Capítulo 85: Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [85] [30 PS]
Bonus Chapter!
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Barely a second after they'd processed the situation, the wind dragon surged forward, snapping its jaws with terrifying momentum. Despite the limited space, the dragon moved with surprising ease.
Thanks to its serpentine, almost eel-like body, Dvalin seemed to glide effortlessly, slipping past the physical constraints of the disc like a colossal sea slug.
In the blink of an eye, those jaws that had just crushed the Ice of Exocosm were bearing down on them. There was no doubt—being caught in its maw would be fatal.
But those who dared to face down a dragon didn't come unprepared.
Without waiting for Bronya's command, Gepard sprang forward. Just before impact, he braced himself, channeling every ounce of strength from his shoulder, arm, and waist into a single punch—an act as bold as a sparrow attacking a hawk.
Seele, who had dodged the fastest, watched in shock. She was about to leap to his aid, but the next moment left her stunned.
The blow, seemingly as futile as striking a mountain, halted Dvalin's advance. Gepard's fist stopped mere inches from the dragon's beak, held at bay by an invisible shield that blazed like an impenetrable wall before him.
Before setting out on this high-stakes mission, he'd had his sister Serval recalibrate his gauntlets to connect with the overloaded protective field in his other hand. But even this enhanced power alone couldn't halt the dragon's might.
No—this newfound strength surged from within, ignited the moment he'd resolved to protect Belobog and fight against Cocolia's tyranny. A newfound will of preservation now filled him, vibrant and alive.
"Raaagh!"
With a fierce battle cry, Gepard's arm guards flared with radiant energy, and the shield's brilliance condensed into a single pulse, sending the dragon staggering back.
Bronya seized the opening, lifting her overcharged sniper rifle, a marvel of Belobog's advanced weaponry. The weapon's barrel glinted with an ethereal gleam as a wind-charged bullet spiraled forward, aiming directly for Dvalin's temple.
If this were before, she wouldn't have stood a chance against such a mighty creature. But now, with her newfound strength and resolve…
Focused, Bronya pulled the trigger. The bullet shot forward, a miniature cyclone whistling in its wake, disturbing the air itself with rippling force.
Though the wind alone couldn't harm a dragon formed from pure wind element, Venti's influence had infused her shot with power, granting her a temporary edge.
Neither Gepard's strike nor Bronya's wind-charged bullet were intended to defeat Dvalin. Their true aim was to create an opportunity for Venti to weaken the Fragmentum's hold over the dragon.
While Dvalin's attention was on the blast of wind, Bronya's hidden tactic came into play. She'd infused her power into Seele, who had used the cover of battle to slip into position above Dvalin's neck.
With quantum-powered boots enhancing her speed and stability, she descended, evading the dragon's wind barrier with ease.
Her scythe, aglow with the pure breeze of thousandfold winds, sliced toward the Fragmentum seed's crystalline bloom.
Ordinary attacks couldn't harm Fragmentum constructs, as they fed on the power that eroded space itself. Blades, bullets, even explosives were typically meaningless against such corruption.
Yet quantum energy, Seele's innate strength, could pierce the fabric of space. Though she couldn't destroy the seed entirely, she could disrupt it.
Her scythe cleaved into the blossom-like seed, shattering it partially. Fragmented scales flaked from Dvalin's neck, and he reeled, roaring in pain as corrupted scales peeled away.
Seele struck repeatedly, forcing the Fragmentum seed to draw power faster. With each hit, Dvalin grew more feral, roaring as turbulent winds spun wildly.
The sky above Belobog darkened with storm clouds and swirling green wind vortices. The people below looked up in horror, for if that whirlwind descended, the city would be erased from existence.
Outside the rotary disc, Pela clung to the control console, her drone long since blown away. Unable to see what was happening inside, she prayed softly.
"Hang in there, everyone!"
Her whispered plea was lost in the storm as, inside, Seele leaped clear of the dragon, not waiting to see if it would take flight. None of them wanted the experience of an airborne "dragon ride."
As they regrouped, Gepard braced himself, activating his full defensive array. His shield shimmered as the spirit of preservation within him flared, and he strode forward, raising his arm.
"In the name of Landau!"
His gauntlets flared with auroras that danced like northern lights. With a powerful swing, he declared, "Through ice and snow, I vow to protect—this oath shall never be broken!"
His voice carried through the chaos, and an immense wall of ice materialized, unyielding as a mountain, filling them with a sudden, indescribable sense of security.
But then a chill swept over Gepard as he realized something terrifying.
He couldn't hold it.
He could see it—the reinforced ice wall, his last defense—crumbling in Dvalin's path. It barely held for a second before the dragon's wind blast shattered it, sending shards flying like arrows.
Gepard instinctively raised his shield, shielding his allies. But the ice shards pierced his arms, his abdomen, his legs. His body screamed with pain.
He knew without looking that his shield was only moments away from breaking.
Yet he stood his ground, teeth clenched, blood pooling at his lips, refusing to retreat.
The seconds felt like years, stretching out as though he were reliving Belobog's legendary thirty-year siege. Every fiber of his being froze with agony and resolve.
Then, suddenly, the weight lifted.
Was the dragon's assault over?
In his dazed gaze, he saw Seele dash forward like an arrow, but before he could stop her, Bronya's soft, sorrowful voice reached him.
"Captain Landau, you've done all you can. Please… rest now."
Rest?
No, he couldn't fall yet!
At least one more attack, at least one more—
But then he felt a hand pull him back, and Venti's warm, neutral expression floated before him.
"Come now. Heavy casualties should listen to the commander's orders and rest up. Don't be stubborn."
Venti's voice carried a soothing, almost lulling quality. Gepard looked down to find the blood no longer streaming from his wounds, his pain receding as a cool hand pressed lightly over his abdomen.
Wind, pure and gentle, carries away all traces of suffering. Even pain itself.
Gepard watched in astonishment as the deep wound was sealed, leaving only his hardened abs exposed, which made him feel oddly bashful.
Venti's tone might have been masculine, but something about his presence felt both protective and oddly comforting.
Gepard opened his mouth to say something, but Venti lifted a finger, smiling.
"Consider this part of the treatment. Now, let me borrow your shield for a bit—I promise I'll return it shortly."
Still a bit embarrassed, Gepard nodded as Venti hefted the heavy shield with a casual "Heave-ho!"
With a twist of his slim waist, he spun like an athlete throwing a discus, sending the shield whirling through the air with a hum that caught everyone's attention.
Even Dvalin paused, sensing an imminent threat, snarling as it charged forward like a runaway train.
Seele and Bronya, sensing the danger, didn't hesitate. They combined their attacks, aiming to slow Dvalin's advance.
And in the middle of Gepard's stunned expression, the wind-borne bard launched the shield, letting the breeze erase all drag. It moved through the air without a sound, as if merging into the very sea of winds.
"Nowhere to run!" Venti called, his face alight with a triumphant grin.
With a deafening crash, the shield struck Dvalin squarely on its beak, distorting it and sending the dragon reeling, squawking in pain like a cartoon character holding its nose.
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T/N: In the original they actually used Tom the cat as a reference instead of cartoon character!
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