CHAPTER 68 #8
Magsasalita pa sana ang isa sa mga matanda nang bigla nitong mapansin ang kakaibang nangyayari sa paligid nila.
A dark barrier had already surrounded the entire area.
Hindi lamang ang sampung libong kawal na binili ni Rassia ang nakulong sa loob nito. Maging ang dalawampu't limang libong kawal na naiwan sa Mysarea ay napalibutan din ng parehong dark barrier.
Napaatras ang ilang kawal habang sinusubukang hawakan ang makapal na enerhiya, ngunit walang sinuman ang makalabas.
Napangisi si Lucy Pearl.
"Now, the knights can't help you fight her, dickheads."
"Anong kalapastanganan ito?!" nanlilisik na sigaw ni Lord Aryo habang nakatingin kay Rassia.
Tahimik lamang na nakatingin si Rassia sa kanila.
"I will not let you enslave my beloved dragon the same way you enslaved your own people."
Rassia simply stared at them with her head held high, her expression completely calm despite the anger building inside her.
"I have seen what you have done to this city. I have seen your people wearing chains around their necks, your soldiers being treated like prisoners, and your servants living in fear while the five of you sit comfortably inside this palace."
Bahagya siyang humakbang pasulong.
"And after seeing all of that, you still expect me to stand here and let you continue ruling them?"
She slowly shook her head.
"No. I will not allow you to rule Mysarea anymore."
Nagkatinginan ang limang matanda. Kitang-kita sa kanilang mga mukha ang matinding galit dahil napagtanto nilang naloko sila ng mga ito.
"You have already had your chance to lead these people, and you chose to use their fear and suffering to keep yourselves in power. You were given an entire city to protect, yet you turned it into a place where people are afraid to even speak."
Her voice remained steady.
"So from this moment forward, your authority over Mysarea ends. You wanted my dragon because you believed you could own everything you saw. But you were wrong... You don't own this city. You don't own its people. And you certainly don't own their future."
Ngumisi si Rassia nang makita ang ekspresyon ng lima.
"Your reign ends today."
"How dare you..." mariing sambit ni Lord Aryo habang mahigpit na nakakuyom ang kaniyang kamao.
"Razareth."
Bahagyang lumingon si Rassia sa kaniyang dragon.
Agad namang umungol si Razareth at isang napakalaking fireball ang nabuo sa harapan nito. Mabilis itong pinakawalan patungo sa mga kawal na pilit pa ring kumokontrol sa mga kadena nito.
Umungol si Razareth bago mabilis na umangat sa himpapawid at lumipad palayo sa lungsod.
Mas lalo lamang nag-init ang limang matanda nang makita nilang tuluyang umalis ang dragon.
"You deceived us!" sigaw ni Lord Aryo.
"How dare you fool us in our own city?!" sigaw ng isa pa, halatang nanginginig sa galit.
"You promised us that dragon!" sigaw ng isa habang mariing itinuturo si Rassia. "You came here pretending to negotiate, only to make fools out of us!"
"Do you think you can simply walk away after humiliating the five lords of Mysarea?!" sigaw ng isa pa.
Nagkapatong-patong ang kanilang mga sigaw habang halos sabay-sabay nilang hinahamon si Rassia.
Ngunit nanatili lamang siyang kalmado.
She simply stared at them with her head held high.
"Six Azure Blades, go inside Mysarea. Do what I tasked you to do, and make sure the damage from here does not reach the city. Ilayo ninyo ang mga tao na malapit dito. I don't want a single civilian getting caught in what is about to happen. Anastacio, go inside as well.
Stay with them and make sure everything I instructed is done properly."
"Lucy Pearl, keep the barrier in place. I want every single knight behind me to see what I am capable of. They need to understand that I am not an ordinary woman who simply bought their freedom with gold. I want them to know that I will protect that freedom with everything I have."
Nang tuluyang umalis ang pito, naiwan si Rassia sa malawak na lugar kasama ang limang matanda.
Nasa loob pa rin ng napakalaking dark barrier ang libo libong mga kawal, tahimik na pinagmamasdan ang lahat ng nangyayari sa harapan nila. Nanatili silang nasa loob ng dark barrier ni Lucy Pearl, unable to interfere with the fight that was about to begin.
Pinunit ng limang matanda ang kanilang mararangyang damit, dahilan upang tuluyang makita ang kanilang mga matitikas na katawan. Kitang-kita roon ang mga bakas ng mga peklat na naiwan mula sa kanilang mga digmaan at matagal na pakikipaglaban.
Maya-maya, biglang umilaw ang mga simbolo sa kanilang noo. The strange markings began to glow, releasing a powerful mana presence that quickly spread across the entire area.
Unti-unting nagbago ang mga simbolo at naging mga numero.
Napatingin ang mga kawal sa mga numero sa kanilang noo.
Ang numerong nasa noo ni Lord Aryo ay uno.
It meant only one thing. He was the strongest among the five.
The remaining four followed behind him in strength, with each number representing their position among the five rulers.
Rassia slowly raised her chin and smiled.
"Let's see how strong the five rulers of Mysarea really are."