Chapter 10: Saving Irene and the Dragon Slayers

-With Lily, Ophis, and Asia-

"... Well, I guess our predictions were true"

Lily muttered while looking at the ruined kingdom that they stayed at for the past 2 months get taken over by humans while imprisoning the dragon slayers, that were trained by Irene, along with her.

"The seed, inside them, is unstable, so a slight, change in, their emotional, state will, cause the, seed to break, out of control, and transform, them into, mindless dragons"

"I forgot why didn't we warn any of them?" (Lily)

"They never listened to our warnings, so it became like this" (Asia)

"... What should we do, Asia?" 

Lily asked with a serious expression on her face while gazing at Asia.

"We'll break them out of there"

Asia said with a resolute voice while looking at the palace of the kingdom.

"... If Asia, said so, I'll do, it" (Ophis)

"We have the quest so we might as well bring them to our ranks. It's killing two birds with one stone" (Lily)

"But first, we need to formulate a plan" (Asia)

"Plan?" (Ophis)

"Yes"

Asia answered as she crouched down on the ground, picking up a stick nearby and started drawing the layout of the entire kingdom on the ground.

"So security is tight now since the dragon slayers wrecked havoc in the kingdom, we need something to attract the soldiers and guards to rush towards this area"

Asia encircled an area far from the prison where Irene and the others were kept.

"Something?" (Ophis)

"Ophis... I have a favour to ask of you" (Asia)

"What, is it?" (Ophis)

"Can you rampage in this area?"

Asia says while pointing at the encircled area on the ground.

"I kill?" (Ophis)

"Yes" (Asia)

"Sure, I will make, that bad man, pay" (Ophis)

"Good, now then Lily" (Asia)

"Yeah?" (Lily)

"When the guards surrounding the prison is distracted, I want you to make your way towards the their cages, and create a portal back here so that I can teleport myself to the prison... but how can I supres their transformation?"

Asia pondered while drawing an image of a dragon on the ground.

"That's, easy" (Ophis)

"Do you know how, Ophis?" (Asia)

"Yes, use your, dragon tamer, skill on, them, it will, help control, their seed, from devouring, their body" (Ophis)

"That works?" (Asia)

"Yes" (Ophis)

Ophis answered while taking out the cookie that she stole from the kitchen as they escape the palace.

"Then... I need to tame them?? Can you stall them for that long, Ophis?" (Asia)

"I will, not stall, I will kill, them all" (Ophis)

"... I guess that's fine, just don't kill any civilians, ok?" (Asia)

"Ok" (Ophis)

"You seem to be quite angry at them, Asia" (Lily)

"Of course, a man who imprisoned his own pregnant wife will earn no sympathy from me" (Asia)

"Instead of finding a way to help them revert back, they instead killed them. The people who risked their lives just to control the power that they needed to protect the lives of the citizens from the attacks of the western Dragons. I want to help them, just like what Lucias would do when he sees something like this" (Asia)

"Well, if Lucias was here he will most likely burn this place to the ground" (Lily)

Lily jokingly muttered while crouching down together with the 2 of them.

"I guess that's true"

Asia giggled from the memories of Lucias killing countless devils from the past just to retrieve some of their members.

"I'm out, of cookies"

Ophis muttered while pouting her cheeks.

"I wonder when did Ophis learn such a cute gesture?"

Asia smiled while looking at Ophis who was gripping the empty sack of cookies in her hand.

"Well since we have nothing else to prepare let's start the plan shall we?" (Asia)

Asia smiled at the two of them before standing up from the ground.

"Lily, can you create portal for Ophis?" (Asia)

"I can, just fly, over there" (Ophis)

"It's much faster if we do it like this Ophis" (Asia)

"Ok" (Ophis)

"I'm quite jealous that she just follows every single one of your words" (Lily)

"If you spoil her with snacks maybe you can do the same Lily" (Asia)

"I don't think I can, only Lucias, Ingvild, and you have that kind of skill"

Lily smiled wryly before creating a large portal below Ophis connecting to the main Street of the kingdom where most of the soldiers are in patrol.

"I shall, return, I want, some sweets after" (Ophis)

"But we don't have any money" (Asia)

"I wait" 

Ophis answered with her usual expressionless face before disappearing from the portal.

"Please be careful, Lily"

Asia waved her hand at Lily who entered the portal leading towards the royal palace, close to the prison.

"You too, Asia"

-With Ophis-

"You puny, humans anger, Asia, I kill"

Ophis who was floating above the sky shouted before launching a powerful beam of purple mana towards the ground, disintegrating all of the soldiers nearby.

"You shitty dragon!! Prepare the catapults!! Magicians bind her!"

Rung who was nearby shouted in anger, ordering his men while pointing at Ophis who was looking down at them from the sky.

Ophis who saw them preparing their attacks towards her, slashed her hand at the air, creating a large wind blade of purple mana as it stroked the soldiers and magician below, slicing them without any resistance.

"W-what!?"

Rung screamed in fear while looking at the silhouette on the sky, blasting all of the infrastructures and soldiers at sight without blinking.

"I can't kill, civilian"

Ophis muttered while carefully aiming her beams of purple mana towards the soldiers around her.

"If only, I can blow, them up, this will, be easier"

Ophis erected a barrier around her blocking the multiple spells aimed at her before launching a thin needle of mana towards the magicians below, causing them to blow up from the inside, splattering their organs and blood around them.

"How brutal..." (Rung)

Rung muttered under his breath while observing her slaughter as he shivered in terror from the pure power displayed by Ophis.

"You're next"

She pointed her finger at Rung before firing a small concentrated beam of light, aimed a his forehead.

Rung immediately dodge her attack but Ophis moved her finger aimed at his feet, causing it burn the flesh holding his feet from his body as he screamed in pain while showering in his own blood.

"... Noisy"

Ophis flicked her fingers as a large magic circle appeared below rung, firing a large beam of infinity mana towards the sky, quickly disintegrating him into ashes.

"... I must, find some, more"

Ophis flew towards another location, continuing her slaughter not sparing anyone (except civilian) as she passed them.

-With Lily-

"I guess we underestimated her a lot"

Lily muttered while looking at Ophis above the sky, singlehandedly eliminating all of their enemies.

"I better hurry"

Lily used [Shadow Walk] to avoid being seen nor heard by any of the remaining guards.

She then created a small dagger made from her blood, throwing towards the remaining guards, quickly killing them without a sound as she extracted all of the blood inside their body. Using it as a weapon and tool to destroy the gates blocking her way.

"Who?!"

One of the guards guarding the prison cells shouted in fear from hearing the wooden door shatter close to him.

Lily immediately dived in her shadows, appearing behind the single guard as she covered his mouth with the blood from his past companions.

"Shhhh... You're too loud"

Lily whispered close to his ear before crushing his skull by manipulating the pressure inside the blood surrounding the guard's head.

"How many guards are in this place?"

Lily blend herself in the shadows as she quickly made her way towards the prison.

"... I guess no one is guarding this area"

She muttered before arriving at the front of the cell, containing all of the surviving dragon slayers along with Irene, who was chained up on the wall with several bruises and cuts visible in her once flawless body as she lifelessly stared at the ground.

The other dragons slayers were growling in pain as they tried to control the seed inside of them, which under going dragonification. Their skin were slowly getting covered in scales of various colours while their eyes transform to those similar to a dragon as sharp fangs grew on their teeth.

"..."

Lily silently stared at the few hundreds of people contained inside the cell before creating a portal behind her, connecting to Asia who was waiting outside of the kingdom.

"Don't worry, we will help is on the way" (Lily)

-with Asia-

"... Why does it look like she's having fun at this moment?"

Asia observed Ophis as she flew up in the sky, firing several beams of purple energy towards the ground while blocking multiple projectiles and spells aimed towards her with ease.

"Asia, let's go"

Lily who came out of a portal says in a quiet voice before re-entering the portal she created.

Asia didn't say anything as she followed Lily, entering the portal without hesitation.

"... The situation is far worse than what we anticipated"

Asia muttered as soon as she entered the prison, gazing at the pained dragon slayers writhing on the ground before landing her sight towards Irene, silently crying while her arms were chained against the walls.

"... Let's go inside"

Lily nodded, covering the bars with the blood that she gathered as she enhanced it with her magic to make it strong enough to bend or break the bars of the prison cell.

"Irene-san..."

Asia called out towards the red haired woman who suffered from countless abuse and torture from her own husband, who feared her due to her dragonification.

"...As...ia"

She weakly called out after she raised her head, looking directly towards Asia's emerald eyes.

"Irene-san... I'm sorry that we weren't able to help you when the invasion of the dragons took place"

"..."

"I'm sorry, Irene-san"

"..."

"But... we have a way to turn you all back to your human forms... if you wish to live as a human"

She says causing the dragon slayers inside the cell to look at her with suprise... and hope.

"... I-I have to talk... with my... husband... can you help me... Asia"

"...Why?"

"Our child... I'm carrying our child... I just need... to make him... believe me"

"Irene-san... You know yourself that Rung wouldn't believe you... but if he did find out about the child, he will personally kill it because that is her daughter along... with the race that he fears and despise the most"

"But still..."

"We must hurry, Asia"

Lily cut her off as she felt several powerful presences, coming towards them at a fast pace.

"I know"

Asia answered before activating her [Dragon Tamer] skill while walking towards the dragon slayers on the ground.

"Irene-san, come with us even if this world forsakes you we will accept you with open arms, just like how you accepted us when we first met"

"... what's the... po..int"

"Irene-san... What do you mean what's the point?"

"..."

"Don't burden yourself any longer, Irene... Think about your child's future... Think about your people... They still need you, Irene so if you can't live for your sake..."

Asia gently held her cheek, using her twilight healing to heal the severe wounds on her body as she continued her next words.

"... Then live for them, Irene-san"

Irene stared at Asia, gently smiling towards her as her body was covered the the warm light coming from Asia.

"..."

Tears started flooding her cheeks as she weakly fell on her knees, looking at Asia with new found determination... 

"Will you... accept us... Asia?"

Irene kneeled on the ground along with all of the dragon slayers around them, facing both Lily and Asia.

"Please accept us!!" 

All of them shouted in unison as they bowed their heads at Asia.

"Of course"

Asia smiled at them as her magic quickly made their way towards each dragon slayer inside the prison.

[Irene Balserion has been successfully tamed]

[Asia Argento has completed her quest]

[Lily Frey has completed her quest]

[Ophis has completed her quest]

[235 Dragon Slayers has joined the faction]

A string of notifications appeared in front of the 3 as her mana slowly entered the dragon slayer's body, overpowering their seed as it spreads across their body, removing the effects and dragonification caused by the out of control seeds inside of their body.

"This is.."

One of the dragon slayers muttered in shock as their scales slowly disappeared from their body one by one until they gained full control of the seed inside of them.

"Asia-sama!!"

"Asia-sama, thank you... Thank you!"

"Asia-sama, I'll forever be loyal to you"

All of them shouted one by one as they smashed their heads to the ground, facing Asia who activated her balance breaker to heal all of the wounds on their body.

"Asia... Thank you"

Irene says before Lily broke the chains on her limbs, freeing her completely.

[Title: Dragon Empress acquired]

"I have, killed"

Ophis blew a giant hole on the ceiling said with a monotone voice as she flew inside the prison.

"Good Job, Ophis"

Asia patted her head while smiling at the expressionless Ophis.

"I want, donut and, cookies"

"Alright, I'll make one for you after we're done"

She says in a calmly as she tried to summon the gate back to the castle.

"ROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR"

But stopped when a loud familiar roar echoed throughout the kingdom, sending extreme fear and terror to those who have experienced and saw his powers. The dragon slayers shivered in fear as soon as they heard the loud roar coming from outside the prison.

"That, guy is, back"

Ophis calmly says as she remembered the same roar when it killed and attack the sage dragon, Balserion, without mercy.

"...Acnologia, he must've been attracted by the power displayed by Ophis" (Irene)

"... His, not alone"

"KILL EVERY DRAGONS IN THIS PLACE!!!" 

Acnologia loudly shouted as several dragons followed him from behind, trying to besiege the kingdom like before.

"... How, annoying" (Ophis)

"Ophis... can you beat him?" (Asia)

"Easy, but I can't, handle, if all of, them attacked me" (Ophis)

"We should escape now!" (Lily)

[You cannot use the gate due to an interference of the 'creator']

"What?"

Lily muttered in shock as she couldn't summon the gate back to their dimension.

"Asia... What should we do?" (Lily)

"We have no choice... It's either we run away or we fight them" (Asia)

"... If only, baka-red was, here"

Ophis called out as a loud feminine voice echoed behind them.

"I FINALLY FOUND YOU!"

"Baka-red, you're, noisy" (Ophis)

Ophis complained to the red haired little girl coming out of the dimensional crack that she made from the remains of the gate that she found inside the castle.

"T-this presence is-" (Irene)

"What? It's been a while since I came to this dimension"

The great red dragon emperor crossed her arms while looking at the crowd with an arrogant grin on her face.

"It, looks like, your infamous, reputation, has spread, to other, dimensions" (Ophis)

"Tch... Shut up, Ophis! You left me alone in that castle when I was planning to surprise all of you!!" (Great Red)

"Not our, fault" (Ophis)

"... Nevermind, so where's Lucias?" (Great Red)

"Don't know, we were, pulled inside, different, dimensions" (Ophis)

"Damn it! I got the wrong dimension" (Great Red)

"You're just, in time" (Ophis)

"What?" (Great Red)

"We kill, them" 

Ophis pointed at the countless dragons above the sky.

"Hmm... What's in it for me if I help you?" (Great Red)

"I'll let you, mate with, my mate" (Ophis)

"Deal!!" (Great Red)

She immediately accepted her proposal before facing the army above the sky.

"You deal with the small fries, I'll deal with the arrogant prick in the middle"

Great Red says with a large smirk on her face as she flared up her aura, suffocating everyone across the entire kingdom with its pressure.

"Sure"

Ophis nonchalantly answered before taking the packet of cookies that Great Red stole from her fridge.

"This is, mine"

"Let's just hurry up and fight!!"