🟠Chapter 71:
🟧 Takeru's POV:
The body of the bird Mirai had summoned began to go limp, paralyzed by the poison of Number Four. We started falling. We were way too high above the ground—there was no way I would survive this.
I couldn't do anything useful in this state, nor did I have the time. Things got worse when Prince Elithius was taken away from us after Number Four used her ability to snatch him.
I glanced at Mirai to see if she could do something. She seemed focused on something on the ground.
"Are you thinking about saving us?" I asked.
"No… I'm just looking down."
"Are you serious? Do something, or we'll be crushed!"
As we drew closer to the ground, she smiled and pointed at something.
"Okay, I found two objects to swap us with… Swap Ray."
Beams shot from her hand toward two stones below, and she pointed her other hand toward me, firing the same beam. The next moment, I found myself on the ground where one of the stones had been. She did the same for herself, saving us from a deadly fall.
Number Four took Prince Elithius and flew away on her bird toward the palace. She had actually managed it. Reaching the palace this way would definitely be a problem. Mirai checked her bird, now completely immobilized.
I went to see for myself. The bird's body was entirely still. Number Four's poison paralyzed it, Its endurance was weaker than Haizen's… this was insane.
Mirai extended her hand toward the bird, and it vanished, leaving behind a mist. She probably returned it to its homeland. I asked her where she had summoned it from.
"Where did you summon this creature from?"
"From the land of Zôo."
The land of Zôo! The same place the old man had spoken of, the one who had transferred my consciousness into a rooster. So that place really exists. I wondered if she could summon more from there:
"Can you summon other birds from there?"
"This is the only bird I can summon from there. The others aren't birds."
So we'd have to walk to the palace. If Haizen found out I had lost the prince, he wouldn't be happy.
At that moment, a deafening scream echoed across the capital.
Windows shattered, and everyone collapsed to the ground in terror. Even though I covered my ears, the sound still tore at my eardrums.
I asked the system to make me earplugs:
"System, do something. Make me earplugs."
[Give me a moment.]
I waited, and finally, they were made.
[Earplugs ready.]
I put them on. The sound didn't disappear entirely, but it was at least weaker. Mirai didn't have them yet.
"System, what about Mirai?"
[I know, you fool. I'm making them now.]
I looked at Mirai—she was trying to plug her ears with stones to block the sound. The system finished making the second pair.
[Earplugs ready.]
I gave them to her, and now the sound disappeared completely. It had become useless.
Everyone was trembling—both the gang members and the civilians. Mirai stood trembling too. She thought for a moment and said:
"This sound can't be from a human."
"You're right. It must be from some monster or abnormal creature."
"Whhaaat did you say? I can't hear, but I think it's a monster or abnormal creature."
"That's what I said, you idiot."
"Who are you calling an idiot, you fool?"
"Why did you hear that word so well?"
"What do you mean by saying I fear this world?"
Ugh, there's no reasoning with her like this. I pointed toward the palace, signaling we should move.
She looked at me in surprise:
"Can't you just say it? Let's go to the palace."
This girl was going to drive me insane. We started running toward the palace. Gang members tried to block our path, but I fired explosive bullets at them.
As we approached, we noticed something above—a large flock of dragons heading toward the capital.
It was a breathtaking sight. In the midst of the gang's chaos and the palace's defense, this appeared?!
The world was becoming even more fantastical. Only one creature I knew could have caused this… Ryo.
🟧 Narrator's POV:
After Number Two's defeat, Ryo and Prince Elnar headed toward the palace. They saw a flock of dragons approaching the capital. For Elnar, the scene was beyond words.
Ryo, however, remained calm as he observed them. Elnar tried to connect the previous events to the flock's appearance.
Ryo's transformation and his roar… he felt these events were connected to the arrival of the dragons. To confirm, he asked Ryo:
"Ryo, could you be the reason these dragons appeared?"
Ryo wasn't surprised Elnar noticed. He had expected this:
"The least you could do, Your Highness. Yes, I am the reason."
One of the dragons—the flock leader—approached Ryo after noticing him, asking why he had called them:
"As I expected, the roar came from you... the Dragon of King Orik. I had a bad feeling about what was happening here, so I gathered these dragons."
"The capital is under attack by a gang called the Numbers, as you can see below. I want you to eliminate every gang member threatening civilian lives."
"Understood. The difference between ordinary citizens and gang members is clear… What about you?"
"I'll handle what's happening in the palace."
"Then this will be your final task."
Ryo nodded silently. The flock leader understood and announced to the other dragons:
"Listen! Our mission is to eliminate all rebels in the capital. Anyone threatening civilian lives—take them out."
The dragons immediately set off to carry out the orders. Gang members who saw the dragons approaching from above began to flee. Even the civilians were terrified, although the dragons weren't targeting them.
Ryo continued toward the palace. Meanwhile, Elnar asked about Ryo's conversation with the dragons:
"Ryo, can you explain? Since when could you summon dragons like this? And what did they mean by 'your final task'?"
Ryo hesitated but kept his answer simple:
"Your Highness, you'll understand everything in time."
Ryo glanced at Elnar while flying. The prince was bleeding again. Ryo panicked, even though Elnar hadn't been hit in the heart during the battle with Number Two.
He was severely injured, and his body could no longer withstand much more.
While Ryo tried to figure out a solution, he noticed a boy and girl running below. He immediately recognized the boy… it was Takeru.