We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Ultimate Technique: Burst
We advanced through the deep, dark miasma fog. Aiileen-san was leading the way.
Aiileen-san, who is also a master of the Dragon Sword Dance, dispelled all obstacles with breathtakingly smooth movements and pressed forward.
Even without holding the Ryūhōken in both hands, the moves of Aiileen-san’s dance were undoubtedly those of the Dragon Sword Dance.
When Aiileen-san unleashed a kick, the surrounding miasma dispersed. The monsters hidden deep within the miasma lost their hiding places and hastily attacked us. Aiileen-san bisected them with blades of dragon energy wrapped around her arms.
Aiileen-san fought by enveloping her entire body with dragon energy, using it as blades, shields, or sometimes letting it swirl gracefully around her like clothing.
The miasma touched by the dragon energy, which contained holy power, was purified, and monsters and yōma were bisected.
An economical use of dragon energy. A mesmerizing Dragon Sword Dance. As expected of Aiileen-san!
I was both happy and proud to be able to fight alongside her here.
Of course, I wouldn’t lose either and danced the Dragon Sword Dance.
I twisted my body and dodged the yōma’s attack, then thrust out my white sword in a series of movements. I pierced the yōma and caused the miasma beyond it to explode.
Without stopping my movements, I followed up with a slash from the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword, elegantly deflecting the monster’s attack. The Spirit Tree Wooden Sword, swung up from a low stance, drew power from the Dragon Vein from deep within the earth. Then, I scattered the drawn Dragon Vein around me like a splash of water.
The power of the Dragon Vein will surely be useful to Raaza-sama. Besides, I’ll use it too.
Ares-chan, who had assimilated with me, manipulated the power of the Dragon Vein that sprang up from my feet. With the spirit arts of leaves, she shredded the advancing monsters into pieces.
The more we advanced into the miasma, the stronger the evil presence became, and the denser the miasma grew. Nevertheless, thanks to Aiileen-san leading the way and clearing the miasma, I was not caught off guard by the miasma’s shroud and could conserve my strength.
“I need Elnea-chan to deliver the final blow, so until then, leave it to this big sister.”
“Thank you!”
The encouraging words of my senior gave me peace of mind. So, after Wender-san activated his divine art, I turned my attention to the situation in another location that I had been seeing all along.
“Haaah!”
Sefina-san swept her hands horizontally with a determined yell.
The gigantic scythe that was approaching the fortress was flicked into the sky.
The Demon King of Yōma fell to the ground, lying face down. Nevertheless, he struggled to raise his upper body using his left arm and attempted to destroy everything, including the fortress, with the giant scythe held in his right hand.
“Hmph. Kusharilla, what are you doing?”
“It’s annoying. It’s impossible to hold back the Demon King of Yōma’s strength alone forever.”
The curses of the Giant Demon King reached us. Then, Kusharilla’s form wavered, expressing his anger.
As I focused my consciousness on the distant view, I began to get a sense of the overall battlefield. That’s because the Ancient Dragon Species were clearing away the miasma fog. The miasma fog was thinning, and the upper body of the Demon King of Yōma could be confirmed. However, the majority of the Demon King of Yōma was still shrouded in the deep miasma fog and miasma shroud, with only his arms, the giant scythe he held, and the regenerating bull’s skull clearly visible.
The Demon King of Yōma broke free from Kusharilla’s restraint and moved his freed right arm. However, the effects of the great spell “New Moon Formation” were still heavily weighing him down, making his movements extremely sluggish. And thanks to the perfect cooperation between Sefina-san and the dragons, the fortress and the central tower seemed to be safe. Nevertheless, the difficult situation remained unchanged. Even now, the Earth Dragons were fully deploying their barriers. Sefina-san was enduring the attacks by utilizing the Earth Dragons’ barrier and the Demon King of Yōma’s power, but her shoulders were already shaking significantly, and she was breathing heavily.
Sefina-san’s dragon power was not that great to begin with. Even though she skillfully utilized the power of others, if she went all out so many times, she would reach her limit quickly. And if Sefina-san were to collapse, the fortress’s barrier would surely crumble. Of course, even if the Giant Demon King and Kusharilla provided support, and the all-out attack by Sleigsta-old man and the others continued, it wouldn’t mean that the battle situation would worsen simply by Sefina-san falling. However, there was a risk that a single crack could lead to the collapse of the entire battle situation.
Sefina-san was taking a breath on top of the bell tower, preparing for the next attack. At that moment, a human figure flying towards them was spotted.
“Sefina-san, I’ll support you.”
“Oh, Anemone-san. Are you alright coming to such a dangerous place?”
Anemone-san, a Dragon Person, landed beside Sefina-san and placed her hand on her shoulder.
Why is that?
Even though Wender-san’s divine art should only convey images, I felt as if I could hear the conversation between Anemone-san and Sefina-san. Was it my imagination? Looking at the movements of their lips, perhaps I was filling in the voices of Sefina-san and Anemone-san in my head? As I focused my attention on the two, I could strangely discern the continuation of their conversation.
“I have the Dragon Jewel, but I’m not a warrior, so I can’t fight. Zan-sama also told me not to go to dangerous places. But I want to help everyone too! So, I consulted with the Dragon Jewel.”
Consulted with the Dragon Jewel?!
No, that’s a metaphorical expression from Anemone-san. The Dragon Jewel that Anemone-san inherited is the soul of her dear friend, a wyvern. I believe the wyvern responded to Anemone-san’s wish through the Dragon Jewel. Anemone-san, with her hand still on Sefina-san’s shoulder, concentrated her consciousness. Soon, a change occurred in the dragon energy of the two. A warm power welled up from Anemone-san’s Dragon Jewel. Dragon energy with a gentle wave, like sunlight filtering through leaves, coursed through Anemone-san’s body and flowed from her hand on Sefina-san’s shoulder to Sefina-san. Sefina-san’s depleted dragon power was replenished by Anemone-san’s dragon energy.
“Thank you, Anemone-san.”
“You’re welcome.”
“With this, I can still fight.”
Just as Sefina-san’s lips moved, a large yōma that had bypassed the Great Labyrinth’s magic attacked! However, Sefina-san and Anemone-san were still focused on the movements of the Demon King of Yōma, and they hadn’t grasped the movements of the large yōma that had launched a surprise attack from their blind spot!
“Dangerous!”
I unintentionally blurted out. Aiileen-san, who was ahead, stopped her Dragon Sword Dance at my cry and looked back at me. Then, she smiled faintly, as if to reassure me. Dammit! I made her misunderstand that I was issuing a warning. But Aiileen-san’s smile didn’t seem to mean that she herself was fine.
“Oh, Elnea-chan. Those two are fine.”
“Eh!?”
I was bewildered by Aiileen-san’s cryptic words. However, I immediately understood the true meaning of her words. In my direct line of sight, the large yōma that had been rapidly approaching from Sefina-san and Anemone-san’s blind spot suddenly burst into flames. The yōma, engulfed in silver flames, turned into charcoal.
“I’ll take charge of your guard.”
“Zan-sama, thank you!”
“Honestly, you’re such a handful.”
Zan, a warrior of the Dragon people, appeared as if sighing, with a bitter smile at Anemone-san. Sefina-san and Anemone-san had sensed Zan’s presence nearby, so they had ignored the large yōma. But since I couldn’t sense his presence, even though I could see images, I didn’t realize it. Also…
“Could it be that Aiileen-san was seeing the same scenery from a different angle, and had also spotted Zan’s figure?”
“I could also see Zan-chan struggling below the bell tower.”
It seems Zan had been protecting Sefina-san from the very beginning! It wasn’t that Zan came chasing after Anemone-san, but rather that Anemone-san flew to Zan’s side. Anemone-san says she can’t fight because she’s not a warrior, but her fearless personality in charging right into the middle of the battlefield is something even warriors would envy.
After confirming the situation of Sefina-san and the others, I shifted my attention to the next location. In the sky, where the ominous miasma fog was gradually thinning, Revalia flew, scattering the sparse miasma with her fierce wingbeats.
“Hahahaha. Lady Revalia, the Demon King of Yōma’s right arm has become free.”
“Tsk, the Demon King is useless.”
“If this continues, even the Giant Demon King won’t be able to hold it back.”
“If this continues, his left arm will also become free.”
I could understand their conversation through their lip movements. Moreover, Revalia’s words were conveyed through her Dragon Heart. Laira and the others were observing the Demon King of Yōma’s movements from above, about to show their next move. As the three said, if the Demon King of Yōma’s left arm were to become free following his right arm, the attacks on the volunteers and the fortress itself would intensify. Furthermore, the freed right hand could not be left as it was. He could even use his right hand to pry away the Giant Demon King. We had to do something about his right arm as soonastly!
“If it comes to this, we have no choice but to do it.”
“If it comes to this, we have no choice but to release it.”
*Gulp!*
Yufilia and Nina’s resolve gave me a bad feeling. Laira, perhaps sensing a chill, took action quickly.
“All you dragons, attack the base of the Demon King of Yōma’s right arm simultaneously!”
Laira gave instructions to the dragons, her pupils shining blue.
“Ngoooooooh!!”
Ursan, one of the Ancient Dragon Species, took the lead and charged at the Demon King of Yōma. The dragons followed Ursan. And then, they unleashed their dragon arts all at once! With a blinding flash, a great explosion occurred. The thin miasma was blown away by the shockwave, and the Demon King of Yōma’s right arm, along with its miasma shroud, was blown off at its base.
“We did it!”
Laira rejoiced. However, the threat was not yet over. The Demon King of Yōma, having lost his right arm, his eyes burning red with anger, opened the mouth of the revived bull.
“It’s about to release a mass of miasma.”
“It’s very dangerous.”
Yufilia and Nina screamed.
“Everyone, retreat!”
Laira also gave instructions to the dragons who had launched the all-out attack. Revalia flapped her four wings, large and small, and tried to distance herself from the Demon King of Yōma’s head. At that moment, Yufilia and Nina made an unreasonable request.
“We’ll use our ultimate technique. Lady Revalia, please get close to the Demon King of Yōma’s head.”
“We’ll use our ultimate technique. Lady Revalia, please head towards the Demon King of Yōma’s head.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Even Revalia, who was usually calm, felt a sense of crisis due to the concentration of miasma gathering inside the Demon King of Yōma’s mouth. She must have wanted to escape quickly, acting on instinct. However, if they let the Demon King of Yōma’s counterattack go unchecked, they would have to worry about those on the ground who couldn’t escape and the fortress itself.
“Lady Revalia?”
“Tch, I have no choice.”
With an obvious click of her tongue, Revalia changed course towards the Demon King of Yōma’s giant head. Yufilia and Nina, as if to prepare to unleash their ultimate technique, reached into the cleavage of each other’s bosoms.
“Uh, why in your cleavage!?”
My face contorted. As expected, I could only feel a bad premonition. Those two have a habit of hiding important things deep within the cleavage of their bosoms. In other words, they are trying to take something out right now. And when you think about what can be hidden in one’s cleavage…!
“Yufi and…”
“Nina’s…”
Removing their hands from their bosoms, Yufilia and Nina then took each other’s hands. The twin sisters, who had nearly identical appearances, shouted their ultimate technique in unison.
“Dragon Roaring Explosion Annihilation!!”
Simultaneously, with exactly the same movements, they threw something towards the ground. Several iridescently shining particles fell onto the head of the Demon King of Yōma, which was bound to the earth.
“Ngh!”
Upon seeing the iridescent particles that had been dropped, Revalia, surprisingly flustered, fled. I also panicked through the images I could see.
“So, Yufilia and Nina’s ultimate technique was really ‘that’!”
Surely, those who were seeing the same images as me must be wondering. Why would the ultimate technique of those twin princesses be sparkling, beautiful pebbles? But they would soon realize. This was indeed Yufilia and Nina’s ultimate technique. Several particles of light, with a beauty like the twinkling of stars, fell to the ground. At the impact point, the Demon King of Yōma’s head, with its bull’s skull, was converging miasma and preparing to unleash a terrifying blow. The next moment. First, a flash of light dominated the world. Then, an ear-splitting explosion and a violent shockwave spread across the world. A tremor strong enough to split the earth reached my feet, making it impossible to stand properly.
“Ngh!!”
I instinctively erected a barrier and weathered the shockwave. Aiileen-san, sensing the danger just before, also took refuge within the barrier I had created.
“My, my. To think you had such an ultimate technique hidden. This older sister is surprised too.”
“I-I’m sorry. My wives are causing trouble.”
Though my barrier protected Aiileen-san and me, the outside was not so fortunate. The images I could see disappeared. It’s likely that Wender-san and the others were also affected by the aftermath of this ultimate technique and were in no condition to use divine arts. The flash of light unleashed by Yufilia and Nina’s ultimate technique tore through the darkness of the miasma, and the great explosion and shockwave obliterated all monsters and yōma. Then, the miasma fog disappeared, and with improved visibility, I could see the epicenter of the explosion from our location. In the distance, there should have been the head of the revived Demon King of Yōma. But now, there was not a trace of it. A giant crater had appeared in the earth, and the Demon King of Yōma had once again lost its head.
“As I thought, they used the Spirit Tree’s Jewel…”
Yufilia and Nina’s ultimate technique can be called forbidden magic. Yufilia infused dragon energy into the seeds of the Spirit Tree, which Nina then refined into a super-destructive weapon. It was a fearsome technique that had once turned a valley in the northern part of Dragon Peak into a wasteland in an instant. “No wonder they said they got permission from Grandpa.” This is because the Spirit Tree’s Jewel cannot be collected without the permission of Sleigsta-old man. Also, it seems Lady Rayaarin knew about Yufilia and Nina’s ultimate technique in advance. Lady Rayaarin, the long-bodied dragon that had been wrapped around the Demon King of Yōma’s neck, had properly evacuated before the ultimate technique was activated. However, this time again, there were those who were caught up in the destruction of the Demon King of Yōma’s head.
“It appears you need to be disciplined later.”
“I’m furious. I’ll remember this.”
Yufilia and Nina turned pale as they were glared at by the Giant Demon King and Kusharilla.
“Lady Revalia, we must evacuate!”
Laira also urgently instructed Revalia. Revalia, as if saying “what a nuisance,” let out a roar and ascended into the sky.
“Now, Elnea-chan. This is finally the final phase for us too.”
At Aiileen-san’s words, I shifted my attention from the distant scenery to the nearby landscape. We were currently advancing around the lower abdomen of the Demon King of Yōma. Thanks to Yufilia and Nina’s ultimate technique, the miasma surrounding the Demon King of Yōma had cleared. Looking up, I saw the colossal spine of the Demon King of Yōma extending upwards, its rib cage hanging down like the ceiling of a giant structure. And in the deepest part of the Demon King of Yōma’s chest, lying on the ground, I saw a nucleus burning evilly. Just a little bit more! With a few more spatial jumps, I should be able to reach the nucleus. I released the barrier I had erected and let my dragon energy surge in preparation for a full-powered spatial jump. But that was when. A disturbing creaking sound echoed from the ground. The Wyvern Hunting Ground was still filled with moonlight due to the great magic “New Moon Formation.” I held my breath and looked down at the moonlight. The disturbing sound continued.
“Elnea-chan!” Aiileen-san shouted.
“Kuh! That Demon King of Yōma!”
I can’t believe the Demon King of Yōma is showing its true power at this late stage! I looked down at my feet. A large crack ran across the moonlight. The crack spread throughout the entire Wyvern Hunting Ground, amplifying the creaking sound. And what erupted from the moonlight crack was an incredibly dense miasma. The miasma that should have been obliterated by the ultimate technique spread rapidly, recreating the miasma fog. Not only that, but the Demon King of Yōma’s miasma shroud regenerated. Stirred by the miasma that gushed vigorously from the moonlight crack, the miasma shroud billowed wildly. As if to attack me, who was about to activate the spatial jump, the miasma shroud approached. Aiileen-san quickly rushed over and kicked it away.
“A-Aiileen-san… The New Moon Formation!”
“It seems Ruiseine-chan has also reached her limit. Come on, we’re out of time!”
The great spell that had been binding monsters, yōma, and the Demon King of Yōma was about to be broken. There was no time. But the nucleus of the Demon King of Yōma that I needed to reach was right before my eyes. I suppressed my agitated heart and attempted to activate the spatial jump. But what rushed at me was a horde of demons. “Ngh!!” Not only miasma but also demons poured out of the crack in the moonlight, one after another. The swarm of demons that appeared attacked us, who were aiming for the nucleus, all at once!
“Elnea-chan, leave this to me, and you go ahead!”
While dancing the Dragon Sword Dance, Aiileen-san pushed my back. I nodded to Aiileen-san and activated the spatial jump with all my might.
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