We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Good children must not imitate this.
“This is terrible!”
“It’s dangerous!”
The twin princesses escaped from Ruiseine’s barrier and tore away the thick cloth covering the window. Sunlight streamed in, revealing the scenery outside.
“One, two…”
“So that’s the multi-headed dragon. But it’s strange. It has six necks, yet only five heads.”
I didn’t quite understand the meaning of the twin princesses’ words, but at least I knew that Goldoba’s summoning magic was causing chaos outside.
Following the multi-headed dragon’s multiple roars, the roars of other dragons echoed. Earth dragons voiced their warnings in unison, and explosions and tremors began to transmit to the royal castle.
Outside, the battle between the multi-headed dragon and the dragons of the Dragon Knight Order had begun!
And at the same time, screams began to erupt from the lower levels of the royal castle.
The army of undead summoned within the castle had started attacking people indiscriminately!
“We have to do something!!” It wasn’t just me who felt the urgency; Caster and Madrine also burst out of the barrier.
However, the bedroom was in chaos with the traitorous Royal Knight and the undead summoned by Goldoba wreaking havoc. We were immediately at a standstill, too overwhelmed with dealing with the attacking enemies.
I, too, was forced into a defensive battle against Bariatel’s fierce attacks.
“What’s wrong, boy! Was the anger you showed when you were called a woman by a ghost fake?”
“Hmph!”
I deflected Bariatel’s sword strikes and cut down the approaching evil spirits. My white sword, imbued with dragon energy, bisected and erased the intangible evil spirits.
That’s right. I didn’t need to hesitate against someone like him. He had insulted Laira!
He broke his contract with demons, betrayed the royal family, betrayed the people of Yorttenitos, and betrayed humankind! He was an evil person!
Was it right to lay hands on royalty? My indecision, stemming from the difference in status, had initially dulled my resolve.
But Bariatel… No, I didn’t need to hesitate against Bariatel. I will protect my family. I will protect Laira. For that, I will crush any enemy, whether they be royalty or demon!
As if reacting to my resolve and will, Ares-chan returned to the barrier with Ruiseine and smiled.
Then, she took Priscilla-chan’s hand and said.
“Help, help.”
“Um?”
Priscilla-chan, whose hand Ares-chan had taken, tilted her head. Priscilla-chan had been held by Laira, burying her face in her chest and trying not to look around, but Ares-chan pulled her hand, and she stepped down onto the floor.
“Elnea’s help. Priscilla, you try your best too.”
“Understood! Priscilla will do her best!”
There was no need for many words between Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan. As if understanding Ares-chan’s intent, Priscilla-chan immediately summoned the wind spirit and the earth spirit.
Then, the two high-level spirits entered her small body.
Priscilla-chan was enveloped in a golden glow.
And Ares-chan, holding hands with Priscilla-chan.
Laira and Ruiseine, standing nearby, showed expressions of stunned surprise at Priscilla-chan’s unexpected action. Inside the barrier, which the two of them watched with wide eyes, the two young girls held hands and began to spin around merrily.
I, too, continued to cut down undead and counter-attack Bariatel while watching Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan. However, unlike Ruiseine and Laira, I could only feel a bad premonition from the two little girls spinning around, and my face twitched.
“With Ares…”
“And Priscilla…”
Ah, this is a scene I feel like I’ve seen before…
” “Labyrinth Creation!!” ”
Aaaaaagh!
Simultaneously with the scream in my heart, violent tremors engulfed the royal castle. The skeletal soldiers and Royal Knights fell to their knees from the tremors that made it impossible to stand. The tremors quickly spread outward, and the surprised and screaming roars of the dragons could be heard from outside.
“W-what did you two do!?”
Ruiseine tried to pull Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan closer, but they continued to spin.
“Um, we made the whole castle into a labyrinth!”
Priscilla-chan said boastfully while spinning, a stark contrast to everyone else’s faces, which now twitched.
“Buy time.”
Although Ares-chan’s explanation was brief, we finally understood. Everyone else seemed to understand with Ares-chan’s words as well, and their contorted faces momentarily straightened.
And amidst the continued violent shaking, the twin princesses were the first to dash out of the bedroom.
“We will defeat the undead in the castle. Leave it to us.”
“The undead really don’t seem to like dragon energy. I will annihilate them. Leave it to me.”
“Priscilla. Guide the two of them with the wind spirit.”
“Ares-chan, I understand!”
“Alright! Brothers, leave this place to us. I’m heading to the castle to annihilate the undead inside too!”
The twin princesses departed the bedroom, guided by an unseen wind. Caster, stumbling and kicking down skeletal soldiers amidst the violent shaking, flew through the air and punched away attacking evil spirits before following the twin princesses out of the bedroom.
Priscilla-chan, with Ares-chan’s help, transformed the castle into a labyrinth with large-scale spirit arts.
We hope that the three, who are grasping the space with the wind spirit, can save as many people as possible while the army of undead wanders through the labyrinthine royal castle.
I wish I could go too, but first, I need to deal with the opponent in front of me.
Bariatel kicked off the still violently shaking floor and approached me.
I parried the瘴氣 countermeasures that the twin princesses had been handling and clashed swords with Bariatel. While doing so, I released dragon energy to offset the miasma overflowing from Bariatel and his magic sword.
The undead user Goldoba had called it “living dragon energy.” The undead seemed to be weakened by the dragon energy imbued with life, which was the opposite of death, and their movements slowed down when dragon energy spread around them.
Thinking this might work, I extended my dragon energy not just to the bedroom but throughout the entire labyrinthine royal castle and began to dance.
One-Sword Dragon Sword Dance.
It seemed the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword was necessary for the two young girls using large-scale spirit arts. Ares-chan, who didn’t hand it to me, carried the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword on her back and continued to spin with Priscilla-chan. Therefore, I danced with just my white sword.
I cut down the approaching undead and launched attacks at Bariatel. Although he blocked them, I moved my body fluidly, redirecting his power and launching follow-up attacks.
I slid the magic sword’s strike along the blade of my white sword, reducing its força. Then, using a circular motion, I spun my body and swung my white sword horizontally. He blocked it, but I maintained the momentum of my rotation and delivered a spinning kick aimed at Bariatel’s face. Bariatel, recoiling, narrowly avoided it.
Taking advantage of the opening created when Bariatel’s gaze shifted upward, I swept my white sword from a lower stance to a diagonal upward slash. Bariatel, at the last moment, deflected the white sword’s slash with his magic sword, but his stance was broken.
Even if he dodged or blocked, I continued my relentless swordplay without stopping.
With a continuous, smooth barrage of attacks, Bariatel was forced to retreat.
I can dance with only one hand. I haven’t trained in an awkward way that requires two swords. I’ve put in blood-curdling effort so I can dance in any situation. That’s why, now that I’ve made up my mind, Bariatel can no longer stop my dance!
I danced, facing the endless stream of undead and Bariatel, who wielded his magic sword skillfully.
And in time with my dance, I forged the power welling up from the dragon veins and spread it throughout the royal castle like a stormy vortex.
The vortex of dragon energy began to coil, enveloping the royal castle in no time.
Simultaneously with my dance, I shouted.
“Laira, please handle the outside! Something is strange with the dragons’ commotion. Please, you and Ruiseine, handle the multi-headed dragon outside!”
“Understood!”
“Leave it to us!”
Ruiseine instructed the two continuously spinning young girls to move to Madrine’s side of the barrier. They then vanished, and the next moment they were spinning beside Madrine.
As Madrine and Grave watched the spatial jump with astonishment, Laira embraced Ruiseine. Then, she leaped out of the large window visible beyond the thick cloth the twin princesses had torn away.
“Kyaaaaaah…!”
I heard Ruiseine’s scream, but knowing it was Laira, she must be fine!
This is the topmost floor of the royal castle, and it’s quite a height to the ground…
Outside the royal castle, where Laira and Ruiseine headed, the tremors and explosions continued differently from the labyrinth creation. However, in a different location, separate from that. From the lower levels of the royal castle, the confused roars of dragons could be heard.
Once outside, Laira and the others should be able to notice the dragons’ abnormalities. I’ll leave the outside to them.
For now, I’m overwhelmed dealing with the surging undead and Bariatel. Friel is also fighting outside Madrine’s barrier, but struggling against the undead. Grave is still observing the situation from within the barrier. Well, as the next king, perhaps his safety is more important than fighting valiantly.
And then there’s Mistral. She was facing the undead user Goldoba.
Unless Goldoba is defeated and the purple glowing magic circle is destroyed, the undead will continue to appear. Therefore, defeating Goldoba is the key to breaking this situation.
However, no matter how much Mistral punched and crushed with her jet-black one-handed sword, Goldoba regenerated instantly and continued to laugh eerily.
Goldoba himself didn’t seem strong. Goldoba’s greatest weapon was his summoning magic, which could endlessly summon an army of undead. And his invincibility, making him immune to attacks.
“Heh heh heh. It’s useless, it’s useless. I am immortal. No matter how many times I’m hit, it doesn’t hurt. If you really want to destroy me, you’ll have to bring a divine dragon or use an upper-level magic spell with a grand incantation. Heh heh heh…”
The key to resolving the current situation was right in front of me, yet I couldn’t reach it. Goldoba regenerated no matter how many times he was defeated. An endless army of undead continued to appear. I could see the door to ending this, but I couldn’t open it, and impatience began to set in.
If I don’t defeat Goldoba as soon as possible, many lives will be lost!
What should I do…
Dodging Bariatel’s thrust by moving to the side, I launched a rotating slash. While dancing, I pondered the situation.
However, it was Mistral who shook off my burgeoning impatience.
“Thank you for the advice. Thanks to you, I now know the means of destroying you.”
Mistral smiled at Goldoba, who had regenerated for the dozenth time.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”
Mistral re-apprehended the regenerated Goldoba.
“My name is Mistral. If I say ‘Dragon Princess,’ do you understand?”
“…Wh-what?? That Dragon Princess!”
“Yes. There’s no mistake, it’s that Dragon Princess. I am Mistral, a Dragon Race Dragon Princess who inherited the Meteor Dragon’s Dragon Jewel.”
“Hiiiiii!?”
The moment I understood what Mistral possessed that I didn’t, but the demon undead user Goldoba did, the lower jaw of Goldoba’s skull seemed to drop.
“The damage will extend here. Now, let’s go outside.”
Saying so, Mistral kicked through the wall opposite the large window where Laira and the others had flown from, still holding the astonished Goldoba in her arms.
“Hiiiiii…!”
Goldoba’s scream faded into the distance.
