Chapter 79: The Moving Operation (3)
“Za… Zaifa…!”
“What?”
At that moment, the giant wyvern’s body split in half explosively. Blood sprayed across the sky like fireworks. Simultaneously, the wyvern Ronan was riding on also shattered into three pieces and fell to the ground. The Beastfolk, having turned around, wrapped both Ronan and the woman in its arms and began its descent.
“Ugh!”
There was no way to resist. Ronan could only bite his tongue to stay conscious. It felt like a steel serpent was constricting his throat.
“Release… now!”
The descent was much faster than the ascent. Ronan, with a reversed Lamancha in hand, attempted to stab Beastfolk’s throat. But a whip-like tail wrapped around Ronan’s wrist.
“What…!”
Struggling, Ronan cursed. At that moment, a shock as if the world had turned upside down struck his entire body. A thunderous roar resounded. Amidst flickering consciousness, he heard someone’s voice.
“You’re still alive, warrior?”
The voice was deep and resonant, like a mountain range. Ronan twisted his shoulders vigorously. The oppressive feeling lifted, and he regained his freedom.
“Damn it!”
Ronan quickly distanced himself from the direction of the voice. The surroundings had transformed from the sky to a forest in the blink of an eye. His fragmented view merged into one, revealing the imposing figure of Beastfolk, whom he had seen before. Ronan’s lips parted in astonishment.
“…Zaifa.”
There was no need for an explanation. The Empire’s Greatest Swordmaster was right before his eyes. The black tigress standing on two legs seemed to embody the very concept of strength.
She seemed to be the kind that would explode and sweep away everything around her with even a slight touch. The two eyes, burning pumpkin orange, held the primal wildness within them.
The woman from Nebula Clazier clung to her side. Her stomach was slowly swelling and subsiding, indicating that she wasn’t dead. Ronan spoke.
“That woman has a prior appointment with me.”
Zaifa did not respond.
Ssshh—red and hot liquid began to pour down from above. It was a giant curtain made of the wyvern’s blood.
Then, pieces of torn flesh fell down. Amidst the shower of blood, the two of them stared at each other without moving. Finally, Zaifa, who had set down the woman, spoke.
“It’s not you.”
“What?”
“Let’s greet each other. Draw your sword.”
In an instant, Zaifa’s figure vanished. It wasn’t reason but instinct that moved Ronan’s body. He grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands and swung it around. As Zaifa reappeared before him, their two blade edges clashed.
Kwaang!
The thunderous sound shook the forest.
“Ugh!”
Ronan was sent flying. It felt like his shoulder bone was piercing through the flesh. As he somersaulted, Ronan regained his balance and composed himself. He could hardly believe he was standing on his two feet. The dizzying shock still lingered in his body.
‘What kind of power…!’
He instinctively realized that this was an opponent he could never defeat right now. He was prepared for death, but contrary to his expectations, the second attack did not come. Zaifa raised an eyebrow as she looked at her Sword.
“A familiar technique. Are you perhaps the disciple of that snake?”
“Why did you do that?”
“Just a simple greeting. Actions speak louder than a hundred words, and a single clash is more suitable for understanding each other.”
Zaifa swept her sword, clearing away the blood that had stained it. She approached Ronan cautiously, with her guard still up. Then, she extended a hand covered in coarse fur and spoke.
“I am Zaifa Turkon.”
Ronan clenched his teeth. Her actions seemed far from rational, but there was no sign of vulnerability. For a while, Ronan kept a wary eye on Zaifa.
“…”
Even amidst the awkward silence, she didn’t lower her hand. The rain of blood had ceased. Finally, Ronan, who had let go of his sword hilt, extended his hand for a handshake.
“Ronan.”
“Clear and concise, I like it. A name befitting a warrior.”
Zaifa chuckled lightly. It seemed she had no intention of killing or tearing Ronan apart to make a sandwich. Ronan let out a relieved sigh and spoke.
“Alright, now hand over the woman. You must have seen that I’ve nearly captured her.”
“I refuse.”
“Damn it, as a swordsman, do you think it’s fair to snatch someone else’s prey? If you came from the North, you should know how dishonorable that is.”
“Do you know anything about Nebula Clazier?”
Ronan’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. After he had put Edwon and Cyril in Rodollan, news of their actions had spread throughout the Empire, so it wasn’t surprising. Ronan nodded slowly.
“…I do.”
“In that case, the explanation will be swift. It is my mission to capture those fools.”
“Mission?”
“Yes, bestowed upon me by the Emperor himself.”
Zaifa seemed somewhat annoyed, tapping the ground with her tail as if to express her impatience. Suddenly, Navirose’s words from earlier flashed through Ronan’s mind. She mentioned there was a newly established organization to deal with the Nebula Clazier. Could Zaifa be related to that? A question arose in his mind.
“How did you know that the woman is with Nebula Clazier?”
This was important, and as far as he knew, interrogating anyone with restraints no longer worked. Just as Zaifa was about to say something, distant shouts echoed through the forest.
“Captain!”
Ronan instinctively hunched his shoulders. The inhumanly loud call made Ronan involuntarily tense up. Turning, he saw figures leaping through the trees, approaching fast. It didn’t take long for him to realize that they were all beastfolk like Zaifa.
Finally, one of them landed in front of Ronan. She was a lioness beast-woman covered in golden fur all over her body. She lacked fangs, but her majesty was no less than Professor Varen’s. She alternated her gaze between Ronan and the woman before speaking.
“I saw them from a distance. They must be these two.”
“Just the woman. This one was hunting her.”
“Hunting? For what purpose?”
“I’ll handle it myself, so don’t worry. How are the follow-up measures going?”
“Ah, we’ve confirmed that the commotion caused by the monsters has ceased. We’ve eliminated any threatening entities, and Sergeant Tutu and seven others are waiting on each road.”
“You’ve done well.”
The lioness saluted. Soon, other beastfolk began to land one by one. Were-tigers, were-lions, were-bears… All these large beastfolks were dressed in Imperial military uniforms.
Surrounded by these towering figures, Ronan looked like a dwarf who had inexplicably sprouted up between the giants. The presence of Ronan was quickly noticed by the beastfolk, and they exchanged murmurs.
“Lieutenant, who is this little guy?”
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“Haha, is he our lunch?”
“He may be small, but he has fierce eyes, the eyes of an eagle.”
Ronan silently observed them, his grip on the sword hilt tightening. They might not be on the same level as Zaifa, but he could tell that each of them was a formidable warrior. Especially the lioness, referred to as the lieutenant, had an extraordinary aura. Zaifa, as if mocking them, stuck out her tongue.
“Don’t laugh, you big fools. This boy stood his ground even after I greeted him.”
“…Really? Are you joking?”
“If you doubt, try crossing swords with him.”
The faces of the beastfolks stiffened as they looked at Ronan as if they were looking at a newly hatched dragon.
“Is it the first time for anyone except the lieutenant?”
“It can’t be. He’s a human, and a young one at that.”
“Well, the previous Swordmaster is a human too. Though I believe she’s a polymorphed dragon.”
“I’d like to fight her once…”
The atmosphere had changed quite a bit from earlier, with the beastfolks openly displaying their competitive spirits. However, no one was merely in awe. Low growls were emanating from various directions.
Ronan couldn’t help but chuckle at the blatant displays of rivalry among the beastfolks. This is what animals were like, after all. While he was considering whether to challenge one of them to demonstrate his skills, a familiar voice reached his ears from somewhere.
“Hehehe! P-Please, spare me! Don’t eat me!”
“Kid, it’s okay. Calm down.”
“What’s going on?”
Amidst this unexpected commotion, the tension in the air eased. Ronan turned his head to find a boy with fiery red hair struggling in the grip of a gigantic were-bear. The boy appeared to be flailing as if he were drunk. Deep furrows appeared on Ronan’s forehead.
“Aselle?”
“R-Ronan? You’re alive!”
Aselle’s expression brightened momentarily. However, when the other beast folks gathered around to watch, he began to scream like a maiden again. Perplexed, the were-bear holding Aselle extended him toward Zaifa.
“I’ve just returned. Well, he seems like a civilian, but just in case, I brought him. Would you mind taking a look?”
“No. Let him go.”
Zaifa, after a glance at Aselle, spoke decisively. The were-bear gently released him. Aselle staggered toward Ronan as if his legs had given out, tears streaming continuously from his large, round eyes.
“I was looking for you when you didn’t come back, then suddenly…!”
Aselle explained that he had been captured while searching for Ronan. Even though he had tried to float away, he couldn’t escape. In the midst of this unexpected conversation, the atmosphere lightened. Ronan turned to Zaifa.
“Right, you should finish what you were saying earlier. Whether it’s that woman or this kid, how do you identify those from Nebula clazier?”
“It’s intuition.”
“What?”
“It’s a method for identifying Nebula Clazier members. Those tainted by their wickedness exude a disgusting odor.”
No further explanation was given. Ronan laughed dryly at the notion of intuition. He questioned whether it could even be called a method.
“So you just arrest those who you think might be guilty?”
“Initially, yes.”
“It seems no different from randomly detaining those you don’t like.”
“Among those I’ve killed or captured, there hasn’t been a single innocent person.”
She spoke with conviction. Ronan didn’t press further. After finishing her explanation, Zaifa turned to the lieutenant and asked, “Have you figured out their objective?”
“Yes. Although it’s not entirely clear at the moment, given the commotion caused by the monsters in the vicinity, it’s highly likely that it was a mere diversion. Based on the intelligence that we observed the Wyvern’s group, who were heading toward the Roma Mountains, breaking up, it’s probable that the real objective lies over there.”
“I see. In that case, let’s head to Roma. Inform them to lift the blockade…”
“Hm? What is it?”
Suddenly, Zaifa trailed off. She didn’t respond to the lieutenant’s question. Ronan and Zaifa both turned their heads simultaneously. Their gazes were all fixed on the northern sky.
Aselle asked anxiously, “Why? Why are you both acting like this?”
“Damn it.”
Out of nowhere, Ronan turned to look at the woman who was lying on the ground. Her once pristine white robe was now soaked in blood, turning it entirely red. Ronan walked over to her, grabbed her by the hair, and roughly pulled her up. A chilling laughter echoed through the air.
“Hehehe… Ahahaha!”
“Damn it. We should have done the job properly.”
Ronan sighed deeply. The woman’s disheveled face was contorted with madness. The gazes of those around them grew uneasy. Only now did the beastfolks, who had been slow to react, turned their eyes to the north.
“What is that…!”
Something pitch-black was soaring in the northern sky. It was clear it wasn’t birds. The gigantic wings made a thunderous noise as they sliced through the air. The wyverns, with their dull colors, numbered well over a hundred.
“Ahaha! That’s right, Zaifa. You should’ve handled things properly!”
The woman once again burst into manic laughter. The wyverns were flying in the direction of the Roma Mountains, and Ronan’s lips twisted as he realized what they were after: the neutralization of the Roma Mountain Road, a crime the Winter Witch would commit in the not-too-distant future.
“Damn it!”
“Hahaha, What are you going to do now?”
Thwack!
Ronan struck the back of the woman’s neck with the hilt of his sword. Although her unconscious body slumped, the wyverns didn’t stop.
Ronan had been pondering, ‘Usually, when an enchanter becomes incapacitated, the enchantment should be released. Do we really have to kill her?’ But just as he was considering this, Zaifa’s foot descended onto the woman’s head with a squelching sound, and a crimson flower blossomed. Zaifa, looking up at the northern sky, spoke calmly.
“Hmmm. It didn’t stop even when I killed her.”
“It seems there might be another sorcerer. Probably among those wyverns.”
“That seems reasonable.”
“What do we do now?”
Ronan wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked. Despite the national crisis, there was no tension evident on Zaifa and the beastfolk’s faces. After a brief silence, Zaifa let out a faint sigh.
“What else can we do? We have to kill them all. Even if it’s a shame to dirty our clothes, It’s a necessary evil.” Her tone held a tinge of regret.
The lieutenant questioned,”Are you going alone?”
“Yes. I might need to use the ‘Aura,’ so make sure civilians evacuate.”
“Understood. Everyone, to your positions!”
Upon receiving the order, the beastfolks scattered without hesitation. Zaifa, gripping the hilt of her sword, crouched down. Her hind legs expanded nearly twice their size, preparing to launch herself into the air. Suddenly, she felt her tail grow heavy and turned her head.
“What are you doing?”
“Shut up and get going.”
Ronan clutched Zaifa’s tail tightly in his right hand, with pale Aselle clinging to his left flank. Aselle flopped around like a fish on a chopping block, denying what was about to happen.
“Ronan? What are you trying to do? It’s not what I’m thinking, right? Please tell me it’s not.”
Ronan didn’t answer. Laughing, Zaifa turned her attention back to the road ahead. Aselle, pushed to the limit, let out a scream.
With a boom, Zaifa’s body unfurled like a tornado. The sky swallowed them whole.
