As Rygar's supersonic wind bullets tore through the air, they whistled like invisible projectiles, leaving a trail of death and destruction. The enemies tried to flee, but it was futile. Every movement was calculated, every target eliminated with surgical precision. Rygar kept his eyes sharp, his expression frozen in a mask of coldness as his body acted almost instinctively. Yet, something was bothering him.
'Why are these guys so weak?'
It wasn't that they were useless. Compared to ordinary warriors, they were strong—well-trained assassins, coordinated, attacking in numbers, enough to overwhelm individual warriors. Even Ghislaine had needed to retreat from some of their sieges. But for him? For someone who mastered large-scale magic and possessed an arsenal capable of turning the battlefield in the blink of an eye?
It didn't make sense.
His enemies were supposed to know about his lightning magic. They knew about its destructive power. If they were here to kill him, why were they attacking so randomly? Were they just throwing numbers at him without any real strategy? Or was there something he had yet to realize?
As he pondered, his golden eyes scanned the battlefield. No real challenge. Only one Saint-level warrior— the only opponent worthy of attention. He immobilized him with a precise lightning spell, making the enemy's body convulse in spasms before collapsing to the ground, unconscious. Rygar approached, assessing the fallen man for a moment before raising his hand and conjuring earth magic. The ground beneath the warrior split open, swallowing him up to his chest. With a second command, the earth solidified, trapping him firmly.
"I'll have a little chat with him later..."
He turned and continued his pursuit, killing them all with ease. None of them surpassed him in strength or could understand his attacks with the versatility he fought with.
After hunting down and killing almost all of them, he returned to the battlefield's starting point.
Rygar turned, searching for Ghislaine's position. Even outnumbered, the enemies couldn't match her speed, so she simply retreated when surrounded and hunted them down one by one. Her blade left trails of blood across the battlefield, slicing through anyone who dared approach. When only a few survivors remained, she halted the chase and returned to Rygar's side.
Her steps were light, but her gaze still carried the ferocity of battle. As soon as she arrived, her eyes landed on the immobilized Saint-level warrior, arms crossed, a small smile playing on her lips.
Rygar wasted no time. He created a sphere of water and shot it directly at the man's face. The warrior choked and coughed as he woke up, confused. Before he could gather his bearings, Rygar cast a light healing spell to stabilize him. The man gasped, his eyes widening as he recognized his captor.
And then his expression twisted into a mask of pure hatred.
"YOU FILTHY DEMON! LAPLACE'S DOG! YOU WON'T LIVE FOR LONG!"
Rygar blinked, his expression shifting from neutral to confused. "Laplace's dog?" he murmured, frowning.
Before he could ask more, he noticed Ghislaine's small smile beside him. Unlike her usual predatory grin, this one carried a hint of amusement, as if she had been waiting for his reaction.
Rygar felt a slight irritation grow inside him. That nickname was really bad—who the hell came up with that crap? He turned back to the captured warrior, his voice firm and impatient.
"Who sent you here?"
The man shouted with fervor, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism.
"GOD! HE SENT ME TO END YOU!"
Rygar closed his eyes for a moment and let out a long sigh. This guy... clearly lacked intelligence.
Rygar sighed. "You're not very smart, are you?" He then activated his magic eye, focusing his senses to catch any involuntary reactions from the man. "Okay, I'll say a few names, and you just have to be yourself, alright?"
The man remained silent, his muscles tense.
Rygar began the game.
"Are you from the Order of Instruction?"
No reaction.
"The Temple?"
A slight ripple, almost imperceptible. Rygar smiled.
"So, the Temple Order, huh..."
"I already told you, I'm a warrior of God!" The man repeated as if reaffirming it to himself.
Rygar ignored the response. "Are you from a noble house? Who gave you the order?"
"Saint Milis himself!"
Rygar raised an eyebrow. "Was it a cardinal?"
The man remained stiff, but Rygar caught a small tremor.
"Cardinal Leblanc McFarlane?"
The warrior reacted immediately, his expression twisting. His mouth opened, but then he tried to correct himself, his voice trembling with an obvious lie. "NO! I! AM! A DIVINE! WARRIOR!"
Rygar let out an amused sigh. "Okay, divine warrior. Why only you guys? Are the others ambushing me somewhere else? Do you know who they are?"
The man scoffed. "We alone are enough for you!"
Rygar crossed his arms, analyzing him. This guy was an idiot—he didn't even believe what he was saying. The sweat running down his forehead, the subtle tremble of his lips. He was a fanatic but not an assassin. Rygar quickly understood the situation.
"Hmph... So, you're not a trained assassin. You're an ex-knight who volunteered to kill me or just to distract me. Man, I sometimes wonder what goes on in your heads."
The man gritted his teeth, preparing to shout again. Rygar didn't give him the chance. With a swift movement, a wind bullet pierced his throat before any sound could escape. The Saint warrior's head fell back, lifeless, his wide eyes frozen in shock.
Rygar sighed, wiping Tsukikage clean of any blood and carnage before turning to Ghislaine. "I think we can expect something more dangerous ahead. This guy was most likely just a pawn Milis was using to lower my guard, which makes me even more certain that the one who planned this was Cardinal Leblanc. Galgard is smart enough to know I wouldn't see this as a real threat—he knows my strength. And the Pope has nothing against me."
Ghislaine observed him for a moment, her wild eyes gleaming with interest. "Do you want to kill him?"
Rygar smiled. He had always liked Ghislaine's straightforward and sincere way. No beating around the bush, no hesitation.
Her sweaty body glistened under the sunlight filtering through the forest. Her curves stood out due to the minimal clothing she wore for fighting. The heat of battle still radiated from her, and Rygar felt a subtle excitement begin to rise within him.
"Yes... I want to kill him. But I don't have time to look for him now. And I can't defeat Galgard... yet. Besides, the Legion is strong enough now. Even if they weren't, I trust they'd find a way... and if they don't, I can always come back and kill them all for revenge." Saying this, he turned away.
The metallic scent of blood still hung in the air. Ghislaine inhaled softly, her gaze shifting to Rygar's waist, picking up on a different scent. A subtle smile appeared on her lips as her tail lazily swayed from side to side. Rygar noticed the movement, and for an instant, his eyes wandered over her.
Before he could say anything, a voice interrupted the moment.
"Rygar!"
He lowered his ears, slightly disappointed. Eris and the others were approaching. Ghislaine, on the other hand, just let out a faint smile, showing no irritation. The moment had passed.
Rygar sighed, turning toward the newcomers. The battle was over, but something greater awaited them in the distance.
The scent of blood still lingered in the air as Lilia stepped down from the carriage, holding Aisha in her arms. The field around them was covered in bodies, some still releasing their last breaths of life. Skoll, as usual, leaped onto the corpses without hesitation, sniffing the fresh blood. Geese, seeing the destruction caused by Rygar and Ghislaine, let out a low whistle, displaying both surprise and respect.
"Well, that was... intense," he murmured, scratching his neck.
Eidar remained calm, observing the landscape of death around him as if it were trivial. Eris, on the other hand, walked with clenched fists, her mood visibly sour. Not participating in the battle annoyed her, but she said nothing. Rygar crossed his arms and analyzed the surroundings.
"Let's keep moving. This probably won't be the last attack, but we'll always sense them before they reach us," he said, his voice filled with confidence.
"Probably?" Geese repeated, his expression skeptical. "Boss?"
Rygar waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't worry, Milis shouldn't be able to hire someone who can escape my perception."
He turned to continue walking but murmured to himself:
"...I hope."
"I heard that! I heard that! We're gonna die!" Geese dramatized, raising his hands to the sky.
Eidar laughed loudly, and even Eris let out a brief chuckle, though she tried to hide it. Then, Lilia approached with Aisha in her arms, the little girl displaying a look of pure excitement. Carefully, Lilia set her down, allowing her to stand beside her mother.
Lilia sighed and then addressed her daughter:
"Aisha, big brother Rygar asked me to take you as his disciple. That means he'll teach you everything he knows, and you'll be part of the Iron Legion."
Aisha's eyes widened, excitement growing in her small body. Even at just two years old, she understood what this meant. She knew Rygar wanted to train her, she knew her mother had been hesitant, and now her mother was giving her a choice. This was an implicit approval. Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she looked at Rygar.
"Can I be big brother's disciple?" she asked, her voice filled with hope.
Rygar was surprised for a moment. He then glanced at Lilia, who maintained a neutral expression, though there was something in her eyes that indicated she had finally accepted his request. He couldn't help but smile slightly in satisfaction.
He then crouched down and lifted Aisha into his arms, looking directly into her eyes.
"Of course, Aisha. You are now officially my first disciple," he said, his voice firm and full of pride. "I've taught many people, many indeed, but you will be the first official disciple. I know you will live up to it."
Aisha's face lit up with joy. She laughed and eagerly responded:
"Yes, Master!"
Rygar smiled, lifting her onto his shoulder. He then turned to the rest of the group. Eris, meanwhile, had an expression that was difficult to interpret, as if she was holding something back. Jealousy? Irritation? Rygar noticed but chose not to comment.
"Let's keep moving," he said, feeling that the moment had ended well.
Geese, climbing back onto the carriage, chuckled.
"I can't even imagine what Aisha will become with you teaching her..." he murmured, shaking his head.
The group then set off again, leaving behind the bodies and traces of battle. The future was uncertain, but Rygar knew he was shaping something grand. And now, he had his first official disciple to train.
For the rest of the journey to West Port, no major incidents occurred, but the tension between Rygar and Ghislaine grew daily. He tried to hold back as much as possible, but hiding it was becoming difficult. The worst part was that Ghislaine wasn't helping at all; on the contrary, she seemed to enjoy teasing him whenever she caught his furtive glances.
Fortunately, Rygar had enough distractions to keep his mind occupied. Aisha was now officially his disciple, and he had much to teach her. Eris trained relentlessly to reach Saint level, as determined as ever. Lilia watched Aisha's progress closely, as if constantly seeking confirmation that she had made the right decision in allowing Rygar to train her.
And Aisha, for her part, did not disappoint. Since the day she conjured her first water ball, she spent her mana daily, increasing her capacity impressively. Her growth wasn't as absurd as Rygar's, but it came close. Moreover, her ability to absorb knowledge was incredible, like a sponge that never tired.
One afternoon, while Rygar was explaining basic magic concepts to Aisha, he mentioned:
"We'll only start your real physical training when you turn four, but until then, you can familiarize yourself with the forms and do flexibility exercises."
Aisha listened attentively, her eyes shining with determination. On top of the carriage, Eris was balancing herself, training her coordination and stability, when Geese shouted from the reins:
"We're almost there! We're at West Port! Heheheh, it's practically the world's dividing line!"
Everyone turned to look, and in the distance, they saw the sea. The smell of salt reached them, the salty wind brushing against their faces.
Eris jumped off the carriage, excited, her eyes wide with amazement.
"The sea! Ghislaine! The sea! I've never seen the sea before!" she exclaimed, running to the roadside for a better view.
Aisha was equally enchanted, her eyes shining with wonder. Lilia, however, seemed melancholic.
"Strangely enough... I've never seen the sea either..." she murmured, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
Rygar gazed at the port city ahead and felt the wind against his face.
"The sea here is different from Zant Port..." he thought.
He took a deep breath, taking in the new environment. This was yet another step in his journey. Another great step toward the future.
---
Hello! If you want to support my writing, check out my subscription P@treon
By subscribing, you will get access to up to 15 advanced chapters of the Webnovel (I will add more in the future) and polls to decide various things about the story.
Your support will encourage me to continue writing more chapters! Check it out here: pa treon.com/DaoistJunkYard
---
Special Thanks
Thank you to Demi for becoming member on Patreon!