The night passed, and as I ate breakfast, Lyra came to the main camp to report.
Apparently, the dragons had just taken off from Kobaldia and headed south.
The east side of Count Bernstein’s Territory, including Polar, is mountainous, and beyond that is only the sea.
If they are aiming for Feel, they would have to head southwest, so heading south suggests they are aiming for Polar.
“And Lucas, you sent the Scout Order to Float?”
“Yes. We judged it too dangerous to continue after confirming the dragons had taken off.”
“That’s fine. The Scout Order must be exhausted from the extreme tension of their mission, so they should rest leisurely at Float.”
The Scout Order was relieved weekly by someone from the Ancient Order, so they weren’t isolated and helpless in a remote location for extended periods, and they took proper breaks. However, given their location, the tension was undeniable.
Now that the dragons have taken off, the Scout Order’s mission can be considered complete.
There’s a possibility they’ll be dispatched near Kobaldia again, but I agree they should rest now.
“That’s fine for the Scout Order, but the next problem is us.”
“Right. It’s finally the all-out war with Abaricia, or rather, the Demon Race.”
As Faris and Baut say, the coming battle is not just Philia Continent versus Gradia Continent, but humanity versus the Demon Race.
Not all Abarician soldiers are demons, but Abaricia is also the country that created Demon Crystals and is believed to have supplied these Demon Crystals to Retisencia for experiments, so we recognize it as a demon country.
These demons are also viewed as enemies by the gods of the Helios Orb, so this is a battle for the world.
“Yes. We’ll finish the military council quickly as preparations are necessary, but the general plan is the same as last night. We will center our defense around the Wing Crest, with Hunters for each raid and Orders gathering by their respective branches for interception. However, if the Divine Emperor appears, Yamato will hold him back, and Mako will be the main force against the demons and dragons.”
Mako, who has evolved into an Ancient Human by creating Engraving Tools, is the only one besides me who has the potential to contend with the Divine Emperor.
Therefore, if the Divine Emperor were present, she was agonizing over whether to support me or defeat the demons and dragons first.
Ultimately, she chose to prioritize the demons and dragons, relying on Gaia’s premonition, but she still wonders if it was the right choice.
“Understood.”
“Even if they told us to change formations now, I don’t think any good ideas would come up.”
“If there were time, it would be different, but they could appear in just over an hour.”
According to Lyra’s report, the dragons that took off from Kobaldia are slower than Athena and Eos, partly due to their formation.
Still, they fly at Wyvern-like speeds, so it’s estimated they won’t take more than two hours, considering the distance between Kobaldia and Polar.
Of course, this is just an estimate, so it’s not unlikely they could appear in just over an hour, as El said.
“Yes. Everything that needs to be decided has been decided, so the military council will conclude in a few more minutes. After that, please have a meal and prepare to stand by.”
“Understood.”
“She reported right as we were about to eat. I’m hungry, so I’ll eat properly.”
That’s natural.
There’s no time for a long meeting, and we need to eat well to have strength.
Even though we were in the middle of our meal, there are still people who haven’t eaten, so we need to eat well.
We don’t know when they’ll arrive, but with a maximum estimated arrival time of two hours, our tension won’t waver.
Of course, we’ll need to move lightly to loosen up our bodies and minds.
If they don’t pass over Polar, then it’s a different matter, but the Ancient Order will be dispatched for reconnaissance shortly, so even if they change course, we should be able to pursue them.
I’m so glad I learned Traveling.
Also, in case the dragons don’t descend in altitude, Athena and Eos will fully transform and block their path.
Even as Ancient Dragonians, there are only two of them, so dealing with over ten A-rank dragons will be difficult.
Therefore, I will ride Athena, and Mako will ride Eos, and we will potentially strike them down.
“We are dismissed. We don’t have much time, but do not neglect your preparations for interception.”
“Ah, of course.”
“No matter who the enemy is, I have no intention of dying here.”
With demons and dragons as opponents, neglecting preparations could lead to death.
Furthermore, since they are being transported by air by dragons, they will likely be in the sky when they engage us, and there’s a possibility they’ll attack with breath.
With Flying and Scaff, we won’t be completely defenseless, but if they breathe fire, Polar could be annihilated.
In that case, it would be a complete surprise attack, but I don’t think Abaricia would care about that, so we can’t let our guard down.
Considering the enemy, I’m quite tense, but I’ve learned a lot from previous hunts, so I have no intention of acting rashly.
And an hour and a half after the military council ended, the time finally came.
Side: Carol
Within ten minutes of Lucas and Lyra returning from reconnaissance, a group of dragons appeared in the northern sky.
As their figures slowly but surely grew larger, a sense of dread began to rise within me.
However, they are demons, a race that should not exist in the Helios Orb, and evil invaders who aim to conquer the Helios Orb, including the Philia Continent. No matter how terrifying the enemy, retreating is not an option.
“There’s no sign of them descending.”
“Indeed. Will they pass over Polar as they are, or will they attack Polar with their breath? It’s hard to judge.”
“As they get closer, they’ll likely take some action.”
As Yamato, Ludia, and Meena say, it’s difficult to determine the demons’ actions.
The demons stationed in Kobaldia last night, so they should have some information about us, but that doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily act according to our expectations.
“Well then, I’ll transform.”
“Right. Sorry, but I’m counting on you.”
“Understood. Please take care, Eos, though I apologize it’s not Mana-sama.”
“Not at all. I appreciate your concern as well.”
Athena and Eos took flight with Yamato and Mako on their backs.
With two fully transformed Dragonians standing in their way, the demons should at least be wary.
Moreover, Yamato and Mako, two Engravers, are riding them.
“The dragons’ movement… it’s slowed down a bit?”
“Probably. I think they’ll stop.”
“They’re transporting troops; they wouldn’t be foolish enough to engage in aerial combat in that state, would they?”
“That’s right.”
Indeed, the dragons are transporting troop containers, which restricts their movement.
Even Normal Demons are comparable to High Class, so they likely wouldn’t die from the impact of a fall, but the containers wouldn’t survive, so they’d have no choice but to descend.
“It seems they’re coming down.”
“Even if they can withstand the impact of the fall, the containers will be unusable, so it’s natural.”
If the containers are destroyed, returning to Abaricia will be difficult, and troop transport will be hindered.
No, there’s one dragon that shows no sign of descending.
And that dragon isn’t carrying a container?
“Questing. A Burning Dragon? Rank… O-rank!?”
O-rank!?
I recall there was an O-rank dragon called the Blood Ruby Dragon, but there’s another one…
No, Abaricia’s military strength is unknown, and the total number of dragons was supposed to be around twenty. Should we assume the rest, other than the fourteen confirmed A-ranks, are O-rank?
“That seems likely. To us, they are unknown monsters, but for Abaricia, which commands such numbers, they might be common, or perhaps they evolved using Demon Crystals.”
Meena reminded me that Demon Crystals can not only transform humans into demons but also evolve monsters.
Unlike humans, monster evolution takes time, but it has been proven that they can even evolve into Catastrophe Species, and since dragons are also monsters, there’s a strong possibility.
“Ah! They’ve started fighting!”
“And they’re attacking with breath as a preemptive strike, how ruthless!”
While we were talking, a battle had begun in the sky between the two Ancient Dragonians and the Burning Dragon.
It seems someone is riding the Burning Dragon as well, likely a High Class demon, a High Demon. I can see about three figures.
“They’re coming here too.”
As if guided by Ludia’s words, I looked back to the ground. The dragons that landed on the ground are forming a formation centered around the Blood Ruby Dragon, and demons are emerging from the containers one after another.
There are no particularly ornate containers, but with the Blood Ruby Dragon present, they must be here.
“A messenger has arrived. We don’t know how the demons will move, but the one who appears to be the Divine Emperor has not emerged from the container. However, since Lord Yamato Tenshaku and the others are engaged in combat in the sky, we are to focus on defense.”
“Understood.”
Meena, as a representative of the Wing Crest and a newly appointed Jade Knight (an A-rank Order), responded to the messenger Order. With Prim currently pregnant, she is also acting as a proxy for the first wife.
“Focusing on defense means we can’t initiate an attack.”
“Yamato and Mako are in the sky, and they might not observe the etiquette of war.”
“Even if not, the etiquette might differ between the Philia Continent and the Gradia Continent.”
“That’s possible, so Brother probably won’t go forward either.”
Normally, before a battle, the representative of the army would call out in the center, and the battle would begin after both sides returned to their positions.
However, this time with an army from another continent, Gradia Continent, and especially facing demons, there’s a possibility the etiquette differs, as Raus mentioned. Therefore, the Grand Order’s Master might not be able to come forward this time.
Ah, but Lord Rex, accompanied by his wife Lady Rosemary, Lady Muse, and Saya, is attempting to advance.
“Are you planning to go forward?”
“Perhaps they judged that all four, being Ancient Class, can handle some rough exchanges.”
“Brother…”
It is true that High Demons are said to possess magic power comparable to Ancient Class, but their combat prowess is reportedly slightly inferior.
The number of High Demons is unknown, but if we are caught off guard, we won’t stand idly by, so perhaps they have decided to advance with their wives despite the risks.
As if responding, five individuals also emerged from the demon side.
The battle between the Ancient Dragonians and the Burning Dragon continues in the sky, so a fight will likely begin soon.
This crucial battle, which will determine the fate of not only the Philia Continent but the entire Helios Orb, is one we absolutely cannot lose.
And as if to signal the start of the battle, three breaths of fire crossed in the sky.
