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Chapter 289 part 3

While the two warriors battled in fear, Dran calmly observed Agitta’s ferocious assault, while Agitta, in turn, focused on countering Dran’s brutal retaliations, maneuvering its four arms and four eyes accordingly.

Despite the Armor’s finesse in handling the crescent katana scattering blood-like red magic and the ruby-like club with each strike, the Agitta’s attack rotation speed was astonishingly fast, quickly draining Leania’s nerves’ energy and stamina.

In a situation where a moment’s carelessness or a single mistake could lead to immediate death, Dran dedicated himself to supporting Leania and Mer-Allen. He could not afford to lose these two promising individuals in just a battle against the Six Demon Generals.

When Leania failed to catch the crescent katana strike in time, Dran’s long sword – the Dragon Claw Sword– repelled it with a high-pitched sound and a burst of magical sparks. When Mer-Allen’s machine was unable to completely dodge the crystal tip, a fired magic arrow struck it, piercing the tip and sending it soaring through the air.

Despite their initial reluctance to accompany the exposed Dran onto the battlefield, Leania and Mer-Allen could not help but acknowledge that in this situation, they would not have been able to fight as effectively without this aide’s presence.

「Strong indeed, skillful indeed, Dran. The men of Berne are far stronger foes than we imagined. The spirit of the Black Rose, the daughter of the snake demon, and even you now!」

As Agitta proclaimed its admiration for the formidable foe, its male eye turned blazing red, and its female eye shone with frigid white. In that instant, beams of superheated heat and ultracold light were released from both eyes toward Leania and Dran.

Leania couldn’t fully react to the bi-colored beams. Even though the defensive magic of her Magic Control Armor would have automatically activated, Dran, determining that 『even so 』, the demon god puppet’s gaze could not be completely blocked, took action.

「Crimson Ray!」

From the outstretched left hand of Dran, a crimson beam of heat was unleashed, clashing directly with the two-colored gleam in the opponent’s eyes, creating a deadlock.

In the midst of an intense flow of light and magic, so powerful that Leania and Mer-Allen could have been blinded had the dimming device not been in operation, Dran’s free right hand was swung toward Agitta.

Agitta, recognizing the Dragon Claw Sword as a significant threat, abruptly ceased the emission of light from its eyes, leaping backward over Mer-Allen to evade a potentially fatal slash to the abdomen.

Carving in a crescent arc, the Dragon Claw Sword cut through the air in vain, only managing to briefly increase the distance from Agitta. However, Dran was not done with his pursuit.

「…Explode, EXPLOSION!」

Due to its capability to initiate explosions directly on selected targets, Dran engulfed powerful explosion magic, notorious for its difficulty to avoid and defend against, on Agitta’s upper body. The magic reverberated across the battlefield with a deafening roar.

As Leania and Mer-Allen held their breath and watched Dran’s pursuit, within the billowing black smoke and red flames, the flickering shadow of a demon god emerged, and Agitta, mostly unharmed thanks to its armor’s protection, showed itself with only a layer of soot covering its body.

「Hmm, it seems even such power hardly scratches the surface.」

With a hint of self-deprecation, the statement implied an underestimation of both Agitta’s equipped gear and its inherent magical defenses. However, upon witnessing Agitta’s unscathed form, Leania, and Mer-Allen seemed to perceive it as an even greater threat.

「It seems this will take longer. Leania, Mer-Allen, no time for dawdling!」

「Let’s return the favor for that fiery blast, O seeker of beauty’s companion.」

The aftermath of the relentless three-on-one combat was staggering, scattering shockwaves throughout the surroundings like a raging storm, leaving no chance for other Vengitta units or soldiers from Bern’s army to intervene.

Dran’s golems, had they been present, the situation could have been different, but during the intense battle with Agitta, the golems crafted by Bern, including Beltar, were tasked with supporting other units.

*

Behind the lines where Dran and the Bern army were clashing with Agitta and the Vengittas, the battle with Diadora, who was bearing the brunt of Vengitta’s forces, had also reached a critical point and was growing ever more intense…

Countless Vengittas were ensnared by the Black Rose Vines that sprawled across the land, their bodies frozen in place. The malevolent curse of the King and Queen of the Demon Flower, a blight that withered and decayed all it touched, permeated the air, insidiously consuming Diadora’s body and soul.

With a pallor washing over her face, Diadora stomped on the visage of Vengitta, the third-eyed doll, her shoulders rising and falling dramatically as she locked a fierce stare onto Smitta in front of her. The intensity in her gaze remained undiminished since the start of the combat.

Enshrouded in two auras, one a blue light that drained life and the other a black light that blotted out all things, Diadora unleashed a thorny barrier around herself. Though she remained unharmed, the curse of withering still whispered to her flower spirit self, 「Wither, wither.」

「Well now, I wonder if your parts are running low, hmm? Just as I think this tedious puppet show might finally be coming to a close, I can’t help but feel a bit deflated.」

Standing guard over the half-ruined Atrietta, the cracked-faced Smitta replied to Diadora in a flat tone. Apart from Yggdrasil and a select few, no other tree or flower spirits could survive the curse that would wither them instantly, making Diadora’s vicious persistence in battle an opponent deserving of nothing but commendation.

「Your bravado, as well as your dignified stance, is truly commendable, magnificent indeed.」

「It’s admirable that you don’t hold back praise, even for an enemy. I never imagined you’d be such a troublesome foe. So, can I take this as your surrender?」

「Not at all, not at all. We are merely the vanguard. Merely the tips of the fingers extended towards you. Ah, but, but, O beautiful and fearsome spirit of the black rose, this is where it ends for now.」

Diadora wasted no time continuing her attack rather than dwelling on the meaning of Smitta’s words. With the potential for Vengitta to resort to reckless charges or employ secret techniques, there was little room for questioning.

The breaking sounds of countless Vengitta bodies echoed around, and the dense aroma of black roses filled the air, yet the faint smile on Smitta’s withering face remained unfaded.

「It’s a temporary parting, Black Rose. Fear not, we shall revisit this place in due time.」

With Smitta’s final words spoken, her body was completely enveloped in the thorns of black roses, and Diadora exerted every ounce of her remaining strength to prevent her from being crushed. The Vengittas laughed in response.

「Ha ha ha ha ha, farewell, farewell, indeed. You were truly beautiful, Black Rose!」

The sensation of returning to Diadora through the thorns unexpectedly crumbled away. The Vengittas, who had been solid and unyielding until then, crumbled like grains of sand, turning into dust without a trace remaining.

Diadora was astonished by how quickly the sensation vanished, leaving her unable to detect even the slightest residue of magic. This brief lapse in thought led her to the inevitable conclusion that the Vengittas had indeed departed from this place.

All the Vengittas, numbering in the tens of thousands apart from Smitta and her group, had been turned into mountains of dust. Whether it was Dran, Selina, or maybe the Vaje in the sky, they must have dealt enough damage to repel the Demon King’s Army.

「Truly, they are an exhausting opponent.」

Overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions, Diadora knelt down where she stood, finally letting out the feelings she had kept bottled up inside.

「This curse is indeed troublesome. It’s a relief that there are many in Bern capable of dispelling it.」

Thinking of the concealed gods inhabiting the temples and churches built in Bern, Diadora let out a hefty sigh of relief.