Chapter 231: Dragon of Radiance
Evaluating great figures of a nation objectively within that nation was difficult. Because of this, there had been discussions about whether Madman Toolbo was indeed a great inventor just like the Platys stated within the Empire, and especially in the Fabirang imperial territory.
While it was true that Toolbo had produced numerous inventions, many of these inventions lacked value, and there had been discussions suggesting that Toolbo himself might not have possessed superior engineering knowledge.
However, contrary to outsiders' perspectives, the people of the Empire, specifically the Platys of Fabirang imperial territory, had known Toolbo well. Many of the inventions credited to Toolbo had originated from his ideas, but were technically imperfect, and other technicians of other species had refined and completed them.
Yet Toolbo was a beloved figure. The future Toolbo had aspired was beautiful, and he had wanted to bring happiness to people. Toolbo, the eighth apostle of the Pantheon, represented all engineers and technicians, and the Empire's engineers and technicians had no complaints about being represented by a Platy with goggles. Therefore, Toolbo possessed the ability of the Great Invention, which allowed him to create anything he desired.
"Turn! Hop No. 3!"
In the air, Hop No. 3's drill spun fiercely.
Whirrrr…!
Hop No. 3 plunged its drill head directly into the lower part of the command ship of the Union Kingdom's fourth fleet. Facing the tremendous torque that could turn even solid rock into rubble, wooden airships would simply turn to dust.
"Two lower turrets destroyed!"
"The hull has been pierced!"
"From the holes in the ship, supplies are…!"
Panicked voices came from the command ship's communication center.
The admiral, in shock, said, "Enough damage reports! First, find out where that mad Platy is!"
However, contrary to the admiral's expectations, the answer to their demand did not come from the communication center, but from the observer next to them.
"S…something from under the deck…!"
Before the observer could finish, the drill appeared.
The drill tore through the wooden deck as if devouring it, and Hop No. 3 revealed itself, placing one of its massive hind legs on the deck.
A staff officer beside them said, "We need to evacuate!"
"Darn it…!"
The command center attempted to hurriedly move out, but Toolbo, still holding the parabolic reflector, detected the command center's movement.
"Jump up! Hop No. 3!"
Right after Toolbo decided the direction, he pushed the lever as hard as he could.
The powerful output from the legs of Hop No. 3 made the massive airship, with a load capacity of 60 tons, shake heavily. While the command Toolbo made was a simple jump, Hop No. 3 firmly stomped on the solid deck and essentially shot up. A straight trajectory, without forming a parabola, sharply pierced the bridge of the command ship.
Through the lenses of his goggles, Toolbo observed the darkness as he shattered the bridge, the bright light as Hop No. 3's drill pierced the hull, and the clearness of sunlight pouring from above the dispersed clouds soon after.
Then, at the peak of Hop No. 3's arc, Toolbo looked at the command ship. The burning command ship was clearly falling.
"As expected, the Hop robot was the answer!"
While there were various methods to counter the airships, Toolbo believed that simply removing helium from the airship's hull would easily defeat them. Therefore, he modified the Hop robot, which was initially designed for excavation, by reducing its weight and significantly enhancing its leaping ability.
‘Alright, then…’
Then a thought struck Toolbo.
"...Huh?"
Hop No. 3 was in mid-air. After passing its peak, Hop No. 3 began to slowly descend, then accelerated.
"Aaahhhh!"
Toolbo screamed as he and Hop No. 3 plummeted. However, they didn’t fall for long. Toolbo saw a blue flame and heard a rattle.
-What are you doing?
"Aruna!"
The Phoenix Aruna held one of Hop No. 3's legs and began to circle slowly.
The airships, trying to capture Aruna as it flew above them, circled and sent soldiers up from their decks, but all their attempts were slow and clumsy.
Aruna said.
-I have a matter to attend to.
"Are you trying to…get out of all this?"
-No.
"Oh, well... But as far as I know, birds excrete while flying..."
Without a word, Aruna hovered and shook Hop No. 3. Toolbo, who became dizzy, gagged.
-Now's not the time for jokes, Toolbo.
"...It wasn't a joke, but what's the matter?"
-They wouldn't have sent an airship fleet without any protection.
"Huh? But currently, I don't see any guardians or apostles..."
-They're there. I just diverted them for a moment… Here they come.
Aruna flew fast.
A beam of light cut through the clouds, aiming for where Aruna had been.
The intense heat heated the air, and even Toolbo was able to feel it.
"That's...."
Toolbo removed his goggles and looked beyond the clouds.
The creature was long. However, due to its serpent-like motion through the air, its exact length was hard to gauge at first glance. But it was well known—not only in the Union Kingdom, which it belonged to, but also in the Empire and even to the Pantheon.
Its body spanned just under 500 meters. At first glance, it resembled a snake. However, slightly below its head were front legs, and around the middle of its body were a pair of hind legs. Its tail was incredibly long, accounting for about half its total length. Its entire body was covered in pale green scales, and it had amber eyes with a bright yellow hue. On its head, it had various branching horns. In one of its front claws, it held a massive crystal inscribed with layers of magical symbols.
It was the third apostle of the Angry One, and a traitor among the Dragons.
"Is that Laitla of Radiance?"
Aruna murmured.
-I planned to join you immediately after being transported by Night Sky, but I saw that creature from afar. I decided it would be more advantageous to buy some time.
"...Damn."
The Empire's late capturing of the divine beast Aruna was in fact a response to the Union Kingdom's acquisition of Laitla. Contrary to Sung-Woon’s belief that it was hard to find Dragons, there were quite a few Dragons on this land. Many of these Dragons from the second continent tried to block the Angry One, but failed. However, it wasn't because the Dragons were weak.
A Dragon was enticed by the power and strength shown by the Angry One, Hegemonia, and this Dragon betrayed its kin and became an apostle of the Union Kingdom.
That didn't mean Laitla was the weakest among Dragons. Laitla was the third apostle, but excluding the Angry One herself and Salkait, it was regarded as the strongest. Given that it flew in the sky and used breath magic, with the current level of technology, there was no way to counter it from the ground, and therefore it was perceived as an enemy that had to be faced with more caution than Salkait.
'That's why he sent three of us.'
Aruna looked at Laitla and made the blue flames flare brilliantly.
-Toolbo, there's no need to worry.
"Pardon?"
-From what Night Sky said, our goal is to stop this Union Kingdom fleet, not to stop that creature.
"Oh, right."
-I'll buy us some time. In the meantime, destroy the fleet.
"Understood!"
With that, Aruna hurled Hop No. 3rd downward. Aruna had thrown Toolbo at the airship right below, and Toolbo activated the drill and pierced through the envelope.
'This isn't good.'
Aruna knew that, in reality, it was weaker than Laitla. In terms of physical strength, the size difference was evident, and Laitla’s breath magic was considered stronger than that of any Dragon seen before. There were other apostles better suited to face Laitla.
'Lakrak, Redin, and even Keiju would have been better candidates than the three of us here...'
Of course, Aruna understood Night Sky's intentions. The goal was not to defeat Laitla, but to block the fleet.
'This isn't a good place for a decisive battle.'
If anyone were to critically injure Laitla, the Angry One would certainly not stand idly by. She would send other creations and apostles to save Laitla at any cost, and the Pantheon would do the same. The gods referred to such intensified, all-out battles as decisive battles.
'Yes, as long as I hit and run well...'
Thinking this, Aruna, who attempted to circle by Laitla’s side, heard Laitla's voice.
-You seem lost in thought, Sparrow.
-Ha, I was just thinking where to begin eating your head.
-Hmph
Laitla was easily caught in Aruna’s provocation, but Aruna wondered if provoking it had been wise as Laitla began to spit out a breath spell immediately. It was a beam of light shot at the speed of light, and one had to anticipate it to dodge.
-Damn it!
Of the consecutives shots, the third hit the tip of Aruna’s wing directly, making Aruna wobble. Laitla didn't miss this chance.
-Die.
A beam from Laitla's mouth struck Aruna's head.
-....
There was a moment of silence as the headless Aruna plummeted.
Penetrating several layers of clouds, Laitla kept looking at Aruna’s falling body with fading flames.
Laitla murmured.
-...Annoying one.
With that, a blue flame rose from the clouds.
-Try and kill me as many times as you want!
The resurrected Phoenix exclaimed.
-For I am truly immortal!
***
"Shit, is that Laitla?"
From the bridge, made a mess by Toolbo tearing apart all sorts of machine parts, the sixth apostle of the Pantheon, Obin Mabru, watched the battle between Laitla and Aruna through a telescope.
"You’ve made something interesting again this time, Toolbo.”
Toolbo was hopping between airships and destroying everything. The command ship had already collapsed, so the command line also broke down. Only now were the airships widening their distance, but that wasn't enough.
'But they aren't entirely brainless.'
Though being attacked recklessly by Toolbo, the fleet's goal wasn't to attack with the fleet itself.
'More importantly, their role is likely to escort the transport ships.'
The transport ships were distancing themselves considerably so that Hop No. 3 wouldn't reach them.
'Considering it now seems difficult for Toolbo's robot to reach them with its leaps, and Aruna seems preoccupied fighting Laitla...I should handle it.'
Obin observed the bridge. Though almost nothing remained to control the airship, paradoxically, it made it easier for Obin to find what they sought.
'Even though flying the airship isn't possible, there must be a way on the bridge to control the Sky Eels that pull the ship.'
Obin knew that creations like the Sky Eels, which the gods produced in bulk, had little intelligence so that they could be made easily.
When Obin pulled a lever from the floor, they noticed the rope tied to the Sky Eel turn sharply to the left.
'Ah, it's like reins for a horse.'
Although it was Obin’s first time doing this, due to tales of their skillfulness in any situation, Obin adapted quickly. After aligning the direction, Obin carried the all-purpose military bag on their back and walked onto the half-demolished deck.
"I’ll give you a good gift.”
The wartime hero of the Empire, known as the most wicked in the Union Kingdom, began to recreate the feats that made them infamous.
***
At the same time, on the bridge of the targeted transport ship, they also saw Obin.
"There's an occupied airship approaching from the front; identification is yet to be confirmed."
"Then are Toolbo and Aruna the only enemy apostles?"
"N…no, there's someone else."
"Who?"
"One confirmed passenger..."
The lookout shouted, "...It's the Bombing Horse, Obin!"
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