Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Avalon's Imperial Princess

Part 1

In the mothership Beowolf- In the armory, under Dr Hoffman’s command the battle is in full swing. Eco who was naked was floating in magic guided device. ‘Yggdrasill’s’ capsule. There were groups of technician working around her. This was out of Anya’s area of understanding. She could only stand by and wall and watch silently. But, she understood well the pain that Eco was feeling. The cold voice was followed by its echo when it was reflected on the metal body. “The cartridge had been filled. Prepare for launching.” “The countdown starts now. Ten, nine, eight… Three, two, one-.” “Launch the compressed magic!” A red bean was shot out followed by a loud gun shooting sound. Anya felt that even the ship was vibrating. “…!” Then, there were air bubbles coming from Eco’s mouth. If not because of she was in the liquid, her scream could definitely be heard. Anya couldn’t bear to see Eco suffering and looked away. Eco’s body had already taken at least ten shots of the compressed magic. Eco regained her consciousness after the start of the experiment. At the beginning, she was struggling in the water, but ‘Yggdrasill’s’ capsule was not at all affected. But after receiving a continuous dozens of compressed magic, she lost her strength. Right now, she was just like a living dead. Her blank eyes were now lifeless and it was terrible. It was pure torture. Even so, the group of researchers led by Dr Hoffman were not at all shaken and continued silently. “There is no significant change on the appearance of α. There are no abnormalities on her respiratory system. No magic fluctuation can be seen.” Without realizing, the group of researchers started to refer Eco as α. Eco is a human, a young dragon and also a living being- But this group of human had taken everything from her. To them, Eco was just experimental material α. Who knows if they want to remove their feeling of guilt by calling her with symbols…Anya secretly thought so. At this moment, Dr Hoffman’s voice is heard by Anya. “Still no changes… It seems like we don’t have any more choices. Activate all the Milinnium.” Anya turned pale when she heard that. This means that they had decided to use full power on ‘Yggdrasill’’.

Part 2

“*Sob*… It was all… My fault. *Sob*…” In the maid’s bedroom in the ground floor of the palace. Prim was lying on the bed with her pillow wet with tears. There was only Ash and Silvia beside her bed. Cosette was standing outside the room by the door. Prim cried while she told the whole incident. Prim arrived at the ancient palace when she was chasing Eco who was running amok. She had met a few suspicious people there. Seeing the enemy suddenly attacked, Eco appeared and became the bait to let Prim escape. When Prim regained conscious, Eco was no longer there. After hearing, Ash felt something suspicious. “Why do you go to the ancient palace?” “That’s because… It was my entire fault! It was my bad to say such things!” “Prim, please stay calm. Compared to you, Ash was the person who suffered the most.” After being advised by Silvia, Prim rubbed of her tears. “You are right. Sorry…” “Prim-san, please tell me everything before eco was kidnapped!” Prim nodded. “I have no ill intention, it was just that… Ash-sama is a human and Eco is a dragon… So I thought that Eco will feel lonely after Ash-sama married with a human girl. The moment I told her that, Eco rushed out of the room.” “What…!” Who would have thought of this, Ash was speechless. “Idoit! You… Why do you have to tell her this!” Silvia was mad. “If I am Eco… I will definitely feel hurt if someone told that to me! Even when Eco is a dragon, her thought is still of a girl’s. She should know very well that her situation is special. Why was she born as a human? Why was she not born as a dragon… If I am Eco, I can never feel secure.” “Princess-sama…” Ash looked at Silvia who was telling Eco thought in surprise. “Recently, she had gotten use to the school life. She was also being loved by everyone as the student council’s mascot. Even so, to Eco, the only person she could thrust in… Is no other but Ash.” “And I… Had said something terrible…” “Strictly speaking, Eco is still a young dragon who was not even a year old. Can’t you be a little more indirect in your-” “Forget it, Princess-sama. Right now, we could never solve the problem even after lecturing Prim-san. What’s more, if they had this planned, no matter what Prim-san said, Eco will still be kidnapped.” “…You are right. But how are we going to rescue Eco?” Silvia nodded in agreement with Ash. “Prim-san… Could you describe those people who attacked?” Ash was praying while asking. He only clue is Prim being the witness. “Err…They had pretended to be the palace servant. But, they didn’t look like a citizen of the Knight Country. For their skin colour, it looked like they are the Tantalos…. Also, the person who attacked me is a short girl.” “A Tantalos girl…!” Ash was feeling Déjà vu. It was like he had found the last piece of puzzle in his memory. “It was the girl who followed Milgauss!” Ash’s fists were shacking. The world he was seeing was dyed in red. Even though he had a feeling that Milgauss was the culprit, still, after making sure, he was still in rage. “Since we knew who was the criminal-” Silvia immediately stopped Ash who intends to rush out from the room. “Hold on, Ash! Where do you think you are going to?” “The ballroom, of course! I want to settle thing with Milgauss!” “Kept your calm! Do you think that Milgauss will admit it even after you found him?” “…Maybe not.” Ash turned speechless. Silvia was right, no matter how emotional he became, Eco still wouldn’t be able to return safely.” Just as if she was trying to have Ash cooled down, Silvia made a suggestion in a calm voice: “Don’t you think that this is a good time to save Eco when Milgauss is busy with the masquerade?” “What do you meant?” “Milgauss couldn’t even be bothered by an activity with long history such as this continental congress and will do anything just to capture Eco. Even when I don’t know what was his intentions, but capturing Eco alive is their priority. I am sure that their lackeys won’t do anything to harm Eco when the mastermind was absent.” After listening to Silvia’s analyse, Ash gave a breath of relieve. “The problem remains is, where is Eco’s location. Since Ash’s ‘Seikoku’ is not reacting, it means that Eco was being hidden in an enclosed place. For example something that could be a barrier to cut of magic… Anyway, is must be done with the proper equipment. It just can’t be a rally point that they had just constructed.” “An enclosed place with proper equipments? That’s it, Milgauss had Klaus backing him up…” Last evening, an airship flew past the evening sky… The black ship that was waving the Empire’s flag proudly… Ash remembered. Ash and Silvia exchanged glances and shouted at the same time: “Beowolf!”

Part 3

-W-Will…I die just like this… Eco thought so. The liquid in the capsule kept on rotating and Eco’s body was being swept by it. Every time her shoulders or waist touches the glass, her body will move slowly in the opposite direction. It seems like the liquid was made of special materials. Luckily, it doesn’t affect her breathing. But after suffering a few shots from the magic device, her body turned numb. This feeling is like an empty mind floating in mid air. -If I could just… Continue sleeping… Then I won’t feel any pain… Just when Eco thought so, a power that surpassed those previous ones was released at her. “Noooooooooo…!” Even though she thought that she shouted in pain, in truth they were just air bubbles coming out from her mouth. A bright light flashes and the water turned rapid. Just like being swallowed off by a tsunami, her body kept on rotating and kept on hitting the glass around her. -W….Why do I have to suffer this kind of pain. It had passed the limit of her brain to just think of what they are going to do to her. She could only feel that her body had been injected with a vast amount of magic. The pain she felt is just like her body being ripped open. It felt like her organs were being messed up by someone. -Urgh… It hurts…. It hurts…. I beg you all, please stop. It is pointless no matter how she shout in her mind, the magic was still flowing into the body. E co’s body was jerking nonstop and she was struggling. You might as well do me a favour by killing me-Eco gave up. “…!” At the next moment- The Necromancia’s slimy tentacles attacking her from all directions. Eco couldn’t understand.Where did those tentacles appear from in this enclosed environment? The tentacles which were wriggling ling a snake slowly snatched her freedom. Her arms, waist, legs… was entangled by those tentacles. -Stop! This must be an illusion! It is this device that was making me hallucinate…! Eco tried to stay conscious and opened her eyes widely. At that moment, the tentacles disappeared. The feelings of being entangled by those tentacles also disappeared. However, not long after that, she loses focus and the tentacles appeared again and had her waist surrounded. In a blink of an eye, she was lifted by those tentacles. -Stop!

An abnormally thick tentacle was approaching at Eco’s face. Eco kept her teeth closed with her might. If she was to be careless, the tentacle will surely wriggle into her mouth. Eco had Goosebumps just by think about it. Eco initially wanted to ask for Ash’s help. She hoped that he could save him from this hell. However, from the point she woke up in this device, she couldn’t even summon Ash. Her Astral Flow with Ash had also been cut off. The lost of her communication had put her in fear. Eco was shocked that the lost of her connection with Ash would put her in such great fear. -I am really an idiot. I only knew what is precious to me after I had lost it. This experience had made her wanted to treasure Ash much more. That’s right, without Ash, I can’t do anything… I am really a good for nothing. -Don… At that instant, there was something moving in her body.

Part 8

When Veronica and Glenn arrived at the ballroom, the palace music and the party atmosphere of the nobles had disappeared.

Most of the guests were by the glass window and were looking downwards in shock. From there they can see the landing area for the airships.

“That’s…!”

Veronica was also looking downwards through the glass window.

“It is dangerous to stand beside the window, Princess-sama!”

Glenn warned her but Veronica ignored him.

There was a change in the landing area.

A living object that was glowing with silver light suddenly landed there.

-Uoooooooooooooooooo…!

It was immediately followed by a loud roar that will made one feel like covering his ears.

It was stated in the previous report that ‘an unidentified flying object that looked like a huge egg’, but it seemed that the huge egg had hatched when Veronica was on her way.

The unbelievable thing is, that huge monster easily split the Empire’s huge airship Beowolf into two with just a stomp.

Right at this moment, there was a man from the crowd was making a fuss.

“Ooh, what is happening! How can a dragon of the Knight’s… Destroy the most advance airship which is our country’s pride! I don’t think that this is some simple matter!”

The man words had caused an uproar in the ballroom.

Until a moment ago, everyone had just found out that this monster is a dragon.

Talking about a dragon, everyone will think about Lautreamont Knight Country.

“Is that person…Klaus Viderhausen! He is obviously trying to cause a stir!”

Veronica angrily scolded and glared at the Empire’s young noble.

However, there was a man who stupidly tried to argue with Klaus.

“Nonsense! That monster had nothing to do with our country!”

Although the man was wearing a lion shaped mask, judging from his plum body, Veronica immediately knew who he is.

He is he father, Oswald.

“Kluas-dono! This is the truth! That monster had nothing to do with us! Please believe in me!”

“Hu… What you said was not at all convincing. Anyway, everyone here is a witness.”

Klaus was not even bothered by Oswald.

It was because what Klaus said is true. A huge dragon that appeared with any warning had destroyed the Empire’s airship right in front of everyone.

Nothing could be worst that this.

For Chevron Kingdom and Zepharos Empire who had never see each other eye to eye was originally going to discuss about the peace in between them in tomorrow’s continental congress ‘Elysium’.

To Chevron Kingdom and its ally Lautreamont Knight Country this should be a historical event.

“Stop… Let alone the Emperor, not even a royal from the Empire attends. It is a total joke. The Empire had never wanted peace-”

Just as Veronica finished her sentence, there were people screaming from everywhere.

Everyone was in a panic.

All the guests who were wearing their mask, including the musicians and the waiters, everyone were trying to escape.

Apart from Oswald who was crying, Klaus who had previously put the blame on the Knight Country was also fleeing.

“What…!”

Veronica who immediately turned around was also sweating tremendously.

There was a pair of scarlet eyes looking into one of the many palace windows.

She spent a few seconds to figure out that the dragon had stretched its neck and was looking into Fontaine Palace.

“Glenn, if I try to slash the pair of eyes with my huge sword… Do you think I have any chance of winning?”

“Please forgive my rudeness… Even if Princess-sama, you are no match for it.”

Glenn told the truth directly.

"Why must you be this honest?"

Veronica was sulking while she confronted the dragon eyes.

The round eyes.

It looked like a baby’s pairs of eyes. Although it looked naïve, if this monster just rubbed its nose with the palace walls, Fontaine Palace will turned into dust in seconds. Furthermore, it will be a hill full of bricks and corpse…

Even though she was thinking of such scenario, Veronica could still manage a smile.

“Kuku… So this is of feeling of my life being controlled by others. I praise you, my child!”

Seeing that Veronica had no intention of escaping, Captain Glenn advised her in panic:

“Princess-sama, please retreat!”

“I mustn’t. Some of the guests are still here.”

Veronica looked around the empty ballroom.

There was a man with a mask standing at the middle of the dance floor.

The man was wearing a elegant suit. However his hair colour was like a cloth stain with blood.

He is obviously the gut in the reports- Milgauss.

Veronica looked at him in admiration.

“Hmm… You indeed look a little like Julius. Remove your mask!”

To her surprise, he actually did it. He could be seen silently removing his mask and threw it to a side as if he don’t need it anymore.

“-!”

Veronica’s eyes widen.

The handsome face beneath the mask was undoubtable Julius of ten years later who had became a seinen.

He had no longer the rebellious feel with him in his teenage years and was replaced by a feeling of a weapon that had been well polished.

“So you are Julius…!”

As if to sweep away her worries, Julius walked to the side of the window. At the same time, the dragon’s face disappeared as if it had lost interest with the empty ballroom.

Julius was standing by the window looking at the huge dragon.

“Kukuku… I had been waiting for this moment for a long time!”

That sinful voice and the devil like smile made Veronica felt uneasy.

Glenn took a stepped forward as if trying to ask in behalf of Veronica.

He unsheathed his sword that was on his waist.

“You can’t be Julius, no? My friend will never show such malicious smile.

“Oh, Glenn McGuire! I remembered you are one of the guys that appeared in Julius’s memories. It should be suitable to use ‘it had been a long time’ in this situation, don’t you think so?”

“What do you mean!”

“You still don’t get it? This body is indeed Julius’s. However, I am not Julius. But I can peek into Julius’s memories anytime.

“What is happening…?”

Veronica was curious but it was not bothered by the man.

“Kneel! Quick! Look carefully! You are witnessing a historical moment!”

The man was acting like a holy man in the religious painting. He spread his arms widely and declared his name.

“I am Mordred! The descendant of the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family.”

Vreonica couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

The Maestro that Julius sacrificed his life to kill is named Mordred. It is also Julius’s Pal.

Is it possible that Mordred had taken over Julius’s body?

In regards of Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family- Veronica had only recently heard about this name.

The ‘Old Testament of the Stella Biblia’ that Dr Angela Cornwell found in Willingham Mausoleum.

Basically, Veronica had read through the copy of the book.

She recalled a part of the book.

“…After the wise dragon Inbroke, two major bloodlines were formed. They are the Avalon’s holy dragons emperor family and the Nehalennia’s dark dragons king family. An endless war started from these two families. After the members of the two families reincarnated, they will encounter each other, hate each other and kill each other.”

The person in front had introduced himself as the descendant of the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family.

Them, who is the person who should be representing the descendant of the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family-?

At this moment, Veronica stopped thinking because of Glenn’s shout.

“So I see… You are the roots of evil! I knew that Julius didn’t turn crazy! He will always be loyal to his beliefs and tried to have you removed even when he had to commit a crime in the Knight Country!... Return Julius to us!”

Followed by a shout, Glenn reduced their distance and there was a silver flash.

However, Mordred easily parried Glenn’s slash.

“Urgh!”

Glenn growled.

Morderd had stopped the high speed slash with only his index and middle finger.

Glenn could be seen standing still while holding his sword. No, that’s not the case, Veronica understands well.

It was not that Glenn was not moving, it was because that he was unable to move.

Morderd had over powered Glenn with just two fingers.

“Hmph… I will let you experience the punishment for being disobediant to god.

After Mordred gave a cold smile, there was a flash.

“Gwaaa!”

Glenn was knocked up into the air while unable to even resist. He knocked into the wall hard and became unconscious.

Veronica didn’t even have the time to care about Glenn and stared at Mordred.

“…I don’t understand. As far as I know, you should have a good relationship with Julius. Didn’t you even present him with an ark?”

“Hmph, the one who has a good relationship with Julius is another me. That me who acknowledged Julius as its master and had associate with him quite well.

“Another me? What are you talking about?”

“Let me generously explain it to you as your last gift before you die. There was two personalities in Mordred. If it was to be a human, it will be call as a split personality.”

“What happened to the other personality?”

“It had disappeared together with the body. Ironically, it was it and Julius who had planned to kill me. For me, to prevent myself from dying, I had sacrificed my body and change into this spiritual form and had inhabit in Julius’s body.”

Upon saying until there, Mordred looked out of the window.

Right beside the palace, the dragon was standing on its hind legs and was looking around curiously. It seemed to be troubled because it couldn’t understand what was happening.

Mordred declared to that dragon:

“Descendant of the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family, I will take that body of yours!”

“Now I understand, so this is what you planned…!”

At this stage. Veronica finally found out what is Mordred aiming for.

Morderd had once lost his body in to past when it was killed by Julius.

However, if it could take over the body of the descendant of the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family, it can once again be born as the strongest dragon…!

“That will never happen, Mordred!”

Veronica unsheathed the huge sword on her waist.

Even though she knew that he was not an opponent that she could win in a direct confrontation, she still couldn’t bear to watch idly from the side.

I will kill Mordred together with Julius’s body before he can manage to take over Avalon’s body- Veronica rushed forward while thinking so.

Even when it is her brother’s body that we are talking about, she had no intention of showing any mercy.

But, before Veronica could land a hit on Mordred, suddenly, there was darkness emerging from his body and spread all over the ballroom.

“Urgh… What is this dark mist… My conscious…!”

The moment she was surrounded by the darkness, Veronica felt a strong feeling of vomiting and fainting.