The naming convention is too simple. Red dragons for fire, sand dragons for rock, thunder dragons for lightning…
The power output might even surpass that of a red dragon! The lightning unleashed by the thunder dragon coursed towards us, dramatically plowing through the road!
“Run! It’s a dragon!”
I run. I’m not good with lightning. Hiding behind a house, I cautiously observe as a machine-gun-like barrage, just like I’ve seen in war movies, sweeps across the castle gate.
It looked like a thirty-millimeter Vulcan cannon from a Thunderbolt attack aircraft. Is that why it’s called “Thunder”?!
Knights and ogres were all annihilated. Such devastation from a single strike… I need to think about how to escape, not how to defeat it.
I finish off an ogre that was still breathing and give a portion to a knight who was still alive, but unlike magic, they don’t immediately recover and run around.
It’s more about prolonging life as much as possible. The wounds don’t close, and there’s pain. I usually have Sophia with me, so I only carry a few potions.
So, what do I do? I saved them, but few can walk, and they’re only prolonging their lives. Do I carry everyone? I’m psychologically unwilling to do that. They’re heavy, they smell, and sometimes some of them touch you in weird places.
“Those who can move, help others! Let’s get out of Anaheim!”
Even so, those who could move were overwhelmed, focused only on themselves. They walked unsteadily, barely noticing their surroundings. As if to enjoy this dire situation, a second wave arrived from the north.
After all the trouble I went through to save them, next I get to die. It’s incredibly infuriating. To be looked down upon by a mere evolved reptile. Shin is incredibly infuriated.
Bring it on! What’s a machine-gun barrage to me?! I have only one course of action! Even if it means I can’t do anything else afterward…
I stand in the middle of the road, like a barrier. I maximize the Zantou’s super-vibration and raise it as if to swing.
Will this even reach if I throw it? Will it pierce even if it hits? Will it even stop the barrage if it pierces? Isn’t it better to run? I have so many girls waiting for me. Is it okay to die and leave them behind?!
Alright! Let’s run! But only after I throw it! This is not “running,” it’s “dodging.” A strategic retreat!
I don’t know how far Mode Six will reach when thrown. I’ll lure it in as much as possible and show these reptiles the true power of humanity.
The thunder barrage from the thunder dragon coming from the north begins, and the road starts to get plowed. More! Come closer!
For a moment, I relax, then gather all my strength. A Godspeed Mode Six Zantou throw. A wall of earth expands before I throw it. The wall of earth, piled high like a giant’s work, protected me with only a slight electric shock.
“Richalda?!”
I told them to retreat, but I’ll have to punish this disobedient girl later. We’ll have a private punishment later.
“Anaheim Offen has fallen!”
Is that Yuma? What’s he misunderstanding? I told them to retreat, but disobedient guys will lose their heads later!
“Yuma Bashar! The thunder dragon is coming! Take the injured and retreat! — Thank you, Richauda!”
“Um, um…”
Richalda might think she’ll be yelled at for Yuma’s outburst. Not at all. You saved me.
“Anaheim Offen is ours! We will never retreat again!”
Look at the sky. Can you tell what those flying reptiles are? They’re spitting lightning, like thunder gods. Ten of them are flying in the sky, aiming at us, capable of killing us if they hit, you idiot!
“Yuma! I understand how you feel, but give up… We can’t fight against thunder dragons. We need to wait for the right time…”
“Hmph!”
That idiot is spurring his horse onwards. I really hate idiots. They say there’s no cure for stupidity, so as Doctor Shin, I’m at a loss for what to prescribe.
“Richalda! Create a golem and push them back. If another wave comes, ignore it and retreat! Let those who want to die, die!”
“Understood, Brave One. Everyone, a golem’s punch hurts, so hurry back.”
Richalda is becoming less merciful, isn’t she? Who did she take after? As her father, I taught her kindness, so her sternness must be from her mother.
Richalda created a giant golem to act as bait for the dragons herself. Please don’t hit it with that golem, or it will truly die. I’m taking Yuma, that idiot, back.
I followed Yuma, but couldn’t catch up. I have an idea where Yuma Bashar is heading. Probably to the Lord’s mansion in Anaheim. Where Serina was.
The Lord’s mansion was dilapidated and silent. There were probably no goblins or ogres here. Only Yuma Bashar’s voice, searching for Serina, echoed.
“Yuma… Isn’t it time?”
Yuma Bashar, kneeling in the main hall and pounding his fist on the floor, his back shaking—is he crying?
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!”
Yuma Bashar must have known, but he couldn’t stop the feeling of “what if.” I understand. I don’t dislike it…
“Yuma…”
“It’s your fault! You abandoned her!”
Yuma grabs me by the collar. …You’ve got to be kidding me! Have you forgotten that you injured both my legs during the Klinshberbach retreat?! I saved you by offering your head for the assassination of the former king instead of vegetables! If it weren’t for Anneliese’s request, I wouldn’t have helped you this much!
“Yuma… Let’s go back. Queen Anneliese is waiting for you.”
“Serina…”
Just let me call a psychiatrist already. I’m not his friend. Why does the Hero have to save such an incompetent subordinate? I’m the supreme commander of the Allied Forces, not some fairytale Hero.
“Let’s go back, Yuma.”
This time, I firmly grab his shoulder so he can’t run away, and drag him out of the Lord’s mansion. Right before me is a thunder dragon eating Yuma’s horse. …Is horse meat delicious?
“Yuma, get back. Let’s go inside and hold out for now.”
“Ah, ah…”
If I were alone, I could escape. If I left him, I could escape. Anneliese, you’ve given me a troublesome job.
I close the door as if nothing happened, without disturbing the dragon’s meal. More importantly, what about my lunch?
“W-what do we do…”
What do you mean ‘what do we do’? You shouldn’t interrupt someone’s meal. Revenge for food is scary, and so is lightning. Shin hates getting zapped.
“Without a horse, we can’t even get back to the town of Shreia. There might still be horses near the castle gate. Let’s steal one and get back to town.”
It’s a reckless plan, but without a horse, I might be okay, but Yuma would be inside the dragon… It’s perfect for making it look like an accident.
“Let’s leave through the back and head for the South Gate. It’s a long way, but there are no ogres. We’ll hide in the shadow of the town and wait out the thunder dragon.”
We left through the back gate and headed for the South Gate. We saw the thunder dragon circling overhead, but it didn’t find us, since there were fewer flying reptiles now.
…Of course, it wouldn’t find us. They’re all eating near the South Gate. Their bellies are a bit cute, bloated from eating dead ogres and goblins.
The knights seemed to be ignored. Perhaps they dislike getting their armor stuck in their teeth. Being picky is bad.
“There are still horses. Let’s steal them and escape.”
“We’re going there?! Through the middle of the thunder dragons!?”
The horses were cornered, unable to run because the surrounding houses blocked them. They’re probably waiting to be eaten later. Thanks to that, we can escape.
“I know. I’ll draw the thunder dragons’ attention, and while they’re distracted, you steal the horses and run.”
“What about you, Shin?”
“Don’t worry about me! Just think about getting back alive. Let’s go!”
There’s no need to show off against these things, but if we stay together, we’ll die. I don’t want to die protecting him, but I’d rather not be eaten by reptiles even more.
Godspeed, Mode Six!
Excuse me for interrupting your meal. Oh, I’m sorry. It won’t go down now, will it? I just cut off its head with my Zantou. Quickly switching the Zantou to my left hand, I extend my tentacle prosthetic towards another thunder dragon.
The super-vibrating Zantou barely met resistance as it pierced the brain, and with trembling, I defeated the second one. You fool! The ground is my domain! A non-flying dragon is just a reptile!
I retract my tentacle prosthetic, switch the Zantou back to my right hand, and aim at another thunder dragon. Its single horn begins to emit silver sparks.
Isn’t this bad? Escaping with Godspeed is due to my good deeds and Sophia’s help. Sophia fires her Platinum Laser without hesitation, but always points her finger at me. She shoots directly at me, so as long as I know that, I can dodge it.
I suspected the thunder dragons would have a tell, and I was right. They gather power in their single horn before releasing lightning. Once I knew that, even someone with Godspeed like me could defeat them, as the easily defeated thunder dragon’s head shows.
Self-praise. That’s me! I find the opponent’s weakness and devise an effective strategy in a short time! However, if they fly, I can’t do anything. By the time I defeated the third one, it seemed to realize its disadvantage on the ground and took off, kicking up dust.
You’re the king of the sky! If you’re a king, fight me fair and square on the ground, I want to say. But I bought us time, and Yuma ran off without even looking back, it’s lonely.
I dashed through the town, dodging lightning strikes. Breaking through windows, kicking down doors, and sometimes resting on girls’ beds, all to evade the eyes of the thunder dragons circling overhead.
I’m not heading for the South Gate. If the decoy gets involved, Yuma won’t be able to escape. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if they ignored me and chased Yuma, but good guys are popular. …Aren’t there more of them? There are at least ten flying.
This was indeed a trap. The thunder dragons’ attacks were incomparable to the red dragons’. Their defense was weak, but their numbers and light-speed attacks were impossible to dodge.
…Before I could fly over the North Gate, I couldn’t resist the “promise” of being a Hero.
