Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 259: Clash (10)

【Don’t retreat!】

In the sky over the Adren, where doomed was approaching, the two forces clashed. The battle between the dragons and the giants of light had devolved into a chaotic melee, too brutal to watch.

Whenever the dragons’ teeth clamped down or their claws swiped, the giants’ bodies were torn apart.

【Eliminate as many as you can! Pour out your breath!】

“Goooork!”

Various spells and the dragons’ signature breath attacks were unleashed without reserve. The elemental storms pouring from their gaping maws displayed the destructive power befitting the mightiest race.

Yet, the army of giants of light charged on undeterred. Although the dragons had the upper hand in individual strength, the giants’ sheer numbers were overwhelming.

Boom! A wave of flame from Mahakadia’s mouth swept through the giants. Those engulfed by the fire vanished like melting snow.

“Goooork! Gooork!”

【Wretches, I’ll burn you all to ash!】

Mahakadia shouted. With her moon-white scales, she was one of the vanguard leaders in this battle. She was doing her part by tearing through the swarming giants like a tornado.

Thanks to her incredible speed, Mahakadia maneuvered through the enemy ranks as if it were her domain. Thrust! She speared five giants at once with her horn, muttering to herself.

【Naransonia, this time, I’ve won.】

She smirked, thinking of her rival who was in the support team. As the second fastest dragon in Adren, Mahakadia had always envied Naransonia, the fastest.

But this morning, her wish to be the fastest dragon had unexpectedly come true. She gritted her teeth, recalling Naransonia’s severed left wing.

‘Stupid girl. Of all things, why did you have to lose a wing?’

Naransonia could no longer fly, thanks to an injury inflicted by the very Dragon King she served.

While Mahakadia would now hold the title of the fastest dragon, the victory didn’t feel sweet. A sudden, inexplicable rage welled up inside her. As she prepared to vent her frustration by breathing fire again, a sharp pain engulfed her.

【Aaargh…!】

Something sharp pierced between her scales. She whipped her head around to see a giant clinging to her back.

“Gooh.”

Its faceless visage conveyed no emotion. The giant twisted a luminous dagger into her back with mechanical precision, causing blood to spurt out.

Gritting her teeth until they threatened to break, Mahakadia roared.

【Grr… how dare you!】

Crunch! She bit off the giant’s head, its body dissipating into light, but the wound remained.

【Hah…hah…!】

Mahakadia staggered. The amount of blood gushing out was alarming. Nearby giants swarmed like sharks. Slowed and deep in enemy territory, she was quickly surrounded without much resistance.

【…!】

Dozens of giants latched onto her. Looking like bread covered in mold, Mahakadia could not bear the weight and plummeted to the ground. As consciousness faded, she wondered who the third fastest dragon might be.

Even as she fell, the giants continued to slash at her, causing her to spray blood like a fountain until she hit the ground. Thud. The giants peeled off her body and flew back into the air.

【Damn them!】

A green dragon poured acid over the giants clinging to her corpse. Sizzling sounds filled the air as the giants dissolved, screaming in agony.

Mahakadia’s body was irreparably damaged, but no one had time to care. Similar scenes were playing out all over. Each dragon’s death signified the end of an era, but there was no time to mourn.

Giants in formation stabbed their spears into the belly and neck of the green dragon, who, with his last breath, spat out more acid while screaming.

【Don’t stop…! Focus on killing them…】

Slash! More giants flew in and decapitated him. Another era ended, but again, there was no mourning. A lightning spell tore through the giants standing there.

The air was filled with screams and roars. Dragons exhausted from the battle were falling from the sky. The army of giants of light was being annihilated. Watching the massacre, Duaru muttered softly.

『…How foolish.』

He couldn’t understand their desperate struggle. The city was beyond destroyed, and even their pride and symbol, the Sky Tower, had been utterly demolished.

Countless dragons and their servants had died pointlessly. By now, their futility should have been seared into their bones.

『Salvation.』

He had indulged in sentimentality long enough. Turning his gaze back to the floating stone, Duaru gripped his spear again. Even amid the battle, he continued throwing spears at his target.

It wouldn’t be long now. Adren was already plummeting at a significant speed. The increasingly distant ground confirmed this.

The defensive magic surrounding the floating stone had long been destroyed. A faint, pale energy rose from all over Adren, seeping into his body—the souls of those he had killed.

He thought about the next place he would destroy after Adren’s fall and raised his arm for what would likely be the final strike.

【Raaaahhh!!!】

Just as the spear left his hand, a thunderous roar erupted.

****

[Translator – Peptobismol]

The starry sky was fading. Wispy clouds rose beyond the city’s boundaries. Adren, which had been slowly descending, was now plummeting at a speed that could only be described as freefall.

“Ugh! Cough!”

Naransonia coughed. Her shoulders heaved with each breath, blood spreading from the wound on her back where her wing had been torn off. Moving beside her, Aselle asked worriedly.

“A-are you okay?”

“Hoo… yes. No problem.”

Naransonia wiped the blood from her lips and nodded. Despite her pale complexion, indicating clear distress, Aselle couldn’t bring himself to point it out given the urgency of the situation.

“If we can’t stop the fall, we need to save as many people as possible. Let’s hurry.”

“Y-yes, but…”

Aselle stammered. Behind Naransonia, the dragons assigned to the rescue team were busily following. Their pallid expressions mirrored Naransonia’s, a result of overexerting their mana.

“If only… if only I had more strength.”

Aselle muttered, clenching his eyes shut. The rescue team had failed to stop Adren’s descent.

They had tried to get close to the floating stone to infuse it with mana and cast protective spells, but each attempt was thwarted by Duaru’s relentless spear attacks, making all efforts futile.

While the outcome was anticipated, facing the harsh reality was disheartening. However, there was no time for despair. They had swiftly changed their strategy and were now heading towards what had been the city center.

Since they couldn’t save the city, the objective was to rescue as many lives as possible. So far, they had destroyed over a thousand giants of light. Naransonia looked back at her fellow dragons and asked,

“How many can we save?”

“At most, a few hundred. The fall is happening faster than expected.”

“…Damn it.”

Naransonia bit her lip. She knew, despite their efforts, most of the citizens would perish with the city.

The rescue team was woefully understaffed to evacuate everyone in Adren. After a moment of silence, Naransonia spoke again.

“Do as much as you can. Use every airship docked and bring back survivors. Move in groups of three.”

“Yes!”

The dragons, shedding their polymorphed forms, swelled in size. They took off, dispersing in coordinated movements following Naransonia’s commands.

She resumed her pace immediately. As they hurried along, Naransonia spoke up.

“Isn’t it ironic?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Us dragons. We boast so much, yet we can’t even save the servants who pledged loyalty to us.”

Naransonia smiled bitterly. Aselle, hesitating, glanced in the direction of Duaru and said,

“I think… it’s the same for any race. Against such a being…”

The battle raged on above them. Unfathomable roars echoed across the island. The dragons and giants of light were entwined in a hellish conflict.

Duaru was a force of nature, an unstoppable calamity. Hearing Aselle’s words, Naransonia slowly nodded.

“You’re right. In the face of an unprecedented disaster beyond our control, even we become no different from mortals. I wonder if we had managed to scrape away our inherent arrogance, would things have been better? Now… I’m not so sure.”

“Naransonia…”

“My musings have gone on too long. Don’t worry, I’ll get you and your friends out safely. I swear it on my pride.”

Naransonia forced a weary smile. That marked the end of their conversation.

As they walked in an awkward silence, a metallic clang sounded beneath them. Aselle, noticing the change in the ground’s texture, looked down.

“This is…?”

Aselle raised his eyebrows. The grass and soil had disappeared, replaced by a metallic surface. It took him a moment to realize they were standing on a huge disc.

The disc felt distinctly out of place. It was about half the size of Philleon’s grand plaza, without a single scratch on it. Naransonia spoke up.

“This must be the rock from the top of the Sky Tower. It flew all the way here.”

“The rock? Oh…!”

Aselle exclaimed softly. He recognized it now—the platform the Dragon King had stood on during rituals. He couldn’t believe this massive piece had broken off.

The surface of the disc was marked with an intricate and complex magic array, likely used for the Dragon King’s rituals. Aselle’s eyes widened as he scanned the array.

“Wait a minute…”

An idea flashed through his mind. It was risky and reckless, but worth a try. Suddenly, Aselle rushed forward, tracing the magic array with his hands.

“…What are you doing?”

“Just a moment. This could…”

Naransonia questioned him, but Aselle didn’t answer. His intense focus blocked out all surrounding noise. In his narrowed vision, only the massive magic array and its intricate patterns and structures remained vividly clear.

“It’s possible… if I can channel the flow… and use this as a catalyst…”

“Mage, what are you trying to—”

Naransonia was about to urge him again when Aselle stood up and grabbed her sleeve.

“Help me.”

“What?”

He didn’t stammer. Naransonia frowned, watching Aselle mutter quickly to himself before speaking clearly.

“…We might be able to stop it. The fall.

[Translator – Peptobismol]