novelraw Chapter 608: Mythic (9k, Two-in-One)
Chapter 608: Mythic (9k, Two-in-One)
An extremely unsettling feeling had always lingered within Raphaela's heart.
Perhaps it developed when the Human Allied Army launched their general offensive against the Dragon Court Army, or perhaps even earlier—as early as when Fisher and Jasmine departed the Dragon Court for that so-called "Demon Dynasty".
This unsettling feeling worsened as she swept her gaze across the enemy formations opposite her, yet failed to spot that previously invincible General Barbatos among them.
Right now, she hoped more than ever for that terrifying enemy to appear before her eyes. Because if that powerful enemy wasn't here, it could only mean he had gone to Fisher's side, which was precisely what Raphaela least wished to see.
Historically speaking, the two of them displayed an exceptional tacit understanding in matters like this; both preferred to draw the enemy to themselves, making it safer for the other.
But right now, the opposing Human Allied Army, under the orders of Barbatos and Agreas, had also launched an offensive against the Southern Branch Mountain Range they garrisoned. Raphaela had no choice but to focus all her attention on the incoming enemy attack.
"Splash, splash, splash!"
"Queen! They have begun their attack. Please issue your orders!"
"Queen, they are on the move. What should we do?"
"Don't panic!!"Amidst the torrential rain filling the sky, the Dragon Court forces atop the Southern Branch Mountain Range mounted their physical and magical offenses. Raphaela, however, simply held her troops back. From the humans below using artillery and magic to the vanguard knights engaging in close-quarters combat with the Dragon Court forces, Barbatos still hadn't made an appearance.
The presence of Barbatos lingered over her heart like a dark cloud. After a moment of hesitation, Raphaela finally made up her mind to personally enter the fray to ascertain Barbatos' whereabouts.
If Barbatos was among the enemy ranks, she would confront him directly, sparing Fisher the encounter; conversely, if he truly wasn't there, then even though the Dragon Court Army was currently outnumbered, with Raphaela—a Fourteenth-Tier Queen—present, they wouldn't be a match.
"...Royal Guards, heed my command! Stand guard here and maintain the defensive measures. Lar, charge with me and relay my commands at any time!"
"Queen, you absolutely must not. That Barbatos..."
"Rumble!"
The complexions of the surrounding generals changed drastically as they tried to stop Raphaela's actions. Only Lar beside her silently pulled up her cloak and mask, preparing to follow Raphaela. The next second, rolls of thunder resounded from the sky, the pale light illuminating the faces of the numerous generals. Raphaela merely summoned her longspear with a "clang" and looking at the battle unfolding below, she said,
"Commanders of each legion, lead your troops well and do not fall into chaos. Making sure the enemy does not cross the Southern Branch Mountain Range is your first priority... Lar, let's go!"
"Yes, Raphaela."
Saying so, Raphaela leapt down from the mountain range with a "boom". Lar behind her cast a glance at the numerous generals beside her, slipped on her goggles, and fiercely plummeted from the high altitude.
Amidst the countless curtains of rain, she fell straight down without any defensive measures. It wasn't until she was merely a hundred meters or so from the ground that Raphaela below abruptly flicked her spear in a flourish aimed at Lar behind her. Lar then stepped on the spearhead for leverage and transformed into a spinning blade storm resembling a top, plummeting headlong into the knight order shielded by countless magic buffs.
"Rumble!"
But Lar's initial attack was merely a feint to draw their attention. When the Dragon Queen behind her raised her spear and smashed it down fiercely, a vast swath of knights raising their shields in defense were instantly blown away. Amidst the blood-red and scorching flames, severed limbs flew everywhere, greatly shocking the human soldiers watching from afar.
Of course, among them were numerous veterans who hadn't panicked, having participated in the war against the Dragon Court four and a half years ago. The commander-in-chief of this vanguard force was precisely such an individual who had followed Barbatos in the early stages of the war. Seeing the Dragon Queen massacring everything in her path amidst the army formation, he merely furrowed his brows, patted his attendant's shoulder, and said,
"Bring those Cardinals over; I will activate them."
"Yes, sir!"
"Oh right, go notify General Barbatos that the Dragon Queen has entered the battlefield again..."
"Yes, but sir, the communications officer had already gone to report the situation here earlier, but the main camp over there is somewhat chaotic. It's said they couldn't find General Barbatos, so..."
"What?!"
This commander hadn't panicked even while watching the Dragon Queen steamroll through like she was in no man's land, but hearing that the army's main commander had suddenly gone missing still induced a feeling of unrest within his heart. He hurriedly pinched the attendant's mouth shut, then swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Watching the people beside him bring over crates upon crates of Cardinals, he said sternly,
"This matter absolutely must not be disclosed to anyone else. If spoken out loud, I fear a grand rout..."
The attendant could only smile bitterly and agree. It was fine on this side since they were further away, but it would likely be troublesome at the main camp.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
"Raphaela, it's those weird machines!"
Hearing Lar's reminder, Raphaela turned to look. She saw countless black masses of machines ascending into the sky, pouring towards them with immense oppressive force. Frowning, Raphaela used the magic engraved on her spear shaft to defend against them, but despite being subjected to fierce flame burning, those Cardinals remained entirely unscathed and continued flying towards them.
Still not coming out? Barbatos, it seems you really went to Fisher's side...
Just as Raphaela gritted her teeth, raising her spear to face the incoming Cardinals, her cheek suddenly went numb. After a slight daze, she raised her hand to touch her cheek, and a pool of scorching blood conspicuously appeared in her palm...
A wound?
When was I cut by what...
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Yet just as Raphaela pondered this question, the flying Cardinals before her all began to sway uncontrollably, as if they had suddenly lost their support in the air. Meanwhile, amidst the countless routed human soldiers fleeing beside her, some ran until their limbs and heads dropped to the ground.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Is it wind?"
Raphaela muttered. Subsequently, she raised her eyes towards the human encampments and witnessed an extremely unforgettable scene.
She saw an enormous whirlwind, seemingly connecting straight to the heavens, abruptly surge up from the ground. Countless curtains of rain and dark clouds between heaven and earth granted a form to the formless wind, also revealing the wind blades that had just lacerated Raphaela and the human soldiers.
As that fierce hurricane manifested, an immense suction force spread outwards from within. The ground split open crack by crack, leaving terrifying marks resembling cleaver gashes. Countless humans roared as they fired upon the hurricane and used magic, yet everything vanished before its terrifying lethality.
"Lar, come back!"
That hurricane didn't look like it was meant to deal with the Dragon Court, because it originated from within the Human Allied Army's main camp, directly slaughtering their soldiers nearby. Afterwards, that massive hurricane dissipated bit by bit, transforming into countless gigantic hurricanes of the same model while simultaneously revealing a dream-like Portal leading deep underground.
Raphaela hurriedly reached out and pulled Lar back. Lar, however, watched the diffusing wind carrying countless pieces of armor and corpses in terror, crying out in alarm,
"Raphaela, that wind is heading towards us!"
Gritting her teeth, Raphaela ran back. But even with her Fourteenth-Tier physical strength, she found it hard to take a single step forward against this hurricane generating immense suction, much less those ordinary humans and demi-humans.
Atop the Southern Branch Mountain Range, people were continuously blown away by the wind, and people roared incessantly. Faced with this scene, Raphaela's heart suddenly grew increasingly irritable for some unknown reason. Beside her, those wounded soldiers lying on the ground, their bodies clearly fractured, surged towards her with bloodshot eyes, intent on killing her.
"Kill! Kill!"
"Are you... all crazy?"
Raphaela skewered one with her spear, then continued fleeing while holding Lar. Lar hugged Raphaela, her claws uncontrollably tightening. She whimpered uncomfortably and said to Raphaela,
"Lord Raphaela, something's wrong. I feel... very irritable. It's the feeling coming from that hollow; I'm so scared..."
"Don't look over there, inside there's..."
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
But the next second, before Raphaela could finish speaking, everything went quiet...
No, to be precise, it wasn't that she hadn't finished speaking, but that the words she subsequently spoke were swallowed, swallowed by an even more powerful force and sound, thus making it seem as if nothing had been heard.
Behind them, it suddenly grew exceptionally bright, as if the sun had risen. Turning her head, Raphaela saw two shadows rising slowly from that hollow like thunder amidst the rain curtains, tearing at each other as they rushed into the sky.
"Barbatos!!!"
A female roar of anger capable of stripping everyone of their hearing and attention rang out. Accompanied by that massive sound, the gazes of everyone present turned blood-red. The next second, that shadow covered entirely in jade-green peacock feathers spread its wings again, flying towards higher altitudes, while the other six-armed, crimson tiger-like figure fell heavily due to lacking wings, heading precisely towards Raphaela's location.
Raphaela widened her eyes, the tinnitus ringing incessantly in her ears. The rain curtains spanning heaven and earth seemed to be ignited by the descending entity, turning into vaporizing steam.
"Boom!"
It was only the next second, when that nearly two-meter-tall female figure landed before her, that Raphaela remembered to run. Yet the moment her footsteps barely began to shift, a souring sensation swept through her body, as if she were about to disintegrate. It made her even more terrified than when she was defeated in a single strike by Barbatos back then...
"Are you Raphaela?"
The six-armed Demon God before her landed steadily on the ground. Subsequently, twitching the two slender red-haired ears on her head and the long ears beside her cheeks, she abruptly asked this using remarkably fluent Dragon Court language.
Only then did Raphaela remember to breathe. She carried Lar—who had already fainted due to being shaken by the entity before them—trembling on her back. Panting, she said,
"Yo-you are?"
Eliog cast a complex glance at the Dragon-kin before her. Having fully unleashed her true nature, a feeling of irritability suddenly swelled within her heart. But ultimately, she wagged her tail, not answering her question. Merely looking towards the sky, she said,
"I am Eliog, Fisher's... whatever. Regardless, do not approach that Portal. Find a safe place to hide."
Raphaela, however, seemed to have realized something. She hurriedly said,
"Yo-you should know Fisher, right? That Portal, is he down below? What about Jasmine, a Whale-kin? Is she down there too?"
"...If you don't want to disappoint him and let down his good intentions, hurry up and find a place to hide until this is all over."
"Wait, he..."
"Rumble!"
The next second, however, Eliog had already fiercely stomped the ground and leapt into the high sky once more, vanishing from before her and heading towards the deep green figure that was about to plummet toward Raphaela from the sky above.
"Get away from her!! Barbatos!!"
"He's already going to die. Letting her go down might mean he survives... Fisher is willing to sacrifice himself for her. Do you actually think he can survive down there facing Agreas in that state?"
"Talks too much!!"
In mid-air, Eliog violently clashed with Barbatos enveloped in deep green feathers. Instantly, countless gales and intense heat erupted in mid-air. Only then did Raphaela realize belatedly that she needed to hide.
The immense impact forces felt as if they would drag the world into the apocalypse. Wave after wave of shockwaves spread outwards in tandem with Eliog and Barbatos' mid-air clash. The wails of the people, the collapsing of the ground, and the sounds of the rain curtains all vanished because many entities' ears had already been deafened by the colossal noises, leaving them unable to even watch the exchange.
Much like the punished humans in the Scripture of Creation being unable to gaze directly upon the Mother Goddess's miracles, people could only pass down such spectacles through imagination, thereby bestowing upon them the title of "Mythic".
Countless of Barbatos' feathers stood erect, turning every inch of his body into blades. While dodging, he sought to put some distance between them. However, Eliog gave him no opportunity. Like a mad tiger, she continuously hammered his body with her six arms.
"Vroom, vroom, vroom!"
A sound akin to an engine ringing out, Eliog's entire visage was covered by roaring flames. Seeing that she couldn't break through Barbatos' defenses, she instead viciously stepped on Barbatos' feathers, simultaneously assuming a striking stance in mid-air amidst an explosive crack.
Not good, this is...
Seeing Eliog laugh maniacally while assuming a dance-like pose, Barbatos wanted to turn and flee. But it was too late; Eliog's Demon God Combat Method had already been deployed. The next moment, her six arms slithered over like whips simultaneously.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Akin to explosions, the sounds of Eliog's offense clashing against Barbatos' defense consecutively rang out. The upper arms defended from the Baihui point down to the Renying point, the middle arms struck from the Danzhong point to the Shangqu point. Barbatos instinctively tried to continue downward, but Eliog before him gave a wicked grin. Her lowest arms abruptly raised up, striking his neck simultaneously. While knocking his head fiercely upward, her four fists simultaneously hammered down onto the Qihai position on his lower abdomen.
"Urg!!"
Barbatos' facial features contorted from the beating, and all the feathers on his body abruptly ensnared Eliog. However, that immense impact force still concurrently carried both of them as they smashed into the Southern Branch Mountain Range behind them.
"Rumble!"
In merely a second, the figures of the two smashed through the Southern Branch Mountain Range, instantly obliterating the Dragon Court's defensive line. Yet their figures continued flying southward, smashing and snapping countless mountains and forests along the way, until they saw the ocean and the city situated before the ocean...
A distance of a hundred miles, traversed in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, the pounding sounds atop the mountains swept down myriad mountain fragments. The scant garrison forces as well as the old, weak, women, and children defending the Dragon Court city grew struck with panic. Gazing distantly upwards at the mountain range causing the earthquakes, those unaware would have thought an earth dragon had turned over within...
"Is... is the Human Allied Army attacking?"
"Don't... don't panic. It should just be an earthquake. They shouldn't be here this fast..."
"..."
The wails and panicking below naturally didn't enter the eyes of the two stubbornly fighting Demon Gods. Deep in the mountains, severed, newly formed peaks thrust upward by immense power were everywhere. And within them lay Barbatos, who was unable to hold on and collapsed onto the ground, and Eliog, who retreated while panting.
"Puchi..."
Drop after drop of viscous, bright green blood constantly fell. The emerald green feathers on Barbatos' body gradually dimmed, drooping uselessly beside him.
"Eliog, you must have held it in for a very long time too... cough, cough."
He covered his face that dripped continuously with blood. Meanwhile, Eliog slowly lowered her raised fists. Spitting a mouthful of fire onto the barren ground where the dirt had been beaten away to reveal bare rocks beside her, she gritted her teeth and said,
"How many times have I told you? Baimon is deceiving you two, using you as tools. Yet you still foolishly rush forward; is something wrong with your brains?"
Barbatos, however, merely looked at her and said,
"Then, do you have any other ways to get us out?"
"..."
Eliog was choked by these words. Yet Barbatos merely shook his head and continued,
"I know that since its birth, our race has been a tangled mess, each acting independently with no one controlling anyone else. We also have many scum trapped by their nature. They deserve to be sealed and locked up by that False God. But what about me? What about Cidi?
"How many years have Cidi and I lived in seclusion in unknown places after restraining our natures? Today, out in the world, not a single race even remembers my true name. Did we commit a sin by not participating in that war? Do you, who stayed asleep in your lair, also bear a sin?
"Of course, you don't care, but we have to be separated in two different places, unable to even slumber together. Baimon previously brought the method allowing our souls to temporarily escape the seal and gave it to Agreas. She researched for so long, several thousand years. If there was truly a way for us to escape, would we actually trust Baimon?"
The feathers on Barbatos' body twitched. Shaking his head, he said,
"You only know to refute us, yet you cannot provide any valuable solutions. Ultimately, it is solely because that Fisher has a deep relationship with you. For him, you disregard the ties of our race. We can understand this. You disregarding Agreas, who also originally wanted to release you, for his sake, I can also understand... but why can't you understand that I am also doing this for Cidi, that I chose to believe Baimon so I could reunite with him...
"Legends in the world say that False God finally couldn't stand witnessing the actions we committed on the Southern Continent and West Continent with our own eyes to place that agonizing seal upon us... Hehe, if this were truly so, how could we as Mythical Species still get along with humans and other races here for so many years? We have to guard the Death beneath the Dynasty, and to us, our nature is simply as basic as eating and drinking for humans. How could we have gone too far?
"It was merely because that False God worried there would be no other Mythical Species and that we would grow too powerful at the end of the war, thereby resorting to such drastic measures. Ask yourself quietly, what did we actually do back then to end up imprisoned as an entire race today? A hundred years is not enough, a thousand years is not enough. Do we have to wait ten thousand years, until eternity?"
Perhaps there was also disappointment within Barbatos' gaze. As a demon, Eliog naturally knew that back then, they were simply the final existences that False God dragged into the water before she subsided into obliteration.
That deity chose humanity, favoring humanity. Even if she herself were to face obliteration, she would drag all remaining Mythic existences towards obliteration alongside her.
But looking at the facts, had humans truly done better than the Mythical Species?
The world became their stage, yet for the world itself, there weren't major changes compared to the past...
Therefore, setting aside races, let's only talk about personal feelings.
Meeting Barbatos' gaze, Eliog's expression was also somewhat complex. She exhaled a long breath, thick gunpowder smoke flowing from her mouth. She finally said,
"Cidi can restrain your nature and is your most important existence. And Fisher can restrain my nature, so I am willing to fight for him... Then, there's no need to say any more..."
She raised the weapons in her hands once more, her six arms adopting combat stances simultaneously,
"All enmities, end here and now."
This phrase was once the most frequent saying among demons internally. Because they were separated, rising conflicts were a frequent occurrence. Therefore, there existed an unwritten rule within the Dynasty: internal demon conflicts settled issues as they arose; the cause and effect of past matters would not affect anything that followed.
Demons could not be killed. Once a Demon God died, the seal of Death would diminish. Thus, even the Mother Goddess could only seal them.
Therefore, the demons' method of resolving enmity was to end everything when the pertinent event occurred.
Barbatos unhooked the bow and arrows he had been carrying on his back. Aiming at Eliog, he also softly stated,
"All enmities, end here and now."
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
The next moment, Mythic power descended once more.
Dragon Court, within the Myriad Flower Court.
Yali'er clutched her chest. The ground outside quivered unceasingly, as if corroborating the terror of the battle afar.
Outside the flowerbeds, many children stood orderly under the protection of the Myriad Flower Court guards. Yet unable to endure their panic, soon some children began weeping, and the weeping echoed consecutively within the Myriad Flower Court like an uncontainable plague.
"Lord Yali'er, it seems a battle is taking place over by the Southern Branch Mountain Range. Could it be... that the Human Allied Army has breached our lines?"
The guards had to comfort the children in their arms, but as adults, even if they wouldn't cry, their concerns regarding the current situation were not diminished in the slightest. Looking at Yali'er standing inside the pavilion, they voiced their suspicions.
Yali'er was momentarily stunned. Stepping outside the pavilion, she looked at the continuously trembling mountain range. She was just about to say something when she saw a green light abruptly shoot out from the mountain range. Slicing through four or five mountain peaks by the waist, it nevertheless penetrated dozens of miles incessantly until plunging into the ocean, splashing a towering water column extending a thousand meters above the ocean.
"Bang!!!"
"Lord Yali'er, be careful!"
Yali'er stared blankly at this "wall of water," akin to a natural moat, rising from the ocean. Her reasoning seemed to be yanked away by this terrifying power; she instantly lost all strength. It wasn't until the guards behind her rushed out of the pavilion and pulled her back that she realized the tsunami destined to capsize this place accompanying the descent of that wall of water was fast approaching.
"Wha-what exactly is this..."
"Lord Yali'er, are you alright?"
"Such... power... Raphaela she... ha... ha..."
Looking at that terrifying power, the first thing that surfaced in Yali'er's heart was worry for her daughter. She couldn't understand how such power could appear among humans. Only as she blankly pondered this did she realize there were still so many children and guards beside her.
"Lord Yali'er, we..."
She took a deep breath, and then quickly stood up. Looking at the impending wall of water outside, she said to everyone,
"...Quick! Hurry up and take the children away from here. The tsunami is about to arrive!"
"Yes, Lord Yali'er. I will escort you first..."
"No, quickly take the children away. I can leave myself! Hurry, move!"
However, the battle over at the mountain range continued, with intense earthquakes occurring unceasingly. Even with Yali'er's guidance, the entire situation grew exceptionally chaotic.
Given Yali'er's instructions, everyone's sole objective was to flee as quickly as possible. As for those children, aside from those originally held in arms, many were forgotten mid-flight.
Yali'er held onto the children one by one, sending them to the guards' sides, then returned to see if there were any children remaining inside.
"Rumble!"
"Is anyone still inside? Children, quickly leave. The tsunami is coming!"
The Myriad Flower Court gradually quieted down, but Yali'er continued calling out inside, afraid that some poor soul hadn't made it out in time. Yet hearing no response slightly put her mind at ease. She had just prepared to turn back and leave when a call abruptly resonated from the Ancestral Shrine in the Dragon Court,
"Lord Yali'er, I'm still here..."
Yali'er was slightly stunned. Turning towards the Ancestral Shrine's direction, she saw a human woman dressed in Dragon Court attire waving at her with a smile in front of a wall full of candles.
That is...
Oh right, it was that human Raphaela sent over previously, saying she was some... journalist or something, named Ingrid, passing by?
"Wh-why haven't you left yet? What are you still doing here? The tsunami is almost here, hurry and leave with me!"
Panting, Yali'er quickly walked towards Ingrid and reached out to pull her. Astonishingly, she found this human felt like she weighed thousands of tons; as a Dragon-kin, Yali'er couldn't move her in the slightest.
"Who exactly are..."
Only then did Yali'er realize belatedly amidst her panic and hurriedly let go of her hand.
Since arriving, this human had always only spoken her own homeland's language, the language of a human nation. Why was she suddenly speaking the Dragon Court language now?
"There's no need to be afraid, Lord Yali'er. Honestly, I'm here to converse with you regarding a matter..."
"Converse... with me about what... But the tsunami is almost here right now; we should hurry and flee. Cannot whatever matter wait until later?"
Ingrid smiled and propped up her chin. With a slight flash of her distinct, starburst-patterned blue-gold irises, the roaring tsunami from afar instantaneously flew backwards out of control, scattering into nothingness.
"You..."
"Lord Yali'er, I wanted to say that your daughter, Raphaela, is likely going to die very soon."
Yali'er incredulously spun her head back around, only to see her wave her hands and subsequently pour tea for herself. She also poured a cup of tea for Yali'er and placed it on the table. Pointing at the seat before her, she said,
"Please sit, Lord Yali'er."
She was as at ease as if this space were her own territory. It also rendered Yali'er temporarily incapable of reconciling this suddenly natural woman with the silent human woman from a half-month prior.
But whether it was the dissipated tsunami beside them or the news she spoke of, Yali'er found herself temporarily incapable of tearing herself away. After a moment of silence, she finally sat at the table. Looking at the tea-sipping woman before her, asked,
"Ingrid, what do you mean by Raphaela is about to die?"
"Drink tea first, Lord Yali'er."
How could one have the mind to at a time like this...
Such were Yali'er's thoughts. But when she looked down at the teacup before her, an image dreamily manifested atop the water's surface.
The image displayed the northern end of the Southern Branch Mountain Range, completely surrounded by a hurricane enveloping a Portal leading to a mysterious space.
After safely placing the unconscious Lar down, Raphaela constantly peered distantly forwards with unrest, gazing upon that distant Portal as if worrying for whoever was inside it.
"Th-this is..."
"Lord Yali'er, perhaps you've known of Raphaela's uniqueness since she was young?"
Ingrid set down her teacup, recounting the memories buried deep within Yali'er's mind,
"One day she couldn't sleep and came to your and your husband's bedroom, stating she had a nightmare... There was a lot of black mud pursuing her in the dream, as if intending to swallow her. She was very afraid, which is why she came looking for you two..."
Yali'er was momentarily dazed, yet these memories quickly returned to her mind. She murmured,
"Ye-yes. And that's not all... She always recalled some things we had never told her. Those ancient Dragon Court codices, those spells. Moreover, she always wanted to head somewhere outside the tribe. We restricted her at all turns, thus she snuck out prior to coming of age..."
"How did you explain it to her back then?"
"I merely said her soul was unique, but actually, such legends have circulated within our tribe for a very long time. It was highly probable she was the reincarnation of some great figure..."
Ingrid smiled slightly and proceeded,
"Not truly reincarnation per se. It's just that Raphaela possesses something exceptionally precious. It is something the Dragon God Fafnir protected even at the cost of his life, albeit having its properties altered due to Chaotic contamination..."
"What does this... mean?"
Ingrid pleasantly looked at Yali'er, an effulgent divine light gleaming within her starburst pupils.
"It means, your daughter is the true objective of those terrifying enemies. Fisher has known about this for a long time, thus risking his life to fight the enemy. Yet the enemy is very strong, and he is no match... However, he is an absolute fool. He is willing to perish for your daughter's sake."
The image within the tea before Yali'er changed once again, shifting to an image of Fisher, his chest pierced through, fiercely fighting a terrifying existence, turning Yali'er's eyes red in the process.
When she agreed to Raphaela and Fisher's matter back then, there had indeed been an inclination towards compromise. Yet, perhaps she also hadn't anticipated that this human man would actually go thus far for Raphaela's sake.
"Well then, Auntie Yali'er, let's have a test on Dragon-kin cultural knowledge right now."
Raising a finger with a smile, Ingrid queried,
"Question: if a Dragon-kin's Tail-Compatible Partner is placed in a life-or-death crisis, what will that Dragon-kin do? Choice one: Leave him behind without looking..."
"Raphaela will go back to save Fisher!"
Yali'er cried out without even a second thought, causing Ingrid, who was halfway through her sentence, to smile and nod. Taking another sip of tea, she stated,
"Correct. Dragon-kin are always madly devoted to love. Even though there are already entities holding her back from approaching, how could she ignore Fisher and let him face death alone. However, Lord Yali'er, answering this question correctly comes with a corresponding reward... What if I tell you, I can keep her from dying?"
"You..."
The candle flames before Yali'er wavered violently, as if those deceased ancestors of Raphaela were pleading alongside her, pleading to save this Dragon-kin who was foolishly devoted to love.
Yali'er fell silent for a moment, then dropped to her knees with a "thud". Lowering her head, she pleaded to Ingrid before her,
"You must definitely not be an ordinary human, but regardless of where you come from or what your purpose is, I beseech you... save my daughter... If a price must be paid, I... I am willing to give my all. Whatever you want is fine. I only ask to save her. I cannot lose her again..."
Ingrid softly smiled and reached down. Speaking softly, she proposed,
"Okay, but I don't want anything. I merely need your Dragon Horn to save your daughter's life..."
"Just that..."
Yali'er was momentarily dazed. First, gratitude surfaced in her eyes, followed by incomprehension.
"Thank you... but... I don't understand why you would help us like this... I..."
"...Just making an extra preparation is all."
"...What?"
Ingrid delightfully stood up and reached towards Yali'er's head. Offering no anwer to her question, she merely said softly,
"Alright, after this, your memories will grow somewhat vague. It's a necessary side effect. Please rest well."
Within the Myriad Flower Court, as a flash of light radiant as the morning sun passed, the sounds of conversation concluded.
The fierce battle at the Southern Branch Mountain Range raged on. Explosive earthquake sounds travelled successively, shaking the candle flames that quietly watched Yali'er lying unconscious and devoid of her soul-connected Dragon Horn incessantly; observing the genesis of a Mythic era.