Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 597

Chapter 597: Chapter 597 - Taming the Swarm - 12

"Can we pursue it?" Liora asked, already preparing to jump and for subterranean combat, spiritual flames dancing around her fingers.

Larissa shook her head grimly. "It would be a huge disadvantage for you two to fight down there. But the wall’s underground defenses extend for kilometers. It should be very difficult for it to enter the city advancing underground, especially when our best earth tamers have been containing creatures in that direction for days."

The underground defensive network was strong, an already established system, a maze of reinforced tunnels and earth-based high rank tamers. If the artifact tried to tunnel toward the city center, it should trigger dozens of warning systems and give lots of time for a counterattack.

Or it should... all in all it was better than the wall impromptu ice defense, so they should keep defending this weaker point to ensure Luna’s rewards.

"Then we should send some earth soldiers to track it," Luna decided, her voice carrying the authority she’d fought so hard to establish. "At least to make sure it doesn’t try to jump the wall at a different point."

It was a logical but limited decision. They could follow the artifact, but they didn’t have the necessary specialty to stop it underground. Their only hope was that the wall’s subterranean defenses would be sufficient to keep it away from the city.

Their job was to secure the defense here for Luna’s political standing.

♢♢♢♢

Moments later, everything had stabilized...

The smoke from the last black fire attacks slowly dissipated over the battlefield, carrying with it the acrid smell of corrupted flesh. Larissa observed from atop the wall how soldiers reorganized their formations, how all the chaos of the last few minutes gradually transformed into the disciplined order of a continuous and successful defense.

Luna had ’defused’, her breathing still accelerated but stable. Her fusion had lasted barely less than five minutes of the fifteen she could maintain. The intensity of combat had been sufficient to exhaust her considerably, but she remained conscious and alert, her eyes constantly scanning the horizon for new threats.

Liora was in slightly better condition. Also defused, she flexed her fingers to relieve the residual tension from channeling so much spiritual fire. Her fusion had also been brief but effective, and though fatigue was noticeable in her movements, she remained completely functional.

"We did it," Luna murmured, a small but genuine smile appearing on her face. "We really did it."

"Of course we did it," Liora responded with confidence that couldn’t completely disguise her own amazement. "Though I admit I didn’t expect it to be so... intense."

Larissa watched them exchange these words of mutual satisfaction, feeling complex emotions that surprised her with their intensity. There was pride, certainly. She had participated in this, had contributed significantly to the success.

But there was also something deeper. Something that had been growing in her chest during the last few minutes while watching her friends work together with a mutual confidence she had lost.

For the first time in years, she had been outside the castle facing a real situation. It hadn’t been a theoretical exercise or a simulation. It had been a genuine crisis where decisions had life-or-death consequences, where failure meant the death of innocent civilians.

And it had worked.

Her hands had been steady while directing the winds. Her mind had been clear while calculating trajectories and coordinating attacks. For a few precious minutes, she had been the person she used to be before everything fell apart.

’What am I doing?’ she asked herself, feeling tears beginning to accumulate in the corners of her eyes. ’If I can do this, if I can be here and be useful for my city, why do I keep hiding?’

The answer came immediately, as it always did: because she was afraid. Afraid of facing what she had lost, afraid of discovering that the damage was irreparable.

But she had to realize someday, regardless of the outcome... She wasn’t just a girl, she was the principal princess of Yano, an important figure who could do transcendental things. If she didn’t take advantage of the inspiration from a victory like this now, when would she?

The tears threatened to overflow when the memories came like an avalanche. Ren crying while she begged him not to take away the fragment. Ren with that expression of absolute resolve that had been more painful than any deliberate cruelty. The understanding that he had chosen to save everyone above her tears and pain.

She forced herself to dry her eyes with the back of her hand. It was now or never.

"Matilda," she approached timidly to where the ’most discreet’ maid was standing. "How... how is Ren? Do you know anything about him?"

The question had been murmured in a low voice, but her tone had been higher-pitched than expected. In the relative silence that had followed the end of the main combat, it was perfectly audible to all the nearby girls.

Mayo turned so quickly she almost hit them. Her gasp was so loud and surprised it sounded like she had seen a ghost.

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