Chapter 21: The Sky-Blocking Killer
"To my dear friend, Her Majesty the High Queen of the Beautiful Wasteland, Yashu Tuling:
First, on behalf of all the citizens of Archadia, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Elysion for his generous assistance to our country. Thanks to the brave Nighttrotters, our land was spared from the tragic situation of devastation.
The "echo" of the spirit crystal floated above the large table in the middle of the conference room, and Ling Dier's official-sounding speech floated out clearly from the spirit crystal.
"The signs of the apocalypse that is imminent have intensified in recent days. The violent Iron Ghosts are becoming increasingly rampant, the war in the southern continent continues, and several major nations, including Arcadia, are experiencing varying degrees of civil unrest. Although the news has been deliberately suppressed, rumors of assassinations of royal families in several countries have surfaced. The conflict between humans and weapons is gradually intensifying again. Although Elysion is a new nation that advocates the integration and coexistence of the two races, I still feel obligated to remind you to pay attention to these subtle developments."
Ling Dier said this and paused for a moment, as if giving Beichen time to digest his words.
"Thanks to your nation's assistance, our warriors were able to crush the violent Iron Ghost Legion's rebellion. Shortly after the Night-Treading Iron Cavalry departed, our warriors encountered... a strange-looking possessed Moon Envoy, left alone due to lack of support. We lost over fifty elite officers before we severely wounded and subdued it, but we were unable to extract any useful information from it.
Considering you have a possessed Moon Envoy by your side, we've decided to send it to you, perhaps offering you some answers. While somewhat dangerous, we've employed the most reliable restraints to limit its movements. We hope you enjoy this gift...
At the end of his speech, Lingdir seemed to be unable to bear his official tone. He suddenly coughed a few times and then changed back to his original casual yet heroic tone.
"He's a rare handsome man, and you have a strange habit of possessing Moon Envoys, so don't hesitate to enjoy him! I'm really thinking of you! I'm not just dumping a hot potato!"
“…”
“…”
Many people in the conference room started to twitch their lips when they heard the last sentence - anyone can see that you are just throwing away the hot potato!
But even in the face of Ling Dier's teasing that was deliberately intended to lighten the atmosphere, Beichen still couldn't laugh.
The projected personality, the soul-killing knife, the two groups of people who framed Fang Ai, Fei Bai's departure, Su Mo's plan, the Ark that could only accommodate one million people - in just half a month, all kinds of seemingly unrelated events, but which always made people feel that they were strung together by some uneasy thread... happened one after another.
What's even more frustrating is that even though they've tried their best to do everything they can and sent all the people they can, these troublesome issues haven't been resolved yet - no one knows what Su Mo's actions are, and there's no way to defend against them - or is he executing several plans at the same time, trying to force her into a dead end from all angles?
No, no, the more I think about it, the more confused I get.
Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, but they seemed to be covered by a veil - it was difficult to sort them out. Beichen stood up from the conference table and nodded to the Arcadia envoy who was waiting for an explanation on the side.
"Thank you for your hard work. We accept this 'gift'. Xiao Ping, Yin Yue..."
Xiao Ping immediately responded, and stood up with Gu Yinyue to lead the way for them to take over the imprisoned possessed Moon Envoy.
After the outsiders left, Beichen turned around and asked Yagad:
"Is Xiaxue still in Elysion? He's the will of Celenkrad, so he should know something about the possessed Moon Messenger. I'd like to ask what's going on."
Yagard frowned:
"I'm sorry, Miss Beichen. After Xifeng was injured, Xiaxue came to say goodbye to us, saying that she had something urgent to attend to and left."
"Oh! What a coincidence!"
Beichen shook her head vigorously, remembering the diary Xiaxue had given her on her birthday. She wanted to open it and take a look - now her brain was almost overwhelmed by countless mysteries.
"Owner."
Xiang Ying spoke with a worried look on his face.
"Shouldn't we go check on that restrained possessed Moon Envoy? Generally speaking, the easiest time for someone whose freedom is restricted is when the two factions are handing over the prisoner, right?"
"What Xiangying said makes sense."
Yaye also narrowed his eyes and nodded.
"On the one hand, we're relieved that the person has been handed over, but on the other hand, we haven't yet entered a state of alert—it's easy for someone to take advantage of the situation."
"Um."
Beichen thought about it for a moment and immediately agreed to the proposal.
Although she wanted to read Xiaxue's diary immediately, she couldn't ignore this matter. This was the capital of Elysion, and if the possessed Moon Envoy escaped and caused trouble, it would be troublesome.
"Agad, send one hundred Guards and fifty Night Cavalry to the Arcadia Embassy. We will go after Yin Yue Xiao Peng and the others now."
"yes!"
However, just as Beichen and his group left the palace and reached the central square, the sky suddenly darkened, and not long after, a deafening roar came from overhead!
“…What…is that?!”
Heihuo's unbelievable voice rang in her ears, and Beichen looked up at the same time. Then she opened her mouth silently, stunned by her surprise.
Not only Beichen, but also Xiangying, Yaye, Yagard, and Atlas stopped thinking for a short time because the scene was too horrifying.
"……dragon……?"
Su Jie murmured hoarsely and swallowed slowly.
It's not that they haven't seen dragons before. They have fought against the glass-winged dragons in Panlong Gorge countless times, and some violent iron ghosts in the shape of dragons eventually died under their siege.
Logically speaking, seeing a dragon shouldn't have surprised them so much.
But it's different. ...This is different.
Just one of its wings, when spread out, is over a thousand meters long.
It has a body of pitch-black scales with faint golden glows on them, and its translucent wing membranes are covered with beautiful yet dangerous mechanical patterns that glitter.
On the dragon's head with complex pointed horns, there are huge fangs that are more than ten meters long, and a pair of golden animal eyes, which are fixed on the ground beneath its feet with cold and brutal gazes.
The long tail swung gently and gracefully, as if it could easily sweep down several buildings, and the wings drove the huge body to fan out a terrible hurricane-like wind pressure.
After only a few tens of seconds, many newly planted trees in the central square were blown into horrible angles.
It is as beautiful and mysterious as the dragon in a fairy tale, but also deadly and dangerous enough to make one's legs go numb and even lose the courage to escape.
This is... the real "dragon".
Although he knew how powerful the opponent was, he was unable to move because of the pressure and deadly beauty. He could only stare greedily at the scorching golden eyes and the gorgeous and imposing huge wings, even if he would be turned into dust and ashes in the next moment by the terrifying dragon breath!
The square suddenly became quiet. Everyone stood there staring at the sky, as if time had stood still. The capital area, which was home to hundreds of thousands of people, seemed to have been drained of all its vitality.
The huge dragon was now hanging in the central square of Elysien, quietly accepting the worship composed of countless surprises, panics, and astonishments.
No words are needed, it has already reached the pinnacle of all living things at this moment.
Then, the dragon spoke with a rumbling voice.
"My name is Ragnarl, the Star Killer. After a thousand years of slumber, guided and called by the witch, I have returned to Senagard, the dying land. Witch, please answer me, where is my refuge, but here? Where is the thing I want to destroy? The survivors you have chosen—how can I decide whether to leave them behind?"
A deep, heavy, and echoing male voice gradually drifted away over the square.
Many people were so frightened by the sound that they sat down on the ground and ran away screaming. The soldiers of the Night Cavalry also gathered here as quickly as possible. The people around Beichen almost reflexively protected her behind them.
And Beichen - now her brain is filled with confusion.
Although it had the appearance of a violent iron ghost, it was completely different from ordinary species - its huge size, its terrifying strength that was obvious at a glance, its gorgeous, domineering and intimidating appearance - and it seemed to possess a sound intelligence.
But none of that matters now.
Importantly, it says it was summoned by the witch to carry out a mission of destruction and ruin.
She had imagined many ways to destroy the world, such as war, plague, natural disasters, and sudden changes in the natural environment - but she ignored the most important one, because the possibility and success rate of causing a major disaster in that way were relatively small. After all, that way had a strong "variable". If she really wanted to take action, she probably wouldn't go this way - but now, the conclusion was already in front of her.
——That is a biological weapon with absolute power.
So, here comes the question.
When had she ever summoned something like this? If she had the power to control something so powerful, why was she still so overwhelmed by all kinds of troubles?
And, how did it appear?
She didn't summon him, but he came over and "recognized his master" in front of so many people?
Do you want to put the responsibility of the subsequent destruction of the world on her?
...Was it Su Mo who did it?
"Miko, please respond to me."
Seeing that Beichen had no response, the dragon urged him in a deep voice. Beichen shuddered and came back to his senses.
Then she took a few deep breaths, trying her best to calm her intense emotions.
"Ragnarl the Starkiller, where are you from?"
"...from within Senagard."
...Inside the body? Although she wanted to ask in detail, she thought the dragon didn't have the patience to answer.
"You think...I was the one who woke you up?"
"Are you a miko? A human girl."
Beichen raised his head, nodded at the giant dragon that was thousands of times his size, and said loudly:
"I can indeed be said to have been chosen as the Red Moon Priestess. But—"
"No one can wake me up except the witch."
The giant dragon interrupted Beichen and said this in a firm tone - Beichen even sensed a hint of displeasure in the golden beast eyes on the huge head.
"Alright, Miko-sama, all you have to do is tell me the criteria for your selection. My mission is destruction. I will precisely select the targets for killing and help you accomplish the disaster you desire."
“…”
Beichen was silent.
The dragon was clearly eager to kill and did not seem to be receptive to peace talks or other missions.
If we provoke it, the entire capital will obviously suffer. If we go along with it—do we really want to watch it wreak havoc? In any case, we should stabilize it first.
Beichen pushed away the men who were protecting her and walked more than ten meters towards the dragon against the huge wind pressure.
"Ragnarl, will you complete all the killing targets I tell you?"
"Of course. This is the weapon I was born for."
"So, you will also carefully screen and let go of the people I choose?"
“Yes, as long as you come up with clear data indicators.”
Beichen was silent for a few seconds and moved a few meters closer again.
Xiang Ying and the twins behind her showed worried expressions. Atlas wanted to follow, but was stopped by Yaye and Yagad.
The dragon stretched out its long neck slightly and lowered its head to the air above Beichen, waiting for her answer.
"Then, the first land where disaster appeared would be the land that harbored the Red Moon's sinister intentions. As for the criteria I selected—"
Beichen swallowed as he spoke.
"For now, let's just call him 'the one I don't hate.'"
The dragon fell silent.
As the dragon fell silent, the square, which had been in chaos, fell silent again. The air pressure around was so thick that people sweated profusely. It was terrifying and suffocating, as if it was the eve of a storm.
After a few minutes of apocalyptic silence, the dragon suddenly let out an earth-shaking breath from its chest, making the soles of everyone's feet numb.
...It's laughing.
"Interesting... Are you giving me a riddle, little girl?"
Faced with the dragon's human-like reaction, Beichen frowned somewhat helplessly.
It was too big, and its pressure was too terrifying—no matter how strong her ability to withstand pressure was, she could only feel her own insignificance in front of it.
What should I do? What should I do?
How can we defend the capital and stop the dragon's slaughter? !
As if understanding Beichen's anxiety, the dragon moved its huge head closer to Beichen again and spoke with a smiling voice.
"You don't have the sincerity to carry out your mission as a miko, girl."
“…”
Beichen didn't say anything.
"Let me see. ... Your biological emotional field is mostly within the range of 'goodwill'. Strange, you don't have the qualifications to be a miko, so why do you have the authority of a miko? How could a true miko make such a lame demand for slaughter?"
The dragon murmured and chuckled softly. Because she was already very close to Beichen, she was blown back a step by the airflow from the dragon's nasal cavity.
"Well... not a 'complete' miko, to say the least."
Beichen breathed hard, trying his best to suppress the trembling in his voice.
"I have not denied it, Ragnarl."
The dragon nodded its huge head again in a very humane manner:
"Well, I was too impatient. I just woke up and was eager to stretch my muscles. So, what should I do? For the sake of my work... should I find a way to make you become a Perfect first?"
Beichen narrowed her eyes, jumped a few steps, and reflexively stretched out her hand - then Heihuo and Sujie immediately turned into two rays of light and came into her hands, transforming into the executioner mode dressed in white.
She remembered the incident with the projected personality - now that she didn't have the Soul-Killing Sword, she absolutely couldn't let that projected personality take over her body again!
"Don't be so nervous."
The dragon shook his head in amusement.
"It seems that a lot of tricks have happened in the past ten thousand years. Things have changed. Otherwise, little witch, how about we make a bet?"
"……bet?"
"One round will determine the outcome. I will attack this city within ten minutes. If you can defend it within ten minutes, you win, and I recognize your authority as a less-than-perfect miko. If you lose—"
"You're going to make me a complete form?"
"You're right."
"Why? Aren't you anxious to complete your mission? Is this bet good for you?"
"Why would I do something that wouldn't benefit me, Your Highness? Even if you win and you don't intend for me to do anything, all I'll bring is slow destruction. I'm a weapon, a natural destroyer. I only appear at the end of an era. You don't have the power to kill me, so as long as I stay near you, the world will evolve into a war because of the desire to destroy you and me."
“…”
Beichen glared at the huge dragon eye with gritted teeth - what it said did make sense.
"Master, what should I do?"
Xiang Ying walked over to her and stared at the dragon, asking.
"I'm not sure if we have any chances of winning in a one-on-one fight—" Su Jie said in Beichen's hand, "The problem is, it wants to attack our capital! This is much more troublesome than a head-on fight!"
"Ragnarl!"
Beichen continued to speak loudly to the dragon:
"I accept your challenge, but please change your target. Within ten minutes, if I survive your attack, I will win. If I die, please transfer my Pandora's Box to someone else before I die. That way, you can still obtain the real Miko. Is that okay?"
"Owner!"
"Little loach?!"
"Damn Matcha, what are you talking about!?"
"Miss Beichen──"
As soon as those words were spoken, the men around Beichen all screamed in surprise with ugly expressions, but Beichen stretched out his hand to stop their surprise - then turned around and smiled confidently at them.
The one who was really betting with her was Su Mo, not Ragnarl.
If what Su Mo had said to Sai Yan before was true... then this dragon should have received the order that she must not be killed.
Even if Su Mo hadn't said so, the dragon should not have intended to kill her, otherwise, he wouldn't have proposed such a boring bet. Based on his strength, he should be able to restrain her.
She didn't have time to sort out the whole story and what had happened recently.
The appearance of the dragon today far exceeded her expectations.
——Yes. Catching the enemy off guard, launching an attack before they are ready, this is the aura of a true destroyer. As expected of Su Mo, who has a memory of ten thousand years, he won't give anyone a chance to breathe.
However, no matter what happened before my eyes──
There was one thing she was certain of—that was that killing must never be allowed to occur on the land of Senagard.
The dragon's biggest weakness as a weapon is its intelligence—as long as communication is possible, it will do whatever it takes to gain the other party's approval.
"Why should I accept your offer, little girl."
"You can choose not to accept it, but before you figure out the 'trick' you want to know, it's better for you not to make any moves. What if the mission goes awry?"
“…Hmm.”
The dragon made an ambiguous sound.
"Ultimately, you're still protecting these human settlements. Why? Senagard has once again been utterly wounded by the creatures that dominate this land. Didn't Pandora's Box convey the Red Moon's sorrow and anger to you? Why are you still willing to stand on the side of these insignificant creatures?"
"What...what are you talking about? Ragnarl?"
"No. I've said too much about being a weapon... Fine, I'll do as you say. Because I really want to know why the Red Moon tolerates the existence of a priestess like you, and whether its will... has really changed."
“…”
Beichen said no more words, she just raised the claw in her hand, then stretched out her right hand and opened her palm.
Xiang Ying immediately understood and turned into a gorgeous transparent long sword in Beichen's hand. Su Jie cooperated and released his executioner form. At the same time, Beichen was wearing a white, paladin-like combat suit that was extremely gorgeous.
Gold-inlaid patterns, dark blue totems, a translucent single-shoulder wind-splitting spear embroidered with intricate floral designs, six secondary swords guarding her like life, and behind her was a huge white skeleton, forming transparent wings made of white star power like fairy wings.
...A full-body combat weapon form with the ability to fly, just like Yaye!
Beichen's uneasiness and cowardice were half gone because of the warmth that enveloped his body - replaced by a gradually rising fighting spirit and confidence.
Yes──
The Star Killer, the giant dragon covering the sky—it looked difficult to deal with.
But now, I have by my side the Red Moon Knight with unfathomable strength, the most formidable Dark Species who can manipulate shadows, the claws that can transform into assassins and go straight for lifeblood - and the number one weapon, Xiang Ying, who stands at the pinnacle of the power of weapons in this world!
The witch raised her magnificent sword against the dragon known as Ragnarl.
——And then, a long-awaited, world-shaking battle began without any warning.
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