“I’ll take care of it!” shouted an officer armed with a heavy sword as he charged forward. “Deal with the bastard!” he ordered as he slashed toward the dragon. A huge Thunderbird appeared behind him as he fought against his opponent. Ribbons of white energy enveloped the pirate and sank into his sword, covering the blade with feathers and forming a pair of huge wings.
The pirate snarled, muscles bulging with the strain as he struggled to deflect the attack. What was going on here? It should’ve been impossible for a Heaven Soldier to overpower a Spirit Knight!
“You’re dead, you landlubber!”
Two officers walked calmly toward Hadjar, certain that he wouldn’t dare interrupt his Technique to fight them off. The disadvantage of such a powerful skill was that it remained connected to its owner until they decided to cancel it. And if this connection was broken, the cultivator would be completely cut off from their energy body for a couple of seconds. This usually wasn’t a problem, but in fights against very powerful opponents, it could mean the difference between life and death.
“I can’t wait to see the captain’s show!” one of the pirates shouted at Hadjar. “They’ll compose epics about your suffering!”
Hadjar’s face twisted into a predatory grin. He’d been waiting for them to come closer.
“Or about yours!” He growled.
Both the dragon and the wings disappeared, leaving the pirates dumbfounded. Convinced that no one could instantly recover from breaking their connection to such a powerful Technique, they didn’t expect to see Hadjar move as if nothing had happened. His enhanced energy body coupled with his expanded and enlarged meridians could transmit far more energy than the pirates, who’d never fought against an elite practitioner of martial arts, could ever imagine. Hadjar did lose his connection to his Core, but only for a brief moment. Only a Lord who’d mastered the mysteries of the Weapon’s Heart could’ve done something like that under normal circumstances.
Turning into a plume of black fog, Hadjar slid toward the officer on his right. The pirate reacted quickly, but not quickly enough to dodge an attack from someone at Hadjar’s level. His death was imminent.
Without bothering to block the pirate’s attempt to defend himself, Hadjar moved slightly to the side. The axe missed his nose by an inch. The officer’s Spirit was already forming behind him, but it was too late. Turning his sword, Hadjar struck diagonally, cutting his opponent in half. Without a Technique he could strengthen his body with, his Imperial armor could only reduce the force of the blow by a third, and no more. Instead of guts and blood spilling out onto the deck, the pieces of a mummified corpse hit the wood with a dull thud. The armor, once it was no longer bound to its master, instantly disappeared into Hadjar’s spatial ring. Even though it was damaged, it would still be worth some Glory points in the Hall of Fame. Hadjar wasn’t above selling loot.
The other officer was already swinging his axe. He’d had a little more time to prepare compared to his less fortunate comrade. Behind him, the Thunderbird Spirit formed, and his axe was suddenly enveloped in fierce energy.
“Flight of-”
He didn’t get to say the full name of his Technique. Before the fragments of the mummified officer even landed, Hadjar turned back into a plume of black fog. Wasting no time, he instantly lunged at his opponent.
“Spring Wind!”
A stream of black energy assumed the shape of a dragon’s fang and pierced the pirate’s helmet, ramming into his skull as well. The axe slipped from his weakened fingers, and he collapsed to his knees. Hadjar didn’t have time to finish him off or pick up his armor. He knew when he could afford to collect trophies and when it was more prudent to fight for his life.
Without stopping, he reached the third officer, the one wielding a heavy blade. The wings on the enormous sword spread out and covered the deck with feathers. No matter how quickly they spun, Hadjar was still faster. He maneuvered between them as easily and smoothly as a dust particle dancing through the air.
“Autumn Leaf!” he shouted, imagining four leaves falling from the branch of an autumn tree. He slashed his blade through the air four times, forming a square, and struck the pirate. His arms, legs, and head, accompanied by a veritable geyser of blood, scattered to the various corners of the deck. The man’s heavy sword sank into the wood. The circle that the pirates had recently formed around Hadjar began to widen as they moved away from the frightening beast. The predator. The monster. The dragon. The True Lord of the Heavens.
“You’re next!” Hadjar growled, looking at the captain. There wasn’t a trace of humanity left in his voice.
Chapter 641
I mperial level armor gradually covered the captain’s body. Two broad, leaf-shaped sabers of the same level appeared in her hands.
“Get him!” She ordered.
The pirates flinched, but gathered their courage and rushed in for a suicidal attack. Hadjar, realizing that he was being delayed, didn’t try to conserve his energy. Thanks to Einen, there were plenty of energy pills in his spatial ring.
“Black Wind!” he shouted and swung his sword. Never before had he concentrated so many mysteries or so much energy into a single attack.
Following the Black Blade as it sliced through the air was its 55ft replica. The silhouettes of hundreds of miniature dragons danced around its dark figure, and each of them was an attack in its own right that merged with the echo of the impact. The pirates, most of them Heaven Soldiers without any armor, could do nothing against such fury and power. Hadjar sent at least fifty of them to their forefathers with that single attack and scattered just as many around the deck. Covered in grievous wounds, they were either dying or taking healing potions and pills.
“You’re a fucking monster!” Roared a pirate at the advanced stage of the Spirit Knight level.
Drawing a long, narrow blade, he charged at Hadjar, a Thunderbird Spirit spreading its massive wings behind him.
“You’re my first somewhat challenging opponent today,” Hadjar chuckled. He had no time to ponder why all the pirates had the same Spirit, but he would look into it the first chance he got.
Covered in white energy, the pirate’s sword collided with the flat of the Black Blade. A stream of bright light filled with mysteries at the Wielder level swept across the deck. The people unlucky enough to end up in its path were far more fortunate than the victims of the ‘Black Wind’ had been. They were all bowled over, wounded, but none of them were killed or maimed. Despite being considered a decent opponent, not even this pirate could perform a Technique powerful enough to make Hadjar break a sweat.
A powerful blow to his side threw Hadjar several feet back. He flew through the air and struck the mast with his back. Despite swaying and cracking, it somehow managed to remain standing. Seeing that this wasn’t the time to let his guard down, Hadjar turned into a plume of black fog, using the ‘Wind’ stance to dodge to the side. Had he taken a second longer, he would’ve suffered a fate much worse than merely being crushed by a falling mast. A fist made of air struck the spot where he’d stood a moment ago, breaking through to the lower deck. Through the rain of splinters and sparks, Hadjar spotted a pirate whose hands were encased in steel gauntlets shaped like the clenched talons of a Thunderbird. Multiple Thunderbird Spirits hovered behind the second officer and the captain. Some were even circling Hadjar.
“Well, maybe this will be a little int-”
“Heavenly Fire!” The captain’s eyes flashed with raw power.
Her sabers erupted in amber flames, then she crossed their blades over her head and brought them down in a powerful swing. Behind her, the Thunderbird spread its wings and cried out. Her attack flared up and changed color several times. The heat of the blue fire emanated the power of a peak-stage Spirit Knight who was close to mastering the Weapon’s Heart.
Where did these pirates learn all of this? Hadjar wondered, astounded.
“Calm Wind!”
A downdraft covered an area of fifty yards all around him a
nd slammed into the frigate, making it sway. The planks and the masts cracked, and the sails fluttered with such force that they threatened to rip themselves free of the ropes. The rivets, unable to withstand the pressure, popped out.
The captain’s attack instantly lost a lot of its power. Dwindling down to embers, the flames assumed their normal amber and ruby colors.
However, the fight was still far from over.
The gauntlet-wielding pirate suddenly appeared to his right. Every one of his punches was powerful enough to easily bust through a fort wall or kill a normal cultivator not wearing at least Heaven level armor. When the fists were just inches away from their target, they were stopped by a dragon-sword that appeared in the air. The ‘Rustle in the Treetops’ stance was perfect for these kinds of situations, but Hadjar hadn’t expected to have to use it today.
And although he blocked the fists, a white sword came from Hadjar’s left. Growing as it attacked, it almost hit him in the stomach. Since he couldn’t block or dodge it, Hadjar held out his arm in front of him. His Call’s cloak had already reached the Heaven level, and his body had already surpassed the Spirit level in terms of toughness. There was no chance that they’d get him that easily.
The sword sliced through the gauntlets of the Call’s armor, cut through his skin, and then… stopped. The pirates were surprised to see their opponent stop the attack with his ‘bare hands’.
But even Hadjar, strong as he was, couldn’t stop inertia. After taking the blow, he soared into the air, flew back almost twenty yards, and crashed into a stack of barrels. Smashing them to pieces as he flew through them, he grabbed on to the same mast that he’d crashed into before. This time, however, unable to withstand the pressure, it cracked.
Without wasting a second, he tightened his grip and, now taking advantage of the inertia, used the mast to swing around. Sending energy into his legs, he kicked it with all his strength, turning the three-foot-wide and twenty times as long mast into a huge spear, the tip of which was aimed at his opponent.
Hadjar, standing on this giant, makeshift projectile, looked like a beast preparing to pounce on its prey.
“Scarlet Dawn!” The pirate shouted. He wasn’t going to go down that easily.
His energy turned red, ran down his shoulders, and then surged into his clenched fists. Shouting, he began to rapidly punch the air. Each of his attacks turned into a scarlet ball of energy that crashed into the mast. Splinters showered the pirates below them, but no matter how hard the pirate tried, the wood was stronger. Much stronger.
Coming down with a deafening roar, the mast punched through the pirate’s chest and then kept going, blasting through the decks as well. Before it crashed, Hadjar jumped off it, pushing it with his energy and making the collision even more devastating.
As soon as the ‘spear’ impaled the pirate, the frigate shuddered and began to lose altitude. The tremors increased until the entire deck began to shake. The sound of screaming pirates and the crackling of the ever-hungry fire that devoured everything in its path filled the air. Einen cursed loudly. He couldn’t have picked a worse time to reach the holds.
Chapter 642
L anding on the deck, Hadjar immediately leapt to the side. A column of raging fire shot up into the sky, coming from underneath him and cutting through the planks. At first, he thought that the captain had used one of her Techniques, but then he realized that one of the barrels in the powder hold had exploded.
How many barrels are there?
Two more roaring pillars of fire shot up toward the sky, burning a couple of unlucky pirates alive. The flames grazed the masts and sails, gradually wrapping the plummeting frigate in a shroud of roaring crimson. Creating a wild symphony of roars and creaks, the remaining masts crashed down into the ship and shattered, killing many as they did so.
“If I am to die here, you bastard,” the captain hissed, spreading her arms out, “I’m taking you down with me.”
Two firestorms tore out of the holds, dancing around her leaf-shaped sabers eagerly. The flames, a byproduct of the gunpowder explosions, didn’t melt the steel, but ran down it like drops of blood. They slid down the crossguard and touched the captain’s skin, making her scream out in pain. Her hair fell over her shoulders, and the flames engulfed her. Or so it seemed at first glance.
After a few moments, it became clear that the fire wasn’t burning the captain, but covering her like a veil. After seeing a flaming Thunderbird emerge from behind her, Hadjar was now certain that she had some sort of Call. The entire bird was a bright crimson, save for its talons and beak, which were made of blue flame.
“Captain, you-” one of her officers began, but was rudely interrupted.
“Shut up!” She screamed, obviously in horrible pain. “He killed my daughters! I’ll kill him if it’s the last thing I do! Thunderbird’s Flight!”
Swinging her sabers, she formed a fireball from which another bird emerged, and sent it toward her opponent. Letting out a high-pitched cry, it flew toward Hadjar with incredible speed, scorching the deck and the corpses strewn about it, covering it in soot and causing the stench of burnt flesh to fill the air. The power of this Technique could match that of the School’s elite disciples. Anise wouldn’t have been able to stop it, even with her armor and Techniques for Strengthening the Body.
Had he been facing only a single opponent, Hadjar would’ve used the ‘Black Wind’. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the case, so he had to think of a different plan. He assumed a defensive stance and watched as the officer’s sword was wrapped in white light once again. Holding it out in front of him like a spear, the pirate made several quick, precise thrusts, each of which turned into a small bird filled with mysteries at the Wielder level.
“Damn it,” Hadjar swore, noticing that the birds could change their trajectory. “Calm Wind!”
The second downdraft caused the damaged frigate to shake even more violently than before. However, unlike last time, this Technique didn’t achieve the desired effect.
The birds merged into a single, larger one and fluttered around their crimson copy. Hadjar, turning into a plume of black fog, charged at the group of pirates that had surrounded him, blocking his path. They trembled at the sight of such a powerful opponent. They’d never encountered someone who seemed as invincible as Hadjar did. They might’ve heard of the capital’s elite disciples, but they’d surely never seen them in action. Hadjar only needed a single strike to deal with each of them. Their mummified corpses, drained by the Black Blade, disappeared into the Thunderbird’s beak. This didn’t slow the giant bird down, only made it stronger and its flames hotter.
Realizing that there was no way he could avoid the attack, Hadjar stopped and turned around to assume a defensive stance. However, realizing that he didn’t really know a lot of defensive Techniques and that he wouldn’t have time to use the ‘Rustle in the Treetops’, he cursed.
“By the High Heavens!” If he destroyed the crimson bird, the white one would probably use the opportunity to wound him. It wouldn’t kill him, that much he was certain of, but he wanted to avoid getting maimed if at all possible.
He gathered the necessary energy and imbued it with the mysteries of the Sword.
“Black-” he began, but didn’t manage to use his best and most deadly Technique in time.
The part of the deck he was standing on exploded in a shower of splinters and blood. Einen’s Call emerged from the hold, wielding a gigantic spear covered in scales.
“River Serpent!”
Einen’s lunge was so swift that it looked like a flash of lightning even to Hadjar. Wielding its own weapon, the ape imitated its owner’s movements. A green ray of condensed energy whizzed through the air. Transforming into a fin, it cut through the crimson Thunderbird first, and then, making a quick zigzag, struck the white one as well. Hadjar had seen Einen use his fastest attack several times before, but he’d never seen him hit two targets at once with it.
“Deal with the captain!”
Pushing off from the deck, the ape soared into the air. A ‘Boulder Storm’ bombarded their foes with a torrent of water and rocks. The speed with which the ape wielded its spear-staff formed a tsunami that struck the officer with enough force to bring down a battleship.
All Hadjar could do was gasp in awe.
It was clear that Einen hadn’t spent the last six weeks courting Dora, but training. He’d gotten much stronger, and deepened his understanding of the Spear-Staff as well.
Tearing his gaze away from the ape, Hadjar looked over at the captain. The Technique she was using was obviously costing her more than she was willing to admit. The fire was burning through her armor, eating away at her skin and muscles, and she was breathing quite heavily. However, clenching her teeth and growling, she endured the terrible pain. Hadjar recoiled. If there was ever a sight worthy of the label ‘burning vengeance’, this was it.
“Who’s your employer? Answer me and you won’t end up like that,” he said, pointing at one of the mummified corpses.
The frigate shook violently as it plummeted through the clouds. The deck was still being devoured by columns of flame. The pirates, hastily untying the lifeboats, were trying to leave the ship. None of them knew that they wouldn’t be able to make it out of this alive. Dora, who had regained consciousness, stood proudly on the frigate’s railing. Every time someone tried to escape, she’d stop them with a swift blow from her hammer. Behind her shone the hieroglyph of the Forest — the rarest and most powerful of the three types of Spirits, which gave its owner truly monstrous power. Dora’s attacks caused miniature earthquakes that smashed the lifeboats to kindling and obliterated the pirates.
“The captain always goes down with the ship, you whoreson!” the captain shouted. “Thunderbird’s Death!”
Dragon Heart: Land of The Enemy. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 8 Page 4
