Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 255: Clash (6)

【…Grr, ugh.】

Azidahaka’s middle head opened its eyes. His vision was blurry as if shrouded in mist. The stale air was mixed with a thick, fishy smell.

His head was stuck upside down in a wide space. His limp neck swung like an abandoned swing. Dark red blood dripped between his parted jaws.

‘What… happened to me?’

Azidahaka groaned. He remembered charging at the giant with a breath attack ready. There was a flash of light, but he couldn’t recall anything after that.

He couldn’t move. There was no sensation below his head, as if he were frozen. Although the third head had taken over most of his control, it was the first time he had lost all sensation.

The other two heads were nowhere to be seen. Rolling his eyes sideways, he saw heads hanging like his own. They all seemed dead, but the faint twitching suggested they were still alive.

【Where… is this?】

He needed to understand the situation first. Azidahaka slowly looked around. The unfamiliar surroundings made him wonder if this was Adren at all.

It was an open, desolate space like a plaza. The dark stone walls were covered in moss. It gave off the exact opposite impression of his golden, majestic residence.

Somewhere, he could hear the sound of flowing water. Suddenly, his eyes widened. This was the sewer system beneath Adren.

【…Ah.】

Something seemed to come to mind. As he desperately searched his thoughts, a voice echoed from a corner of his vision.

“This is quite a masterpiece. Out for an inspection, are we?”

【Hmm?】

It was a familiar voice. Azidahaka turned his gaze. An old man stood there, hands behind his back, looking up at him.

【You…!】

Azidahaka’s eyes widened. Despite the human appearance, he easily recognized the being as a dragon.

Moreover, the mana emanating from him felt incredibly familiar. It didn’t take long for Azidahaka to identify him.

【Alivrihe? Is it really you?】

“Long time no see, my friend.”

Alivrihe smiled. The frown on Azidahaka’s face deepened in shock.

It had been nearly a thousand years since their last encounter. The two dragons had spent time together shortly after hatching.

He never expected to meet in such a place. Blinking, Azidahaka spoke.

【Why are you here? And what’s with that old man’s appearance? When did you enter Adren?】

“It’s been a while. Sorry to say, but it’s easier to talk with you having just one head. Talking while looking up is tiresome, so I’ll lie down here.”

【…Your personality hasn’t changed. Do as you wish.】

Alivrihe indeed lay down right there. He didn’t care that he might be covered in the blood trickling from Azidahaka’s mouth. Azidahaka, watching him in disbelief, spoke.

【Do you know what happened to me? I can’t feel anything below my head.】

“It’s only natural. You’re dying.”

【What.】

Azidahaka gasped. The notion of dying out of the blue made no sense to him. Alivrihe continued.

“Still, I must commend your vitality. You are second only to Lady Navardose. To survive a direct hit from that monster…”

【Monster? Ah…!】

Azidahaka’s face hardened. Memories buried in fog began to resurface one by one.

The giant’s advent and the collapsing Sky Tower. The shocking declaration of the third head that it originated from him. The attempt to turn the tide by using his subordinates as bait, ending in a catastrophic defeat.

As he fell, he remembered the night sky shining a pale blue. He had collided with the ground and ended up with his head stuck in the sewer. Recalling everything, Azidahaka clenched his teeth.

【Damn it…】

He felt regret and frustration. However, no fighting spirit or competitive zeal arose. Azidahaka sighed in resignation and gave a bitter smile.

【It’s all so futile.】

He couldn’t pinpoint where it all went wrong. Was it when he allied with the suspicious Nebula Clazier? Or was it the moment he decided to defeat Navardose?

He could hardly remember why he wanted to defeat Navardose in the first place. Alivrihe, watching him intently, raised an eyebrow.

“You seem more subdued than I expected. Have you given up?”

【You don’t understand. ‘It’ is unbeatable.】

Even Alivrihe’s provocative tone didn’t excite him. The despair from that time weighed heavily on him.

Azidahaka vividly remembered Duaru, the giant who stood unscathed even after taking his full-powered breath attack. He hadn’t seen his own pierced side, but it was undoubtedly in terrible condition.

His darkening vision told him his life was indeed ebbing away. His old friend’s words about him dying seemed no lie. Alivrihe nodded after a moment of silence.

“That’s understandable. Accepting it is also a valid choice.”

Alivrihe didn’t scold Azidahaka. Stroking his beard, he spoke again.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

“In that case, shall we talk about old times before you die? It’s too precious a time to waste on meaningless regrets or interrogating why I’m here.”

【…Fine. It’s all over anyway.】

“Yes. It’s a good idea.”

Azidahaka silently nodded in agreement. Everything was over, and the manner in which it ended didn’t really matter anymore. Alivrihe, smiling faintly, began his tale.

****

【Hey, mage.】

“Y-yes?”

【Do you understand what that thing is doing right now?】

Orsay asked, his voice echoing under the gradually brightening dawn sky. He was still trapped in the prison created by the Dragon King and his minions.

The Dragon King had left Orsay behind to face the suddenly appearing giant. It was a perfect opportunity to escape, but the magical prison composed of tough, sturdy plants and ores held fast no matter how much strength he exerted.

Aselle lay limply in the space between Orsay’s neck and torso. Even if he wanted to do something, he couldn’t move due to his mana being completely exhausted. He turned his head in the direction Orsay was looking and spoke hesitantly.

“Uh… uh.. maybe he’s looking for something?”

【Looking for something… That might be the case.】

Orsay nodded. Their eyes were fixed on the distant giant. After swiftly massacring hundreds of dragons, Duaru had stopped attacking and was now slowly circling over Adren.

With the Dragon King’s defeat, Adren’s resistance had ended. Beneath Duaru lay the split Sky Tower and the hell that had become Adren. The Sky Tower, now just a stump, had collapsed and crushed the city beneath it.

Amidst the smoke and flames rising from all directions, the previous splendor of the city was nowhere to be found. The screams and wails of the survivors echoed, a stark reminder that nothing is eternal. Aselle, still watching Duaru, spoke again.

“Why… did he stop attacking?”

【That’s what I want to know. There are still many survivors.】

Orsay frowned. Although resistance had ceased, there were still quite a few survivors amidst the ruins.

However, Duaru hadn’t attacked anyone since he defeated the Dragon King. It was in stark contrast to his initial, relentless onslaught that seemed like it would pulverize even a mouse.

Would he just leave after wandering around like this? As they watched the giant with puzzled expressions, Duaru suddenly halted and extended his arm. Once more, particles of light began to gather in his grasp.

“He’s starting again!”

Aselle’s face turned pale. A spear of light rapidly formed in Duaru’s hand. There was no time to react. Boom!! Duaru swung his arm towards the ground, causing an explosion that shook the earth.

“Hyaaah!”

Aselle let out a high-pitched scream. But the attack didn’t end there. Duaru repeatedly threw spears of light at the same spot. Each time a deafening explosion rang out, pillars of light shot up, tearing through the clouds.

“I can’t take it anymore, please…!”

Aselle covered his ears and curled up. Orsay frowned deeply.

【…What is he doing?】

He couldn’t understand why Duaru was doing this. The place where he was throwing the spears was just an ordinary forest. There were no buildings or inhabitants there.

As he pondered Duaru’s bizarre actions, feathers began to fall from beneath Duaru’s wings. The shimmering feathers drifted down like cherry blossoms in the wind.

It didn’t take long to realize these were no ordinary feathers. The moment the first feather touched the ground, it glowed with a white light. From the light, a giant, about three meters tall, slowly emerged. It looked like a miniature version of Duaru, covered in light, with no discernible facial features.

“Grrr!”

“Wh-what is that?!”

The giant, fully standing, let out a roar. Aselle shivered. Giants were rising wherever the feathers fell.

A terrible premonition washed over him. Within minutes, the number of giants grew from dozens to hundreds. They suddenly scattered, leaving Duaru, who was still throwing spears, behind.

Most headed towards the city, where many survivors were. Soon, anguished screams echoed from the direction the giants had run.

“Aaah!”

“What is this? Please, spare me…!”

Aselle, turning towards the sound, froze in horror. The smaller giants were methodically hunting down the survivors.

Their light-formed hands and legs kicked, stomped, and tore people apart. A giant’s foot crushed a mother clutching her child. Seeing the burst of blood, Aselle screamed.

“S-Stop it!!”

Any hope that non-resistance would save them was clearly mistaken. They needed to act, but Aselle couldn’t muster any strength. He had exhausted all his mana in the battle with the Dragon King.

“No… No…”

Tears streamed down Aselle’s face. Fear and despair overwhelmed him, along with a sense of helplessness at witnessing the horror and being unable to do anything.

【Damn it. That bastard is completely insane.】

Orsay, still watching Duaru, gritted his teeth. He seemed to understand what Duaru was doing. Aselle, not turning his head, asked.

“Why, what is it…?”

Orsay didn’t answer immediately. Suddenly, the ground shook as if an earthquake had struck. It wasn’t the vibration of an explosion, but a fundamental tremor as if something colossal was moving deep underground.

Boom! Another spear of light struck the ground, causing a massive explosion. The impact left a crater as if a meteor had hit. Orsay, sighing heavily, finally spoke.

【…He’s planning to bring down Adren as a whole by destroying the floating stone at the center of the island.】

[Translator – Peptobismol]