NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32 - Astra
Chapter 32 – Astra
—–CROW—–
Count Glasston’s estate was located in the heart of Venus City. In other words, it was a building situated in the middle of the urban center.
No matter how much Hekatonchires was an organization composed of Dragonmancers, who were practically legendary beings, it was unreasonable for them to suddenly summon a large number of young dragons in an urban area.
Of course, it was possible if they dug tunnels or used large-scale spatial transfer magic, but going to such lengths was madness even for Hekatonchires.
The results they could obtain were too insignificant compared to the cost involved.
Of course, the Spirit Gem was essential for the demonic beast summoning Hekatonchires had planned, but even so, there was such a thing as cost-effectiveness.
[In other words, even Hekatonchires, a group of Dragonmancers, can’t be free from budget constraints!]
[Budget is always and everywhere what rules the world!]
It was true, but it was also a somewhat saddening story.
‘Anyway, the number of young dragons won’t be that high.’
At most, twenty or so. Even among them, large young dragons like Jogress were unlikely; it was more likely they were medium-sized ones like Cateradon.
‘Astra commands Wyverns. She probably had them drop the young dragons.’
Luther’s prediction was correct.
[Multiple Cateradon life reactions detected.]
[Five Cateradon individuals.]
[Five more individuals of an unknown young dragon species, similar in size and weight to Cateradon, are detected.]
Upon hearing Integra’s report, Luther exited the mansion through the window instead of running down the hallway. The silhouettes of young dragons scattered throughout the mansion began to be captured through augmented reality.
As Integra said, five Cateradons, which he had already encountered in the pioneer village, and five young dragons that were new to Integra—but which Luther already knew—were rampaging.
‘Rumblons!’
Quadrupedal young dragons resembling lizards, specifically iguanas, that moved at tremendous speeds and spat acidic fluids.
[Master! There are young dragons in the sky too!]
The night sky of Dragon Hunter, with its two moons, was never dark. Ten Wyverns with wide-spread wings were flying back and forth between the sky and the ground, attacking the guards of the estate.
‘Antagoras.’
Medium-sized Wyverns with a body length of 8 meters, including their long tails. These young dragons hunted by snatching their targets and dropping them from high altitudes, utilizing their powerful wings and legs.
And among them, one stood out. An alpha individual with dark red scales amidst the typically gray-scaled ones. Atop this much larger Antagoras sat a massive, muscular woman.
[A strong life reaction is detected!]
[Is that woman Astra?]
Luther nodded and simultaneously drew a sword from his waist. It was a newly acquired sword, replacing the large axe he had been using. And Luther had no intention of using this sword conventionally.
[Initiating equipment enhancement.]
[Reinforcing the blade.]
[Adding thrusters.]
Blue lines were drawn on the wide, heavy sword with a blade specialized for hunting young dragons, and thrusters were added to the back of the blade.
Luther kicked off the ground without further delay.
“Kyaa!”
A woman’s scream. A Cateradon attempting to infiltrate the annex. Luther dashed straight towards it. By the time the creature, reacting to his killing intent, turned its head, Luther’s sword had already been swung.
-Swish!
The thrusters on the back of the blade ignited, and simultaneously, the Cateradon’s head was severed. The power was weaker than when he swung the large axe, but the recoil was also smaller, allowing for more precise control.
[Get inside!]
At Integra’s shout through the drone, the maid who had collapsed scrambled to her feet, trembling.
Luther, instead of looking back at her, extended his left arm towards a Rumblon that was trying to climb the wall to the second floor. A long muzzle then emerged from the back of his left arm.
[Heavy Flamethrower! Firing!]
-Whoosh!
The muzzle spewed fire. It stretched out like a dragon’s breath, burning both the Rumblon’s back and the wall, and the Rumblon fell with a piercing scream.
[Master! The Wyverns have spotted you!]
“Kiaaa!”
It was an Antagoras. Breaking away from the group, it flew straight towards Luther like a hawk snatching its prey.
But Luther wasn’t flustered. He looked up at it and, without hesitation, threw the sword he was holding.
-Whir!
It wasn’t thrown straight like a javelin. Thrown with a topspin, the sword, fueled by the flames emitted from the thrusters attached to the blade, began to rotate faster and more powerfully, eventually becoming a whirling saw blade that sliced through the Antagoras’s wing.
“Kiak!”
Having lost one wing, the Antagoras crashed haphazardly to the ground.
Luther fired a volley of energy blasts at its head and then ran towards the main building of the estate.
“Stop the young dragons!”
“Fight! The city guard will be here soon!”
Guards pouring out of the opposite annex confronted the young dragons, but it was nearly impossible to fight the enormous creatures with weapons designed for humans.
As the Cateradons charged and broke their ranks, the fifteen or so guards quickly became prey to the young dragons.
“Kuaaack!”
A guard, his head bitten clean off, collapsed, spraying blood everywhere, and the captain of the guard screamed as a Rumblon grabbed his waist with its tongue.
[Master, there are too many enemies!]
“Kya!”
A scream came from behind. Several Antagoras had broken through the roof of the mansion and infiltrated.
Moreover, that wasn’t the only problem.
The one who had caused this current situation.
The alpha individual carrying Astra began to charge towards the mansion.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
Javelins thrown by Astra slammed into the outer walls of the mansion. Whether it was because the javelins were unusual or because Astra’s strength was transcendental, the walls crumbled where they struck, creating an entrance to the second floor.
“Karus! Rampage!”
Shouting loudly, Astra kicked off the alpha individual’s back and jumped into the mansion.
The alpha individual, obeying the command to rampage, soared to the opposite side and fired flames at the panicking servants and guards.
[Master, a large number of people are gathering towards the mansion-]
“Help me!”
“Help-“
“Uaaack!”
Screams from the entrance of the mansion interrupted Integra’s words. It was the Venus City guard, who had responded to the commotion, being attacked by the young dragons.
As expected, it was impossible for ordinary guards to stop the young dragons. Professionally trained dragon hunters were needed to resolve the current situation.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of loud noises echoed from inside the mansion where Astra had entered. Wyverns rampaged in the sky, while the screams of people and the roars of young dragons continued on the ground.
Luther thought. The absolute condition for victory was stopping Astra. So, at this moment, it was right to follow Astra into the main building.
However, if he left the young dragons outside the mansion unchecked, the damage would be much greater than-
“Look at me!”
Just then, a clear, bright girl’s voice shattered the night sky.
And Luther knew. The owner of the voice. The girl who appeared at the entrance of the mansion and drew the attention of the young dragons to herself.
[No way?]
Integra shifted her attention. The drone’s camera focused on the girl, and Luther saw her through shared vision.
A blonde girl in a short white skirt and silver partial armor was roaring. A pure white sword and shield engraved with the symbol of the sun.
Annerose, the protagonist of Dragon Hunter Origin’s Western Arc and one of the future Seven Great Heroes, the Sun Maiden, the Lion Queen!
It was a sight that shouldn’t have been possible. Her arrival in Venus City was supposed to be several days later.
However, due to the butterfly effect, Hekatonchires’ attack on the estate had been moved forward by several days. Perhaps some unforeseen event had caused her visit to Venus City to be expedited as well.
“Kiaaa!”
“Kaaack!”
The Antagoras lunged at Annerose. But Annerose, unafraid, dodged the attacks by leaping to the side and calmly began to fight them.
‘I’ll leave it to you!’
It was none other than Annerose. Moreover, she had the Venus City guard with her. Although they had been on the receiving end so far, if they formed a proper formation around Annerose, they should be able to stand against the young dragons.
-Bang!
Luther’s body, kicking off the ground, shot up like a missile. It was thanks to the enhanced strength throughout his body provided by the nanosuit.
Infiltrating the second floor with a single leap, Luther shouted with all his might instead of running inside.
“As-tra-!”
Astra reacted to the clear call of her name. Confirming through life signs that she had turned around beyond the wall, Luther shouted again as if delivering a follow-up blow.
“I! Killed! Balboa!”
-Crash!
A loud noise erupted. Astra, having instantly broken through the wall, charged straight towards Luther.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sight of Astra rushing towards him, continuously breaking through walls, was terrifying itself. But since it was exactly what he had aimed for, Luther held his breath instead of trembling with fear.
He swung his sword, intending to target Astra’s legs as she charged.
But the moment his sword began to trace its trajectory, the moment he made eye contact with Astra as she emerged from the wall, Luther knew.
It would miss.
This attack couldn’t harm Astra.
-Swish!
The sword cut through empty air. The moment she made eye contact with Luther, Astra leaped, dodging the attack and twisting her body in midair.
Her serpentine eyes fixated on Luther, and a javelin that suddenly appeared in her right hand aimed at Luther’s back.
She would throw it. Even if she relied solely on the strength of her arm, its power was enough to shatter walls. Astra’s muscles bulged.
Luther turned his head belatedly. The tip of the javelin entered his sight.
[Get lost!]
At that moment, Integra shouted. An electric shock, emitted from Astra’s blind spot, enveloped her entire body.
“Kraack?!”
Astra’s muscles stiffened from the sudden electric shock, and she fell, frozen in the posture of throwing the javelin.
Luther turned completely towards Astra and fired a barrage of energy blasts.
However, Astra, as if completely unaffected by the shock, rolled her body and dodged the blue energy projectiles.
And this was exactly what Luther had intended. Leaping towards the direction Astra had rolled, Luther kicked her side as if pushing her away.
-Thud!
This time, unable to dodge or block, Astra’s massive body was flung out of the mansion like a ball.
[Master! Astra’s life reaction is maximizing!]
Integra’s words were true. An intense light emanated from Astra, who had been flung into the air, and then a tremendous roar shook the atmosphere.
“Kraaaaaaaaa!”
Dragon Fear enveloped the surroundings.
Luther gritted his teeth and focused his mind. Amidst the fading light, he saw a red giant soaring high into the sky.
Astra, the Wyvern.
Her body itself was much smaller than Balboa’s, but her enormous wings erased that thought.
[Master! Dodge!]
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
Long, black javelins rained down like a shower.
Luther threw himself out of the mansion to avoid the attack and simultaneously located Astra through the drone’s shared vision.
The dark red Wyvern.
Unlike the Antagoras, with only one pair of wings and two legs, she had four legs, one pair of wings, and two horns. She glared at Luther, who rolled on the garden floor to break his fall, and shouted once again.
“Kiaaa!”
It wasn’t just a simple roar. One of the Antagoras attacking Annerose and the guards turned its head towards Luther, and the Cateradons and Rumblons roaming the ground did the same.
[They’re coming!]
Luther held his breath. Astra, Balboa’s lover, had a volatile temper, but she wasn’t foolish. She clearly intended to create an opening using her subordinates instead of landing on the ground and engaging in close combat with him herself.
-Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Luther fired a barrage of energy blasts to stop the Cateradons’ charge and simultaneously set the garden ablaze with the flamethrower, creating a momentary wall of fire.
However, the flames on the ground couldn’t stop the Antagoras in the sky.
“Kia!”
An Antagoras swooped down, targeting Luther.
Having lost time stopping the young dragons on the ground, Luther couldn’t choose the option of throwing his sword to cut the Antagoras’s wings like before.
Therefore, there was only one option available.
Luther and the Antagoras intersected. Or rather, the moment the Antagoras touched down, Luther, soaring high, leaped over the Antagoras’s head and landed on its back.
“Kaack!”
Noticing Luther climbing onto its back, the Antagoras soared high into the sky and thrashed its body.
Luther held onto its neck and endured, and Astra spotted him. For her, the important thing was killing Luther, not the life of an Antagoras.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
Black javelins, formed under Astra’s wings, rained down on Luther with loud roars.
However, instead of flinching, Luther accelerated. Using the Antagoras’s thrashing, he leaped higher, and the black javelins, passing beneath his feet, pierced the unfortunate Antagoras instead.
“Kiiiiiaaaack!”
The Antagoras plummeted with a miserable scream.
But Astra didn’t care. On the contrary, a deep smile spread across her face.
Airborne.
Luther had leaped high to avoid the javelins, but that was it. He didn’t have wings, and in the air, he was inevitably vulnerable.
She would kill him. Tear him to shreds.
Astra, flapping her wings powerfully, charged towards Luther.
Integra counted as she watched Astra, and Luther twisted his body sharply in midair.
-Whoosh!
Flames erupted from the nanosuit’s backpack. Propelled upwards momentarily, Luther leaped over Astra’s head and slid down her neck.
“Insolent wretch!”
Astra roared at Luther, who dared to climb onto her back. She flapped her wings once more, soaring high, and then rotated her body, attempting to throw Luther off.
But Luther was faster. Before Astra could twist her body, he kicked off her back and leaped again, now looking down at Astra from high above.
Astra glared at Luther and gathered her dragon energy. It was to unleash the strongest weapon of dragons—the Breath Weapon.
Luther looked at Astra. Feeling the dizzying height and the furiously blowing wind, he extended his right arm.
“Integra!”
[Combine sequence!]
[System all green!]
The backpack on Luther’s back shot upwards. Combining with Integra’s drone, it then joined with Luther’s right arm, forming a giant barrel.
His left arm supported the barrel. The muzzle aimed at Astra.
Integra’s trump card. A recreation of the strike that had repelled Balboa!
The pure white barrel was enveloped in a blue light. Blue lines covered not only the barrel but Luther’s entire body, and the two aiming points in his vision merged into one.
And at that moment, the Dragon Heart located in Luther’s chest emitted a fierce light, imbuing Luther’s barrel with dragon power.
At that moment, Astra opened her mouth wide.
Her gaze clashed with Luther’s, and the energy of the two dragons unleashed a terrifying power.
“Integra!”
[Energy charge 100% complete!]
[Buster Cannon! Firing!]
Light.
And a flash!
-Kaboom!
A deafening roar warped the atmosphere. A blue flash pierced the darkness and charged forward.
At its end was Astra’s open mouth.
The pillar of light swallowed Astra’s scream.
—–CROW—–
[T/N: Dragonmancers or Dragon Summoner which one sounds better?]