone wished for was different.
Lastly, the fourth higher existence faction, the Garden of Sunset, was started by… someone completely shrouded in mystery. Despite the fact that the world he lived in should have been under the jurisdiction of the Heaven's Army! The Heaven's Army only found out that he was extremely skilled in concealing himself.
They slowly, but surely, expanded in power, and eventually reached a realm where they were not lacking even when compared to other factions. They always came and went like the wind and did not easily show their full power, but it could be ascertained that their powers were not weak at all. Their members had characteristic and various abilities, and was hard to face against as well.
[Despite that.]
Erta shrugged her shoulders while watching the members of the Garden of Sunset that located themselves around her as while preparing for the ceremony.
Here, the 'ceremony' referred to the archmagic that would allow her to go from the Heaven's Army to the Garden of Sunset, and was a magic that the leader of the Garden of Sunset had developed after researching the mutation of records that the leader of the Army of Brilliant Light had previously made.
[To think I'd go through the ceremony like this.]
[You wish to go to our main headquarters, right? I know what you mean, but unfortunately.]
A higher existence that had the torso of a naked woman, and a lower body that was a snake's, Lisona, shook her head with a giggle. She was the sole 6th class being here.
[There is no such thing as a headquarters for us Garden of Sunset.]
[I have heard that from before... you mean that you will tell me if I become a member, right?]
[No? We believe in you already. The headquarters really does not exist.]
[...Sorry?]
Erta, who originally planned to drag for time as Yu IlHan had said before, ended up being absorbed in the conversation.
[Is that even possible?]
[We don't even know where the leader of the Garden of Sunset resides. I have not seen that person's face either. I'm pretty sure that goes for all of us here as well.]
[...It's pretty embarrassing to say, but.]
Erta slightly blushed while asking.
[Then, when I was a lower existence, what did they mean by making me the mistress of the Garden of Sunset?]
[The Chief Gatekeeper of the Garden, in other words, those that are often called 'Battalion Commanders' in other factions, sometimes act like they're the leaders. You were just deceived by one of them.]
It was too absurd that Erta became speechless. Lisona continued.
[After collecting the information from the ones that have claimed to have met the leader, we have made a conclusion. He's very whimsical, and unpredictable. The reason is simple. The 'leader' they have met are all different people.]
[My word, that means....]
[Correct, that was the orders of the leader. In order to not show himself, he allowed the Chief Gatekeepers to refer to themselves as the leader.]
Erta both thought that it was utter nonsense, at the same time, it was undoubtedly very effective. As a result, the angels including herself did not know anything about the leader of the Garden of Sunset!
[However, one thing is sure, and it is that his powers are very strong, and compared to that, we don't have many restrictions imposed on us. Erta, didn't you look for us because you wished for that? Oh, is it not? Did you not mention that you were disgusted about how the Heaven's Army decided to abandon Earth?]
[I... yes.]
At that moment Yu IlHan gave her a call. Erta resolved tightly and replied.
[Let us proceed with the ceremony.]
[Good, you've chosen well... everybody to your places.]
Everyone moved to their respective locations. The process of detaching the angel's wings from Era, and bestowing the records of the Garden of Sunset, began from then.
[Although it might hurt a little, bear it. It will only be for a moment that you fall to a lower existence.]
However, the opportunity Erta had to look out for was that precise moment. She closed her two eyes and focused her senses. The ones watching her giggled. They thought she doing that to bear the pain.
[Good, it's going smoothly...]
[Prepare to fight against the Heaven's Army. Of course, they should be tired from the battle with the Destruction Demon Army, though.]
[It would have been good if they were wiped out by that dragon.... Now.]
The white feathery wings from Erta's back were slowly pulled out. At the same time, milky white blood shot up into the air. The proof that made her an angel, could not endure the records of the new higher existence faction and was being pulled out.
[Now endure for a mom.... What!?]
"Fuu!"
However, immediately after all her powers as an angel were pulled out, that power started to form a barrier around Erta. The magic formation she had engraved on her body beforehand was set to activate the moment her mana as a higher existence and the remains were pulled out!
[Erta, you...!]
"I've been inflicted with some contagious disease from a certain loner, you know."
The records of the Garden of Sunset that were trying to color her body and soul could not pierce through the barrier made by the remains of her angelhood and were deflected back. Erta recovered her vitality from the inside and made a leisurely smile.
"I'm also fed up with factions! Now!"
'Yes, now!'
Yu IlHan's spear pierced the head of one of the higher existences that made up the magic formation. As this guy had died with a single strike, his concealment was maintained, and so, Lisona only noticed that Yu IlHan had attacked, but did not know where he was.
[Yu IlHan? It's Yu IlHan! The former contractor of Erta!]
"I'm also here though? Mir, don't approach that woman!"
[Okay!]
"Lady Leytnaaaaaaa!"
On the other hand, Mir and Liera each attacked different enemies and as such, their concealment was dispelled. Na YuNa was giving buffs on them while being protected by Yu IlHan's Aegis quite far away from the battle zone.
[Hak!]
[A lower existence!? H, high angel Liera!]
"Not anymore!"
With a surprise attack, three of the members died, and that instantly increased to four, then five. Yu IlHan's skills were too good to be considered a lower existence, and Lisona tried her best to find his presence, but it was impossible for her to even find his traces. Even though she could see her subordinates dying right in front of her! In the end, her rage directed towards Erta.
[Erta, you! How!? You said you'll stop being an angel!]
"I definitely did indeed."
[But why are you scheming with a human!]
"I think you're misunderstanding something."
Erta touched the barrier she constructed and made a thick smile.
"I did not help Yu IlHan because I was an angel."
Even though she had lost her league, the realm of magic she had reached would not be lost. And right now, she was using the remains of what she once was as the material. Right now, Erta had the confidence to not lose against anyone.
"I only want to be with Yu IlHan."
Yu Ilhan's group killed all the ones that were involved in the ceremony, and so the magic formation could not proceed with the ceremony and crumbled down. Erta aimed for that time and changed her barrier to a different magic. She had even pulled the mana used in the ceremony and made a new magic!
[Erta...!]
That was an offensive magic that aimed for Lisona alone. The crystals of mana burning in the air drew in the surrounding mana to increase their numbers to hundreds, then thousands and all shot towards her. Lisona was shocked while seeing that.
[You, didn't you fall to a lower existence just now!?]
"Although it's quite embarrassing for me to say it, if it's the path of magic, I do not plan on losing to anyone."
[Kugh!?]
A lower existence who could not be looked down upon. That magic was a magic that Erta had used all her powers to use, with the mana of a higher existence! Lisona expanded in size and liberated the mana stored inside each and every one of the scales that covered her lower body and made a barrier for self-protection. To block Erta's magic, she could only bring out her full power.
Even while that happened, the members of the Garden of Sunset were dying to Yu IlHan's invisible attacks, as well as Yumir and Liera's visible, but still frightening, attacks. And this, was precisely what Erta aimed for.
[You... lowly!]
"You have killed the elves for artifacts, haven't you? I don't get who's the lowly one here."
[I did not do that! I didn't even know what was happening!]
"Is that so? It looks like the Garden of Sunset respects the independence of each entity, but groups always have a collective responsibility, no?"
Lisona finally understood that Erta had no intentions to join the Garden of Sunset at all. The price she had to pay for that was bone-aching!
[Yes, I shall tell you, what it means to, make an enemy out of a faction!]
However, just as Lisona dispelled her barrier after receiving Erta's magic and tried to switch to offense, a shadow appeared behind her back.
"Let me share a bit of information with you… that there's a loner that's more frightening than any faction!"
Of course, she could not notice that.
[Critical Hit!]
[Kagh!?]
A single strand of spear pierced her abdomen – the part that connected her snake lower body and human upper body – a weak point that could only be exposed. Until now, it was under protection of the scales, but thanks to Erta, who realized that, and had attacked there, the scales were all consumed and Yu IlHan's attack could break in.
"Whew, I succeeded with the skill, but I still couldn't kill her... 6th classes are something alright."
[Yu, IlHan....!]
Seeing that his enemy didn't die with a single strike, Yu IlHan grumbled while pulling out his spear. He could not kill the enemy even with the 'Spear of Untraceable Trajectory Overlap' that he had found a grasp on when he killed Echjar, by overlapping all of the strikes into one, and naturally, his concealment was dispelled.
Of course, he was planning to dispel his concealment around this point. If he didn't, meaning, if he didn't expose himself, the 'guest' couldn't find him.
"Hhaaaaaaaaap! Shockwave strike!"
[Eiih!]
At the moment Lisona's movements momentarily stopped due to the shock, Liera and Yumir's attack broke in as well. Two heavy blows shook Lisona's body, and all that shock was amplified by Liera's shockwaves and started to destroy all her internal organs.
[Kugh, Kahak….!]
However, the reason Lisona was shocked was not because of physical reasons alone. Not only Yu IlHan, Liera and Yumir's attacks were on her as well – she realized what this meant.
[How, can this...?]
In the few minutes where Lisona spent focusing on Erta, all the other members of the Garden of Sunset had died!
This was no time to just be wary against Yu IlHan. The 6-year-old infant dragon, and the woman who gave up her 6th class for love, were plenty monstrous to massacre higher existence by themselves!
However, everything had just begun.
[Ertaaaaaaaaaaa!]
With Spiera's shout as the beginning, the entire camp of the Heaven's Army frontier camp had arrived. They, who would had been wiped out by Echjar, and the other Destruction Demon Army members, had retained the majority of their fighting force!
[Oh my, so you were here. There are a lot of other guests too.... Such a prankster, you wanted to call me here? To think you'd push me around... I don't exactly hate that violence.]
The second special guest of today, the 7th class Succubus Queen Helièna. Disregarding the three pairs of wings and a tiny horn on her forehead, she was not that different from a human, and she was quite a beauty too. The charming body and the frilly dress that barely covered her body was very unbalanced-looking.
[Oh my, you're beyond my expectations. Hmm, I like it. Both of them.]
"That bitch dares to..."
Her outer appearance that scattered strong charm towards Yu IlHan and Yumir from the moment of her appearance was truly bright. Lisona widened her eyes after noticing her with in her half-dead state.
[The second Batallion Commander from the Destruction Demon Army...!?]
[Oh my, I didn't want to be found out by the others. This is all because of you darling. You will take responsibility, right?]
Helièna winked towards Yu IlHan. However, Yu IlHan tilted his head. It didn't seem like the options on the helmet had activated, but his heart was as calm as ever.
[My my, this is going to be difficult. Isn't it too early to bear your fangs, Helièna? Can I take this as you breaking off our alliance, right?]
[Oh my, it's been a while, Natière, still as pretty as ever, are we?]
[The 8th wing of Brilliant Light Natière!?]
For the third surprise, the Army of Brilliant Light showed up as well. And the one that showed up on top of their heads was a 7th class Battalion Commander who had the same amount of might as Helièna! As they knew that the enemy was Helièna, the Battalion Commander from the Army of Brilliant Light was also a female. The three pairs of black wings were flapping proudly behind her back.
[This war, will...]
And Lisona's life was severed there, and as if waiting for that moment, another giant fissure appeared in the air!
[Dareu is the land that we have prophesied. Negotiations not possible. Top tier defensive measures activate.]
The one that appeared from the fissure was a gigantic shark covered in thick metallic armor, and was of course, 7th class.
[Chief Gatekeeper of the Garden of Sunset, Kelatuke, shall participate in this fight.]
And now, Battalion Commanders from three factions had ended up in Dareu! Yu IlHan, who vaguely expected this to happen, still collected Lisona's remains anyway. War was war and remains were still remains!
[...You, isn't what you just took a gatekeeper of our Garden of Sunset?]
[Fufu, such greediness. As expected, you're the perfect fit for our Destruction Demon Army.]
He felt the gazes focusing on him and made a small bow.
"Everyone do your business here leisurely. I'll just take my leave."
And naturally, they would never let him do that.
Now that four factions and a loner gathered in this place, the war for Dareu started to run to the climax.
Author's notes
Yu IlHan got found out while trying to sneak away.
Do your best Liera! Protect IlHan's chastity!
[Darling, you're so daring! I like your daringness.]
"Thanks, I also like my daringness."
Yu IlHan lightly smiled at Helièna who expressed her like for him and did what he had to do first. That was to procure Erta!
"There we go."
"Kyak."
Like a kingfisher snatching a fish on the surface of the water and snatched Erta with one arm. Erta, who was suddenly snatched while being tense due to the appearance of two 7th class beings, blushed and spoke in a small voice.
"I never thought I'd ever see proactiveness from you."
"I'm quite thankful, but this is no time for chatter."
When Yu IlHan showed movements of moving towards Erta, the one who reacted first was none other than Spiera who was leading the Heaven's Army.
[Yu IlHan! Erta is a traitor who allied with the Garden of Sunset and abandoned the Heaven's Army!]
"Well, in my eyes, she's only a lower existence like Liera."
[That's, what...!?]
She is really a lower existence! – Spiera fell into panic after seeing Erta as a lower existence without joining the Garden of Sunset despite losing her wings.
However, too many things were happening to for her to judge things slowly. She could have taken her time if it was only Yu IlHan and Erta that were here, but right now, there was the 3rd Battalion Commander of the Destruction Demon Army, the 8th Wing of the Army of Brilliant Light, as well as a Chief Gatekeeper of the Garden of Sunset! This was no time to question Erta.
Moreover, looking at those mighty Battalion Commanders. Even though the Heaven's Army was superior in number, right now, they were the most inferior of the groups. Right now, the most rational decision she could come to was...
[... I shall question her sins later. Right now, we need to survive this battle.]
"Later?"
Yu IlHan checked with a smile. Spiera gritted her teeth and shouted.
[I'll give her the right to avoid responsibility!]
"Erta."
"We will not be attacked by the Heaven's Army anymore."
"Good, let's join hands then."
[You don't dare.]
When Yu IlHan tried to join with the Heaven's Army camp with Erta, Liera, Yumir, and Na YuNa, the Succubus Queen flapped her wings to block his way. Her violet eyes glistened mysteriously with mana.
[Darling needs to go with me, no?]
[No.]
The moment Yu IlHan replied without a change in expression, Helièna's glistening eyes lost power and sank. She immediately realized what was happening to her.
[Huh, did darling just deflect my charm? No way!]
"Yes... way!"
If there was anything that Yu IlHan wanted to try out in Dareu, it was to fight while simultaneously activating the magic formation of Dareu to teleport while fighting. However, in the past, he had no spare magic stones to do that against the dragons, and this time, there were no enemies strong enough for him to use that trick on.
But now, it became the perfect moment to use that trick. Yu IlHan immediately activated the magic formation and teleported to the middle of the ranks of angels.
[Hick!]
[Erta, just what did you do!]
[Yu IlHan!]
"Good, the first button is buttoned well."
He had made the situation so that four factions were going against each other, and he joined the Heaven's Army without much trouble as well. So, it could be said that his plans succeeded perfectly. Although the bad thing was that all the aggro was on him, but he had expected this much to happen!
"Spiera, Heaven's Army won't bring a Battalion Commander?"
[We cannot call for a Battalion Commander so easily. It is the other factions that are abnormal for bringing so much battle power!]
"So you guys call for one too."
[...I see that it's definitely the time to do that.]
[I'm really liking you more and more, what do I do.]
[Give it up, Destruction Demon Army. I'll eat that man up.]
[Oh, I never expected such an ignorant beast to understand the emotion of love.]
[Helièna, the alliance with the Destruction Demon Army is over. I'm fine with you doing whatever you want, but you'll have to pay the price immediately!]
[Aaah, I only came here for a date. Why is everyone acting so aggressively?]
Good, just fight like that! And Spiera, you call for your commander quickly! – shouted Yu IlHan inwardly and prepare for battle. He got on top of the dragon form Yumir's back, and also let Liera, Erta and Na YuNa on.
All of Yu IlHan's abilities would increase by 45% when he fought on top of a dragon. The first 15% was from the effects of the title 'Dragon's Ally' he acquired when he fought with Lecidna, and the additional 30% was from the Dragon-man resonance.
On top of that, there was another 30% increase with Na YuNa's blessing, and the title 'Untouchable' would also add another 45% due to three leagues of difference. In other words, Yu IlHan's current battle power was at 220%. Also, there would be an additional 160% increase if he used a fire attribute attack. However, he didn't quite have the confidence to lower the league of 7th class beings with Falling Down.
"Hmm, I'm not sure about the Succubus Queen, but the other 7th classes will be difficult."
"So you were planning to fight them after all..."
While Liera muttered in shock, Erta cast defensive magic on top of Yumir's body. As she had already consumed the remains of her angelhood, the magic was comparatively inferior, but it was still enough to deflect the magic from ordinary 5th class beings.
[Arrogant, you do not ask for forgiveness but raise your weapon!]
The gigantic shark didn't seem to like their actions though. The first one to move into the deadlock was also that shark!
[I said you can't, didn't I?]
And the Succubus Queen blocked its way. Her temptress violet eyes – Yu IlHan felt a slight chill in them. He thought that he may have misjudged things.
He did not misjudge his own power, nor the enemy's power.
Perhaps, he had misjudged the balance between the enemies.
[Get lost, bat. You cannot interfere with my justified execution.]
[Oh my, but I don't think so.]
Violet-colored mana spread out from her like smoke! That, infiltrated the gigantic shark's metallic armor and penetrated him. The gigantic body of the shark that was soaring through the space towards Yu IlHan suddenly stopped like it was stuck on something.
[Kugh!?]
[Fufu, you thought it would be fine if you were of a different race? Unfortunately, my magic cannot be avoided with those petty measures alone!]
When Helièna extended her two arms wide, the violet-colored mana instantly spread through to the surroundings. The flow instantly covered not only Kelatuke, but the Army of Brilliant Light, the Heaven's Army and of course, Yu IlHan's group as well!
[Yes, you want to go at it this way, right!?[
The 8th Wing of Brilliant Light, Natière also agitated her mana after feeling that. The three pairs of black wings extended magnificently to draw in the surrounding mana, and shot them as rays of light towards Helièna!
However, not one of them struck the target. Right before they struck Helièna, the rays of light all changed directions by themselves. Helièna licked her lips with a seductive smile.
[Natière, you also don't want to fight me, do you?]
[This, monstrous bitch...!]
Natière grit her teeth. The rays of light all bent from Helèna to strike Kelatuke, and Kelatuke immediately turned its body as if it had been was waiting for provocation and faced the Army of Brilliant Light. Of course, this was not what it wanted to do.
[Damn, you bat bitch dare to control my body!]
[Isn't it heart-pounding? There, close your eyes and feel it. The blissful feeling that you may never experience in your life.]
[Are you ignoring the long amount of time I've lived for... Ahhhhhhhhh!]
[That damned shark!]
The energy that the shark spat out swiped against the Army of Brilliant Light. Natière did try her best to defend, but the energy she could not block instantly vaporized a few fallen angels. Helièna laughed out while watching that.
[What are you doing, shark? You need to put more effort into hitting the target!]
[Helièna, you bitch...!]
The effects didn't only reach them. Even some of the angels in the Heaven's Army, started twitching. The majority were male angels, but a few of the female angels were affected as well.
[Kugh, Spiera-nim!]
[Spiera, be careful! My body is not listening to me!]
[You useless... eeek!]
It only took a moment for an internal chaos to occur in the angel camp. Yu IlHan, who thought that higher existences should have high resistance to charm, looked at the battlefield that instantly became a mess and was at a loss for words.
Like this, there was no meaning for him to cooperate with the Heaven's Army! The battlefield that Yu IlHan had expected was not like this. Helièna was clearly stronger than everyone else put together!
Yu IlHan made Yumir retreat from the angels causing a mess and checked the state of his members.
"Are you guys alright?"
"No problems here."
[I'm also fine, dad!]
"Fuu, she is quite pretty but she still doesn't match me~."
"I too... can endure, just barely."
Only Yu IlHan's group, who were objectively the most underpowered group, were safe from the charm! The higher existences really should give up working and start training – he truly thought that.
[Darling, you do know that everything is because of you, right?]
The next moment, Helièna appeared in front of Yu IlHan. Yu IlHan thought about using the magic formation again to make some distance, but decided not to after concluding that nothing would change even if he did so, with the situation around him right now.
Yes, failure was preset upon the moment he tried to use the help of a faction despite being a loner. In the end, he could only win everything by himself!
"Let's set things straight. It's because of you guys touching Dareu, not because of me."
He looked at Helièna head on. He gripped the spear in his hand, and made Yumir look down slightly just in case he was affected by the charm, and finally lowered his visor to cover his eyes.
"I will kill that...."
"No, Liera."
Liera tried to step up from his side, but Yu IlHan pushed her back. Even though Liera was burning in passion to protect him, it was impossible for her to go against Helièna with the powers she currently had.
[So it's your girl. Oh my, how romantic. But, its alright. I don't care how many women you have.]
She flew across the skies as if sliding, and lightly landed on Yumir's head. Yumir shook his head to shake her off, but if she was shaken off with just that, she wouldn't be 7th class.
[You'll become mine anyway.]
Helièna approached Yu IlHan defenselessly. There were no signs of her attacking. No, she used her ability to protect him last time, so it should be fine to say that she had no hostility.
Yu IlHan hesitated whether he should strike out right now, or wait for a better opportunity, but the moment he hesitated, the physical distance between him and Helièna approached 0.
Helièna's hand touched Yu IlHan's visor. When she pushed it up, Yu IlHan was met with the mysteriously glistening violet eyes.
[Oh my, you're looks are my type too.]
"Your looks aren't mine though."
[Really? But you'll change your mind soon.]
The moment Helièna flicked a finger with the other hand, the violet fog that spread throughout the battlefield all gathered towards her. Following that, the three pairs of bat wings extended and enveloped Yu IlHan and Helièna, and the full power from the Succubus Queen was focused on Yu IlHan alone.
"IlHan!"
"Unni, you'll really die~!"
"Yu IlHan!"
[Kuoooooh, Uraaaaaaaaaaaar!]
An overwhelming amount of mana, enough to distort space-time, storming around Yu IlHan was a very spectacular scene, but there were two beings in the middle that did not flinch at all. They were Yu IlHan and Helièna.
[Now, please say you love me.]
Whispered Helièna in a sweet voice and took off his helmet. Yu IlHan replied to her with a somewhat dreamy expression.
"Get out of my face, I can't read the text."
[You have awakened Unshakable heart Lv Max. This is the highest tier skill in this category, and is impossible to evolve whether independently, or in fusion.]
Yu IlHan finally realized.
That there had simply been no moment so stimulating that it provoked his skill to awaken, ever since the first Great Cataclysm.
Author's notes
N/A
Translator's notes
Some people seem to think that the translator of EER is Koukouseidesu, lol.
Koukouseidesu, I think you always forget to put this part.
Translator: Chamber
Proofreader/Editor: Koukouseidesu
Please don't omit it from now on…. or in fact, you can just translate EER and you can take the role of translator for realz
lul I can't remember since when it was omitted… lets get this straight guys! Chamber is my boss~ and I'm the Transl.. I mean editor! – KKS
"Give me my helmet back."
[How...?]
The Succubus Queen didn't even realize that the helmet was taken from his hand and slowly stepped backwards.
[My powers are not restrained at all in this world. I'm... I'm at full power!]
At the same time she said that, Helièna spread out her aura to the surroundings. Everyone in the battlefield who could not completely overcome her aura swayed.
[Kugh...Khaaaaaaaaarh!]
[Kihigh, Helièna...!]
The gigantic armored shark messed up the Army of Brilliant Light against its will despite its enormous power, due to Helièna's pheromones, and Natière was in an identical situation, in the regard that she could not make rational decisions. Controlling the opposite sex, and destroying the reason of the same sex – the power that still applied even on the same league!
[But why do you not love me!?]
She hadn't reached 7th class with just 6th class stats for nothing. With regards to mental and psychological magic, she was the strongest!
Was there a 7th class that could face her head on? Would the Heaven's Army's Battalion Commander be able to go against her magic and rip her wings off?
At least, the Heaven's Army didn't think so. Even though Spiera had reported to her higher-ups multiple times despite her chaotic mental state, the Heaven's Army did not send a Battalion Commander. She also despaired after a few minutes.
[Yes, for the Heaven's Army, it'd be better for these guys to exhaust each other out.]
[That means....]
[There is nothing we can do here. It will be for the best if we can retreat like this, but...]
The majority of the angels had fallen for Helièna's charm except for herself and a few others, and were fighting each other. Retreat? Was that even possible? As the leader of this small group, she couldn't flee by herself.
[Spiera-nim...]
[Resolve yourselves. The grace that Heaven has given us, it's time to pay them back by burning our souls, kugh!]
However, even when she tried to erect her willpower straight, Helièna's magic was trying to pollute her. How unreasonable and violent of an ability was this? She subconsciously clenched her teeth.
[The efforts and power I've built up all my life is collapsing thanks to a single Succubus. ….. Kraaaaar!]
[Natière!]
[Kugh, this dumb shark is completely doomed!]
The Heaven's Army and the Army of Brilliant Light were rapidly losing their battle power, and the Battalion Commanders Kelatuke and Natière were also expending each other's mana! A single Succubus Queen was toying around with everyone on the battlefield.
[Here, look at me, LOOK.AT.ME!]
"You're noisy."
Well, other than Yu IlHan's group that is.
[How? Am I not lovely? How! Huh? HOW!]
"I said you're not my type…. Liera."
With a laid back reply, he handed his helmet backwards. Liera, who received the helmet, looked at Yu IlHan with worried eyes for a little, but eventually put it on Erta who was having the hardest time among them. And magically, Erta's shaking stopped right then.
"Just what is this helm... oh, it's one of Yu IlHan's crafts."
"So you accept it with just that."
[Yu IlHan, Yu IlHan. Yu IlHan. Just what are you darling? Just what did you do to become like that?]
The Succubus Queen didn't seem to be interested in the scenes of tragedy occurring in the background, that she had caused, and only focused on Yu IlHan. The screams and exclamations of despair were ringing out like a BGM, and she asked Yu IlHan several times.
[No one, not even our mighty Ruler, was completely free from my charm. However, darling is just a lower existence. Was that helmet a bluff? Is there still a hidden artifact?]
"There's nothing like that."
[Really? There's really nothing like that?]
Helièna glistened her eyes as she approached Yu IlHan. Yu IlHan thought for a moment, but eventually decided that it was better to not kill her now.
It was just a simple logic of rock-paper-scissors. Yu IlHan had no confidence to kill the other 7th class Battalion Commanders, but Helièna could make the two self-destruct. And Helièna herself, could not win against him. Then, it would be the wisest to use her to stall her for time and make the battle as advantageous to him as possible.
The only thing that tugged at his mind in this situation was the Heaven's Army, and looking at them, they also looked like they would self-destruct any time soon.
The fact that Spiera was amidst of them made Yu IlHan feel weird... but he shook his head. By killing Echjar and saving Spiera, he had done all he could for her and set his heart straight. Since he had decided to depart with the Heaven's Army completely, he could not do something foolish and end up not being able to protect the others just because of them.
[Darling, look at me. Don't look at the others.]
Helièna was still stuck to Yu IlHan. However, it wasn't like the others were free from her. The endless stream of mana that came out of her did not let them go.
No, in fact, she was even absorbing the mana from the ones charmed by her!
[Darling, tell me more about yourself. Open your heart a little more.]
"I have no intention to join the Destruction Demon Army nor do I have anything to tell you."
[I'm only curious. Just what did you experience for your heart to be frozen over...]
"Well, I'm open to guesses."
At that point, Helièna also noticed that Yu IlHan was stalling for time. Even that he was trying to weaken the other 7th class Battalion Commanders using her! Despite that, she did not stop using her power. She was set on thinking about how to make Yu IlHan hers.
[Is it because your heart is full already? Then...]
But at one moment, Helièna's gaze switched from Yu IlHan and looked at Liera, Na YuNa and Erta.
[Do I just need to clean those girls up first?]
"...."
Yu IlHan immediately picked up his spear once he heard that. Hell blossomed on the tip of his spear and spread to his body and Yumir's back and ruled over a certain region of space. The skill he activated was Falling Down.
"Then I can only switch my plans too."
[Kyak, finally a reaction! Yes, that's it!]
Helièna did not plan to give up on Yu IlHan at all. The reason she tried threatening his companions was also to create a gap in Yu IlHan's heart to charm him.
However, Yu IlHan had no more intentions on having a staring contest with her. The reason he was laid back until now was because Helièna's attention was all focused on him. It was a completely different matter if she switched her attention to his companions.
"Miss YuNa, please buff me."
"I was waiting for this~."
"Liera and Erta, please block this woman's attack."
"Got it."
"Plenty."
"Mir, I'll move a little faster from now. Synchronizing with dad, you can do it, right?"
[Yeah!]
He activated God Force to enhance his body muscles beyond their limits and gripped on the Eight-tailed dragon spear. Despite that, Helièna's expression was still as laid back as ever. Even while knowing that Yu IlHan's heart was closed shut, she had confidence in her power.
[I have no intentions on attacking you, darling, but why are you bullying me? You like me better than those things, no?]
"Hah."
All men are hers – this was the fact that she had treated as the unsullied 'truth' for tens of thousands of years. There was no way she could accept that it was broken. This was Helièna's biggest mistake.
"So words don't work on you. No, you didn't have any intentions to have a conversation with anyone until now. Since activating your power would suffice."
[Your eyes became scary. Are you really going to pierce me with that spear? Do you want to bind me with these chains?]
The soulflame chains will not work on this succubus. Her charm was effective even against thought-souls! If he tried to forcibly use them, then the power would backlash at him.
Yu IlHan, who instinctively realized this, clicked his tongue and put away the soulflame chains, and instead, covered his spear in stronger flames. The translucent flames increased in temperature under the control of Eternal Flame.
[Really? Are you really going to... Kyak!]
Yu IlHan's spear slicked past Helièna. It wasn't that the charm had disrupted the trajectory, but that at the moment he struck, she condensed her magic power and shot it to deflect the spear's trajectory. Yu IlHan's Record skill activated to record Helièna's mana pattern that she just used. He wouldn't be fooled by the same technique again.
[You attacked me.]
Muttered Helièna while touching the slight burn that appeared on her shoulder as she couldn't completely dodge that attack. Rather than the fact that she was injured by a lower existence, she seemed more shocked by the fact that Yu IlHan had attacked her.
[You really attacked me!]
"Tch, Mir!"
[Got it!]
Now that he didn't need to stall for time any longer, he could not hang out with her childish acts. Regardless of Helièna's reaction, Yu IlHan poised himself once again, and synced his breath with Yumir and charged once again, to pierce with the Spear of Untraceable Trajectory with his full power.
[Kyak!]
[Hick!]
[Eeeeek! I hate you!]
"Ah..."
However, as he had expected Helièna had exceptional talent not only in regards to mental magic, but all kinds of skills that required wielding mana. Seeing her dodge Yu IlHan's strike that could instantly kill dragons with magic with varying mana patterns and their applications that Yu IlHan had never seen before, he could not help but be dumbfounded.
[The skill, Record, has become level 47.]
However, that also became a good stimulus for Yu IlHan who had not experienced difficulties for a long time. Facing off the Succubus Queen that lived for tens of thousands of years allowed him to see what he couldn't before just by swinging his spear, and saw a path that he could not walk on!
[The skill, Record, has become level 48.]
[The skill, God Force, has become level 12.]
[So you really are attacking me straight on. Without any hesitation, with the intent to kill me...!]
"Hhp!"
Ignoring her shock and exclamation, he fought her for an unknown amount of time afterwards, and finally, a repeated pattern appeared. Yu IlHan did not miss that opportunity and pierced ten times at once, and those strikes created holes on Helièna's abdomen, shoulders, and thighs.
[Critical Hit!]
[Kyahak!]
Blood scattered in the air. Yu IlHan got hit by the blood in the air on purpose before they were vaporized by the flames in his domain. The moment he absorbed the blood of a living 7th class, the information he had on the Destruction Demon Army and succubi rapidly renewed itself.
[The skill, Record, has become level 50.]
"Fuu, very good."
He wiped the blood on his face and licked his hand with a smile. Although he was purely being happy with the skill's growth, he just looked like a madman on the outside. However.
[Aah.]
Seeing that, Helièna's expression finally changed for the first time.
[Aaaaah...! Yes, that was it!]
"You finally feel like fighting?"
However, it was too late for that now. Yu IlHan had acquired enough records about Helièna already. Even though Helièna's magic power suddenly increased by two times, he had the confidence to face her. Since he had inflicted fatal wounds on her as well, what was left was to only pierce her heart by charging forward with Yumir!
[Yes, I finally get it.]
However, just as Yu IlHan poised himself to attack for who knows what number of times this is, she suddenly said something completely incomprehensible.
[So darling is the Fifth.]
"What...?"
[...Wait, let's talk again after we clean this place up.]
She, who was focusing on Yu IlHan from the very moment of her appearance until now, suddenly said something nonsensical before turning around. Looking at her defenseless state, Yu IlHan was about to pierce her without any hesitation, but he ended up not doing so by himself.
"IlHan...?"
"It's fine. I'm completely fine."
Liera, who checked up on him, voiced her worry in a trembling voice, but Yu IlHan shook his head completely fine and spoke.
"Can you not feel it?"
"Feel what?... Oh?"
[That annoying aura disappeared.]
Yes. From the moment Helièna turned her back on them, the power of her charm did not extend towards them anymore. Despite the fact that she was so obsessed with him just before, it was as if she had completely given up on Yu IlHan and his companions.
The aura that extended towards them were completely retracted back to Helièna, and was poured back out towards the three other factions that were in a mess of a fight.
[Kugh...Kyahk!]
[Uhuoooooooooooh! I curse you! I SHALL CURSE YOU!]
The battlefield was crumbling rapidly. The Heaven's Army and the Army of Brilliant Light were almost wiped out, while Natière and Kelatuke fought each other to half-death.
Spiera? She was caught up by the massive battle between the two 7th class beings, and was gravely injured and her consciousness was becoming foggy, and ended up being inflicted by Helièna's charm. All of this was Helièna's doing while she struggled with just one person – Yu IlHan.
Yu IlHan felt his strength dragin while looking at that. Did the enemies defeated by him until not feel like this? Although he wasn't infected, looking at the succubus that did what he couldn't possibly even attempt to, make him feel so insignificant.
"What the hell? She's completely toying with all of them..."
"She's one of the three strongest Battalion Commanders even in the Destruction Demon Army! Do you even know how much I panicked after seeing her so suddenly!?"
Erta, who finally regained her calm, complained to Yu IlHan while pinching his cheeks. However, Yu IlHan could not reply to her. He was completely absorbed in the Succubus Queen in front of him right now.
[Well, it's time to end this.]
Helièna playfully raised one hand in the air and shook it. The mana of charm that became much bigger than before due to her absorption of the mana from everyone here, instantly reversed back into them with the wave of her hand. The next moment,
[Kahk.]
[If it's her wish.]
[I shall gladly!]
They started committing suicide.
(woots~ Yes your Highness – code geass) – KKS
Author's notes
Not all 7th class beings are the same!
Translator's notes
Damn, Helièna's f*cking Lelouch…..
TL: Chamber
PR: RawRBoosted, Koukouseidesu
[Cough.]
[She wishes for my death.]
[O sweet death.]
[I've forgotten about death for a long time. She awakened the longing of death inside me.]
The angels with white wings all committed suicide with their own weapons. It was no different for the fallen angels with black wings. They used their swords, spears, whips, or even hands to cut open their own chests and crush their hearts.
Black and white blood scattered over the battlefield. Looking at the scene Helièna extended her two arms and closed her eyes.
[Look, such a beautiful scene, no? Don't you feel their straight and pure love?]
"Be pure twice and the world will end, duh."
[There's nothing more truthful to prove love than death. It means they've thrown away their all for it!]
The surviving 5th class beings all severed their own lives as soon as Helièna willed it. Black and white feathers scattered in the air. Yu IlHan felt slightly disgusted at himself for thinking it was beautiful.
[Ah, aaaaaaaah!]
[This damned... bitch...!]
[Natière, it was your mistake to come here today. Oh my, you mean it isn't? You love me so much? How thankful I am!]
[Guoooooooooh!]
The 8th Wing of Brilliant Light, Natière, and the Chief Gatekeeper from the Garden of Sunset, Kelatuke, were no exceptions. They were resisting to their best of abilities by agitating their own mana. They might have been able to resist if they were at their full power, but with their powers exhausted with the violent fight until now, it was near impossible for them to endure Helièna's final attack.
The shark reversed the spikes on its armor and shaved its own body out while roaring, and Natière spread her own three pairs of wings to rip her body apart. If there was anything better for them than the other suiciders, it was that it took much longer for them to die due to the strong bodies they had.
[Kh....Kugh!]
[Fufu, you're beautiful, Natière. You're the prettiest that you've ever been right now.]
[Kuhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]
Perhaps Helièna was waiting for this moment from the beginning – slowly poisoning them and paralyzing them, and instantly severing their lives once they became unable to move. She was not only a beautiful succubus, but she was also a meticulously proficient hunter as well.
Yes, right now, he could understand why Helièna was obsessed with him so much. To her who had gained victory after victory like this all her life, there should have been none that were able to surpass her.
[Succu, bus....! I shall...!]
[Oh my.]
However, just one, was able to endure the succubus' order to commit suicide. It was none other than the 6th class high angel Spiera. Even while there was a festival of death around her, she was stiffly raising her head to glare at Helièna.
[I'll kill you myself!]
[How? Oh, that's it. You're in contract with Yu IlHan?]
Helièna's gaze headed to Yu IlHan once again. She asked with a cute and adorable face.
[Darling, what will you do? If you say don't, I'll let that angel go.]
Yu IlHan could not understand Helièna at all. Did she mean that she would follow him if he wished to? Wasn't that as if they were in a master-slave relationship? Just what did the 'fifth' mean?
[Yu IlHan...! You need to, kill her! She's the enemy of Heaven's Army, and your enemy!]
"...Spiera."
Yu IlHan held off from replying to Helièna and faced Spiera. As Helièna had said, the contract between the two were still maintained.
He could feel the connection that linked her to him, and one that allowed both of them to feel each other's emotions minutely. Yu IlHan thought that this was perhaps the best time to wrap things up.
"Spiera, I have something to ask you."
He asked. It was a firm voice not containing any emotions.
"What did you feel like when you abandoned Earth?"
[....]
[Oh my, you knew without having me to tell you? My, my, you really are my type!]
Spiera was silenced with Yu IlHan's sudden question, and Helièna rejoiced that the man she chose had a darker heart than she had originally thought.
"..."
"...Uu."
Only Liera and Erta's expressions stiffened, Their sense of guilt for betraying the Heaven's Army, and their rejection towards the Destruction Demon Army were dragging them back. They just didn't like this situation at all.
However, they wouldn't try to run away either. As long as they decided to go with Yu IlHan, they had to accept everything that he did.
"What did you feel when you realised that so many people could not meet their loved ones ever again?"
[That, is....]
"Returning to Heaven while leaving Liera and me behind, while countless infants died in that hellish place – what did you think about at that time?"
[...]
"Answer me, Spiera. I want to hear your honest thoughts."
Spiera's expression tragically twisted. She realized that Yu IlHan's heart had left the alliance with the Heaven's Army a long time ago.
[I... did not think anything of it.]
She eventually replied.
[I only act upon orders of the Heaven's Army. I am a higher existence, and my emotions are not moved by lower existences.]
"So that is it."
[Did that... answer your question?]
"Yes."
Yu IlHan raised his spear and asked Helièna for the first time
"Can you sever the contract between me and her?"
[Oh, darling, sure! You heard that? Agree to the dissolution of the contract. Here, nod already.]
[...]
Spiera bit her lips and nodded her head. At that time, the contract between the two dissolved with mutual agreement from both sides.
[You have no angels in contract with you. All powers as an Angel's Partner become sealed. If you do not contract with an angel within a certain period of time, you will lose the qualifications of being an Angel's Partner. At that time, you may select a new subclass.]
The moment the contract was completely dissolved, emotions of loss and vanity assaulted Yu IlHan. However, he felt a certain sense of newfound freedom. Being tied to somewhere did not fit him. The fact that a loner tried to join another group was a problem. He liked his current self the most.
[Yu IlHan, do you plan to go against me? Do you plan to go against the Heaven's Army?]
"I'll explain this situation in the simple words I like so much."
Yu IlHan's lips made a cold smile.
"You sound like a thug that just asked 'you wanna go against me?' even though you socked me right in the face."
[...]
Spiera's reply did not come back. Helièna realized Yu IlHan's decision and made way for him while retreating to make a stage for the two of them. She even retracted her power for Spiera to be not charmed by her!
"Spiera, let us fight. Not for the purpose of training, but with our lives on the line."
[...The succubus is listening to your words right now. If you use that power, you should be able to kill me easily. Why do you still hold your spear?]
"I can't let someone else take over the finisher and just step back."
Yu IlHan took deep breaths and looked behind him. Liera and Erta nodded at him with stiff expressions. Na YuNa seemed to hesitate about saying something and she still gave him a blessing to put him back to his full condition while pouting, and Yumir swayed his tail lightly as if he knew what his dad was thinking.
That was enough.
"Well, come on, then."
[You've become more confident of yourself, Yu IlHan. Nice going.]
"I'm not underestimating you. If you were in your normal condition, I wouldn't do something so foolish like this."
However, Spiera was currently exhausted with injuries all over her body. Although she was freed from the charm, her mental self should have been wounded quite a lot as well. Even with 6th class powers, she would not be able to overwhelm Yu IlHan.
Above all, Yu IlHan wanted to experience the Great Cosmos-severing Spear for himself. There would never be another opportunity.
He cancelled Falling Down that was maintained until now, and gathered all the dissipating flames and put it on the tip of his spear. Spiera's lips curved into a smile while facing the spear of flames, that were blessed by the goddess of fire, and was burning as if to melt everything around it.
[So you are keeping such a courtesy against a mere traitor like me... you really are a good man.]
"...Please conduct the last lesson properly, Spiera."
[Very well, I shall show you my best.]
Spiera also held her pure white spear and faced Yu IlHan. Her foggy eyes instantly turned crisp and clear. Liera, who knew how strong she was, became nervous and grabbed Yu IlHan's waist, but he lightly shook his head.
"It's fine."
"What's fine you idiot!"
"On one of the options of Untouchable, there's one that allows me to escape an attack that will instantly put me to death. So, in any case, I won't die with one hit. And if I don't die, then I can recover somehow."
"..."
He actually did have countermeasures! Liera became speechless at Yu IlHan managing to procure his safety even in such a situation. However, she eventually smiled, thinking that it was very much like him.
Yu IlHan did not mind her, and stood up from Yumir's head and extended Ruin Calling. However, before he could leap, Spiera expanded her two pairs of wings and charged towards Yu IlHan!
[Die for the Heaven's Army, Yu IlHan!]
"Hhp!"
Yu IlHan leaped slightly later than her. He set the angle to be horizontal, and overlapped leaps and re-leaped several times in the air to burst through the limit!
[Activating God Force. Muscular strength increases by 340%.]
While charging, Yu IlHan activated God Force without the support of Falling Down. Although he would be in much pain after the battle, he could not hold back with Spiera as his opponent.
[Hah!]
"...!"
As the two were moving at rapid speeds, the moment of outcome rapidly approached as well. Spiera drew a stroke with all her powers in her spear, and Yu IlHan overlapped eleven trajectories into one.
[...!?]
Spiera's eyes abruptly opened while looking at his spear strike. She had realized the power in his strike. Immediately after that, the two trajectories collided, and there was no sound at all.
[....]
"...Kugh."
Yu IlHan, who was standing up with Ruin Calling Open, suddenly vomited blood. Although he looked fine on the outside, the amount of shock he had received internally was very high.
"IlHan!"
"Fuu... you don't need to come."
Liera and the others shouted while widening their eyes, but Yu IlHan firmly shook his head. He gestured that he was fine. By now, punctured internal organs didn't even count as injuries.
[Yu IlHan.]
Spoke Spiera.
[Is that the path you have chosen?]
"It's still incomplete. I'm going to incorporate your technique later too."
[Is that so... It's a pity that I… cannot see… the final.... form.]
A bitter smile hung on Spiera's lips. After that, her body split in half starting from the head to her waist.
[You have earned experience.]
[You have earned the record of Lv 478 Spiera.]
[Fusion evolution of skills are possible. By consuming 1 5th class magic stone and 1,000 4th class magic stones, will you fuse Spear Mastery, Physical Combat mastery, Blunt Weapons mastery, Whip mastery, and Sword mastery?]
Even though she was exhausted by Helièna's power, it was still possible for Spiera to battle, and it looked as if Yu IlHan was deemed as the biggest contributor to her death, as he got the experience and records.
Moreover, as he had experienced the Great Cosmos-severing Spear at her final moments and even killed her and acquired her experience, the conditions to learn the Great Cosmos-severing Spear were fulfilled. Although he couldn't immediately learn it as he had spent all of his 5th class magic stones, it would become possible if he searched through the dead 5th class beings lying around.
[Darling.]
Making a sweet expression specific to a woman in love, Helièna flew towards him.
[You're so cool! You're the partner I've been waiting for all my life, I'm sure of it!]
"Really?"
[Darling will become the fifth God. You shall become the latest, but the brightest and strongest star...!]
Yu IlHan looked at the remaining people in the battlefield while listening to her words. Although Yu IlHan and his companions were without any injuries, all the rest had died. Natière and Kelatuke also lost their lives while Yu IlHan and Spiera were fighting, so they were really the only ones left now.
[I heard a prophecy. That I would eventually stand next to the fifth God!]
"What is this 'fifth God'? Do you mean that I will create a new faction of higher existence?"
[You have noticed yourself, right? Darling... there are no beings that can endure 7th class being's attacks while being a lower existence. There's only you – in this wide multiverse, you're the only one. I also thought 'no way' but now I believe it. Can't you feel my heart pounding?]
Helièna grabbed Yu IlHan's hand and placed his palm onto her voluptuous chest. Yu IlHan admitted with a bitter smile.
"I can indeed feel your heart."
[Right?]
"Yeah."
Yu IlHan took his hand off her chest. Then, he struck with his spear, through her heart.
God Force was still maintained, and having acquired Helièna's records, he knew her weak points and her mana pattern as well, which allowed him to make the her heart burst instantly. Helièna's two eyes widened as if she couldn't believe what was happening.
[...Dar, ling?]
"Thanks for clearing up the situation."
Yu IlHan twisted his spear to completely kill her. Then, he spoke with a cold voice.
"But Liera is my only partner."
There's no way Yu IlHan would believe a woman who spoke of 'love' so easily, which he himself had taken hundreds of years to accept and admit. Additionally, he didn't know her true intentions, nor did he know if it was pure or not!
From the moment she didn't realize that, Helièna's final moments were as good as set in stone.
Author's notes
Thanks for clearing up traffic and disappearing, Helièna
Translator's notes
Aaaaand she died.
Translator: Chamber
Proofreader: Koukouseidesu
[You have earned experience.]
[You have earned the record of Lv 519 Helièna.]
[The skill, Record, has become level 56.]
Yu IlHan immediately collected Helièna's body that was sliding off his spear and looked back at the battlefield.
Numerous corpses of angels and fallen angels, as well as the remains of Natière and Kelatuke that were floating in the air due to the strong mana that surrounded them even after their deaths – these were all Helièna's property. However, since she had died, they were owner-less now. Since he couldn't reject them, he also took them to his inventory.
"IlHan."
"It's not over yet."
Liera approached him while voicing her worry, but Yu IlHan replied lightly and turned around. His lips still had blood on them, and as soon as he deactivated God Force, he felt the unspeakable pain of having all of his bodily muscles ripped apart, but this was still no time to be relieved and rest.
"Do you think they'll give up like this? When 7th class beings were annihilated? I guarantee that more than two factions will send new units."
Of course, 7th classes will not be among them. No idiots would be daring enough to come to a battlefield where three 7th class beings died. However, sending hordes of 6th class beings was possible.
"Now we need to give the chance to our kids as well. I'll just go get them for a bit."
"And what will you do after you bring them here? Fight until the other sides give up or you die?"
"I have the Ruler of dimensions skill."
"...Oh."
Ruler of dimensions was an active skill that he had acquired at the time he acquired the Dimensional Traveler subclass. The skill allowed him to prevent the entry of other beings into that dimension when he stayed in one dimension long enough.
Although it was the perfect skill right now, the problem was time. There were still 7 to 8 hours left before he could activate the skill. It was impossible to hold out with just the people here.
"You were thinking that far ahead...?"
"I promised the elves that I will regain Dareu. Moreover, Phiria's vengeance hasn't been finished yet."
"...Okay, I understand."
Liera read the countless emotions flashing by Yu IlHan's two eyes and did not say anything anymore, and she just retreated while nodding, raising her spear in the process.
"First, I'll hold them off here, so you can go bring the other guys. The rest of you, please cooperate with me."
"Understood."
"Yes~."
[Dad, be quick!]
"Thanks."
Yu IlHan already felt the presences of those entering Dareu, and activated Warp hurriedly. As he had all of the resources required to go to Earth using the ability of Dimensional Traveler, he could go there very quickly compared to the first time he did so. (T/N: I guess 'resources' can refer to time as well.)
"Ah, Your majesty!"
"Master!"
"Captain!"
"Sir Yu IlHan, you were safe."
The ones that were preparing for battle upon Yu IlHan's orders immediately reacted. Looking at their honest reactions, he felt like what happened just now in Dareu were all a dream, and he ended up laughing.
"Looking at you laugh, it seems like everything went well."
"You're right, Mr. Kang HaJin. Everything did go well and..."
There would be no need for him to talk about everything that happened there. There would be a harsh battle ahead anyway, but there's no way he could make them lose their motivation so early on.
"Everyone is still safe for the moment. However, things will only get bigger from now on. ... Everyone's ready, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Of course."
"Any time!"
"Let's go help the hero!"
The answers were loud. Elves, wolfkin, and the Dragon's Army all had glistening eyes. Yu IlHan nodded, saying 'good', and spoke.
"Let's go."
When Yu IlHan returned with the two fortresses and the army inside the two, a battle was already under way. Except the Heaven's Army that gave up on daeru, all three other factions had sent an army comprising hundreds of 5th class beings!
"That's nearly not enough! Hhaaaap!"
[Kraoooooo!]
"Lady Leytnaaaaaa!"
Liera and Yumir fought the enemies in front, Erta supported them with her magic from behind them, and Na YuNa was protecting them perfectly with her inexhaustible supply of holy power. Although the team was perfect without any flaws, it would be difficult for them to defeat the other side by themselves.
"Everyone prepare to fight."
[Master, there was something big here, right? The mana around this area is so twisted...]
"Big things are occurring right now. Mystic, you know what to do without having me to tell you, right?"
[Changing topics again... Of course I do!]
[Critical Hit!]
Mystic's Hundred Eyes bombardment became the signal for the commence of battle. Though, it was too strong for a signal and a significant portion of enemy forces were annihilated!
"IlHan is here!"
"We can win now!"
"Dad!"
The group that was holding out with just the four of them, rejoiced after learning of Yu IlHan's return. As if to answer their joyful calls, the army charged without hesitation against more than two thousand 5th class beings.
"Woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Hero, we're here!"
"Charge! It is time to regain our dignity as wolfkin!"
"Let's go, let's regain... our land of elves!"
Although he wished to be with them and decrease their casualties as much as possible, Yu IlHan's body was still exhausted after continuous battles and the continuous use of God Force. If he pushed himself to fight against 5th class beings, any mistake would result in his death. He used Transcendent regeneration, trying to calm down his internal organs that were messed up, while going into the mansion.
[Master, so you're injured?]
"A little, but if it's control, I can still do it."
[I think I know why master can only become stronger.]
"It's just that you had good eyes for people."
Yu IlHan replied coolly to Orochi's words and hurried his steps to the study. He had already made it so that he could control not only the Flying fortress, but the Guardian fortress's system as well.
[There are no casualties yet.]
"I'm not expecting everyone to survive."
Yu IlHan sat in the comfortable chair in the study, and checked his subordinates in the battlefield through the monitors in the room, and replied with a short sigh.
"However, I'll support them so that they can use the very best of their abilities. Mystic, help them out."
[Sure.]
Not to mention the artifacts including Hundred Eyes, all of the Guardian fortress and the Flying fortress's movements became agile. The members of the army that could not fly had to rely on the two fortresses for movement, and since the two fortresses became more agile, their battle capabilities increased instantly as well.
"This is the power of wolfkin! Uooooooooh!'
[Kyaoooooooooh!]
[Kihaaaaaaak!]
The wolfkin with agile bodies used the jump pads in the Guardian fortress to catch up to the speed of higher existences. Thanks to Yu IlHan's artifacts, there weren't that much differences between their stats and the higher existences', but with overwhelming numbers as well, there was no way they would be disadvantageous.
The elves around Paté who was controlling higher existences as undead, and the Dragon's Army that possessed mana unbefitting of their size, also fought desperately.
"Charge, bite, and become stronger!"
"Focus fire!"
"We only have to do as hero taught us!"
"Get the attributes together, the attributes!"
[Kroaaaaaaaaaar!]
Na YuNa returned to the holy region and strengthened all others, while Liera, Erta and Yumir received all the attacks at the frontlines while rampaging around. Everyone had gathered with one intention in mind, to resist against the intruders on Dareu.
[Kuoooooooooh!]
"Mir, well done!"
"Retreat immediately!"
The voice of his companions filling the battlefield tickled Yu IlHan's ears. Enduring his urge to immediately go out there and fight with them, Yu IlHan once again focused on control.
"Good, let's do this for a little longer."
[Master, you're sweating a lot, are you really alright?]
"I'm used to things like pain.
Activating Transcendent regeneration to its limits, he drank all the remaining amounts of Breath he had. Since he had thousands of dragons anyway, there was no need to save up on them.
There were 6 hours until he could activate the Ruler of Dimensions skill. Yu IlHan checked the state of his body and the morale of his allies and clenched his teeth. He could finally see the end of this dirty and annoying war. Right now, he had to do everything he could!
***
[Y, you mere lower existence!]
[Where is Lord Kelatuke? This damn lizard!]
[No way, you were angels before!]
"Eeeei, shut up alreadyyyyy!"
When Erta's magic binded the enemies, Liera's spear caused an explosion of shockwaves in midair. With Yumir's wind magic support that enhanced the shockwaves' strength, three fallen angels died at once.
[You're so strong even after falling, I cannot believe... I!]
"Hhp!"
[Kahk!?]
Ericia appeared behind the head of a higher existence that was occupied by Liera and Erta and struck a dagger onto the head. That higher existence was killed without being able to endure the piled up wounds.
"Fuu."
Ericia, having killed the enemy, looked at the battlefield and shouted.
"The enemies are dead!"
"Uooooooooooooooh!"
The wolfkin rejoiced in excitement after seeing their princess's actions. Liera really saw that there were no higher existences on the battlefield and shrugged her shoulders.
"To think she stole the finisher."
"They are truly courageous. I never knew they could fight so well without shrinking back against higher existences."
"Hmph, they're just overconfident. .... Though, I'm glad that not many of them died."
Although it was easy to misunderstand since he didn't show it much on the outside, Yu IlHan received a considerable amount of pain if someone he deems close to him gets injured or dies. If Phiria didn't die, he probably wouldn't have went so far for Dareu.
[I think dad is moving.]
Shouted Yumir who received Liera, Erta and Ericia who killed the last higher existence.
[It looks like it's time!]
Not to mention Liera, all the others focused their gazes on the Flying fortress as well. They could feel a pressure that tightened their hearts at the center of the Flying fortress.
When that power spread throughout the world and filled the skies, the world blinked. To find a sentence that can explain this in the simplest way possible, it was as if a patch was being activated to fix the bugs of the world.
"Whoaaa."
"How the heck is this a subclass's skill...?"
[Dad is amazing. Too amazing.]
They also vaguely realized what this 'patch', made with the expansion of an overwhelming amount of mana, meant. The Ruler of dimensions skill successfully activated, and unless it was the leader of each faction, they would not be able to enter Dareu now.
And if a world required their leader to act, then they'd rather give up on Dareu completely.
Yes. This meant that they had obtained victory. They had succeeded in defending Dareu against the higher existences.
Liera, who could not believe that it really did happen, muttered absentmindedly.
"...Ruler of dimensions? It's the perfect fitting name."
"Didn't I say so, Liera?"
The doors to the mansion of the Flying fortress opened and Yu IlHan walked out, looking very exhausted. Erta whispered while looking like she was holding back the urge to pour kisses onto him.
"That I'll make him a God."
"Don't joke with me, Erta."
Liera snorted at her and activated the option on the Feather of Temptation and floated into the air. Her destination was into Ilhan's arms.
"Even without you, IlHan will become a God all by himself."
And like that, all battles ended.
The battle resulted in many losses, and many gains.
Author's notes
I was surprised to see so many readers actually taking a liking to Helièna. She's a character I made without much thought – it looks like a character's character is not decided by the time you spend on it. Of course, Helièna's definitely dead, but in the future (rest omitted)
Translator's notes
one day of no chapter -> $312 the next day
cries
Translator: Chamber
Proofreader: Koukouseidesu
"Does this skill dispel if you leave Dareu?"
"No, it can be maintained as long as I will it."
Liera asked, curious about the faint membrane around this world, and Yu IlHan honestly answered. Liera became speechless.
"That's OP!"
"But the activation is quite hard."
"Even so... *sigh*, I shouldn't have asked."
The war was over, and the skill that prevented any outsiders from entering has also been activated. Although many horrifying monsters will be born in this world, as this world was now a higher world, the current elves and wolfkin would be able to manage that by themselves.
"Master."
Ericia carefully approached Yu IlHan and Liera.
"The battlefield has been cleaned up; the harvest of the materials... as well as recovering the corpses.'
"Thanks, Ericia. Are we clear about the number of casualties yet?"
"Suitable measures have been carried out. We're all waiting for master's next orders."
Yu IlHan patted Ericia's head who was lowering her head slightly. Looking at her twitching ears, he spoke with a small smile.
"Then let us have the funeral then."
A grand funeral for Phiria, whose death notified him of the occurrences in Dareu, as well as all the other elves and wolfkin who died throughout the war, as well as Lecidna, Yumir's mother, was carried out. Yu IlHan, his subordinates, the elves and wolfkin, and Yumir's Dragon's army all gathered in one place.
"Though, to be exact, Lecidna was completely fooled by the Garden of Sunset..."
[Mom.]
When Lecidna's body inside Yu IlHan's inventory showed itself in the outside world, the setting sun colored her golden scales red. Yumir looked at that with clear eyes as if he didn't feel any sadness, before approaching her body and lightly embraced it, while still in dragon form.
[I'm going to live on strong with dad. So mom, don't worry about us and be born strong in your next time, and live a long life.]
"A dragon is a dragon alright."
While Yu IlHan was speechless at Yumir's words, the children comprising the Dragon's army became sad for some reason while watching Yumir embracing Lecidna's body.
"Is that hero's mom?"
"I feel strange. I'm not hurt, but I'm crying."
"I hope that this helped the hero to become happier."
"I'm going to make the hero happy."
To the children who took the fact that killing was a necessity for survival for granted, commemorating the dead was an awkward thing for them. However, Yu IlHan still wished for them to understand that death was a sad thing.
To them, Yumir was their everything, so they would probably understand something after seeing him send his mother away. Although it would be bad if they hesitated to fight against their enemies, they could at least escape being unaffected by the deaths of their allies.
"Everyone has worked hard. The blood you have shed have all become seeds to regain Dareu."
"And with our tears, may elves prosper once more..."
"Kitera..."
The elves who finally regained Dareu after a long period of time also commemorated their comrades in arms and cried. Although they could not regain the remains of Phiria, the other 3 elves could finally let her go with peace in their hearts.
"Phiria..."
"I'll protect His Majesty to your share as well. Although we're still the ones being protected right now, I'll definitely become strong enough!"
"Thanks, Phiria. I will never forget you."
Meanwhile, the atmosphere was slightly different in the wolfkin's side. They, who was assured that the Moon Wolf Ericia had chosen in this war, was a great man indeed, rejoiced that they have gained a gained a grand victory in this sacred war, and also thought that their comrades that died, died glorious deaths. They could send the dead off with joy.
"After Kiroa had lost its future, what remained for us was also regress and death. However, we have met Lord Yu IlHan and finally gained a future. Look at us now! We may be fewer in number, but we have become incomparably stronger than before, and we shall become even stronger in the future!"
"Uooooooh!"
"Remember the ones that died in this holy war! We! Have to become stronger, enough to cover their share, or more!"
"We shall follow you for all of eternity, Lady Ericia!"
"Lord Yu IlHan!"
Everyone commemorated the dead in their own ways. Yu IlHan silently watched, until he judged that they were done with it, when he held up his hand. At the same time, all of the remains were covered in warm, orange flames.
"So, beautiful."
"Yu IlHan... Truly an ability that's been blessed by the goddess of fire. To think there's a fire that provokes emotions just by looking at it."
"It's as if the flames are dancing in unison."
What all they said was true. All the flames above the corpses had Eternal flame controlling them, and was dancing in order to make them rest in peace. Yu IlHan simply smiled as he felt that he could feel its emotions. He was just happy.
However, the funeral that seemed to end like that left them a surprise gift.
"Dad."
"Yeah?"
Yumir, who was now appeared in a human boy's form, pulled on Yu IlHan's sleeves while speaking.
"Something's there where mom died."
"What do you mean something's th.... Hm?"
As he didn't want to touch Lecidna's remains, he should have put more thoughts into the temperature of the fire in order to incinerate everything but this…
Yu IlHan was confused and headed to where Yumir lead him to. When he got there, the place where Lecidna's remains were burning was replaced by an oval object. Yu IlHan's forehead was immediately filled with cold sweat when he saw that.
"... I have a slight trauma with objects of such shape."
"It's not an egg, dad. That's a magic a dragon uses to protect an item safely. Those are mom's scales."
"They definitely are scales alright."
She should have collected the sturdiest of her scales and enhanced them with magic before storing them in her body in order to do this. Yu IlHan admitted with difficulty after looking at the scale capsule that was glowing red due to the fire.
"Well then."
Yu IlHan approached it and touched it. At that moment, one of the scales protruded upwards and stabbed at Yu IlHan's finger. Although it didn't hurt, he didn't touch it anymore since he felt like any more would cause a bigger reaction.
"There's a defense mechanism... Mir, can you try touching it?"
"Yeah."
Yumir put his hands on top of the scale capsule. At that moment, the scales mysteriously collapsed with a sound and showed its contents. It was set to disarm against those of the same blood.
And the contents were –
"A letter and an unknown piece of metal. And also."
The scales that were protecting the contents had merged into one giant piece of scale. When he knocked on it, it was so hard that it made Yu IlHan wonder if that really belonged to a lower existence. The magic power flowing inside was also very extraordinary and it felt as if Lecidna herself was compressed into that one giant scale.
"Looks like the letter is for me."
"Can you read it?"
"Yeah, I learnt from the elves."
Yumir read the letter with glistening eyes. While reading the letter, he gave Yu IlHan the pieces of metal that was with the letter itself.
"Apparently, it's an artifact that allows you to contact the members of the Garden of Sunset."
"So she tried to drag even you to the Garden of Sunset. Sheesh, she was completely hopele... hmmm?"
The piece of metal was definitely in the form of a transceiver. Although it was designed in a complex structure, any dragon could interpret and activate it, since they could wield mana proficiently.
The problem was not that. This transceiver generated a certain type of signal to send to the members of the Garden of Sunset residing in another world, and the second function would be activated once it received a reply – the function to create a gate that connects the two worlds.
This was an artifact that allows people to move worlds! If the Heaven's Army had such an artifact, Yu IlHan wouldn't have had to spend a thousand years in solitude! – thought Yu IlHan, when he realized that this artifact bent around the laws of the Akashic Records itself.
There's no way the Heaven's Army could acknowledge such an existence. No, perhaps, they didn't even know of it either.
"Looks like we can destroy a lot of the bases of the Garden of Sunset with this."
"Are we going to destroy them right away?"
Asked Yumir with shining eyes. Fighting numerous higher existences made him incomparably stronger than when he had first arrived in Dareu.
Although it was too bad for Lecidna, Yumir was a guy that would like it if there was a battle, whether it was the Garden of Sunset or the Destruction Demon Army. However, Yu IlHan didn't want to have any more battles for the time being, so he shook his head.
"No, I want to finish up what happened in Dareu at this point. If I asked everyone for compensation, the battle would become endless, and I also wouldn't be able to endure for so long. Let's save this for later."
Of course, if the other side picked a fight with him first, he would not let them go either. Yu IlHan put the artifact inside his inventory and had a look at the scale next.
"And so... Mir. What should I make you with this?"
"I'd like a necklace. A locket. I'm going to put the letter in there."
"Okay, I'll make you a locket."
"Heheh."
Yu IlHan thought that Yumir had no affection for her, when he saw that he sent her off so easily, and from the fact that he didn't talk a lot about his mother until now, but it seemed that he was wrong. Yu IlHan gave a tight hug to Yumir who put Lecidna's letter inside his bosom, before turning around. He was planning to make a pretty locket that can remind Yumir of Lecidna. Of course, he would also make it very functional as well.
In any case, the funeral was over with this. Since they sent all that they had to send off, it was now time to go back to everyday life for the living.
"Your Majesty, will you be going right away?"
When Yu IlHan was preparing for the two fortresses to activate, Mirfa asked with a panicked voice. He could not ignore the earnest gaze that wished him to stay with them more, and replied with a bitter smile.
"I'm sorry. But I can't take you all to Earth... I'll come back once I am in need of your power again, so please fight on until then. I'll look forward to you all becoming stronger."
"But..."
"Mirfa, don't worry. I'll protect His Majesty."
Jirl replied with a confident smile to Mirfa who could not let go of her regrets. Mirey, Jirl, and Paté had all finished preparing to leave and was behind Yu IlHan.
"Jirl, you idiot. That's not what she means."
"I also want to serve you by your side...."
The feelings the elves had towards Yu IlHan were absolute. He found this very awkward, but they were all adorable as well. Yu IlHan lightly stroked Mirfa's hair and consoled her.
"I'll come around to play even if I don't need your help. Right now, coming over to this world is nothing difficult for me."
"...Yes, Your Majesty! We will wait for your return!"
Finally, Mirfa's expression regained its smile. Mirfa nodded several times with a bright red face. That was also the moment when an alarm went off in Liera's heart when she was watching.
To speak the truth, more than half of the elven females had feelings for Yu IlHan, so there was no room at all for Liera to relax! She only wanted to leave Dareu as soon as possible.
"We shall await the princess's return."
"We shall definitely become stronger!"
"Yes, proceed forward. I will also become stronger under master."
The leader of the wolfkin, the Moon Wolf Ericia, as well as the captain wolf Flemir also went with Yu IlHan. As a considerable number of wolves had grown to 4th class in this war, they would be able to hold out by themselves.
"So we actually won."
"It feels like the final act of a book. I think it will be perfect if there's the word [-fin-] on the bottom right of the screen."
"There are so many of those moments that it's nothing new anymore."
"Fufu, that's why I like him."
"Yes, yes. I know very well."
Everyone got on the Flying fortress. Since the Guardian fortress was made for the elves and wolfkin, it would be unmanned while they were not there, and would only serve to protect the Flying fortress.
Yu IlHan immediately activated the Warp skill against the two fortresses and the members in it. As there were several members, it should take a long time usually, but with the power of Dimensional Traveler, a few minutes would be enough.
But when he was about to start the Warp skill, Na YuNa grabbed his sleeve and glistened her eyes.
"Mr. IlHan. I want to see MiRae now~."
"That's quite early you're saying that. However, I also want to see MiRae. And father too.... And my other family members as well." (Kang HaJin)
"Oh, I'm planning to go find my father and mother first. After that is Miss MiRae. ... After that let's visit where Sir Kang HaJin and miss YuNa wants to go to." (Yu IlHan)
"F, father and motherrrr!?"
Shouted Na YuNa in shock and started combing her hair. Liera and Erta were also nervous. As it was so obvious what they were thinking, Yu IlHan gave a smack on the foreheads of each of the girls.
"It's not like all the other worlds are as messed up as Dareu is, so we're going to take it slow from here. It will take time for Earth to leap into a higher world anyway. ... And we also need some rest too."
"And you need to make equipment with your profits."
"I said don't read my mind."
Yu IlHan seemed about to give a smack on Liera's forehead again, but suddenly changed his actions and put his hand around her waist. At that moment, Na YuNa and Erta were stunned stiff as if they were inflicted by paralysis magic.
"Then let's go rest."
"...Okay."
Liera's replying voice became so obedient like a different person altogether. Looking at her back as she followed Yu IlHan, Na YuNa and Erta grit their teeth and their gazes met, before they extended a hand out each and did a stiff handshake.
"We simply cannot give up."
"How could we? I gave up my angelhood for this."
And the two's voice perfectly synced.
""Let us do well from now on.""
"What the hell? These women are scary..."
Only Kang HaJin, who felt the shivers from the obsession of women, shivered in fear.
Author's notes
The story of Dareu is settled for now with this!
Translator's notes
As Kobatochandaisuki is away on a trip, it is very likely that the sponsor status will not be updated. So I'll put the current status here.
If you've read my notes in the previous chapter, you probably saw that it was $312. However, between the time I translated that chapter and this chapter, someone just dumped me with $200. Meaning the total is now $512, which is now down to $412 with these two chapters.
Have fun reading!