Chapter 90: (Self Edited) Decisive Battle in the Sky
The day of the decisive battle.
When I turned to the back, 28 Eagle Kings were flying in the sky in formation.The formation looked similar to the kanji character ‘へ’, and it was slanted on both sides with Stardust on top.
‘This is formation created by imitating what migratory birds do, and academically speaking, the load is reduced by using the wing end vortex created by the front bird. In fact, the effect is visible and the subsequent eagle fatigue is greatly reduced.’
‘However, on the other hand, the formation tends to expand compared to the dense formation, and there is also a drawback which is that communication isn’t possible.For that reason, I call this a cruising formation. The moment we reach the battlefield, I plan to change the ‘へ’ formation and changed the formation to a dense formation.’
When looking at the lower ground, it seemed that the battle was approaching.
From the frontline where the infantry of both armies collided, white firing smoke was already rising as if it was burning in the open.At the same time, the sound of a firecracker could be heard in low volume.The infantry might be shooting a gun in a line.
‘Was it too late?Even if we can make an energy-saving turn in the air, we can’t stay up here for ten hours.If we come here too early, it may be the time to go home when the battle is about to start.Perhaps, the timing is just right.’
‘However, what is this?’
‘It’s not fascinating as I expected.Ooh, the feeling of battle. If there is God in this world, it might be fun to see human conflicts like this.’
I wanted to see it forever, but I had something to do first.*Fweeet!*
I blew a whistle and raised the flag to signal.
The flagpole was a spear, and the flag was attached to a spear with a spike.
‘Actually, I didn’t want to bring a useless long item like this spear, but most of the opinions were that I should bring it as a minimum preparation because I was heading to the battlefield, so I accepted.’
When I changed the directions of the wings, as it had been discussed in the previous meeting, five eagles came along.Looking back, I saw Carol leading the group and smoothly reorganizing the formation to make up for the missing hole.
We, then, headed toward the rear of the enemy as it was.After passing further behind the battle line, there was the vacated main headquarters which was a few kilometers behind the line.
The aim was here.Everyone didn’t want to be attacked from the rear, and at the moment, the troops were out, so there should be almost no attacks from the ground.
Furthermore, if there was something that was difficult to burn, it would be the provisions.
I turned my head to the spot where the provisions were gathered, which I had been observing for many days.The speed was reduced to the point of stalling, the wind resistance was reduced. Then, I took out the lighter from my pocket.
I wrapped the lighter with both hands wearing leather gloves and lit it while pressing it against the saddle. Then, I opened the hands a little and watched it. After that, the fire was transferred to three fuses between the fingers.There was only a big lighter, so it created a flame that didn’t go out even in the wind and the fire burned the fuse.
The tip of the fuse was connected to a handmade Molotov cocktail attached to the side of the eagle.Although it was called a bottle, the container was a pottery with a narrow mouth opening. It felt strange to call that, but it was a bottle anyway.
It contained plenty of light oil that was extracted from the process of fractional distillation of petroleum.And at the opening of the bottle, an oil-stained cloth and a fuse were inserted.
The fuse was made by sprinkling the gunpowder on glued paper and winding it around oil-soaked cotton thread.Normally, if the cloth lit up, the fire would be extinguished by the wind pressure during the drop, so I made this shape after trial and error.Even if the fire on the cloth went out, the fire on the fuse inside it didn’t go out, so there was no problem with the ignition.
As soon as I saw the three fuses ignited, I turned the wings and began to descend head on.I took a maneuver that was almost free fall, and the speed went up after a little while.I approached the ground surface with the momentum of suicide by jumping, and instinctive fear dominated my mind.
Then, when I approached the ground, I untied the spring the string that connected to the Molotov cocktail.The next moment, I pulled the reins vigorously.G was applied to the entire body, and the eagle turned from a dive to a horizontal while holding air in its wing.The Molotov cocktails which had lost its support from the string, couldn’t keep up with the change. It fell loose and fell to the ground.
The subsequent people, especially those who were good at handling eagles, also dropped Molotov cocktails one after another.However, theirs had no fire.That was because I could only prepare one lighter.
After changing from the horizontal movement to ascending movement, I reached to a sufficient altitude, and looked at the lower ground. The fire was burning.
It seemed that the first three bottles I dropped were enough to cause fire.The flames were burning and spreading as the fuel scattered by the bottles that hit nearby locations.
The sea of fire appeared on the supplies accumulated like a small mountain, and the whole area was burnt.
—
I took altitude again, and set my course on another target.I had another three Molotov cocktails.
The fuse was lit, and the wings were closed.I descended straight down. It was slightly smoother than before.
The ground approaching was so clear since I had good eyes, and it aroused a sense of fear.
Dropping the remaining three bottles, I pulled Stardust upright, and returned to level flight.The reins were pulled further and ascended some more.
At that time, heat, explosion and pressure came at the same time.
*Kaboom!*
At the same time as the noise, my neck was exposed to the fire-like heat of a fireplace, and the bulging air pushed my back.
The fact that my back was pushed means that the large wings of the rising Stardust were pushed all over. I felt that Stardust was slightly confused from the feeling that came back from the bridle.However, without stalling, I reflexively pulled one of the reins and gave instruction to reverse, and she obediently followed it.The wing gained power as if they grabbed something solid, and when it grabbed the powerful updraft that seemed to be created by the heat source, they climbed higher with almost no movement of the wings.
Looking at my back, there were five eagle riders. As I expected of the best picks of the elites.However, I could see that the wings were flapping hurriedly, and the eagles were confused.
It was dangerous.
When I looked at the ground, what happened was terrible.Maybe even the explosive material contained in the provision exploded. The burning provisions were scattered, and the tents all over the place were being burned.
‘It was really dangerous.There was no damage because the explosion happened after I ascended for a while. If the explosion happened immediately after dropping the Molotov cocktails, we might have been hit by the explosion pressure and crashed down.’
I was safe, but after that, I immediately thought about the explosion in my head, I thought there were people dead.
As expected, I got cold sweat.
Anyhow, this was the end of the extra work (extra mission).Thinking of reforming a formation, I waved the flag a little proudly, and pointed the spear to the main formation led by Carol.
Over there, there was a peculiar sight spreading out.
—
For a moment, I couldn’t believe what was reflected in front of me, and my rational thinking asked me ‘Is this a dream?’
It was a very unlikely sight.
A huge dragon was attacking the main formation in the sky a little away.
A lizard-like dragon with wings, which was about three times as large as an Eagle King, was rampaging in the middle of the main formation, and the orderly formation had disappeared.Everyone was dancing in a scattered manner, as if they had scattered baby spiders on them.
I directed Stardust to reach full speed before reasons reached my head.The powerful flapping that ignored the stamina, accelerated two life forms.
‘Why is a dragon here?’
‘Why is something that hasn’t happened in recorded history now happening at the same time?’
The full speed, that a burning sensation could be felt from the saddle, was successful, and I finally arrived at the main formation.The sight, that shouldn’t be seen, was spreading.
The eagles were so disjointed that they were about to collide with each other, and they couldn’t do anything about it.
Then, the dragon and the Dragon Knight (dragon rider) straddled at the neck of the dragon were definitely aiming for a particular eagle.
The girl had golden fluttering hair from her leather helmet and she was wearing white armor.
She was Carol.
‘Is he aiming for the blonde?It seems so.’
The other eagles seem to be trying to escort Carol.However, it seemed that the dragon, whose physical constitution three times bigger, repeatedly scattered by obstruction their course.At the next moment, my thinking shifted.
‘Aah, the feather movement of Mountain Vapor is sluggish.The sluggish movement is probably due to the fact that the dragon has cornered it so hard that it lose stamina.If you make an unreasonable maneuver to avoid attack, flapping two wings on the verge of stall, and maneuver to gain speed, the eagle will be naturally hesitate.’
‘If Mountain Vapor is targeted intensively and this situation happens, it would be impossible to escape from the dragon even if it turns to escape from here on.No matter how much she tries to escape, the eagle will be completely overwhelmed, and it would be caught up.’
‘In other words, she’s stuck.’
When I came to a conclusion, my body moved freely.My altitude was higher than that of the dragon, and the position was superior in terms of potential energy.
Then, I removed the belt that was attached to prevent falling from the spear with the flag.I turned the spear half a turn, and held it in my other hand.
I rushed toward the dragon with great momentum.While concentrating, I stretched the reins little by little and adjusted the direction.
When the dragon’s appearance became bigger and I was in the collision course, I pulled the reins twice and instructed Stardust to land.
Without being confused, Stardust obediently put its legs forward as if she understood the meaning of my instruction.
Stardust collided with the dragon in the air as it was.Stardust claws stood at the base of the dragon’s wings, piercing the flesh, and at the same time I passed by, I pierced its body with the spear.
The spear penetrated the scales of the dragon and went into its back.In an instant, the feeling of tearing through the hard epidermis and soft flesh struck my arm.Stardust crossed over and distanced herself from the dragon. The shock of the pulling arm was transmitted, and the spear was released.
I felt a response.I got a fatal blow.
I didn’t know how tough an animal called a flying dragon, but it couldn’t fly since there are wounds on its wings.On the other hand, Stardust hadn’t been injured, and she was currently stalling and falling, but it wasn’t difficult to recover from the stalling since the ground was still far away.
In the sense of accomplishment that I won… The huge tail of the dragon with splintered scales reflected in my view.
That might not be instructed by the Dragon Knight.The attack coming from the creature that lived in the sky originally, was very accurate as if it forgot about me due to anger.
The deviation of the relative velocity in the air had also been corrected perfectly, and I intuitively thought that it would hit.Maneuvering in the air was largely governed by the law of inertia, and there were few things that could be done with immediate effort.
The dragon’s tail caught Stardust’s wing, as it had been decided beforehand.
*Crack*
The wing was struck down and I could see the wing bent in an unnatural direction, similar to the broken dead tree branches.
I felt a bitter black juice poured in the vessels of my brain.
‘Aah, not good.One wing can’t help it.’
Stardust and I stalled while stalling in the air.The broken wing was completely unreliable, and when she tried to catch the wind, the wing bent softly.With the wings trying to grab the air, there was no way to recover if the speed increased due to the fall.
Looking overhead, the dragon was also falling.The dragon’s wings, which were like a film unlike the eagle’s, probably had a fatal blow. The largest film in the area was torn to a mess.Even so, the dragon seemed to bite into the slow moving-wings of Mountain Vapor as it fell.
It was up to that point I could see, and I started hearing the cracking sound of breaking branches and leaves. The next moment… a shock ran through my body.
—
TLN:
- For those who don’t remember, Mountain Vapor is the name of Carol’s eagle.
- This is the last chapter of volume 7.
- Starting from the next volume, I’m going to translate the chronology/each kingdom’s history/map together with the main story chapter. The reason is the information is quite necessary because it adds up the value of the main story. Since the extra story is just a short chapter, there will be two posts come out whenever I translate this novel, one for the main story and the other is the side story. Thus, it may take a bit more time to release the chapters.
- The map may takes some time though since I’m going to edit it myself.
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