Chapter 33: Subjugating the Green Dragon Variant ①
“No weaknesses, you say…”
The upward staircase behind us was already sealed by a barrier-like wall of magical energy.
In a dungeon boss battle, there’s no turning back.
“Ko-chan, it’s coming!”
“—!”
The Green Dragon Variant inhaled deeply and then exhaled a breath of fire.
Crimson flames rushed towards us.
“【Water User】 skill—Shield of Water!!”
SSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Otama-chan created a round shield of water, blocking the flames.
The water, turned to steam, transformed into mist, dyeing the floor white.
“Jeez!! You’re so persistent!!”
Sssshhhhhh…!
After a short while, the dragon’s flames stopped.
“GAAAAARRRRRRRGGGH!!”
Beyond the white veil, the Green Dragon roared, its body trembling.
“Hah, hah…! Seriously, too strong right from the start…”
I rushed over to Otama-chan, who had her hands on her knees.
“Are you okay!?”
“Y-yeah. I used up a lot of MP, though…”
Both of you! It will take time for the dragon to unleash its next flame breath! Attack while you can!
“Doesn’t it have any weaknesses!?”
It does not…! If I had to say, your only option is to peel off one of its scales somewhere and create a weak point yourselves…!
“…Understood. Otama-chan, you focus on recovering. I’ll go.”
“K-Ko-chan!?”
I handed Otama-chan a bag containing a mana potion and rushed towards the dragon.
“UOOOOOOOOH!!”
I’m level 31, and my strength stat has increased considerably.
In terms of raw attack power, I shouldn’t be inferior to Otama-chan.
“GAAARGH!!”
“Whoa…!”
CRASH!!
I dodged the dragon’s attempt to crush me with its foreleg and drew my dagger.
“Just one scale, with this!!”
I ran at full speed and thrust my dagger into the dragon’s belly.
And then.
Snap…
“Ah…”
“GAAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAGGGH!!”
I kicked off the dragon as if doing a triangle jump, using the recoil to leap back near Otama-chan.
Where I had been, the dragon’s claws slashed through empty air.
“Ko-chan, that sword…”
“…Yeah.”
My dagger had snapped cleanly at the base.
“It was cheap, after all. I guess it couldn’t stand up to a dragon…”
With this, my only means of attack were my bugs.
“So I’m the only one who can peel off a scale, huh… I wonder if I can do it…”
“About that, there’s something I want to try.”
“Something you want to try?”
“Yeah. Here goes—Bug Sumo: Stag Beetle!”
At my call, a stag beetle about the length of my forearm materialized from thin air.
…The dragon’s hide is tough, but what about the inside of its mouth?
Could it be surprisingly soft, allowing damage to get through?
“I’m going to try attacking it from the inside. Sorry, but Otama-chan, could you attack at the same time?”
“Okay! This is an exciting, heart-pounding joint opera… I mean, battlefront! Yeah! I’ll do my best!”
“? Why did you correct yourself?”
“I-It’s nothing! Look, here I go! Summer Rain Blade!!”
Otama-chan drew her katana and charged at the dragon.
CLANG! CLANG!
Omoigawa-san! The tail!
“Wah!”
SWOOOSH!!
Otama-chan dodged the dragon’s sweeping tail attack.
“That was close! Take this!!”
KIIING!
“It’s so hard!”
It seemed Otama-chan’s attacks weren’t getting through to the dragon either.
Her slashes landed, but the beast paid them no mind.
Should we just keep attacking the same spot relentlessly, hoping for a part break?
Or perhaps…
“—Shadow Move.”
I had the Stag Beetle slip into the dragon’s blind spot.
And then, I waited for an opportunity.
“Here I go, Secret Sword: Summer Rain Throw!”
Otama-chan launched a crescent-shaped blade of water towards the dragon’s face.
“GYAOOOOO!!”
The dragon took a direct hit to the eye and roared loudly.
Omoigawa-san, nice one!!
“Ko-chan!!”
“Yeah, go!! My Stag Beetle!!”
The Stag Beetle materialized from the shadows and flew towards the dragon’s mouth.
And then.
“GYAAROOOOH!!”
—It dived into the wide-open maw.
Natsume-san!! It’s taking damage!!
“Alright, just like this!!”
I used 《Miniaturization》 on the Stag Beetle, making it gradually advance inside the dragon’s body.
Natsume-kun, that’s a pretty gruesome attack you’ve got there…
I heard Jonuma-san from the Gunma Prefecture Explorer Association mutter.
“Can I defeat it with this…?”
The moment I thought that.
“GUGAARRRRRROOOO!!”
The Green Dragon Variant inhaled deeply and then exhaled a breath of fire.
“Ko-chan!!”
SSSHHHHHUUUUUUU…!
Otama-chan protected me with her shield of water.
“This is bad…”
It seemed there was a magic power circuit (path) connecting me and the Stag Beetle.
Though I couldn’t see it, I could tell that the Stag Beetle, which had been biting into the dragon’s throat, was taking damage from the flames.
It seems the Stag Beetle can use 《Flame Attack》, but it doesn’t have fire resistance.
“Just hold on a little longer…!”
“GYAAAAAAAAGH!!”
“…Ah.”
At that moment, I realized that I was able to send my mana to the Stag Beetle through the magic power circuit.
The Stag Beetle’s durability increased, and it was enduring the flames.
This is—
“—the 《Cheer》 skill.”
A special skill I learned when I caught that black rhinoceros beetle.
I had assumed it could only be used on rhinoceros beetles, but that wasn’t the case.
If I can just push through with the power of 《Cheer》…!
“Gu, GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”
“—!!”
“Ko-chan! Get over here next to me!!”
The force of the dragon breath intensified, and a raging inferno assaulted us.
SSSHHHHHUUUUUUU…!!
Steam billowed violently from Otama-chan’s water shield.
“Ah…!”
At that moment, the circuit with the Stag Beetle broke.
It didn’t seem to be dead, but it looked like it had returned to its alternate dimension.
It couldn’t withstand the dragon breath.
“Damn it…”
I was so close.
The Stag Beetle would probably revive, but I didn’t know when.
At the very least, it wouldn’t be during this battle.
“The only card I have left is 《Mass Assault》, huh…”
A devouring attack by grasshoppers.
I have to end it with this…
“Jeez! Stop it already!!”
Otama-chan was blocking the fierce flames with her water.
Her expression was contorted, and she looked like she was in pain.
I have to defeat that dragon quickly…!
Out of frustration, I clenched my fists. So tightly that my nails dug into my palms—
“Ah…………”
—It was then that I realized something important.
SSSHHHHHUUUUUUU…!
“Hah, hah…!”
The dragon’s flames subsided, and Otama-chan collapsed to her knees.
“Are you okay!?”
“Hah, hah… Sorry, I’m out of MP… I don’t think I can take another hit…”
“—I see.”
But that’s fine.
I figured out how to defeat that dragon.
I reconfirmed the cards in my hand.
—《Mass Assault》.
—《Cheer》.
—The ring that grants poison attacks.
And finally—the 【Poison Absorption】 skill.
“K-Ko-chan…”
I stood in front of Otama-chan and extended my right hand towards the Green Dragon Variant.
Then, I turned back to Otama-chan and said,
“—I’ll end this with the next one. I’m not just talking about dealing damage from the inside. I’ll devour it from the outside as well.”
From the sensation of commanding the Stag Beetle, I was certain.
—That dragon, I’ll be able to defeat it, leaving not even its bones behind.