CHAPTER 45: AVENGER’S WRATH

SERENA MAIZONO

2 YEARS AGO

The calm winds blew the dusty arena, giving off a brown smoke that made the battlefield a little bit blurry. 

The tension never failed to fall down as the two dragon knights readied their weapons for the final phase of this battle. The Pentagram Knight Eroll Fizarro revealed his shotguns on each hand. He shook it, ejecting the empty shell from the barrel. The shotguns only contain empty capsules, and I reckon that the enemy dragon knight is using magic to load his guns with some kind of materialization force similar to our Forging magic.

Senpai swiped the top of his giant crossbow, and a sword-sized steel needle materialized from it. One of the blaster shield’s features is to transform its shape and size to any weapon the wielder wants, so it’s no surprise that my dragon knight has resorted to a full-assault strategy on such a fluid type of weapon.

“Forge,” I whispered to myself as I magically create rolls of bandages on my bloodied left hand. With my first aid kit, I wrapped the deep cut on my shoulder to stop the bleeding. My whole body is aching. I can’t move as fast as before. I’m certainly combat ineffective, but it doesn’t matter because the opponent dragonoid is already down. Now that we dragonoids can no longer fight, it’s up to our knights to decide who the winner will be.

“Graaaaaaah!” Senpai shouted with full might as he dashed forward. I know that it’s a reckless and stupid move that my dragon knight is resorting to charging forward even though he got a hand of a long-ranged weapon, but I think he’s up to something. The green flames on his eyes are not fading, so the Avenger’s Wrath bloodline magic is still active.

“Fool!” Sir Eroll Fizarro fired his two shotguns towards the reckless knight. “You’ll never get close to me!”

Several gunshots echoed. Each of the shotgun bullets explodes into dozens of shrapnels that scattered around the air. Those shrapnels are sure to hit Senpai now that he’s not using a shield. I highly doubt that he won’t be able to evade it either.

But everything is different if Senpai’s Avenger’s Wrath bloodline magic is active. In the nick of time, he clutched himself and put his foot on the brakes. He bent his knees and pumped his fist as he shouted a mighty force of courage.

“Graaaah!” A forcefield was created from his body that made a powerful shockwave. The shockwave rendered all the shotgun bullets useless as it stopped midair as soon as it touched the forcefield. Using this cleared opportunity, Senpai pointed his crossbow towards the enemy and fired it with full force.

Senpai’s crossbow is no ordinary bow. It does not use bowstring nor magic. It uses a magnet’s force to fire its giant steel needle to render wind resistance useless. So in proper terms, Senpai is not using a crossbow, but a high-tech rail bow.

“What the-” The Pentagram Knight was surprised due to the turn of events. He failed to finish his sentence as the giant steel arrow grazed through his right shoulder. He managed to spin and avoid direct damage, but the force of the rail bow projectile rendered his shield plate down to 43%.

Meanwhile, the steel projectile changed trajectories as it flew up. It made its way until it’s about five meters high and stabbed itself to the VIP seat: mainly, to the Emperor of Elysia’s seat. It was so close; the arrow is just half a meter away from exploding Emperor Eldritch’s brain. 

Everybody was surprised due to that near-miss accident. Emperor Elkyria, Empress Trystgade, and all the dragon knights are in awe as they all witness such things happen before their very eyes. However, the victim Emperor Michael Eldritch himself is not flabbergasted. Instead, he has this assuring smile on his face, as if his life was not put to peril a few seconds ago. However, he uttered a nervous chuckle.

“Cheeky wanker,” Eldritch muttered with an amused smile.

“Tsk. I missed.” Senpai whispered to himself, only the people down here on the battlefield can hear him. Now he really does sound like he’s planning to assassinate his former best friend in the form of an accident.

But the battle between the knights continues.

“I’m your enemy!” Sir Fizarro leaped forward and readied his own self to smash his two shotguns straight to Senpai’s head.

Due to the shortage of time, Senpai let his Avenger’s Wrath instincts dominate his mind. He used his crossbow the block the left shotgun, which resulted in both of them letting go of their weapons. Senpai is fully unarmed, but the enemy still has a shotgun left.

The remaining shotgun smash is a fake. Sir Fizarro immediately maneuvered and changed the angle of his weapon, and now its barrel is pointed to Senpai’s head. With the point-blank distance, the opponent knight pulled the trigger.

A gunshot echoed. But the shotgun shrapnel didn’t hit anything. In the spur of the moment, Senpai used his left hand to grab the muzzle and pulled it down, smashing the shotgun knight to the ground.

“Guh!” The Pentagram Knight uttered a weak cry as his head slammed to the dusty floor. It rendered his shield plate down to 35%.

The opponent widened his eyes as he saw Senpai’s determined gaze to win this fight. Those flaming emerald eyes are surely the messenger of doom. 

Senpai used his right foot to pin down the enemy’s right arm. Now that the enemy is completely down and helpless, it’s all up to him to finish the fight. “Forge,” he muttered, as he created a knuckle on his right fist, and he used it to smash to the enemy’s face.

“Gah!” Errol cried. The shield plate might be protecting him from any damage, but the force of each and every punch of Senpai would render him dizzy as this goes on.

Enemy shield plate drops to 28%. Enemy shield plate drops to 15%. Enemy shield plate drops to 8%. Each punch of the emerald-eyed dragon knight is filled with wrath. His bloodline magic Avenger’s Wrath makes him a freaking war machine with no other intention but to kill enemies. Senpai is actually one of those people who can turn into a brave and reckless berserker without the use of any kind of mind-altering drugs.

Enemy shield plate dropped to 0%. The moment the system detected that the arena immediately made a loud buzzer. 

“The winner for this Pentagram Knight battle is Sir Xenon Wingate!” The announcer shouted.

But even though the winner has been proclaimed, Senpai does not have any slight intention to stop. He raised his knuckled fist, ready to make one more blow to the enemy’s cheek.

“Senpai!” I cried out loud. I can’t believe he can no longer control himself while in rage mode. This is the reason why I restrained his bloodline magic. I don’t want him to kill any more people with that kind of wrathful state.

The moment Senpai realized my voice, the flames on his eyes faded. He suddenly realized that he’s about to do something wrong.

“Dude, it’s over,” Eroll said with a relieved smile. “Don’t be so savage on me. You’re barking on the wrong tree.”

“I…” Senpai muttered as he looks at his own hands. Then, he released the honorable Pentagram Knight from his pin down and helped him stand. “I’m sorry. I really do go over the line.”

“Hah!” Eroll patted Senpai’s head as if he’s his private student. “You won this battle, but don’t get cocky. Remember, we Pentagram Knights are battling with handicaps during a Pentagram Knight Challenge.”

“Yeah, I know,” Senpai muttered.

Sir Eroll Fizarro is right. It doesn’t mean that if we defeat a Pentagram Knight, we are already stronger than them. Pentagram Knights tend to hold back during this kind of battle. If they turn serious, it will be horrifyingly bloody for our side. For example, all Pentagram Knights have access to powerful Dracaryxes while Senpai and I do not. I have heard that Sir Gerald Luciello can launch nuclear warheads with his Airstrike Dragon, while Sir Eroll Fizarro can summon a horde of undead crows with his Black Feather Dragon to aid him in battle. Those magics are meant to fight crucial situations and not in this measly test of power. I’m pretty sure if Pentagram Knights fight seriously, we only have a slimmer chance to win.

After the brutal battle, Sir Fizarro went to his unconscious dragonoid's side. Senpai also went to check to see me and my wounds.

“Serena, are you okay?” Senpai asked. “I’m sorry if I got you wounded. Due to my recklessness, you might get scarred for life.”

“N-No, I’m fine.” I shook my head with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure Z would tend to my wounds and remove my scars in no time. The wounds are not so damaging anyway.”

Senpai is getting so overprotective. Actually, I never get any lasting skin wounds. My body’s regeneration powers are beyond superb, and I don’t need Z’s elemental magic treatment to heal. I used to have lots of cuts and bruises all over my body back when I was a tortured slave in Vanilla City, but I noticed that my wounds would heal in just a matter of hours. Maybe the secret lies in my royal dragonoid bloodline, or maybe due to the fact that I have the power to activate Elform and use nature’s magic to heal all my scars and wounds. 

The battle might have ended, but the tension never stops. Especially that now we are hearing a slow clap and a couple of footsteps approaching us down here in the arena.

“That was a spectacular show, Sir Xenon Wingate of Alterra. You never fail to impress me.” Those are the words of the man whom Senpai hated the most.

In front of us is Emperor Michael Eldritch, accompanied by his wife and his Empress Trystgade and some dragon knights coming from Elysia. I can even see the hero Lothar Pendragon as their personal bodyguard. There’s also a weird yet beautiful black-haired dragonoid lady wearing a lotus dress on their side.

“Michael fucking Eldritch,” Senpai muttered with rage. He picked up the crossbow beside me and pointed it forward; now aiming at the Emperor of Elysia’s head.  “Bold of you to come in a point-blank range.”

All the dragon knight guards, even Lothar Pendragon and the flower-dressed dragonoid girl stood alert and on guard. But Emperor Michael Eldritch raised his hand, signaling that it’s all well and fine as if his life is in no threat at all.

“My friend Xenon Wingate.” Emperor Eldritch made a charming smile. “Would you have the honor to join us at our dinner later?”