This was something Chu Yan found difficult to comprehend.
It was expected that the nobility of the Sea of Death would seize the opportunity to strike, but that they had managed to summon another dragon descendant, and an outsider at that, was truly unexpected.
Chu Yan fixed his gaze on one of the older men among them, whose features bore a striking resemblance to Piga, though he was frail and hunched.
"Are you a survivor of the Piga family?"
"I am his father! You have slain my son!" Old Piga bellowed.
The word "survivor" cut deeply into Old Piga's heart, conjuring painful memories of his fallen family.
Chu Yan had no intention of offering any defense; his focus sharpened on the three most threatening figures before him.
One was a male forbidden one, his sword-wielding arm radiating a repugnant aura of slaughter—this must be the "forbidden one among the nobility" that Janet had mentioned.
Another was the Black Ice Dragon descendant, impeccably dressed, with lineage evident in his bearing; his haughty demeanor emanated from his very bones, and even his noble gestures could not mask his arrogance.
Accompanying the Black Ice Dragon descendant was a formidable middle-aged steward, his hair and beard white yet robust, his strength palpable even through his suit.
"I had thought the Sea of Death nobility would merely seek out some old fogey from the Dragon Flame family to deal with me, yet they've summoned a Black Ice Dragon descendant as well. The nature of this matter has shifted from mere familial strife to a conspiracy with external forces!"
Connice removed his glasses, carelessly polishing them, unfazed by the impending conflict. He chuckled softly, saying, "You think too much. Your participation in a family trial in such a wretched place is simply a sign of the Dragon Flame family's disdain for you. If I eliminate you, it may well be a service to those people. Moreover, as long as you die quietly, the cause of your demise will merely be an accident."
Chu Yan nodded, feigning earnestness as he remarked, "Just like the Piga family, all of whom died by suicide?"
"Preposterous!"
Old Piga's temper flared, his face reddening; he attempted to charge forward, but the sword-wielding forbidden one blocked his path.
The opponent was employing provocation; should Old Piga advance any further, they might not be able to save him from the wrath of the dragon descendant's fire magic.
The steward remained unfazed as he cautioned his master, "Young Master Connice, they are stalling for time, allowing that female forbidden one to recover."
Chu Yan inwardly marveled at how quickly their intentions had been discerned.
He was indeed buying time for Shanaoya; she had only just engaged the siren, and now that the Blood Moon had fully descended, he aimed to minimize her reliance on forbidden powers.
Chu Yan subtly squeezed Shanaoya's hand to steady her and then turned to mock the dragon descendant, "I am quite curious as to what could compel a Black Ice Dragon descendant to serve the Piga family. Do you hold such admiration for a mere hound raised by my Dragon Flame family?"
"Little tricks, are we? You think to provoke me? If you're so fond of showing off your wit, I'll be sure to grant you the answer when you're near death!"
Connice gestured, and his steward and the sword-wielding forbidden one, Sword, lunged forward.
"Lady Knight, I hope your swordsmanship will leave me in awe rather than in fits of laughter!"
Sword's grip on his sword exuded a cacophony of wails—those were the sword fighters he had vanquished, now part of his very essence.
A flurry of sword lights surged forth, each strike seemingly accompanied by a ghostly presence.
Chu Yan turned his horse, charging into the mass of monsters alongside Shanaoya.
Monsters were indiscriminate; if the Black Ice Dragon descendant sought to kill him, he would also bear the brunt of the siren's attacks.
"Shanaoya, I will create an opportunity for you; try to minimize your strikes, and when you do, make them count."
"Hmm..."
Shanaoya's response was sluggish, her attention wandering as she aimlessly scanned her surroundings, searching for something without purpose.
A massive water vortex loomed overhead, the throngs of monsters beneath it howling with excitement, their fangs bared.
A pair of knights rode through the dense throng of creatures, their steed panicked and almost running on pure survival instinct as the monsters' attacks grazed their bodies, fortunately resulting only in minor injuries.
The old steward and Sword pursued from behind, the latter's sword light cleaving through the chaos, heedless of his own expenditure—there was a faint hint of rationality slipping away. A forbidden one must not overextend their power.
"Shanaoya, now is the time! Strike at his kidneys!"
Before speaking, Chu Yan hurled a corpse bomb; the monsters slain by Sword erupted in a series of explosions, propelling his body into the air, albeit suffering only minor injuries.
Shanaoya regained her focus, thrusting her magical sword into the small magical circle beside her. A new small magical circle manifested behind Sword, and a black magic blade pierced through his form.
"This... this isn't even swordsmanship!" Sword roared in fury, only to have his actions interrupted as a small vortex controlled by the siren formed, severing his head like a meat grinder.
Yet, his mangled body seemed possessed of its own will, continuing to wield the sword, thirsting for souls through slaughter.
—Had he completely lost control, now governed by the forbidden power he wielded?
Despite bearing the pressures of the Sea of Death monsters and the small vortex, the assured advantage of a decisive strike lightened Chu Yan's mood considerably. He calmly instructed, "Listen carefully, Shanaoya, I need you to strike once more—just once. Aim your magic circle at the knee of that Black Ice Dragon descendant."
The Black Ice Dragon descendant could not be killed just yet; Chu Yan feared that if he perished, the steward would become unhinged.
Possessing close to A-Class strength, the steward also bore a hint of dragon blood.
Should he start attacking Chu Yan recklessly like a desperate fugitive, the threat he posed would surpass that of the siren!
He needed to ensure the life of that young master was preserved to serve as leverage.
Chu Yan pinpointed the steward's moment of vulnerability against the monsters and promptly launched a magical ambush.
Dragon Flame: Spitting Fire!
A flaming dragon's head materialized, belching forth a torrent of flames toward the steward, the fire colliding and forming a sticky magma on the ground that hindered the steward's movements.
"Shanaoya, act now!"
But this time, Shanaoya seemed lost in thought; she stared blankly for a few seconds before hastily attempting to construct her magical circle.
However, the steward reacted swiftly, retreating while cautioning, "Young Master, watch out!"
Connice immediately activated his dragon bloodline, icy scales manifesting upon his form as he hurriedly withdrew.
In that retreat, Shanaoya's blade went awry, inadvertently striking the "Ice Dragon Egg"!
"Ahh—!"
In pain, Connice fell to his knees, unable to quell the soul-deep agony even as he utilized magic to heal himself.
"Shanaoya, were you intentionally distracted?"
The dazed knight struggled to regain her composure, barely managing to muster a flicker of awareness as she responded, "My power... seems to be speaking to me."
"Surely not... then tell it to come back another time, will you?"
With Shanaoya faltering at such a critical moment, Chu Yan's spirits plummeted.
Fortunately, the advantage of the battlefield finally revealed itself!
Officer Omega arrived, descending from the sky, her hand gripping the siren's face and yanking her down from the vortex, slamming her to the ground, where an inferno erupted within the siren's mouth.
Janet's voice echoed from an unknown source, reaching Chu Yan's ears with her inquiry:
"The siren will be dealt with. How should we handle the Black Ice Dragon descendant? One of his status cannot be killed lightly."
Without hesitation, Chu Yan declared, "Eliminate the steward, but spare this young master for now; he has yet to reveal something crucial to me!"