Chapter 25: I Am Here / The Final Battle with the Dragon
I shattered the Liquid Dragonkin with the Condenser and hurriedly ran towards them.
“What are you doing?!”
Pul-san shouted. In response, Angelica turned to me with a face like a discarded child, tears welling up in her eyes as she sobbed. But right now, more than anything, I needed to stop this surge of Mana as quickly as possible.
“You idiot!!”
Unable to hold back, I slapped her cheek, which was on the verge of self-destruction. Angelica fell over, splatting against the ground.
“Angelica!! And Ichiro-kun!! What are you doing?!”
My body moved on its own… I messed up… But more than that, why were both of them trying to self-destruct? These two really were mother and daughter; their patterns of behavior were far too similar.
With her face still pressed against the ground, Angelica turned her wet eyes towards me. Finally coming to my senses, I remembered.
“What about Narukami?! Is Narukami okay?!”
At that moment, above the Three-Headed Dragon, I heard a crackling sound, and the Cumulonimbus Cloud vanished completely.
“Oh, come on…”
The words slipped out unconsciously.
“I tried my best, but maintaining the spell like this is impossible…”
Angelica said, unable to stand, her face turned towards me. Pul-san’s gaze pierced me, as if to say it was all my fault, but there was nothing I could do about it, so I pretended not to notice.
Ah, what am I going to do now? I thought, while the Three-Headed Dragon, freed from the lightning, began to recover at breakneck speed, and I felt exasperated.
“Pul-san, I’m really sorry for everything. I’m sorry I couldn’t go back. I promised, but…”
As Angelica managed to get up, she apologized to Pul-san. Then she looked at me and said,
“Ichiro.”
She called my name.
“Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro—”
She kept repeating my name, as if savoring it. How long had it been since Angelica called me by my first name? Could it be that she remembered me…?
“—Ichiro.”
Tears streamed down her face, yet she continued to call my name. Her voice was soaked with emotion. I couldn’t tell if the feelings swirling in my chest were mere nostalgia or something deeper. But perhaps she felt the same way. My mind was a mess, and the emotions tearing at my heart were impossible to name. I knew all too well that such feelings existed.
But more than that, I needed to eliminate the threat before us. And I—
“Angelica. I have something I want to ask you. Can you do it again from here?”
I asked her.
“But… my Mana is already—”
Weakness didn’t suit her. No, that wasn’t it. I wanted her to be strong. I knew that was an unfair expectation.
—Ichiro! I’m leaving those idiots behind!
But I truly respected her, the one who had built her own identity through her own power. That’s right. She wasn’t the kind of person to stop here.
So I said,
“If it’s Mana, I can provide as much as you need.”
Always,
“Trust me.”
I would just do what I could.
Once again, Angelica formed a Mana Circuit with me and began to activate Narukami.
At that moment, Orphe showcased his incredible prowess, completely erasing all the Liquid Dragonkin and coming towards us.
“What’s going on? The lightning magic is disappearing, and—hey, Ichiro, haven’t we met somewhere before? I’m sure we’ve met somewhere!”
Is this girl completely lacking in tension?! This isn’t the time for such a conversation, you musclehead!!
Behind us, the Three-Headed Dragon was joyfully thrashing about, its body rippling with power. Oh, this is just like the dream I had! It’s showing signs of transformation!
Yet Orphe, with a puzzled expression, raised her gaze and made a gun shape with her left hand, resting it against her chin as if deep in thought. It was a pose worthy of a detective, but I was starting to realize that she wasn’t thinking at all.
“Ichiro, Angelica is ready.”
Pul-san informed me. At that moment, the Liquid Dragon evolved into the Four-Headed Dragon. The Demon Sword Nidhogg was still embedded in its liquid body. Yet,
“「ウゥゥゥゥギャグルオオオォォォォォォォォォォ！」”
The four heads and arms flailed wildly as it roared. It was nothing short of a joke. No matter how strong a dragon is, it’s ridiculous to roar with a sword stuck in it. It was downright embarrassing.
“Angelica, don’t worry. Increase the output to maximum.”
She nodded at my words.
And finally, all four mouths of the Four-Headed Dragon began to glow. This was the precursor to some devastating beam of destruction, something akin to a cataclysmic starburst. Unfortunately, all four mouths were aimed right at us.
But, oh man… is this really happening now…?
With the Mana Circuit established, I had to use Oblivion—there was no choice but to do it.
“Ah, Orphe, a really dangerous beam is coming from the enemy. You and Pul-san should step back a bit…”
“Run?—There’s no need for that.”
Ignoring my warning, Orphe turned to face me, her expression defiant as she struck a pose.
“I’ll handle it just this once.”
“Then—”
“But there won’t be a second time.”
“That’s fine. We’ll settle this in one go.”
She nodded in agreement without turning to face me.
“When this battle is over, I’ll tell you where we met.”
“Absolutely. It’s a promise.”
Orphe readied her Twin Swords and dashed back into the fray.
“《流転:Yang（ヤン）》”
As she whispered, the beam unleashed from the Four-Headed Dragon merged into a massive, thick ray of light. Among all the monster attacks I had seen, this one boasted overwhelming destructive power. Yet, Orphe swung her crossed Twin Swords without a care.
“《０（ヴォイド）》”
For a brief moment, I heard a piercing sound that seemed to stab at my eardrums—then, in an instant, that enormous beam vanished without a trace. Ding—Orphe sheathed her Twin Swords.
“I leave the rest to you.”
Seriously? She took care of that beam so easily…
Orphe was truly a woman of her word, and I was reminded just how cool she was—so then,
“Now it’s our turn!!”
Today, the third Narukami struck the Four-Headed Dragon directly. I could feel its anger boiling over, but I disregarded the Mana consumption and unleashed the maximum output of lightning, completely hindering the dragon’s movements and binding it in place.
It couldn’t even let out a groan, ha! Take that, you fool! Your mother’s a—! While I mocked the dragon in my mind, my Mana, which should have been nearly full thanks to the Magic Potion, was depleting at an alarming rate.
I recalled my training with Sena. She absorbed the natural energy from the outside—an extraordinary force known as Qi—and turned it into her own power.
According to Sena, the natural Qi was a power that was “everywhere and nowhere at the same time.”
The original Stinger technique she taught me utilized 100% of Qi. Her guidance was precisely what made such feats possible.
However, whether it was due to a lack of skill or something else, I just couldn’t absorb the external Qi and turn it into my own power.
But now, I had to succeed in doing just that on the spot… no, that’s not right; I would succeed.
First, I would reflect on Sena’s teachings. I focused on my breathing, heart rate, and the flow of blood within me, pushing myself to the boundary between meditation and excitement. Then, I would erase the awareness of my internal and external self, merging with nature. Only then could I manipulate Qi as I wished…
She always said that the essence of breathing and consciousness is the most important thing. So I focused on deepening my awareness—
Deeper—
Deeper—
Deeper—
All things share the same path.
Difficulties are not truly difficulties.
What one does or does not do is a matter of perspective.
There are no barriers between what can be done and what cannot.
Always keep the heart calm, yet do not lose your fervor.
That state of mind is the truth,
And reaching that realm is the ultimate secret.
I pressed down my restless heart, released the heart that had been restrained, soothed the heart that had been freed, ignited the heart that had been calmed, caressed the back of the heart that had been kindled, and urged on the heart that had been stroked—
At that moment,
A small hand rested on my back.
It was Sena, emerging from one of the three remaining talismans.
From the palm of her hand against my back, I felt her heart.
—It’s okay, Ichiro.
She always spoiled and supported me.
—You can definitely do it.
And she would never let me take the easy way out.
—So, Ichiro,
So I—
The world transformed before my eyes.
“Ichiro-kun…? What is that ridiculous ‘power’ of yours?” Pul-san asked, her expression one of astonishment.
“Pul-san, isn’t it amazing? I finally succeeded. Please praise me later!”
I was fine now.
This was a certainty beyond mere confidence.
“We won’t lose!”
Having reached one of the peaks that Sena and the others spoke of, I pushed further. I instantly converted the Qi I had absorbed into Mana.
The conversion efficiency wasn’t great, but the sheer volume of Qi overflowing within me was staggering, enough to ignore such trivialities. Not only that, but I could feel the Qi from outside being absorbed into me as well.
When I turned to express my gratitude, she was already gone, and the talisman she had crafted lay on the ground, dissipating into particles of light.
“Angeeeeeee!! I have Mana!!
Take as much as you want!! So please, at maximum output!! I need the power to obliterate the monster before me in one strike!!”
Before I could finish my words, the—
The Cumulonimbus Cloud above the Four-Headed Dragon grew heavier and duller than ever, transforming into a massive entity that devoured everything like a black hole. Its growth knew no bounds, expanding to cover the entire Virtuous Front.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
A thunderous roar echoed continuously, a sound that would instill fear in any living being in this world, accompanied by a relentless barrage of lightning—striking again and again, piercing the Four-Headed Dragon through the Demon Sword Nidhogg. Even as smoke rose, screams erupted, and struggles ensued, the strikes continued, relentless and penetrating.
Yet the fury of the lightning showed no signs of abating, finally surpassing the magical resistance of the Four-Headed Dragon’s body.
The linear spark connecting the Cumulonimbus Cloud and the ground through the Demon Sword Nidhogg became a destructive force, piercing through every part of the Four-Headed Dragon’s body. It transformed into a massive carpet of light, dazzling us with its brilliance, illuminating our surroundings endlessly.
How long had it been… As that almost surreal spectacle gradually faded, only the enormous dull Cumulonimbus Cloud remained. It had obscured the blue sky, created darkness, and dominated the world.
Yet, eventually, the Cumulonimbus Cloud too would vanish—returning complete light to the world.
No longer was there any trace of the Four-Headed Dragon, nor was there any sign of the Fog that had once been so prevalent in this land of Virtuous.
“We have won!!!”
I raised my arms in triumph, declaring our victory.
Cheers erupted from behind me, “Wow!”
Then Pul-san, Orphe, and Ange leaped toward me.