CHAPTER 809

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The Bird Dragon Fortress was not only a training ground for the Hairan's Dragon Knights but also a place where they nurtured and raised their bird dragons. The Red Plutonian tribe chose this location as their next hunting ground, following Zipfel's 2nd-class Magic tower.

[T/L: These are not dragons like Murakan and Kadun or so. These are one of the subspecies of Dragons that are used for riding and they do not transform into human forms. So do not get confused that Hairan possess dragons like Zipfel.]

The land where the Bird Dragon Fortress, known as the "Quassel Plain," was located, consisted entirely of Dragon Knights, reserve Dragon Knights, and bird dragons to maintain the unique nature of their training and security.

What the Red Plutonian tribe needed was the blood of strong living beings. From their perspective, bird dragons and their corpses were easily obtainable and provided excellent nourishment. Bird Dragons held a value that surpassed even the White Wolf Tribe or the Red Tiger Tribe, and the Dragon Knights were no different.

Moreover, in the eyes of the Red Plutonian tribe, the defensive capabilities of the Bird Dragon Fortress were laughable. Just as they had demonstrated during the Zipfel 2nd-class Magic tower assault, the Red Plutonian tribe quickly seized control of the skies above the Bird Dragon Fortress using dimensional portal and fleet strength.

The Red Plutonian tribe's Red fleet opened fire as soon as they appeared. Suddenly, bombardments from above turned the entire fortress into a wasteland within a matter of seconds.

The Dragon Knights had no time to prepare for a teleportation-based attack, and there was no suitable way to respond.

"How dare they...!"

Thud!

Dante clenched his teeth as he brushed away the debris and shrapnel falling from above.

While Dante usually worked at Hairan's 2nd Castle, today he had come to the Bird Dragon Fortress to inspect the Dragon Knights personally.

If Dante hadn't been present now, the Red Plutonian tribe would have effortlessly slaughtered and looted, then calmly left the Quassel Plain.

"Are you alright, lord patriarch!"

"I'm fine. Check on the young knights and bird dragons!"

"Yes!"

"Rescue them immediately and lead them to safety. They are not capable of facing the enemy. Also, send the fastest Dragon Knight to Hairan's 2nd Castle and inform them of this situation."

"Understood!"

The knights nearby dispersed, pushing away the debris from the collapsed meeting room. Although an indescribable and deep rage surged within Dante, he maintained his composure and stepped outside. More than a hundred Red fleet warships surrounded the fortress.

The people in the central hall with Dante were all top-ranking Dragon Knights. They had not suffered any significant damage from the first bombardment, but it was a different story for the Young Dragon Knights and bird dragons on the other side. The Dragon Knight Commander, Calamine, was absent, and all the elite Dragon Knights had been dispatched across the Empire.

Dante could see the bodies of dead Dragon Knights and bird dragons nearby, and he could hear the cries of his subordinates. With a calm and sharp gaze, Dante unsheathed his sword, observing the Red Plutonian tribe's flagship.

'Could this be the Red Plutonian tribe that Jin mentioned? They are not just strong in their fleet. There must be a skilled individual with transcendent powers among their passengers.'

Dante instinctively sensed this fact.

The commander of the Red Plutonian tribe's fleet that surrounded the fortress was Drek Hon.

Drek Hon was the leader of the Red Plutonian tribe and the newly awakened Great battle king. Moreover, he had almost regained his full power, unlike Rakiman.

"Isn't that human known as the Sword Emperor in the human world? His appearance and aura match. Compatriot Henji, why is this individual here?"

"I apologize, Compatriot Drek. Currently, Dante Hairan is the leader of the Empire, so we couldn't accurately determine his whereabouts."

"I see, I understand. Then, I will let you comprehend that from now on, you will be an undying warrior under my will."

Before Henji could reply, Drek grabbed his head.

"Ack, no, aaargh...!"

In an instant, Henji's massive body transformed into a withered state, as if his body turned into branches. The blood that came out of his body transformed into red particles and was absorbed by Drek's hand. Thud! At the sound of the illuminating heart falling to the ground, the Red Plutonian tribe members tensed up.

"Open the bridge. I have a proposal for the Sword Emperor."

When the bridge of the flagship opened, Dante could see Drek's appearance. Drek looked down at Dante with narrowed, intrigued eyes.

"Sword Emperor, I am Drek Hon, the Great battle king of the Red Plutonian tribe. I will give you a chance. Abandon this pitiful fortress and flee immediately. If you do, I won't take your life today. We'll take sufficient blood and return, while you can plan for the future."

Dante wanted to go up immediately and kill Drek, but he kept his mouth shut to buy some time. This way, the scattered knights could take care of the injured young knights and bird dragons.

Drek saw through Dante's intention and smirked.

"Wasting a few seconds like that won't change the fact that all the humans here will become our nourishment."

The Sword Emperor's Secret Technique, Heavenly flash.

[T/L:- Changing name Heavenly Isle to Heavenly flash]

As Drek finished speaking, Rashid emitted a burst of light. A giant sword energy swept toward the entire front of the red fleet.

However, Drek did not exert any power himself. Only relying on the fleet's shields, he blocked Dante's attack. Both Drek's own strength and the fleet's performance and firepower were incomparable to when Rakiman attacked Kinzelo's 3rd Branch.

"So, this is your answer. You truly live up to the name of the Sword Emperor, possessing an exceptional sword. I'd love to spar with you personally... But I am not here for a duel; it's an invasion. Too bad."

As the bridge closed, Drek's figure disappeared. Dante roared and unleashed consecutive Heavenly flash attacks, but the fleet's shield only emitted more red light in response.

The red fleet's shield was impressive, but it couldn't withstand Dante's attacks indefinitely.

However, the problem was that Dante didn't have control of the battlefield. The red fleet had complete dominance in the skies, capable of striking the entire fortress, while Dante had to protect the Dragon Knights and bird dragons and fight.

The bombardment started again. A fierce barrage with red lightning was trampling the Bird Dragon Fortress. 

'I can not save them all.'

Dante had to admit that he couldn't save everyone with his current abilities.

Perhaps accepting Drek's proposal and fleeing would be the wiser choice. After all, Drek didn't want to fight Dante to the point of losing his strength; he just wanted to gather prey and leave.

However, Dante took some comfort in the fact that him coming to the Bird Dragon Fortress today was the first fortunate thing out of several misfortunes.

The second was that Dante wasn't alone.

Suaak...! Creak!

Suddenly, explosions erupted in the upper left airspace of the Red Plutonian tribe's encirclement. Someone had attacked the rear of the fleet gathered there.

Until now, the Red Plutonian tribe had concentrated their power on the front shields to block Dante's attacks, leaving the rear relatively vulnerable. No matter how formidable the Red Plutonian tribe's warships were, they couldn't withstand the blow of one of the strongest humans on the surface. The Red Plutonian tribe hurriedly deployed rear shields, but they had already lost two ships.

"...I should have asked about that human before offering Compatriot Henji the honor of immortality."

Drek sighed while looking at the left fleet.

"This time, it's Hedo, a key member of the Vamel Alliance."

Hedo.

After hearing the news of the Zipfel 2nd-class Magic tower attack, Jin dispatched Hedo to the Empire. He deemed it unreasonable for Dante alone to defend the Empire until they could figure out the Red Plutonian tribe's attack patterns and come up with proper countermeasures.

"From now on, all ships except the flagship concentrate your fire on the Sword Emperor and Hedo. I will handle the fleeing prey. The flagship should maximize its power output. I'll personally amplify the lightning energy. Today, we will deal with one of them before we leave."

The bombardment that had been falling all over the fortress now began to focus on the two of them.

Thanks to this, it seemed like the young knights and bird dragons could evacuate more easily. However, it only lasted for a moment. As soon as Drek connected his own illuminating heart to the power source, the firepower of the flagship "Barion" increased.

Wings unfolded on both sides of Barion, and fierce thunderbolts appeared. Although Dante and Hedo hadn't experienced the Red Plutonian tribe fleet properly yet, they instinctively felt danger.

So they didn't stop the young Dragon Knights from taking flight. They thought that flying together on bird dragons and escaping would be the best way if the two of them could block the bombardment.

However, the red thunderbolts attached to Barion's wings instantly spread through the Quassel Plain's sky, causing the bird dragons to crash.

The sky covered by Barion's thunderbolts was like a volcanic area. It possessed the attribute of annihilating all objects in the air, similar to the Red Giant Linked Barrier of Imperial Special task force. Of course, it was far more powerful than the Red Giant Linked Barrier used by the Imperial Special forces.

"Kiaaah!"

"Kiiik...!"

The bird dragons turned to ashes and fell to the ground. The reserve knights who were riding them were all turned to ashes as well. Dante suppressed the sense of helplessness welling up inside and swung his sword towards the flagship.

However, he couldn't close the distance against the shower of bombardments. Apart from Barion, all other ships were pressuring Dante and Hedo.

The Dragon Knights who had to retreat had no choice but to leap. The bird dragons ran while frothing continuously, and even Barion opened fire as if it couldn't tolerate their escape.

In a way, there was no path for the Dragon Knights to escape, neither in the sky nor on the ground.

"Sword Emperor! At this rate, the Dragon Knights will be completely wiped out."

Hedo stood beside Dante and shouted.

"Sir Hedo."

"That means you should protect the formation while escaping from the battlefield. Hurry to Hairan 2nd Castle and call Jin through the communication device as soon as possible. Until then, I'll keep these bastards tied up alone."

If he couldn't abandon all the Dragon Knights, then that was the best option. However, Dante believed that the more dangerous role should naturally be taken by himself. Who remained in the Bird Dragon Fortress now undoubtedly face a life-or-death situation.

This place belonged to the Empire, it was Hairan's territory, and Dante is Hairan's patriarch.

"...I'd rather stay. Please, Sir Hedo, go!"

"No, you're strong, but you're also fragile."

"What's with that? It's right for Sir Hedo to go."

"No matter what, Sword Emperor, do you think you are sturdier than me? If I get hurt, I can just get treated and be fine, but if you die, it'll shake the entire Empire. So, there's no time for this. Go and call Jin! If you refuse, I'll cut you in half before the Red Plutonian tribe or whoever does it. I'm serious."

In the face of Hedo's firm attitude, Dante finally had no choice but to nod his head.

"...Alright, I understand. I won't forget this favor, Sir Hedo."

After confirming that Dante was stepping back, Hedo glared at the Red Plutonian tribe.

"Phew, it's tight. Well then, let's see how long I can hold out."

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