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C19~ Lord Of The Skies
We saw the visage of a huge dragon.
Its claws were strong enough to tear iron like thin paper.
It’s defensive scales would make all kind of weapons and magic seem like play things.
With its wings spread open, it flies in the sky at a speed that exceeded the speed of sound.
That was what being a dragon was all about.
It is claimed to be one of the ultimate creatures that greatly surpassed that of any other humans and monsters we have seen.
Such a dragon from that brought chaos was … now in front of me.
It seemed that it was waiting at the exit of the heroes’s grave all waiting for us.
Why was it so against someone coming to this place?
Why was it so crazy about it … is it natural?
As I thought about it, it made a loud noise alerting everyone around me.
There was no longer any reason for us to not notice it.
“You aim for my absence and infiltrate my territory? I can’t forgive you. You should make up for that folly with your death!”
“Anju!”
“Huh … sleep!”
Anju was caught off guard at the dragon’s sudden appearance. She chanted sleep magic in a haste.
I hope this works …
“… What are you hoping to do with such childish tricks?”
Oh Damn…
It’s not working! ??
“That’s it !? You dragons have strong magic resistance, but they shouldn’t be resistant to sleep magic … but why?”
“It’s a stupid question. Don’t compare me with the likes of those weaklings. But I’ll be polite enough to answer it to make you realize of your powerlessness. I’m an ancient dragon that ranks high among the dragons. Human magic doesn’t apply on me.”
“Is it… the ancient dragon … the legendary dragon, which is said to be the only one in the world …”
Struck by fear and losing the last bit of her fighting spirit, Anju fell to her knees with her eyes turning blank.
“Ku, young lady!”
Nine charged with a twin sword to protect Anju.
“Wind slash!”
The twin sword technique exploded.
An ordinary monster would have been cut off before it even knew what had happened.
It’s such a fast and sharp blow.
However,
“It’s useless, little one.”
“Now …!?”
The dragon did not move from its spot. Meither did it try to defend, nor did it try to dodge.
But even though Nine’s twin swords connected yet before we knew it, it had broke apart.
It couldn’t even break through the tough scales of the dragon. Not able to bear the sheer difference in strength it dissipitated in thin air.
“Neither weapons nor magic work on me. Humans, be struck with despair with your pitiful power.”
“Then, how about this !?”
Alice asked as she threw something about the size of a palm.
It flew in front of the dragon,
Boom! !! !! It exploded.
And as soon as it exploded, it emitted a blinding light in all directions.
It was a flash bomb.
It was mainly used as a tool to render one’s opponent blinded for a short period of time. for monsters it was used to scare them off.
“Nine, Anju! Haru, let’s run away now!”
“… No, no.”
“Huh?”
When the light cleared up, the dragon stood where it was not moving an inch. It seemed to be as calm as it had ever been.
That’s unusual… shouldn’t the dragon have at least taken a step or two back?
Is my knowledge of flash bombs is also insufficient?
It was as if it was ridiculing Alice’s move, claiming that no matter what we did it had to be useless.
“Is that’s all about it, huh human?”
“Lie … a special flash bomb that scares away even monsters of level 60 and above …? Why are you still okay …”
“You are naive. To think that you believed that it would actually work. In front of my power what use are such petty skills… the power of the ancient dragon. My power is not something that can fall under human estimation. How could you think of me as the same likes as you. You are powerless while I am strong. Come on now, the time is ripe, begin to despair.”
The dragon spread its wings wide. With its insurmountable pressure all of us seemed to be ants in its face.
Pushed down by that pressure alone, I can’t help but lose my will to fight.
However.
I can’t give up here.
I can’t fall down.
Anju believed in me and made a request.
Then, I have to live up to that expectation.
I don’t want to betray someone’s feelings!
My glare hit the dragon’s eyes as it threeatened to pierce it.
“So you don’t want to give up?”
“Hmm … are you still going to resist me? For a humans I have to say, you have a lot of courage. But … but it’s just futile? Hmm … but it’s interesting anyway. Human, make one bet with me if you so want to oppose me.”
The dragon didn’t lie. The others were already wobby in their knees unable to stand and had resigned to their fate. Probably when it asked them to despair he wasn’t just joking.
I turned towards the dragon.
“Bet …? What kind of bet?”
“Attack me with all your might. If you can color me surprised, then I’ll let you go. But … if even your full power doesn’t reach me, then as a punishment for invading my realm, I shall tear your body and soul into pieces.”
It seemed that Anju and the others weren’t the only ones with expectations with me.
But for them to think so highly of me like this…
“……All right”
It probably doens’t matter what their reasons are. Cause I have to at least do what I can.
The chances of winning against a dragon are equal to zero.
Not to mention, I don’t think I can even put up a hair to its might.
but…
I don’t want to give up anymore.
I don’t want to give up hoping for things to work out and leave it to the flow of time.
Ever since I had left the hero’s party, I had chose my destiny myself, even if it was death that awaits me!
“Let’s go!”
“Haru, do it !!!”
With Alice cheering me on, I felt like I was getting stronger.
I began casting my magic as I converted it into mana.
“Flame !!!”
“Oh !!!?”
A heavy flame wrapped the dragon’s body. Unlike the twin blades of before the ‘flame’ spell seems to have reached it at least.
And that was probably because the very nature of the fire spell which was different from Nine’s attack spell.
Flames raged around burning its body.
The surrounding vegetation burned out in an instant and turned to ask.
The heat wave spreads and the atmosphere as it fluctuated in density.
and……
“…”
The flames had already subsided …
The dragon stood calmly at the center of a field of ashes without even a scratch.
――――――――――
[Dragon’s POV]
Hot … Hot … Hot …
I thought I was about die! !! !!
I sigh a relief so that humans will not get caught.
I bet that I should do my best on a whim …
What is this person?
Is he really a human? How is it possible for him to be able to exert such power?
Even if I was told that he was the Demon King, I would be entirely convinced.
After all, my scales were about to melt.
Not only that, I took a lot of damage from those flames.
Did I just lose about half of my vitality?
Seriously … who is this person?
“Ugh … No!” the human cried.
On the surface, it seemed that I haven’t been damaged at all.
The human could only cry and despair to his powerlessness.
In fact, it’s quite funny that he is acting like this so much so that I want to rub it on his face. But …
I cannot admit that I was cornered by a human opponent.
If I admit it, then my pride would be completely shattered.
I keep pretending as if nothing happened.
“That’s about it, human?”
“that is……”
“Then, it’s my victory. I shall crush your life and your soul. But …”
I was about to say that that I would miss him after his death since I had a good fight with him. But I was cut off by his exclaimation.
“Ah!”
He seemed to have caught upon something as he nodded in realization.
“I want to try again!”
“Are you sure you want to do it again !?” I spoke, “Are you going to earn time? I cannot accept such stupidity …”
“No, it’s not that. If I think about it, I wasn’t doing my best right now.”
“……What?”
That was totally out of my expectation.
I was acting shrewd till then.
But as soon as I heard his absurd claim, I could’nt help but spill out my actual voice of shock.
“I recently learned intermediate magic … I had just mastered it until recently, so I forgot about its existence. So let me play the bet again here.”
“……Huh?”
Wasn’t the current attack itself, at its best?
What could be there stronger than that?
If I receive such a thing head on … won’t I just die?
“… Human. I accept your courage and you must be wanting to leave this place. So …”
I tried to chase him away by throwing a hook but…
“Let’s go! This time, I’m at my best!”
“You can leave this place … No, wait!? Are you listening to what I am saying? Please don’t ignore it !!!?”
But all of my words seemed to have gone to deaf ears as the man was shouting to himself as if cheering himself up.
“I will pour in all of my mana this time around … Now, this has to work out …!”
No, that’s bad. Please don’t.
“Wait! Wait, wait, wait !? No, wait !!!!? What’s that enormous amount of mana !? It’s so ridiculous that I’ve never even seen such to be possesed in a dragon! It’s like multiplying it up … Damn… It turned out really bad for me, isn’t it !? “
“Flare Blast !!!”
“No, ah, ah, ah, ah,
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I screamed and tried to avoid it with all of my might even though I had made that bet.
Dragon’s pride?
I didn’t know of such a thing!