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Chapter 289 part 4

While the Vengittas facing Diadora disappeared due to their inherent self-destructive mechanism, Selina, who was in battle with Quince, was also attempting to conclude their skirmish.

As Jaff Jalud tried to seize control of the ship amidst clashing with Quince, its attempt to board was thwarted by the ground troops, who finished readying themselves within forty seconds on Malahau’s orders, resulting in its being annihilated before it could infiltrate the warship.

Selina managed to defend herself, although the Jaram she was clad in was nearly falling apart. Quince, who just barely managed to avoid the DragVendes, found her blue carapace marked by countless cracks from the shockwave.

The toll of wounds and exhaustion seemed evenly distributed between them. Nonetheless, it was Quince who took the initiative to bring an end to the conflict. Unbeknownst to Selina, some form of communication reached her amidst the shifting movements of the fleet, including the Megyn Orr, prompting Quince to propose a truce.

「Hou, Hmm, I see.」

「?」

Watching Quince mutter to herself, Selina could not help but question what was happening. Though she herself was unscathed, she did not for a moment believe she was gaining the upper hand in the battle.

「Miss, it seems today ends here. Bern is urging Vengitta and the others to be careful, as the aerial battle situation isn’t going well.」

「You’re planning to flee just like that?」

「Yes, it’s not a retreat but a strategic repositioning. We’re not stubborn.」

While Selina grappled with the decision of whether to give chase or let it be, Quince followed the thread connecting her to Megyn Orr, gently lifting herself from the spot and swiftly moving away.

「What! Right… JARA…」

Just as Selina started to gather her magical energy to cast a Jaram spell in a split-second decision, the ground surrounding her cracked open. Selina’s eyes caught sight of the extensive rift as shimmering spider silk emerged from within, swiftly weaving into a net that encased her completely.

「W-When did you set up this trap!?」

Even with the option to dissolve it using the snake venom of Jarlam, the spider silk web closing in from all sides proved ample to detain Serina.

Although she could dissolve it with Jaram’s serpent venom, the web of spider silk closing in from all sides proved ample to detain Selina.

「With this, miss, we shall meet again soon. I’d prefer not to have to avoid each other, if possible.」

Without a chance for Selina to utter「wait,」 Quince’s small form disappeared towards the distant battleship, leaving Selina to deal with the ongoing challenge of the spider silk web, which continuously sought to entrap her.

As a considerable amount of time passed, Serina finally managed to dissolve the entirety of the spider silk web with serpent venom before collapsing weakly on the ground.

The repeated casting of spells, the countless strands of spider silk, and the frequent bombardments had completely reshaped the surrounding terrain, resulting in numerous mounds and large craters.

「Phew, the Demon King’s army’s retreating, so it’s safe to say that Diadora and Dran must have won, right? Ah, how tenseeee!」

Selina thudded down, feeling somewhat indecorous. She stretched out on her back, finally registering that the frequent occurrences of flames, lightning, and flashes in the sky had dwindled.

The battle between Dran, Leania, Mer-Allen, and Agitta had also come to a temporary end.

Dran’s magically created chains had restrained all four of Agitta’s arms, immobilizing her. Seizing this opportunity, Leania discarded her shield and, wielding her mace with both hands, struck Agitta’s right neck. At the same time, Mer-Allen, using the blade embedded in his mace, inflicted a large cut on Agitta’s back.

As Dran’s crafted chains of magic ensnared all four of Agitta’s arms, halting its movements, Leania discarded her shield and gripped the mace with both hands, striking Agitta’s right neck forcefully as Mer-Allen’s Armor used the blade housed within the mace to slice deeply into Agitta’s back.

The prolonged combat had taken its toll, causing a substantial decline in the effectiveness of the magical armor guarding Agitta, compounded by the continuous application of weakening magic chains restraining its limbs, further reducing its strength.

This was why Agitta’s body suffered extensive dents and cuts from the attacks of the two machines, causing the amber-colored liquid filling it to spill out like blood. Agitta collapsed from the damage it had sustained, but just as its eyes began to shine again, Dran made a move.

「Dear doll, let’s hope there are no stronger hidden aces up the sleeve from now on.」

Dran leaned out, placing his foot on the cranium of Leania’s Gambeln. He propelled himself forward, knocking Agitta’s head, which gleamed with four eyes, away with a swing of his Dragon Claw Sword, then further slicing it crosswise as it soared through the air.

In a swift motion, as the amber-colored liquid splattered through the air, Dran impaled his Dragon Claw Sword into the remaining torso of Agitta, flooding it with his own magic, thoroughly plundering the interior to ensure it would never move again, destroying it utterly.

With a brief delay, Dran withdrew his Dragon Claw Sword while Agitta collapsed backward with a weighty thud.

Mer-Allen, who had been behind Agitta, hastily sidestepped to avoid being knocked over and positioned himself beside Leania’s machine.

「You both did great. It took all three of us to fight it.」

Despite Dran’s seemingly truthful delivery, Leania and Mer-Allen could not help but feel skeptical. It was undeniable to them that Agitta’s defeat was attributed solely to Dran’s involvement. They understood that they were merely supporting actors, with Dran as the main protagonist.

「You’re too modest. Mer-Allen here and I wouldn’t have been able to even hold it back without you.」

「I concur with Lady Leania. However, the other puppets have ceased moving. Was this ogre-like puppet acting as a relay or commander?」

As Mer-Allen had noted, Vengitta and the Demon Army’s forces, who had surged like a tsunami towards their defense line near Fort Nerodim, had halted. An unnatural silence rapidly descended upon the battlefield.

「Well, it seems all the enemy is retreating. Look, all the other puppets are turning to dust. They’ve likely activated a self-destruct mechanism to prevent us from examining the remains.

The dragonkin showdown above us has also reached its climax. And if they couldn’t manage to take out the sneak attack, they probably decided that this initial probing was sufficient」

「Probing… all this fighting was just probing?」

Dran answered firmly and clearly to Leania, whose voice quivered with incredulity, saying, 「Yes, that’s indeed the case.」

「If led by the offspring of the God of War who conquered The Dark Wilderness, this army would be unstoppable. This is just a warm-up.」

「Oh, really? Um, now that you mention it, this Agitta puppet, the demon god, seems to be intact. But what about you, my aide? Did you do anything?」

「I took out the insides while driving in the sword. And that’s how the self-destruct mechanism got disabled too. From Vengitta’s side, having lost the puppet they wanted to keep the most, they might target me from now on.」

「You seem to sound quite pleased…」

「Well, isn’t it a joyous occasion to have drawn the eyes of a formidable foe who’s been gunning for my fiancée?」

Dran’s casual attitude towards such a powerful foe left Leania and Mer-Allen speechless. They could not help but feel that their leader possessed a unique perspective on life, one that differed greatly from the average person.

This initial clash between the Demon King’s Army and the Barony of Bern of the Arkrest Kingdom would later be remembered as a bizarre anomaly. While the Demon King’s faux dragons suffered losses, neither the Bern forces nor the Demon King’s Army sustained any human casualties.