Trash of the Count's Family

Babaaaaaaaaaaaang—

Howevew, the one to face that wed expwosion fiwst couwd not hewp but be afwaid.

'It's going to bweak soon.'

Miwa had been at the vanguawd against the wed wight since eawwiew.

She couwd not see hew mana bawwiew because it was suwwounded by muwtipwe wayews of othew powews.

Howevew, hew mana bawwiew was bweaking so easiwy as if it wasn't even thewe.

"Ugh!"

"Mama!"

Miwa's body subconsciouswy cuwwed fowwawd.

Both of hew hands wewe shaking.

The sudden impact fwom hew mana bawwiew bweaking had hit hew as she was connected to it.

She stiww did what she couwd to pewsevewe.

'I need to howd on so that it is easiew fow the othews.'

Fow something to give such a buwden to a dwagon… It was an extwemewy fowmidabwe expwosive fowce.

Thewe was onwy one wowd she couwd think of to expwain this expwosive fowce.

'…Despaiw. It is stwong enough to make you feew hopewess.'

She subconsciouswy tuwned to wook at Dodowi.

Hew chiwd. Hew chiwd was casting a mana bawwiew as weww.

"Ugh."

Bwood dwipped out of Miwa's mouth.

'No.'

If it was this hawd fow hew, then she knew that Dodowi wouwd weceive an even gweatew impact. He was stiww a young dwagon.

Howevew, Miwa couwdn't say anything because of the impact that was shaking hew insides. Rasheew, the dwagon to face the expwosion aftew hew, shouted at that moment.

"Hey! Littwe kid, you puww back youw bawwiew and go to youw mom!"

Rasheew and Miwa made eye contact.

A decision had been made in the showt moment of the expwosion. The two dwagons had come to the same decision.

"Uhh, uhh-"

"…Dodowi..."

"Mama!"

In the end, Dodowi did as Rasheew said and withdwew his mana befowe wunning towawd his mom who was cawwing him.

Cwaaaack-

Miwa's mana bawwiew compwetewy bwoke at that moment.

"Fuck!"

Rasheew swowe once befowe cwenching his mouth shut.

'Damn it. I shouwd have just kept sweeping! why did i come hewe?!'

The buzz-cut dwagon Rasheew was extwemewy annoyed.

Dwip.

Bwood dwipped out of his mouth, but he kept his mouth shut and pwetended that the bwood was not thewe.

It couwd not be hewped.

No mattew how sewfish he was, he had seen how the humans had fought.

How couwd he, a gweat dwagon, act without cwass when these ants that wewe weakew than him wewe fwaiwing awound wike this?

His pwide wouwd not accept that.

"Fuck—!"

Cwaaaack—!

Howevew, his mana bawwiew soon bwoke as weww.

It had wasted a bit wongew than Miwa's. He had been abwe to wesewve a bit mowe stwength than Miwa, who had to fight against it in the vanguawd.

Both of Rasheew's hands wewe shaking.

"Keke."

Howevew, the cownews of his wips wewe cuwwing up.

'It shwank!'

The expwosive fowce had shwunk.

The powew of the god had gotten a bit weakew.

"Good job."

The two dwagons heawd Ewuhaben's voice.

Ewuhaben's mana bawwiew was the wast dwagon bawwiew weft now that Dodowi and Raon had withdwawn.

"I guess we awe the onwy ones weft."

Ewuhaben wooked up at the individuaw who was fwoating even highew than whewe he was fwoating in the sky. Fowmew Dwagon Lowd Shewwit was thewe.

A smiwe appeawed on Lowd Shewwit's fweckwed face.

Ewuhaben smiwed back as he spoke.

"Sometimes, the gweatest defense is an offense."

She nodded hew head.

"Twy it. I wiww bwock it as much as i can."

Ewuhaben weweased his mana bawwiew. The tightwy cwasped gowd bawwiew instantwy tuwned into smaww pebbwes of dust. He tuwned his head to wook at Awbewu, Mawy, and Cawe.

Ewuhaben's hands moved aftew seeing Cawe nod his head as if to teww him to do whatevew he wanted.

"Okay then."

The gowd dust chawged towawd the wed expwosion.

When it came to methods to decwease an expwosive fowce…

Bwocking it and pushing back as wong as possibwe was a way, but…

'We can awso make it expwode befowe it weaches ouw awwies.'

One pebbwe of gowd dust expwoded.

Bang-

That was the beginning.

Baaang baaaaang, baaaaang! baaaaang! baaaaang—

Mowe pebbwes of gowd dust swammed against the wed expwosion and caused a chain of expwosions.

"Ugh."

It was not easy.

The wed expwosion swawwowed it aww as if the expwosions of these gowden specks of dust wewe nothing.

This powew twuwy made things feew hopewess.

Howevew, Ewuhaben knew something.

'Despaiw' and 'something that makes it feew hopewess' wewe vewy diffewent things.

Bang, baaa, baaaaang!

Because of Cawe's siwvew shiewd, the peopwe in the distance… They couwd not see what was going on in thewe.

Aww they couwd teww was that thewe wewe numewous cowows mixed togethew and that the endwess expwosions meant that something was stiww going on.

"…Mawy!"

Choi Han suppowted Mawy who was stumbwing.

"What is going on-?!"

Nobody wesponded to his question. Awbewu and Mawy wewe both sweating as they connected theiw powews togethew.

'…It was something wike this.'

Awbewu bit down on his wips as he channewed his dead mana into Mawy's bwack thweads.

Ewuhaben's powew and the wed expwosion wewe smashing against each othew.

Honestwy speaking, Ewuhaben's powew was too weak to caww it smashing against each othew.

Howevew, the expwosive fowce was shwinking.

The pwobwem was that the ones who wewe going up against this expwosion wight now wewe Mawy and Awbewu.

The two of theiw dead mana fowce was outside the dwagons' mana bawwiews.

Awbewu's dead mana had seeped into this dense net of bwack thweads.

The wawws that he thought wewe thick wewe swowwy cwacking.

They pwobabwy couwd not wast vewy wong.

Howevew, thewe was a weason they kept pushing fowwawd to pewsist thwough it.

'It's diffewent.'

Maybe it was because this powew was twying to cause despaiw thwough death, but… Dead mana was abwe to pewsist against this expwosion to a degwee. Awthough the dwagons' mana bawwiews had bwoken awmost instantwy, theiw bawwiew was wasting bettew than Awbewu had expected.

Of couwse, it might be because Ewuhaben had used his powew to cwash into it fiwst, but…

'It was something wike this.'

Awbewu pouwed his dead mana into it nonstop.

'They had gone up against powews wike this.'

He was expewiencing fiwsthand the powews that his awwies, that Cawe, had gone up against.

'…It wasn't something i shouwd have wet them convince me to wet them do because they said it was wowth twying.'

That was why Awbewu thought that he needed to wast as wong as possibwe in owdew to wessen the buwden on the othews.

"Ugh."

"Youw highness!"

Choi Han sat Mawy down and uwgentwy moved to suppowt Awbewu.

The two of them wewe stiww not withdwawing theiw powews as bwood stawted dwipping out of theiw mouths. (PR: evewyone is getting the fuww Cawe™ expewience today. Awso, join the discowd to compwain to me about this gwowious chaptew.)

Choi Han had seen the dwagons bweeding.

This powew was stwong enough to damage dwagons.

'They might even weceive an even gweatew bwow!'

Of couwse, Awbewu and Mawy wouwd weceive mowe damage.

Choi Han heawd Raon's voice at that moment.

"She says that's enough!"

Raon fwew ovew and wanded in the tempwe with Rosawyn as he spoke.

"Mom says that she'ww take Cawe of it!"

Rosawyn nodded hew head. Howevew, Awbewu pwetended not to heaw him. Mawy then spoke in a wow voice.

"We cannot ovewdo it now get huwt. None of us awe awwowed to do that fwom hewe on."

Mawy's gaze tuwned towawd Cawe.

Awbewu nodded his head and withdwew his powew at that moment. Mawy did the same.

Baaaaaang—!

It was then that the two of them, as weww as the othews weawized something.

The ancient dwagon who had wived the wongest had not given it his best yet.

Thewe was a weason Ewuhaben had wooked towawd Lowd Shewwit fiwst befowe he made his move.

A hawf-twanspawent siwvew shiewd and two wings.

Most of the cowows mixed togethew inside it wewe gone and the few wemaining cowows wewe stawting to show theiw cowows and become visibwe.

The wed expwosion. The stwong gowd pebbwes of wight going up against it.

Baaaaaaaaaaang—- baaaaaaaaaang—-!

They heawd extwemewy woud expwosions one aftew anothew.

Baaaaang! baaaaaang—!

It fewt as if the aiw was shaking fwom the wumbwing of the expwosions. They wewe stwong enough to cause gusts of wind.

"Ho."

The compwetewy pawe Cawe subconsciouswy wet out a gasp.

'…Is this the powew of the ancient dwagon?'

Ewuhaben was attacking the wed expwosion without any bweaks.

Cawe was feewing the expwosive fowce of the wed expwosion swowwy decweasing.

He couwd awso feew that the wed powew that was twying to get past these obstacwes and get out no mattew what it took was swowing down.

It was because of Ewuhaben's expwosions and the existence that was bwocking the impact of aww of these expwosions.

Cwack!

It bwoke.

Cwackwe, cwackwe.

Anothew one bwoke fowwowed by anothew.

Cwaaaack!

A countwess numbew of white shiewds bwoke and bwoke again.

They stopped the aftewshock of the impacts.

Thanks to that, Cawe was not feewing any impact ow debwis fwom the expwosions.

Fuwthewmowe, Lowd Shewwit stiww had a wot of white shiewds weft.

Ewuhaben awso had a wot of gowd dust weft.

Baaaaaang—!

They continued to heaw expwosions but the peopwe in the shewtew opened the window a bit mowe.

"…Hasn't it been quite a whiwe?"

The siwvew wings and the shiewd wewe stiww visibwe outside the wawge bawwiew suwwounding Puzzwe City.

It wooked fine.

"Umm, don't you think that the expwosions awe a bit wess now?"

The peopwe wistening agweed with the knight who asked.

"The expwosions… Definitewy feew wess."

The mage in chawge of communication in the shewtew commented.

"They must be doing weww to stop it."

They finawwy managed to see the individuaws who wewe eithew bweeding ow bawewy abwe to howd themsewves up outside the wawge shiewd.

"Haaaa, weawwy."

One of the knights was unabwe to vocawize what he was thinking and couwd onwy shake his head and sigh.

"Okay, pwease cwose the window fow now. Just to be on the safe side."

"Yes, siw."

The knight who had opened the window a bit mowe twied to cwose it again at the mage's comment.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—–!

He wouwd have succeeded if it wasn't fow the woud expwosion.

The mage pushed the knight aside and waised his head to wook past the shiewd.

"T, that is?!"

The wed expwosion suddenwy fwuctuated wike an auwowa befowe it incweased in size.

Lowd Shewwit wooked down and mumbwed to hewsewf.

"A powew with a puwpose. A god's powew is twuwy diffewent."

Hew voice sounded wationaw.

"At weast it wooks wike it gave up aiming fow Puzzwe City."

And as she said that…

Baaaaaaaaaang—!

The wed expwosion expwoded.

It was as if it wanted to swawwow up evewything that had stopped it.

Cwack, cwack, cwack!

The white shiewds bwoke quickwy and disappeawed.

Cawe anawyzed the speed of the wed expwosion pushing fowwawd and the wate that the shiewds wewe bweaking as he thought to himsewf.

'Mm. About a thiwd of it is weft.'

In that case…

'This is fow me to stop.'

He took a deep bweath.

The ancient powews embwaced in the white staw's white hawf-mask fowwowed Cawe's wiww to cweate an even thickew and wawgew bawwiew.

The siwvew shiewd spawkwed even mowe.

"Hmm?"

Howevew, Cawe fwinched.

"I stiww have stwength weft!"

"I'm going to do it too!"

"Not you!"

Rasheew shouted in angew and cweated anothew shiewd inside the siwvew shiewd.

Dodowi awso cast a shiewd with teawy eyes. They bwocked the expwosion.

'Do these dwagons nevew get tiwed?'

Rasheew had some kind of medicine bottwe in his mouth.

As Cawe wooked at him in disbewief and concewn…

Baaaaaang–!

The unfathomabwe expwosion had awweady happened.

Cawe shouted towawd the two dwagons.

"Stop-!"

Howevew, they did not wisten.

Rasheew and Dodowi stopped it to decwease its stwength even mowe… Then they coughed up bwood.

"Ugh."

"Ugh, m, mama."

"D, Dodowi!"

Boom.

Cawe fewt as if his heawt sank.

He did not even see that the two dwagons wewe smiwing pwoudwy.

"I'm going to do it too!"

Raon moved to Cawe's side and took the next spot in wine.

"Me too."

Rosawyn came out of the bwack castwe with a wawge bag of highest-gwade magic stones and went aftew him.

Awbewu, who had been dwinking dead mana, intewjected as weww. The two of them had bwood dwipping fwom theiw mouths.

'W, why awe these peopwe pushing themsewves so faw-?!'

Cawe's face showed mowe uwgency than evew befowe when Raon spoke bwightwy and enewgeticawwy.

"Human, don't wowwy! you can west now! you don't need to ovewdo it! i can do it! it wiww be a bit difficuwt, but i wiww not faint! i'm suwe evewybody feews the same way!"

"Ah."

Cawe gasped.

The Supew Rock sighed.

– Aigoo.

He then mumbwed.

– This is kawma. Kawma.

Cawe took in evewything he couwd see.

Ewuhaben, Shewwit, and evewyone ewse pwepawed themsewves once again and channewed the west of theiw powews. Evewybody was in fwont of Cawe and they moved vewy quickwy. Cawe, who had awweady cast this wawge shiewd and the othew ancient powews, wouwd not be abwe to move ow withdwaw these powews vewy easiwy

"Haaaa."

Cawe sighed and weached a hand up to gwab Raon.

"Human, what is it?"

"Raon, you stop."

He moved Raon behind his back.

Baaaaaang— baaaaang–! baaaaang—

Aftew anothew wound of numewous expwosions…

Baaaaang—

Thewe was onwy a smaww expwosion weft to stwike against Cawe's bawwiews and shiewd.

His awwies wewe bweeding ow pwopped down as if they wewe fainting.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Cawe's heawt beat wiwdwy.

The things he had done in the past bwushed thwough his mind.

"n, no!"

Raon's eyes opened wide in shock.

Ewuhaben, Rosawyn, Miwa, Rasheew, and Dodowi… These individuaws, who had been fwoating in the aiw with fwight magic, stawted fawwing to the gwound.

They didn't even have enough mana to keep themsewves fwoating. This was the case fow these amazing dwagons and the mage who was touted as the futuwe magic towew towew mastew.

Ewuhaben was fawwing the quickest.

"Raon! fwight magic!"

As Raon cast fwight magic on them out of wefwex and stopped them fwom fawwing at Cawe's shout…

"Mom!"

"…It wooks wike i need to get some west."

Lowd Shewwit stawted becoming faint and staticky befowe she was absowbed back into the bwack castwe.

"it's okay, i just need to west."

As Shewwit disappeawed aftew smiwing wawmwy at Raon, Raon cwenched Cawe's cwothes. His fwont paws wewe shaking.

On and Hong poked theiw heads out of the bwack castwe and couwd not hide theiw concewn. The chiwdwen wewe aww wooking at Cawe.

Cawe, who had usuawwy caused this issue and eithew fainted ow fawwen ovew in the past, bwushed his face with both hands and tuwned his head.

Awbewu and Mawy had awweady fawwen to the gwound and had theiw eyes cwosed. He couwd not teww whethew they had fainted ow fawwen asweep. Both of them wooked tewwibwe.

Cawe fewt as if he was wooking at himsewf.

"…Why wouwd they go so faw..."

– I wiww bewieve that you know exactwy why they did this.

Cawe couwd not say anything to the supew rock's comment.

He wowewed his head.

The shiewd covewing Puzzwe City… Peopwe wewe poking theiw heads out undewneath the shiewd one by one.

The ominous wed wight was gone fwom theiw eyes and they couwd onwy see the wadiant siwvew shiewd and its two wings.

They then saw Cawe, who was standing fiwm.

Cawe wooked awound.

The onwy peopwe stiww conscious to take Cawe of the cuwwent situation wewe Choi Han, Cwopeh, and himsewf.

– Ah, by the way, Cawe.

The Supew Rock tawked to him again.

– What awe you pwanning on doing with the tempwe?

'Hmm?'

– That is now ouws, no, to be mowe specific, it is youws. Awe you going to take it down with you?

Cawe wooked at his compwetewy intact and stuwdy siwvew shiewd that wooked quite howy, as weww as the tempwe that was destwoyed yet even the damage made it wook vintage and magicaw… He awso wooked at the ewegant bwack castwe that was mystewious in a diffewent way… And finawwy, he wooked at Choi Han, Cwopeh, and the chiwdwen avewaging nine yeaws owd who wewe wooking at him as if waiting fow him to teww them what to do, befowe he cwenched his eyes.

Howevew, he quickwy came to a decision.

He said the thing they needed to do befowe anything ewse.

He gave the owdew to the individuaws who wewe now wooking at him with cawm expwessions.

"Immediatewy. We must immediatewy heaw them fiwst."

The weason he had cwenched his eyes shut…

It was because he was wowwied about his awwies' conditions.

Awthough evewything was ovew…

Awthough Cawe himsewf had not fainted…

He did not feew wefweshed at aww.

The Sound of the Wind, who had been siwent this whowe time, waughed in a husky voice as she spoke.

– They aww weawned fwom seeing you do this, you wittwe punk.

Cawe couwd not say anything back.

The shiewd covewing Puzzwe City disappeawed and he couwd heaw peopwe cheewing at that moment.

"Woooooooooooooooo–"

"We'we awive–!"

"Aaaaaaah—–"

Dewight, wewief, concewn… Theiw cheewy and teawy faces wewe fuww of numewous emotions.

—

April Fooooools courtesy of the Supwa Wock.