SWNOVELXO Chapter 197 - The Great Battle of the Dragons (6)
Chapter 197: The Great Battle of the Dragons (6)
Arin released the bowstring at the exact moment the two axes crossed in an X shape.
A single arrow was shot alongside it.
Swish-!
A one-step distance.
The axe swung first.
The arrow was released a moment later.
When considering the whole situation, no one could deny that Arin was in danger.
At that very moment, Goetz, alarmed, sprang to his feet with wide eyes.
Flash-!
A blinding white flash dominated the arena, like a sudden strike of lightning.
Everyone was shocked by the unexpected turn of events, but none more so than Michel.
In the slow passage of time.
‘W-What is this?!’
His all-out axe strike couldn’t move forward.
No, rather, the axe was being pushed back.
Crack-.
What was pushing Michel’s axe back was a single arrow wrapped in a silver aura.
That thin arrow was actually repelling his axe, which was infused with the power of his strength.
A situation beyond Michel’s comprehension.
‘What the hell is this?!’
Especially since this silver aura was something Michel had never seen before in his life.
Strength, Endurance, Fire, Magic, Holy Power.
It was a unique form of energy that did not belong to any of these categories.
This mysterious aura was exceedingly solid, heavy, fierce, and destructive.
So much so that it gradually began to shatter Michel’s axe.
Crrack- Crraack.
The blade infused with the power of endurance began to crumble.
Seeing this, Michel poured all his might into infusing his axe with mana.
‘Haaap!’
Perhaps it was thanks to his desperate effort?
The silver aura surrounding the arrow quickly diminished.
However, the problem was…
Crack-.
The axe shattered faster than the aura could diminish.
Crack- Crack-.
Cracks spread across the entire axe.
And finally.
Smash-!
With a sound like shattering glass, the axe exploded into pieces.
As if it had fulfilled its purpose, the silver aura scattered in all directions like a blooming flower.
Exposed to the fragments of the silver aura, Michel.
‘Ah…’
He wore a look of realization.
‘This…’
The silver aura that had shattered his axe.
It was nothing extraordinary.
It was simply…
‘Just… a lump of mana?’
…A tightly condensed lump of mana, nothing more.
As Michel realized the true nature of the force that shattered his axe.
The arrow, still cloaked in the silver aura, flew unimpeded toward Michel’s defenseless chest.
Thud-.
Still brimming with power, the arrow left the scattering silver aura.
It passed through the remnants of the shattered axe.
Thud-.
The sharp arrowhead pierced the skin.
Zap-.
It penetrated the muscles.
Thunk-.
And embedded itself in the heart.
All this transpired in the mere 1 to 2 seconds when the flash had occurred.
When the flash disappeared, the spectators saw Arin standing in her bow-drawing stance.
Step back-.
Michel, reeling from the impact of the silver aura, staggered backward.
Step back- Step back-.
Michel, who was retreating quickly, gradually came to a halt.
“……”
He gazed blankly at the arrow lodged in his chest.
Then his knees buckled, and he stumbled.
Thud-.
Michel, finally kneeling.
The countless arrows that had covered his entire body had vanished due to the recent incident.
Only one arrow remained lodged in his chest.
Cough-.
Michel spat blood and lifted his head.
His eyes met Arin’s, who was slowly lowering her bow.
Her eyes were indifferent.
Eyes that showed no emotion and were impossible to read.
Faced with this, Michel let out a bitter chuckle.
“What the hell….”
A voice of disbelief slipped out from between his twisted lips.
“…Pretty good… huh?”
With that faint utterance.
Swoosh-.
Michel’s head drooped, falling to the ground.
“……”
Arin watched Michel, who showed no signs of movement, in silence.
Two members of the Black Sword Corps arrived with a stretcher in the meantime.
One of them glanced at the arrow lodged in Michel’s heart and, without saying a word, checked his carotid artery.
“……”
After a brief examination, he lifted his hand and gave his companion a small nod, and the two of them placed Michel on the stretcher.
From the audience, the expressions of the 50th cadets stiffened as they witnessed the series of events.
Those not from the 50th group also wore hardened expressions.
However, there was a clear difference in the reasons behind their expressions.
First, the 50th cadets had one reason for their grim expressions.
“Is he… really dead?”
Because Michel Ang had died.
“He died… just like that?”
“He was a third-year… and yet he died like that?”
They were already aware of the dangers of life in the Cradle.
That they could die while living in the Cradle.
In fact, among the 50th cadets, it wasn’t uncommon for news to spread that someone had died during a quest if they suddenly stopped showing up one day.
But to die in such a public setting…
To have a third-year cadet die in front of everyone watching.
Hearing about someone dying was completely different from witnessing it firsthand.
It was a massive shock for the 50th cadets.
In contrast, the other cadets who weren’t from the 50th.
They, too, were somewhat shocked, but it wasn’t simply because Michel had died.
They were more shocked by ‘how’ he died.
“Tch, a guy ranked 3rd among the 48th years got killed by a mere first-year?”
“Saying ‘just a first-year’ doesn’t do justice; that archery was quite threatening.”
“It was definitely intimidating. And his fighting style didn’t match up well with Michel’s.”
“Michel, that guy, he always relied on his magic body technique, recklessly throwing his life on the line. I figured it’d catch up to him eventually… but still, to die at the hands of a mere first-year? If he was going to die, he should’ve done it more grandly.”
The 49th cadets, for whom this was only their second Great Dragon Battle, and Michel’s fellow 48th cadets were a bit more restrained.
But the fourth and fifth years were openly mocking the match results.
Seeing their seniors’ behavior and mood, the 50th cadets finally understood why the 49th cadets in squads 7 and 8 had withdrawn.
“…So that’s why, even after forfeiting, the other seniors didn’t laugh at them.”
“Damn, if there’s a clear difference in skill, I’d forfeit too. I don’t want to die.”
During the first match against Gunther, Hais had said this.
The only rule of the Great Dragon Battle is to win.
Even if your opponent dies.
It wasn’t just to scare Gunther.
It was all true.
Severe injuries were expected, and it wouldn’t be surprising if someone died in a moment of carelessness, as just happened.
That was the reality of the Great Dragon Battle.
While many had various reactions to Michel’s death.
The deceased was carried off in a miserable state.
Arin silently watched the stretcher as it was carried away.
She stood there for a long time, even after the stretcher disappeared from view, before finally leaving the arena.
The match of the 9th squad had finally ended.
Meanwhile, Yuri touched his chin with his index finger as he recalled Michel being carried away.
Among all the people gathered in the arena.
Yuri was probably the most familiar with death.
Thus, Michel’s death didn’t stir much emotion in him.
Instead, his interest was directed elsewhere.
“That looked pretty useful…”
Regardless of how others were shocked by Michel’s death.
Yuri smacked his lips as if slightly regretful.
It was as if he was looking at an empty plate of food that he had barely gotten a taste of.
The match of the 9th squad, which had greatly shocked the 50th cadets, ended, but Arin did not return to the audience.
And before the blood spilled by Michel had even dried.
The match of the 10th squad began.
This time, the participant was none other than Poppy.
“I’m hungry!”
Was it because he had seen Arin’s splendid performance?
Oddly excited, he raised his shield high and roared loudly as he entered the arena.
Watching this, Yuri made a brief comment.
“What’s with that guy?”
Poppy repeatedly shouted, “I’m hungry!”
Yuri and his friends had a rough idea of what he meant by “I’m hungry,” but they weren’t as clear on it as his personal interpreter.
“Maybe he’s angry?”
“Hmm… He could actually be hungry, Senpai.”
“Maybe he needs to poop. He might be trying to finish quickly to get to the bathroom.”
While Theresia, Gunther, and Yuri discussed their thoughts.
“I’m hungry!”
Poppy’s booming voice echoed, confusing those unfamiliar with him as they wondered why he kept shouting about being hungry.
Poppy’s opponent, Aris Moore, was no exception.
“…What a strange guy.”
As Aris entered the arena, he saw a gorilla-like figure leaping about.
Its face was red, contorted in rage or something.
It was a bizarre sight, but knowing what had just happened to Michel in the previous match, Aris cautiously watched Poppy.
‘This guy hangs around with Yuri Holland, too.’
So he couldn’t let his guard down just because Poppy was only a first-year.
He had to face him with full preparation.
Schwing-.
Just as Aris, filled with resolve, drew his sword and glared at Poppy.
“……”
An anticlimactic scene unfolded that left both Aris and the spectators feeling deflated.
Poppy, who looked as if he was about to go wild at any moment.
Thud-!
Suddenly stabbed his shield into the ground and began to strip off his clothes.
No one knew what the hell he was doing, so the spectators just blinked in confusion.
Except for one person.
Thunk-.
Only Yuri, shocked, dropped the jerky he was chewing on.
“That bastard… that?”
The reason Poppy was taking off his clothes was something only Yuri and Arin currently knew.
Only they had witnessed him using it.
“He refused to show it when I asked him to!”
After seeing it once, Yuri had begged him several times to show it again, but Poppy’s response was always a cold rejection.
[Hungry.]
[He said no.]
[Hungry!]
[If he uses it, he says his body’s drained for a few days.]
[Huungryyy!]
[And most importantly… he says he loses precious muscle.]
Poppy had never shown “that” to Yuri, citing muscle loss as his reason.
Recalling this, Yuri’s eyes widened.
“Is he really going to do it… here?”
In this era, families who passed down abilities through generations were called noble families.
But before them, there were those who inherited abilities according to their bloodlines.
The affinity of the Lin Clan.
The craftsmanship of the Bone Clan.
And the strength and physical prowess of the Yum Clan.
Thunk-.
As Poppy threw his clothes away.
Crack- Creak-.
The power of the ancient giants, who had once battled dragons in the age of myth, was revived.
“Uh… Uhh?!”
Crack-.
Poppy’s body slowly grew as everyone watched.
The eyes of the spectators widened at the transformation.
Amidst the focused attention, a fearsome monster manifested.
A 5-meter-tall figure.
Bulging muscles and dark red skin.
Eyes with overwhelmingly large sclera.
“Oh my god…!”
“This is insane…”
Everyone… even Theresia and Gunther were stunned by Poppy’s transformation.
“I’m huuungry!”
Now deeper and rougher, his voice echoed in the arena with a roar that would tear a normal person’s eardrums apart.
—FWOOOAR!
Aris, overwhelmed by the shadow of the dark red giant looming over his head, stepped back.
As he looked at Poppy, his eyes were filled with faint fear.
“Y-Yum Clan?! That… that can’t be! Not many of the Yum Clan can do that!”
Poppy’s certified rank was 1st Dan.
So originally, against Aris, who was certified 2nd Dan, he should have put up a decent fight.
That is, in his human form.
But just as Arin had shown astounding archery that instantly overcame a difference in realms.
Poppy, too, had something similar.
“I’m huuungry!”
…This was known as gigantification.