Chapter 286 For Those We Must Protect
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Two Great Dragons held dominion over the firmament with an air of cold indifference. One, the calamitous broodmother Zil Meina¹ – also known as Ava Zil Meina. The other, the ancient sovereign of the southern forest, Ur Hamit – or Net Ur Hamit.
Emerging from the “Stampede”², the subjugation unit looked on, their eyes reflecting a sight that defied the laws of the natural world.
”It’s incredible… the sheer numbers…” one soldier whispered.
”Indeed. And likely half of them are her own spawn,” Popol Martin replied.
The Lesser Dragons they had just spent their lives tearing apart were mere scouts. Hovering around the two Great Dragons were others of their kind – some equal in size, some even larger – filling the sky until the sun itself was blotted out.
”So, if we just leave them be…” Satsuki muttered.
”She’ll continue to churn them out, one after another. Their numbers will only grow. And this next brood…” Popol Martin grimaced as he finished the thought.
The enemy was evolving in both quality and quantity, a tide of scales and fire poised to swallow the lands of men. It was a prophecy of utter despair. Until those beasts established a permanent nest, humanity would exist in a state of perpetual terror. “Stampedes” like the one they had just endured would ravage every corner of the continent as Lesser Dragons claimed the skies as their own.
And once that nest was built? A second, then a third Zil Meina would eventually take flight from its depths. Satsuki shuddered at the thought, only to be snapped back to reality by a sharp voice.
”Satsuki, please! You must stay still!”
”Ah… I – I’m sorry, Amelia,” Satsuki apologized.
Satsuki was currently under the care of Sister Amelia. She was being treated for severe burns caused by her Testicular Circuit³, which had reached critical temperatures after she had funneled a massive surge of mana through it. Marsetta, a senior mage who had suffered similar injuries, and Kushe, the mage from Coalmine, were also being tended to by the holy healers.
In moments like these, the Holy Arts⁴ of the clergy far outstripped the healing magic of the mages. From the legendary Descent of the Abyss to the present day, the Church had spent centuries perfecting the art of knitting flesh and bone; their experience was simply on another level. The Holy Arts had evolved out of a desperate, bloody necessity – designed to treat the most horrific battlefield traumas with miraculous speed.
Aside from the mages, the soldiers mangled in the Stampede were also being tended to. It was a stroke of divine luck that the subjugation force had managed to rendezvous with the Holy Labor Unit⁵.
”Oh… the ring…” Satsuki gasped.
”Wait… Oh, goodness. Has it fused to the skin? Should I remove it?” Amelia asked.
”No. Please, leave it be,” Satsuki insisted.
The ring Satsuki had received from Kento was now physically bonded to her charred skin. Amelia sighed, but she didn’t push. She focused her prayers on the area, continuing the treatment without disturbing the jewelry. Perhaps Amelia understood the weight of that ring, for she took great care to ensure it remained undisturbed. Satsuki knew it would likely need a thorough polishing later, but the Sister’s silent consideration warmed her heart more than the magic did.
Once the treatment was finished, Amelia took both of Satsuki’s hands in hers.
”It’s a bitter thing to admit, but we are all relying on you. If we try to fight them conventionally, the loss of life will be… immeasurable. And even then, I don’t believe we could win,” Amelia said softly.
”I know…” Satsuki replied.
Satsuki’s voice was hollow as she looked back toward the distant silhouette of Zil Meina. She understood her role. She knew the crushing weight of the effort that had brought her to this battlefield. And yet, the expectation weighed heavy.
”On that note, Satsuki… how do you read the situation?” Kushe asked.
Kushe had finished her own treatment and turned to Satsuki. Marsetta, meanwhile, was still being worked on; she had done something truly reckless, physically grappling with the cannon’s barrel during the heat of battle, and her recovery would take longer.
”How do I read it? What do you mean?” Satsuki asked.
”I mean, do you think the Ddo-Buddy Cannon⁶ actually has the teeth to bite through that thing?” Kushe questioned.
”Wh-what?! How can you say that…” Amelia interrupted.
It wasn’t Satsuki who reacted, but Amelia and the surrounding soldiers. Kushe’s tone made it sound as though their trump card, the Ddo-Buddy Cannon, was already a failure.
”If we can charge it to maximum capacity… I believe it’s possible,” Satsuki said, her expression tight.
Amelia and the others fell silent, trying to parse the nuance in her voice. If the Ddo-Buddy Cannon couldn’t bring the beast down, their entire strategy was a death march.
”I agree,” Kushe nodded. “But that’s assuming everything goes perfectly and our only target is Zil Meina.”
”Wait just a minute! Are you saying – !” Amelia started.
”Easy now, Sister. We’re mages, but we’re also researchers. We don’t deal in false hope. I want to walk through this logically,” Kushe said.
”I… I apologize. I’m just on edge,” Amelia muttered.
Kushe remained calm, soothing the frantic Amelia. She knew someone had to be the voice of cold reason. She had accepted that this was her burden to bear.
”It’s fine. Let’s start with the optimistic scenario. We begin maintenance on the Ddo-Buddy Cannon immediately – the poor thing was pushed way past its limits. We cool it down, verify the circuitry, and if we can manage a full mana-recharge, we assume one shot can pierce Zil Meina. Let’s call that a given for now.”
”And then?” one of the soldiers asked.
”Patience. Then we have Ur Hamit. He’ll be in a murderous rage the moment his mate falls. If we can lead him on a chase and manage to charge the cannon a second time, we should be able to take him down too. Essentially, a harder version of what we just pulled off,” Kushe explained.
”And here’s the real hurdle: once the two Great Dragons are dead, what happens to the swarm? In the best-case scenario, the Lesser Dragons lose their nerve and scatter. A few might try to peck at us, but we drive them off and everyone goes home. Happy ending. Right?” Kushe asked.
Amelia and the others were speechless. Even the optimistic version sounded like a miracle balanced on a needle’s point. A heavy, suffocating silence descended as the reality of their situation set in. But Kushe wasn’t finished.
”Now, for the worst-case scenario. Obviously, the cannon’s circuits might already be fried beyond repair. But give me enough time, and I’ll fix it. I’ll stay up all night if I have to, but I’ll make that gun roar. We fire at Zil Meina… but she’s massive. One shot might not be enough. We’ll have to dodge and weave, kiting a god-tier dragon while we try to land two or three more shots. I can guarantee we can kill her – it won’t be pretty, but it’s doable. The question is… what do we do after that?”
Without anyone noticing, the command staff had gathered. General Oromanso, the supreme commander; Mother Marian, head of the Holy Labor Unit; and Slop, the leader of the dog-beastman pack. They had heard the optimistic version. Now, Kushe’s final question was aimed directly at those with the power to decide.
”We are soldiers of this realm,” Oromanso growled. “Every moment those things stay in the air, the Kudoa territory bleeds. Towns are being erased as we speak. If we don’t stop them here, there won’t be a kingdom left to go home to.”
”Oh, I couldn’t agree more,” Mother Marian purred. “As a daughter of the Faith, I simply cannot allow such things to disturb the peace of my flock. They really must be put down.”
”I’m just a mercenary,” Slop added, sniffing the air. “But my nose tells me that if we run now, we just die tired. I’d rather go out with my teeth in someone’s throat. If we’re gonna die, let’s make it mean something.”
The soldiers nearby nodded, their fear replaced by a trembling resolve. Kushe realized she had been asking redundant questions, but she had one more thing to clarify.
”Well then. And what about you, Martin?” Kushe asked.
”It’s Count Popol to you,” Popol Martin snapped. “I only have one goal. My niece was just born. I’ll be damned if I let her grow up in a world where she has to look at the sky and wonder if she’s about to be eaten. That’s it.”
Just as Kushe intended, the faces of those they loved flickered in everyone’s minds. And to her own surprise, a face appeared in hers as well.
”Then the path is set,” Oromanso declared.
The decision was made. With a new, fierce determination, the leaders and their subordinates turned their gaze toward the Ddo-Buddy Cannon. It was no longer just a weapon; it was their only hope.
—
Trivia:
- Satsuki is burned specifically on her ‘Testicular Circuit’, a unique biological-magical organ.
- The ring on Satsuki’s finger is a gift from Kento and is currently fused to her skin.
- Ur Hamit is the sovereign of the Southern Forest, now allied with the evil Zil Meina.
- Kushe’s analysis suggests that killing the Great Dragons might not automatically stop the Lesser Dragon swarm.
- Martin’s primary motivation is a newly born niece
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Character Insight:
Satsuki demonstrates deep emotional attachment to Kento through her refusal to remove the fused ring. Kushe shifts from a detached researcher to a leader by forcing the group to face the ‘worst-case scenario’, showing she too has people she wants to protect.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Testicular Circuit’ (精巣回路) is a recurring element in this series’ adult-fantasy world-building, where magical circuits are tied to s*xual organs.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Martin – Lily’s non-blood-related younger brother. Considered the strongest candidate to succeed the Popol family due to his lineage and manifested ‘power. He has pink hair.
• Satsuki – A talented Court Mage who was forced to analyze the shop’s adult magic tools. Miranda’s granddaughter. Now she’s the new worker at Harvest, a development she finds both humiliating and surprisingly fulfilling due to the rapid progress in her research under Kento’s guidance. Has long black hair, palace mage robe, and staff.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Marsetta – A senior court mage and specialist in magical weaponry. She has disheveled hair tied back, wears glasses, and has deep dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. She hasn’t eaten in two days and is under heavy pressure to find a countermeasure for the enemy’s weapons.
• Kushe – The Chief Mage of the Coalmine Kingdom. She has dark green hair grown out haphazardly and wears a mage robe loosely over her shoulders. She has a blunt, informal, and somewhat insensitive personality, focused on her ‘thinking experiments.’
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Oromanso – A General serving as the assistant to Duke Roost. Bear beastman.
• Marian – A ‘Mother’ and supervisor from the Church of Demon-Subjugation. Her appearance and demeanor defy the Church’s purported ‘chastity,’ instead she has wavy purple long hair, busty, black nun, tear mole under eye, and monroe walk. She has arrived with a clear purpose: to confront Kento about the ‘Devil’s Stick.
• Slop – Leader of the hound-kin pack; Laika’s father. Has orange hair and fluffy tail.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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