Volume 4 Chapter 87 Interception Battle at Dawn ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Flying counter-clockwise around Underworld Island ¹ on my “Chin-Chin” mount, the sheer scale of the place finally hit me. To the north, just as Rou had reported, a jagged rocky mountain range ran like a spine from end to end, creating a brutal, unforgiving slope. As I banked around the peaks, I saw snow clinging to the black ridges, looking for all the world like the whipped cream Robert used to dollop onto his coffee-bean pancakes.
Down by the shoreline, the air bit at me. My breath, invisible a moment ago, now bloomed into thick, pale ghosts. The temperature shift between the altitudes was jarring. Black, inorganic stone set against the stark white of the lingering snow, framed by the infinite blue of the sea and sky – it was a landscape that demanded a certain kind of awe.
Tactically speaking, the terrain was a godsend. There were almost no viable landing spots for human troops, meaning our actual defensive perimeter was much smaller than the map suggested. Still, on paper, we had to protect twenty kilometers of coastline to the west-northwest and another twenty to the north. Leprobus and his crew were busy sowing the beaches with pitfalls and blast-mines, but there was no way they’d finish in time.
I wondered if Rita could just use her magic to open up some holes. Then again, it was hard to imagine an elite Warrior Monk ² being taken out by a three-foot pit. Still, better to dig a few than to sit on my hands – every little bit of “pissing in the wind” helped when a storm was coming.
The capital, Phoenicia, lay to the southwest. I expected the enemy fleet to hit our latitude and then drive straight east. Unless they were smart enough to send a flanking unit to hit me and Kian from the rear, the southwestern sector held by Aliona was going to be the meat-grinder.
Kian and Rita landed on the west-northwest coast, and we decided to split up for ten minutes. Rita needed to change into the gear Talia had whipped up for her, and Kian had to radio Aliona to confirm we were in position. As Rita disappeared behind a massive boulder on the black sand beach, Kian pulled out his bird-shaped golem.
”Ms. Aliona, can you hear me?” Kian asked.
”Loud and clear,” her voice crackled back. “You’re in position?”
”Yeah,” Kian replied.
”Good. Start sowing those barrier seeds I gave you. Stay clear of the surf, though – my barriers don’t play well with salt water,” Aliona said.
”Got it. I’ll dig a few traps while I’m at it,” Kian said.
”Do it. And Kian?” Aliona asked.
”Yeah?”
Aliona’s voice drifted in and out, the sound of her own preparations echoing in the background. Kian stole a glance toward the rock where Rita was stripping down.
”About Rita… do you sense anything? Any mental hooks from the enemy?” Kian asked. “Talia’s worried she doesn’t understand beastman psychology well enough to spot a deep-cover suggestion.”
”I’m a mage, Kian, not a psychiatrist,” Aliona sighed. “Mental manipulation is a specialty. You need years of sample data to spot a professional job. That’s why we have Seers and Dream-weavers.”
”So you can’t tell if she’s been compromised?” Kian asked.
”Not without getting messy. I could dismantle her mind if I had to, but that’s curse-tier magic. Mental contamination is a one-way trip to becoming a vegetable,” Aliona said. She paused, the sound of stone-grinding filling the silence. “Talia mentioned Circe’s apprentice used elixirs and light suggestion on the girl earlier. I can do that much, but it only scratches the surface. If she’s a high-value sleeper agent with professional memory-seals? I’d have to break her into pieces to find the truth.”
Kian winced. If he turned Rita into a mindless doll, she’d be useless as a mercenary. It was a lose-lose situation. For now, he’d just have to watch her. That old tiger-bearded bastard, Nizaam… if he planted a spy, he wouldn’t leave the seams showing.
”Whatever,” Aliona said, her voice turning cold. “Just use her until she breaks on the front lines. It’s not like they can trigger her in the heat of battle, and if she turns? You’re geared in Silver Ice ³, Kian. You could cut her down before she even realized she’d betrayed you.”
”I know,” Kian said. He wasn’t lying. Silver Ice was impenetrable. An unarmed Rita, as fast as she was, couldn’t touch him.
”Good. Now get to work. I’ve got reefs to harden,” Aliona said.
The golem went cold just as Rita stepped out from behind the boulder. Kian breathed out a sharp “Oh…”
She was wearing sturdy, ankle-high leather boots and the same high-spec black tights Talia favored – gear that was as much armor as it was clothing. But then there was the skirt. A white mini, cut ten centimeters above the knee. It was a bit more modest than Talia’s usual indigo number, but the way the black lace peeked from the hem and the fabric flared out gave her an aura of “innocent girl” that was somehow ten times more erotic than being naked.
The belt didn’t sit at her waist; it was cinched right under her bust, a design choice clearly intended to ruin Kian’s self-control. Talia had definitely spent her time as a spirit-arm inhabitant researching his specific brands of degeneracy. Because Rita was smaller-chested than Lyritisse, the under-bust belt looked perfect on her. She was in a sleeveless, vertical-ribbed white shirt that clung to every curve. High neck, but totally open at the shoulders and armpits. It was a masterpiece of polite filth. Every time she moved, the ribbing highlighted the soft swell of her breasts – modest, like Serena’s, but intoxicating.
She was seventeen. The green fruit stage. After a century-old elf and a twenty-two-year-old in a stranger’s body, returning to a teenage beauty felt like coming home.
”Sorry to keep you, Lord Kian,” Rita said, checking her footing. She pinched the skirt, lifting it high enough to show a dangerous amount of thigh meat. “At least I don’t have to worry about catching a breeze in these tights.”
”Tights aren’t underwear, so you’re good,” Kian said. His eyes were practically glued to the soft folds of skin in her armpits as she moved. He had a sudden, vivid mental image of her kneading bread dough right there after a workout – the perfect mix of salt and sweat. He could feel his dick standing at attention just thinking about it.
”Are you going to make these standard issue for Merchant Guild Kian?” Rita asked with a smirk, her fox tail flicking out from the back of the skirt. She pulled on black leather gloves, completing the monochrome look. She looked like a winter goddess – white hair, white ears, white tail, all accented by the sharp black of her gear. And she smelled incredible.
”What about the jacket the Knights gave you?” Kian asked, trying to sound professional. “Are you going to fight in that… armpit-exposing look?”
”My armpits?” She blinked, confused. “Oh, the jacket’s coming on. It’s freezing. But it’s too stiff to wear properly – I need my range of motion for the spear. I’ll wear it like a shawl, draped off the shoulders.”
”So… the jacket stays on, but the armpits stay visible. Understood,” Kian muttered.
”You’re weirdly focused on my pits, Kian,” Rita said. “But you’re right – freedom of movement is the foundation of spear-work. I’m glad you haven’t forgotten the basics.”
”Yeah. Basics,” Kian said.
Rita pulled a white ribbon from her pocket. She put it between her lips – glossy and pink – and reached back to gather her hair. As her elbows went up, the muscles in her back and shoulders shifted under that tight ribbed fabric. She tied it into a high ponytail, exposing the nape of her neck.
”Better,” she said, testing her new boots. “These are great. Better than the military boots from the Order of the Lightning Knights. I can actually feel the ground.”
”Your legs look great in them,” Kian noted. “The tights really highlight the line.”
”I always thought my legs were too thick,” Rita admitted, looking down. “I used to only wear long skirts. But with these… I don’t mind as much.”
Thick? No. They’re healthy. Thick is a god-tier trait, Kian thought.
”I noticed the leather strap on your right thigh,” Kian said. “It’s making the skin bulge a little over the tights.”
”Elixir holder. I’m a witch, remember? Circe and Medea taught me well,” Rita said. “I can use scents to buff allies or mend minds. I’ll be using them today.”
Her tail gave another flick. Kian felt his inner hunter growling. He wanted to grab that fluff and – No. Be a gentleman. Focus.
”No sword?” Kian asked.
”I’m sticking with the short spear. It’s been my partner for three years,” Rita said. She pulled the spear from the sand. It was a shop-bought piece, but she’d sell-sworded her way to the best one available, complete with ‘Durability’ and ‘Blood-Repelling’ runes.
”If that’s what you’re comfortable with,” Kian said.
”I have to. If I draw that curved sword… I’m afraid something inside me will snap,” Rita whispered. “I told you – the old man’s voice. It tells me to let the blade drink. It tells me to kill.”
”Rita, listen to me. You’re likely under a deep-seated suggestion from your old master. Nizaam,⁴” Kian said.
”I told you, I don’t know that name,” Rita replied.
”You might not, but your body does. Your footwork, your training – it all screams Azrael ⁵. You might be a sleeper agent, Rita. I’m not saying you’re doing it on purpose, but you’re a walking question mark,” Kian said.
”Fine,” Rita said, her yellow eyes hardening. “Then use me on the front line. If I turn, kill me. You can do it, right?”
”That’s a shitty way to look at it,” Kian countered, stepping close until they were eye-to-eye. “You’re seventeen. You’re talented. Don’t throw your life away because of some old ghost. If I’d had your talent at your age, my life would’ve been very different. Giving up now is just a waste.”
”I…” She looked lost.
”Tell you what. If you’re so intent on dying, give your life to me instead. Be my Head Magician. Support me in public – and in private,” Kian said.
”In private!?” Rita asked.
”Every sense of the word,” Kian said.
Rita stared at him, then her gaze softened into something Kian had never seen before – genuine warmth. “I see. No wonder you have so many powerful women following you.”
Actually, it’s the Magic Sword Dick, Kian thought.
”I’m glad you came to Crete, Lord Kian. Thank you,” Rita said. “If we survive this, take me to this Linca person you mentioned. If she can kill the voice in my head, I’ll give you anything you want in return.”
”Careful with ‘anything,’ Rita. If I told you to join my harem as my wife, would you?” Kian asked.
”I don’t have anywhere else to go. Why not?” Rita replied. “Though why you’d want a rough beast like me in your bed, I have no idea.”
”I’m dead serious,” Kian said.
”Hah! Well, you’ve already got Ms. Talia. And Aliona… she’s an elf, but she looks human enough to bear you heirs,” Rita said.
”She’s already one of my wives,” Kian answered.
Rita nodded, as if that explained everything.
”Enough talk,” Rita said, gripping her spear. “Let’s dig some holes. The deep, nasty kind the Lightning Knights use.”
* * *
The rest of the day was a blur of manual labor. Rita dug over twenty pits and camouflaged them perfectly while Kian sowed the barrier seeds. They grabbed a quick meal, sparred to keep the blood flowing, and then went back to it. That night, they crashed in the same shelter, but Kian’s “problem” was acting up so much he had to get up and practice his forms just to burn off the energy.
”Kian!” Aliona’s voice exploded from the bird golem.
Kian stopped mid-swing, sweat pouring off him. “What is it?”
”Enemy contact! My sea-turtles just hit the fleet!” Aliona shouted.
”Finally!” Kian yelled.
”Talia hasn’t spotted them yet, but if Phoenicia is here, the Azrael Army from Cyclops won’t be far behind. Wake Rita! Now! Combat stations!” Aliona ordered.
Rita was already out of the shelter, her fox-eared hood pulled low. She threw it back, her expression grim. “My familiars caught them too. I’ve got lizards mimicking the rocks along the coast.”
She pointed to the west-northwest. “Aliona’s going to sink the ships. We’re the cleanup crew for anyone who makes it to the beach, right?”
”Right,” Kian said.
”Then let’s move,” Rita said.
They scrambled up to the roof of the lookout hut. The horizon was just beginning to bleed gray-white, but there were no ships yet. The silence was agonizing.
”I hear them,” Rita whispered, her ears twitching. “The sound of hulls grinding against the reef.”
”We’ve put in the work,” Kian said, chewing on a piece of dried meat. “You want some?”
”No. If I get gutted, food makes it harder to heal. Just water,” Rita said. She knelt on the roof, spear across her lap, and closed her eyes.
Thirty minutes later, Talia’s golem came screaming over the ridge.
”Kian! They’re here!” Talia cried.
”Yeah, we know,” Kian said.
”No, you don’t understand! It’s a nightmare! There are over a hundred flying monsters in the air!” Talia shouted.
”What?” Kian’s stomach dropped. Dragonflies ⁶ were supposed to be rare. Rou said Shidarkan couldn’t mass-produce them.
”I count a hundred and thirty! They’re blinking in and out of sight – I can’t get a lock! And the capital ships are hitting the horizon now!” Talia screamed.
Rita stood up, the butt of her spear clicking against the roof. “No shortage of targets, then.”
”Talia, focus on the ships! We’ll handle the dragonflies!” Kian yelled.
”Forget about me! They’re heading for Aliona!” Talia screamed. Her voice was strained, the sound of magic casting beginning in the background. “Seventy of them just banked toward her position! They’ve already scouted her out – they must have seen the beetle golems!”
Kian stood stunned for a moment. Shidarkan’s playing us. He’s got eyes on the whole damn board. To drop seventy elite warrior monks directly onto a mage’s head… it was a death sentence.
”If Aliona goes down, the Phoenician fleet will swarm the island!” Talia screamed. “Rou and Leprobus won’t stand a chance! Get to the southwest! Protect her!”
”On it!” Kian shouted.
Kian and Rita vaulted off the roof. Kian went into a full-tilt sprint, but Rita didn’t just run – she moved in these strange, silent hops, keeping pace with him effortlessly. It was a predator’s gait.
”Kian! Right side!” Rita barked.
He looked. Dozens of black shadows were skimming across the water at impossible speeds, using ‘Domain’ leaps ⁷ to bypass the surf. They looked like fleas jumping across a pond, but they were moving faster than a galloping horse. Kian slid to a halt, bracing himself. He had to.
From the brightening horizon, shadows began to fall from the sky. The memory of the bald, failed monks from the snow mountains flashed through Kian’s mind.
Magic, activate.
Rock sword, refined.
Imbue: Impact ⁸.
He thrust his right hand forward, using his left to bat away a projectile. With a sharp clang, sparks flew. A second later, a black curved blade slammed into Kian’s Silver Ice gauntlet. Inches from his face, a dark-skinned man with the cold eyes of an Azraelian was grinning at him.
”Kian!” Rita shouted.
Rita’s spear flashed from the side. The monk kicked off Kian’s armor, back-flipping away just as the spear tip grazed his arm. He landed on the rocks, his blood stopping instantly as he cast a ‘Wall’ heal on himself.
”Tch. He’s good,” Rita said, backing into Kian. “They’re all masters. Watch for Secret Techniques.”
More monks in robes hit the sand, surrounding them in a perfect circle.
Good, Kian thought, testing his footing on the uneven rock. But they’re not Isthbaran.
”I’m going in,” Kian growled. “Cover me.”
”Go,” Rita whispered, and the air around her began to scream as her magic power flared.
—
Summary:
Kian and Rita prepare the coast of Underworld Island for an impending invasion by the Phoenician fleet and the Azrael Army. While setting traps, they discuss Rita’s potential mental conditioning by her former master, Nizaam. The chapter ends with a massive aerial assault of Dragonflies and a ground ambush by elite Azraelian monks.
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Character Insight:
Kian struggles between his tactical pragmatism and his growing protective feelings (and lust) for Rita. Rita shows a mix of martial confidence and deep existential fear regarding the ‘voice’ in her head that commands her to kill.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Dragonfly’ units represent a major escalation in Shidarkan’s industrial military capability, as they were previously thought to be rare and difficult to produce.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Leprobus – Rou’s comrade who sacrificed his chance to escape during a pirate raid by pushing Rou off in a small boat. He returned to the deck, sword in hand, to protect the others. Distinguished by his giant blood and burning red hair, marking him as more than human. He is released by Kian on Cyclops Island jail.【v4c23】.
• Talia – A high-ranking vampire spirit currently possessing the body of Lyritisse. In this form, she has flaxen hair, blue eyes, and thick lips.
• Nizaam – A former member of Azrael’s Twelve Divine Generals and the current head of the Malc family, though he has passed both titles to his daughter to return to the battlefield. He is a prominent warrior noble in Azrael, known for his love of beautiful boys and fierce battles.
• Serena – Wolfmen Girl
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Shidarkan – Gloomy, bearded son-in-law of the Malc family (Flora’s clan); once a modest Malc magician, ordinary next to Shajar’s elites. Attends the Cyclops Island war council after losing his wife, Flora, and sisters-in-law in the northern base’s destruction. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: bereaved Malc son-in-law—sober, doubtful, and dim but dutiful.
• Nue – A Shikigami summoned by Linca. It has the appearance of a monster with a tiger’s limbs and a monkey’s head. Nue is a powerful but dangerous creature that requires a skilled magician to control.
• Ryu – Linca’s little brother.
• Isthbaran – The High Warlord of the ‘Storm Herd.’
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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