Chapter 18: Mage V / Battle Against the Great Dragon IV
Magic and I were inseparable. At the core of my existence, magic was rooted so deeply that it could never be severed.
Ever since I became self-aware and received instruction in magic from Honest, magic had always lingered in the back of my mind, no matter what I was doing. I realized I was different from my peers, who showed little interest in magic, yet I didn’t particularly dislike being a magic-obsessed fool.
And yet, I had drifted far from magic. For a long time, I had stood by the Hero-sama like a puppet, smiling vacantly.
The worst part was that after conquering the Blade Labyrinth, I had only followed Hero-sama’s orders, engaging in mere imitations of magical research once a week.
When had I changed? I was sure it was—
A massive bolt of lightning struck the Liquid Dragon. That was one of Angelica’s trump cards, the colossal spell Narukami. It was a unique technique of hers, a combination of four elemental magics: water, earth, fire, and light.
The intense lightning dazzled our eyes, sparking wildly, booming with a thunderous roar as it poured down relentlessly upon the three-headed dragon.
I witnessed the lightning that would not fade until the enemy was obliterated.
Yes… I had waited for that moment, protecting me, while someone was bound to get hurt—he had been there for me, battered and bruised, insisting, “I’m fine, you know?” I had worried for him, gritting my teeth and clenching my fists.
Why had I forgotten? Why had I been able to go on without thinking until now?
When had I ceased to think?
Like a fool thirsting for water, waiting for rain under a clear sky, I had made Hero’s words my utmost priority, waiting endlessly.
Why was I—
I needed to stop Narukami for a moment. I was certain that if I continued, I wouldn’t be able to wear down the Liquid Dragon. If my dream was correct, even if we defeated the three-headed dragon here, it would absorb the fog from various locations and revive.
“Angelica!! Stop Narukami!!”
I tapped her shoulder to convey my message, fearing my voice would be drowned out by the roar. Behind us, Pul-san was directing the personnel.
“What should I do next?”
As Narukami faded, smoke rose from the Liquid Dragon. It had taken the most damage yet.
“Drink this and focus on recovering your mana.”
Angelica received the vial and stared at it intently before downing it in one gulp. I braced myself for complaints, but surprisingly, she said, “Thank you.”
“I’d like you to use Narukami again later. Can you do that?”
At my request, her eyes widened. After a moment of hesitation, she replied, “Leave it to me!!” just like she had back then.
After conquering the Light Labyrinth, I had abandoned my thoughts, becoming someone else entirely. I didn’t understand why. Yet, all my thoughts had been consumed by Hero-sama.
I lived only to think of him. No matter how much he belittled me, I took his words as sweet nectar, smiling and expressing my gratitude.
That wasn’t a way for a sane person to live. Anyone who accepted such a life was no longer human, but merely a puppet of mana—no, something even more grotesque.
I was asked by Yamada the Holy Knight to unleash Narukami once more. Something flickered in my mind, igniting a flame in my chest. I didn’t even know what was happening. But there was one thing I was certain of: the flame lit within me by him was gentle, warm, and somehow nostalgic. I was desperately trying to hold back tears that threatened to spill.
The Liquid Dragon let out a deafening shriek. The personnel behind us trembled in fear, but soon regained their composure thanks to Pul-san’s shouts and encouragement.
The frontline warriors fought against the surrounding fog, the shielders protected the rear, the clerics focused on healing and maintaining barriers, while the backline awaited Pul-san’s orders.
Then, a multitude of blue flames, the size of fists, erupted from Pul-san. The Liquid Dragon faced us, casting earth magic to create a barrage of rocks.
“Pierce through!!”
With her piercing shout, the Azure Flame was unleashed, countering the enemy’s rocks.
I glanced at Pul-san’s equipment once more. Three items: the Artificial Demon Sword Imitation Gold, the Demon Sword Nidhogg, and the World Tree Staff (Yggdrasil Twig). It was exactly as I had seen in my dreams.
In my dreams, Pul-san had dealt damage to the Liquid Dragon multiple times, even managing to defeat it once. The internal mana explosion from the Artificial Demon Sword Imitation Gold and the strike that devoured its very existence from the Demon Sword Nidhogg.
It was only natural for the latter to be effective, but the internal mana explosion from the former had also proven effective—
There were other things I recalled. In my dreams, the three-headed dragon had remained almost unscathed from the first barrage of advanced magic, but after taking a hit from Pul-san’s Demon Sword Nidhogg, the advanced magic had inflicted some damage.
“Pul-san!! Orphe!!”
Once again, I called Angelica, Pul-san, and Orphe to share my thoughts and questions. As expected, Pul-san responded immediately.
“I have an idea.”
She quickly met my expectations. And then, the remaining issue was—
A strategy was devised in a short time to defeat the enormous three-headed dragon before us. If what Yamada the Holy Knight said was true, there were two main points to consider.
The first was how to deal with the intense magical resistance covering the surface of the three-headed dragon. The second was that the dragon could absorb fog to recover infinitely, meaning we would need an astronomical amount of mana to defeat it.
Regarding the first point, Pul-san confidently assured us she would handle it. I asked if I could manage the vast amount of mana required for the second point alone, but she shook her head.
“Just drink a mana potion while casting.”
The speaker was Orphelia. Despite her appearance, she had quite the blunt mindset.
“That’s impossible. If you drink a potion, your incantation and magic manifestation will stop.”
As we spoke, my thoughts continued. My thoughts, which had been lost since that day… my own thoughts. Eventually, I found a method. However, it was still far from gathering enough mana. But it was the only way.
“I can connect my Mana Circuit (Pass) with others. By doing so, I can use their mana—”
Before I could finish, Yamada the Holy Knight raised his voice.
“Then, if we connect the Mana Circuit (Pass) with everyone here—”
“Let me finish. Connecting the Mana Circuit (Pass) and using someone else’s mana is a delicate technique. It’s almost an unknown technique for me. So, I can’t connect with too many people. I can only reliably connect with two at most.”
Yamada the Holy Knight and Pul-san exchanged glances and nodded. He turned to Orphelia.
“Orphe, we three will be left defenseless. So please, protect us.”
At Yamada the Holy Knight’s words, Orphelia scratched her head.
“So, I just need to protect you from that monster’s attacks? Easy enough.”
With that, she crossed her arms and snorted.
The two—Yamada the Holy Knight and Pul-san—extended their hands toward me.
“Angelica, connect your Mana Circuit (Pass) with me. Then—”
“Use my mana too. We’ll manage somehow.”
I took their hands and simply replied, “Understood.” Immediately, I reached out to their mana and connected through the Mana Circuit (Pass).