Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 484: Gray Rain Falls (16)

The third Emperor, Dragon King.

He felt as though he might go mad.

“How dare, how dare you......!”

His gaze was fixed solely on Cale Henituse and the tiny thread snake squirming weakly before him.

SHAAAA—

He moved through the rain.

With every step the third Emperor took, the surrounding scenery shifted in flashes. He descended the mountain at tremendous speed, moving toward Mika—no, toward Cale Henituse.

“How dare you!”

A lowly human like you!

You swallowed my dragon?

You dared to put a scratch on the great name of Dragon King?

The third Emperor was aware that the Demon King was following behind him. He also knew the Demon King had some scheme.

He knew his subordinates were trailing after him in the distance despite their injuries, but he paid them no mind.

How dare—!

He simply surrendered himself to his rage.

Yet at the same time, he only felt as though he might go mad.

He had not actually gone mad.

He was still keeping his composure.

Why the hell is the Demon King so strong?

That Demon King.

He was strong.

The third Emperor had only one standard by which he judged strength.

Whether he won or lost.

In other words, the third Emperor had realized that if he fought the Demon King to the very end, he would lose.

He hid it!

The Demon King simply had no reason to show his strength to the God of Chaos or the Five Colored Blood family, and had merely found it troublesome.

But to the third Emperor, the Demon King had hidden his strength.

Because the third Emperor had attacked without knowing about that strength.

I only attacked because that bastard hid his strength! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have fought him!

In any case, it was the Demon King’s fault.

And that lunatic Demon King had betrayed them and the God of Chaos and joined hands with Cale Henituse.

On top of that, Cale Henituse had dared to devour his water dragon.

So I have to capture that bastard!

He would seize Cale Henituse.

And run!

If he wanted to escape, he had to take Cale Henituse hostage.

The Demon King would have to keep Cale Henituse alive, if only to resolve the gray sickness.

And only by taking Cale Henituse back to the Five Colored Blood family could he reveal the Demon King and Cale Henituse’s collusion.

Only then will the first Emperor understand!

He had to inform them that the sole reason the third Emperor had ended up fighting the Demon World and the Order of the God of Chaos was Cale Henituse.

That way, they would not be able to find fault with him.

No!

Rather, at this critical moment when the Five Colored Blood family was so close to achieving its grand objective, he had discovered a new variable.

That meant the third Emperor himself was the great hero of the Five Colored Blood family.

Yes!

So he would capture him!

Then he would drag him back to the Five Colored Blood family and make him suffer terrible pain!

That was the only answer.

The third Emperor’s eyes grew even redder with bloodshot rage, and his steps toward Cale quickened further.

Cale Henituse.

He would never leave that bastard alone—the one who had created this situation that made him feel as if he might go mad.

GRAAA—AAAH—

The shrunken thread snake squeezed out what little power it had left and rushed toward the master charging at it.

SHAAAA—

Its master was approaching through the rain, filled with fury.

The master was probably enraged at Cale Henituse for reducing it to this state and pitied it.

The thread snake moved desperately toward its master.

No one blocked it.

Its master was coming.

Soon, its master would pity it and embrace it.

Gra...ah?

The thread snake, which had been working so hard to reach the third Emperor, was confused.

Ah?

It seemed its master could not see it.

The approaching master—

CRACK!

Stepped on the thread snake and passed by.

He headed toward Cale Henituse.

He did not spare even a glance for the thread snake.

There was no reason for the Dragon King to look at a mere thread snake that was no dragon.

—!

Despair settled in the thread snake’s eyes.

But the Dragon King, who felt as though he might go mad, could not care less about a thread snake.

And.

“Urp!”

Cale Henituse felt like he was going mad too.

SHAAAAAA—

The rain was still pouring hard.

The hour was moving toward dawn.

Darkness still covered the earth.

And the third Emperor was approaching him.

SHAAAA—

There was not even the sound of footsteps.

Step by step.

Each time, the third Emperor drew drastically closer, yet not a single footstep sounded as he trod over the rainwater on the ground.

—Cale, that bastard’s eyes have flipped!

The Ancient Tree spoke to him with grave urgency, and Cale saw all of it as well.

Urp!

He really felt like he was going to vomit.

So the third Emperor or whatever else was not properly registering in his eyes right now.

—Human! Do not worry!

At that moment, Raon’s solemn voice rang out.

SHING.

Choi Han drew his sword and stood in the road.

To stop the white-haired lunatic charging at them with bloodshot eyes.

“Unfortunate bastard. What hurts this time?”

And behind Choi Han, the ancient dragon Eruhaben stood in human form, shielding Cale.

—Human, we can hold out until the Demon King arrives.

Pat, pat.

Raon patted Cale’s back with those plump front paws.

“Uuuurk!”

And Cale nearly vomited onto the road for real.

“!”

“......!”

—!

Choi Han, Eruhaben, and Raon’s expressions turned grave.

Because they had never seen Cale behave like that before.

It seemed as though something truly unusual was happening.

I will stop him.

That was why Choi Han drew his sword toward the third Emperor with a hardened face.

I will hold out.

In truth, stopping him was impossible.

The third Emperor was incomparably stronger than the water dragon.

So even if he was beaten by that man, he would hold out.

He would not let anyone behind him get hurt.

“How dare you try to block my path!”

At the third Emperor’s wrathful voice, Choi Han tightened both hands around his sword.

WOOOOONG—

Black force rose along the blade.

A power that had not yet fully germinated into individuality, a power still taking shape, a power that would fully bloom if only it had a little more time and a trigger.

WOOONG—

When that power answered Choi Han’s solemn resolve and revealed even its immature form—

SSSSS—

Eruhaben also prepared an attack along with platinum dust.

Raon’s black mana rose into the air as well.

“How dare you!”

And finally, the third Emperor reached a point right before Choi Han’s nose.

“!”

“Mm.”

—!

Raon, Choi Han, and Eruhaben could only be shocked.

SHAAAAAA—

The aura rising from the third Emperor.

It was an enormous sea aura that could not even be compared to the water dragon that had devoured a mountain. It felt like nature itself was rushing in.

Even though the sea was not visible before them.

Even though it was merely the third Emperor approaching, it felt as though the sea itself was coming.

Before nature, how small was a human—even a dragon?

They felt their own presence shrinking.

It felt as though they had become tiny grains of soil before an enormous sea.

Could they hold out?

—Choi Han, do not worry! I will protect you too!

WOOOONG.

Choi Han saw black shields forming before him. More and more shields continued to appear.

Those shields were ready to envelop him at any moment.

SSSSS—

And platinum dust rose behind him.

That dust was saying:

If Choi Han moved, it would move with him.

Feeling the firm support of the two dragons, Choi Han realized that he was not a grain of soil before the sea.

He was a human standing on solid ground.

Yes.

That was the kind of human he was.

Unlike when he had drifted without knowing where he was, he now had ground he could stand on.

WOOO—WOOO—

A subtle change began to form in his black light.

Before Choi Han even noticed it—

He finally made up his mind.

He would try cutting down that enormous sea.

At last, when he swung his sword toward that enormous sea—

When platinum dust shot forward in time with the sword—

When the black shield immediately stood before Choi Han right afterward—

“!”

Choi Han froze.

THUD!

The third Emperor’s body slipped past Choi Han with utter naturalness.

It even passed over Raon’s black shield, which had been created before Choi Han solely to block the third Emperor.

The third Emperor kicked off the ground and rose into the air.

Rain held up his body.

And opened a path at tremendous speed toward the place he wanted to reach.

As naturally and fluidly as if walking on water, the third Emperor slipped past Choi Han and the ancient dragon Eruhaben.

The one who had acted as though he would kill them for their arrogance had evaded them with astonishing speed.

The sea-like aura vanished as if it had been a lie.

THUD!

And he stood behind Raon and Cale.

“!”

Raon’s eyes widened.

Shield—

Raon immediately tried to spread a shield.

But compared to someone who had already prepared in advance, Raon was slow.

SHAAAAAA—

“No!”

Eruhaben shouted without realizing it, hurriedly turned, and shot out platinum dust.

But.

SHAAAAAA—!

The water that had already surged up pushed Raon away.

“Ugh!”

Raon was flung back.

Startled, Eruhaben caught Raon in both arms.

“Choi Han!”

Then Eruhaben realized the third Emperor’s intention and called Choi Han.

Choi Han had already moved before Eruhaben even called.

SHAAAK!

Black light erupted from the sword and headed for the third Emperor.

But the third Emperor had already moved, swift as water, to the spot where Raon had been.

He stood behind Cale.

“Heh, got you.”

He reached out toward Cale.

Now I take this bastard hostage and escape the Demon World!

The third Emperor saw Cale’s startled face as Cale hurriedly turned back to look at him.

Seeing that face made him feel extremely refreshed.

Heh. He looks unwell.

Whatever had happened, the bastard before him looked unwell.

That meant he could not even spread that shield from earlier right now and was only standing there deathly pale.

Good.

Feeling both anger and relief—

The third Emperor grabbed Cale Henituse by the collar and yanked.

Now he would take this bastard and run from the Demon King!

“Urgh!”

Cale Henituse let out a strangely desperate sound.

As the third Emperor grabbed him by the collar, his body pitched forward and staggered.

The third Emperor looked down at him with a sneer.

He could see Cale’s back heaving, upper body bent forward helplessly with his collar in the third Emperor’s grip.

“......!”

But the third Emperor soon turned his gaze toward the mountain.

The mountain had been ravaged by the water dragon.

Someone who had reached the summit of that mountain was looking down at them.

It was the Demon King.

“...This is not a pleasing picture.”

The Demon King’s low voice strangely reached all the way here.

Then again, considering his strength, there was nothing strange about it.

I was right.

Either way, the third Emperor was certain.

The Demon King could no longer kill him.

“Hoho.”

As if he could not see his own filthy white hair and disheveled state, the third Emperor opened his mouth with his usual benevolent expression.

“Now everything will fall into its proper place.”

He sensed Cale Henituse’s companions glaring at him. He sensed the Demon King’s army forces approaching this way.

But he did not care.

Small fry like that would die with one gesture anyway.

What mattered was that Cale Henituse was in his hand.

And that the Demon King could not touch him.

“Let our human go!”

The young dragon acted as though he would charge at him.

But Raon could not bring himself to rush in.

The third Emperor put strength into his hand and pulled.

“Urgh!”

Cale Henituse’s body was forcibly lifted upright.

The third Emperor raised his hand upward.

“Ugh, uuup.”

Cale Henituse trembled as his body rose into the air.

His feet no longer touched the ground.

His trembling body, deathly pale face, and tightly shut mouth that could not utter a single proper word were truly amusing.

This bastard had dared to escape his sea.

And he had finally gotten him in his hand.

Whatever the process had been, the result pleased him greatly.

A smile formed at the third Emperor’s lips.

“What do you think, Demon King?”

The third Emperor sent a victorious smile toward the Demon King, who had somehow descended the mountain and was approaching this place.

But he did not let his guard down.

I’ll run immediately.

Before the Demon King could pull anything, he would run immediately.

With Cale Henituse.

The third Emperor tightened his grip again.

“Urgh!”

Cale Henituse struggled.

Seeing that none of them could do anything—

I’ll ride the water and move far awa—

He could not continue that thought.

At this moment, when his nerves were drawn taut to their limit—

“Uuuuh.......”

Cale Henituse, dangling by the collar, muttered something.

What is he saying?

The third Emperor’s brow furrowed.

Cale absolutely had to tell him.

“Vo, vo—”

Vo?

“...Vo, vomit... I think... I’m going to—”

Huh?

What did that mean?

The third Emperor failed to understand for a moment.

At a crisis like this, he was going to vomit?

“!”

Then the third Emperor’s face stiffened.

Cale Henituse.

This bastard whose collar he was holding right now.

A certain aura was rising from this bastard’s body.

Tremble, tremble.

Cale Henituse’s body was shaking.

It was not because of the third Emperor.

...The sea!

He could feel the sea from this bastard.

He could feel his own power.

What was this?

What was happening?

The third Emperor had no time to think.

Because Cale could not give him time to think.

Damn it......!

Because Cale also had no time to think.

—I’m ready.

The Water that Devours the Sky declared.

—Now you can vomit it out.

Cale’s complexion turned wan.

He was going to vomit while the third Emperor had him by the collar?

He had done all kinds of things until now, but was this not a bit much?

—It will take quite a long time.

Well, he had swallowed that enormous water dragon.

If he had to vomit out all the excess, it would take a long time.

...Fine... Do whatever you want.......

Cale reached enlightenment.

He gave up.

A light of resignation settled over his expression.

“Urgh!”

Cale’s body lurched.

—Water may pool in one place, but sometimes, if you only open a path, it will flow anywhere.

The Water that Devours the Sky’s voice carried an insight of her own.

—If you open a path to the ground, it flows to the ground.

—If you open a path to the sky, it flows to the sky.

—Yes. Water can flow anywhere.

“Urgh!”

Cale twisted.

Ah. Seriously!

This was driving him insane!

It felt as though every blood vessel in his body was moving.

How should he even explain this?

“Graaah!”

His body jerked once.

Both his hands went forward.

They stretched out on their own.

As though that alone was the path.

—Done.

The Water that Devours the Sky completed the path.

“Grrrrgh!”

Cale vomited.

SHAAAAAA—!

Water began pouring out of both his hands.

And it was not just ordinary water.

It was the sea.

Water containing the essence of the sea.

The water that had created the enormous water dragon.

That water, intact—and concentrated again and again until only the core remained—

shot out with extreme speed and violence.

Its shape was like an arrow, or perhaps a spear.

“!”

And it headed straight for the third Emperor.

After obtaining the sea, the third Emperor had never experienced the sea sharpening its edge at him.

That was why he was the Dragon King.

Yet now the sea was sharpening its edge at him.

The sea was attacking him.

And at tremendous speed and force.

For a moment, the third Emperor could not comprehend that reality.

In terms of the situation.

In terms of timing.

The attack that came without warning sniped the third Emperor directly.

“GRAAAAAAH!”

“UAAAAAAH!”

The third Emperor and Cale screamed side by side.

The third Emperor was swallowed by the sea that bore a sharp point.

Huh?

And Cale had to feel his stomach growing clearer and clearer.

It felt like having an old folk remedy performed on his hand to ease indigestion.

“.......”

“.......”

And everyone around them stood there in blank silence, speechless at the sight.