DOOOMMM!!
“Kuh!!”
A lightning breath unleashed by the Black Dragon soaring in the sky pierced the earth, and just as I tried to leap away from it, Nero’s tentacles entangled me.
“Nero!!”
『GRAAAAAAAAHHH!!』
The moment Nero kicked off the ground with all his might, an impact enveloped our entire bodies. Still, as we broke through the immense cloud of swirling sand and retreated, Jesha’s and Master’s strained voices reached my ears.
“Aria! Nero!”
“—[Greater Heal]—!”
Master’s healing magic enveloped Nero and me. As my reddened, burnt skin regenerated, I stood up and moved forward to stand beside Jesha, who had jumped out to protect us.
“Aria, can you go on!?”
“…I’m fine.”
The wounds aren’t as deep as they look. The damage was minimal because Nero, who manipulates electricity with his tentacle-like whiskers, took the brunt of the electric shock meant for me.
Nero, having received [Greater Heal] from Master once more, stood beside me. Just as I stroked his fur and he let out a faint, laugh-like purr, a voice filled with such resentment that it felt like my heart was being crushed echoed out.
《—Humans, not a single one of you will escape—》
It wasn’t a roar from the Black Dragon soaring in the sky, but words of hatred spoken in the common tongue of this continent, filled with resentment. Hearing them, Jesha trembled slightly, and seeing Master frown out of the corner of my eye, I recalled what Master had taught me.
A few Elemental Dragons exist on this continent as well. However, most of them make their lairs in places different from human habitats and won’t become hostile unless we intrude upon their territory. The exception is the Fire Dragon, said to have a fierce temperament, but they usually only go as far as playfully attacking human caravans when hunting in the central plains of the continent, known as the Dragon Hunting Grounds.
Highly intelligent Elemental Dragons, even if they are the strongest, know that they will suffer heavy losses if they antagonize a group of humans.
However, among the Elemental Dragons, only the ‘Black Dragon’ is different.
Dragons evolve to become stronger. To do so, they consume elemental Magical Element and evolve into Fire Dragons, Ice Dragons, Wind Dragons, Steel Dragons, and the like. But Black Dragons, of the dark attribute, evolve through intense emotions. Many of them become ‘Man-Eating Dragons’ that harbor hatred towards the human race.
Dragons generally don’t see humans as enemies. A dragon’s opponents are other dragons, and the dark attribute was unsuitable for dragon-versus-dragon combat. However, Black Dragons, which do not consider their own kind as enemies but have designated humans as their foes, persistently target only humans, destroying numerous countries until they are finally slain.
The ‘Evil Dragon’ that engages in a life-or-death struggle with the Hero in fairy tales is a Dark Dragon that has evolved from these Black Dragons to Rank 8.
《—Perish—!!》
Spreading its black wings as if to block out the desert sun, the Black Dragon attacked the surviving Evil Race army.
It descended from the sky. Merely by doing so, the ancient ruin’s buildings collapsed, the earth shattered, and the flesh and blood of the Evil Race Soldiers caught in it splattered.
Instead of unilaterally attacking with breath from the sky, the way it tore them apart with its own claws, impaled them on its fangs, and devoured them as if crushing them, conveyed the intensity of the Black Dragon’s hatred.
“—[Bless]—”
Seeing that, Master used Level 4 light magic on us. [Bless] is a magic that slightly raises both physical and magical resistance, but against ordinary enemies, it’s better to use that mana for offense. However, the fact that Master used it meant I understood we were facing a formidable enemy where we wouldn’t survive without even a slight increase in resistance.
“Aria! Put all your mana into offense! Nero, you attack with Aria! Jesha, be ready to unleash a Battle Art at any moment!”
“Right!”
Heedless of appearances, Master issued orders while chugging a top-grade mana recovery potion, and Jesha yelled back, putting so much force into his Magic Steel two-handed axe that it creaked.
The Black Dragon will likely attack the moment we try to flee. Even if we manage to escape by some luck, that thing will definitely pursue us.
By then, it will surely be stronger than it is now. If it evolves further into a Dark Dragon, several nations on this continent will be destroyed. To defeat it, our only chance is now, while it has just evolved and its stamina and combat power aren’t at their peak.
“Let’s go.”
Nero and I kicked off the sandy earth and dashed towards the Black Dragon, with Jesha following behind us. Even in its current state, the Black Dragon’s combat power is nearly three times that of mine or Nero’s. But if there’s any chance to defeat it, it’s truly now or never.
I purged the attribute impurities from my mana and, allocating Physical Enhancement to my agility stat, shot forward like an arrow. Amidst the flowing scenery, I pinpointed the Black Dragon attacking the Evil Race Soldiers, leaped onto its back in a single bound, and slammed a strike from my Black Dagger into the base of its wing.
CLANG!
『GUAAAAAAAHHH!!』
Its muscle-covering scales chipped, and the Black Dragon, realizing it had been attacked, flung me away with a single beat of its wing.
“Kk!”
The Black Dragon’s flailing claws carved fissures into the earth. I immediately launched my Scythe Blade Type Pendulum at its wing, and as I was swung around like a pendulum, I circled towards the Black Dragon’s head. Noticing this, the Black Dragon reflected me in its crimson eyes and bared its fangs.
『GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!』
THWACK!!
At that moment, Nero, who had caught up, delivered a blow that sent the side of the Black Dragon’s head flying with a thunderous sound.
With my strength, it’s difficult to inflict a deep wound on the Black Dragon, even using [Iron Rose]. That’s precisely why I made myself a decoy and entrusted the attack to Nero.
However, the Black Dragon, having received that attack, its eyes swiveled and glared at Nero. Even after taking a blow from Nero, which could sever an Ogre’s head in one strike, only its scales were chipped, and the attack hadn’t reached its flesh. Even so—
“—[Dark Mist]—”
A black mist enveloped the head of the Black Dragon as it turned its attention to Nero, and my heel, having swung around again with the pendulum, kicked its eyeball.
THWACK!!
“Kk!”
『GOAAAAARGH!』
The Black Dragon roared and shook off the Dark Mist. There was a faint scratch on the Black Dragon’s eyelid, but that was all. The Black Dragon swiped its claws as if swatting away insects buzzing around it. As if aiming for that opening, Nero sank his fangs into its wing.
《—Insignificant whelps—!!》
KRA-BOOOOM!!
The Black Dragon flapped its enormous wings, attempting to swat us away. Merely by doing so, the ground cracked, a violent wind raged, and amidst it all, the Black Dragon targeted not Nero, who was attacking, but me, the eyesore.
But that was what I wanted. I attempted close-quarters combat to prevent the Black Dragon from using its breath.
“—[Shadow]—”
I created three Phantom Images to trace my movements, and the Black Dragon’s claws tore through the hem of my skirt and one of the Phantom Images that was half a step behind me.
『GOOOAAAR!』
The Black Dragon, letting out a roar of anger, whipped its neck like a snake, trying to crush me along with the Phantom Image with its head.
“—[Armor Break]—”
SKREEECH-CLANG!
『GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!?』
As if timing it perfectly for that moment, Jesha, who had been watching for an opening, leaped in, and the Battle Art he unleashed tore through the scales on its neck, causing the Black Dragon’s fresh blood to scatter for the first time.
A Battle Art could pierce the Black Dragon’s defenses. I drew its attention and created an opening, Nero dealt damage, and Jesha inflicted a grievous wound.
[Black Dragon] [Race: Elemental Dragon] [Phantasmal Beast Rank 7]
[Mana: 271/400] [Stamina: 692/1035]
[Total Combat Power: 7879]
But it’s not enough. Only a small amount of its stamina has been chipped away.
We need some kind of ‘decisive move’…
A powerful ‘finishing blow’ and a ‘technique’ to create the opening for it.
“Now, fireee!!”
At that moment, fire magic was unleashed from the surviving Evil Race members.
“Kuh!”
The moment I leaped away to evade the attack, which seemed intended to engulf both Nero and me, the Black Dragon’s eyes blazed with hatred as it opened its mouth wide.
“This is bad!”
KRA-BOOM!!
The lightning breath unleashed by the Black Dragon mowed down the remaining Evil Race Soldiers.
“…”
…They just had to do something unnecessary. Even knowing that Nero and I would be near death if we took even a single hit, the reason I’d initiated close-quarters combat was to prevent the Black Dragon from firing its breath.
And with the Evil Race army annihilated, the ‘shackles’ of hatred that had bound the Black Dragon to the earth loosened slightly.
《—Insolent—》
The Black Dragon, having muttered that, used its wings, and its massive body gradually began to lift from the earth.
The reason we decided to fight here was because the Black Dragon had lost itself to anger and hatred, fixated on devouring the Evil Race’s army.
If the Black Dragon were to start attacking human or demi-human nations, given their sheer numbers, it would surely choose to fight in the sky. If that happened, it would no longer be an opponent that an adventurer with a scout role like me could fight. That final opportunity to kill the Black Dragon was crushed by the Evil Race army—the very army that had been the catalyst for its creation.
“—[Typhoon]—!”
Master’s wind magic, unleashing the magic power she had been accumulating, hindered the Black Dragon as it tried to take flight. Jesha also fired rock bullets from his earth magic, but even that couldn’t completely impede the Black Dragon’s ascent, and finally, the Black Dragon beat its wings in the vast sky.
But just then—
『GROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!?』
Suddenly, the Black Dragon lost its balance and let out a roar. As if in concert with Master’s wind magic, a giant tornado enveloped the Black Dragon.
Is that the wind magic, [Hurricane]…? No, Chigau. My eyes saw Magical Element shaped like a giant “bird” inside the tornado. That’s…
“A high-ranking wind spirit…?”
Not only that, but an arrow that flew in at that moment burst upon the Black Dragon’s head—
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!”
A spear, thrown with a war cry that echoed from somewhere, pierced the membrane of the Black Dragon’s wing, and the Black Dragon, losing its balance, crashed to the ground with a deafening sound.
“—Aria!!”
Hearing my name called by a voice that stirred a sense of nostalgia, I looked up. The sight of them, weapons at the ready, leaped into my vision.
Dolton, aiming with multiple spears readied.
Mira, continuing the incantation for wind spirit magic.
Viro, nocking multiple arrows and drawing his bow.
Feld, holding his greatsword and calling my name.
Everyone from the Rainbow Sword came for me!
The Rank 5 party, ‘Rainbow Sword,’ had finally arrived.
Next time, Aria’s power will be unleashed!