Chapter 299: Friend (2/3)
“Oh my, how reckless.”
Liuryuna the G.o.ddess of Destiny laughed when she saw that. She was one of the G.o.ds that saved tens of thousands of mortals fated to die and brought just as much misfortune to others. In the direction she pointed at were ryuus attacking from below.
The gunports of the flying warships opened, then a gun barrel also extended from the bottom of the ark. A rustic weapon sprung up from the gracefully curved bottom of the ship. The power of the magic bullets changed according the size of the weapon, and the weapon that appeared was big enough to be described as a main gun. As that gun aimed at the approaching ryuus, the G.o.ddess of Destiny laughed.
“──That’s not good!”
Gi Za screamed as Gawain flew up, and Gawain too clicked his tongue when he saw where that gun was pointed.
“Strike it through, Divine Hammer(Rutia, Lightning)!”
The gun shot at them, but by unleashing the highest cla.s.s of mana Gawain could, he was somehow able to intercept it.
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
The battle on the ground went back and forth between Alrodena and Altigand, though really, it might be better described as Alrodena somehow still not losing. The ryuus avoided the onslaught of magic bullets, but they were shot in a way that they would cause damage on the ground troops.
“Leave them be. It can’t be helped.”
As Gawain said that, the ryuus simultaneously flew for the flying warships.
“Oh, but over there is…”
As Liuryuna laughed, a ferocious barrage of magic bullets was unleashed by the flying warships. They scattered their fire all over the sky as they repeatedly shot out. A full barrage of anti-aircraft fire was directed 360 degrees into the sky above.
The battleships were even better equipped than the other flying ships for aerial combat.
The flying warships were developed as a weapon to control the skies during the Age of the G.o.ds so they naturally had their own opponents. Those were none other than the dragons and the ryuus, living creatures that dominated the skies, so this sort of result was a given.
“…Gawain.”
“What?”
“Let’s get on the ark.”
Gi Za spoke firmly, and Gawain laughed.
“Good. Let’s give this mortal enemy of ours a surprise, shall we? Make them pay for ruining my battle.”
The bellows of the ruler of the sky shook the surrounding area. For a moment, his entire household turned their attention to him.
“…When I compare this foe with my great adversary, it feels silly to name myself, but…”
Gawain, a ryuu among ryuus, named himself according to tradition.
“Those distant, lend your ear and listen well! Those nearby, open your eyes and see clearly! Behold! I am Gawain! Servant to the G.o.ddess of the Underworld, and the ruler of the heavens! Those confident in themselves, come before me!”
The name rang out loudly between heaven and earth, and even those fighting on the ground heard it as they pa.s.sed the flying fleet, but the enemy returned his greetings with mockery.
“A-Ahahaha! Gawain, have you gone senile? Or is it because you’re a beast in the end? From what era is this style of fighting you’re trying to perform?”
Liuryuna held her tummy and laughed, but Gawain only snickered at her att.i.tude and ignored her.
“…I’ve changed my opinion of you. You are magnificent.”
Gawain’s mouth twisted at the sound of Gi Za’s sullen voice.
“Come, the time for battle has come. A battle where we stake our life. Are you ready?”
“Of course!”
As soon as those words were said, Gi Za and Gawain took for the skies up above, pa.s.sing through the thunder clouds, into the night sky where the stars twinkled, then further beyond into the sea of clouds illuminated by the gentle twin sister moons.
“Go!”
They were so close to the moons that Gi Za felt as though they were within reach, but when Gawain said that, he resolutely nodded.
The sea of clouds parted.
Up above there was nothing to block their sight, and all they could see were the flying warships. For Gawain, it was nothing short of insulting to see relics from the Age of the G.o.ds flying through his territory as though they owned it.
Only he and his opponent, Grimoa the Golden Dragon, were allowed to use the endless sky.
“There is no place here for the likes of you! Hurry and be gone!”
With the force of gravity making them even faster, Gawain bared his fangs. Nine lightning spears shot out with their descent, each flying freely as they blocked the attacks of the battle ships and escort ships. But in the face of such an overwhelming number of magic bullets, some slipped past the lightning spears.
“Intercept them!”
Liuryuna realized what Gawain was trying to do and gave the order for an all-out barrage. Seven colors dyed the sky as the bullets filled it and tore apart the air.
A barrage of every attribute split the nine lightning spears into a hundred. Lightning storms blew violently as water bullets evaporated, fire bullets spread, rock bullets shattered, and wind bullets canceled out. Rising vapor enveloped the area, but then Gawain broke through and revealed himself.
With his two horns standing proud as though in opposition of the heavens, Gawain descended on the flying warships with fury, but even more magic came shooting at him. It was an attack that combined the light attribute and metal attribute. The metal attribute attracted Gawain’s specialty, lightning, allowing the light attribute to pa.s.s through without stopping.
The light bullets that pa.s.sed through stood out on Gawain’s jet-black scales. All seven ships concentrated their attacks onto him. A G.o.d he may be, in the face of a weapon made during the Age of the G.o.ds for the very purpose of defeating his kind, blood spurted out and wounds covered his whole body.
“Gawain!”
“──Not yet!”
Gi Za panicked, but Gawain just twisted his mouth and put on a brave front.
Blood dyed his whole body. There were wounds everywhere. The next wave of light bullets bathed his whole body, yet still he continued to stare at the large body of the Ark. It might have been instinct or the discernment of a G.o.d, but Gawain could tell what it was made out of.
He knew that this was the moment he had been waiting for, so he manipulated a thousand lightning spears and collapsed his wrath b.a.l.l.s.
“──Seventh Heaven Thunderstorm(Raz Ghalis)!！”
In the next moment, seven divine thunderbolts tore through the heavens with an earsplitting thunderclap. This was Gawain’s greatest spell, a spell so powerful that for a moment he stood out. It was also something that he had been treasuring so he could bid farewell to the strong adversary(a friend) he’d lost.