Chapter 186: First Act 55: The Holy Sword 2
Chapter 186: First Act 55: The Holy Sword 2
As Princess Christine slowly opened her eyes, the world around her seemed a chaotic mess of jumbled thoughts.
A foggy blur clouded her senses, threatening to overwhelm her as if she were on the verge of nausea.
The intense heat that enveloped her should have been discomforting, but paradoxically, she felt a strange welcome from the flames.
It was as if she was being embraced by the warm hug of a mother, and the sensation was both peaceful and joyful, creating a sense of relaxation.
Yet, her body quivered in defiance, rejecting the embrace that her senses seemed to be yearning for.
It was a conflicting experience, a dissonance between the perceived warmth and the actual aversion she felt.
Her dragon eyes, usually a source of great power and clarity, intensified in their glare as she identified the source of her discomfort.
Looking upward, she saw the sun, and above it, the saintess casting her benevolent gaze upon the world.
The face of the saintess, one that would typically evoke feelings of reverence and awe, instead fueled an intense anger within Christine.
It wasn't merely a matter of being looked down upon; it felt like a rejection of her very essence, as if her blood and soul vehemently rebelled against the notion of being subordinate.
Although Christine's mind was still hazy from all the thoughts and all the weird sensations her body was having at right now, Christine still had an idea why this was happening to her.
As Princess Christine grappled with the paradoxical emotions coursing through her, a nagging question pierced her thoughts.
'Is it because of my dragon blood?'
In the intricate tapestry of the Lumenia Imperial family, closely guarded secrets lay within the veins of its members.
Those of the royal bloodline, including Christine herself, were well aware of the significance of their heritage.
The Lumenian Empire and its imperial family took immense pride in the knowledge that draconic blood flowed through their veins, a fact not shrouded in secrecy but flaunted with pride.
Dragons, in the realm of magic and mythical beings, were hailed as the progenitors of magic itself.
They stood as enigmatic entities, closely tied to the forces of nature, both revered and feared.
Their existence, a natural catastrophe for humans, served as a salvation for the balance of nature.
Yet, amid the grandeur of their mystical aura, dragons carried a legacy that extended beyond the annals of history.
In ancient times, dragons were revered as gods, an accolade that endured through the ages. However, this divine perception birthed animosity.
The gods themselves harbored disdain for the existence of dragons, a sentiment reciprocated by the dragons.
There existed an innate aversion; dragons, as beings intrinsically aligned with the natural order, rejected anything outside the realms of nature, be it gods or demons.
To them, any entity not tethered to the natural order was deemed an existence akin to trash, and this sentiment ran deep within Christine's very being.
The conflicting emotions surging within her were intertwined with the age-old rivalry between dragons and gods, a legacy she carried in her very blood.
As Christine grappled with the tumult within, the dormant dragon side of her essence seemed to assert itself, acting on its own volition.
The princess whispered an incantation, "Draig sgail," and immediately, the flames enveloping her body dissipated.
The residual energy worked its healing magic, mending most of the wounds she had incurred during the intense battle.
However, the hypersensitivity that accompanied the dragon's presence still lingered, creating an uncomfortable sensation that Christine found irksome.
Surveying her surroundings, the princess observed the chaos unfolding.
The once-panicked crowd had shifted their focus, now clamoring for the principal and Bella to create a portal, a means of escape from the impending disaster.
Kneeling and fervently praying to the saints above, they seemed to have forgotten the worries that had plagued them just moments before.
Annoyance flickered across Christine's face as she licked her tongue in irritation, but she quickly quelled any rising anger.
Getting worked up under these bizarre circumstances would serve her no purpose.
Instead, she scanned the vicinity, realizing that the impending threat of the sun's wrath would transform the already ravaged city into an ashen wasteland within a matter of minutes.
'I must find the principal or Miss Bella and get everyone out of here' she determined, the gravity of her responsibility settling upon her shoulders.
Despite Saintess Elena's benevolent intervention and the grand divine spell that effectively eradicated the monstrous threats, the princess understood that it wasn't a guaranteed victory.
Two monsters still lurked and fighting out there.
While she appreciated the saintess's kindness and the profound sense of obligation that led to the casting of such a potent divine spell, Christine recognized the inherent risks.
Safety lay in evacuating the area, ensuring the well-being of all present here, as the first princess of the empire she would make sure of it.
Suddenly, a tingling sensation rippled through Princess Christine's senses, and a familiar presence registered in her consciousness.
Gazing upward, she witnessed a massive storm on the horizon, green sparks of lightning crackling around the dark clouds.
This celestial tempest presented a stark contrast to the flaming city below, setting an ominous backdrop for the unfolding events.
"Grandpa, you're here" Christine whispered, her eyes slowly regaining their focus as she recognized the guardian dragon of the empire, her great ancestor.
With his imposing figure present, the looming threat of the two monstrous beings fighting just beyond the city square seemed to diminish.
The princess harbored unwavering faith in her great ancestor; against the might of a true dragon, even formidable adversaries would pale in comparison.
"Grandpa, if you could—"
Tnnggg!!!!
The princess's attempt to establish communication was abruptly interrupted by a piercing sound, a loud ringing noise that assaulted her ears with such intensity that it triggered an immediate headache.
Clutching her head, Christine recoiled, confusion etched across her face.
'What was that?' she wondered, the sudden intrusion leaving her momentarily disoriented.
Frustration etched across Christine's face as she attempted once again to establish a connection with her grandfather, only to be met with the same bewildering results.
It should have been a straightforward task, a seamless exchange between descendant and ancestor, especially with the guardian dragon being so close now.
However, an inexplicable barrier seemed to thwart her every effort, preventing any form of communication, be it physical or through mana.
Something mysterious and obstructive lingered, creating a frustrating impasse.
Suddenly, a series of strange voices infiltrated her consciousness, akin to an unestablished message that bypassed her attempts at direct communication.
The dragon's thoughts resonated within her mind, delivering a powerful and poignant message.
"I will avenge your death, oh dear descendant of mine" the voice echoed, laden with a seething anger and impatience that caught Christine off guard.
Confusion furrowed her brow.
"But I'm alive, though?" she thought, her gaze fixated on the green-tinged lightning bolts cracking through the sky.
The atmospheric tension escalated, and Christine witnessed a dragon's breath gathering, an extraordinary sight that unfolded before her eyes for the first time in her life.
….
I looked in the direction where the explosion happened.
It wasn't that far from us, at best just around a few hundred meters away from here.
It was the location at which Siena was fighting with an unknown assailant.
It wasn't that hard to guess why the dragon attacked there, as Siena and that unknown assailant are probably the most dangerous in this area right now.
But what exactly was going on here?
'What did Aunt do, sis?'
'Giving you an enemy'
'Why?' I pressed for an explanation.
'All heroes need a villain to defeat, right? Or maybe even some catastrophic event they have to prevent. That dragon is both those things' she explained with an air of nonchalance.
'Still, asking me to fight a dragon is absurd' I retorted. Because it was a freaking dragon who's entire being denies the will of the gods themselves.
'Don't worry, under normal circumstances, you probably won't win, even with our authorities'
Her words resonated with truth. Even if I were to attack the dragon's mind, mirroring my aunt's actions, the advantage would be fleeting.
The dragon's formidable scales disrupted the flow of mana itself, rendering my usual prowess with swords and mana blades ineffective.
'So, you're saying the situation is different now?' I questioned, a note of skepticism in my voice.
'Yes, just like I told you, use that sword' my sister insisted.
Examining the holy sword in my hands, I could still feel the power emanating from it. However, the doubt lingered.
Could this blade truly be effective against a literal dragon, whose very existence denied divinity?
The holy sword, while potent, was most effective against demons; against other beings, it amounted to nothing more than an exceptionally sharp weapon capable of shooting beams of light.
'If the goddess is trying to take advantage of you, make sure you use her as well' she said.
The once serene sky transformed into a canvas of chaos as lightning crackled and danced in erratic patterns.
A surge of confusion gripped me; something extraordinary was unfolding, and uncertainty loomed in the air.
My eyes instinctively turned upward, revealing a spectacle of condensed lightning within the gathering storm clouds.
The blurry sight hinted at a powerful force taking shape, and dread crept in as the possibility of the dragon preparing to unleash its destructive breath crossed my mind.
"Shit, is it preparing to use its breath? Fuck, fuck!" I muttered to myself, urgency accentuating every word.
Addressing Bella, I told her
"Cast the teleportation spell now! Get everyone out of here!"
The urgency in my voice matched the impending threat, and I didn't wait for her response.
Leaping through the damaged roof, I traversed the landscape, searching for the highest vantage point.
The elevation would offer a strategic advantage for a potential counter against the impending onslaught.
Elena, attuned to the dragon's intentions, encased us within a golden dome—a divine barrier shielding us from the imminent danger.
As I glanced towards Elena, there was a discernible absence of emotion in her current state.
Yet, beneath the surface, a subtle fear emanated from her
If I didn't make a move now, everyone here would probably die. Judging from the absurd mana emanating from that dragon alone, it was enough to deduce that a single breath attack could wipe the entire city off the map.
Not even the barrier Elena casted, fortified by the sun's energy, seemed capable of fully withstanding such an onslaught.
Recalling my sister's advice to use the sword, I clenched the holy weapon tightly, my determination matching the weight of impending doom hanging over the city.
The bluish starlight mana gathering around the city square indicated that Bella had initiated her move.
However, I refused to let my focus waver.
Then, it happened—skies turned an ominous shade of green, and a deafening rumble echoed through the air.
A beam of pure electrical energy descended at an alarming rate. Its speed was so astonishing that any normal person wouldn't have had time to properly register the imminent threat before it struck.
As the destructive force hurtled towards the city square, I steeled myself, positioning the holy sword in front of me.
Yet, the moment my grip tightened on the holy sword, something strange happened.
The world turned black and white, reminiscent of old films, and the only colors that remained were the green beam descending and a golden silk-like line.
Everything around me seemed to freeze, or rather, it all slowed down. However, for some reason, I could move normally, even faster than I used to.
The deafening sounds of impending doom became muffled, and my focus intensified. My body instinctively followed the silk-like thread of golden light, and my sword traced its path. Jumping up, I held up the holy sword and slashed vertically.
[Authority: Stellar Solaris: {Active}]
Swish!!
It was just one casual slash, even for me, and yet something strange happened as everything slowly turned back to normal.
Another deafening sound echoed, and I could feel the energy within me depleting at a high rate.
SWOOOSH!!!!
From where I slashed, golden light exploded like a crescent golden blade. Everything turned brightly gold, blinding everyone, yet I was unaffected.
The golden brilliance extended, enveloping the green beam, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.
Looking high above, my eyes widened.
The dark clouds, or rather, the literal sky, appeared to be cut, and in the distance, I could see and hear the painful, scream-like roars of the dragon, missing one of its gigantic wings, probably caught in the attack.
Did I really just do that?
With this thing?
I wondered, gazing at the sword.
Did it have this much power?
Slowly, my body descended onto a random roof. Even though I executed that powerful attack, I felt like my energy was restored almost immediately after.
"Hero?"
I could hear someone talking. Looking down, I saw a bewildered young man kneeling on the ground, the flames around him gone.
The same was true for the others around him, all looking at me with wide-open eyes.
The holy sword in my hands gleamed even more brightly.