Dragon Maken War

Silence quickly spread in a battlefield that had been filled with screams and loud sounds. At that moment, everyone turned to look at Reygus as if they had misheard its words.

“...did he just say Azell? It really is Azell himself?”

The Dragon Demon king worshippers looked towards Reygus in disbelief.

Azell was the great sinner, who had killed their exalted king. The human, Azell Karzark, was like the ultimate evil that appeared in their lore.

He had killed the king, but he had paid a price. It was widely known that he had fallen into hell when an eternal curse was placed on him.

It wasn’t just the Dragon Demon king worshippers, who were shocked. The Guardian Shadows were frozen from the shock they felt.

Reygus didn’t care if they were looking at it or not. Its gaze remained fixed on Azell. Since it was an Undead with only a skeleton as its body, it was impossible for Reygus to make a facial expression. However, Azell felt that it was laughing like a mischievous tyke. It was the same in the past. Reygus didn’t hold a single iota of hate towards a strong opponent. Instead, it took pleasure in the encounter like a immature brat.

When he thought about those time, a sigh automatically came out.

Azell spoke as if he was dismayed.

“What are you talking about, you big lummox of an Undead? The hero Azell died 220 years ago.”

<That’s what I thought too. However, that little brat that is standing in front of me alive and kicking?>

“Humans usually produce descendants that look surprisingly like their ancestors. Since you’ve lost your brain when you came back from death, did you forget about such common sense?”

<Oh. That is the least entertaining joke I’ve heard since I’ve been revived. The brat I knew was a bit more imposing. Well, I guess 220 years enough time for you to become a coward?>

“Ah. You are pissing me off. Shall I tell you something really ridiculous?”

<What is it?>

“Wild pig Reygus. It is very nice to see you. Does that make any sense?”

<Koo-hahahaha!>

Reygus laughed uproariously at his words. Its thunder-like laugh rang out in the battlefield.

After it stopped laughing, Reygus spoke.

<If it was just the Heaven Splitter(Sword that Splits the Sky) , I would have just assumed you were a descendent. However, you spoke too openly about yourself in the fight with Ms Niberis. So why are you trying to make excuses now?>

“I’ll make a confession. I’ve told everyone the truth, yet no one believed me. That is why I’m a bit hesitant to make that claim.”

<That is unfortunate. Anyways, I feel the same way as you. It sounded nice even when you called me a wild pig. I feel like shedding a tear. Of course, I can’t shed any tears any more.>

“That is quite fortunate. You’ve become much more handsome in the time I wasn’t able to see you. In the past, your face was so ugly that it made me want to throw up.”

<Hue hue. Your rude way of speaking is the same as 220 years ago.>

At that moment, Kairen’s voice could be heard from behind.

“...the story you told me was real?”

Kairen’s voice was trembling. When Azell told the truth in the beginning, Kairen had cut him off thinking it was a fabricated story. However, as he spent more time with Azell on the travel, he wondered if the story was true or not. He mused over the idea even as he mocked himself for it.

Azell spoke.

“That topic might lead to an animated conversation, and we aren’t in a position to do so.”

“...ha ha ha. Let’s push it off to a later time. You better be prepared.”

“You were the one that didn’t believe me when I told you the truth. You shouldn’t be saying that.”

Azell snorted as he looked back at Reygus. Kairen and Leticia knew very well what they should be doing with the time bought by Azell.

Of course, Reyugus knew it too. However, it didn’t attack immediately. The deep emotions it felt after meeting Azell again was too large.

<It seems you’ve suffered under a similar predicament as I.>

“It is so for those that live a life that others have a hard time accepting as reality. It is something that can’t be experienced except by the first generation Dragon Demons, who’s far removed from reality.”

<That is true. So what are you doing here?>

“Do you really think I’ll tell you that?”

<No. I’m sure it is a plan to screw us over. However, I’m really surprised. What method did that brat, Carlos, use to keep you alive until now? He’s already done enough by killing my friends, yet he............>

“I heard you asked about Carlos’ whereabouts. Why did you ask such a question? Is it impossible to think logically now that you don’t have a brain? Ah, of course, you barely thought logically even when you still had your brain.”

<Ha ha ha. You are quite lame, Azell. You are alive and kicking, so why should I believe he is dead? You hid yourself like a mouse, while moving around......>

“Ah. Let me correct you on that. I didn’t hide my identity. Didn’t you say so yourself? I hinted at my identity a lot when I fought Niberis. If I planned on hiding my identity, why would I do that? Your guys must be poorly educated. They didn’t recognize me at all.”

<By the look of it, your comrades didn’t recognize you either.>

“Sadly, you are right. It is a tough world where people won’t believe you when you tell the truth.”

Azell burst out laughing.

Azell’s true identity was too incongruous with reality. It was a truth that couldn’t be confirmed unless someone from Azell’s era could corroborate it.

Azell always knew this day was coming. There were survivors of the Dragon Demon war inside the Plain of Darkness. There would come a day when they would take matters into their own hands.

However..... He never expected Reygus to show up as an Undead.

“Even if you are an Undead, aren’t you too high up in the food chain to come here yourself? You left the kids behind to come out yourself. It seems you aren’t being treated well there.”

<No way. Everyone treats me like an old man, who should stay cooped up in the backroom.... Well, you know my personality. It won’t change just because I’m dead.>

“It doesn’t look like that from my point of view. If not, they would have sent couple more of the higher ranked....”

<Even Dragon Demons and Dragon Majins can’t win against time. You are only a human, yet you remained the same over this long period of time. It seems you didn’t feel it, but.... Ah. I shouldn’t blather on like this. Jeez.>

“Ho-oh.”

Azell’s eyes shone.

It was obvious if one thought about it. Two hundred twenty years had passed since the Dragon Demon war. The survivors from that time were all old and weakened now. It meant that there weren’t that many that was young enough to fight in battles themselves.

Moreover, the structure of the organization was also a problem. During the Dragon Demon war, as one’s power increased in the Dragon Demon army, one was given more missions. Those in high places couldn’t back out from fights based on their position. They couldn’t when Dragon Demon king Atein and the four Dragon Demon generals fought in the frontlines as an example.

On the other hand, the Plain of Darkness was a secret organization that hid from the eyes of the world. They schemed from behind the curtain. It was a society formed through fanaticism where the Demon King Atein was deified. There was a strict hierarchy within this organization. The humans were the lowest class, and even the Dragon Majins and Dragon Demons were stratified by bloodlines.

In such an organization, those with power gave orders. They didn’t carry out their own objectives. Basically, they created a system where they cultivated and deployed fighters. They merely maintained and serviced the machinery they created. They didn’t directly enter into a fight..

If so, how could they have maintained their own personal battle prowess after 200 years of doing this?

‘I learned a very important information.’

From what he learned from Laura, the upper crust of the Plain of Darkness rarely moved. If those in high positions still had comparable power they possessed during the Dragon Demon war, they wouldn’t be making their descendants do the work. They wouldn’t pass on the weapons of the Dragon Demon generals to their descendants.

Reygus spoke.

<I can hear the gear inside your head turn. Shit. It seems I said something I shouldn’t have.>

“Whether it’s the past or now, you haven’t changed. Well, I guess it is fortunate for you that Baldazark and Aunsaurus are no longer here. They would have gotten angry at you.”

During the Dragon Demon war, Reygus hadn’t thought much. He was the type of being that acted on his emotions. When he found a powerful enemy, he ignored his allies and the battle plan. His eyes would twinkle as he charged into a battle they had almost won. He tried to bait his opponents into using their hidden card......

‘He is the same as before. It seems this bastard’s idiocy was baked into his bones.’

Reygus was a being that had lived over a thousand years, yet it was quite immature. In some ways, one could describe Reygus as a pure martial artist.

Reygus laughed at those word.

<Koo-koo-koohnk. You are a brat, yet you treat your elder as if he’s a kid. Well, all right. How about....>

Reygus spoke cheerfully as it raised its hammer.

<Let us stop our friendly banter here.... Shall I check out your prowess?>

Reygus charged before Azell could get into his stance. Kairen was standing off to the side, and he was barely able to keep up with its speed with his eyes.

Kairen’s eyes were belatedly seeing the afterimages.

He saw a surprising sight. Reygus had delivered a surprise attack, but Azell was already behind it. He was able to get in one blow.

<Koo-uhk!>

Azell’s single strike did plenty of damage to Reygus. Reygus righted itself before it almost fell over, and it swung its hammer. Azell didn’t dodge it. He deflected it head on.

...that’s what Reygus thought he was attempting.

When the sword made contact with the hammer, there was a little bit of resistance before the sword turned into light. Azell aimed the Dragon Maken, which was rippling with thunder, towards Reygus from the back.

Gwah-gwahng!

Reygus’ huge body rose into the air. The dispersing thunderbolt coalesced at a single point, and it turned into the blue Dragon Maken. He gripped the sword, then six of him appeared. In a flash, they attacked Reygus again with a slight delay on each attack.

<Kah-ahhhk!>

Reygus let out a scream.

He was barely able to repel the first attack, but another Azell appeared as if he had been waiting for this moment. Azell lifted Reygus into the air with his attack. Before its defense could harden again, Azell let out additional attacks. Where Reygus was flung away, another Azell was waiting for it......

A combination of seven attacks sent Reygus rocketing into the air. The last Azell brought down the Dragon Maken surrounded with thunder as if he had been waiting for this moment.

‘Thunder Dragon’s Horn!’

Lightning erupted.

In a flash, a lightning that looked as if it would rip apart the heavens exploded forth. The terrifying wave of Dragon Demon magic shook the earth, and after a heartbeat, an enormous cloud of dust rose into the air.

It all happened in a flash, so everyone thought Reygus had been killed. This was how terrifying Azell’s attack was, and it etched a deep impression on everyone.

<D...amn...it all....! Ooh-ahhhhhh!>

However, a shout of anger arose from inside the cloud of dust. The sound rang out as it dispersed the dusts.

Afterwards, Azell and Reygus clashed.

Pah-jee-jee-jee-jeek!

The magical energy of thunder and the magical energy of pulverization clashed against each other as it started to raise the temperature of the air around them. Reygus gritted its teeth.

<You bastard! When did the Heaven Splitter develop such a ability?>

“How long ago was that? It seems your death has stopped your progress. No, you’ve actually become weaker. It is to be expected, since you’ve lost your Dragon Demon magic!”

Azell snorted.

Reygus had died before it was able to see the final battle that had occured at the Dragon’s Horn Fortress. This was why it didn’t know about Azell’s peak abilities.

At that moment, magical energy was overflowing from his Energy Pulse. It was swirling with terrifying force.

The vessel to hold his magical energy was still incomplete, but the amount of magical energy he could produce for a short amount of time was comparable to the level he displayed in his prime.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

Magical energy erupted like hail when his heart pulsed.

Currently, there were seven Rings of Life around his heart. If one went by the normal standards, he was a Septuple master. Amongst all of them, six had gone through Dual Banding. The magical energy created through the resonance transcended common sense.

‘It is a suitable opponent to test out my new answer!’

In the past, Laura had said Atein would be revived to the form he possessed at the time of his death. Azell came to the conclusion that there was no way he would be able to win against Atein.

However, it didn’t matter if it was the past or present. He didn’t despair or give up. He thought hard on finding answers to his problem.

Dual Banding was one of the few ways he would be able to exceed his past self. It was still incomplete, but if he was able to complete his 7th Ring of Life, he would boast enough magical energy that would exceed the magical energy of his prime!

“Well, Reygus! You are a mere ghost from the past! You should become the sacrificial offering to the technique I developed!”