Chapter 37: It Bled
Everyone was startled by what Ren said.
Killed?!
This word, spoken so calmly, echoed with a terrifying finality.
"Kill... a Dragon...?" a soldier on the wall whispered, his voice trembling.
This was the legendary Giant Dragon!
A single Giant Dragon could destroy a nation. They used to think that was an exaggeration, a legend spun to scare children. But after witnessing its impenetrable defenses firsthand today, they realized it wasn't an exaggeration.
It was a fact.
And now, this man, this 'Ren' who was also the tournament champion Yoriichi, was suggesting he could kill it?
The purple-haired youth, Alazam, still watched Ren with a flicker of interest, completely unconcerned by what Ren had said.
Many humans, in his long life, were incompetent braggarts. The weaker they were, the louder they barked before they died.
In his opinion, these words were just the impotent, final chirps of an insect.
"So... when are you going to put down my client?"
Ren looked at the purple-haired youth and said calmly. His voice was not a challenge; it was a simple statement. This lack of fear, this absolute placidness, was beginning to grate on the dragon's nerves.
Hearing this, the purple-haired youth's lips curled into a cruel sneer. He clasped the King's neck with his right hand again, lifting the monarch high off the ground, the man's feet kicking feebly.
He looked at Ren playfully, his golden, reptilian eyes mocking him. "If you have the ability... then come and get him yourself."
"Since that's the case," Ren replied, his voice still an even, serene monotone, "I won't be polite."
Shing—
Ren slowly drew his sword. The sound of the katana sliding from its scabbard was impossibly clear, cutting through the tense silence of the battlefield.
He then stepped towards the purple-haired youth.
Alazam had already planned out the next scene in his mind: he would let this human attack him. He would let the pathetic little blade shatter against his skin. He would watch the human's calm expression break into despair, and then, right in front of him, he would crush this King's skull like an ant.
Yes, that's what he would do. Humans are, after all, just ants to Giant Dragons.
Ren soon reached the purple-haired youth and casually swung his sword towards the dragon's wrist. His speed was neither fast nor slow, just like the most ordinary, fundamental sword swing. There was no magic power, no Ethernano, no killing intent.
The purple-haired youth didn't care at all. What kind of damage could such a slow, magic-less sword swing cause?
But just as Ren's blade was about to touch his skin—before it even made contact—Alazam suddenly felt every hair on his body stand on end.
He didn't see the danger. He didn't sense any magic.
He felt it.
His ancient, primal instincts, honed over centuries, screamed at him. It was a terrifying, soul-deep danger he hadn't felt in 400 years. It was the instinctual terror of an apex predator suddenly finding itself at the bottom of the food chain.
It was the feeling of Kematian.
The purple-haired youth immediately, instinctively, let go of the King.
His plan, his arrogance, his game—it all vanished. He roared in a mix of rage and panic, his feet digging into the ground as he rapidly retreated, sliding dozens of meters on the stone to put distance between himself and Ren.
At the same time, his eyes reverted from their human-like appearance to beastly, vertical pupils, staring intently at Ren as if he had seen the most dangerous being in existence.
The King, dropped unceremoniously, fell to the ground, gasping and coughing.
The battlefield was stunned into silence.
"What?!"
"What... what just happened?!"
"That monster... he actually... retreated?!"
"It didn't even dodge Sir Arthur's strongest ultimate move just now! Yet it was scared into retreating by Mr. Ren's unremarkable slash?!"
Everyone who saw this scene was incredulous. After all, they had just seen how terrifying the opponent's defense was. The attacks from His Majesty the King, from Arthur, from Clay, and from Erza had caused absolutely no damage to the opponent.
They had begun to believe that humans couldn't harm Giant Dragons. But the opponent... retreated in the face of Ren's simple attack.
Moreover, judging by its wary, beast-like demeanor, it clearly sensed mortal danger.
"What a pity."
Ren shook his head, his blade held steady. He had tried his best to suppress all his killing intent, but a Giant Dragon was indeed a Giant Dragon; its instinct to detect danger was extraordinary.
If that guy hadn't retreated just now, he could have chopped off one of its claws.
"You... fellow..."
The purple-haired youth's voice was a low growl. His eyes no longer held a playful look, but rather stared at Ren with the pure, unadulterated hatred one would reserve for an enemy. The game was over.
Ren ignored the purple-haired youth and instead looked at the somewhat bewildered old King, saying, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
The King heard Ren's question and finally came back to his senses, scrambling to his feet. "I'm... I'm alright!"
"That's good. If you're alright, please return to the city. I'll take care of this fellow."
The King wanted to say something else—to thank him, to warn him—but it clearly wasn't the right time to speak.
"Alright! I'll leave everything to you!"
After speaking, the King loudly gave the order: "Everyone! Retreat to the city!!! Now!"
Hearing the King's command, everyone helped the injured and quickly retreated into the city. They all knew that they couldn't help at all here. They would only hinder. This was a battle on a scale they couldn't even comprehend. To avoid affecting Ren's performance, retreating was the best and only option.
From the forest edge, the purple-haired youth sneered, "What's the use of retreating? These city walls are no different from paper to us Giant Dragons."
His golden-slit eyes fixed on Ren. "And you, human boy, do you want to be a hero?"
"A hero?" Ren replied, his voice still calm. "I've already been one, so what's the harm in being one again?"
"Interesting, kid. When you die, everyone behind you will die too."
"Is that so? Well, there's nothing I can do then. After all, I've tried my best. Perhaps this is fate!"
"In that case, GO DIE!!!"
The purple-haired youth roared and swung his claw. Five massive, purple-black slashes of pure Dragon Power flew towards Ren, screaming through the air.
The ground where the slashes passed was scraped away like tofu, leaving five deep trenches in their wake.
Ren tapped his foot, and his body seemed to blur, dodging the attack with an unnervingly simple side-step.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!!!
The slashes hit the city wall. The hundred-meter-high wall, which had withstood countless years of wind, frost, and monster attacks, shattered like glass.
But the slashes did not stop after destroying the city wall. They continued forward, tearing through the city itself.
In a blink of an eye, they traversed the entire city, carving five massive canyons through homes and streets, only stopping after destroying the wall on the other side.
"The... the city... has been cut open---!!!"
Everyone on the wall looked in horror at the city torn in half, shock and fear uncontrollably spreading in their hearts. Such immense power, such terrifying destructive force... could humans truly contend with such a creature?
Ren, still in his Yoriichi form, looked back at the devastation. "Such a waste," he said, his voice tinged with a profound sadness. "Generations of hands... all that they built... you destroyed it in a single breath. A sad, fleeting thing."
"Sad?!" Alazam roared, enraged by the human's calm, philosophical pity. "I'LL SHOW YOU SAD, INSECT! Don't worry, I'll kill them all, so they won't have the pressure of rebuilding!"
[Akarin's Note: The dialogue here was adjusted. The original "mortgage" joke was very out-of-character for the serene Yoriichi Tsugikuni. This version is more aligned with his personality from Demon Slayer.]
As the purple-haired youth spoke these words, he sneered and stomped his foot, the ground cratering beneath him. He charged towards Ren, a blur of purple rage. His claw, now imbued with a swirling, dark Dragon Power, swung at Ren's neck. If this attack connected, the human would be torn to shreds.
"Sun Breathing, Fourth Form: Parhelion Rainbow!"
[Akarin's Note: Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura) is the original and most powerful Breathing Style from Demon Slayer. Fourth Form: Parhelion Rainbow (Kagerō - Parhelion Rainbow) is a high-speed twisting and rotation technique used to create afterimages, completely deceiving an opponent's eyes.]
Whoosh---!
The purple-haired youth's claw swept past Ren's body, tearing through... nothing.
The sensation of not hitting anything, of passing through an illusion, made him slightly stunned. He had seen with his own eyes that he had attacked, yet it was an afterimage, shimmering like a heat haze with the colors of a rainbow. Even with his Dragon race vision, he hadn't noticed.
Ren's true body had already appeared at the purple-haired youth's side, his blade already in motion.
"Sun Breathing, First Form: Waltz!!"
[Akarin's Note: First Form: Waltz (Enbu - Waltz) is a single, high-powered vertical slash coated in the flames of the Sun Breathing style.]
Ren unleashed an arc-shaped Sun Flame slash, aiming directly for the purple-haired youth's neck. The blade was wreathed in roaring, solar fire.
The purple-haired youth's expression changed to one of pure terror. He couldn't dodge. He had no time. His instincts took over.
He roared and quickly raised his left arm to block the blow.
"Pfft!!"
"WAAAAHHH!!!"
Blood—dark purple and steaming—splattered into the air. The purple-haired youth let out a horrifying, ear-piercing scream of pain. It was not a roar; it was a shriek.
The flaming blade had sliced deep into his forearm, biting through the scales that had deflected steel and magic as if they were nothing.
The sheer force of the blow sent the dragon's entire body flying backward like a broken doll.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!!
The purple-haired youth's body crashed through tree after tree, leveling a swathe of the forest before finally slamming into a giant, ancient tree, where he slumped, unmoving.
A stunned, dead silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the dragon's ragged, pained breathing.
"It's... it's bleeding..." a soldier on the wall stammered, his eyes wide.
"He's injured!!"
"He... Ren... he made the Dragon bleed!!!"
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
As a special offer, I've opened a few limited-time tiers at a discounted price! You will get all the benefits of "The Founding Pillars" (normally $20), but at a much cheaper rate.
These slots are extremely limited:
"The Plot Uncoverer": $4.99 (Save 75% / $15.01) - Only 3 slots
"The Dedicated Fan": $9.99 (Save 50% / $10.01) - Only 7 slots
"The Lore Diver": $14.99 (Save 25% / $5.01) - Only 15 slots
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]