Leviathan:Volume 8 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Moon Palace

Part 1

The critical moment had arrived.

At this very point in time, the greatest and most powerful enemy was standing right before Haruga Haruomi's eyes.

Princess Yukikaze—

The black-haired young beauty, dress in a white summer dress. The lovely yet haughty dragon king's human form. Her elegant face bore an expression of excitement and extreme joy, almost like "a little girl who finally got her wish to visit an amusement park."

Simply stated, "she could hardly wait."

(Why is she getting so excited when the opponent is someone like me?)

Hal thought to himself poignantly. He really wanted to stare up into the sky and sigh.

However, Hal carefully avoided her since they were "fated rivals of destiny!" after all. This girl was probably not petty enough to launch an attack while her opponent's gaze was directed elsewhere...

Indeed. The two of them possessed the runes of the Bow and the Arrow respectively.

Among the dragonslaying runes, this pair was a special combination.

Ever since time immemorial, the successors of the Bow and the Arrow in every era would feel strongly drawn to each other, clashing in conflict, to duel intensely—

"...Fated rivals of destiny, huh?"

"Hmm? What is the matter, Haruomi? Why the surprised look?"

"Nothing much. It just struck me how I've come this far by the time I realized, doing something that really doesn't suit my personality."

"Fufufufu. By this juncture, you still speak incomprehensible words like these."

A dignified smile appeared on the princess' adorable face.

The "flying surfboard" under Princess Yukikaze's feet was her magic wand. Like Hal's magic gun, it was a magic artifact for controlling the power of dragonbane.

Whoosh. The white dragon king jumped down lightly from the surfboard.

Standing the on the same ground as Hal, she stared sharply at him.

The location was a certain middle school's yard—

None of the school's students were within the premises. However, Hal and Princess Yukikaze were silently watched by Asya, who had become a Tyrannos at some unknown point in time, Juujouji Orihime, Luna Francois, Shirasaka Hazumi, as well as Hal's classmates, Mutou-san and Funaki-san.

This was because the duel between Princess Yukikaze and Hal would determine the fate of all humanity.

At this very moment, the white dragon king stood before the cowardly human, speaking with superiority, "No matter. This is part of your style. As a powerful dragon king, I, Yukikaze, shall display great magnanimity, even regarding your unique style as one of many amusements."

"Really? Then I hope you could do me a favor."

"Oh?"

"Actually, about that duel of destiny, I'd like you to postpone it for a few days."

"What?"

Princess Yukikaze suddenly became quite displeased, glaring viciously at Hal.

"Haruomi, I have quietly waited for the conclusion between you and Pavel Galad. Are you asking me, Yukikaze, to wait further?"

"Uh, that's because I just finished such an intense battle."

Not even fifteen minutes had passed since the death of the formidable foe who wielded the Rune of the Sword.

"Let's be honest here, I'm all drained, half dead from fatigue. I'd lose miserably in thirty seconds if I fought you in this state. Unless you're fine with that."

"Mu."

"Since you've already waited until now, what does three or four days more matter?"

"Muu."

Princess Yukikaze bit her lower lip hard, like a sulking child.

Were this a regular battle against a regular warrior, negotiations would be out of the question entirely.

As the defending champion, all the princess needed to do was pummel the weak and exhausted Hal with her overwhelming strength.

However, since the princess wanted an all-out fight against a special Tyrannos—

"Let me be clear on this. My patience has limits, understood?"

"Yes, indeed, but I think you're only choice is to wait. I may look fine right now, but an hour ago, I almost died."

"Grrrrr."

The princess frowned with displeasure.

Although this situation was quite bizarre, so long as she desired a spectacular fight more than Hal did, Hal would hold the upper hand in negotiations. It was with full understanding of this that Hal had seized the opportunity to make his proposal.

As expected, the princess agonized for quite a while before speaking unhappily, "...Very well. I shall wait three days and no more."

"Really? Thank you so much!"

"You must rest properly during these three days in preparation for our duel, understood?"

"Of course! Leave it to me, I'm an expert in relaxing and doing nothing."

"Running away is forbidden, got that? You must rest your body and mind for the upcoming duel, staying within my sight at all times, understood?"

"That goes without saying! I won't let your kindness go to waste!"

"Excellent. Then come with me."

"Huh?"

The princess grinned when Hal agreed so readily.

As though responding to a playmate's prank with an equally crude prank, it was a childish smile.

"Fufufufu. I, Yukikaze, shall allow you to rest thoroughly for these three days, but on one condition. You must stay by my side the whole time. Otherwise, we fight immediately!"

"Ehhhhhhh!?"

The unexpected condition made Hal jump in surprise.

"I'm not going to run away even if you don't go so far, okay!? Regardless, I can't escape a dragon king's eyes no matter where across the Earth I escape to!"

"Yes... You definitely will not escape."

Staring intently at Haruga Haruomi's face, Princess Yukikaze asserted.

Hal felt a chill. He had a feeling, the princess' adorable eyes seemed to possess a dragon king's eyesight, capable of seeing through a person's true character in but a single glance.

"Nevertheless, I know not whether you will listen to me and rest properly. Haruomi, despite your superficial image as a lazy good-for-nothing, aren't you excessively serious in odd areas?"

"Oh, umm—"

The princess was perfectly right. Hal scratched his head.

THe princess' age was estimated to be over a thousand despite her child-like appearance and personality. She was apparently a dragon king who had existed since the Kamakura period.

Would Princess Yukikaze be offended if one were to call her "the older the wiser"?

In any case, she smiled smugly, posturing like an elder sister.

"To prevent you from not resting, I shall supervise by your side. Relax, I am not asking you to remain in my presence at all times. All you need to do is recuperate for a period of time by my side."

"No helping it..."

It would be far better than fighting right away.

The instant Hal was about to nod in agreement, he mentally jumped in surprise.

He and the princess were standing in the school yard of a middle school one could find anywhere.

By the time he noticed, there were twenty-four runes of Ruruk Soun underfoot

The sequence of symbols meant "O starship, become my wings." Even the surfboard hovering in the air—a magic wand—began to glow with silver-white light.

"Fufufufu, I knew you would agree. Let us waste no more time. I shall invite you to my territory immediately. Worry not, it will be a comfortable stay."

"Eh? So soon!?"

Staring at the happily smiling Princess Yukikaze, Hal was rooted to the spot.

Standing so close to Princess Yukikaze, he should have noticed something at least, such as focusing one's mind to cast a spell, the flow of magical power, breathing, a look in her eyes, etc.

Without any change, the princess had silently used magic without any sign.

The way she used magic was as natural as breathing!

(This is a super strong skill used by some kind of master!)

In that case—Resistance was futile.

He might have been able to put up a fight using defensive magic, but it was too late by now. The glow from the runes of Ruruk Soun swallowed Hal, seizing him tightly with mysterious power.

As one might expect, the gap between a dragon king and a dragon king-esque human was too great...

Painfully aware of the vast chasm between the two, Hal then heard familiar shouts.

"Harry!" "Senpai!?" "Haruga-kun!" "Haruga-kun!?"

The master-class witch from America, the underclassman who was like a reincarnated angel, the two girls from the UFO Research club who were classmates too—

They were all calling for Hal worriedly.

In addition, there were two others.

"I won't let Haruomi be alone!"

"Don't forget us!"

Two girls rushed over to grab Haruomi.

They were the silver-haired childhood friend and the black-haired Japanese classmate—Asya and Juujouji Orihime. In the next instant, they grabbed Hal, and he felt a mysterious floating sensation.

An illusory feeling like his body was forcibly lifted, as well as an unpleasant sense of nausea.

The two feelings attacked simultaneously. The scenery all around him became contorted.

The school yard and his friends' figures gradually became warped, like a fish-eyed view—

By the time he realized, Hal was in space.

Tens of thousands of stars were shining in the darkness. Orihime was holding Hal's right hand, whereas Asya was holding his left.

Before him was the smiling Princess Yukikaze.

Hal and the rest of them were currently standing at the very center of the cosmic abyss.

Twenty-four runes, "O starship, become my wings," were underfoot in an oval arrangement, glowing like a magic circle.

In the distance below the runes was a magnificent blue planet.

Hal had seen this many times before. They were images taken by observation satellite of the Earth, the planet that nurtured life.

"We will presently arrive at my castle, Haruomi. Welcome."

"Castle... Is it something like the monolith at Old Tokyo?"

The Old Tokyo Concession, formerly the heart of Japan as represented by the twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, was currently under Princess Yukikaze's occupation.

One would be highly likely to encounter the princess by visiting to pitch-black triangular prism of a "Monolith" towering in the Ginza district.

Hal had speculated on his own that the princess had made her base there.

"That is a secondary residence on Earth, a villa of sorts to me. I, Yukikaze, have invited you to my domain located in the sea of stars. Be grateful to me."

"The sea of stars, in other words, I knew it...."

It was what dragonkind called space. Hal sighed.

Thanks to dragonkind's wisdom that he had learned as a Tyrannos, Hal actually understood the instant he looked underfoot. This arrangement of runes was used for jumping through space to traverse between planets.

"So we're travel through space in the flesh, huh..."

"Genbu-Ou... The minion responsible for my transportation is dead. Consequently, I must use magic. Haruomi, you ought to show me your gratitude."

"Taking me to your Old Tokyo villa would've been enough."

"On the other hand, surely I did not invite those two little lasses, you know?"

Glaring at the girls at Hal's sides, Princess Yukikaze grumbled quietly.

The dragon king displayed obvious displeasure. Even the two fairly brave girls were intimidated to the point of straightening their backs.

However, Asya tensed her countenance and spoke candidly.

"I know I might be overstepping my bounds to say this, but I believe I have the right to come along."

"Oh?"

"Because... Although it happened only recently, I am the Tyrannos inheriting the Rune of the Chain, after all. In terms of position, I am Haruomi's equal, right?"

"Indeed that is correct. Nevertheless, you are his equal merely in position."

Confronted with the Earthling girl who held her ground, the adorable dragon king laughed "fufu."

"There are many sorts of Tyrannoi. Putting aside those like Haruomi, who have the necessary achievements... A newcomer who has never fought another Tyrannoi, much less a dragon king, has no right to challenge me, Yukikaze, to a fight."

"......"

"However, I do not dislike your mettle."

"Meaning—"

"Hmph. Do as you wish."

Suppressing her terror and nervousness, Asya had displayed resilient determination.

Perhaps it paid off. Princess Yukikaze generously permitted Asya to accompany them. Then her sharp gaze turned to the other girl—Juujouji Orihime.

At that moment, before the princess spoke, Orihime seized the chance.

"B-Because Haruga-kun and I are partners!"

"'Partners'?"

"Meaning we are companions who must not separate no matter what, I suppose? Surpassing the level of an irreplaceably dear friend, the other half to one's soul, an intimate relationship where we can know through the same breath what the other person is thinking... I-In any event, if I were gone, Haruga-kun could very well drop dead all of a sudden!"

Orihime finished in one breath and sneaked a glance at Hal.

"Am I right, Haruga-kun!?"

"Uh, yeah. Juujouji is right. Without her, I can't sleep, I have no appetite either. So I hope you'll agree to let her come with us!"

"Simply stated, she is your minion?"

Hearing Hal concur, Princess Yukikaze inclined her head with doubt in her tone.

"On further thought, I used to enjoy the company of Genbu-Ou. Very well. Black-haired girl, I, Yukikaze, permit your presence."

"Thank you very much!"

Princess Yukikaze displayed generosity probably because Orihime's forcefulness won out.

The white dragon king was a magnanimous maiden to begin with. Just now, she had been displeased only because someone had intruded on her "alone time" with Hal, making her sulk.

(I really don't need this kind of uncute jealousy...)

Hal could not help but smile stiffly.

He reasoned that Princess Yukikaze's feelings for Haruga Haruomi could not possibly be love and admiration. She probably regarded Hal as a rival or playmate.

The princess merely disliked her "duel, belonging to the two of them only" to be disturbed.

Meanwhile, the one who should be on Hal's side, Asya, had narrowed her eyes for some reason, glaring at Hal and Orihime.

"That explanation just now sounds like you are lovers, Orihime-san and Haruomi, lovers bound together by the red string of destiny..."

"D-Does it really!?"

"O-Of course not. Asya, don't get the wrong idea!"

Orihime and Hal hastily refuted together.

At that moment, Hal noticed that the magnificent Earth, directly below just now, had become a small bead.

Conversely, a beautiful white satellite was gradually approaching.

"Is that the destination...?"

Like the blue Earth, Hal had frequently seen this satellite in photos too.

Always presenting the same side towards the Earth—The Moon. This was the satellite known to Earthlings since time immemorial.

Part 2

"L-Luna-san! Senpai, Nee-sama and Asya-san have been taken away!?"

"Yes. It seems that we were blindsided."

In contrast to the panicking Shirasaka Hazumi, Luna Francois was quite calm.

"However, the situation shouldn't develop into the final battle immediately as long as Harry keeps things going as the current pace. I don't really know if I should call it fortunate or not, but Asya and Orihime-san went along with them."

The instant after the runes of Ruruk Soun had warped space...

The white princess of dragonkind as well as Hal and his two companions had been swallowed by a ball of white light, flying towards the sky with a "whoosh!"

Fast as a rocket.

"Especially Asya. I don't know what happened, to think that she managed to become a Tyrannos like Harry in such short time. Were this taking place in a Japanese manga, this would be one of those scenes where you tell everyone 'no need to rush'."

"B-But..." murmured Hazumi, who had entered a state of shock when the transportation magic activated.

However, Luna Francois, who had remained calm the whole time, spoke in a relaxed tone like a commander overseeing the whole situation.

"The snow princess is a monster capable of charging into the Science Patrol headquarters from Ultraman as easily as taking a stroll after dinner. Had she the desire, the fight could begin three minutes later. In the end, it all comes down to Harry whether he can stall long enough to recuperate."

"I-I suppose you are right."

"By the way, I deliberately chose not to grab onto Harry just now."

"Eh!?"

"Someone capable of taking control of the whole situation and issuing commands to various parties needs to stay behind... Though I know very well it was an excellent chance to throw caution to the wind, stick to Harry, and show my love aggressively."

Luna frowned, murmuring quietly as though trying to persuade herself.

This would be a display of her calculative wits—calm wisdom—that earned her nickname as the little devil.

"When Harry returns, I will surely have him make it up to me."

"L-Luna-san, you are so amazing. I can't believe you thought so much in such short time."

Shirasaka Hazumi praised Luna with an adorable expression like an reincarnated angel. One would presume that her only thoughts were of the safety of their companions.

Luna chuckled and smiled at the middle school girl who was her opposite.

"In any case, let's get in touch with SAURU's Kantou branch first, as well as Tokyo New Town's government departments and the Ministry of Defense."

"Yes!"

"May I request you two to help?"

Luna winked at the two other high school girls.

They were Mutou-san and Funaki-san, Haruga Haruomi's classmates and members of the UFO Research Club. During the fight against Pavel Galad, they had been a lot of help.

"I will add hazard pay and special compensation on top of your official wages."

"Really!? Ahaha, rich people really are quite something."

"Oh well, I'm guessing the evacuation shelters won't be much safer, so I might as well earn some money, of course."

Energetic as always, Funaki-san's eyes glowed with excitement.

Mutou-san was an athletic girl with an androgynous short haircut. As usual, her response was based on her traits of rationality and being on top of all the latest gossip.

"By the way, shouldn't we get our club boss over here?"

"Oh—right. President M said she was going to stay at school, waiting for us, instead of evacuating."

"You're referring to the most mysterious woman in the world, right?"

Luna Francois had heard a little about her too.

President M, an eccentric who possessed superpowers completely different from those of witches and magical races. Her presence would definitely be more calming.

"Leave the front line to Harry and company. Let us work behind the scenes to do more preparations. This will be busy."

"Hmm."

Red Hannibal looked up at the moon in the night sky and muttered quietly.

He was currently in human form, a brawny man dressed in a red coat. He was standing alone on the roof of the Empire State Building, one of Old New York's landmarks.

"The other side is making a move at last, huh?"

The human Hannibal grinned.

It was supposed to be noon in Tokyo, but late night in New York. Due to the thirteen-hour time difference between the two, a clear bright moon was hanging high in the night sky.

It was not yet a full moon, which would probably arrive in two or three days.

The moon and its surroundings would be considered a special place for dragonkind.

The random attacks against the Earth's surface by small dragons, Raptors, were known as "dragon strikes." Raptors mostly began their journey from either the Moon's surface or their lair on satellite orbit, then broke through the atmosphere with their own strength, venting their urge for destruction on the cities of the human world...

"Very well. The princess should be capable enough to prevent him—that Tyrannos brat who demanded to strike a deal with me—from getting his way..."

Smiling, Hannibal imagined how the young lad and lass would end up.

Hannibal had lived eons as a dragon king. Whether the Tyrannos or Princess Yukikaze, both were akin to newborn little snakes to him.

How much could they achieve?

With great anticipation, Hannibal watched the night sky.

"O dragonslaying spear, for now, let us bide our time together for the opportunity to arrive."

In addition to the bright moon, there were countless stars in the night sky.

Among them was the seal symbolizing the Rune of the Spear, the tail portion of the constellation known to Earthlings as Ursa Minor.

A long tail with a stationary star at its tip.

Mankind called it the North Star. Dragonkind called it the royal star. Ursa Minor's tail was the "spear shaft" while the North Star was the "spear tip."

"So be it, if the princess defeats the brat. Conversely—suppose he were to demonstrate the ability to subdue the princess... I shall seriously consider making a deal with him."

The strongest dragon king calmly muttered to himself.

Part 3

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Part 4

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