Chapter 243 – I Will … You (8)

However, the others could not see the look in his eyes.
All that they could see was how his back was getting wet as he stood there with his arms open in order to maintain the wall of water.

"…Y, young master-nim. Are you okay?"

Cale heard Lock's voice coming from his back. That was why he responded honestly.

"Yes. It's better than I expected."

It really was better than he had expected.
The Dominating Water. In some aspects, it was his most incomplete ancient power as it was not something he absorbed. He left only a small portion of it and used the rest, however, he seemed to be fine.

'There's also no reason for me to be in pain since I'm not using the shield.
It's not bad at all.'

Cale's condition was getting much better than when he had used the shield earlier.
However, Lock started to frown.

'…Better than he had expected? How much pain was he expecting when he used this power?'

Rosalyn, who had cast the magic spell before starting to walk over, could not walk anymore as she felt her feet becoming extremely heavy.

'He says he is fine when he knows that the balance in his body is going to be destroyed! How could he lie like that?'

Rosalyn bit down on her lips. She heard Cale speaking to Lock at that moment.

"Don't think about anything else and just focus on your task."

The stern voice made Rosalyn start walking in the opposite direction. She took a potion out of her pocket and gulped it down. It helped calm the mess inside of her body.

She still had things to do.

Rosalyn's gaze returned to its usual collected expression.
Cale felt Lock becoming quiet, so he raised his head back up.

Chhhhhhhhh-

He could hear noise as the water clashed against the fire and created vapor.

'It needs to stay up for a while.'

The water wall needed to last as long as possible.
However, that was not easy to do.

The water wall was created next to a pillar of fire. The two had no choice but to clash.
And unlike fire, nature's law indicated that water would fall from top to bottom.

Cale drew an image in his mind and tried to maintain the Dominating Water in the wall form for as long as possible, however, the water would eventually turn into vapor or fall to the ground.

This was something that other people should know as well. Cale thought about the person who would know about this the most as he continued to look up at the sky.

A loud explosion happened as if it was responding to Cale's gaze.

Baaaaaang!
A light orb was destroyed by someone's fist and exploded into pieces. The solid fist that was sparkling in the water was swung past the light orb.

"Why you little…!"

The Dragon half-blood easily cast a shield.

Bang!

The fist slammed into the shield. At the same time, the owner of the fist smashed his forehead into the shield.

Baaaaang!

A crack appeared on the shield.

"Kehehehe."

The Killer Whale Archie was laughing with his teeth showing as he made eye contact with the Dragon half-blood.

Bang, bang, bang!
The forehead that was wearing the half-transparent water like a helmet continued to slam into the shield.

"You crazy bastard!"

The Dragon half-blood could not hide his shock.
Why?
It was because he was in the air above the wall of fire.
That Whale bastard had walked over the fire in order to get there. The Dragon half-blood created another shield after seeing the crazed look on Archie's face as he sent a small thunderbolt out.

"You're like an animal."

Archie started to laugh at the Dragon half-blood's comment.

"Why are you saying something so obvious? You stupid half-Dragon bastard. Whales are half animals."

'Half-Dragon bastard.'
The Dragon half-blood's gaze changed after hearing that insult.

"I was going to go easy on you-"
"Why would you go easy on me? What a funny half-Dragon bastard, eh?"

Crumble-!
He could see Archie breaking through the shield and clenching his teeth. The Dragon half-blood's eyes filled with anger and shock as Archie put on his typical jackass smile and casually asked.

"What is it, you stupid bastard? You scared?"
"You rude barbarian-!"

It was the moment the Dragon half-blood expressed his deep anger.
Archie could not stop sneering.

"Barbarian? You dare say such a thing in front of our future Whale Queen?"
"What?"

Archie kicked off the ground. There was a reason he could stand above the fire. It was because there were small steps made of water underneath his feet.

There was someone creating those steps for him as he walked.
Archie was thinking that there was a reason that the Humpback Whale Beast people always became the rulers of the Whales.
Berserk Whales.
Unlike other Beast people, they did not have many physical changes when they went berserk.
They did not grow in size nor did they develop natural weapons such as fangs.

Instead, they had water surround them like armor.
And the Whale King, or the people with the qualifications to be the King, were at a different level.
They lived the longest out of the Whales.
Furthermore, they were born with a natural instinct to rule the ocean.

"Move."

Archie chuckled at those words as he jumped up into the air. He could see a woman as he flipped in the air.
Witira had been the one to tell him to move.

"Wow, our Queen seems to be even angrier than I am."

Archie could not stop laughing.
However, the Dragon half-blood's expression changed.

"…You bastards...-"

A small wave created a path underneath Witira as she moved.
The pillar of water started to gobble up the pillar of fire.

The pillar of water was obediently creating a path for this woman.

"Who do you think you are to call me a bastard?"

She held her whip horizontally with a stoic expression.

Flick.

The whip instantly struck down at the Dragon half-blood as if it was a thunderbolt or a large spear, ready to cut the Dragon half-blood's blood in half.

'What the-'

The Dragon half-blood quickly started to cast a spell with two hands.

That whip.
He could feel the pure power of water coming from that whip.
Furthermore, the dominating power of a ruler made the Dragon half-blood's neck cold.

'Were berserk Whales always like this?'

The whip cut through where the Dragon half-blood's head had been.

Boooooooom!

The whip cut through a portion of the dark blue wall of fire with a loud explosion. The wall of fire seemed to be cut into two halves.

"…What kind of strength-"
"She did that to the wall-"

The people watching underneath all gasped in shock.
However, Witira just looked up with a calm expression as if nothing had happened.
She then started to walk toward the air where the rain made by the mages was present.

Caw, caw.
The crows supported her as she walked. At the same time, a cape appeared over her shoulders. The cape was made from the Dominating Water.
She was connected to the water.

As long as it remained that way, nothing else mattered.
Her two whips cut through the sky once more.

Boom, boooooom!

The thunderbolt clashed against the whip.
The Dragon half-blood and Witira were only looking at each other.

Baaaaang! Bang!

The thunderbolt and water whip struck at each other over and over again. There was nobody who could approach them right now.
The Flame Dwarves and Bears had retreated from the moment that the Dragon half-blood appeared.

Archie was standing to the side with his arms crossed, waiting for the right moment to join in. Choi Han roamed the area as he could not break through the tens of thunderbolts. His expression did not look good.

As for Witira, she looked toward the Dragon half-blood who was creating the thunderbolts and started to speak.

"You don't seem to be normal."

Witira was standing on the 'ground' made by hundreds of black crows. Her eyes did not miss even the smallest of details about her enemies.

"You seem to be hurt."

The Dragon half-blood could not say anything to Witira.
His expression started to turn cold.

Hurt.
Yes, he was still hurt.

It happened during the battle at the Caro Kingdom. The injury from the thunderbolt that had pierced through his stomach was still there.
His dry finger brushed by his stomach.

Cale Henituse.
He had thought that bastard was a Dragon half-blood like him. That was why he didn't report it to that damn white star or boss or whatever he wants to be called.
An injury like this would have instantly been healed if he had reported it to that bastard.

However, he had chosen not to erase the remains.
It was because he wanted that Dragon half-blood to come to find him again.
He wanted to keep someone just like him alive and see him over and over again.

But that wasn't the case.

'…I let a damn Dragon live!'

The one he had saved, the one he had hidden and protected, was a damn baby Dragon.
A tiny one that hadn't even gone through its first growth phase.

Anger rushed past the Dragon half-blood's eyes. It was an extreme level of hatred.

"Yes, I am a bit hurt right now."

Witira flinched after seeing the Dragon half-blood honestly admit his weakness. Seeing the calm and peaceful Dragon half-blood made her get the chills.
She quickly started to walk.

Chhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

The pillar of water would disappear soon. She needed to tie up the Dragon half-blood's arms and legs before then.
She started to speak.

"Archie!"

Archie immediately started to move.
He stepped on the wall. He rushed toward the Dragon half-blood while stepping on the water cape that connected to where Witira was standing.

It was at that moment. Witira could see the Dragon half-blood start to smile as she was about to flick her whip.
"Dragons are in a class of their own."

The Killer Whale Archie could see someone rushing past him.

"…Choi Han!"

Choi Han and the black wyvern were rushing toward the Dragon half-blood. Witira could hear the Dragon half-blood speak as that happened.

"Water cannot win against a thunderbolt."

It was an issue of elements.
Thunderbolts enjoyed battlefields covered in water.
The Dragon half-blood could see Witira's confident expression as he started to smirk.

"…I know. Everybody knows about that fact."

A fact that everybody knows.
Witira, Archie, Choi Han who was rushing forward, and even Cale Henituse.
It was a fact that they all knew.

That was why Cale had told Witira to fight, but not to win.
However, Witira planned to win.
She called for someone.

"Choi Han!"

She would not have fought to win if it was just regular water. However, it was the Dominating Water. The Dominating Water might even be able to dominate thunderbolts.

Furthermore, they had something that could defeat light.
Even if it was not perfect, it was the most violent power.

Why did lifeforms fear the darkness?
It was because it was merciless.

She felt the person approach her and started to speak. Her quiet voice only reached Choi Han.

"Archie will create a path while I will protect you, Choi Han."

Choi Han and Witira made eye contact.

"Just one chance. We will only be able to try it once."

An incomplete darkness, however, it was not just Choi Han's power that was not complete.

The injured enemy was also not perfect.
You cannot see completeness nor incompleteness in the darkness. The darkness just needs to absorb everything.

Witira did not listen to Choi Han's response. Instead, she reached her hand out toward Archie, who stepped on her shoulder in order to push forward.

Chhhhhhhhhhhh-

One of the whips became Archie's feet.

"Hehehe, you think you can win if you attack as a group?"

The Dragon half-blood could not hide his dark smile as he started to cast some spells. Tens of light orbs appeared and shot toward Archie.

Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The orbs rammed against Archie's water armor.

Crackle.
Electricity appeared as it overpowered the water. Archie started to frown.
This was no joke.

"…As expected, he didn't use his full strength."

He had heard about the Dragon half-blood's strength from Cale. The strength he had used until now was not comparable to what Cale had described. Archie had thought that it was weird, and it ended up that he had been hiding his real strength.
However, that was not of Archie's concern. His role was simply to create a path.

"Aaaaaaaaahh!"

Archie shouted out loudly and opened up his arms as he rushed toward the Dragon half-blood. The light orbs surrounded his body, however, Archie did not stop.

Bowing to someone was more embarrassing than feeling pain. That was the unique nature of the Killer Whale Beast people. Unless they truly respected someone, they would never lower their heads. Although they could lower it once or twice without feeling that way, a Killer Whale beast person would end up asking for a fight if they didn't really respect someone.

The only ones that the Killer Whales had bowed their heads to were the Humpback Whales, the only Whales that they accepted as ones with the blood of the kings.

Baaaaang! Bang! Bang!

"Looks like you want to burn to death!"

The Dragon half-blood laughed out loud as he shot a large light arrow toward Archie. That arrow spiraled as if it was ready to pierce right through Archie's body.

Archie did not stop even after seeing the light arrow approaching him. Instead, he started to smile.

'…He's smiling?'

Archie lowered his head as the Dragon half-blood became confused. Archie bowed deeply.
It was toward someone that he could bow down to.
That person stepped on his back in order to move forward.

"Thank you."

Archie had become a stepping stone for his Queen.
As Witira kicked off of Archie's back, there was a water whip in her hand that was similar to the light arrow.
However, the whip looked more like a large spear or an extremely sharp blade.

Witira threw that spear forward.
The light arrow and the water spear were rushing toward each other.

"You think that you can beat me with a simple water spear like this?"

The light arrow shined even brighter as it crashed into the water spear.
A large explosion of light suddenly happened. The Dragon half-blood started to smile.

He could feel it.
He could feel the light arrow overwhelming the water spear.

Electricity would soon eat up the water.

It was at that moment.

Chhhhhhh-

The water started to move.
No, the large water wall that was made with Dominating Water started to move. Witira took off the cape of Dominating Water around her shoulders which was like a giant water wall.
She then threw it toward the Dragon half-blood.

"Now what are you trying to do?!"

Witira grabbed onto the water spear at the same time.

Crackle.
Electricity flowed through her body. It was the power inside the light arrow. Her water armor instantly evaporated while her palm started to burn.
However, she was someone who already had a lot of injuries on her body.

Witira was someone who had an X-shaped scar on her back from experiencing many battles, and to her, her injuries were a source of pride.
Those injuries were the reason she was able to save her friends and keep the peace.
She was someone who lived with such pride.

Witira lifted up the water spear that was crackling with electricity and threw it up.
The spear left her hand and accurately flew toward the Dragon half-blood who was wrapped up by the water wall.

At that moment, the Dragon half-blood could feel his own power coming back to attack him.

Riiiiiiiiiip.

A part of the water wall that was blinding him ripped open. The Dragon half-blood's hands were shining with light as it ripped up the Dominating Water.
At the same time, the Dragon half-blood found the water spear that was covered in light.

"Ha, haha!"

The Dragon half-blood laughed as he lifted both of his hands in front of himself.

Boooooooom!

A loud explosion could be heard. His two hands ran into the spiraling water spear, however, an explosion that was worlds apart from any other explosion that had been heard in the past filled the Gorge of Death.

"Kehehehe, hehe!"

The Dragon half-blood smiled as he grabbed onto the water spear that stopped right in front of his stomach. His palms were hot. He had not felt pain like this in a long time. However, it could not pierce through his stomach like the small thunderbolt that had given him the greatest amount of pain in the recent past.

It was like this in the end.
You could not beat something that was in an entirely different class on their own.

The Dragon half-blood's eyes looked toward Witira.
There was neither water nor fire anymore. There were just the two Whales who were standing on crows while barely maintaining their berserk transformations.

"Hehehe, in the end, it is like this. You can't surpass a class dif-"

The Dragon half-blood's expression suddenly changed as he was speaking.
Witira and Archie.
It was the moment the two of them smiled.

'Behind me.
Behind my back that is still covered by the water wall.'

The Dragon half-blood turned his head around. At the same time, one of his hands headed above the injury at his stomach.

Darkness was stealthy.
The reason death was compared to darkness was because it was just as quiet and aimed for your back when you weren't expecting it.

That stealthy darkness appeared behind the Dragon half-blood's back.
It then pierced through the enemy's weakness silently and quickly.

"Ugh!"

The Dragon half-blood lowered his head. He could see a rough hand that was grabbing onto his hand that had been heading toward the injured area.
It was a hand that was covered in a black aura that was being burnt by the light.
He was not letting go even though his hand was burning.

"Y, you stupid human bastard...! Ugh!"

Choi Han's other hand had made a dagger out of black aura and pierced through the injury.
It had pierced not from the front, but from the back.
Choi Han's black aura went straight through the back to the stomach. It went right by the same spot that Raon's small thunderbolt had gone through.

The Dragon half-blood could see Choi Han's emotionless face staring at him.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]