We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Great Dragon War
“Please, lend us your strength, everyone. Let us all attack the multi-headed dragon summoned by the demon!”
Upon my command, ten Wyverns and eight Earth Dragons, having escaped the Dragon Stable, let out simultaneous roars.
Outside the Dragon Stable, a fierce battle was unfolding.
Lord Yugra, high in the sky, unleashed a blinding beam from his mouth. The moment it was fired, it struck the multi-headed dragon, instantly obliterating one of its dark purple necks.
Next, Lady Revalia, not to be outdone, unleashed a torrent of crimson flames. The flames engulfed the multi-headed dragon’s entire body, causing the remaining four heads to writhe in agony while screaming.
Before the overwhelming offensive power of Lords Yugra and Revalia, the attacks of the other dragons seemed to dim.
A complete victory. Looking only at this last attack, one would wonder why the battle had dragged on for so long that attacks even reached the Dragon Stable. However, that question was soon answered. For us, it was not a good outcome.
The multi-headed dragon, with one dark purple neck obliterated and its body scorched, endured Lady Revalia’s intense flames. The fire was so ferocious that it burned through the dragon’s scales, which would have been completely impervious to human weapons, and even cooked its flesh.
But, just then. The single white head of the multi-headed dragon, which Lady Luiseine had said “does not yet possess dragon energy,” began to glow. In an instant, the flames that covered its entire body vanished, the scorched flesh and scales regenerated, and the lost dark purple neck was restored to its original state.
“N-no way…”
I widened my eyes in astonishment from atop the old Wyvern.
Even after that, the Earth Dragons and the other escaped dragons launched their attacks, but no matter how injured they became, they would recover to their undamaged state whenever the white head illuminated.
“That regenerative power is unfair!”
I blurted out, drawing the attention of the Wyverns around me.
Hahaha!
How embarrassing…
I blushed at my own unladylike outburst.
Ah, I wish I could just disappear somewhere…
However, my careless exclamation caught Lady Revalia’s attention. She swiftly banked and flapped her wings towards me and the old Wyvern.
“Lady Revalia, I’m coming right over!”
I was so overjoyed that Lady Revalia was coming towards me that I carelessly leapt from the old Wyvern’s back!
But this is the open sky. There was no ground beneath my leap, and I was falling!
“Kyaaaaaa!”
As I screamed and plummeted, a nearby Wyvern swooped around and positioned itself beneath me. I managed to land safely on its back.
Phew, that was a close one. I patted my chest and looked up.
Was it my imagination? Between Lady Revalia and me, the Wyverns had created a sort of platform in the sky, like stepping stones.
“Thank you!”
It might have been my imagination, but I thanked the Wyverns for their kindness and, one after another, leapt onto the backs of the Wyverns, approaching Lady Revalia.
Finally, I reached Lady Revalia’s back.
“L-Lyra, you’re being too reckless!”
Lady Luiseine, who came out to greet me on Lady Revalia’s back, gave a wry smile.
It felt as though Lady Revalia, the surrounding Wyverns, and even the Earth Dragons who had somehow gathered below were all sighing at me.
Hahaha.
P-Please don’t stare at me like that. It’s embarrassing…
While we were doing something foolish, the Caster’s Earth Dragons, who were not in the Dragon Stable, continued to assault the multi-headed dragon.
However, any attack was rendered ineffective by the full regeneration that occurred whenever the white head glowed.
“That white head is troublesome.”
“Yes, it is. That white head alone doesn’t attack, but it seems to have an unbelievably high regenerative ability.”
“Then, we’ll target the white head first!”
As long as the white head remained, it would regenerate indefinitely. Therefore, attacking the white head first was the established strategy!
Under my command, all the dragons gathered their dragon energy.
Then, a simultaneous barrage of dragon arts!
With a deafening roar, beams of various colors, flames, physical rock attacks, and dragon arts erupting from the ground assailed the multi-headed dragon.
Even from high above, I could see buildings and the ground shaking violently.
And then, the multi-headed dragon, enveloped in a blinding pillar of multi-colored dragon arts, let out its death cry.
Huh? Was it just my imagination that I went too far with the simultaneous attack targeting only the white head…?
As the multi-colored pillar of light, strong enough to blow away the clouds above, dissipated, the deafening roar subsided, and the shaking caused by the dragon arts ceased, I watched from high above as the dust quietly settled.
“Lyra, you too need to exercise some restraint…”
Lady Luiseine’s eyes were vacant.
And for good reason.
When the dust cleared, a deep, large crater had formed in the ground. It was on a scale that could have swallowed the entire inner bailey of the Royal Castle…
Hahahaha. I could only let out a dry laugh.
What should I do!?
Will His Majesty be angry? Will Elnea be troubled?
However, my worries were replaced by astonishment.
At the bottom of the deep crater, a light flickered for just a moment.
Immediately after.
“No way…”
“Im-impossible…”
At the bottom of the immense, deep crater, the multi-headed dragon regenerated.
Not only we, the Wyverns, and the Earth Dragons, but even Lords Yugra and Revalia were left speechless.
The multi-headed dragon, which we had thought had been vaporized without a trace by the dragons’ combined attack, was resurrected unharmed at the bottom of the vast, deep crater, in the same form as when it had first descended upon the garden.
The multi-headed dragon’s enraged, multi-throated roar echoed. Then, its heads, other than the white one, unleashed their dragon arts in return.
“Evasive maneuvers!”
Under my command, the dragons began to evade.
The Earth Dragons, who had been peering into the bottom of the crater from the edges, retreated, and the Wyverns took to the sky to distance themselves.
According to Elnea, who heard it second-hand, the ancient Earth Dragons inhabiting the mountainous regions of the Yorttenitos Kingdom had said this:
Even though it’s a multi-headed dragon, it’s just another dragon species. Wicked, but not some unfathomable being like the Ancient Dragon Species. So, if we attack in numbers, we can defeat it, even if it’s a tough fight.
Admittedly, its multi-elemental attacks are troublesome. Furthermore, having five heads is like fighting five dragons, but with the dragons of the Dragon Knight Order, Lord Yugra, and Lady Revalia, it’s no match.
In fact, the multi-headed dragon’s dragon arts were all either blocked or evaded, and conversely, the multi-headed dragon, unable to move freely at the bottom of the deep crater, was being attacked unilaterally.
But.
Every time the white head glows, our attacks return to nothing.
“How can we…”
I analyzed the battle situation, standing on Lady Revalia’s back as she soared and attacked freely through the sky.
“If we could sever the dragon veins, I believe the multi-headed dragon’s dragon power would eventually be depleted, and it would lose its self-healing ability.”
According to Lady Luiseine’s explanation, the multi-headed dragon is fighting while drawing power infinitely from the dragon veins, much like Elnea.
“In that case, let’s lift it into the sky away from the dragon veins and attack!”
“Lyra, that’s impossible.”
It seemed like a brilliant idea, but Lady Luiseine immediately dismissed it.
“Lifting the multi-headed dragon, which is rampaging with its massive body and attacking, into the sky… I doubt even a grown-up Nimia could do it.”
“Can’t we just blow it away with dragon arts?”
“The multi-headed dragon has countermeasures for that. It sticks to the ground like Lyra.”
“Mmmph.”
It’s not fair to imitate me. I devised those dragon arts that stick to walls and the backs of dragons to climb onto the back of Lord Sleigsta, who is as large as a small mountain!
“Even if we can’t defeat it now, we can’t afford to let our guard down. The multi-headed dragon will try to attack His Majesty the King’s bedroom if it gets the chance.”
“Understood!”
There must be some mechanism that allows the multi-headed dragon to regenerate even if its entire body is annihilated. Our role, as individuals with no offensive power comparable to the dragons and Lady Luiseine, is to find a way to defeat the multi-headed dragon while the dragons continue their assault!
Lady Revalia flapped her wings majestically in the sky. Her wings then glowed crimson, summoning a rain of fire. The rain of fire poured down upon the multi-headed dragon, which remained at the bottom of the crater, like a furious crimson storm.
And then, Lady Luiseine and I observed the multi-headed dragon from Lady Revalia’s back.
There must be something. There must be some solution. I can’t rely on Elnea all the time. To stand beside him, I must think, act, and strive on my own.
As I analyzed the battle situation from the sky, searching for a breakthrough, I caught sight of figures in the corner of my vision.
Near the already collapsed Dragon Stable, people were struggling against specters that had emerged. Six individuals clad in white armor, wielding unusually long spears. They must be Dragon Knights.
“Lady Revalia, please head towards them.”
Lady Revalia sped towards the direction I pointed. Then, she unleashed flames.
I-it wasn’t like she was trying to burn the Dragon Knights to death, was it?
The flames passed near the Dragon Knights and incinerated the specters. Lady Revalia landed fiercely in the space where they had been.
The Dragon Knights, stunned by Lady Revalia’s imposing presence, froze. However, there were still many specters around, closing in on them.
“Perish, you who profane death!!”
The tyrant let out a powerful roar. Then, the surrounding specters trembled and vanished.
Huh…?
For a moment, I felt a sense of unease, but I was too focused on the immediate situation to notice. In any case, I addressed the Dragon Knights from Lady Revalia’s back.
“Leave the multi-headed dragon to us and the dragons!”
“Wh-what…!”
The Dragon Knights finally noticed Lady Luiseine and me on Lady Revalia’s back. Even after all the chaos, and Lady Revalia suddenly descending from the sky, they hadn’t noticed us until now. How sad.
“Dragon Knights, please head towards rescuing the people being attacked by specters within the Royal Castle.”
The Dragon Knights showed complex expressions at my words. Their hesitant gazes made my heart ache, but I wouldn’t back down!
“I can command our dragons alone. You are the pride of the Yorttenitos Kingdom, no, of humankind’s knights! Do not falter any longer and fulfill your duty to protect the people!!”
My words made the Dragon Knights tremble as if struck by lightning.
“Indeed, as the Princess says.”
“We shall do what we can!”
“To think that even we Dragon Knights can barely control one dragon, yet she commands nearly twenty…”
“Ahhh, Lady Ortina…”
“A princess who commands so many dragons…”
“Truly, the Princess of Dragons. A Dragon Princess!”
For some reason, they were misunderstanding things. I wasn’t commanding dragons, nor was I a princess. Besides, the woman who holds the esteemed and supreme title of Dragon Princess is my respected Mistral!
I offered a wry smile. Lady Luiseine, for some reason, smiled and gently took my hand.
“Now, go!”
At my command, the Dragon Knights replied with a resounding “Ooh!!” and turned back, intending to head towards the Royal Castle.
Just then, separate from the battle between the multi-headed dragon and the dragons, a violent tremor and roar echoed from the west side of the Royal Castle. And then, a pillar of azure, dazzling light shot up. I could feel a surge of dragon power on par with the dragons’ simultaneous attack.
“That’s Mist’s dragon power…”
Lady Luiseine, who was holding my hand, murmured.
Mistral, with a dragon power equivalent to nearly twenty dragons. That is the true Princess of Dragons. I wished I could tell the Dragon Knights that, but the situation was dire.
The violent vibrations caused the remaining walls of the Dragon Stable to collapse. Then, debris rained down upon the Dragon Knights.
“Lady Revalia!”
Faster than my cry, Lady Revalia reacted swiftly. She spread her large wings and protected the Dragon Knights from the barrage of debris.
The Dragon Knights froze, looking up at the sky, but upon realizing they were protected by Lady Revalia, they turned to us and offered a deep bow of gratitude.
“That was not my command. Lady Revalia, please be thankful for this Wyvern’s goodwill.”
“Th-thank you.”
“You should be thankful not only to Lady Revalia, but also to the dragons who bravely cooperate in humanity’s crisis. And you should respect them. Now that you understand, quickly go and do your part to protect your kin.”
“Yes, Your Highness! I understand!”
The Dragon Knights bowed respectfully to us and then quickly turned again, this time heading into the labyrinthine Royal Castle.
“Now, we can’t afford to fall behind Mist. Let’s go back.”
I nodded at Lady Luiseine’s words.
“I wonder what Mistral is fighting on the other side.”
“She’s probably fighting that necromancer. Only Mist can handle a High-ranking Demon.”
“That’s true.”
On Lady Revalia’s back as she took off fiercely, Lady Luiseine and I exchanged words.
Even Elnea, I doubt he could fight a High-ranking Demon on equal footing, but facing them would surely be impossible for us. In fact, humans are no match for even lower-ranking demons. Currently, the Dragon Knights were struggling against the specters summoned by the necromancer Goldoba, and even the peerless Caster in His Majesty’s bedroom was having trouble.
Considering that, Elnea, who was defeating specters while fighting Bariatel, is indeed worthy of the title Dragon King!
And then, as my thoughts turned to the events in His Majesty’s bedroom, I realized something.
“Lady Luiseine!”
“Y-yes!”
Lady Luiseine flinched at my sudden exclamation.
“That thing…”
I pointed to the multi-headed dragon still locked in battle with Lord Yugra and the other dragons. No. I pointed to the multi-headed dragon’s neck. Specifically, the black neck without a head, the one neck that, no matter how much it regenerated, was never restored!
“I was wondering why that neck alone didn’t regenerate. And why its entire body regenerated even after being obliterated.”
“Yes…!”
Lady Luiseine also seemed to have realized something. She tore her gaze away from the multi-headed dragon’s neck that I had indicated and widened her eyes. Then, she looked directly at me.
“I thought the multi-headed dragon had been annihilated by the dragons’ total assault. But that was wrong, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. No matter how much we attacked the multi-headed dragon’s body and annihilated it, a part of its body remained.”
“That means…!”
We looked at each other and simultaneously turned our gaze back towards the King’s bedroom on the top floor of the Royal Castle.
“Lady Revalia, please head there!”
In the direction I pointed. Towards His Majesty’s bedroom, Lady Revalia flapped her wings fiercely.
I had misunderstood many things.
If the entire body regenerates even after destroying the multi-headed dragon’s white head, then its regenerative power is actually that of the multi-headed dragon’s main body.
The white head glowing during regeneration is surely to mislead us.
And if it has such tremendous regenerative power in its main body, then as long as a part of its body remains, it can regenerate!
However, no matter how much we blast away the multi-headed dragon’s main body, it regenerates.
Why?
Herein lies the biggest misunderstanding.
We were, in fact, not annihilating the multi-headed dragon.
No matter how much we attacked, a part of its body remained unharmed!!
Lady Revalia, carrying me and Lady Luiseine, charged towards His Majesty’s bedroom with great speed!
Eh…!?
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