kscans

CHAPTER 5 WARS OF NATIONS – Episode 5 The Queen of Manuno (Part 2)

5

The twisted trees with bizarre shapes covered the sky. The deeper parts of the forest were dim and eerie, as if they had descended into the depths of the earth. The sounds of birds and animals were all of unfamiliar kinds, echoing in a terribly gloomy manner. With such poor sunlight, the undergrowth should have had difficulty growing, yet there was an abundance of grass entwined at their feet.

Without needing to be told, they knew they were close to their destination. Amidst the sounds of splashing water, countless moaning voices could be heard. The sweet stench of decay and a sinister presence grew stronger with each step.

Suddenly, the densely packed trees that had filled their field of vision disappeared, revealing an open space in front of them. It was a dark blue lake. While all the ponds they had encountered so far were murky swamps, this lake was unusually beautiful. However, the water was not clear, but rather colored as if vibrant dyes had been mixed in. And on the opposite shore stood a tree so massive that calling it a giant tree would be an understatement, with a hollow opening in its trunk.

No, that’s not it. They realized as they continued to look. That enormous tree… it was the Yambagalpa, the dwelling tree of the mythical giant bird. It was this lake and this forest itself. A hollow formed at the base of the Yambagalpa, which was as thick as a small village. The water accumulated in that hollow was, in other words, this lake. And the surface of the roots that the giant tree extended in all directions was rotten.

The ground Bard and his companion had been walking on for the past few days felt like a mysterious mixture of mud and decaying leaves, covered in moss, grass, and trees. Although it was unlikely that the entire sea of trees was made up of this aged Yambagalpa, they were undoubtedly walking on the body of this giant tree.

In the deep, deep blue, red, and green water, hundreds, thousands of Manuno protruded their upper bodies. They all faced the same direction, towards the center of the cave of Yambagalpa, where their father and mother resided*. There, a giant Manuno stood, likely the queen. The hair that grew from the heads of all the Manuno extended towards the queen, much like vines reaching towards a giant tree. (t/n: it can also be understood as a symbolic way of saying that yambagalpa and the queen is their parent, not sure which one is correct)

“Hurry, hurry, to the queen’s side,” a voice echoed in Bard’s ears.

“Humans, hurry, there is little time left to stop the queen,” the voice urged Bard. But how could he reach the queen? If he stepped into the lake, Bard’s body would surely sink. However, without hesitation, Bard took a step forward. Something floated to the surface of the blue and murky lake. It was something slimy and covered in scales. It was a group of grotesque snake demons, forming a floating bridge. Bard placed his foot on the bridge of these abnormal creatures. His body was supported and did not sink into the water.

In the blink of an eye, the snake demons wriggled and formed a path on the water’s surface. Bard walked on this horrifying bridge, stepping on the water with a splashing sound. With each step, an unpleasant sensation sent a shiver down his spine. Karz, on the other hand, had become a mere spectator, standing quietly without stepping into the lake, along with the two horses. By the time Bard reached the middle, he felt a numbness creeping up from his ankles. Nevertheless, Bard continued to move forward. He hadn’t come this far to turn back out of fear. He kept telling himself that as he pushed forward.

As he got closer, the queen’s figure became clearer. She was a giant woman with silver hair. It was no longer a figure resembling a woman. She surpassed any beauty Bard had ever seen, a beautiful and lascivious ideal woman. However, her skin was pale like a corpse and had a cold, waxy texture. Her round eyes were as transparent as frog eggs. Her long and abundant silver hair flowed behind her. The voluptuous twin hills with pale purple nipples displayed an exquisite form that would make painters sigh. The water wings spread on both sides of her body, strangely complementing her physique and enhancing her beauty. Her well-shaped eyebrows, mouth, and chin trembled with anger. (t/n: this is the one that should be illustrated T_T)

《Oh, oh, how disgraceful. Why? Why do you torment me like this?》 she lamented.

The torment she spoke of, was it the hair of the Manunos piercing her entire body? No, it wasn’t hair. It was probably something like a thorn that injected paralyzing poison into its prey. Those long, black thorns turned transparent near the queen. Countless hairs that extended from all over the lake were deeply embedded in the queen’s body. Not only her face, neck, and breasts, but also her lower body covered in scales. They were driven into every part of her gigantic body.

However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that the Manuno restraining the queen were in agony. They writhed and struggled, but it was evident that they couldn’t endure this state for long.

Bard drew his ancient sword. When he unleashed the power of this sword before, he lost consciousness for two months. The danger still remained. But he had no choice but to try. Bard took a deep breath, inhaling the stagnant air that burned his throat and lungs, enveloping his entire body in discomfort. Ignoring it, he thrust the ancient sword forward and shouted.

“Stavros!”

Just like before, a dazzling light enveloped the ancient magic sword. In an instant, a wave of light bullets was released, hitting the queen’s body and flowing down like a waterfall of light. Bard felt his consciousness fading, but he desperately held on. Fortunately, this time he managed to stay conscious and didn’t collapse and lose consciousness. However, the feeling of exhaustion was overwhelming.

When he came to his senses, the queen was right in front of him, just a few steps away. Her eyes had turned calm black. Her hair had also turned black. Her skin has regained some color, as if she has regained some vitality. Although Manuno’s blood color is not the same as that of humans. Bard stared straight back into the eyes of the giant beauty who looked down on him.

《Never did I expect to be saved by a human.》

Something resembling that voice resounded strongly in Bard’s head. The strength of it was so overwhelming that it even caused him pain.

《That wretched lizard will receive its due punishment eventually. But before that, I must rest. Human, what is your name?》

Bard spoke his name out loud.

《Hmm… Human Bardroen. Leave now. I will repay you eventually. If you stay, I will kill you.》 (t/n: バルドローエン -> Barudorōen, the Queen call him ばるどろえん -> Barudoroen)

“Before that, tell me,” Bard asked. “Will the Manuno continue to attack humans?” To this question, the queen answered with a bitter expression.

《What happened this time was done by my will. However, it was not my intention. I will never attack humans again. But any human who trespasses on my land will be killed.》

In this case, “my will” refers to “Manuno.” Bard continued to ask, if there is someone being controlled by something now? Is it Manuno’s doing?”

《That is not my doing. I can freeze humans, but I do not have the power to control them freely.》

Furthermore, Bard asked if there are still demonic beasts and where did so many demonic beasts come from.

《Demonic beasts, creatures inhabited by spirits of hatred, no longer exist. It took an incredibly long time to prepare such a large number of them. I started making it two nights ago according to the Patarapoza calendar. The lizard took away the stones. I will never create them again. Leave! Human, Bardroen.》

The queen’s face transformed. Her mouth twisted grotesquely, revealing long fangs. Scales protruded from her cheeks. Her eyes turned blood red. Blood vessels surfaced on her face and chest. Waves of anger emanated from her entire body.

Bard instinctively took a step back. Then, he felt something strange under his feet. The pier, constructed from the body of the snake woman, was sinking into the water. Bard turned around and ran. In front of his eyes, the bridge was unraveling rapidly, dispersing into the water like snakes. Bard saw it as he ran. Manuno’s lower body was covered in scales, and it further split into countless whip-like appendages. Sometimes they twisted together, and sometimes they separated and wriggled. Now, right in front of Bard’s eyes, the bridge formed by countless Manunos gathering their lower bodies together was unraveling, splitting apart, and floating in the water like seaweed.

Running and running, Bard finally reached the shore, with the water already up to his knees.

When he looked back, Manuno’s hair was once again piercing through the queen’s body. The queen, with anger evident, was trying to shake it off. While trying to shake it off, gradually, the queen’s body sank into the water.

Bard realized that something was seriously wrong with his body. His vision blurred, sweat poured out, and he felt a chill. His body felt heavy, and his limbs refused to move as if they were numb. At that moment, Bard’s consciousness faded away.