“Perish── Photon Blast!”
A pale blue light shot out in a straight line from my outstretched hands.
The angle of the shot was aimed at the dragon’s jaw, forty-five degrees upwards.
The light of magic directly struck and enveloped the dragon’s head, erasing it without a trace.
The light continued to extend into the distant sky, eventually blooming into a flower of explosive light.
Grimacing at the shockwave that swept across the ground, I gazed at the dragon’s colossal body slowly collapsing before me.
*Thump.*
The Steel Dragon fell to the ground with a tremor.
It was no longer moving an inch.
I had heard rumors in the village that dragonkind possessed incredibly tenacious life force, but it seemed that losing one’s head was fatal.
“One down──”
I exhaled, letting out a breath.
If I had fired that attack straight forward, it would have engulfed and destroyed everything in its path.
If there had been a town in the direction of the attack, it would have been erased without a trace. If there had been a mountain, the mountain itself would have been gone.
But by firing it upwards into the sky, the damage was zero.
“Alright, I’ll take down the remaining six with this same method!”
“Wh-what did you say…!?”
Rado stared at me with an expression of utter disbelief. He must have had absolute confidence in the monsters he had summoned.
“An Armored Dragoon (Black Winged) is enough to devastate a city! There’s no way you could defeat one with a single blow! This must be a mistake!”
But sorry, this is reality. This is reality…!
I gave Rado a smug smile.
Then, I used Flight Magic to head toward the second Steel Dragon. I needed to finish them off quickly before they could devastate the city with their Dragon Breaths.
“Photon Blast!”
Just like before, I fired a high-output magic attack at a forty-five-degree upward angle to defeat the dragon.
“Two! Next──”
Once I got the timing down, it was just a matter of routine. I streaked through the low sky with Flight Magic, closing in on each target one after another, and unleashing high-output magic attacks diagonally upwards.
“Six!”
Before long, I had slain six Steel Dragons.
“Now, only one remains──”
And with that, I returned to Rado.
“Impossible… This is impossible…!?”
The mage, whose trump cards had been so easily shattered, had turned completely pale. Even the dragon standing behind him seemed to be cowering slightly.
“Once the dragons are dealt with, you’re next.”
I glared at Rado as a threat.
“Eek!”
The Steel Dragon stepped forward, as if to protect its trembling master.
But, I’m sorry.
I now clearly understood. Even an SS-class monster was no match for me.
“You perish too! Photon Blast!”
A pale blue flash erupted from my outstretched hands… Silence descended.
“Huh…!?”
I froze in confusion. The flash, fired at a forty-five-degree upward angle just like against the previous six foes, had dissipated as if melted away.
“A dud──!?”
I stood there, dumbfounded by the sheer impossibility of it.
“…Hoh.”
Rado narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on me.
“Ah, well, it’s been a while since I’ve failed a spell… haha.”
I chuckled wryly and focused my mind once more. I finished the incantation as usual and unleashed Photon Blast at the dragon’s head this time.
…Or rather, I should have.
But the result was the same as before. The light dispersed the moment it was fired.
“I can’t fire Magic Bullets…!?”
I finally realized the strange change in myself. The magic that normally overflowed from my body was completely absent.
“What’s going on…!?”
“What, already finished? It seems your magic has run out.”
Rado had regained his vigor. “To not even know proper pacing, you’re quite the amateur mage.”
It was frustrating, but I couldn’t refute him. Damn it, he was trembling just a moment ago.
“Attack, Armored Dragoon (Black Winged).”
Responding to its master’s command, the black dragon of steel approached with a tremor.
This is bad, I’m going to be killed if this continues. Cold sweat broke out all over my body.
“I’ll do it!”
Racine leaped forward.
“Goddess Almel, I pray that you hear the wish of your servant…”
She knelt on the spot, clasped her hands, and offered a prayer.
The sky above began to glow faintly. Golden light shone down from between the clouds, illuminating Racine.
It felt different from the offensive magic I wielded. It was a warm, gentle light that seemed to heal all who saw it.
Bathed in the light, Racine looked like a goddess.
“Almelis Seal!”
The light that had enveloped Racine’s body shot forward. The pure white radiance became a pillar of light, encasing the Steel Dragon.
*Grroooowwwl.*
With a cry that was almost a roar, the light slowly faded.
“This is—”
The Steel Dragon had stopped moving, like a statue. Its massive body was coated in a film of pure white light.
“…A Holy Magic seal. However, a Demon General-class monster cannot be sealed indefinitely. Its effect will likely last for about three hours at most,” Rado said, laughing triumphantly.
“Heh heh heh, your lives have merely been extended for a short while! I look forward to the day the seal breaks and the city is destroyed!”
“──Reikka Hakenryu.”
The voice came from above Rado’s head. Claire had apparently taken a running start and leaped up.
“Y-you—!?”
“Zansenshi!”
And then her long sword flashed.
“Gah…!?”
Without so much as a proper scream, Rado was cut down.
Watching the mage collapse in a pool of blood, I furrowed my brow slightly.
It was the first time I had witnessed a person’s death. My body trembled at the fact that Claire was the cause of it. I remembered what Roger had told me during the interview.
‘Lord Abel. For what purpose do you intend to join the Knight Order and fight? Will you fight the Magatsu and kill them?’
Could I also kill people with magic like this?
“Now, just the dragon.”
Claire’s voice snapped me back to reality.
That’s right, the danger wasn’t over yet. Before us stood the colossal black dragon, enveloped in light.
“The seal will last about three hours at most – that’s what the Empire’s mage said, but is it true, Racine?”
“…Yes. That’s about the limit of my power.”
Racine lowered her head apologetically. “Once the time passes, the seal will weaken, be broken, and the Steel Dragon will revive.”
“We have three hours. We have to find a way to deal with this within that time…”
I looked up at the dragon again.
What should I do? Without magic, how can I defeat it now──?
