I am the Monarch

Chapter 327: The Great Warring Period (8)

It wasn’t clear who the first one to move was, but what was certain was that Roan Lancephil, Kalian and Lunark’s movements were faster and fiercer than anything that normal people could ever imagine.

Kwaaaaaang!

One swipe of the hand and the foot created pillars of fire and black tempests. The limited space around them became wider as rocks and pebbles flew off in all directions followed by deafening thunders. Wherever the eyes landed there were oceans made of flames and sharp blades of wind stormed endlessly.

“Kalian! You dare betray our race and stand on the side of the humans?!”

Bellowing from the depths of his vocal cords, Lunark reached his arms out. Poisonous storm tainted in black enveloped Kalian.

“Lunark. How many times do I need to tell you? We, the dragons decided to defend the Gates of Boundary and guard the Middle World. The one that betrayed our race is you!”

As soon as his words ended, crimson flames poured out from his entire body.

Chiiiiiiik!

The poisonous storm flashing in black disappeared into the mist.

Kalian and Lunark. The two dragons were on completely different ends of the spectrum. Their attributes of flame and poison proved it but their personalities were even more different. Even in the midst of the fierce battle, Kalian threw jokes with a humoured tone while Lunark was infuriated by himself.

Viciousness coloured Lunark’s two eyes.

“Die!”

The sharp shout was replied by Kalian’s wave of hand and a smile.

“I don’t want to!”

His voice sounded prankish but in fact, the aura emanating out of the two dragons were strong enough to overturn the heavens and the earths.

It was then.

Sphat!

A black spear sharply divided the flames and the poisonous cloud. The spear shaft repeatedly changed its shape in an intricate movement as it became thicker and thinner, longer and shorter in an instant. It was the Travias Spear and the owner was naturally Roan.

“Kuuk!”

Clenching his teeth, Roan continued pulling mana up into his body. There was no way around it. The moment his supply halted even a little, his body would melt in Lunark’s poisonous storm.

“How dare!”

Lunark had trouble handling Kalian alone so when Roan with an unignorable prowess was added, fury and insanity soared up within. A black tempest rose up to his body.

Kwagwagwagwang!

The immense air force made the ground and walls explode.

Kugung! Kugugung!

The walls that were already in a precarious state due to Roan landing trembled intensely and appeared like they could crumble at any given moment.

“Lunark! Are you trying to destroy the Grain Mountain Range or something?!”

From Kalian’s face disappeared the nonchalant expression. In this situation, if the walls collapsed and the ground sank, he might be okay but it was highly likely that Roan would lose his life.

Besides, he couldn’t openly use the teleportation magic either.

‘Lunark won’t just stand still watching so…’

If the spell was interrupted, Roan’s physical body could end up being destroyed and due to the same reason, Roan also couldn’t use the teleportation Divine Art. Even if he was to die here, he had to end things inside this space.

Besides,

‘I can’t leave Felius’ body behind.’

Roan bit his lower lips. Judging from how the situation was unfolding, it seemed impossible for him to relocate this place. Felius’ body will once again be buried in the midst of dirt due to the falling walls and the collapsing ground.

It was then.

[Roan!]

Kalian’s voice was heard inside his head.

[I’ll keep this bastard Lunark here so you go absorb Felius’ body!]

It was an urgent voice. Hearing that, Roan gave a small nod and pierced the spear into the ground. Then, he carried his feet and spun around with the spear in the centre before throwing his body towards the transparent wall.

“No!”

Lunark who had been cornering Kalian widened his eyes and shouted. His hand moved as a black storm of poison flew towards Roan.

“No you don’t!”

As if he had been waiting, Kalian appeared and destroyed the storm of poison with a wall made of flames.

“Kalian!”

Seeing Kalian stopping him every time, Lunark erupted in madness.

‘I can’t show myself easily but…’

That didn’t mean he could just waste his time here.

‘In the first place, there aren’t any other humans here.’

Tuduk!

The armour around his body cracked and shot out in all directions.

“Kuaaaaaaah!”

An enormous roar exploded out of Lunark’s mouth. At the same time, his outward appearance that resembled a beautiful youth immediately changed to a huge dragon.

It was an overwhelming appearance that made others suffocate from just laying their eyes on him. Lunark who had been polymorphing into a human’s appearance couldn’t hold it back anymore and returned to his original body.

Kugung!

Whenever his enormous body and wings moved, the wall crumbled.

“You crazy…!”

Perhaps Kalian hadn’t expected Lunark to return to his original appearance in this limited space, he widened his eyes into circles. However, it wasn’t like he himself could also change to his original body.

‘If I return to my original appearance in this state, Roan below would be put into danger.’

That was on a different level from the ground and the walls collapsing. The surrounding mountainous region will end up being a completely different landscape and it was near impossible for a human like Roan to survive the process.

‘I must fight in this state.’

Kalian clenched his teeth. He was planning to hold Lunark back in that state until Roan finished absorbing Felius’ body.

Seeing that, Lunark who had returned to his original body turned its long neck and broke out into a mad laughter.

“Kukuku. I knew you’d be like that.’

His incredible voice was enough to shake the skies and the earth. Lunark then opened his long mouth.

Paaaaaaat!

Enormous aura was being absorbed into his mouth and it felt as if all the aura inside the world was being gathered.

“A breath!”

Kalian’s expression turned stiff. It was near impossible for him to block a dragon’s breath with a human’s body. He turned his head back slightly and stared at Roan.

Kwaaaang!

Roan was breaking the piles of rocks and was quickly approaching the transparent wall.

‘Let’s just endure this once!’

Clenching his teeth, Kalian drew his mana up. An enormous amount of mana emerged from his dragon heart until it was outside his body.

“Foolish.”

Lunark’s voice dug deep into the ears and at the same time.

Tuuuuuung!

A heavy sound resonated as a black breath left his mouth.

“No you don’t!”

Waving his two arms, Kalian compressed the mana flowing out of his body until they were solid.

Paaaaaaaaat!

Dozens, no, hundreds of walls of mana with ridiculous thicknesses flashed in red. At the same time, Roan moved diligently and arrived at the transparent wall where Felius’ body was sealed.

‘Good!’

Roan quickly inserted mana into the spear and stabbed the transparent wall with the spearhead.

Kkaaaaaaang!

The spear bounced off with a loud roar.

“Kuuk!”

His palm that had once been broken cracked open again as red blood flowed down the shaft of the spear. Yet there was not a single dent on the transparent wall, as it remained its tough, cold appearance.

‘I already expected it to not be easy!’

Roan gritted his teeth and raised the spear yet again. It was then.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaang!

A roar filled the space as Lunark’s breath collided with Kalian’s walls of mana. It resulted in a heavy noise as fierce gusts of wind escaped everywhere.

“Kuk!’

Putting power into his two legs, Roan barely held his ground. With one mistake, he could be blown off just like that.

Tuung!

Another noise echoed as one of the walls of mana cracked. Lunark’s black breath continued to drive its momentum and hammered Kalian’s mana walls.

“Roan! Hurry!”

Feeling like his hands, feet, as well as his internal organs, were being shaken, Kalian hurried Roan in pain. In response, Roan gritted and swung the spear again.

Kkaaaang! Kkaaang! Kkaang!

With all his force, Roan poured all his mana and divine power to smack the transparent wall but there was still yet to be a crack on it.

“Shatter! Shatter!”

Despite the wind pressure suffocating him, he did not stop and continued swinging his spear.

Tuung! Tuung! Tuuung! Tuung!

During that, Lunark’s breath was still destroying Kalian’s walls of mana at a fast rate.

“Kuaaaaaaah!”

Lunark raised its large wings up high and let out a roar, as if he predicted his victory.

“Kuuk!”

Kalian frowned in the face of the nasty poison that threatened to melt his body.

‘At this rate, both Roan and I will be in danger.’

He took a deep breath in and glared at the black breath that had neared him already. A red light started emanating out of his body.

“Haaaaap!”

Kalian, who always seemed nonchalant raised his voice to its limit and following that, a red aura immediately left his body. He was drawing out all the mana left inside his dragon heart that hadn’t been used in creating the walls.

Kuuuuuuuuuuung!

Lunark’s breath and Kalian’s mana had a fervent clash. The resulting light of reddish-blackness flashed as the heaven and the earth trembled, but that wasn’t the end.

Kwaaaaaang!

A deafening noise sounded like a part of the wall evaporated as if it got torn apart.

Tudududududu!

Rocks, dirt and trees that had soared up into the skies lost its force and started falling back down toward the ground. The ground seemed to have been a target of a meteorite strike as a spherical hole was etched within. On one side, Kalian was on his feet with his arms powerless.

He was staggering and it wouldn’t be strange for him to collapse whenever, but Lunark, on the other hand, was still in the appearance of a large dragon as he flew in the air above the massive hall. He gave a disgusting and nasty smile.

“Look at yourself.”

His voice was filled with derision.

“Kuuk.”

Unable to reply easily, Kalian let out a low mutter. It felt as if all the bones inside his body had been crushed but even then, there was still a humoured smile hanging on his lips.

“Can’t even deal with me despite using a breath in the true form…”

He barely raised his head and stared at Lunark.

“Lunark. Your fame as the Mad Dragon is unbefitting.”

As if he was joking, his tone was light yet mocking. Thanks to that, Lunark’s expression crumpled in an instant.

“You can’t even get your head straight till the bitter end huh. Good, let’s see if you can block another breath.”

With a sickening smile, Lunark once again opened his mouth. Breath wasn’t an attack that could be used repeatedly and once or twice a day was the maximum.

‘Judging from his current state, there’s no need to use a full breath.’

Not to mention how even an imitation of a breath would be able to leave a fatal wound on Kalian, Roan positioning himself in front of the transparent wall behind Kalian would immediately lose his life as well.

‘In any case, that wall doesn’t even budge from my breath.’

Although he felt displeased, he felt faintly reassured.

‘A wall that cannot be broken by a dragon’s breath cannot be broken by a human after all. Kuk.’

A mocking smile left his mouth.

Paaaaat!

Once again, dense auras gathered inside his opened mouth. Although it was a lot weaker than the previous breath and could be considered an imitation in comparison, that alone was enough to give off enormous pressure.

Staring at Lunark’s mouth, Kalian made a bitter smile.

“Roan. I’ll drag time here so…”

Within the worst case scenario, he found the best possible solution.

“Look for an opportunity to escape.”

That was currently the best possible solution.

‘Roan more than me.’

Gritting his teeth, Kalian drew the remaining mana up but that leftover mana was on the same level as a mere human knight.

“Sir Kalian.”

Roan clenched his fists. Ever since he came back to the past and started a new life, this was the first time he felt a complete sense of powerlessness. The moments he prided in himself for being strong felt laughable and embarrassing.

‘Damn!’

Swears filled up his throat. It was then.

“It’s coming.”

Kalian’s voice was heard. Before Roan had realised, Lunark had already finished the preparations to use his breath. Turning his head slightly behind, Kalian looked at Roan.

“I leave the Middle World… no, the world in your hands.”

It was a sorrowful bidding of farewell. Kalian lowered his head slightly before shooting his arms up.

“Kuuk!”

Holding back the groan escaping his lips, Roan took a few steps back.

Tuuk!

The spear in his hands clashed against the transparent wall. Unconsciously, Roan turned around and stared at Felius’ body sealed inside the wall.

‘Must I really just fall back like this…’

He felt frustrated. His entire body trembled as red blood flowed down from his tight grip.

Slide.

The blood slid down the shaft of the spear and touched the transparent wall.

It was then.

Zzing.

It was feeble and unseemingly but there was definitely a vibration.

‘Mm?!’

Wearing a frown, Roan made his five senses as sensitive as they could be, but the vibration he had clearly felt had already vanished.

‘I definitely felt a vibration…’

Before his thoughts could finish.

Zzing!

He felt a vibration, slightly stronger than before. It was because another drop of blood that had been flowing down the spear had touched the transparent wall.

“Ah…”

Roan let out a low mutter as complex emotions surfaced in his eyes.

‘Felius. You really are the same as always.’

A bitter smile appeared on his lips but at the same time, it felt like the frustration suffocating his chest had been blown away.

‘Right, Felius. Even when I was awakening your soul that had been sleeping inside the Travias Spear…’

There was only one thing that was needed.

‘My blood was needed.’

Placing the Travias Spear into his waist, Roan threw his arms wide open. Due to his sudden movement, red blood flowed out from the reopened wounds. Standing against the transparent wall, he stared at Felius’ body standing still with his eyes closed as if in eternal sleep.

‘If my thoughts are wrong, I will die here for sure.’

That would be him dishonouring Kalian’s sacrifice but Roan was certain. And more importantly, he couldn’t leave Kalian behind and run away on his one.

“Roan! Hurry and escape!”

It was then that Kalian’s voice struck his ears. When he turned around, Roan saw the black breath that was already nearing them as well as Kalian who was alone standing before it.

Making a hazy smile, Roan looked straight into Kalian’s eyes. It felt like everything around them was moving slowly as the two of them, one dragon and one human saw the honest thoughts of one another through their interlocking eyes.

‘Idiot…’

Seeing Roan standing near him without leaving by himself, Kalian made a faint smile. It was the same old humoured, prankish smile. Roan saw that smile before turning his head back towards Felius’ body.

All that had happened in an instant and Roan immediately smacked the transparent wall with his two arms.

Kwaang!

‘Felius!’

His body was full of power.

“This is…”

Unable to stay back, his voice escaped.

“My blood.”

It was the last decision made with his life on the line.

“Devour it!”

At the same time.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Lunark’s breath enveloped Roan and Kalian. A deafening roar once again struck the eardrums as the walls that barely held themselves up crumbled yet again and the ground revealed a deeper hole.

“Kuhahahaha!”

Swinging its large wings, Lunark broke out into a burst of mad laughter. At the place his breath had landed, there was black smoke as well as dust of dirt clouds being formed and he couldn’t feel Roan nor Kalian’s auras from anywhere.

It was complete annihilation. Lunark had finally destroyed those obstructions that were like thorns in his eyes.

“Kuhahahahaha!”

His laughter of madness knew no ends as it continued but it was then.

Tuung.

Around the place his breath had landed, a thud, as well as a small vibration, could be felt.

“Kuhaha… Mm?”

Lunark stopped his laugh and made a frown.

Tuuuuung.

That was when another big vibration occurred. At the same time, the white cloud of dust followed the flow of wind and diverged everywhere.

“Are they still alive?”

Lunark used more mana to closely examine the ground.

It was then.

Paaaaaaaaaaaaat

An intensely bright pillar of light soared up from the place his breath landed but its colour was strange. White and red muddled together into a tornado.

“W, what?”

From the sudden turn of events, Lunark was slightly befuddled and in that moment, his five senses that had been brought up to the extreme sensed an unpleasant aura.

“T, this, don’t tell me…?”

It was an aura he could never forget. Or rather, it was more than just that and was an aura he cursed and cursed. Staring at the pillar of light, Lunark murmured in a low voice.

“The aura of a god race.”

The unpleasant aura he felt through his five senses was definitely that of the god race. Lunark’s eyes enlarged into circles.

‘F, Felius’ body woke up from its seal…’

Around the time his thoughts reached that point.

Paaaaaaat!

The pillar of light disappeared, and a youth showed himself from within. A hazy smile was hanging on his lips and the man had a masculine look.

It was Roan.

But compared to before, it appeared as if his looks turned gentler. Besides, the red armour he always wore disappeared into thin air and in its stead was an ornamented armour that had a strange mix of red and white.

That definitely was the armour of Felius.

Roan looked straight into Lunark’s eyes.

“From now…”

A gentle voice flowed across the wind.

Gulp.

Lunark subconsciously gulped as Roan’s lips twitched yet again.

“It’s my turn.”

<The Great Warring Period (8)> End.