“You need to step in this time,” said the Shadow Duke. His pale face cast in shadows was quite striking. Normally, he would handle things himself, but it seemed he was having a tough time. Ronan, who had been lying down, sat up.
“What is it? Did the leader show up?” Ronan asked.
“No, two archbishops appeared. We couldn’t even penetrate their barrier. Our troops are suffering heavy losses,” the Shadow Duke explained briefly. Due to the sudden appearance of the two archbishops in the depths of the mountain range, the allied forces had lost three strongholds they had previously captured. Ronan frowned.
“Finally, they’ve shown up. You mean even applying the raw extract didn’t work?” he asked.
“Yes, even when we struck with weapons coated in raw extract, it didn’t leave a scratch,” the Shadow Duke said, clicking his tongue. Though he didn’t show it, his pride was clearly hurt. He was similar to Orse in that he had never known defeat in his life. Ronan spoke up.
“Seems like I need to go. By the way, calling it raw extract makes it sound weird. I’m not a juice or something.”
“To us, it’s practically the same thing. Anyway, the more serious issue is that they’re stalling for time. There must be secret passages throughout the mountains, and at this rate, many of them might escape,” the Shadow Duke expressed his concern about the possibility of the Nebula Clazier escaping. It was a valid concern; while they might burn the leaves and stems, the roots could still survive. Ronan stood up.
“You should have called me sooner.”
With a quick motion, he pulled out the tube that was inserted into his arm. Didikan had warned him not to remove it carelessly, but Ronan’s wounds healed quickly, so it didn’t matter much. The stream of blood stopped almost immediately.
“Thanks.”“Let’s get going. I was feeling stiff anyway,” Ronan said as he followed the Shadow Duke out of the tent. A cold northern wind hit him. The allied camp and the war-torn Felgrand Mountain Range spread out before him.
Felgrand Mountain, one of the largest strongholds of the Nebula Clazier, was being attacked simultaneously with the eastern Pansia fortress. The rugged mountain range, covered in rocks and coniferous trees, was practically a fortress itself.
“These bastards,” Ronan muttered. They had been stuck there for over two weeks. The night air was filled with the sounds of battle: shouts, screams, and the clash of steel.
“At least it’s not the far north,” Ronan said as he put on his coat. Despite it being early summer, the temperature was low in the north. His breath came out in white puffs, breaking apart in the cold air.
Just thinking about Heyran and the Sea of Wraiths made his balls shrivel. The Sea of Wraiths. Realizing that the Savior’s lifespan was nearing its end, Ronan bit his lip.
“About half a year left, huh.”
To save the world and uncover the secret of his birth, he needed to save the Savior. And to save the Savior, he needed the blood of the leader, Abel. Though he exchanged letters with Elcia irregularly, there had been no miraculous improvement in her condition.
The only consolation was that, at this pace, they might soon reach the leader. The blacksmiths, in collaboration with the vampires, had found ways to utilize Ronan’s blood beyond just applying it to weapons, and they were seeing significant results. The Shadow Duke spoke.
“I’ll head out first then.”
“Sure. Don’t die and wait for me,” Ronan said, waving. The Shadow Duke’s body was enveloped in darkness and vanished. Now, time to get to work. Turning around, he saw Shita sitting quietly, watching him.
“Bya.”
“You’ve grown so much. Who told you to get this big?” Ronan chuckled. Despite Shita’s enormous size, his eyes still had that adorable charm.
Sensing Ronan’s gaze, Shita lowered his head. Ronan climbed onto Shita’s long neck, stroking his soft feathers.
“Let’s go, buddy.”
“Byait!”
Shita spread his four wings and took off. Despite his size, Shita’s takeoff was eerily silent, like a ghost. The soldiers in the camp cheered.
“Oho, he’s going in himself!”
“Yeah, give them hell!”
To them, Ronan was more than a hero. Everyone, regardless of rank, knew his name. Ronan raised his hand lightly in acknowledgment. With a single flap of his wings, Shita reached the outskirts of the mountain range and roared loudly.
“Byaaaa-!”
Simultaneously, the blood scattered throughout the mountain range began to converge towards Shita. Countless droplets of blood rose into the air, looking like reverse rain.
This was the secret to his explosive growth. War brought a lot of blood, and it all belonged to Shita. His black, soft feathers absorbed all the blood greedily without getting wet, maintaining their luster. After absorbing all the blood, Shita smiled contentedly.
“Byaha!”
“Don’t overdo it, buddy. If you get any bigger, what will we do?”
Ronan lightly pinched Shita’s neck. Of course, he wasn’t serious. Shita was already too big to keep at home, so what if he got a bit bigger?
In less than five minutes, Ronan and Shita arrived at their destination. From the high altitude, the heart of the mountain range, invisible from the ground, was clearly visible.
The Shadow Duke and his subordinates were waiting in the air. Dozens of vampires in black combat uniforms surrounded the Duke. He greeted Ronan.
“You’re here.”
“Yeah. It looks pretty sturdy.”
Looking down, Ronan whistled. It was clear why they had called him. The barrier covering the heart of the mountain range was on a different level than what he had seen before.
The dome-shaped barrier shimmered in a mix of purple and red. Even to the naked eye, it looked thick and impenetrable by conventional means. Ronan asked.
“Do we have more troops ready to move in?”
“Commanders 1, 4, and 12 and their troops are in position for the siege. They managed to get in without being detected by the enemy’s sensors,” the Duke replied.
“Ah, so Adeshan’s here,” Ronan said, nodding. The 4th Field Commander referred to Adeshan. Despite her young age, she had shown remarkable prowess in mock battles and was appointed as a commander in the allied forces shortly after the purge operation began.
Though she commanded fewer troops, her unit boasted the highest win rate within the allied forces. Though it hadn’t happened in this timeline, she had once been a great general, and her talent hadn’t gone anywhere. Feeling good about it, Ronan turned to the Duke.
“Let’s go. Follow me.”
“Wait, are you just going to charge in?”
“I’ll handle one of them, so you take care of the other,” Ronan said, suddenly jumping off Shita’s back. As if on cue, Shita folded his wings and dove downwards.
“Wait!”
The stunned vampires followed him in a dive. Ronan gripped his sword’s hilt as he quickly approached the mountain range.
The wind roared in his ears. Through the murky barrier, he saw a man and a woman dressed in unusually ornate robes.
“Damn bastards.”
Suddenly, rage surged within him. If not for them, he would be enjoying the Fairy Night Festival at Phelion right now. Laughing foolishly with his friends or watching the stars with Adeshan in festival attire.
Ronan gritted his teeth. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how many people had been robbed of their daily happiness. As he reached the barrier, he drew his sword. Slaaash! With a swift motion, La Mancha drew an arc, and the barrier shattered into pieces.
“What the…!”
The Shadow Duke’s eyes widened. Sensing the anomaly, Archbishop Alicia looked up in alarm. The barrier, honed over a lifetime, was crumbling. Black shadows rained down from above.
“Wait, Kailashis!”
She tried to shout something. Slaaash! Ronan’s descending strike, trailing a red streak, split Archbishop Kailashis from crown to crotch in one blow.
****
“As expected, the original is unmatched. You were right, we should have called you sooner,” the Shadow Duke marveled. The proud vampires couldn’t hide their admiration. The area that had been stagnant for four days was breached in just two hours. Ronan spoke indifferently.
“See? I told you to call me earlier.”
He was covered in blood, kicking away the corpses at his feet. One of them was Kailashis, who had been cut in half at the start of the battle. The notorious archbishop who had claimed over a thousand lives fell victim to a surprise attack.
The allied forces had stormed in as soon as the barrier fell. Archbishop Alicia put up a desperate fight but couldn’t withstand the combined assault of Ronan and the Shadow Duke and retreated into the depths of the mountains. The long and arduous battle for Felgrand was nearing its end.
“Hey, not bad.”
“Balzac.”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan turned and raised his eyebrows. Balzac, the younger brother of the Duke of Shadows, was approaching with a chuckle.
“I have to admit, though it’s frustrating. You are stronger now than I am. I can’t believe you were that inexperienced kid before.”
“That’s an honor.”
“How about we stop drawing blood altogether and just focus on the front lines? It seems like that would make things easier.”
“If these bastards weren’t scattered across the continent, we would have done that already.”
Ronan shook his head. As Balzac said, Ronan was like a spear that could pierce any shield. Naturally, if he fought on the front lines, they would achieve good results, but the position of the central headquarters where the sect leader resided was still unclear.
“We need to uproot it.”
The existence of many remaining branches also made it impossible to use that strategy. The allied forces, who had not received the diluted solution made from Ronan’s blood, could not pierce the blessing of the stars. Balzac, who had been pondering, snapped his fingers.
“Oh, by the way, didn’t you say you have a sister? How about leaving the bloodletting to her?”
“What?”
For a moment, Ronan’s eyebrows twitched. Adeshan, who had been eavesdropping nearby, took a deep breath. He had a bad feeling about it.
“Forget it. She’s small, so there probably won’t be much blood.”
“Don’t dismiss it so easily. If she’s your blood relative, she should have the same effect. The more blood we can use, the more favorable the situation will become.”
“Let’s stop talking about my sister. I’ve already informed Navardo-sama before the battle.”
Taking a deep breath, Ronan spoke. Although the veins on his forehead were bulging, he still managed to maintain his composure. Balzac clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“Is that so? It’s a pity.”
“I’m enough on my own. If we’re done here, let’s start moving.”
“Alright. But it’s really a shame. I was curious about the taste of your sister’s blood, you know, hahaha!”
Suddenly, Balzac burst into hearty laughter. Something snapped in Ronan’s mind. Although he knew rationally that it was a joke, his hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword.
“Hey.”
“Huh? What’s the matter?”
In an instant, Ronan stopped. As Balzac turned around, his sword was drawn. Just as the Lamanchan sword was about to strike at Balzac’s tongue, someone suddenly threw themselves at Ronan from the side.
“R-Ronan!”
“…Adeshan?”
Ronan’s arm stopped. Adeshan was awkwardly smiling and looking at him.
Balzac’s eyes widened. The sword that had been sheathed was now glinting in front of his face.
“What’s the meaning of this…?”
He couldn’t understand why the sword was aimed at him. Balzac was about to question it with an angry voice. The silent Shadow Duke finally spoke.
“Be quiet, Balzac.”
“Brother?”
“Since the 4th Field Commander saved you. Ronan, apologize on behalf of your impudence.”
The Duke of Shadows, who had suddenly walked up to Ronan, bowed his head. Ronan, who had brushed his bangs aside, nodded.
“Don’t mention it. Someone of your rank.”
“Will you accept the apology?”
“Of course. I was too excited myself.”
“Thank you.”
The Shadow Duke smiled. He then took the still aggrieved Balzac to a corner. Ronan, who took another deep breath, looked back at Adeshan.
“…Thank you. I also need to deal with that guy’s temperament.”
“No, it’s okay. I came to deliver a letter.”
“A letter?”
“Yeah. From the institution… Do you want to see it?”
Adeshan, who had shown a slight smile, pulled a letter envelope from his pocket. As Ronan took the letter, his eyes widened.
“…It’s a letter from my sister?”
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