CH 183

Chapter 183

When Peaceful Times Cease To Exist : Each Choice, Part 5 — Darkness Gathering

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

「You have good instincts. If you had taken one more step, I could have obliterated you.」

「You, what are you?」

The words were spoken by a black-haired bard. Alfiris and the others were surprised as well, and involuntarily turned their heads back. The bard remains gracefully smiling. Glaring hatefully at the bard, Lifeless asks,

「You’re not human… and this power. Name it!」

「Me? Normally, it’s polite to say your name first, but, well, I know your name, Heroic King.」

「!?」

Lifeless opens his eyes in astonishment.

「I have been watching you since you were born. Unparalleled talent and tremendous study. For a human being, I think you have acquired great strength. But who the hell are you now? The you I know was surely supposed to grow old and die. What in the world is that appearance…」

「Hmph, you know me? I see. You are a True Dragon.」

Lifeless glared at the bard as if he had just gotten the point. Then the bard smiled.

「How it is. I am the True Dragon Gwendolf.」

「Tch, the head of the True Dragon, of all beings, known as the『Destroying Dragon』…」

「I knew it was Gwen!」

Alfiris’ face breaks out in joy. It was one of her good memories, a playmate, and a mentor who taught her many things.

「I was surprised to see you dressed as a human being! But why are you here?」

「Fufu, I apologise. I thought you might recognize me, come to think of it, I never took on this form in your presence. I’ve met Aldreus in this guise so often that I’d forgotten about it. I got a call here from Serpent’s familiar. He owe Alfiris a favor, but since he can’t leave the swamp, he wants me to protect her instead. Good grief, I don’t know what you did to my brother.」

Gwendolf’s face was happy when he complained. And now he turns his stern face to Lifeless and says with a snap,

「By nature, True Dragons don’t intervene in disputes, but this girl is as much my daughter as she is my own. She is also the last reminder of the man I called my friend. Furthermore, the True Dragon Serpent is indebted to this girl. If you dare to touch her, I, the head of the True Dragon, will be your opponent. Even you, the so called Heroic King, was not that reckless, are you?」

「What are you talking about? That’s exactly how I wanted it!」

「Wha…」

At that line from Lifeless, everyone gulped. Lifeless now declared that he would fight against a True Dragon.

「Interesting! I have always wanted to fight a True Dragon once. I never had the chance to fight one before, but it would be an indication of my 800 years of study! And to be honest, I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of smashing Alfiris as she was, because it seemed like bullying the weak!」

Lifeless smiles happily. He looks like he’s finally found a worthy opponent. A fighting maniac to the core. The passion of this man gives Alfiris and the others a chill.

「Are you serious, Heroic King?」

「I’m not saying this in jest, I’m not. Come on, fight, Destroying Dragon! Show me your bragging bracelets that you can destroy a country with one breath!」

「I guess there’s no choice.」

Killing and magical energy gushed from Gwendolf as well. A cloud of dust and smoke rose up as if two tornadoes had formed nearby.

「Urgh…」

「This isn’t good.」

Unexpectedly, Miranda and the others back away.

「I’d hate to damage the town if I could, but I doubt I could…」

「Are you sure, Gwen?」

Alfiris looks at Gwendolf with a concerned look.

「Umu. Whatever he was, he’s already motivated. Alfiris, keep a good perimeter. I’ll fight the battle alone.」

「No way!」

「You’re a liability, he implied that!」

Gwendolf’s gentle face turns into a fighting face. Apparently, even for Gwendolf, Lifeless is no easy opponent. Just as the two were about to enter the battle, a gust of wind blew between them.

The ground cracked with a tremendous impact, and the building on the extension was cut in half. Then, a voice echoed out of place.

「Okay, that’s enough～!」

「You overdid it, Lifeless.」

Anomaly, laughing with a fluttering smile, and Titania, a beautiful black-haired female swordswoman, suddenly appeared. And then there are those who appear one after the other.

「Kyahaha! What are you seriously doing, Lifeless～?」

「Good grief, no more run-arounds.」

「Hahhahaha! Count me in!」

「Dragleo, you keep your mouth shut. You’ll complicate things.」

「What are you doing, you? How dare you defy our Master’s orders?」

The people were uniformly clad in black robes. Among them were Dragleo, who had killed Phalanx, and Doom, who had met them in the dungeon and tried to stalk Lisa. Seeing the group, all of whom wore a uniformly ominous air, Alfiris and the others were terrified. Even Lifeless alone couldn’t handle this situation, and now there were seven more like him.

「What the hell are they…」

「They’re with me, in a manner of speaking. I hate to admit it, though.」

Lifeless responds to Alfiris’ question as if to throw up. The black-robed group also responds to his words.

「That’s a terrible thing to say～? I don’t like doing this either.」

「Not at all. Just that we are working together for one purpose.」

「That’s right～ So that’s where Lifeless goes out of control. Kyahahaha!」

But even so, Lifeless is not completely out of combat stance. He would attack Alfiris at every opportunity. Then, perhaps having made up his mind, Lifeless walks toward Alfiris. Titania stands between Lifeless and Alfiris.

「That’s enough. If you come any further this way… I will cut you down.」

「Can you do it? You’re just a mere swordswoman.」

「If I am told to do it, I’ll cut it down, magic or not. This is the sword I forged for that purpose.」

An unusual killing intent rises between the two. It is so sharp that it seems as if it could kill a person. The killing intent was so strong that even Alfie and her group, who had experienced many battles, wanted to run away. The killing intent emanating from Titania, a dark-haired female swordswoman, was very quiet, but it was no less powerful than that of Gwendolf or Lifeless.

But the robed people around them did nothing to stop the struggle, but simply watched it with a grin. As if it was a good spectacle.

「Don’t be stubborn, Lifeless～ If you make an enemy of all of us, even you will die, no matter how much it costs, you know?」

「I doubt it. I’d sooner kill Alfiris than you all would finish me off. I can blow up this whole area with you all if you want.」

「Uwwah, such confidence～」

「You’re being petulant again.」

「Isn’t this a need for a full-scale moxibustion?」

「But why is a man of your stature so obsessed with this girl? She doesn’t even look like a very powerful woman to me.」

Titania glances sideways at Alfiris. Alfiris is involuntarily startled by the sharp look in her eyes.

「You are a swordsman, so you don’t know. The others are not pure mages, are they? But I know. This woman is a gem who could eventually reach our realm. And with clear hostility toward us. It’s too late to panic then. I’m nipping dangerous buds in the flower while I can. I’m thinking about the plan, in my own way. Why can’t you see that?」

「（Plan…?）」

Miranda responds to the word. After all, this group is working with some definite purpose. However, she doesn’t know what it is.

「Now, get out of the way. I’ll take all the punishment I can get. So let me kill the girl!」

「But you know, Master. What do you want to do?」

Anomaly spoke into the empty space. Then a magic circle appeared in the space, and as if the space was black and distorted, a man in a black robe appeared again. This man was wearing a hood so deeply that his face couldn’t be seen. When the man came out, Alfiris involuntarily held Miranda’s hand. Miranda looked at Alfiris’ face in surprise, but Alfiris had a completely frightened look on her face.

「Alfie?」

「Sorry, Miranda. Don’t let go of my hand.」

「Ahh. That’s okay, but…」

Seeing Alfiris shaking slightly, Miranda squeezed her hand back. Even Alfiris didn’t know why she was so frightened.

「（I don’t know why… why am I so afraid of that man? I feel like I can’t beat that man, no matter how much I train, no matter how much I sacrifice. Why is that? I never once had this feeling, not even for Lifeless.）」

But while those with their eyes fixed on Alfiris’ fright, they all hang their heads lightly over the black-robed man. Then he slowly walked up to Lifeless and gravely asked him.

「Lifeless… what are we working for?」

「Yes, it is『for the liberation of the truth of the world.』」

「Correct. I will think of all the measures to achieve this. You aren’t allowed to do as you please.」

「…I deeply apologize.」

「Umu, you’re going to be punished, understood? And surprising even to me, what a familiar face.」

From the tone of his voice, the robed man sounds like an old man. The old man turns to Gwendolf and moves as if he were gliding. He came within about 10 paces of Gwendolf, and then stopped dead in his tracks.