Chapter 8: Never Bend (vs. Tri-Head Dragon) ②
The remnants of the Tri-Head Dragon, now in tatters, began to gather as if time itself was rewinding. They squirmed and writhed like a mass of slime, repeating this motion several times before returning to the pristine form of the Tri-Head Dragon.
Pulmy had anticipated this outcome the moment the dragon’s body reformed after the first severing. The already troublesome Tri-Head Dragon had transformed into an overpowered monster with liquid-like properties that rendered physical destruction ineffective. One could say that the dragon before us was a completely new species, aptly named the Liquid Dragon.
“Is it time yet—”
Almost simultaneously with her murmur, a powerful spell was unleashed from behind, followed by another, then a third, and a fourth, cascading one after another. Despite their problematic personalities, it was evident that these individuals had been chosen for a reason. Their spells, brimming with formidable power, rained down without pause.
“Did we get it?!” “We did it!” “We’ve succeeded!” “We nailed it!” “We did it, you know!” “We totally did it!” “We did it, for sure!” The voices echoed from behind. Pulmy, who had never believed they could defeat it with just that, felt a wave of anxiety wash over her.
As the smoke from the barrage of advanced spells cleared—
“GRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!!!”
There it was, the unscathed dragon—letting out a roar of fury. The sound shook the very air around us, powerful enough to crush the morale of our party.
“Don’t panic! Just like the enemy, we haven’t taken any damage yet! We have plenty of options left!”
The Liquid Dragon lashed its tail, slamming it against the ground repeatedly. The impact was fierce, sending dirt flying like shrapnel towards our party.
“【Protect us───】”
In response to her command, numerous Grave Mines, glowing with blue flames, were deployed in the air. Several of these spheres expanded before her, incinerating all the debris in their path.
In the rear, the shield bearers were doing their job, effectively protecting the mages and healers, leaving them unharmed. Just as Pulmy felt a moment of relief, the Liquid Dragon, likely activating earth magic, thrust its front legs into the ground with the ease of chopsticks piercing tofu. The massive clumps of earth it lifted were ominous.
“Shielders, something’s coming! Protect us at all costs! Healers! Those low on mana, drink your potions immediately! It’s coming!”
There was no time to check behind us.
“【Activation!!!】”
With the sound of shattering glass from her ring, Pulmy summoned even more Grave Mines, filling the surrounding space.
“GRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!!!”
It was a race against time—the clumps of earth in the dragon’s claws had already transformed into a massive cone.
“You all! This is the critical moment! Grit your teeth!”
She inspired her comrades from behind, launching a barrage of Grave Mines towards the earthen cone before the Liquid Dragon could react.
“Damn it!!”
However, the enemy exceeded Pulmy’s expectations. The enormous cone of earth shot forth from the dragon’s claws with a sound like a rocket launching, “DOKYUUU!!!”
Pulmy’s blue flames erupted in a series of small explosions, “DODODODODODODOD!!!” as they chipped away at the massive cone. Yet, even after all that, half of it remained, its momentum unbroken. In a moment of desperation, Pulmy drew the Artificial Demon Sword Imitation Gold.
“AAAHHHH!!!”
With a fierce battle cry, she hurled it. The golden blade of the demon sword pierced the earthen cone at top speed—exploding—leaving behind the sound of rocks crumbling—piercing through—and then striking the Liquid Dragon beyond it. In that instant,
“【Release!!!】”
At her command, a massive explosion of mana erupted. Shouts rang out from behind. The shockwave was anything but mild, and the debris that scattered held lethal potential.
“Heal your wounds! Don’t let your mana run out!”
Pulmy utilized the Imitation Gold’s property of endlessly storing mana, unleashing it all at once to create a mana explosion. The slicing attack was rendered ineffective, and the onslaught of advanced magic was also nullified. Thus, she resorted to creating a mana explosion by sacrificing the demon sword.
However,
“GYARIRIRIRIRIRIRIRRRRRAAAAAAA!!!”
Though it seemed to have taken some damage, the Liquid Dragon emerged, still intact, emitting wisps of smoke.
One by one, their options were being depleted—
“Damn it! Then!!”
There were still ways to counter it!!
“Grave Mines!!! Get ready!!!”
The remaining blue flames were unleashed upon the Liquid Dragon. It was crucial to prevent the dragon from attacking. Just one strike could be devastating, and even the slightest miscalculation could lead to a fatal blow.
“I’ll hold it off! Shielders and healers, prepare for the unexpected! Mages, on my signal, unleash your most powerful spells!”
She declared her intent to hold it off. This was a proclamation that she would join in the upcoming all-out attack while also attempting to restrain the beast.
As the Liquid Dragon approached, seemingly mocking the desperate resolve of Pulmy and her allies, it took a step forward to close the distance to the ground—
In that moment,
“【Ignition】”
Pulmy chanted.
BA-GAAAAAN!! One of the numerous blue flames exploded. The Liquid Dragon, momentarily thrown off balance, made contact with one of the flames, triggering another explosion. As it staggered, two more blue flames were positioned ahead—
BA-BA-GAAAAAN!! Another explosion erupted.
From a state of confidence, the Liquid Dragon was now consumed by rage, lifting its head high—only to find yet another blue flame waiting—
BA-GAAAAAN!! Another explosion rocked it, and yet another head was caught in the blast.
Pulmy’s placement and manipulation of the Grave Mines were nothing short of exquisite. The blue flames, positioned wherever the Liquid Dragon moved, exploded repeatedly, every breath’s worth of time.
Her time-buying strategy—an endless series of explosions from the Grave Mines that completely restrained the Liquid Dragon’s movements.
The Liquid Dragon, tormented by the small ones, let out a primal scream, and in its fury, it collided with the Grave Mines once more, triggering another explosion.
“An unintelligent beast!”
Surrounding them were droplets of liquid, infused with the Liquid Dragon’s mana, splattering everywhere. After coating her remaining two Imitation Gold swords with it, Pulmy threw them with precision. The two artificial demon swords penetrated perfectly, remaining within the Liquid Dragon’s body without being expelled. Whether the dragon would recognize the intrusion was a gamble.
In other words, she was betting on—
“【Provoke】”
At her call, the Demon Sword Nidhogg glimmered and transformed into a bow.
The Multi-Mana Conversion Piercing Bow Form (Gluttony Gilead)—this was the true form of the Demon Sword Nidhogg.
What she held was far taller than her own height; it resembled not a bow but rather a balista, a siege weapon of old. To add to that, its form was futuristic and mechanical, yet it also evoked a sense of otherworldly magic, embodying two contrasting elements. The sight of it left all who beheld it breathless.
Pulmy held it horizontally, and with a fierce crackling of Mana and the whirring of its magical mechanisms, it awaited her signal, poised to strike down the enemy in a single blow.