https://re-library.com/translations/hero-king/Book 12: Chapter 489: 16 Year Old Inglis and The Two-Colored Dragon (3)

“Wha…!?”

“All of a sudden…!”

“Kyaaahhhh!?”

Even as she was surprised, Liselotte quickly took evasive action, while Meltina let out a scream and swung her whip-sword in a wide arc in front of her.

The blades of the whip-sword arranged themselves in a circular pattern, and between them, a water mirror formed by the power of her Gift appeared. Acting as a shield, it blocked and deflected the flying debris.

“Thank you so much! That saved me!”

“M-My body just moved on its own… I’m glad I could help.”

“It’s the result of your training, isn’t it? You’ve been working very hard, Meltina.”

“Th-Thank you…!”

To someone who, not long ago, had never touched a sword, being praised by a true knight like Liselotte was truly encouraging. It gave her a little confidence in herself.

“We’ll enter through there!”

Liselotte dove into the ship through the gaping hole in the hangar. Inside, a large number of knights were surrounding a single enemy.

It was a massive, round mass—half liquid in appearance. It had no mineral surface like a magic stone beast, nothing that looked like a body, just an amorphous blob.

“W-What is that…!?”

“Don’t get too close! It’s already taken down several people…!”

The knights appeared to be blocking the blob’s advance into the far end of the hangar.

“W-Whatever it is, protect me! For the Prime Minister to fall in a place like this would be a national loss! Do something, anything!!”

The trembling voice belonged to Prime Minister Rigriff. A male knight stood at his side as a bodyguard. Several knights from the Holy Knights stood at the front lines, defending the Prime Minister, who had been backed into a corner.

“This is… just as I thought!”

As Liselotte spoke, the blob morphed into a humanoid shape several times larger than a person. It had no face or expression, and its arms and legs were stubby and round.

“It’s a giant made from Mana Essence, like the ones General Maxwell controlled! It’s much smaller than the ones we saw in Illuminus, though…!”

“T-That’s Mana Essence…? Aah…”

If this being was born from the lives of those taken with her to Illuminus… how tragic their fate. They had been peaceful people, never opposed the kingdom of Charalia. And now, their lives and wills have been desecrated in this terrible way.

“In any case, we have to assist them!”

Liselotte tried to set Meltina and the unconscious Rochefort down near a safe wall.

“Meltina, take care of Instructor Rochefort…!”

But as soon as they landed, Liselotte faltered and fell to one knee.

“Ugh…!”

“Liselotte!? A-Are you okay!?”

Blood trickled from Liselotte’s right knee.

“Some debris must have caught me earlier. I wasn’t able to dodge it completely.”

“I’m so sorry! If I had done better…!”

“No, I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. But please, take care of Instructor Rochefort.”

“No—Liselotte, you stay with instructor Rochefort! I’ll help fight!”

Meltina couldn’t just let an injured Liselotte go into battle while she stayed safe.

As Meltina stepped forward to stop Liselotte, the Mana Essence giant swung its arm, attacking the Holy Knights.

Though they dodged with the skill expected of elites, the scattered materials inside the hangar tripped and hindered many of them, causing them to stumble.

The giant extended its other arm and grabbed several of the downed knights.

“Damn! Got careless!”

“We have to save them!”

“Go!”

The knights each unleashed the Gifts of their Artifacts to save their comrades.

But before the attacks could land—

“Ah…! Aaaaaaaah…!”

With a grotesque, crunching sound, the knight being held shriveled up and vanished, leaving only their clothes and Artifacts behind. The giant had absorbed them—and grown larger.

“I-It’s absorbing people… and getting bigger…!?”

The horrifying sight made Meltina tremble in fear.

“If it grabs you, it’s over! Spread out!”

“But it’s so cramped!”

“We can’t abandon the Prime Minister!”

“There’s a huge hole now! Let’s evacuate the Prime Minister and spread out!”

“Right! Prime Minister, please hurry outside!”

As the Holy Knights shouted, Rigriff’s aide nodded.

“Understood! Your Excellency, take a flygear to escape outside! Just a moment!” The aide ran toward the flygear storage. The other knights kept the Mana Essence giant distracted.

Then, from the opposite end of the hangar, a new figure appeared. With sword in hand, the figure darted past the giant and rushed between the Prime Minister and the Holy Knights.

“Oh! Echidna, you’re back!”

The Prime Minister looked relieved.

“Oh, just in time!”

“Please protect the Prime Minister!”

No one questioned her. On the battlefield, it wasn’t odd to draw your sword.

However— Without a word, Echidna rushed toward the Prime Minister and thrust her blade straight at him.

“Wha…!? What are you doing, Echidna!? Hiiiiiieeeee!!” The Prime Minister shrieked and tried to duck, but his bulky body made such nimbleness impossible.

Yet the sword never struck him. It was stopped, tangled by a glowing pale-blue whip: Meltina’s whip-sword, her Artifact

“I won’t let you!” While no one else had doubted the female knight, Meltina alone had remained suspicious and was able to act before anyone else.

“Ohhh! Well done, young lady…! Thank you!”

The Prime Minister crawled desperately toward Meltina. As he clung to her legs, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disgust.

“You’re doing great, Meltina! Keep her held!”

“Y-Yes!”

Liselotte tried to move again, pushing past the pain in her leg, but Meltina could no longer hold on. She was yanked forward with such force that she was thrown down.

“Kyah!? S-So strong…!”

It didn’t feel human. When Echidna swung the tangled sword, Meltina’s body was lifted off the ground and flung through the air, barely managing to hold onto her whip.

“Meltina!!”

“Noooooooo!!”

The Prime Minister, clinging to her, was flung away, directly toward the open hole in the wall.

That hole was the very one that had first opened. It might’ve been intentional.

“Ah…!? Prime Minister!?”

“I’ll get him!”

Liselotte reactivated her wings and caught the Prime Minister just as he was about to be thrown outside.

But now the problem was Meltina. Dragged forward, she was slammed to the floor in front of Echidna.

“Agh…!”

The shock almost made her pass out. Her whip-sword, which had bound Echidna’s blade, was shaken loose.

“Run, Meltina!!” At Liselotte’s shout, Meltina looked up, just in time to see Echidna raise her sword.

“…!”

But before the sword could strike—

“Echidna, YOU TRAITORRRRR!!”

A sword blade burst from Echidna’s chest, from behind.

“!?”

It was the Prime Minister’s other aide, a knight who had charged from behind and ran her through.

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