Chapter 126: 112

A burnt smell hung in the air of the city.

It was the air of a battlefield.

A huge shadow swept across the sky, and the screams of people rang out with every pass.

「Adventurers who aren't participating in the fight to drive it off! And all those who aren't adventurers! Please remain calm and take refuge in the Adventurers' Guild! There's still time before the dragon attacks!」

On the main street, Guild employees and guards were directing the throngs of people.

Everyone was heading straight for the Odoriji spire.

「Stay calm! Don't run, and don't push! Please walk slowly! Children, if you're lost, please come to big sister! Your parents are at the Guild! It'll be alright, don't cry!」

A dog beastkin lady was shouting at the top of her lungs.

She was surrounded by about ten children who appeared to have strayed from their parents.

「The merchant over there! We can’t look after your goods and assets at the Guild! Please toss them out onto the plain! Move it! Get out of the way! What? Ensuring the safety of your merchandise? Not our problem!」

Our merchant company had already made preparations to move the merchandise to a safe place on the plain.

Right about now, Geto-san should be helping them move everything out of the city via the river.

「Furthermore! Adventurers who have taken up the request to fight it off! Listen up! All adventurers who have taken up the request to fight off the dragon! Do not attack the dragon until the Guild President gives the word! If you provoke it in any way, I will rip you to shreds and throw you into the dragon's mouth!」

Wow, she’s scary.

「Let's get to the top of the city walls」

With so many people about and so much noise, it was impossible to have a proper discussion.

Everyone in the party made their way to the city walls. After going up the stairs, we were on top of the walls. My sister, who had canceled her invisibility, joined us.

There were other adventurers on the walls.

We exchanged brief greetings by making eye contact.

I looked out over the people who were swarming like ants. It was probably because the evacuation was very well organized, but they were disappearing into the dungeon one after another.

「But it sure is big」

「That may be so, but it's one of the smaller ones among the dragons」

Otou-san's words sent a chill down my spine.

The dragon was soaring through the skies of Lemuria like it owned the place.

I had Yukikaze analyzed it and she told me its size.

Body length, 20 meters.

Wingspan, 74 meters.

Its silhouette looked slender, but as a living creature, it was stupendously large. It was twice the size of the dragon-tortoise we had fought in the past. On top of that, its huge wings made it seem even bigger.

Its front arms were longer and skinnier than I had expected, and its fingers, with sharp claws at their tips, were well-developed, like those of humans. Its back legs were thick and robust, and it appeared to be bipedal rather than quadrupedal. It had a lizard-like head and a long neck, the very image of what one would expect a dragon to look like.

Its distinguishing feature was the two curved horns on its head. And the whitish scales that covered its entire body.

It's a white dragon.

I find it terrifying, yet also beautiful.

I wonder if this sentiment is similar to how people view natural disasters as something divine. But this is already at the level of needing to bring out a Gundam. Is this an opponent that we, humans, can defeat? After seeing the real thing, I can't help but be feel daunted.

「Hey」

Otou-san prodded me.

「Don't get distracted. Focus on the enemy」

「Yes」

He was indirectly telling me not to be afraid.

「Rutsuko-san, Gunmerry, prepare the magic」

「Huh? But we're not supposed to attack until we get the go-ahead」

I smiled in response to Rutsuko-san's diligent reply.

「We weren't told not to prepare. Let's unleash it as soon as we get the go-ahead. Our magic will spearhead the attack」

「I see!」

Rutsuko-san really is a straightforward person.

The magician group got into formation.

Rutsuko-san stood in the center, with Gunmerry behind her, Rana in front and to her right, and Frey the same to her left.

Rutsuko-san had Rana and Frey's staves gripped in each of her hands.

「Are you ready?」

「Yes, please go ahead!」

Rutsuko-san gave a spirited reply to Frey's question.

「Rauaryuna-san, let's start. Please follow my lead」

「………Alright」

The good thing about Frey is that when she starts using magic, she stops acting foolishly.

And then, Rana will start sounding grumpy.

「Gastolfo commands you. Meltomu, the torrent, gather up our magical elements by ancient tradition and bind them into a light breeze」

「Oh Ezusu, my god. I offer this next wish. Arumoniya, the god of harmony, build up, bring together, align, gather the magic, and become one with this person」

「Eek!」

Rutsuko-san jumped, then started trembling.

Wind swirled around them. It was a wind laden with dense magical elements.

「It, it makes me feel really queasy. My insides are churning! They're being twisted! This feels so terrible! Gunmerry! Quickly! Hurry up! What am I to do, it's going to overflow! It's going to burst out!」

Responding to her request, Gunmerry raised both hands to the skies.

「Engine linking. Quantum transfer initiated………………linked」

Electricity surged out from Gunmerry's entire body.

At the top of his voice, he prayed.

「Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. By my cadenza, once again become the fount of miracles. Turn your glory into lightning and bring forth a great lance that decimates entire armies. Holy Grail! Holy Grail! By Maxwell's aria, the little birds sing! The flowers bloom! And let there be hell on this world!」

Rutsuko-san twitched and shook.

The wind gathered in Gunmerry's right hand, turned into light, and extended into a lance of lightning.

It was a small lance that was barely a meter long, but its power was well-proven.

「This is Keraunos, the lance with a fragment of holiness! Eat this! You goddamn liz――」

「Like I said, not yet」

I hit Gunmerry with Agathion.

With a full swing.

「Myself got carried away in the excitement of the moment and forgot」

I had hit him with quite the intent to kill, but all it did was dent his helmet a little.

「If you ever ignore my orders again, I'll make Rutsuko-san wear culottes skirts」

「Please don't do that. For myself, if I don't get to see panties, my performance drops by 2%」

That's not much of a decrease, now is it?

「Ea, as we've planned, hide this guy」

「Understood」

My sister walked up to Gunmerry.

「Tee-hee」

Gunmerry let out an annoying cry.

「Onii-chan, this guy is so creepy」

「Bear with it just for today」

She wrapped Gunmerry and the lance in her cloak, and turned them invisible.

「Rutsuko-san, how many more times can you do this?」

「Ummm, one. No, I'll try to endure it for two more times」

Rutsuko-san was not looking well.

The transfer of magic power didn't exactly have a good effect on her.

Looking around, I saw that the other adventurers were preparing for battle just as we were.

In general, ordinary magic is unleashed once the chant is finished. But thanks to Gunmerry's magic, we can create it then leave it for later.

「Lys, I'm repeating myself, but I'm counting on you when it breathes fire on us」

「Alright, alright」

Lys sounded fed up from hearing me say the same thing over and over again.

I'm being persistent because I still don't quite trust her.

「Otou-san, Barfuru-sama, I'm counting on you two when the dragon goes down」

『Yeah』

They both replied.

「Lazarissa, protect Frey, and if you have the leeway to do so, protect everyone else」

「Yes, understood」

This was the last chance I had.

I mulled over my orders to make sure I didn't miss anything.

「………………」

Alright. I've done everything I could. I've said everything that needed to be said.

It's now time to pray to god.

『This is the Guild President, Solcia』

All of a sudden, I heard the Guild President's voice.

There was a small winged doll at my feet, about 30 cm tall and made of burlap, that I hadn’t noticed. I had seen the Guild President use this magic before.

『The evacuation has been completed. The fight to drive off the dragon will now commence. Adventurers of Lemuria. This is a battle to test your mettle. Take no pride in dying here. Take pride in learning who you really are. If you feel that your life is in danger, call for help from the nearby Guild employees. Well then……………… Begin!』

Cries went up from the adventurers.

Chants for magic rang out like songs.

Flames, ice, arrows, and spears flew into the sky. But they fell well short of the dragon, which was 200 meters in the air.

But that was within the range of Gunmerry's lance.

「Gunmerry, prepare to fire――」

「Hey, Souya. Look at the dragon's head. There's someone there」

「Huh?」

Upon hearing Barfuru-sama’s words, I turned on the telephoto function of my glasses and zoomed in.

On the distant head of the flying dragon stood a figure, no, a familiar face.

Feeling the horns, patting the scales, and then crouching down to peer into the dragon's eyes……

……was a black-haired, dark-skinned elf.

「Maria! What the heck is she doing?」

「Huh? Maria?」

Rana also raised her voice.

「Oh, she fell」

Like Barfuru-sama said, the dragon had swung its head and shaken Maria off.

「Arghh! Yukikaze! Open communications with Maria! Quickly, quickly!」

『Yukikaze is already on it. You're connected』

『Hmm? What is it?』

「Don’t you “What is it?” me!」

Even though she was falling from the sky, Maria was talking to me through her communication device in a calm voice.

140 meters to the ground.

I'll catch her! No, that's impossible. I'll also get flattened!

『I'm going to teleport over to you, Souya. Hold your hands out』

「What?」

I held my hands out in front of me as if to catch someone.

And then, light exploded and Maria flew "upwards out of it". After soaring about 12 meters into the air, gravity sent her falling into my arms.

「Nice catch」

「Don’t give me that!」

I stood her up, then pinched both her cheeks.

「Hofuhea」

「Didn't I tell you to stay at the camp because it's too dangerous?!」

「I saw it flying in the air, so I went to take a closer look」

「Don’t!」

This child is too much. Who does she take after, I wonder?

I'm going to report you to your father.

「Hey, Souya. That kid sure uses some interesting tricks」

「How's that? Aren't I amazing?」

Maria had a smug look on her face when Barfuru-sama praised her. Her expression was exactly like Ea's.

「Maria, teleport away immediately! Get as far away from Lemuria as you can!」

「Ehhh」

「It's too dangerous!」

「Alright. I'll go home」

「Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. That girl, it looks like she's pissed off the dragon」

Barfuru-sama was right. The dragon had lowered its altitude and was flying straight towards us.

It was fast, as fast as a bird of prey.

That wasn't the kind of speed a creature that large should be capable of.

It seemed angry because its head had been stepped on. Already, my plan had suddenly gone awry.

「Maria! I'll contact you when it's over, so hurry up and teleport!」

「Tsk」

Light exploded and Maria was gone.

The dragon was 170 meters away and closing.

「Gunmerry, Ea, prepare to fire」

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Barfuru-sama and Otou-san stood in front of us.

Otou-san held up his round shield while Barfuru-sama readied his great-sword, which looked like a solid mass of bone.

140 meters and closing.

It was swooping down on us from above like a hawk.

「In five seconds」

I held my hand out towards Gunmerry with my palm open, and then closed my fingers one by one.

The dragon roared.

It was a great cry that made all creatures quail and cower.

80 meters and closing.

Swallowing my fear, I yelled.

「――――Now, fire!」

I swung my fist down.

Ea pulled back her cloak to reveal Gunmerry holding the lance of lightning at the ready.

The dragon reacted to Gunmerry.

It reacted to the lance he threw at it.

Light flashed.

The lance was small, barely a meter long, but as soon as Gunmerry threw it, it turned into a bolt of lightning that surged from earth to heaven. The dazzling flash of the lightning brightened up the afternoon sky as it tore through the air with a thunderous roar.

Blinded by the flash of the unleashed lightning, I couldn't see if it had hit the target.

Right when my vision was beginning to clear, I heard the "distant" roar of the dragon.

「It missed!」

What the heck, this guy just dodged lightning.

Even though we should have taken it by surprise…… What nimbleness for a creature of such size.

「Rutsuko-san, prepare the next lance!」

「Got it! Please do it again, both of you magicians!」

Rana and Frey began chanting.

Gunmerry returned to Rutsuko-san's side.

After making a wide turn, the dragon came at us again. It appeared that after what Maria had done, with that last attack, we had won its full attention.

「Next time, we'll draw it in as close as possible before firing. Yukikaze, I'm counting on you for support」

『Understood, indeed』

I tossed the mini-pod towards the bottom of the city walls. A parachute deployed, slowing the pod’s descent. After reaching the ground, the pod rolled into the shadows and hid.

The guides of the final flame extolled the gods.

Once more, wind swirled around them and turned into a lance of light.

Ea became invisible, hiding Gunmerry from view.

The dragon folded its wings and plummeted from the sky, pulling up just short of the ground into a glide like a swallow. The wind and shock wave caused by the dragon blew the buildings in the city away like they were scraps of paper.

The adventurers who had laid low in the city unleashed magic after magic at it.

Flames, ice, and rocks struck the dragon, but none of that appeared to hinder it as the huge, white monster bore right down upon us.

「Oh Lumidia」

As I offered a prayer to the departed hero, I nocked Agathion to the Lycan bow I had brought just in case.

I no longer have much confidence in my archery skills. However, what I do have, is a magic sword with a will.

「I’m counting on you」

With a plea to the magic sword, I drew the bow.

The bow was heavy. Maybe it was because I had lost the grace of Lumidia, but the bow was much harder to draw than before.

Nevertheless, I was still able to draw it.

By the grace of Misuranika-sama, I drew the bow of cursed power that even heroes would not be able to draw. Shaving away at my regeneration point, I pulled the string back as far as my body would allow.

「Agathion!」

With a jolt, I released the magic sword.

It had more than enough power behind it.

The power generated by the bow multiplied the magic sword's own speed. In addition, there was also the speed of the approaching dragon itself.

Even against a dragon, this would pierce―――――it didn’t pierce through.

A metallic sound unlike anything I had ever heard rang out.

The magic sword struck the dragon's head with a loud screech and then got lodged into the roof of a house. It had failed to penetrate the scales. All it did was make the dragon flinch slightly.

The strong wind was making it hard to keep my eyes open. The smell of burnt air grew thicker. Before my eyes, the dragon opened its mouth. It was about to breathe out red flames.

It was 50 meters away.

Against a dragon, that was as good as being right in front of it.

「Let it rip!」

Light flashed and thunder roared.

The dragon closed its flames-filled mouth and took evasive action. It was an impressive dodging maneuver. Despite its size, it had the mobility of a hawk. But those reflexes would be its downfall.

The light and sound had both been emitted by Yukikaze. That was all that was.

「Gunmerry, do it!」

Without anyone noticing,

Ea and Gunmerry had gotten right under the dragon.

No matter how agile a creature is, it will leave an opening right after dodging.

「Eat this! You goddamn lizard!」

Gunmerry yelled out, and lightning shot up into the heavens.

Amidst the blinding light, I was certain I saw it go right through the dragon.

At the same time, the dragon shrieked.

Cheers erupted from the adventurers.

「You hit the dragon!」

She exclaimed in delight.

I heard a deep roar of wind.

Followed by a crunch of metal and the clattering of shattered pieces.

Ea was unharmed.

However, Gunmerry, who had shielded her from the swipe of the dragon's tail, had been smashed into the city walls. His limbs shattered and broke into pieces, scattering to the ground. His helmet tumbled down.

Having been made to land on the ground, the dragon let out a howl of rage.

The lance of lightning had left a black scorch mark on its belly. No, that was just soot. It hadn't suffered a single scratch.

The dragon glared at me.

No one else. Just me.

It was directing its anger at the brains behind the party’s actions.

Flames leaked out of the corners of its mouth before it opened its mouth and breathed fire.

A bright red filled my entire field of vision.

「Lys, do it!」

Instinctively, I stepped back.

「Block it, Tiringu!」

Uncharacteristically, Lys' voice was full of determination.

A dome of light blocked the burst of flames.

「………………Oh, this might be bad」

Cracks began to appear in the barrier of light right away.

I could feel on my face the blistering heat coming in through the cracks.

「Rauaryuna-san!」

Frey shouted, and then she and Rana sang the same chant.

『Ri・Bau, the color of death! End the era of fire, the work of perdition. Now! In our hands!』

A giant spear of ice formed between their hands.

「Lazarissa!」

「Yes, Ojou-sama」

Lazarissa sent the spear flying with a kick. As quick as a bullet, it pierced through the barrier of light, flew through the flames, and went right into the dragon's mouth, causing its long neck to jerk up into the air.

This time around, we should have wounded it.

「Hey, are you kidding me?」

The dragon crunched down on the spear in its mouth, shattering it.

Isn't the inside of the mouth usually a weak point? This is getting ridiculous.

Again, it glared.

We froze like deer caught in headlights.

I'd never have thought that we would deal no damage after going to such great lengths.

What else can we do?

Paying no heed to my wavering mind, the dragon lurched forward, only to be stopped by a beastkin wielding a massive axe.

The beastkin was an adventurer whose name I didn’t even know.

I had seen him in passing a few times and had remembered him because of how big his weapon was. The dragon didn't even flinch when it took that massive axe to the head. However, that one blow was the trigger.

The adventurers all attacked the dragon at the same time.

They were like miniatures going up against a giant. Their assault couldn't be called anything other than reckless.

As if not being afraid was their sole virtue, they swarmed it and got swept away. From the dragon's point of view, it must be like mowing weeds.

「Otou-san! Barfuru-sama!」

The heck, they’re not even here!

Oh, they're already where the dragon is.

They had split off and were on top of roofs to the left and right of the dragon respectively.

Strength-wise, they’re more powerful than the average adventurer. That being said, will they be able to wound that dragon? We need a way to finish it off. Something more powerful than Gunmerry's lance of lightning………………

………………Nothing.

………………………………I’m coming up blank.

This is as far as we go.

We've done well and have gotten a measure of ourselves.

Let's call it a job well done and end it here before anyone gets hurt.

「There IS one more THing we can tRY」

「Huh?」

A little being came clambering up to the top of the walls.

It was the smaller version of Gunmerry. And there was just the one.

「USe tHIs」

He handed me a device that was small enough to fit in my palm.

It had a central shaft and a circular metal part midway up the shaft. They were set inside a circular housing.

It resembled a toy that brought back memories, the gyroscope.

「What is this?」

「It's the QUantum-transfer-based TYpe 2 perPETual motion engine, MAxwell」

「Err, what am I supposed to do with this?」

「I’ve just MOdified it to make IT usable by humans」

Gunmerry was trembling and shuddering. Like a broken machine, his joints were twitching and jerking.

「Gunmerry!」

Rutsuko-san rushed to his side as he fell over powerlessly.

「PrinCESS, I must say goodBYE for now」

「Okay, rest up and get well soon」

「I'll be FINE in the MOrning」

You sure recover fast, don’t you?

Gunmerry stopped moving and became like a chunk of inorganic matter.

「Like I said, what am I supposed to do with this?」

I was at a complete loss over what to do with the gyroscope in my hand.

Of the adventurers swarming the dragon, only about half remained.

Both Otou-san and Barfuru-sama had been fighting valiantly, but not a single scratch had been left on the dragon's scales.

「Umm, I know what we’re supposed to do with it」

Rutsuko-san raised her hand.

「We're probably supposed to pray」

「To what?」

In response to Frey’s question,

「All of them! To the many different kinds of gods! Gunmerry once told me that the magic in this world is an aggregation of people's wishes. Let's make a magic that can defeat the dragon by calling on each and every one of them! If everyone wishes for it together, anything is possible!」

「I understand. It won't hurt to give it a try」

Rana put her hand on the gyroscope in my hand.

「Alright. Let's give it a shot」

Frey followed suit.

「To the best of my humble ability, me too」

And Rutsuko-san too.

「I'll give it my best shot as well」

We'll come together and pray, and then, we'll create the dragon-hunting magic.

Right here, right now.

MAAAANNNNN, it’s a cliffhanger! Is anyone getting Spirit Bomb vibes?

So quick clarification, Gunmerry speaks weirdly after he got hit. In the original, he speaks in a weird mixture of hiragana, katakana, and stops using kanji to show that he’s talking weirdly. Think janky robot. Having none of that at my disposal in English, weird caps in weird places is my way of showing it. Oh, and “Keraunos” is Greek for thunder or thunderbolt.

Well, that’s just the start of the battle, there’s much more coming up. And while this chapter is fast-paced and exciting, the wealth of hints and foreshadowing…….and in the next chapter, there’s going to be several big reveals, one of which has been planted way back in volume 1…… Anyway, don’t miss the next chapter!

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