Boom!!
Clang !!
Two deafening sounds exploded across the battlefield simultaneously.
The first
was the violent roar of shells being fired.
The second
was the sharp metallic cry of those very shells being sliced apart midair by countless silver-white slashes.
Fragments of the rockets scattered across the sky before detonating harmlessly in the distance.
"What?!"
Wyper's eyes widened violently.
His bazooka shells
had been cut apart before they could even explode.
"Tch!"
"So there's another monster here?!"
Wyper gritted his teeth fiercely.
But retreat?
That word did not exist in his vocabulary.
For the sake of reclaiming Shandora, he had long since prepared himself for death.
Even if he died today
he would die advancing toward the Golden Bell.
Without hesitation, Wyper discarded the bazooka from his shoulder and drew the weapons attached to his waist.
If long-range attacks were useless
then he would fight at close range.
"Can you at least listen to him before attacking?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina spoke calmly.
Her silver hair fluttered lightly in the wind while her white Marine coat swayed behind her.
She genuinely disliked people who resorted to violence before even attempting dialogue.
"There's nothing left to talk about!!"
Wyper roared furiously.
Hatred accumulated over four centuries could not possibly disappear after a few sentences.
The Shandians had shed too much blood for Upper Yard.
"…I see."
Seraphina fell silent briefly.
For hot-blooded men like Wyper
words alone truly meant nothing.
Sometimes fists were faster.
"Then fight me first."
She slowly sheathed Awakening of Insects.
Against these warriors, there was no need to draw her blade seriously.
Otherwise
someone might actually die.
"Soru."
The instant her foot touched the ground
she vanished.
Boom!!
The cloud surface beneath her feet shattered explosively.
"So fast !"
Wyper's pupils contracted violently.
He only saw a white blur flash before his eyes.
After that
everything became chaos.
"Rankyaku: Shadowless Tempest!"
Dozens of compressed air blades exploded outward across the battlefield.
Cloud dust surged violently.
The Shandian warriors scattered in every direction.
But before anyone could recover
"Shigan: Gatling!"
Seraphina appeared amidst the crowd like a silver phantom.
Her fingers struck with terrifying precision.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
In less than thirty seconds
the entire Shandian assault force collapsed.
Not a single casualty.
Yet not a single warrior remained standing either.
"Damn it…!"
Wyper slammed his fist against the cloud ground unwillingly.
His body trembled from accumulated damage.
Even with his monstrous endurance, he could barely remain conscious.
"I couldn't even force you to get serious…"
For the first time in years
Wyper experienced overwhelming defeat.
"Can we finally sit down and talk properly now?"
Seraphina walked calmly toward him.
She removed one of her white gloves before extending her hand.
Her movements were elegant and natural.
In truth
she did not dislike Wyper at all.
A man willing to charge forward despite knowing he could lose everything
was worthy of respect.
Wyper slowly raised his head.
His gaze landed on her slender hand.
Then he noticed something else
Seraphina had removed her glove before helping him up.
Even without formal education in noble etiquette, Wyper instinctively understood what that gesture meant.
Respect.
Not pity.
Not mockery.
Respect between warriors.
He glanced around the battlefield.
His comrades were groaning painfully across the cloud plains.
Yet none had died.
That realization shook him more than defeat itself.
"Tch… what a humiliating loss…"
Wyper muttered bitterly.
Still
he grasped her hand firmly.
Seraphina smiled faintly before pulling him back to his feet effortlessly.
Although rough and reckless
this man possessed genuine pride.
"What did he want to say?"
Wyper turned toward Gan Fall directly.
Gan Fall stepped forward slowly.
"Warrior of Shandia…"
"I wish to end this war."
The moment those words fell
the atmosphere froze.
"Why?!"
Wyper's expression twisted immediately.
"Wasn't it your people who stole our homeland first?!"
The fury he had suppressed for years erupted instantly.
Gan Fall lowered his head deeply.
"I am sorry."
The former God of Skypiea bowed sincerely.
"I know apologies alone cannot erase four hundred years of hatred."
"But both our peoples have suffered enough."
"This conflict has already continued for far too long."
Gan Fall's voice carried genuine exhaustion.
Even Seraphina could hear the sincerity within it.
"Can we not sit down and speak peacefully?"
However
"No."
Wyper rejected him instantly.
"There is no reason!"
"You think centuries of bloodshed can disappear after a few words?!"
"Stop dreaming!"
"The world doesn't work that way!"
The surrounding Shandians clenched their weapons tightly as well.
Their ancestors had fought generation after generation for Upper Yard.
Countless warriors had died.
How could they simply forgive everything?
Gan Fall inhaled deeply.
Then
he revealed the decision he had prepared long ago.
"We are willing to return Upper Yard to the Shandians."
Silence.
Wyper froze completely.
"…What did you say?"
"The Land of God originally belonged to Shandora."
Gan Fall spoke honestly.
"We intend to return it to its rightful owners."
"And I hope that from this day onward…"
"Skypieans and Shandians can finally coexist peacefully."
Wyper's breathing became heavier.
The Holy Land
their homeland
the land his ancestors died protecting
was finally being returned?
Hatred…
suddenly became less important.
Because for Shandians
recovering Shandora mattered more than anything else.
"Is that true…?"
Wyper grabbed Gan Fall's shoulders tightly.
His voice trembled slightly.
"Absolutely."
Gan Fall nodded firmly.
For years, he had already planned this outcome.
Even before Eneru's coup, he had begun relocating Skypiean residents away from Upper Yard.
He genuinely wished to end the conflict.
Wyper slowly lowered his head.
"…I need to discuss this with the chief."
Although he hated Skypieans deeply
the obsession passed down through generations was ultimately Shandora itself.
Since childhood, he had listened to stories of Calgara and the great city of gold.
He had inherited their will.
He had sworn
that one day
the Golden Bell would ring across the heavens again.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Cricket rushed forward excitedly.
His chestnut-shaped hairstyle bounced wildly as he pushed through the crowd.
"You said Shandia?!"
Wyper frowned.
"What about it?"
"Have you heard of Calgara?!"
The instant that name appeared
Wyper's expression changed dramatically.
"…Where did you hear that name?"
That was the name of their great ancestor.
The legendary warrior of Shandora.
"To tell you the truth…"
Cricket inhaled deeply.
"I came to Skypiea from Jaya specifically searching for information about him."
The surrounding Shandians became visibly startled.
A Blue Sea man searching for Calgara?
Who exactly was this person?
Wyper narrowed his eyes sharply.
"…Who are you?"
"My name is Mont Blanc Cricket!"
Cricket straightened proudly.
"I am a descendant of Mont Blanc Noland!"
Boom.
The Shandians instantly fell silent.
Noland.
That name
was engraved deeply into Shandian history.
The greatest friend of Calgara.
The man their ancestors respected eternally.
"You're… Noland's descendant?!"
Wyper stared at Cricket in disbelief.
"Yes!"
Cricket's emotions surged violently.
"So tell me!"
"Does the City of Gold really exist?!"
"The Golden Bell…"
"The city my ancestor witnessed…"
"Was it all real?!"
His voice trembled.
For generations, the Mont Blanc family had carried the shame of being called liars.
Now
he finally stood before the descendants of the people who knew the truth.
Wyper slowly looked toward Upper Yard in the distance.
"The City of Gold…"
"I've only heard stories about it from our elders."
"It exists within our homeland."
"But for centuries…"
"We Shandians have never truly reclaimed that land."
Then Wyper turned back toward Cricket.
His fierce expression softened slightly for the first time.
"However…"
"If you truly are the descendant of Great Warrior Noland…"
"Then the Shandians will welcome you as an honored guest."
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 125 ON PATREON.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED CHAPTERS BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE OR PURCHASE THE BOOK FOR LIFETIME ACCESS!
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD