The Moving Operation (4)

With a boom, Zaifa's body unfurled like a tornado. The sky swallowed them whole. Ronan clenched her tail with all his might and cursed under his breath.

"What the hell…!"

"Aaaaaah!"

Their bones nearly snapped. The speed exceeded their expectations by far. In the blink of an eye, the shrinking forest was just a distant blur.

Bang!

Zaifa descended, drawing a graceful arc in the air, and landed on the ground.

"Gyaaaaah!"

As Aselle woke up from his daze, he screamed. Spittle and tears flew in all directions. The wyverns were still flying straight towards the *Baydian Mountains.

With only seven leaps, Zaifa caught up to the wyverns. She stopped at a point where the wyverns were expected to reach soon, a rock jutting out like a watchtower in the middle of a wide field.

"Now, get down."

"Ugh!"

Zaifa swung her tail like a whip. The two boys crumpled as if they had been struck by a giant whip. Aselle, who had barely escaped from Ronan's side, lay on the ground, sobbing.

"Ugh… It's too much… This is really too much…"

He seemed to have no strength left to stand. Ronan left Aselle, who was writhing in pain, and approached Zaifa. He leaned against the edge of the rock, fists clenched, and stared at the northern sky.

"There are more than I thought."

"Yeah."

The wyverns were getting closer quickly. The approaching horde of wyverns, emitting a sinister roar, seemed like clouds from hell. Ronan, who estimated that there were at least a hundred, clicked his tongue.

"Damn, they've gathered quite a lot. Wyverns aren't your run-of-the-mill monsters."

"What a waste. We have to kill all of them."

Zaifa twisted her lips as if unimpressed. Wyverns, like griffins, were monsters that could be tamed and ridden.

With a horde like that, their value was astronomical. After a moment of silence, Zaifa spoke without turning her gaze.

"So why did you follow me?"

"Just, you know, to lend a hand. Plus, I wanted to see the real skills of the Imperial Sword Master."

"Lend a hand?"

"Yeah. Can't afford to miss any of them, just in case."

"Interesting."

Zaifa chuckled softly. Her long tail swayed back and forth. After chuckling for a while, she suddenly swung her sword without any warning.

Swish!

It seemed like a simple move to test the wind, and although it was aimed in the direction of the wyverns, no visible attack was launched. What is she doing? Ronan was about to question when, in the center of the horde, a black, massive line appeared.

"Huh?"

It was an eerie sight reminiscent of spatial magic from Kratir. The line, which seemed to have a diameter of at least 50 meters, completely bisected the wyvern horde. Zaifa spoke up.

"But, what were you planning to help with?"

Ronan's eyes widened. At that moment, the black line turned crimson, and a violet explosion erupted. It was a spectacle that looked like a succession of fire magic explosions. With a belated roar, the wyverns at the ends of the line echoed out.

"Kiaaaaah!"

"Creeeeek!"

A rain of blood poured down. Shredded chunks of flesh fell haphazardly. Zaifa swung her sword once more.

Swish!

The black line crossed the horde again, turning about twenty wyverns into meaty chunks.

"This is…!"

It was only then that Ronan noticed an unidentified mana condensing on the edge of Zaifa's blade. It was undoubtedly Zaifa's aura. Like the pre-dawn haze just before sunrise, an immense power, unlike anything he had seen before, was stirring within it.

'She's a complete monster. She's on a different level.'

Ronan shook his head as if he felt nauseous. He seemed to understand why Navirose had been defeated by her. At that moment, a change occurred in the wyverns being massacred. The chaotic horde, which had been clustered together, began to split into twelve formations, spreading out like a fan.

"Huh?"

The wyverns, arranged in groups of about seven in each formation, flew erratically as if challenging someone, and they headed towards the Roma Mountains. It wasn't a natural dispersal to survive but a strategic scatter with a clear intent. Ronan chuckled as if in disbelief.

"It seems like the spell caster still hasn't given up."

"It appears so."

Zaifa remained unfazed. She estimated the number of remaining wyverns and turned to Ronan.

"Don't interfere."

Whoosh!

Zaifa leaped like a shot from a cannon and sent a flying shockwave. The four wyverns leading the charge were divided into nine pieces and crashed to the ground. As Zaifa swung her sword in mid-air, the two distant wyvern formations transformed into clouds of blood once more. Red rain poured down upon the forest.

"She's insane."

Zaifa continued her slaughter, alternating between leaping and landing. Witnessing the complete annihilation of an entire formation, Ronan lowered his head.

She wasn't just being leisurely for no reason. At this rate, the wyverns wouldn't even make it near the Roma Mountains; they'd be wiped out before that. Everything seemed fine, but Ronan's expression was far from relaxed.

'Something's off.'

The distinct shimmering mana characteristic of Nebula Clazier was nowhere to be seen. No matter how hard he looked and scanned the surroundings, it remained absent.

'It should definitely be around here.'

Nebula Clazier was cunning. Even if they managed to kill the Wyverns, there was no guarantee of safety as long as they didn't capture the organization's members.

Given the wyverns' intricate movements, there was a significant chance that Nebula Clazier members were nearby, probably concealed cleverly. They were definitely hiding somewhere.

'Where? Where could they be hiding?'

Suddenly, Ronan's gaze landed on the empty sky. Beneath the brilliantly blue sky, there were a few large and small cumulus clouds drifting lazily, a picturesque scene worth sitting down to watch if it weren't for the dire circumstances. But Ronan, sensing something odd, furrowed his brow.

"Hmm?"

One of the clouds was flying unusually low. Up to this point, it might not have been a cause for concern, but the problem was its direction.

The cloud, moving at a slightly skewed angle to the wind, was heading directly toward the Roma Mountains. Ronan's mouth fell open.

"Found you."

"Heeheehee…"

Aselle was watching the massacre of Zaifa with a grin on his face. Every time a black shot pierced the sky, at least three wyverns met their demise.

Droplets of blood carried by the wind were staining his hair even redder. Just then, Ronan, who had been standing on the edge of a rock, rushed over.

"If you're done resting, get up. We need to go after them."

"Are we really going after them…?"

"Yeah. We need to let these bastards know we're not easy opponents."

Ronan helped Aselle get up, muttering incomprehensible words. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Aselel and pointed his index finger at a suspicious puffy cloud.

"Do you see that? The cloud flying unusually low."

"Uh, yeah."

"I want to go there. Can you do it?"

"It's too far…! If I throw you, it'll definitely miss…!"

"What are you talking about? You're coming with me."

"Huh?"

Aselle froze, his expression looking like he might just commit suicide at any moment. Ronan looked around. It was much more stable to hold onto something and fly than to go completely bare.

"If there's something to serve as a foothold… Let's see."

Perhaps it was because they were on a rocky outcrop, but there didn't seem to be anything suitable. Ronan pondered whether they should break some rocks to use as a foothold. Suddenly, a wyvern's head fell right in front of Aselle. He screamed and staggered back.

"Aaargh! Aaargh!!"

"What's wrong?"

It was unquestionably Zaifa's work. Its eyes, tinged with madness, still flickered as if it was still alive. Ronan's face brightened.

"Oh, perfect."

It was just the right size, and the horn could serve as a handle. Ronan grabbed Aselle, who was about to faint, and wedged him against his side. Stepping on the wyvern's head, he mounted it and shook Aselle, saying, "Let's go."

***

Even though the season of cicadas had arrived, the lofty sky felt chilly, like late autumn.

White clouds covered the entire sky. Within them, two wyverns were flying silently. The magically created clouds maintained a constant shape and speed, unaffected by the wyverns' rough flapping.

On the backs of the red and yellow dragons were a young man and an old man dressed in white robes. They had been shivering in the cold for several hours, hovering in the sky. The young man, riding the red wyvern, spoke up.

"How much longer?"

"Any minute now. We should be there in about thirty minutes at the most."

"That's fortunate. Damn it, I've lost all the wyverns I worked so hard to gather because of that stupid girl."

The young man grumbled. He was responsible for gathering and controlling the wyverns for this operation.

Their mission had gone awry due to a fellow pilot suddenly deviating from formation. Watching this unfold, the old man sighed.

"We gathered those wyverns as bait anyway, so why complain?"

"Still, it's a shame."

"At least be grateful that Zaifa didn't catch on. If we hadn't acted quickly, we would have been in danger too."

"Yeah… you're right. If we fell victim to that monster, we'd all be dead. Damn, I hope whoever spreaded that rotten fish smell rots in hell."

"Sigh… as long as we achieve our goal, that's what matters."

The plan had gone off course, but it wasn't a complete failure. From the beginning, using monsters to incite a frenzy among them, even the wyvern herd with three digits, had all been nothing more than bait to divert their attention. The young man asked anxiously.

"You're holding it securely, right? If it falls now, it's really over."

"Don't worry. Even if it falls, I'll retrieve it before it touches the ground."

The old man, stroking his beard, nodded. On the claws of the wyvern he was riding, a sphere object made of an unknown metal was attached. A complex and geometric magic circle covered the surface of the sphere object so intricately that no gaps were visible. The young man looked at the sphere object and burst into a dry laugh.

"As expected, Lord Alibryhe is remarkable. Thirty different spells are inscribed on that small sphere object."

"He's not a high-ranking officer for nothing. He truly is blessed by the stars."

"That's true. By the way, I heard that with Brighia gone, there might be an opening for you to ascend, is that true?"

"It is. I dare not compare myself to her strength, but…"

"Wow, so you've received the blessing of the High Priest too?"

The old man burst into laughter instead of answering. The young man's eyes widened as he understood the meaning. He knew of the old man's strength, but he had never imagined that he could rise to the position of a branch manager. Excitedly, the young man asked.

"What did you receive? Tell me!"

"Hehe, I can't reveal that. I'll only let you know that it's an ability that can save us even after dropping that thing into the mountains."

The young man sighed in admiration. He practically revealed what he had received.

Honestly, it was a little scary, but now he felt relieved and ready to carry out the mission. Starting today, the Empire will be plagued by arteriosclerosis.

The massive explosion in the Roma Mountain would become an unforgettable nightmare in the minds of those who had acted recklessly.

"All right, so first…"

The young man was about to continue speaking when suddenly, the cloud in front of them split, revealing the head of the wyvern.

At first, they thought it was an individual whose brainwashing had worn off, but the back of the wyvern's head was not visible. The young man's eyes widened.

"The… the head?!"

"Damn, it took longer than expected. Well done, Aselle."

"Uh, yeah…! By the way, are people really…?"

Moreover, there were two young children riding on top of the wyvern's head, both of them with a bluish hue. The old man, who had remained calm all along, spoke in a bewildered voice.

"Who are you…?"

"There are two of them. We can kill one of them, right?"

Without responding, Ronan continued. The distance between them had already narrowed considerably. He drove the wyvern's head forward without hesitation and leaped towards the old man. Lamancha, drawn from its sheath, tore through the clouds as it surged.

"Oh, ho."

The old man raised an eyebrow. The boy's strike came so quickly that it was difficult to respond in time. Deciding that counter-attacking or evading would be difficult, the old man seemed disappointed as if he had something to show.

"I didn't intend to show off here. What a waste."

A spherical barrier formed around the old man's body. It was a bizarre shield that gave a completely different impression from a mana shield, it was the protection of the stars. Ronan's eyes widened at the familiar sight. The eerie barrier was not a mana shield, and it was something else entirely, the protection of the stars. Ronan sighed in relief as he spoke.

"Oh, man, that was close."

"Hmm?"

Lamancha continued to cut through the protection of the stars while Ronan landed a blow to the old man's chest. As he landed, the old man's head separated from his body with a red line forming on his wrinkled neck.