Chapter 10: Never Bend (vs. Super Dragon)④
If I could, I would have wanted to close my eyes.
What struck me was not just a simple physical or magical attack, but a blow from the Demon Sword Nidhogg that devoured existence itself. On top of that, there was a torrential downpour of advanced magic, and the explosive release of Mana from two discarded pieces of Imitation Gold.
This was an all-out battle, pouring every ounce of power that Pulmy—no, that Pulmy and her companions—could muster. Among those who gasped for breath or knelt in exhaustion, Pulmy carefully watched to see if the Liquid Dragon would revive. However, unlike before, there were no signs of the gel-like parts gathering to bring the dragon back to life.
“Is it over?”
From behind her, a cheer erupted, freed from the fatigue and tension. It was a joyous moment, not just for her party, but for many who had fought with their lives on the line.
For a while, Pulmy stood there, lost in thought as she watched them celebrate their victory. After some time, Nelly Virtuous appeared, accompanied by several others—likely Honest, the Order of Knights, the Rebellion, and members from Eden’s Garden.
Pulmy scratched her cheek with her finger, thinking, “Oh no.” It felt awkward to tell them that their efforts were in vain since she had already defeated the enemy.
“Well, it’s better than arriving to find us all wiped out,” she said with a wry smile as she approached her allies.
“I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing. It was tough, but we managed it with just our team. Ah, I’m sorry for worrying you.” Pulmy continued to chat cheerfully with Nelly and the leaders of the reinforcements from the Order of Knights.
Still, it was a magnificent sight to see so many skilled warriors gathered in one place. Those who had originally been responsible for this region, the former dangerous faction led by Pulmy, and the reinforcements—all renowned fighters. A total of 150 warriors had assembled here, a sight rarely seen outside of such a dire situation.
“Still, I’m amazed you managed to gather this many people. It must have been tough on your end too,” Pulmy expressed her gratitude.
In response, a leader from Eden’s Garden waved his hand in front of his face.
“Actually, the Fog that had been swarming suddenly decreased dramatically… So, we figured it would be more efficient to redirect our personnel elsewhere. Just then, we heard you needed help here.”
“Hm? The Fog decreased…?”
Pulmy felt a flicker of realization at his words.
“Yes, we were with Nelly, and our area saw a significant drop in the number of Fog as well. I suppose our efforts have finally paid off.”
The vice-captain of the Order of Knights replied. It was indeed wonderful that the Fog had diminished in their area. But—
“Wait.”
Hadn’t she questioned the speed at which they were exterminating the Fog? Pulmy felt her heart race.
And then, finally—
“This is strange. Abnormal. There’s no way the extermination of the Fog could be this easy—”
She finally realized.
“The flow of Mana in the atmosphere is off. And why—”
Since they had defeated the Liquid Dragon, why was there not a single trace of Fog remaining in the vicinity?
Pulmy’s intuition—her instincts, dulled by the intoxication of a fleeting victory—finally kicked in.
“NO!! NO!! NO!! It’s coming!! It’s coming!!”
Suddenly shouting, Pulmy left her companions dumbfounded, their expressions blank. She needed to convey this clearly and quickly. The time limit was right upon them.
“Klein!! Shizuku!! It’s not over yet!! Get everyone ready for battle!! We need proper healing!! And restore the Mana we’ve used!! Hurry!!”
Pulmy shouted orders to the two. Then, turning to the leaders of the reinforcements before her, she said,
“I’m sorry. I’ll be brief. The monster I defeated was a three-headed dragon with a liquid body. Physical attacks are completely ineffective, and it has excellent magical defense. I barely managed to defeat it after exhausting my trump card.”
Those who heard her gulped audibly.
“I sensed something was off before the dragon appeared. The oddity was the rapid decrease of the Fog. Now I understand—it was no mere oddity.”
“What do you mean?” Nelly’s voice trembled.
“Most likely, the three-headed dragon created its body by absorbing the Fog. And even now, even after it has vanished, the decrease in Fog hasn’t stopped. More importantly, the flow of Mana that was faint until just now—”
The atmosphere quivered.
“—is gathering here in a massive torrent.”
Just as the vice-captain of the Order of Knights was about to ask why—
“Damn it!!”
Suddenly, a torrential downpour of murky liquid fell from the sky. It coalesced into a massive, distorted sphere, squirming and stretching in a comical manner.
“The dragon that was supposed to have vanished has recovered by absorbing the Fog from various locations!!”
Finally, everyone realized that the rapid decrease in Fog was due to this.
“It’s coming!! Prepare yourselves!!”
Pulmy shouted loudly. At that moment, the massive liquid form transformed back into the Liquid Dragon.
“This is bad—”
Two concerns weighed heavily on her mind. First, could they fight against the already exhausted Pulmy and her companions? Second, the torrent of Mana gathering from all directions showed no signs of stopping.
“Everyone!! You all!! Behind me!!”
It was an order to escape to her rear. There was no time to explain in detail.
“GU-GYULOOOOOAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!”
The Liquid Dragon, not just fully recovered but actively strengthening itself, roared with vigor.
“Activation!”
Before she could finish her command, the Liquid Dragon moved faster—she felt intense heat condensing in each of its three mouths. Unlike the first attack, all of them were aimed directly at her.
“Hellgate!”
At her call, a massive gate engulfed in flames appeared to protect them. Just then—
“GU-GYALAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!“
A concentrated blast of energy erupted from the three heads, colliding with the flaming gate.
“This is—” Pulmy gritted her teeth.
The sound of cracking echoed from the flaming gate. It was the sound of despair.
“Double Activation!”
Without hesitation, Pulmy used one of the remaining two amplifiers, further enhancing her power—
“Hades Gate!”
At her call, a massive, ominous door appeared, rivaling the first gate. Pulmy’s swift defense proved effective as the energy wave from the three-headed dragon broke through the first gate and collided with the second Hades Gate—a standoff ensued, and it seemed only a matter of time before the energy wave would extinguish. At that moment, the body of the Liquid Dragon began to writhe.
“Priests and Barrier Masters, set up barriers as far as you can!! Shielders, brace for impact!!”
The writhing spots swelled—
“What… is happening…?”
A fourth head was born. As the newly formed dragon head lifted, its mouth began to glow, preparing to unleash another wave of energy.
“—”
Before Pulmy could convey anything, the Hades Gate shattered into countless pieces. Yet, the remaining energy wave unleashed a torrent of destruction, engulfing many who were positioned behind her. Those who stood right behind Pulmy emerged unscathed. However, for those who had kept their distance—
“Klein!! Shizuku!! Russell!!”
She screamed in desperation, turning around, but all traces of those who had been there had completely vanished.
“Aaaaaaaaaah!!”
Her voice echoed with anguish—yet time was no longer on her side.
“To Nelly and the other executives, flee from here. Seek the aid of Lady Omi and Row in Noble as quickly as possible!”
With that, her time limit was reached.
“Hurry!! Get out of here!!”
As she touched the final ring (Amplifier), she chanted,
“Activation!”
With those words, she drew forth the staff she carried on her back. It was known as the World Tree Staff (Yggdrasil Twig). This staff was the pinnacle of craftsmanship, capable of amplifying its wielder’s abilities many times over.
“Gyallurururururoooooo!!”
The Four-Headed Dragon began to gather light in its mouths for the third time. There was nothing that could be done. Therefore, before it could unleash its fury—
“Oh, Lady Omi—”
I’m sorry for being so useless. I leave the rest to you.
“Ichiro-kun—”
I’m sorry for not being able to keep our promise to go to the village together.
“Ange—”
I wanted to pat your head one last time, to tell you how much you’ve grown and how proud I am of you.
Pulmy’s Mana surged to an extraordinary level. It was a sign of a magical explosion far surpassing that caused by a man-made Demon Sword, threatening to obliterate everything in its vicinity.
Her own future was already lost. For the sake of those who would live on, Pulmy dashed toward the Four-Headed Dragon. She risked her entire existence, closing in on the massive beast. Then, with a blinding flash, an explosion erupted, consuming everything and erasing all in its path.
─────────
◯◯◯