Chapter 360: The Great War (4)

“You’re too slow! Get a move on!!”

Miliana’s sharp voice spurred the Digons to move faster.

“Get ready for deployment in ten minutes! You got it?!”

“Yes, ma’am!!”

“Understood!!”

“Hghh...! Ghrrr...! Alteman! You think you can betray the dragons and get away with it?!”

“...Well, you ain’t gonna answer, elf?”

“Khhh...! Ghrah...!!”

Miliana then ruthlessly struck Cruah in the head. With each blow, the thick chains of Clear Distilled Water tightened even more around her neck.

“Uh, you sort of answered for me,” Alteman told Miliana, a flicker of amusement in his voice.

“Aidan, what on earth has happened to you lately?” Miliana turned around, perched on Cruah’s head. “You've become quite capable.”

“You...!! How dare you sit on my—!”

The Golden Dragon’s protest was cut short as Miliana’s sharp claws, now resembling a dragon’s talons, pierced through her scales and dug into her cheeks.

“Kraaaagh...!!”

With a ruthless tug, she tore away a chunk of flesh and a few of the dragon’s hard scales, sending them falling to the ground, smeared with blood.

“Don’t be so foolish as to expect any mercy from us. We’re

barbarians

, remember?”

“Hghhrr...” Cruah trembled in pain, a guttural sound escaping her—something between a groan and a growl.

“I can’t believe you’ve captured a dragon... Who are those people in the white robes? Honestly, without them, this would have been impossible,” Kanotcho remarked warily as she watched Miliana trash the dragon.

It was hard to believe that these ravenous Snakels, now gorging themselves as if they hadn't eaten in days, were the same warriors who had displayed such fearsome strength just moments before.

“Sure, subduing this beast was a challenge, but not an impossible one,” Miliana corrected, to which Alteman, standing beside her, smiled bitterly.

“They’re assassins from the Burning Darkness, the very best, actually. I don’t know how they managed to train them, but they’ve become quite effective. You all should keep up. Those guys usually operate in the shadows, but the day belongs to warriors.”

“Yes ma’am.” The sisters nodded in agreement.

“Wouldn’t it be better to get down from her head? Even if it’s just for appearances, she’s the last Golden Dragon. The war is important, but we should consider how we treat her in the long term.”

“Why should appearances matter in this situation? She’s just a prisoner. The ones we need to protect are our allies, not some endangered beast,” Miliana scoffed. “Eh, but since you’ve contributed to capturing this dragon, I’ll indulge you.”

Nodding, she stepped down from Cruah’s head.

“It seems it’s not just Aidan who's grown stronger in the Promised Land... Can I ask you a question?” Miliana turned to Alteman.

“Hmm? What is it”

“Between you and Karyl, who is superior when it comes to swordsmanship?”

“...Why do you ask?” Alteman asked back, taken aback by the unexpected question.

“I wanna fight him, and I figured I should hone the Digon Twin Blade Technique. Nothing beats real combat, right?”

“If that’s what you’re after, you should ask Karyl himself. No matter what anyone says, he’s the Great Warrior of the north.”

“But... if you

are

superior in swordsmanship, I’d insist on fighting you instead.”

“...Why?”

“Because then I could go all out.”

Alteman chuckled faintly. “Anyway, I can’t believe a dragon got captured and the empire backed away so quickly. Either those geezers want to live longer, or their soldiers have no grit.”

Miliana stretched her arms above her head, seemingly indifferent to Alteman’s reaction.

“For Digon, once we’ve set foot on the battlefield, there’s no retreat.”

The morale of Jarvant’s imperial army naturally soared after Cruah joined their ranks. Confident in their numerical superiority, they charged at the Digon warriors, certain of a swift victory. But the unexpected arrival of Aidan, Alteman, and Miliana—unleashing her Dragonization—made for a dramatic reversal.

Cruah was captured without a chance to fight back, and the high spirits of the imperial army quickly turned into confusion and despair.

In the end, it was a crushing defeat for the empire. Thanks to Aidan, now a proper Sword Master, the enemy knights had suffered heavy losses. Even Miliana was impressed with his remarkable growth.

“So, are you really planning to take Cruah all the way to Tatur?” Aidan asked her, wiping his mouth after a hearty meal, seemingly oblivious to her thoughts.

“If you do that, it’ll take much longer for us to join the battlefield,” he went on.

“Yeah, I know that. But this is a great chance for us to prove ourselves to Karyl—to show him humans are strong, even without him.”

Everyone present nodded in agreement to Miliana’s words.

While Tatur’s Free Nation was powerful, most of its key battles had been decided by Karyl’s prowess. His skill was unparalleled, and while his focus had been on preserving talented individuals and ensuring that the human forces remained strong beyond specific races, it had also led to his other commanders being underestimated.

Miliana believed in maintaining a balance of power within the Free Nation, which was made up of multiple tribes and kingdoms, unlike the singular bloodline of the empire. While Karyl was an exceptional leader, it was crucial to show the contributions of other leaders representing the different factions, which was why Miliana had taken part in this battle herself.

“But we’re moving too slowly. At this rate, the northern immigrant tribes might steal our thunder. They’ll probably deal with the dragon and head south soon.”

“Hmm, how are you so sure about the northern immigrants? You barely got to see Hwarin’s forces,” Alteman asked, surprised at how readily Miliana acknowledged their threat.

“Hwarin? Ah... you mean that huge woman from the Jannabi tribe? I don’t care whether she’s strong or weak. I’m not interested in finding out.”

“Then...?”

“Karyl’s the one who sent her. It’s not that I trust

her

. I trust Karyl. He doesn’t fight battles he can’t win. And if you must know, that brat Viola and her apprentice have finally grown up as well.” Miliana smirked.

“You bastards...!! Let go of me...!!”

In response to Cruah’s roar, Miliana yanked on the chains wrapped around her neck.

“Shut your mouth, unless you want me to rip off your scales and use them as flags. You know, I’ve heard that eating a dragon’s heart grants tremendous mana, and it just so happens that there are plenty of people here who could use more mana. Maybe I should just rip your heart out, eh?”

“Urgh...!!” Cruah glared at her with defiant eyes, but she could no longer muster a roar.

“Humans have been the rulers of this continent, even before the Mythical Era. What have your kind done to deserve to be involved now? I’ll show you how humans shape history!” Miliana shouted as she drew her sword, her voice filled with resolve.

The Digons, having finished up their preparations for battle, watched her closely, their eyes sharp, waiting for her signal.

“Onwards, to the heart of the empire!”

* * *

“Imperial rear unit advancing! There’s a battle underway at the hill gorge.”

The scenery whirled past akin to a fleeting breeze.

“Kayla is personally leading the First Army’s spear unit, and they’ve broken through the front, pressuring the imperial forces.”

“It seems they’ve successfully pinned down the main imperial army, just as planned.”

With regular reports coming from the Black-Eyed tribe, Allen murmured, “Impressive speed, Karyl, but even more impressive are those who manage to keep up with you. How come they can follow you without any magic?”

“The Black-Eyed are descendants of the Bladers, and they’re unique among the tribes,” Duaat explained. “Even in his previous life, Karyl stood above the imperials with just a sword, thanks to that lineage.”

Karyl nodded.

In terms of physical prowess, the tribes have always been superior to the imperials. The Black-Eyed tribe is particularly exceptional. It’s no wonder they have served as Great Warriors for so many years

.

“In other words, they are the elite among the tribes. If they ever gain mana, they'd be something to behold,” Allen remarked, gazing at Zigra with keen interest.

Then, without turning around, Karyl whispered, “Go deal with them.”

The Black-Eyed warriors beside him scattered at once.

“Wha... What?!”

The sorcerers hidden in the forest were startled by the sudden appearance of the warriors and hurriedly tried to cast spells, but they didn’t even get to chant, as the tribesmen swiftly slit their throats. The soldiers assigned to guard them had already been silently dispatched.

“Huh, they were using tracking magic. Too bad our detection range is wider,” Allen scoffed, glancing at the fallen sorcerers.

“It seems we’ve reached the third unit, the rear guard,” Zigra noted.

Karyl raised his hand. The Black-Eyed warriors, recognizing it as the signal to prepare for combat, quickly took cover among the trees.

“So, it appears,” Allen murmured, now visibly tense. “There is one whose detection range surpassed ours.”

“Going straight for the rear unit... That’s a bold move. It should’ve taken three days to join up with the main force from here, so getting here in half a day means they’ve abandoned the main force. I guess they’re confident they can hold out against Sir Kuwell.”

Karyl’s gaze was fixed deeper into the forest.

“Or are you really that confident, to think you could take out the rear unit with just ten men?”

“I think you know full well who used to hunt dragons centuries ago,” Karyl shot back. “It’s only natural their descendants would be skilled. There’s no one better at it than us.”

As Karyl stepped forward, a figure emerged from within the forest. It was Neil Blanc. His cold eyes were focused on Karyl. Meanwhile, the imperial soldiers from the rear guard encircled Karyl and his men.

“So I guess we can never be allies, then.”

“Allies?” Karyl snorted, a faint smile crossing his lips. Memories flicked through his mind, giving way to a bitter sense of irony. At one point, he had truly believed they could be allies, but then he had learned the truth.

“I have no intention of being allies with someone who plays noble while using humans as experiments behind the scenes, you disgusting lizard.”

KRAAAAHHHHH...!!!

A sharp, piercing roar erupted across the battlefield, as though tearing through the air itself. It was so overwhelming that the Spear warriors found themselves trembling uncontrollably. They didn’t even realize they were paralyzed.

The intense and primal fear that washed over them was entirely different from the roars of the Sea King or the Water King. It wasn’t just the Free Army that felt its effects. Among the imperial soldiers who lacked magical protection, some had already collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.

“Draconic Fear...”

Even Zigra, a warrior of the fearless Black-Eyed Tribe, found himself trembling, despite his efforts to maintain control.

The more powerful the predator, the greater its dominance over weaker creatures. The terror of facing an apex predator was a primal instinct for creatures that were, at their core, prey. Such was the natural order of the world.

That distinctive resonance, which only dragons at the peak of the food chain possessed, was powerful enough to instill that kind of primal fear into any living creature, regardless of strength.

“It seems you have finally decided that you are ready to die.”

While everyone else stood frozen, shaking uncontrollably, only one person remained composed, speaking in a low and unwavering voice, as if he had been waiting for this very moment.

Karyl lifted his head and looked at Neil Blanc. But in that instant, his eyes widened in disbelief, his gaze flickering between the ground and the sky.

A massive dragon covered in brilliant silver-white scales hovered above Neil Blanc.