The three adventurers continued their journey with a common destination in mind. The trip became silent a few hours after the encounter with an agitated Mandragora who was only minding her business in her slumber. Alice occasionally mocked the fake hero's recklessness while they were walking but it eventually came to a halt.
It was a comforting silence for the group. No one was talking about anything and there really wasn't anything to talk about. The curious lamia did have a few remarks she had in her mind but looking back to the man trailing behind her, it didn't feel like he was in the mood to talk. He recently was almost just got molested by a monster and given his bad background around them, she could understand if he felt traumatized by the incident.
The man in question, Valon Wakers, wasn't as open as the fake hero in terms of behavioral expression. All he ever did in their trip was think and stick to his mind like that's all he could ever do. She acknowledged that he was probably just worried about his sibling but she had this strange feeling that there was something more to his thoughts than what he was letting on.
Her first impression of the man was just some ordinary guy who had the innate fear of monsters, which was proven from the reactions he had from the slug girl, the Mandragora, and herself. There was also the encounter of a slime girl that he heard from Luka yesterday, which also proved that the man had no experience in combat.
Earlier, she was keenly observing the commotion that happened between the two men and the Mandragora. She was already expecting Luka to do something reckless and stupid like she knew he would and she was right. He pulled the distinctive-looking plant that was oddly placed in the middle of the road and suffered the consequences of his action. Valon seemed to be too distracted in his thoughts to know what was going on and paid the price by unintentionally getting himself involved in the fake hero's mess.
He claimed that he wasn't a fighter yesterday. He was paralyzed under the effects of the monster's piercing screech and he couldn't do anything to break free from the status effect. He was able to encourage Luka as he fought his own battle against the paralysis which only seemed to work when the Mandragora started going for Valon.
She would lie if she said that she wasn't in the least bit impressed by how the young boy broke out relatively quickly from the paralysis. She was aware of how powerful and obstructive a Mandragora's scream was and their lethal side effects on weak humans but Luka was able to break free from it in a short time.
In Valon's case, he resorted to something that he could do at that moment—tell Luka what to do. He did the same thing while Luka was fighting the slug girl when he told him that he had something he could use against the monster. And with the Mandragora, he figured that he should help Luka fight the paralysis with words of encouragement. It seemed that even if Valon wasn't a capable combatant and was afraid of monsters, he was still willing to help, albeit in an ineffective way.
His words only helped Luka a bit and he somehow insulted the Mandragora in the process, although she knew that he probably didn't mean to which somewhat made it hilarious. His action led to the Mandragora being mad at him and proceeded to violate him instead.
Alice did feel slightly bad that someone who was scared of monsters was about to be raped by one. The experience might also change his perspective of monsters completely as she remembered that the man wasn't generally against the idea of man and monster coexistence. He wasn't just completely used around them and she could understand the possible reasoning behind his fear.
Fortunately, Luka was able to fend off the Mandragora and drive her away. He immediately turned to help Valon and was slightly surprised that he wasn't upset at him. She was expecting him to be mad or to show a slight gesture of anger but he was probably the same as Luka in that regard where he didn't seem to be the type of person to emphasize one's negative actions and instead focus on the good they did.
After the whole debacle, she decided to show up to them and used that opportunity to mock the fake hero's recklessness, and funny enough, she didn't expect him to relent so easily. But her amusement didn't last long as the moment she turned to check on Valon, it was safe to say that the incident bothered him to a high degree.
She couldn't exactly blame him. He wasn't molested as badly as Luka did but his aftermath expression looked like he'd been to hell and back. But what really surprised her was how he was able to shrug off his traumatic expression quickly. With everything that just happened to him, she expected him to be distant or show signs of wariness around her because she was a monster, but after giving a few glances at him while they continued their journey, he looked fine.
He wore the same focused expression whenever he was in his mental world as if nothing bad even happened to him. She wasn't completely sure, however, if he was just trying to look tough, especially around her, or if he wasn't feeling more troubled than she thought he would be.
And now she was trying to evaluate him in her own thoughts. She could understand why he was risking his life on this trip and she surmised that he was purposely trying to act tough in front of her and to Luka, which would explain that one of the reasons why he spent most of his time in his mind a lot was to distract himself from what was happening in front of him. His overall showcase of disposition was someone who was trying to stay strong despite the dangers around him and she could understand that to some degree.
It did appear stupid on his part that the man didn't do any sort of preparation for the journey considering he still held some fear and noticeable discomfort around monsters and going on a trip around the world to look for someone will no doubt expose him to the elements. He lacked any form of combat skills and he was practically risking his life wherever he dared to go.
At least Luka is brave enough to fight and even with his awful sword techniques, he still has at least something to use for fighting and he has a little bit of combat experience. And surprisingly, that idiot learns relatively quick for someone who seemed like he only picked up a sword a few days ago.
It's a noble goal on Valon's part to find his brother but it was stupid not to carefully consider the risks and the things that he was going up against. And if he didn't try to hone at least something that can help him defend himself, he probably won't even last in Sentora.
A liability.
One word to describe the man from everything that the lamia observed so far. He'd be completely dependent on them, especially on Luka, but there were bound to have chances that Luka might not even be able to help him. Alice momentarily glanced at the man who still seemed to be deep in his thoughts. She gave a soft sigh and proceeded in her own mental reality.
It wasn't that she cared about him, but it wouldn't be pleasant if something bad happened to him that would ultimately make him fail in his search. She completely sympathized with him about his bond with his family member, and his objective was more justified and attainable than Luka's, as of now. But between him and Luka, she knew the latter more than the former.
She was starting to understand Luka as a person and even predict his behavior if she was able to properly discern his traits enough. Even if they all just met recently and there were still some details that they don't know about each other, Luka was overly open in expressing himself and he isn't afraid to show who he was to anyone, be it man or monster.
His quick learning ability did surprise her a bit as learning a Cursed Sword technique normally took a long time to learn, even from individuals who were already experienced with a blade. But Luka, who threw salt to a slug girl because his sword wasn't doing anything to the monster, was able to hastily grasp the fundamentals of the technique. His executions weren't perfect but one could mistakenly claim that he had some experience performing them.
But Valon was different. Besides spacing out, he didn't really do anything significant in their trip so far. She didn't want to just flatly tell him that he was useless, not only would it be rude but she'd be a hypocrite because she didn't plan on directly helping the fake hero either.
But at least she did help in training Luka and she already planned to train him more if he survived long enough in their journey to learn more of the aforementioned technique. She could perfectly understand Valon's position, however, considering that he was only tagging along to search for his missing sibling and that he did have reasons why he wouldn't help, besides the fact that he was scared of monsters.
And knowing Luka, he wouldn't really mind the lack of support from someone who was incapable. Although, he did help him from his encounter with the slug girl, albeit in a dumb way. And he also encouraged Luka to break free from the Mandragora's paralysis—but that was all he did.
His acts only revealed that despite not being able to help effectively, he was still willing to lend a hand somehow, specifically in ways that he was only capable of doing. His disposition in helping is good but it lacked action and courage to do more. And ironically, he might put himself in more danger even if he was playing safe in offering support.
Overall, even with strenuous efforts, the best offer Valon could give was moral support. He wasn't pragmatically helpful but he tries to be. But it was still too early to judge, and it wasn't that she knew anything about him that much to know how he would normally act or respond to something.
Valon didn't appear to be revealing his character to a degree and Alice wasn't actively asking him to tell him more about himself either. She would do it soon but she'd save it for when they were in Iliasburg. Countless thoughts of the Ama-Ama Dango were distracting her and her stomach could no longer wait to taste the sweet delicacy.
Meanwhile, Valon's thoughts were once again roaming to who-knows-where. He was first contemplating on when to use the new device that he built but he stopped when he remembered one particularly important element in this world—Critical Ecstasy.
From what I remembered, Critical Ecstasy is sort of like a concept or a phenomenon that happens whenever a man ejaculates while a monster is violating him. The pleasure mixes with the strange feeling of sudden weakness which makes one completely powerless and they lose the ability to fight back. I don't remember what NPC stated something about this concept, I think it was that one knight in Ilias Village. But basically, it means that you would no longer be able to do anything and the monster would just happily have her way with you. It's one messed up phenomenon but what would I expect from a degenerate eroge game such as this?
The worse part is, no matter what level Luka is, he'd still be vulnerable to Critical Ecstasy even if he was being molested by a monster whose level is way lower than him. Now if somehow I were to... fall victim to a monster and they uhh... rape me... would it apply to me too? I don't remember much but there were some people from the wiki that stated that Critical Ecstasy is like an event where if a man ejaculates, that process would basically be a gateway for the monster's dark energy to seep through the man. And then that dark energy... I think corrupts... the man that then makes him weak and unable to fight back... I could be wrong but that's what I remembered.
But if we apply that concept then it's that dark energy from the monster mixed with the pleasure from the molestation that ultimately makes the man weak. And if we apply Ilias's creation, it would make sense because Ilias is made of holy energy and she most likely used the same energy to mold humanity in her image using the primitive beings that already exist in this world as blueprints. And since holy and dark are polar opposites, it would be reasonable to assume that the dark energy does indeed corrupt the holy energy from the molested human and make him succumb to the pleasure.
But since I'm not made from holy energy, or at least I don't think so unless I have some fragments now that I'm on this world, would Critical Ecstasy work on me? Surely, I would still be able to do something once I'm bound...
Valon felt an electrocuting pain in his head after hearing an audible laughing sound from within his mind. He didn't know why he felt that pain but it made him instinctively discard his imminent thought about his previous statement.
That freaking hurts... where was I? Oh yeah, the whole Critical Ecstasy thing. So back to that issue, it wouldn't work on me, right? Unless I'm already tainted with whatever nigh omnipresent force that exists in this world by simply being here that would make me vulnerable to Critical Ecstasy. Whatever that is though, I have no proof about it nor would I know anything about its existence considering the game never mentioned anything related to it. Unless there was and the information about it is no longer searchable on the internet or I have to look someplace else for more information on the matter. But how the hell would I have known that I'll end up here anyway?
Tch... I know so less about this place than I thought. And now there's new foreign stuff that I don't know about like that cloaked figure that I don't even remember ever appearing from the original game. And my very own inclusion in the place invites new conflicts about the existing concepts in this world. Like how would my body even react to magic or am I capable of casting spells in this world even if I'm not from around here? Do the physical laws of the universe apply the same to me even if I'm from another world? So far though, gravity seems to work just fine and I don't think I'm breathing some unknown particles in the air, at least nothing that is recognizable by my M.A.D, and of course, whether I'm affected by Critical Ecstasy. I sure hope I don't. But I won't really know unless I—AGH!
Valon felt another similarly agonizing pain in his head that lasted a few seconds. He placed his hand on his forehead instinctively before noticing that their lamia companion no longer had a tail. She was walking on two legs and gone was her purplish skin tone. He could also see the looming city from the horizon. This was it, they were finally approaching Iliasburg. All three of them have different looks and expressions on their faces.
Alice was excited as she was about to experience being in a foreign human city and best of all, she'd be able to eat one of the city's finest delicacies—the Ama-Ama Dango.
Luka was also excited but not as overly thrilled as Alice. He also wanted to visit the city to see what it was now like and how the people were doing. He would also be able to buy goods for the trip and he and his companions would possibly rest in a cozy inn if they could afford it.
Valon was obviously terrified from entering Iliasburg. He knew exactly what was currently happening in the city and who they were about to encounter, and it was safe to say that the technician wasn't happy about who that individual was. Not that he didn't like the character but it was precisely who it was that made him nervous.
What he was slightly surprised about was that the city looked normal on the outside. Normally if a city was under siege, there'd be sounds of screaming and there'd be fire everywhere. But he knew what Granberia was like so he understood why the city looked fairly normal from where he was looking.
Let's hope this plays out like how it did in the game.
With reckless abandon, Valon followed the duo in the city. Entering the imposing metropolis, they were instantly greeted by the numerous buildings and varying structures all around the area. Their slight fascination didn't last long as they felt a tense feeling in the air. The city was completely devoid of people and the houses had wooden planks barricaded in their windows and doors.
"What the... why does the city look so strange?"
Luka was the first to react as he continued to look around the oddities present around the city.
"What's going on?!" the fake hero exclaimed as he rushed towards the city plaza without warning.
"Luka, wait!" Valon called out to the boy but he was already too far to reach out to.
The technician immediately noticed the lack of presence from their lamia companion and he was debating with himself whether he should follow Luka or not. Even if Valon tried to calm himself with numerous breathing exercises that he briefly performed before entering the city, he still felt incredibly uneasy.
Entering the city itself felt way different than just looking at it over the distance or basing one's expectation on a video game. This was happening in real life and he was in the city right there and then.
Okay... I need to calm down...
Valon tried his best to stabilize his composure as he started to develop a plan in his mind.
Okay, think... what's the best course of action here? And I need to think of something fast.
To start, should I even follow Luka? I'm aware that I most likely won't be at risk if I follow him to the plaza considering he'd be hiding from the commotion while Granberia takes care of the soldiers. But if Luka decided to fight Granberia as I know he will, what would I do then?
Would I just watch Luka from a distance? Even by considering that I won't directly interfere to help Luka out, I literally won't be able to help him in any way, even with proper equipment. If she fights well like she was described from the game, I'd basically be as helpless as Luka would be. And there really wouldn't be a solution in resolving the conflict by ourselves simply because of how powerful Granberia is and how weak Luka is, especially since this is early-game Luka.
But I mean... Alice would help him like how she did in the game, right? I can practically just let everything play out without doing anything. I can just tell them afterwards that I was frozen in fear and that I didn't what to help or I didn't know how to help Luka, considering that they think that I'm uncomfortable around monsters and seeing a powerful one right before my eyes would be too much for me.
Although, I genuinely do feel scared but not entirely because of how powerful Granberia is. But back at the first idea, I can just observe Luka from afar and wait for Alice to save him from Granberia, and then everything will be alright. I'll show up afterwards and just apologize that I was too scared to help, they'll surely understand that, right?
Or should I just hide far away from the commotion? I mean I can also just tell my companions that I saw Granberia and decided to hide somewhere as far away as possible. They wouldn't probably mind the unnecessary extensive display of fear coming from me since this is a powerful Heavenly Knight that has an impressive fighting record in the game.
It would still technically give the same result as the first idea but with added security because hiding somewhere far away from the plaza would guarantee safety from encountering the dragon and be spared from the possible collateral damage that might take place when Luka and Granberia decide to clash.
Valon was at a crossroads. He was contemplating whether he should follow Luka or hide somewhere else for guaranteed safety. The former option held the risk of encounter as well as unintentionally interfering which was something that he absolutely did not want. Apart from the literal main protagonists of the game, he had already exposed himself to a few minor characters such as the NPCs back at Ilias Village.
And the major characters such as the Heavenly Knights and the Four Spirits were something he didn't want to deal with. He knew that he was bound to meet them and even interact with them but Valon wanted to avoid encountering them early in the story. He was already traveling with the two main characters of the game, he didn't need any more involvement.
He also didn't want more of the major characters to take interest in him, whether in a good way or in a bad way. Even if he already knew that he was already a part of the hero's progress in their journey and that unintentionally he was making changes himself, he wanted to minimize his interaction in the overall development of the game's plot.
But what if something unexpected happens to Luka? As much as I want to let things happen like how they did in the game, it's getting more difficult to believe whether this is still in a video game environment or not. But even if it wasn't though, what would happen to Luka's journey if it deviated from what it was supposed to be?
Luka appears to make his own decisions and he doesn't look like that he's being controlled by a player and Granberia wouldn't probably be programmed to just act and say the same things she said from the game. And now that I think about it, I'm the one who's unconsciously making Luka do what he was supposed to do like flailing his sword wildly when he was being harassed by the slime girl and when I told him to throw salt at the slug girl.
Even if there was a possibility that Luka may have thought about doing those things, I was the one who told him to do it. Which would create a diminutive probability that Luka does indeed act noticeably different from his video-game counterpart. And if Luka is like that, so does everybody else in this world.
I know Granberia isn't the type of person to kill someone, or maybe she is? Gah... I don't know! In the first place, I shouldn't even care what happens to Luka. He has his own quest to fulfill for himself and I'm just simply tagging along. His well-being isn't my responsibility and I'm not even from this world.
Before he could think of anything else, he heard a loud scream from the distance. The scream was loud enough for him to hear and it came from where Luka had gone off to. His fear increased but he felt slightly relieved when he was able to discern the sudden yell. The groan was too low-pitched for it to originate from the young hero, so he assumed that it came from one of the soldiers who were fighting Granberia. But Valon suddenly felt concerned for Luka.
Logically, Valon had no reasons to be concerned with Luka nor would he have a reason to help him that wouldn't benefit him in return. He wasn't a close relative or a friend that he deeply cared about and he certainly wasn't the reason why Valon was in this world. But his conscience was doing a good job beating him on the inside.
He knew that it wouldn't let him live another day if he was the reason behind someone's misfortune and that he had the ability to help but neglected to do so. It didn't mean that he would need to directly interfere, but his inner voice was convincing him to at least monitor this world's heroic companion.
Me and my dumb morals... of course...
Valon sighed in exasperation at what he was about to get himself into as he rushed towards the city plaza. It didn't take him long to find the place and to find who he was looking for. He saw Luka fearfully hiding behind a tree on the side of the road as he keenly observed the one-sided battle between the dragon swordswoman and the Iliasburg soldiers.
Valon also saw the ruckus right in front of him and he instantly hid behind a cart that was opposite of where Luka was. The frightened hero felt slightly relieved when he saw one of his companions near him.
"Valon, you're here!" Luka silently mouthed his statement as he was a few feet away and he didn't want to move from his spot. "What should we do though?"
Valon was able to discern what the boy said but he only shrugged in fear.
"Where's Alice? Do you know where she went?"
"No, I don't..."
Their silent conversation was interrupted by another loud yell. They went to look back at the commotion and saw one of the three remaining soldiers incapacitated on the ground. They noticed that the dragon's sword was bursting in flames before she disappeared out of sight.
Before the second soldier was able to register where she went, the dragon struck him from behind, making him collapse to the ground. The sight before them made both Luka and Valon more terrified than they already were.
Just seeing her in action over there right before my very eyes... this feels so unreal... and how she moves that fast... hmm...
Seeing the dragon fight the soldiers without breaking a sweat made Valon shiver furiously in fear. In his three years in the extraction team, none of the Aresians he attempted to fight back in his world could compare to what Granberia could do. She was adept in both swordsmanship and physical combat.
Valon would argue that the Aresians were also superior in terms of physical strength and endurance and that they would probably rival Granberia in speed, or maybe they were even faster. But the dragon had one advantage among the space aliens that really recognized her as a huge threat—intelligence.
He knew that Granberia trained for a long time to be as good as she was now. She wasn't intelligent per se, but she was sentient to know what to do and decide things for herself, not acting purely on instinct. She could adapt, learn new things, and further improve and hone her combat skills. She wasn't known as someone to be in the high-intelligence value like Tamamo but he knew that Granberia wasn't stupid.
And just with that idea of sentience alone, Valon knew that it would be downright foolish to challenge her to a fight. He took a peek from his hiding spot as he continued to observe the battle and saw that there was only one soldier who was still standing, although he was shaking vigorously in fear.
"Well then... what are you going to do?" Granberia turned towards the last soldier.
And even hearing her talk is so weird! This is just... too unbelievable! I mean hearing Alice's voice also felt weird the first time I heard it but hearing a voice coming from another important character from the game... it's just... mind-blowing...
"Ahhhhh!" the soldier screamed as he ran away from the dragon.
"Hmph... smart. But in the future, you can't call yourself a soldier or even a hero."
Valon quickly stopped peeking as to not risk being seen.
Okay, now what the hell am I supposed to do? She's literally just right over there calling for someone to challenge her or else she'd take over the city. I obviously won't deal with her—that'd be suicide. But I know Luka will.
Valon glanced at Luka who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
He's most likely thinking if he should go out there and be a hero or not; the dude's way braver than I could ever be. But do I really just let Luka do it on his own? I mean, I know that he knows that I'm still scared of monsters and I really am right now. But I'm more scared of what might happen if I get myself involved in their upcoming fight.
And could I stop the fight? If I could somehow stop the fight, it will provide the best outcome for everyone because no one will get hurt. That would require me to do something which would mean I would have to interfere but I don't think I can even stop the battle if I wanted to.
Either I convince Luka to not charge in or somehow find a way for Granberia to leave, which would be impossible. From what I remembered, Granberia wanted to take control of the city as a step to stop heroes from being 'made.'
And by 'made' I think it means that men who get baptized have the privilege to become heroes, and Granberia wants to stop that. I think she views 'heroes' as evil or something. Anyways, it's safe to assume that she's as determined to take control over this city as Luka is in helping the people and save this city from her.
Making Granberia leave would be impossible so that leaves me the option of convincing Luka not to fight her, but that would also be incredibly stupid. Not only would that drastically change the storyline as opposed to what Luka should do, but Iliasburg would also now then be under Granberia's control.
Luka would never let that happen and I can only imagine what Alice would think. And then absolute anarchy will ensue because the storyline has now changed and there would be no way for me to stop whatever unintended consequences that would take place.
"Is that it?!" Granberia's voice echoed throughout the entire city. "Having your city taken over by a monster... there's no complaints!?"
Valon heard the dragon's booming declaration but he remained where he was and continued to formulate a plan in his head.
Then if I can't stop the fight then I would just let the fight happen. That's what was intended in the game anyway and Alice would help him in the end. At least that's what I want to think but what if something else happened? What if something unexpected took place? I can never be too sure now if all the recent events regarding me offering support to Luka would be of any indication.
If I want the storyline to progress as intended, would I need to indirectly help Luka again? Would I need to... I don't know... tell Luka what to do? But how would I even do that? And how the hell would I even help him in the first place without me unintentionally calling the dragon's attention?
If she saw me helping Luka or telling him what to do, then she'll obviously deal with me. And if I consider helping from the sidelines by... possibly distracting her while I try my best to hide, then she'll notice that there's someone else besides Luka that's fighting her. She's not stupid not to realize that and then I'd get myself beaten up. Worst case scenario is if I help Luka fight, then he and Alice might get suspicious of me suddenly getting involved with Luka's battles against monsters.
And then Granberia would surely take notice of me and possibly recognize me as some warrior worthy of her attention or something. I doubt she'd see me worthy though but that wouldn't stop her from acknowledging me as a potential threat, considering I took a stand to fight her, which also isn't something that I want to happen.
As much as it is too late for me, I don't want to grab any of the major characters' attention. I don't want them to put me on their watchlist or something or be recognized as someone significant like Luka is going to be once he starts to fight like an experienced warrior.
"H-hold it!"
Valon's thoughts were interrupted as he turned to look for the source of the voice. He widened his eyes when he saw Luka approaching the Heavenly Knight who was menacingly standing in the city plaza. On instinct, Valon tried to call out to him through whispering in hopes to get his attention, but it was a futile attempt.
He wasn't sure whether he should just let Luka do what he was supposed to do because of the magnitude of risks that would make things go differently. He also didn't want to be seen by the dragon so he remained in his hiding spot.
Damn it, Luka's already shown himself! Crap, crap, crap... I honestly don't know why I'm panicking this much but do I really just stay hidden here whilst he goes confront one of the most powerful monsters in the game by himself? I don't care how much of a coward I am right now but I don't know... I just feel like there's something that could go wrong! Then once that happens, a chain reaction of bad things will ensue and I don't know if I could even deal with whatever the hell the outcome is... grrr... think Valon, think!
As Valon continued to plan in his head, he took a peek from his hiding spot to see what was going on. He could see Luka shaking like a leaf as he tried to grab his sword from his scabbard.
"O-of course not!" he heard Luka declare, albeit hesitantly. "Even s-someone like me i-is a w-w-warrior!"
"I understand..." Granberia answered as she held up her massive blade. "Well then... the fire swordswoman Granberia shall be your opponent!"
Crap, they're really going to fight now and I'm just hiding here like an idiot who would let a young boy die because he was too scared to help, but how do I even help?! It's not just about fighting Granberia but it's also about me interfering and changing things. Do I really just let this happen and just wait for Alice to come and save Luka?
I mean, if I can remember... umm... Luka wouldn't really be hurt right? I mean, my HP did go really low in a single hit but that was after she saw me, or rather, Luka, performing the Demon Decapitation and she was curious as to how and why he knew a Cursed Sword technique—which is something that monster fighters use.
Valon contemplated as he continued observing the scene before him.
"Now, give me your best shot!"
"Take this!" Luka replied, pulling his sword as he charged towards the dragon with all his strength.
Faster than anyone could see, the Heavenly Knight disappeared out of sight. Through his blind charge, the boy failed to notice the slightly elevated ledge, making him trip and fall on his back to the ground.
Wait, did he trip like that back in the game?
He saw Luka standing up before witnessing what seemed to be an incredibly fast teleportation from Granberia as she stepped on the boy's groin. Discarding the odd gesture from the dragon, the technician was able to discern an important detail that he had in his mind a few moments ago while he was observing the soldiers fight Granberia. He wasn't as observant as he was before but now he was fully paying attention to the fight as he wanted to know how to help Luka or to see how he was faring against her.
As I suspected from earlier... I'm aware that she can actually teleport but she doesn't use it as much. Theoretically, if she can do that as much as she wanted, there'd be no way for us to physically hit her from the game.
Unless it consumes a lot of her energy, which is also a valid reason, she could practically just abuse her teleportation abilities if she never wanted to get hit. From the game, she could teleport to far distances to different places, which without a doubt is something that she did to get here in Iliasburg.
But the way she just appeared behind that soldier from before and now, behind Luka, she just moves so fast that it looks like a blur... kinda like some of those Dragon Ball crap that Allen used to tell me about. The most reasonable conclusion I can deduce is that maybe using teleportation consumes a lot of her energy or mana if she can do magic, which is something I'm not really sure about.
And then obviously, she would want to save as much energy as she can whenever she decides to go to battle. I would argue that she's probably just holding back and she's not exerting much effort because she doesn't necessarily need to considering she probably already knew that she could take out these soldiers and Luka over there with relative ease. Going overkill against a weak opponent would go against her character so I can definitely see why she's barely trying.
But if she could abuse her teleportation, even if Luka does master the four spirits, he still wouldn't guarantee to hit her. If she just kept teleporting and disappearing in their final battle in the Monster Lord's castle, Luka would still have a hard time landing a strike on her. Unless Luka's speed matches with how fast she could teleport when he finally reaches the peak speed he could get from Sylph and maybe Undine's peak Serene Mind also helps him where to hit.
Tch... I don't freaking know! I don't actually see how the fight goes in the game. The game just describes what happens with words and doesn't actually show the movements in the fight scenes! But I can verify with my own eyes that she didn't teleport over there. She's just undeniably fast—wait, what's Luka doing now?
It wasn't too visible but Valon had his eyes locked on to the ongoing battle. He could see Luka's slight change in demeanor and how he was looking at the dragon with an odd sense of determination in his eyes.
Wait, is he going to use Demon Decapitation... or... oh no... if he used Flail Wildly, he'll lose! Crap! What do I do? How would I know that he won't use the wrong move? Do I... tell him from here? But that's stupid... an incredibly foolish and stupid idea! What do I...
He wasn't able to finish his train of thought when he heard Luka's battle cry. He saw the young hero jump forward with his foot as he positioned his iron blade horizontally, aiming for his opponent's neck. It lacked grace but he performed the technique decently. However, the Heavenly Knight was too fast for the boy as she quickly dodged the attack.
Valon felt surprised and relieved at the same time. He was genuinely impressed by the way Luka moved and perform the technique, almost as if he was being carried by the moment, his combat prowess truly shined and created the genesis of him being recognized as a true warrior.
And he was relieved to know that he was able to use Demon Decapitation. He finally did something by himself without Valon telling him what to do and he was now following the game's intended storyline. It would be absolute anarchy for both parties if Luka performed 'Flail Wildly' with his sword.
Thank god, he used Demon Decapitation. Not that I doubted him, okay maybe I did for a little bit, but it would be really bad if he didn't use the skill that he learned from Alice last night.
Valon was pondering in his mind as he continued to observe. He didn't want to be complacent as he still thought that something else might happen that he wouldn't expect. He did feel slightly relaxed due to the things that happened but he remained vigilant, closely keeping an eye out on the two combatants.
He was also thankful that he didn't have to interfere and because of Luka's decision to use the correct move, he could even feel that he no longer needed to intervene directly, but he wanted to make sure that nothing was out of the ordinary that would suddenly present itself.
He then heard Granberia interrogating Luka about his unexpected knowledge of a monster's sword technique. Luka replied that he didn't want to tell her who taught him the technique. What Valon didn't expect was that Granberia was suddenly looking around her surroundings until her eyes landed on his hiding spot. Valon inwardly panicked as he quickly put his head down behind the cart.
Crap! Did she see me? Why was she looking around?
"Hmmm... I think I might know who it is."
Wait, she couldn't possibly be talking about me, there's just no way! I'm not even a monster! But still... did she really see me hiding here? If she did then I'm screwed! She would find out that Luka's not alone and that she'll think that I'm probably helping him in some way! WHAT DO I DO?!
I feel unsafe here now and if I peek from this spot again, then I'll be running the risk of being seen again if she really didn't see me here... but I don't know, I'm not sure! I have to see what will happen to Luka but... wait... maybe I can just listen from here? Sure, I wouldn't see exactly what's going on but I can get some hints based on what I hear...
Valon then heard a groan of pain coming from the plaza. He knew what had happened just from the sound and he wanted to take a look but his fear wouldn't let him.
Why is it so hard to think of something? I really want to just let everything play out because now, everything has been like the canon up to this point, and I didn't even have to help Luka with what to do. And I honestly don't care if Alice calls me out for being too much of a coward for not helping Luka and instead just watch him from afar get beaten up.
But... ughh... this feels so wrong and not at the same time! I don't want to intervene anytime soon, especially not during the time when I would really create a huge impact on how things will go!
"I s-still... w-won't s-s-say..."
Valon could hear the fatigue from the young hero's voice. He could make out the slight fear and hesitation in the boy's tone—not that he could blame him.
"Is that so?"
Valon suddenly felt the abrupt pain that was pulsing in his chest as the words that the dragon stated raised a lot of alarm bells within him. He braced himself as he took a peek from his hiding spot, widening his eyes when he saw what was going on.
"I don't like using my sword on the weak... but..."
The dragon raised her sword up high. Valon could only stare in shock and fear as he received the hint of what the dragon was about to do. Time seemed to slow down around him as he was trying his best to process the scene before him.
No... no... no... no, no, no, NO! Is... is she... r-really going to? She's... she's... NO! D-did this happen from the game?
Valon's mind was in chaos, countless incomprehensible thoughts perpetually bombard his head.
H-how could I forget? This... did happen! From the game! She was actually going to...
Valon could see the sharp end of Granberia's blade sparkling in the setting sun, its blinding luster deceiving those from the beauty that hides the dark intent lurking from the depths below. He could see the dragon slowly lowering her weapon on the weak and defenseless boy as if everything was happening in slow motion.
No! I can't let this happen! This can't happen! I mean... she wouldn't, would she? She's a proud warrior who never raises her sword on the weak, right? She wouldn't do this!
No, what if she's using this to bait me? What if she wants me to come out like she's only doing this because she knew I was hiding and she wants to meet with the person who trained Luka? But surely, she knows that I'm not a monster and that it would be impossible for me to train someone about a monster's technique, right? But what do I do? Can I do something? Or should I even do anything?
W-wait! That's right! Alice is going to save him! Yeah, of course, how could I forget about that as well? This really did happen from the game. Before Granberia fully lowers her sword, Alice would suddenly appear in front of them and stop Granberia. Yeah, that's it! I just gotta wait for Alice!
The sword was slowly lowering on Luka but there were no signs of Alice.
Shouldn't she be here right now? Where even is she? She's observing all of this, right? Right? She's supposed to... save him... right?
Time still felt as if it was slowing down but in Valon's perspective, he didn't have a lot of time left. He wanted to let things just happen as they should but he instantly regretted his inaction. Alice was nowhere to be found and Granberia didn't seem to be stopping what she was doing. Valon quickly contemplated about his previous argument if she really was baiting him, until Valon saw something.
His eyes landed on Luka, and seeing his current facial expression filled him with guilt—he was looking at his hiding spot. He had great fear in his eyes and he was silently calling for help. He seemed to be too scared to scream and could only look at his companion who met his eyes. Through the boy's face, the technician could only see the look of utter shame and regret.
Valon didn't know what to do. He wanted to shout at Luka to just get out of there but he couldn't. He wanted to run over there and rescue Luka but he couldn't. He wanted to help the poor boy who only wanted to make a difference in the world but he couldn't.
He felt completely ashamed of himself for not being able to do anything because he too was afraid. His fear was stopping him from moving. His fear of the possible outcomes of interference prevented him to act. His fear for his own life was making it difficult to do anything. But none of his fears could compare to what he saw moments after.
There in the fires, he could see a faint image of his younger brother who was on the ground injured. The boy in pain was also looking at him, silently asking for his help. Beside the boy stood a large alien-like creature.
It was a tall entity with a pair of demon-like wings, spines running across its body, sharp claws, and a tail that had an end that looked like a war club. The adult Aresian was slowly approaching the helpless boy, its slim legs stomping on the ash-filled ground. The boy could only stare at his incoming demise as he tried to stand up, but he was too petrified in fear to move.
The image in Valon's mind was faint but he could see that image even if he was staring at a totally different scenario. Then when he looked at Luka, he could see his own brother wearing the same fearful and helpless expression. He didn't know why he saw his own brother as Luka or vice versa but when he saw the same terrifying alien through Granberia, the sight ultimately broke him.
Fear.
That was actually an understatement to what Luka was feeling. The moment he saw the state of the city, he knew something was wrong. The oppressive atmosphere was slightly suffocating and he needed to know why the ambiance around him was unwelcoming.
He ran around the city until he was able to hear some sounds coming from the city plaza and once he reached the place, he could feel his legs tremble in terror. He quickly hid behind a tree at the side of the road and peeked at the ongoing commotion.
There in the plaza, he saw something that he never thought he'd see in his life. A female dragon, wearing a suit of armor and a majestic purple cape. Right beside her was a massive blade that could instill fear among the mightiest of men.
Opposite from where the monster swordswoman stood were three soldiers who looked worse for wear. They looked tired and exhausted as they all held their weapons against the dragon. One of the soldiers, however, was visibly shaking in fear as he struggled to hold his sword properly.
The young hero could also see dozens of strong-looking soldiers scattered all around the plaza, incapacitated on the ground. The very implication of the dragon being able to deal with the city guards by herself made the hero even more uncomfortable. Upon looking at the monster's distinctive features once again, Luka was able to recognize her identity.
That monster... she couldn't be... one of the Four Heavenly Knights, Granberia! Why would such a powerful monster attack Iliasburg though?
"A-Alice... what should we do?"
With the fear still crawling from within him, he tried to call out to his companions, only to realize that they weren't there with him.
"What the... Alice? Valon? Where'd they go?"
The panic-stricken hero tried to look around for his companions while also trying not to risk being seen by the Heavenly Knight from his hiding spot, but he couldn't see them. He felt slightly upset that he was abandoned by them again.
He could understand that Valon would probably be hiding as well due to him still trying to get used to being around monsters and suddenly witnessing one who is immensely powerful would've no doubt made him downright horrified. But what he didn't understand was Alice.
She didn't explicitly tell him as to why she didn't want to help him. He always thought that Alice acted like she was powerful but he was starting to wonder if she was actually weak and that she was just pretending to be strong in front of him to impress him. Whatever the case was, Luka had a much more important issue to deal with, and that's the intimidating dragon swordswoman who was beating up the city guards of Iliasburg.
Great... another powerful monster that I happen to come across in my journey. And this time it seems like I genuinely won't even be a match against her. I mean, she's Granberia, the Heavenly Knight of Fire!
I have only heard a few rumors about her but from what I can see from what she did to these soldiers, I can definitely say that they weren't just rumors! And she's all by herself out there and it doesn't seem like she even had a hard time fighting the guards.
Luka continued to watch the commotion in the plaza. Granberia was asking whether they were going to just let her take control of the city or if they were going to try and stop her. Two of the remaining three soldiers held their weapons high as they charged at the dragon while one was cowering in the back, unable to move.
The Heavenly Knight gave a small smile at their fearless cries. She held up her own weapon as flames started to surround its blade, giving off a scorching heat. It was as if it was covered by the fires of Hell itself.
Luka then saw something move from his peripheral vision. He felt initially scared but he was somewhat relieved when he saw who it was.
"Valon, you're here! What should we do though?"
Luka was disappointed when the only response he got was a hesitant shrug. He felt stupid for asking that question but not because his companion was useless from dealing against a monster with imposing strength. It was because he knew how scared Valon was and the fear might hinder him in being able to come up with something fast.
And given his background around monsters, he would be the last person one would want to ask for help from in the subject matter. But ironically, he had been helpful to him all the time. Sure, he wasn't a fighter but he had helped him on what to do whenever he was having a hard time fighting monsters. And what was even funnier was that he had helped him in all of the monsters he encountered so far.
"Where's Alice? Do you know where she went?" Luka whispered.
"No, I don't..."
Alice's constant disappearance, whenever a monster showed up, continued to bother the boy's mind. He didn't know what was the real reason as to why Alice didn't want to help him nor even make her presence known. If she really didn't want to help him then she wouldn't have never even brought up the idea of teaching him a sword technique in the first place. But then if she knew a seemingly complex sword technique then it would contradict the thought of her being weak.
Well... I don't really know what Alice's reasons are and it's not like she explicitly told me about why she hides whenever a monster appears. I guess I can just ask her about that sooner or later. It would be nice though, if she wasn't rude all the time.
She doesn't even help me fight the monsters in battle and yet she expects to be fed like she's royalty! I mean thanks for teaching me a sword move but sheesh... what an awful companion to be around with.
Luka's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a man scream. He looked back to observe the ongoing battle when he saw the Heavenly Knight quickly disappearing from the charging soldier's line of sight and suddenly, he fainted on the ground. The attack that Granberia performed from behind was so fast that it looked like she had super speed.
The dragon swordswoman looked over her shoulder and swung her sword. Her reaction time was beyond impressive as before the second soldier could swing his sword behind her, he was met with a fiery slash from the dragon's mighty blade, making him fall to the ground. The intense heat emanated by her sword permeated all the way to where Luka was hiding.
Amazing... these soldiers around me, they're all without a doubt stronger than I am. But Granberia just crushed them as if they were just insects. Her strength is on a completely different level.
The hero noticed that the soldiers lying around the plaza still seemed to be breathing. Luka was even more impressed by her because she was able to defeat the soldiers effortlessly without killing them. At least the hero acknowledged her as someone who didn't necessarily kill her opponents and more for polishing her pride as a warrior—someone who valued the honor of defeating someone rather than mindlessly killing them.
There was only one soldier left standing but he was trembling intensely. The Heavenly Knight turned to the guard and asked him a question, but the man simply screamed for his life and ran away. The dragon, however, remained where she was and never bothered chasing after the man.
This isn't good. Granberia single-handedly defeated all the soldiers in Iliasburg. I don't think there's anyone left who can protect the city.
Luka could hear the dragon asking the people who were barricaded in their homes if they were fine by her taking control of the city.
Are they really going to surrender the city to her? What should I do? There's absolutely no way I can beat her, let alone hit her! The city guards are way more experienced than me in combat and she defeated all of them without breaking a sweat. If they couldn't even do anything to her, how would I fare any better? But... I can't just let her take control of the city! I have to help these people!
Luka felt more terrified as he continued to assess the situation. He was trembling in fear and he didn't know what to do. He knew the risks of charging over the plaza by himself and he also knew that he wouldn't be able to defeat her as he was now.
He only just started his journey and with everything that has happened to him with all the Monster Girls he encountered, it would almost be a suicidal mission if he tried to fight her. He already had a hard time dealing with a monster such as a slime girl, what more about someone against a Heavenly Knight like Granberia?
Trying to think of a course of action, he glanced at his companion who was hiding behind a cart opposite to where he was. He was desperate and he was hoping that Valon would have at least something in mind but when he saw his current state, he felt discouraged.
He saw him also quivering in fear as he too seemed to be lost in his thoughts. His companion looked utterly frightened and helpless. It looked to him like he was already accepting his fate and that everything was hopeless.
But Luka didn't want to accept that it was hopeless. He knew how scared Valon was but he himself was also terrified. He knew how afraid the people were to fight for their city and he couldn't blame them because of how powerful Granberia really was.
But Luka had something that the people of the city didn't have—determination. Luka's fears were strong but they weren't as strong as his drive in becoming a hero; because that's what he desired, that's what he wanted to become.
As a hero... err... as someone aiming to be a hero, I can't just sit here and do nothing! If I don't do something to help the people of this city, I'll never be able to call myself a real hero.
Luka glanced back at his companion, who was still lost in his thoughts while visibly shaking, one last time.
I'm scared too, Valon. But I just can't let this happen to the people. I know you're probably more terrified than I am and I can understand that, but these people need someone to defend them and their city. No one is willing to fight for them so I'll be the one to do it, with or without your help. But I don't want you to worry about me and I don't want you to be scared more than you already are. So looks like... I would have to deal with this myself... about time really. Well, wish me luck...
Summoning all of his courage, Luka came out of his hiding spot and called out the dragon swordswoman. There was immense fear that still lurked in his mind and he couldn't stop his legs from shaking vigorously as he walked towards the city plaza.
I know that I have no chance of winning and I don't particularly want to be a martyr either. But if I run away now, I'll be nothing but a fake hero!
The aspiring hero silently prepared himself for battle.
Shock.
That was what Granberia felt after she saw something that she didn't expect that she'd see. The boy who challenged her, who was clumsy and obviously had no experience in combat, was able to perform one of the Cursed Sword techniques. The execution was sloppy and the boy was too immature to come up with a complex technique such as Demon Decapitation. She was slightly impressed and that even though the performance was poor, the fundamentals of the move were there.
The Heavenly Knight had an idea who may have taught it to him but she wanted to hear his own answer. When the boy refused to answer she resorted to a powerful but controlled attack with her blade that left him barely conscious. She once again asked who taught him the move but he still refused. She couldn't help but feel a slight admiration for the boy.
Not only did he challenge her even if he was visibly scared of her while all the adults in the city were in hiding, but he also didn't want to tell her the one responsible for teaching him a monster sword technique even if he was beaten up. Even if he was afraid, he never backed down and still showed courage to stand up against someone who was way more powerful than him, and at a young age no less—if she was solely basing on the boy's general appearance.
Intentionally instilling fear wasn't her style but if it could get the boy to talk or if it could get the one who taught him the move to reveal themselves to her, which she was sure that they were just somewhere around the city probably watching, then she'll resort to doing something in that manner. She was interested to know who it was or why they taught him one of the Cursed Sword techniques. She planned to just lower her sword without it piercing the boy's chest, as to make it look like she really was going to kill him.
But as she lowered her sword, she suddenly sensed something. It felt like a disturbance and it was moving towards her. With a quick use of her Serene Mind, she was able to locate something fast and she was able to pick up slight traces of bloodlust. With her unmatched reflexes, she was able to catch something with her claw before it was able to hit her face. She felt something sharp but it barely hurt her. She then inspected the object that punctured her and was surprised to see what it was.
It looked like a small steel curved blade that resembled a boomerang. She immediately looked around her to figure out who threw the strange-looking projectile at her. She glanced back at the boy who was still looking at her in fear, which gave her the assumption that he wasn't the one who did it. But then she heard beeping noises coming from the strange object. Without effort, she quickly took out the projectile that cut through her hand and examined it. She wondered why it was making strange noises until it exploded right in front of her face and hurled her a few inches from where she once was.
The explosion was moderately strong but Granberia was resistant to damage which would explain why she wasn't launched as far away as she would have been. Still, she felt actual pain from the detonation and she was incredibly surprised to have been caught off guard like that. Never had something like that happen to her and her battle instincts were suddenly on high alert. Thanks to her Serene Mind, however, she was now able to accurately locate the source of bloodlust. But moments after, she was able to sense another mysterious object coming right for her.
This time she completely dodged the projectile with a simple sidestep but the moment it hit the ground near her, a blinding flash of light followed by a loud bang disrupted her senses. The non-lethal explosion distorted her vision and all she could hear was the loud ringing noise reverberating in her ears. She felt dizzy and disoriented, and she couldn't see things very well. She wasn't feeling any pain except for the annoying buzzing sensations in her head.
Her Serene mind was once again picking up a nearby disturbance. This time it was big but even if she was able to sense it beforehand, the side effects from the explosion made it difficult to move as she barely dodged the mysterious object. The delayed execution of her movements made her stagger to the ground.
She tried to stabilize herself and in only a short time, she could properly see again. It appeared as even if her Serene Mind was unaffected, whatever happened to her drastically affected her senses which dulled her reaction time. She was barely hurt at all but she had to admit that whoever this person who was fighting her, knew how to catch her off guard.
She quickly glanced at the object behind her and saw the wrecked-up cart that was slammed to the wall. She knew that it would take a lot more than a fast-moving cart to damage her but she wouldn't deny that she was slowly getting more and more impressed by this person. She could still hear slight ringing noises in her ears but they weren't as bothersome as before. With her composure fully stabilized, she headed towards the mysterious person.
She could sense traces of bloodlust from the rooftops of one of the houses. She ran towards the building and leaped to incredible heights. And there she saw the perpetrator, but quickly after she landed near him, the man threw a metallic ball on the ground that exploded near her. This time, weird jelly-like foam came out and surrounded her. She was too late to react and got herself stuck in the continuously expanding foam.
She struggled to get out and she had difficulties moving. As much as the man impressed her, she was slowly getting annoyed by what he's doing. With an impressive display of strength, she moved her body with all her might and broke free from the frothy substance.
She immediately tried to look for the man and saw him running down the street. In another burst of speed, she tackled the man from above with her blade carefully positioned towards him as to not kill him accidentally. The man was too slow to register her diving attack and was met by her blade.
Granberia, however, was surprised once again as the man appeared to be unharmed. He seemed to have fallen to the ground on his back because of her attack but her blade was blocked by a weird transparent blue layering that surrounded the man. The Heavenly Knight was flabbergasted that her attack was stopped but she proceeded to break through the strange blue barrier that was surrounding the man by applying more force downwards with her sword. The pressure was slowly breaking the layering as cracks started to form.
The man's panicked reaction became more noticeable as time went by but then he did something that further surprised the swordswoman. He pointed his left arm slightly upwards. The device strapped on his arm then launched a thick line of string, pulling him away with it. The man was dragged upwards by the string and he threw another ball-shaped projectile at the dragon. Having the initial knowledge of what it was, she jumped far back from where the projectile landed before it exploded in a flash of light.
The dragon narrowed her eyes at the spot where the projectile was thrown. It didn't seem destructive as all it did was create a blinding flash from what she observed from a distance, finally seeing the weapon in front of her detonate in action. She was, however, fascinated by the device's capabilities and she wondered how and where the man got such peculiar weapons. They weren't hurting her in any way, but they gave her unpleasant status effects that affected her movements and her general performance. It annoyed her more than they damage her but she had to admit that they were effective, not as actual weapons but more as deterrents.
The Heavenly Knight eventually spotted the man leaping over the city rooftops. In an instant, she made her way on top of a building landing a few feet in front of the man's direction, swinging her blade. The man was no match against the dragon's speed as the blade hit him, the same transparent blue layering appearing around the man that absorbed most of the force from the swing but it wasn't enough to save him from the recoil from the dragon's ferocious attack, making him fall from the building.
But when she thought that it was enough to deal with the man, she was instantly proven wrong when he threw another ball-shaped projectile on the ground that exploded before producing the same foamy substance that bound the dragon earlier. The foam acted as a cushion to soften the man's fall as he used the remaining momentum that he gathered while he was falling by rolling down once he was on the ground.
Granberia was completely and utterly shocked. Never had she faced anyone like the man who she was facing right then. She didn't want to admit but she was genuinely impressed by everything that he did. First, he caught her off guard by using bizarre weapons against her, weapons that she had never seen before in twenty-four years of her life. One of his weapons completely messed with her senses while another one produced a weird jelly substance that took her an effort to break out of. Then there was the first projectile he used, the one that literally blew up right in front of her face—the only one that managed to actually harm her.
There was also the strange transparent layering that protected him every time she hit him. Then there was another strange device he had that launched a line of string that pulled him to where the string landed, almost as if it was grabbing him. He wasn't like anyone she normally fought as instead of him facing her directly, he was always on the move, making an effort to dodge her attacks while performing long-ranged attacks himself.
The soldiers she fought a while ago remained where they were and just forcefully charged themselves against her, including the young boy earlier who courageously challenged her to a fight. They were still mobile while performing attacks, but not as mobile as this strange man. She also observed that despite not being nearly as fast as her, he was decently agile and athletic. It wasn't as impressive as how other species of monsters were normally built to be agile but for a mere man to perform smooth maneuvers in his surroundings, was commendable for his part.
For the first time since coming to the city, Granberia couldn't hold back a challenging smirk. She wasn't intentionally looking for a good fight as she solely came to Iliasburg in hopes to take control of it. Finding a satisfying battle would only serve as a bonus compensation if she was able to look for one. She knew that she would face the city's soldiers as she knew that they wouldn't just let a monster like her forcefully take control of a large human settlement, but she was left with disappointment when she was able to effortlessly defeat the human soldiers.
Things only started to get interesting when a young boy challenged her. She was surprised when he was able to execute one of the techniques in the Cursed Sword Arts and demanded to know who taught him the move. When the boy refused, she threatened to kill him, and then the catalyst for the most interesting events started. And it literally started with a bang when one of the man's projectiles blew up right in front of her face.
From her standards, the man's fighting style was cowardly as he was always on the move and he preferred to evade more than to make a direct attack against her. As a proud warrior, she preferred fighting her opponents in close combat and asserting superiority in the art of melee. But she surmised that the man was actually weak and that she knew that he already acknowledged to himself that he would not be able to fight against her head-on. The man was nowhere near as fast as her as she was able to instantly surprise him with her attacks twice.
But what genuinely impressed her wasn't his fighting style but the way he always seemed to surprise her with something unexpected. He always seemed to know how to avoid her and then ambush her with something in the process. He wasn't fast but he was extremely evasive and she observed how quickly he could think on his feet. He had a strange arsenal of weapons that managed to catch her off guard and he was incredibly mobile in moving in around.
He didn't know who this man was but she was now intrigued by him. What made him an excellent fighter from her observation wasn't his capabilities to match her combat prowess but it was his adaptive abilities and the way he could use the environment around him to his advantage. She had definitely never fought a human like him—she did know a certain succubus that seemed to have the same combat etiquette as he did though. She would lie if she said that she wasn't starting to take an interest in him but nevertheless, she had a mission to do, and she won't let someone like him stop her from fulfilling it.
Rage.
That was all Valon felt the moment he saw a faint reminiscence of an overly familiar scenario. He began to lose control and in a swift moment, he grabbed one of his explosive boomerangs and threw it towards the dragon. He wasn't completely lost in his senses as he was still able to calculate the precise trajectory of the boomerang but his emotions were the ones dominating in his mind. He didn't even try to think whether the explosion would hurt Luka because all he could think of at that moment was that someone nearly took the life of someone important to him and he wanted to make that person pay.
Granberia wasn't too far from the injured boy and once the boomerang explodes, Luka would no doubt be affected by the blast, and that's exactly what happened. Luka was able to feel the force from the detonation but thankfully, it wasn't too powerful to hurt him too much. He was only hurled a good distance away but he wasn't severely affected by it. Valon, however, didn't care as he quickly processed a plan to deal with the Heavenly Knight right after he activated his exoshield from his M.A.D.
It was unclear whether Valon wanted to kill but the bloodlust that was slowly building up in his mind didn't go unnoticed by the dragon. Before he was spotted, however, he instantly made his second move as he quickly climbed the nearest building and threw one of his flashbombs towards Granberia. The reason why he wanted to stay on the high ground as much as possible was that it offered him the sight and view advantage. Being on top while keeping his opponent below him would give him a huge advantage in overseeing the battle unfold before him.
The furious technician's first course of action was to overwhelm the dragon as much as he could. It was wise for his part to hurt her with an explosive and then immediately throw a bomb that could distort one's senses afterwards. He knew that Granberia's reaction time was something he would need to deal with first if he wanted to have a chance in hitting her and possibly damage her, so throwing something that one wouldn't expect to blow in their faces and then throw something that would disorient someone would be the best way to start.
He also knew that her combat instincts would instantly be alerted the moment the boomerang exploded so he settled in using a flashbomb. Because even if she managed to dodge the projectile, if thrown at the right spot, the bomb's radius effect would still be able to affect her.
He half-expected her to dodge and remain close to her position because that was how she normally fought from what he observed from her fight against the soldiers of Iliasburg earlier and his general knowledge of her combat style from the game as someone who preferred close combat, and he was right once again. The explosion rendered her slightly vulnerable as he then used that opportunity to hurt her with something tangible.
He didn't want to risk going near her as he contemplated that he wouldn't be fast enough and she might quickly stabilize herself. The flashbomb's effects usually only last a short time and Granberia was someone who had a lot of experience in fighting and her noteworthy resilience might even be able to shake off the after-effects quicker than anyone, so Valon didn't want to risk it and instead used one of the objects around him to do the job.
He knew that he would surely lose against her if he fought her head-on so he had to use every advantage he could get, and the best way to do that was to use the physical and tangible objects that he could get his hands on. The closest object he could see was an empty cart beside the building that he was on top of. He hastily jumped down and positioned the cart towards Granberia, who, fortunately, was still under the effects of the flashbomb because of how she was struggling to balance herself. He pushed the cart with all his might before immediately jumping on a box then making his way back on top of the building.
Conveniently, the path where Granberia was had a slightly sloped ground, making the cart increase in its downward momentum as it made its way towards the unsuspecting dragon. Valon decided to be on the move as he didn't want to get caught off guard himself as he didn't know when the dragon might suddenly be near him. He knew how fast she was based on how she quickly moved behind one of the city guards when she was fighting them earlier and it would be foolish of him to underestimate her and give her the chance to recover.
The uneven terrain from above the city did not slow the technician down. With his background in parkour, he was able to jump and flip over the different hurdles as well as traverse from building to building with relative ease. And while he was performing a long jump over a wide gap to another building, he saw an empty fruit stand above a flat rooftop that happened to be just above Granberia. He, however, failed to notice that the dragon finally recovered from the flashbomb's effects because he was focusing more on traversing over the obstacles ahead of him and he was surprised when he saw a quick vertical movement from his peripheral vision.
Valon cursed to himself for momentarily taking his eyes off of her. His plan to push the fruit stand above her was compromised and he needed a new plan fast. Thinking on his feet, he prepared a foam bomb on his hand and threw it right after the dragon landed near him. He didn't want to be included from being trapped from the expanding foam, so he decided to jump off the small building as he tucked and rolled on the pile of sacks that appeared to be filled with rice.
After landing, he was on the run again while trying to quickly think of a new plan. He looked around him while he was running down on one of the city roads when he saw an arch formation that connected two buildings. After seeing it from afar, he instantly knew what to do.
Running as fast as his legs could, he ran towards the arch formation. He was starting to feel tired as his flurry of emotions was putting more stress in his mind than he wished for. He was just so angry that someone who seemed to be as honorable as Granberia would even think to kill a young boy like Luka. He didn't care how she was like from the game, from his eyes, she almost murdered an innocent life. And for whatever reason, his previous vision of his younger brother in Luka's position fueled the burning flames from within him.
Things were going well until he failed to see the dragon's attack as he was suddenly tackled from the ground by an assault that came above him. The force of the attack made him collapse to the ground as he instinctively defended himself by raising his arms. Luckily for him, he didn't feel as much pain as he would have felt as even if the force of the strike was strong for him to stagger to the ground, the exoshield was able to absorb most of the impact and it also protected him from possibly being sliced by the dragon's mighty blade.
His feeling of relief didn't last long, however, as the dragon started to push his blade against him. He widened his eyes in panic when he saw his exoshield slowly breaking from the intense pressure coming from his assailant's weapon. He needed to get out of there and he needed to do it before his exoshield gets destroyed. His eyes landed on his M.A.D. and he swiftly aimed the device towards a nearby house and then activated his built-in grappling hook. The velocity of the grapple pulled him towards the building as he then threw another one of his flashbombs towards her.
He was aware that she would've known what to do against it by then but he needed to buy as much time as he needed to execute his plan. He was still fairly far away from the arch that he could see from a distance across the city. He used his parkour skills again as he successfully traversed over the different uneven house rooftops and buildings. As he did so, he turned to look back to find out where Granberia was only to inwardly freak out that he couldn't see her anywhere. He speedily looked back in front of him and was panic-stricken when he saw her in front of him.
His reaction time paled in comparison to the dragon's and he was instantly met by her imposing sword. His exoshield protected him from suffering a considerable amount of damage but the force of her powerful attack knocked him off the building. Valon fell but with his quick thinking, he grabbed another one of his foambombs and threw it below him. Jelly-like foam came out after the explosion and he used it to cushion his fall before performing a tuck and roll as to not waste his gained momentum.
Before he was able to make a run for it, something solid and dense hit him on his feet, making him fall to the ground. He tried to stand up but he received another attack that came in front of him that made him stagger further. But his survival instinct allowed him to use his hands to push him from the ground immediately, allowing him to perform a back tumble, measly avoiding another attack from behind in the process.
Valon knew that he wouldn't be able to outrun her now that they were both on the ground. He ran away in the opposite direction before launching his grappling hook once more. As he was in the middle of being pulled, a swift motion cut through the line of the hook, and Valon was on the ground once again.
He wasn't able to use one of his foambombs to soften his fall which resulted in an excruciating pain from his back. The exoshield was designed to absorb incoming damage but gravity and fall damage were some of the things that were able to bypass its natural protection.
Despite the pain, the technician forced himself off the ground as he started to run back on his feet. He was getting increasingly tired as the growing pain and the forming fatigue from all the energy he exerted were catching up to him. He held on as he was close to reaching the arch formation.
But just as he was only a few feet away, he felt another powerful attack from behind that launched him across a wall of one of the buildings ahead. The exoshield did its job in offering protection but the technician noticed that it was now flickering, giving him the sign that it was on the verge of breaking.
He was in even more pain from the impact as he struggled to get up on his feet. He fought through the lingering pain and slowly stood up. The wall that he was slammed against didn't break but it certainly left a mark on him there. He stood up and saw the dragon approaching him with an unreadable expression. It must have acknowledged that he was starting to get weak and decided to just confront him face-to-face.
The dragon swordswoman stated a few words but both his increasing fatigue and the rage that still remained in his mind prevented him from fully processing what she said to him. The monster seemed to have been bothered by the man's lack of response and she continued to approach him.
But immediately after seeing his mouth form a smirk, her Serene Mind was suddenly alerted. She then realized what was wrong when she could vaguely hear noises around her. It sounded awfully similar to the beeping noise that came from the projectile that the man first threw at her. She was then able to track where it was coming from but she wasn't able to react quick enough.
Valon used all of his remaining strength to charge at her as something started to form on his right arm. The device that was discreetly strapped on his right arm transformed into a metallic gauntlet that covered his entire forearm up to his knuckles. Before his opponent was able to do anything, he pulled back his right arm and thrust the device directly towards her face with all his might.
The powerful uppercut forced her back just below where the arch formation was. Immediately after the epic face punch, the arch that was directly above the dragon collapsed from the explosion and the debris from the detonation fell down on top of her.
The entire scene that took place looked like it would have made an amazingly executed punch scene with a slow-motion effect, but all merriments aside, Valon felt extremely tired. He could barely stand and he was panting heavily. After the entire structure collapsed, Valon felt the need to just lie down. He honestly wasn't sure how he felt in beating a Heavenly Knight.
But just as he was starting to relax from the flurry of his emotions in his mind, he was met with a forceful strike. He didn't even know whether he was hit in front or from behind because he could no longer process what was happening to him properly. The powerful blow he received was incredibly strong that his exoshield was shattered from the fierce impact. He tried to compose himself from the attack but he was instantly bombarded by a salvo of strikes and slashes all across his body.
With his senses slowly fading, all he felt was the burning heat that scorched his skin but he was already feeling numb to even acknowledge the pain. Another aggressive strike squarely hit him, the strength of the attack launched him towards something solid, making him cough blood in the process. Valon's consciousness was dwindling and with a finishing blow, he was finally knocked out cold.
Wow, this took me so long to write. I'm not really good at writing an easy-to-follow-but-still-descriptive fight scene, but I think I did okay.
It did look like that Valon had the upper hand at the beginning as I intended it to be but it's obvious that he was going to get his ass kicked. Was Valon able to inflict a considerable amount of damage against Granberia though? The answer is, hell no. If I was to add Granberia's HP bar in this chapter, she'd probably still be in about 91% of her HP.
As if Valon had a chance!
