The Dragon Hunters who had allied with Jag were all restrained by those summoned by Seigel. Many of them were around the same age as Jag, which only added to the disappointment everyone felt about the situation. It seemed that no one was willing to forgive Jag for killing Seigel’s father. The sheer number of people gathered at Seigel’s command made it clear just how much Kirius, the Dragon Hunter, was respected.
“Now then, Jag. You will atone for the crime of killing my father. I’m taking you to the Royal Capital of Kashiram. Everyone here is a witness, so it’s pointless to play dumb now.”
“You brat… I’m not finished yet…!”
Jag stood up, clutching his side. Seigel silently watched him, but what was he thinking? The truth revealed by someone who had once fought alongside his father must have been shocking—his own father’s killer standing before him. Although he had claimed it was an act, perhaps Seigel himself didn’t want to believe it. The sadness in his eyes as he looked at Jag was evident.
“It might have started when that person appeared, rather than when I came to Hunter’s Nest. That’s when my mood soured… I think I unconsciously accepted that person had killed Kirius right in front of me.”
In stark contrast to Seigel, Kurinka directed a scornful gaze at Jag. The fact that her memories had returned meant that Kirius’s memories had also resurfaced, intensifying her hatred for Jag, the enemy.
“I’m not running away anymore. If I keep sealing away painful memories, there are places I’ll never reach. I’ll take in everything I see and experience with my own eyes. That way, I might have wonderful encounters without taking the long way around… Ah, when I say wonderful, I don’t mean it like that! I have Lua-chan, after all!”
“I didn’t say anything…”
Even without her fervent defense, I understood perfectly. Still, whether it was because she had become a dragon or due to her level, Kurinka had truly grown stronger. It was a little painful, to be honest. While we exchanged such light banter, the atmosphere over there remained tense. Seigel was reaching out to Jag, but Jag sat there, grinning ominously.
“Come on, Jag. Just give in.”
“…Come out.”
With a snap of his fingers, something began to rise from the ground. At first, it looked like a black cloth, but it gradually took on a more human shape. The blackness faded into skin tones and clothing colors, until it finally formed a proper figure. It wasn’t just one or two; dozens of them emerged one after another. Armed with knives, claws, and swords, their faces obscured by masks, they looked incredibly suspicious. Even the Dragon Hunters couldn’t remain calm in the face of such a sight.
“W-What are these guys…?!”
“Where did they come from?!”
“Looks like it’s our turn after all, Jag.”
“Sorry, my plans got a little messed up. But as you can see, these nuisances are in the way. Seigel is tough, but if we can take him down, the rest will be easy. I’ll leave that dragon girl to you.”
“This many will be a pain… So, the tough one is Seigel, and the rest… Well, I’ll take it easy.”
From this exchange, all the Dragon Hunters realized that the eerie figures emerging from the ground intended to fight them.
“Jag… How far do you intend to fall? Those guys are from the Comet Wolf Brigade, right? If it gets out that you’re connected to them, you’ll face the death penalty for sure.”
“Oh? You figured out they’re from the Comet Wolf Brigade. It’s just a little contract. You can’t deal with a dragon girl through regular channels. That means we need to go through the underground route.”
“Don’t let your pride rot away, Jag! I see now! Your fighting style just now—it’s theirs, isn’t it? It’s the complete opposite of what a Dragon Hunter should be against a dragon! Jag, it seems you haven’t been in Dragon’s Valley for a long time!”
“Hunting humans is easier than hunting dragons. I specialized in that. Hahaha… But hey, while it’s nice to get riled up, do you understand the situation? They’re all Custom Magic users. Shadow Entry is limited to darkness, but they can move without being detected. You understand what that means, right?”
“I see, that makes any security pointless.”
Seigel added with a sigh of exasperation, relaxing his body before re-raising his sword. Jag seemed completely confident that the tables had turned, a smug smile returning to his face. Hahaha, he had enough confidence to laugh like that because of how strong the Comet Wolf Brigade was. I could see that.
But from my perspective, if the Comet Wolf Brigade clashed with the Dragon Hunters here, I believed victory would lean toward the Dragon Hunters. Though outnumbered, the few members of the Comet Wolf Brigade were significantly stronger than the ones I had defeated before. Yet, the Dragon Hunters who emerged at Seigel’s signal were all seasoned veterans.
There was no way humans who regularly faced off against gigantic monsters like dragons could be weak. The fierce glint in the eyes of those Dragon Hunters was a testament to their confidence, and their lack of hesitation was proof of that.
Jag didn’t seem to grasp this. Having fought alongside Seigel’s father, he should have understood at least that much.
“Jag, you don’t need to resort to such dirty tricks; you’re strong enough as it is. In fact, if you were to fight with your old style, I wouldn’t be sure I could win even now. Yet here you are, satisfied with some nonsensical counter-skill… Do you realize? You’re much weaker now than you were back then.”
“Say what you want. Seigel, the view from the top is more despairing than you might think. Do you know how I felt when I fought alongside your father? It was miserable; I barely got a turn. I started to doubt my own existence.”
“Is that why you fell so far…? David and all of them…!”
Seigel’s words, spat out like venom, conveyed his deep frustration. I recalled hearing that some adventurers had quit the Adventurer’s Guild in Avangarde. I had thought about it then, too—when someone beyond my reach appeared, would I still be able to remain as I am? There had been others who used skills I couldn’t, and indeed, I felt a pang of regret at those times. I still couldn’t walk on water, and after trying to practice in the bath, Kurinka had gotten genuinely angry, so I wouldn’t attempt that again.
I couldn’t imagine being able to use Shadow Entry like those people. Perhaps Jag and the other adventurers had felt that same sense of frustration swell within them.
“…Is that kid over there the one we’ve been hearing about?”
“No way… But the appearance matches.”
“The Flash Strike Girl is here, huh? To be honest, I wasn’t too interested in the dragon girl, but if she’s here, it might be a bit entertaining. Hehehe.”
Suddenly, the masked group turned their attention to me all at once. The atmosphere shifted, and everyone’s gaze focused on me, making me feel embarrassed. I waved and smiled, but perhaps that was a mistake, as the masked figures ignored everyone else and leaped toward Kurinka and me. Oh right, I had been targeted by the Comet Wolf Brigade.
“Y-You! Run!”
“She’ll be fine.”
“Seigel, what are you being so carefree about?!”
“Just watch. It’s good that we haven’t had any injuries on our side.”
I appreciated their trust, but something about it felt off, or was it just my imagination?
“Kurinka, it’ll be over soon, so just wait for me.”
“I-I’ll help too! After all, Lua-chan and I are a party, right?”
“But it’ll probably be over quickly…”
“In this situation, you’re still distracted?”
I heard a voice near my ear, and suddenly a masked face was right in front of me. If you’re going to start, just say so. The sharp claws were closing in on my chest, but everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. I smashed my left fist into the arm holding the iron claw-like weapon.
The bones in their hand shattered, and the masked figure’s agonized scream echoed for a few seconds before everyone else began to realize what had just happened.
“GYAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Seigel, we’re taking these people to the Royal Capital just like that Jag, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll have a word with the soldiers stationed in this town, so don’t worry. With the passive mobility, we can take care of them quickly.”
“Shadow Entry!”
Everyone, including the masked figure sweating profusely and holding their hands over their face, vanished back underground. I wonder what happens while they’re submerged. Have they completely disappeared without a trace? Or perhaps…
“Seigel, get everyone to safety.”
“Huh? Ah, got it.”
“Kurinka, don’t stray too far from me.”
“Okay!”
The Dragon Hunters still seemed unconvinced by Seigel’s insistence to keep their distance to avoid interfering with the battle. Yet, Seigel was shooing them away as if they were mere animals, clapping his hands to drive them off. Now then…
“On three!”
I unleashed the Sonic Ripper while spinning, just like when I was tricked by Rash’s Illusion Magic, but this time I aimed to slam it into the ground. If they’re burrowing like moles, they might as well stay down there. I’ll handle things from here.
“Sonic Ripper!”
When I shot the Sonic Ripper into the earth, it erupted like a volcanic explosion, sending dirt flying and obscuring everything in a cloud of dust. Only the ground where Kurinka and I stood remained intact, while the surrounding area was completely gouged out by the Sonic Ripper, creating a small circular crater. The masked figures were swept up along with the dirt, and when the chaos settled, dozens of them were left groaning and crawling in the crater. The impact alone would have dealt significant damage. They might not die, but a regular person would have been killed by that alone.
I didn’t want to kill them, so I held back, but I found myself thinking that serious injuries were acceptable. Honestly, it felt ridiculous to be kind to those who had come to kill me, like Azuma’s Demon God Clan.
Even though I had held back considerably, the power was enough to carve into the ground, and if I hadn’t been careful, those people might have actually died. Just a fleeting thought crossed my mind.
“……”
“Hey, what’s wrong with everyone?”
“Well, what do you mean…?”
“Honestly, I want to ask you that…”
“What’s up, Jag? Where did that ‘Haha!’ from earlier go? Come on, laugh. That girl is strong enough to make you smile, right?”
“……Ha, haha.”
Jag’s strained expression and dry laughter weren’t the only things that echoed in the silence of the night; everyone else was quiet too. Hearing such words from those who called themselves Dragon Hunters felt shocking. It was as if I was more of a monster than a dragon.
“See, you understand that resisting is futile. Even if you manage to escape to the neighboring town over the next few days, that girl could do it in a matter of minutes.”
“Alright, alright, just don’t kill us!”
Seeing Jag’s surrender pose finally made me breathe a sigh of relief. But I wouldn’t kill them, and I certainly couldn’t reach the neighboring town in just a few minutes. I should be angry, but everyone was already so intimidated that I decided to keep quiet.
Honestly, I wanted to take down Jag, who had tried to kill Kurinka, but I didn’t want to be misunderstood as someone who kills.
“I thought the nickname ‘Counter Jag’ would suit me by now…”
“……Jag. If you have any desire to rise again, I can speak to the King of Kashiram on your behalf. The young Dragon Hunters you led were all trained by you, right? Your father had a good relationship with the King of Kashiram, and if this continues, you might really face the death penalty. You know that king is known for his strength, right?”
“Hmph…”
“But what will we do with them? Even if we try to restrain them, if they use Shadow Entry, they’ll escape in no time… But with the damage they’ve taken, they might not be able to flee easily.”
“Hmm. It looks like almost everyone is seriously injured. They won’t be able to move for a while.”
“Seigel, just to be safe, let’s paralyze them. I have some knowledge of Status Ailments magic.”
“Thanks, that helps.”
Jag looked sulky, as if he had no intention of cooperating. But I planned to leave the future to Seigel; there was nothing more I could do here.
“Lua-chan… What should we do about these wings?”
“This is a problem. They’re a bit too big to hide…”
“Let’s rest at the inn for today. I’ll secure these guys before I sleep.”
As Seigel yawned widely and got to work, I felt a twinge of guilt, but I decided to take advantage of the situation and rest. It would soon be dawn, and I was definitely tired. I would think about the wings when I woke up.
“Lua-chan, um… can we sleep together tonight?”
With Roel blushing, I silently answered by taking her hand. As she clung to my arm and walked like a lover, I wondered how that looked to others. The bed at the inn wasn’t particularly comfortable, but tonight I felt like I could sleep soundly. After all, Kurinka was right next to me.
“Let’s make sure to stay warm tonight!”
Being skipped along while still clinging to my arm made it a bit difficult to walk, but I didn’t care. Today was a momentous day because I had reunited with Kurinka. Including the matter of my wings, tomorrow would mark our fresh start. We would continue to have many, many adventures together.
◆ Hunter’s Nest – Dragon’s Belly ◆
“Hey! Lua and Ro… Kurinka!”
Someone was banging on the inn’s door, which felt like it could come off its hinges with just a slight tug. It took me a few seconds after waking up to realize that it was a knock.
“Ugh…”
“Hey, Lua… Whoa! First, get dressed!”
“Wait… What are you doing?!”
“Guh!”
I had forgotten that I had fallen asleep in just my underwear due to exhaustion. I nearly sent Seigel crashing through the fragile inn wall when he came to visit. I hoped the wall across from the door was okay. I had recently realized that controlling my strength was relatively easy, except in battles.
Seeing Seigel take a while to get up, as if he had sustained a fatal injury, made me think he might need some healing magic.
“I’m dressed now… Kurinka is still asleep, so please don’t come in.”
“Got it, I value my life too. Anyway…”
Seigel, still clutching his chest in pain, cleared his throat and continued.
“They say you have a visitor…”
“They say,” he added ambiguously. I didn’t understand why he was so vague, and who would come all the way out here to see us? This was a foreign land, and I shouldn’t have any acquaintances here. Surely it couldn’t be the Comet Wolf Brigade.