Meanwhile, at Ryutaro's house…
The three of them had entered the house, and without wasting any time, Ryutaro immediately asked about the ten strongest generals of Ashen Fang.
"By the way, who exactly are these ten strongest generals, and why are they so powerful?" Ryutaro asked.
"They are the generals who serve directly under the leader of Ashen Fang. There's also a rumor that they gained their immense strength by consuming the hearts of dragons," Grace explained.
"Oh, no wonder they were after Aurelia," Ryutaro remarked.
"That's exactly why I had to flee from them in such a hurry… and why I ended up here," Aurelia admitted.
"And why you ate all my fruits until not a single one was left, right?" Ryutaro added.
"I-It wasn't on purpose! I was so focused on running away that I forgot to find food," Aurelia replied, turning her face away.
"Yeah, yeah, I believe you," Ryutaro sighed.
Hearing this, they all burst into laughter.
"By the way, since they are called the 'Ten Generals,' there should be ten of them, right? We've already encountered one, so who are the other nine?" Ryutaro asked.
"Yes, that's correct. There are ten of them, and their names are as follows:
The First Member and Leader: Azrael, the Blade of Extinction
known as the Dragon Executioner, he slaughters mercilessly, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake. He is the most dangerous of them all.
The Second Member: Seraphina, the Dragon's Bane Empress
a queen of dragon hunters who uses holy magic to seal and eliminate them through ancient rituals.
The Third Member: Darius, the Stormbringer Warlord
capable of controlling lightning at will, using it to immobilize dragons in the air before delivering a fatal strike.
The Fourth Member: Ragnar, the Titan of the Dragonfall
a giant warrior who crushes dragons with sheer brute force and colossal weaponry.
The Fifth Member: Lilith, the Eclipsing Shadow
a master assassin who hunts dragons in complete silence, making them vanish as if swallowed by darkness itself. She is also the most cunning and manipulative among them.
The Sixth Member: Valerius, the Frozen Wrath
a dragon hunter who freezes his prey until they shatter into pieces, leaving behind a frozen wasteland. He is the natural enemy of Fire Dragons.
The Seventh Member: Zarek, the Hellfire Executioner
a relentless killer who reduces dragons to ashes with his flames. Just like Valerius, he is the natural enemy of Ice Dragons.
The Eighth Member: Sylvara, the Celestial Arrow
an archer capable of shooting radiant arrows that pierce a dragon's heart with a single precise shot."
Before Grace could continue, Ryutaro interrupted with a question.
"Judging by her title, does she have any connection to the Celestia Kingdom?" Ryutaro asked.
"Maybe… I don't know for sure myself," Grace admitted.
"Oh, I see. Then who are the last two members?" Ryutaro asked.
"The remaining two are Dragonbane Phantom, whom we've already encountered, and Orpheus," Grace answered.
"We've met Phantom before, but I don't know much about him," Ryutaro said.
"Alright, I'll explain:
The Ninth Member: Dragonbane Phantom, the Eraser of Beasts
a relentless hunter who ensures that no dragon survives, completely obliterating their remains. His most troublesome ability is teleportation, making him nearly impossible to track. He is also the cruelest among the ten.
The Tenth Member: Orpheus, the Bloodmoon Warlock
a sorcerer who uses dragon blood to enhance his curses and magic, absorbing the essence of the dragons he slays to strengthen himself."
"So, those are the ten strongest generals of Ashen Fang. No wonder they have such terrifying reputations," Ryutaro commented.
"Exactly. We should prepare ourselves in case one of them comes here to take Aurelia from us," Grace warned.
"Speaking of which, Aurelia, I'm still confused about one thing. Why are they after you so desperately?" Ryutaro asked.
"It's because of one reason," Aurelia replied.
"And that is?" Ryutaro pressed.
"I possess an Immortal Dragon Core," Aurelia revealed.
Grace's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait… An Immortal Dragon Core?! Did I hear that right?" Grace exclaimed.
"Yes, you heard correctly. I have it," Aurelia confirmed.
Ryutaro, noticing Grace's reaction, tilted his head in confusion.
"What is that? Why are you so shocked?" Ryutaro asked.
"Of course, I'm shocked! The Immortal Dragon Core is an ancient dragon heart that grants eternal life to whoever consumes it. Not only that, but it also grants power equivalent to that of a dragon," Grace explained.
"That explains why they're after me so relentlessly… But for some reason, Phantom let me go when I arrived here," Aurelia added.
The tension in the room grew thick. Sensing this, Ryutaro decided to lighten the mood.
"Alright, alright, let's not dwell on it. I doubt they'll come after us so soon," Ryutaro said.
"True. For now, we should rest," Grace suggested.
"Agreed," Aurelia nodded.
"And don't forget,you still owe me something, Aurelia," Ryutaro reminded her.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm not running away," Aurelia grumbled.
"Good. After we rest, we'll settle it," Ryutaro smirked.
After a long conversation, they finally decided to rest.
"If any of them dare come here, I'll fight them myself,"Ryutaro thought to himself.
---
Three Hours Later…
After resting, Ryutaro and Aurelia headed to the backyard, which was filled with damaged plants from Ryutaro's battle with an Ashen Fang member. Meanwhile, Grace stayed inside to prepare dinner.
"So, what should I do first?" Aurelia asked.
"First, clean up all the damaged plants," Ryutaro instructed.
"Alright," Aurelia replied.
She then chanted a wind spell.
"Wind Cutter!"
Immediately, sharp blades of wind formed around her, slicing all the ruined plants with precision. To clear the debris, she used another spell.
"Air Nudge!"
A gentle breeze swept through the area, carrying the plant remnants away without causing any destruction.
"All done! What's next?" Aurelia asked.
"Done? Look at the ground—it's a mess now!" Ryutaro sighed.
"Oops… My bad. I'll clean it up later. So, what's the next step?" Aurelia asked sheepishly.
Ryutaro let out another sigh.
"Next, we need to till the soil," Ryutaro said.
"Tilling? What's that?" Aurelia asked.
"Instead of explaining, I'll just show you," Ryutaro said.
He grabbed his legendary hoe and, within moments, transformed the rough terrain into well-prepared farmland.
"Oh, I see! Let me try!" Aurelia said excitedly.
"And don't use magic! I don't want my land getting ruined," Ryutaro warned.
"Alright, alright," Aurelia replied.
She then started copying Ryutaro's movements.
---
Meanwhile, in another location…
Charlotte and her group were advancing.
"We're almost at our destination. Stay sharp and prepare for battle," Charlotte ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!" her subordinates responded.
"I won't let those demons do as they please," Charlotte thought to herself.
Back at Ryutaro's house, Grace sneezed as she stirred the cooking pot.
"Ah-choo! Feels like someone's talking about me," she muttered.
The inevitable conflict was drawing closer. What would Ryutaro do? And why did Phantom let Aurelia go?
Find out in Chapter 10!
*If I made any minor mistakes that might be distracting, I sincerely apologize. I have done my best for this novel, and if you enjoy it, please consider giving it a like and sharing your feedback, suggestions, or criticism so I can learn and improve. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter!*