Chapter 23.4 – Lonely Dragonrider
Persephone sank into a state of silence, and she quickly calculated the purpose for Rudolph’s appearance here. Four years ago when she was still a lieutenant commander, Rudolph was already a colonel. Four years later, the two both became generals. Rudolph was eight years older than her, but she had never looked down on this relatively low-profile general. Rudolph entered the Black Dragonriders at the age of eighteen and worked his way up from the rank of private. After fourteen years of continuous battles, he climbed the ranks one after another without ever skipping ranks. This was quite different from Persephone who rose to the rank of general like a rocket. However, this was also where he was terrifying. Thirty-four was still the golden age of development for a man, so Rudolph still had endless potential to unearth. Moreover, he wasn’t hurried or impatient, advancing one step at a time at a speed that wasn’t too fast or too slow. Even Persephone, who never lacked confidence, after experiencing the few battles she fought together with him, felt that this man was deep and immeasurable like an ocean.
The Williams family that Rudolph came from was not any bit inferior to Persephone’s Arthur family, but he didn’t borrow any assistance from his family and climbed up to his position one step after another on his own. Even though Persephone didn’t particularly approve of this type of thinking, she still admired his persistence and patience.
“Could it be that tonight’s welcome ceremony has something to do with the Fabregas family?” Persephone asked indifferently. The pencil stopped between her long and slender fingers.
Rudolph did not have any intention of denying that statement. “They’ve paid a considerable price to keep you outside of Dragon City before day breaks. Even though I do not think that this decision is particularly wise, I still understand them. Right now, for that Old Fabregas, it is no longer the loss of a successor with great future prospects, but instead to protect the family’s old reputation. You should understand how those old fellows whose thinking still lie in the olden era think. This type of stain can only be washed clean with blood.”
“Since it is related to the Fabregas family, then there is no room for discussion. Step aside!” The green color in Persephone’s eyes quickly increased in depth. Wind stirred about her surroundings, and strands of scattered hair were blown upwards.
“I do not think Old Fabregas has done anything wrong, so I will not step aside.” Rudolph seemed to forever maintain the calm and inflexible tone as he spoke. “Also, my fighting strength is at its peak, while you have just returned from a mission without any rest. You might be able to rush into Dragon City by yourself, but your subordinates will all be left behind. That is the price you will have to pay. You should carefully reconsider.”
Persephone slowly turned her head around and looked at the subordinates behind her. They had already stepped out from the vehicles, and with the body of the vehicles as shields, they held their weapons in preparation. However, they, with only their light firepower, faced with this army of eight armored tanks, truly seemed rather frail. There were sixteen other men here, and half of them were even injured. Most of them had followed Persephone when she was only a lieutenant commander through a road of flames and smoke to reach this day. When they met Persephone’s gaze, their eyes were full of steadiness and confidence. Every single subordinate were ready to die for their master in battle.
Persephone suddenly turned around and stared deathly at Rudolph. Those deep green pupils suddenly burned with raging flames! She did not have to voice her decision, because the fighting intent that surged around her already spoke of everything!
Rudolph raised his right hand high into the air, and the tanks that were waiting at both sides immediately started up. Turrets whirled into action, their pitch-black cannon heads pointed towards Persephone’s off-road vehicle fleet.
With a boom sound, a light blue flame abruptly rose around Persephone’s feet. Then, her own body produced countless afterimages, and in an indescribably brief moment, she flashed in front of Rudolph’s face. The pencil held in her snow white right hand ferociously pierced towards his throat!
Rudolph’s left hand was raised to the front of his chest, and his hand and the gemstone on the back of his hand released blinding red light. A scarlet barrier of light immediately condensed in front of his body!
A light bo sounded, and the pencil penetrated the barrier without any obstruction. However, Rudolph had already borrowed the force produced to flash to the side. Persephone’s attack was just too ferocious. It’s momentum was not stopped, and the pencil held within the right hand, burning with blue flames directly pieced towards the vehicle behind him, the armored vehicle tank with the black insignia!
The area she thrusted towards was the tank’s thickest front armor. However, this alloy armor that was unaffected even by small calibur armor penetrating artillery shells seemed like tofu in front of this pencil that seemed like it would break with just a touch. The pencil wasn’t the only thing that pierced in, even her slender arm that seemed like it would break with just a flick of a finger completely entered the inside of the armored vehicle!
Pi pi pa pa! As soon as Rudolph heard these minute sounds, his eyes immediately saw all of the armored vehicles components flow with high voltage electricity and smoke rising everywhere. Rudolph couldn’t help but feel a bit of pain inwardly. This was his favorite tank, and all of the instruments inside were installed by him personally.
When he was just about to rescue his beloved vehicle, he suddenly backed up and then shifted his body to the side. Another pencil soundlessly flew outwards, almost brushing Rudolph’s nose as it flew past before entering the body of an armored tank. It was unknown whether it was the artillery shells or the fuel that detonated, causing it to abruptly jump. Then, large amounts of flames erupted from the roof and back of the vehicle. As for the fighters inside that vehicle, they clearly had no hopes of survival.
The speed of this pencil had already passed the limit of what the human eye could perceive. Even the subordinates most proficient in perception could only see it flicker a few times strangely in the air. There was no way they could react to it.
This was a pencil that Persephone normally used to hold her hair together. When it flew out from her hand, the ash gray hair scattered down like a waterfall, leaving behind a flash of stunning magnificence.
Rudolph had only managed to straighten his body when he was suddenly alerted. He immediately stood firm where he was standing and released a heavy shout. His arms extended outwards to received the armored vehicle that smashed over crazily from the air!
When he had lowered his beloved armored vehicle down by his side, Persephone’s figure had already disappeared far into the distance into the night. Seeing the two completely scrapped armored vehicles, Rudolph couldn’t help but release a bitter laugh. He said in a low voice, “Truly a lunatic!”
The sounds of gunshots immediately rang in succession. Bullets fired one after another, ferociously striking down on metal and tearing through bodies. Even though Persephone’s subordinates’ individual fighting strength was greater than their opponents’, their automatic rifles were still no match for the opposing side’s small calibur armor penetrating artillery shells. They easily tore through the vehicles, their explosion blasting into the bodies of the subordinates behind the car. Then, large chunks of flesh and internal organs flew everywhere.
Even though the shooting only persisted for a short while, most of Persephone’s subordinates were lying in puddles of blood. However, they could be completely proud of themselves, because even during this incredibly disadvantaged state, they brought a similar number of enemies down with them.
Persephone seemed to be completely unaffected by what was taking place behind her and only ran frantically towards the magnificent and chilly Dragon City in front of her.
Rudolph no longer paid attention to situation of the subordinates and chased after Persephone. His speed was actually a bit faster than Persephone’s! With this speed, he might be able to capture her before she even entered Dragon City.
Ta ta ta! Heavy gunshots poured down like a shower. Bullets flew out at astonishingly high speeds. Several hundred meters out, a prince gatling gun that was normally only used on infantry tanks released a meter long tongue of flame. In a minute, a thousand rounds of bullets quickly poured down. This terrifying weapon was currently held in a man’s hands.
Rudolph used his left arm to protect his head. While in a half squatted position, the light red barrier of light surrounded his entire body. As the hail of bullets struck down, the barrier of light began to splash with large numbers of ripples like the surging surface of a river.
A thousand rounds of bullets filled the air in less than half a minute. The night sky was immediately filled with the dense smell of smoke. The man in the distance switched to a new round of bullets, but didn’t continue to fire. Instead, he slowly backed off.
Rudolph stood up and looked at that man a hundred meters away that was like a black piece of metal before looking at Persephone who was quickly making her way into the distance. He helplessly shook his head and cursed, “Another lunatic!”
Behind Rudolph, the flames of war had long died out. Great flames surged from the five off-road vehicles. All of Persephone’s subordinates were collapsed in blood and flames. Meanwhile, Rudolph’s side that possessed overwhelming firepower had a similar number of casualties.
At this moment, Su was standing in front of the training base gate with his well-ironed uniform, sizing up the high buildings in front of him. The base he was originally familiar with seemed especially unfamiliar today. It was extremely quiet inside without the slightest sound. It was still those two female soldiers standing guard, but their facial expressions were a bit unnatural.
Su could almost smell the reeking odor of killing intent filling this base. This wasn’t something unexpected, because when Su suddenly received a notice to immediately pay a visit to the training base, he already had a vague feeling that something wasn’t right.
Trouble finally came. Before Su departed, this was what he thought as he fastened the last button on his collar. As he looked at the spacious and deathly still base, Su understood that the trouble this time wouldn’t be small. It had already been a month without any battles, and during that time, he hadn’t seen blood. The month of peace seemed to have all been compensated tonight.
It seemed like tonight, blood would inevitably flow in this place.
Su calmly walked into the base, his steps constant and steady. With a crashing sound, the training base’s large gates closed heavily behind him.
