Chapter 17: The Long Road to the Imperial Capital – Part 13
Before me lay a vast expanse reminiscent of the ruins of a grand temple.
The ground was paved with white cobblestones, encircled by towering white stone columns. It appeared to be a circular plaza, stretching out with a radius of at least 200 meters.
The sky was clear… yet strangely, there was no sun to be found. However, this was not the time to ponder such mysteries.
The boss had yet to reveal itself, but as I took a few steps forward, a thick black mist began to swirl up from the center of the plaza. The density of the mist was unlike anything I had ever seen before.
As the mist cleared, the creature that emerged was the colossal dragon I had anticipated. From head to tail, it exceeded 50 meters in length, and its wingspan was equally impressive. The most alarming feature was its head, from which four thick necks extended, each crowned with a dragon’s head.
The scales of the dragon were nearly black, yet they shimmered with a rainbow hue when they caught the light. Among dragons, this one was particularly fantastical, exuding an overwhelming aura of terror.
Before the towering dragon, Freinir tugged at my sleeve. I expected her to look anxious, but to my surprise, she appeared surprisingly calm.
“There’s only one boss, huh? Could it possibly be a Rare Boss?”
“That’s a possibility, but we can’t be sure since we’ve never encountered a regular boss like this before.”
“True. It has four heads, but will they all breathe fire at once?”
“Let’s assume so. Either way, I’ll be the one to draw its attention. Frei, please set up several barriers to create hiding spots for us. After that, use ‘Divine Light’ and provide support.”
“Understood! Once I’m in position, I’ll focus on severing its wings.”
I instructed the ranged magic users to concentrate their attacks on the dragon’s wings. The melee fighters would engage once the dragon landed.
“Alright, let’s begin the battle. If things get dangerous, I’ll use that magical item, so don’t miss any commands.”
“Got it! But I believe we can handle this!”
With a pat on my back from Larni, I nodded and turned to face the dragon. Its wings were raised, ready to take flight at any moment.
Confirming that Freinir had begun to cast ‘Barrier,’ I stepped forward.
The gargantuan dragon—let’s call it the ‘Prism Dragon’—took to the skies as I approached within 50 meters, its massive wings flapping and sending a gale sweeping across the area.
To me, it felt like a gentle breeze.
“Come at me!”
Activating my ‘Provoke’ skill, I locked eyes with the king of the skies, and all four dragon heads roared in unison.
Each head began to gather magical energy, preparing to unleash their breath attacks.
“Souji-san, each head has a different elemental breath!”
Sfenia shouted from behind. So, each head possesses a different elemental attribute. However, regardless of the attribute, once it becomes breath, it’s merely a physical phenomenon.
“Shigyaaaahhh!!!”
The roar of the four heads was accompanied by a simultaneous release of breath attacks: torrents of fire, ice, razor-sharp vacuum blades, and boulders.
“Uwaaaahh!!”
I unleashed my usual ‘Shockwave’ barrier. My skills, honed for physical combat, allowed me to swing the Aberrant Mace at incredible speeds. The overwhelming force pushed back and dissipated the four simultaneous breath attacks raining down from above.
To my allies, it must have appeared as though an invisible hemispherical wall surrounded me.
Of course, my teammates were not idle. While I held my ground, each member unleashed their magic upon the airborne Prism Dragon.
Among the most powerful attacks were Geshura’s massive vacuum blades and Sfenia’s newly demonstrated rock-fall magic from above. The latter reminded me of the ‘Meteor’ spell I had seen in a game long ago.
“Ogyahhh!!!”
As multiple spells struck, the dragon’s massive form tilted precariously.
Freir’s ‘Holy Light’ followed, and Larni and Karma’s ‘Flying Blade’ attacks struck its wings in succession, dealing damage.
However, as expected of an A-Rank boss, it quickly regained its composure and turned its heads toward my teammates.
“You’re my target!”
Once again, I activated my ‘Provoke’ skill. The Prism Dragon, spurred by its instincts, fixed its furious gaze upon me.
The cycle of breath attacks and ‘Shockwave’ exchanges continued, with my allies providing magical support. Finally, the dragon’s wings were severed at the base, rendering it powerless.
“Gyooohhh!?”
The massive creature descended slowly, landing with a thunderous crash as it arched its chest in a display of rage.
“Alright, here we go!!”
At Karma’s shout, she, along with Larni, Mariane, and Sakurahime, charged toward the dragon’s massive form from both sides.
I activated ‘Provoke’ from the front to ensure the breath attacks wouldn’t target them as I rushed in.
The Prism Dragon, swaying its colossal body, approached me, its four heads glaring menacingly. It seemed poised to unleash breath attacks from all directions.
But then, a barrage of magical attacks rained down. Countless stone spears fell toward the dragon’s heads. The dragon, momentarily stunned, halted its advance.
Seizing the opportunity, Larni and Karma struck at its thick legs, which were as sturdy as twenty trees combined. With their ‘Great Severance’ and ‘Blade Extension’ skills, they sliced deeply through the dragon’s tough scales.
Mariane took a step back, launching a series of throwing darts. Realizing that her daggers wouldn’t inflict significant damage, she seemed to be aiming for ‘Status Ailment Infliction.’
Sakurahime caught up with a slight delay and joined the assault on the dragon’s legs. Though her level was still low, the effect of her ‘Phantom Blade’ skill allowed her to deal damage by scraping off its scales.
“Gyaooohh!!”
The dragon twisted its massive body, swinging its tail in retaliation. However, I quickly recognized the impending attack and dashed toward the wall-like tail, raising my ‘Immovable Fortress Wall’ shield.
“Boom!!”
The impact was tremendous. It felt as if I was facing three or four rampaging demons in terms of destructive power. Even I was pushed back five to six meters. But that was all.
I swung my mace down upon the now-still tail. The tip of the mace, honed for physical prowess, sent the dragon’s scales flying as if they were liquid, and the tail, as thick as a train car, exploded into pieces.
“Ngyaaaahhh!!”
The dragon let out a blood-curdling scream, writhing in agony.
At that moment, Larni used her ‘Jump’ and ‘Space Kick’ skills to close in on one of the heads, driving her mithril blade deep into it.
“One hit isn’t enough!”
Though she couldn’t sever the head, a torrent of blood gushed forth, indicating that it could no longer unleash its breath.
As Larni landed, she prepared to jump again, but another head lunged at her with its mouth wide open.
“I’ll take that head!”
Karma appeared from the side with the reflexes of a tiger beastman, swinging down her great sword, the ‘Beast King’s Fang.’
With that single strike, the head aimed at Larni was severed and sent flying far away.
“The difference in our weapons is just too great!”
“Sorry! But that’s just luck!”
The already battered Prism Dragon took a step back, two of its heads preparing to unleash their breath attacks. However, as Mariane’s darts pierced its belly, the dragon shuddered and froze in place. It seemed the effects of ‘Action Stop’… or perhaps ‘Paralysis’ had taken hold.
Unfortunately, this was the end of the battle.
I swung my mace down upon the immobilized dragon’s legs. The already damaged limb exploded into fragments, and the massive body collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.
Realizing the moment was right, I activated my ‘Plunder’ skill. I seized the treasure from the near-death Prism Dragon and smashed the remaining two heads with my mace.