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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 201
Meanwhile, the battle at the Sanctuary was intensifying.
Kugugugugu-
As Cuculli left with the Hero, the Sanctuary began sinking back into the sea.
Consequently, the remaining 500 demonic church members quickly boarded transport ships, just as they finished preparing for battle.
Troops gathered by Yussi and Duke Wellington entered firing range.
Thus, the battle began.
“Fire!”
“Aim for the ‘monster’ they are riding!”
“Do not let them land on the coast!”
The human forces included about twenty ships and two thousand soldiers.
There were also around a hundred knight-class combatants, supported by a considerable number of magicians from the towers.
Considering the rush, both the quantity and quality of the troops were considerable.
Moreover, anticipating a naval battle, Yussi raided Glendor’s warehouse to equip the troops with various long-range artifacts.
Thanks to this, the initial phase of the naval battle seemed heavily in favor of the humans, but…
“Ah, ahh!”
“Retreat!”
The problem was the gigantic demon transport creature ridden by the demon army.
It was powerful enough to throw trained soldiers into a panic with just its presence.
Kugugugugung-
A giant rose against the backdrop of the dark night sea.
So tall that the sea rippled at his waist, despite being close to the coast and shallow waters.
He simply stood up without launching any attacks, yet his movements alone caused waves of such magnitude that they struck the ships forming the encirclement.
A shocking silence fell among the humans watching the approaching giant waves.
“What… what is that?”
“Get a grip! We’ll be swept away at this rate!”
“Shields up!”
“Angle them! Direct impact will be severe!”
If it weren’t for the magicians on board each ship, many ships would have sunk not from actual attacks, but from the force of the waves.
As the tilted barriers diverted the tidal waves, the mana engines of the ships swiftly maneuvered the hulls.
Of course, humans weren’t unaffected.
Suddenly, ships formed a large circular encirclement around the giant, fluttering…
A barrage of red energy struck.
“Fire back!”
“Our firepower is far superior!”
“That one! Despite its size, it’s slow!”
Hundreds of mana cannons were fired simultaneously.
Several hours remained until sunrise.
The beams of light from the cannons, shining like festival fireworks, pierced the darkness and began to run.
Vrrrboom-
Magic bullets traversed the sea like meteors.
Of course, that wasn’t the end of it.
“We’re turning around!”
The powerful mana engines made movements that would be impossible for ordinary ships.
Whoooom-
Engines on one side of the stern operated, and the ship rotated 180 degrees on the spot.
The cannons loaded with mana bombs spewed fire again.
Vrrrboom-
No matter how gigantic the demon, it would have been affected by this onslaught.
Commanders looked beyond the dense smoke with hopeful eyes.
…That was the moment.
Screams of terror erupted simultaneously from the sailors.
Whooooom-
Something pierced through the smoke.
The giant’s enormous hand.
Slow and rugged in its movements, yet unavoidable.
The shadow of death enveloped the fleet.
“Evasive maneuvers!”
“It’s… too late!”
“Gods!”
With the moon and stars obscured by clouds, that approaching hand, closest to them, seized the nearest ship.
Kwajijijik-
The sight of a massive ship being lifted into the air was truly shocking.
It also triggered the primal fear of humans.
“Aaaah!”
Ship debris and humans fell into the sea.
With each crash, the screams faded.
“Oh…”
The faces of the commanders turned black with despair.
‘The compatibility is truly the worst.’
If their forces were composed of a few elites and the Hero, the expressions of despair would have belonged to that sluggish giant and the demon riders over there.
The giant would never have been able to match the movements of the Hero, and he would have been turned into minced meat in no time.
But against multiple forces, there was no greater calamity.
Some veterans who had participated in the Human and Demon War had a suspicion about the identity of that monster.
“That giant… It must be…”
“It seems to be Gamelus.”
“Oh my, why would that cursed monster be in the north…?”
Gamelus.
The so-called twin giants.
It was the decisive weapon of the demon army, consisting of a small giant specialized for land battles and a large one specialized for naval battles.
They overwhelmed the enemy in landing operations, causing many human coastal cities to fall.
“If it really is Gamelus, we have no chance on the sea.”
“But we can’t just retreat to the coast either. We have to consider the small giant. There’s a high chance that turning our backs would result in the ships being torn apart.”
“Damn it…”
The small giant had been slain by the Hero, but they were unaware of it.
Therefore, the commanders had no choice but to make the most appropriate decision in this situation.
“We have no choice but to charge and climb that body. We have to destroy his brain.”
“Organize a special forces unit consisting of knights and magicians.”
“If the special forces can climb onto him, we can create distance and provide long-range support.”
However, even as they discussed strategy, the commanders’ expressions remained firm.
‘How many survivors will there be with this plan?’
They looked at Gamelus, who exuded overwhelming presence, with trembling eyes.
Dealing with just him wouldn’t be enough.
“We also need to deal with the demons.”
Currently, demons incapable of long-range attacks were inside his body, while dozens of other demons stood on his head, raining down spells on them.
It was unimaginable how difficult it would be to eliminate all these obstacles and climb up to his head.
“Perhaps retreating altogether…”
Even that was not a viable option.
The moment they showed weakness, the small giant would launch an attack.
If he leaped among the ships a few times, they would all be sunk.
Even if some of the troops managed to retreat, the Frost Dragon Tribe village would suffer devastating losses.
“…It’s a desperate situation.”
“Retreat…!”
Just as they were about to order the charge with heavy hearts, that exact moment arrived.
Kwuuuuuuu-
All eyes on the battlefield turned to the sky on the other side.
.
.
.
The area on Cuculli’s back was more uncomfortable than expected.
The scales were slippery, the wind was biting, and the temperature was dreadful.
Lastly, Cuculli was… ridiculously fast.
“Uuuaaahhh!”
The children exerted all their strength to avoid falling.
If it weren’t for the protruding spikes and manes scattered throughout, they would have been thrown into the air long ago.
Gerald shouted whale sounds.
“We need to make a saddle when we get back!”
[A great idea, make it a pretty one!]
Karen, with a pale face, added a word.
“No, it’s supposed to be a dragon! Can’t you use magic to block the wind or something?”
[I’m concentrating on flying right now! Please understand!]
Cuculli chuckled awkwardly as she flapped her wings.
Of course, she had inherited the power, knowledge, and more from the Frost Dragon and previous successors through baptism.
The problem was…
‘I haven’t materialized.’
Literally, she only ‘knows’ it.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Therefore, even flying, one of the basic abilities of a dragon, was difficult for her.
The only reason she could move this huge body at all was because of Cuculli’s miraculous neuromuscular system.
[We’re almost there, hold on tight!]
Cuculli folded her wings and accelerated rapidly.
As they passed through the clouds, the coastline near the Frost Dragon Tribe village came into view at a glance.
…And the children couldn’t help but sigh in amazement, forgetting about their motion sickness.
“Wow, what’s that?”
“A giant?”
Even though the distance was still far, that eerie silhouette approached without regard for perspective.
The most gigantic of the monsters the children had seen with their own eyes was Vermoth, encountered in the Forest of Martial Arts.
Compared to that, Gamelus was easily ten times larger, the children were speechless.
Only after seeing the ships at sea and the giant alternately could they gauge the exact size of the monster.
One of the children, who was well-versed in monster encyclopedias, muttered under his breath.
“…It’s Gamelus.”
After the explanation about his weakness being the head, the children pondered how to attack him.
A child who extended his senses quickly briefed them.
“Approximately forty demons are on his head, and hundreds of demons are inside.”
“We shouldn’t use Cuculli’s breath like we did with that monster earlier…”
“No, it’s too risky.”
Flying around and shooting breath won’t be enough.
To freeze and shatter such an area, the breath would have to be poured for at least ten or twenty seconds at close range.
In the meantime, Cuculli and those riding on top of her would be exposed to the demons’ spells.
[Hmm…]
Since she couldn’t think of any sharp ideas right away, Cuculli circled around Gamelus’s head.
In fact, it was already helping.
While the demons were shooting spells at her, the ships began to approach Gamelus more easily.
They focused on narrowing the distance while revealing elite soldier-like appearances.
“…Too reckless.”
In the eyes of the children, who could read the entire situation in the air, it looked no different from a moth flying into a flame.
…That was the moment.
Thud-
Leciel suddenly stood up and rushed toward Cuculli’s horn.
One of the children reached out in astonishment to stop her impulsive action.
But it was too late.
Leciel was already standing prominently on Cuculli’s head.
She balanced herself well between the rushing wind and the shaking ground, but for those watching, it was a moment that sent chills down their spines.
Cuculli spoke with a trembling voice.
[…Leciel?]
Charr-rrrrrrr-
But instead of a response, there was a clear clinking sound echoing.
As a huge mana drained from Leciel’s body, the Shape Shifter she held in her hand began to be enveloped in a bright light.
Charr-rrrrrrr-
The children watched in awe as the transformation unfolded before their eyes.
A weapon capable of changing its form according to its owner’s will expanded endlessly in size, soon reaching dimensions too vast for any human to wield.
“No, surely not…”
Some of the children, guessing her intentions, gasped in amazement.
Leciel tapped Cuculli’s horn with her foot.
Exhausted but with a clear voice that cut through the fierce winds of the Northern Sea, she spoke into everyone’s ears.
“Hey… can it be done?”
Cuculli chuckled cheerfully.
[Didn’t you come up with an unexpectedly fun idea?]
Ting-
Leciel gathered all her remaining mana and strength, then threw the sword into the air.
As she collapsed from exhaustion, she was caught by Ban, who rushed to her side.
With a swoosh, Cuculli’s mouth opened wide and grabbed the handle of the Shape Shifter.
Dragon and human.
But as they had been coordinating for a long time, their teamwork was seamless.
[Grghhh, eeeaaaaah (It’s heavy!)]
Cuculli roared as she spun her body around.
“Hold on tight!”
In that brief moment, the freezing mana gushed from her heart down the blade of the sword.
Zzzzzz-
Thin and sharp ice rushed along the giant blade, making its surface as clear as glass.
The pristine surface covered in ice reflected the moonlight piercing through the clouds, shining beautifully and sharply.
It was a gleam of death.
Flap-
With a flap of her large wings, she propelled herself forward.
Cuculli’s cyan eyes were fixed solely on her destination.
As she flew towards her at a terrifying speed, countless spells from the demons poured towards her.
[I leave those to you!]
“Got it!”
“All right!”
Vrrrrrrrboom-
About half of the spells missed, but the rest were coming directly towards her.
In an instant, arrows shot by Evergreen and Karen, sword strikes by Ban, Luke, and Lucas, and Gerald’s spear thrust countered them.
“We did it!”
“Cuculli, it’s your turn!”
…And then.
[I told you to hold on tight!]
Whirr-
Cuculli’s body twisted as the Shape Shifter’s blade drew a huge circle.
In the dark sky over the Northern Sea, the full moon suddenly appeared for a moment.
With a body mass reaching twenty meters, a sword of unmatched sharpness, and mana as pure as ice.
Kwaaaaang-!
A beautiful and powerful sword strike hit the giant’s neck.
“Geeeee….”
Gamelus stood there for a moment, unaware of what had just happened to him, and then his neck was completely severed, plummeting into the sea.
The demons on top of him were the same.
Some were thrown off by the recent sword strike, spraying black blood as they fell, while others spread their wings and tried to escape.
Some were even preparing to fight back…
Vrrrrrrrboom-
Just then, the cannons of the ships at sea aimed at them.
A loud cry of victory erupted from Cuculli’s back.
“Well done!”
“Wow, that was insane!”
“Who are we?”
“We’re the students of the hero!”
Cuculli also roared with excitement.
[Now, let’s land!]
Kwaaaaah-
Even though Gamelus lost his head, his body stood firm.
Cuculli landed precisely on the severed section, and as her wings folded, she convulsively trembled.
The children naturally looked down at her feet.
Inside the gaping hole.
Hundreds of demons wriggled like ants, trying to crawl out through the exit.
But…
[No way!]
Cuculli’s massive mouth moved faster towards the narrow space.
A frigid breath enveloped them all.
A breath that covered everything in front of it with ice.
The radiant blue light seemed to signify the end of a long and fierce battle.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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