We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Unmoving Dragon King, Berrig.
News arrived the day after we rejoined Zann and the others that a mixed force of the Demon Race Army and demonic beasts, led by Beast Demon General Neritz, had attacked the Nimbren Highlands, which were located to the west of here.
Immediately, the gathered warriors from the south began to move.
“What kind of place is the Nimbren Highlands?”
In response to my question, Zann, who had already left his sleeping quarters and begun preparing for battle, explained.
“When we tried to attack the southern part of Dragon Peak from the north, it was one of the important strongholds. There are no high mountain ranges around there, so it offers a good vantage point. For those who cannot fly, it’s an excellent base.”
“But the Northern Dragon Race attacked here, not there, right? They must have considered this place more important.”
“The northerners are first-class warriors, after all. They can fly. If you can fly, this area along the valley is more suitable for movement. So, from the northerners’ perspective, this would be the place they’d want to attack.”
“So, Beast Demon General Neritz caught the Dragon Race by surprise?”
“Hmph. Not at all. I told you, it’s an important base for those who advance on the ground, those slow ones. Do you think we would have made ourselves vulnerable knowing that?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
“There’s also a village halfway up the Nimbren Highlands. Dragon Kings Jura and Heorona are stationed there. And, of course, Dragon Race warriors who cannot transform.”
“Oh, so does that mean we can rest easy?”
That optimism was shattered by the next report.
“Along with the demons, Dragon King Berrig and the Dragon Race warriors are also on the move!”
The news about Dragon King Berrig sent the village into a frenzy.
Zann had told me in advance.
Like Dragon King Gashark, Dragon King Berrig, who was from the north, was moving in support of the northern forces. So, everyone had expected him to make a move eventually. But they never imagined he would be acting alongside the demons!
“If Berrig is on the move, we might need to send reinforcements.”
It was Gashark who made the suggestion. When I asked why, Yakushion opened his mouth.
“Berrig is a formidable opponent for the Dragon Race. He’s completely unaffected by Dragon Arts. In a fight solely based on Dragon Arts, even that Dragon Princess would be overwhelmed.”
Dragon King Berrig, who could even block Mistral’s Dragon Arts. First the Demon Lord Kusharilla, who was immune to physical attacks, and now this. Honestly, I was starting to get a little weary of facing such powerful figures as a matter of course in normal battles.
“If it were just the demons, perhaps the people on the other side could handle them, but Berrig complicates things.”
Yakushion grumbled, muttering “Mumumu.” Yakushion, being the Dragon King that Zann admired, exuded an overwhelming presence and sense of security just by being near. But he was still troubled by an opponent of this caliber.
“Then, I’ll go!”
A day had already passed since I arrived here. During that time, the Dragon Race people gathered in the village had been incredibly active. Those skilled in negotiation, carrying Elder Azer’s letter that I had brought back, had already taken to the sky to contact the Northern Dragon Race. Those with excellent stealth skills or those specializing in escorting had departed to meet Mistral and the others, who were carefully making their way through the Dragon’s Mausoleum.
With many warriors heading out to begin their actions, the village was now, arguably, understaffed.
What if the Northern Dragon Race couldn’t be persuaded and attacked? What if a portion of the Demon Race army attacked here? Thinking about it, I felt the danger of further depleting our forces here.
In that case, it was up to me, who could move freely, to act. We were on standby for the battle against Orta, but there was nothing we could do if she didn’t show herself. Currently, Orta’s whereabouts were unknown. Her trail had been lost after she stole the Ryūhōken.
“Can you handle it?”
I nodded vigorously to Zann’s question.
“Revalia and Lily are with me, and our travel speed is no match for the Dragon Race either.”
“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Don’t do anything reckless. Once our preparations are complete, we will head out to defeat the Demon Race Army.”
“He’s incredibly stubborn, likely due to possessing the Earth Dragon’s Ryūhōgyoku. If he doesn’t respond to persuasion even after hearing about those imprisoned in the north, go ahead and punch him once.”
“I’ll do my best. I have means of attack other than Dragon Arts, you know.”
The Spirit Tree Wooden Sword was sheathed at my right hip. With the help of the Spirit Tree and Ares-chan, I could use Spirit Tree arts. My white sword, sheathed at my left hip, also held new power. A Spirit Tree Jewel, imbued with the magic power of the Giant Demon Lord, was set into its hilt.
I picked up the luggage I had prepared for immediate departure and quickly headed towards the village plaza. Revalia and the others were waiting for me in the plaza.
“Elnea-kun, I’ll accompany you.”
Ruiseine, who had keenly sensed the village’s commotion, had also prepared herself and rushed over.
“Yeah. We’re going to stop Dragon King Berrig, who’s on the move to the west!”
“Yes!”
After nodding to Ruiseine, I used Spatial Jump to board Revalia’s back.
“Kts, you guys. I never said you could bring me along!”
“Oh my, my. You don’t want to take us?”
“If Revalia doesn’t want to, I’ll go instead!”
“Shut up. It’s boring here. I’ll take you for some fun!”
The Dragon Race people in the village plaza winced as they watched our commotion. Don’t worry. Revalia isn’t angry. It’s just their usual banter. I wish all the Dragon Race people could master Dragon Heart. Then, they could have fun conversations with the dragons too.
Alright. Once things settle down, I’ll set up an exchange event between the Dragon Race and the Dragonfolk. With this new goal in mind, I waited for the departure preparations to be completed. Waiting were Fiorina and Rim, and reluctantly, Ruilala.
“I’ll do my best too!”
“Rim will be active too!”
Fiorina and Rim, who had been playing with the village children, climbed onto Lily’s back without hesitation.
“No reckless actions, okay? If danger approaches, let’s escape.”
With Nimia absent, Lily was in charge of protecting the young dragons. It would have been best not to bring them, but Fiorina and the others had roles to play in emergencies. So, I wanted them to be as close to me as possible.
“Wow, I was on the verge of being left behind. I was so nervous.”
A little late, Ruilala returned from outside the village.
“Did you get any information?”
In response to my question, Ruilala shook her head tiredly.
“No luck. I can only sense the presence of a high-ranking demon, likely Neritz. Setting aside Goldoba, where could Great Evil Spirit Yarn have gone?”
Immediately after the information came in that Beast Demon General Neritz had attacked the Nimbren Highlands, I had asked Ruilala to scout. Among the large Demon Race army that had invaded Dragon Peak, besides Neritz, there should have been the Demon General and necromancer Goldoba, and the Great Evil Spirit Yarn. And, possibly, Demon Lord Kusharilla as well. Therefore, it was unlikely that only Neritz had appeared at the Nimbren Highlands. Thus, I had asked Ruilala to scout.
Annoyingly, Ruilala was a high-ranking demon with a noble title, trusted by the Giant Demon Lord. She was a terrifying demon who could withstand even my full-power attacks. Ruilala could sense the presence of Demon Generals even from a great distance, so I had her investigate. However, the result was disheartening.
It seemed they had clashed with the invading demons on Dragon Peak several times. However, Beast Demon General Neritz always seemed to be at the forefront, and the movements of the other two were unknown. The information the southern Dragon Race had managed to obtain regarding Yarn and Goldoba was only a small trickle before we returned. It seemed Yarn was heading east from the Northern Dragon Peak invasion, but it was unclear how far he had penetrated. The Northern Dragon Race should have information, so if I can persuade them, I need to get it. Goldoba also seemed to be heading east, but he entered the Dragon’s Mausoleum midway and was reportedly engaged in fierce combat with the dragons.
Could it be that he got lost and ran into some dragons on their deathbeds? That would be an easy assumption. Goldoba is a necromancer. And it reminds me of what happened in the Yorttenitos Kingdom. All I can do now is pray that the worst doesn’t happen. By the way, the Dragon’s Mausoleum where Goldoba entered and the place Mistral and the others are heading seem to be far apart. The Dragon Race members who went to protect them should also be aware of Goldoba’s movements, so they should be able to avoid him successfully.
Hearing Ruilala’s report, I still found myself concerned about the unpredictable Great Evil Spirit Yarn. But there was no time to worry about that. As Ruilala leaped onto our platform, Revalia and Lily took to the sky.
The sky above Dragon Peak was Revalia’s domain. As if leading the way, Revalia spread her wings and flew west. With rapid acceleration, the scenery of the ground and mountain ranges began to blur.
“Hey, Ruilala. What kind of demon is a Beast Demon General?”
As we moved, I extracted the necessary information from Ruilala.
“A Demon General of beasts.”
“No, I figured that out from the name.”
I didn’t know if she was joking or serious, which was confusing.
“I’ve never met him, so I’m only relaying what I’ve heard. Neritz is said to have the form of a giant black bear. Hearing that, he might seem like he’s from the Beast Race, but Neritz has two bear heads, bat-like wings on his back, and can apparently summon subordinate bears from his tail.”
“Yeah, that’s not a bear or from the Beast Race anymore! He’s definitely a demon!”
Isn’t that just a monster with a bear’s head?
“Well, maybe. Demons have a lot of such demi-humans. Oh, and you might have already guessed, but Neritz can control any demonic beast of a certain strength.”
“That was in the report. He attacked with demonic beasts.”
“Yes. So, I’m sure he’s been controlling more and more demonic beasts since entering Dragon Peak, and his numbers have swelled.”
“Just to be sure, can he control Shōjō?”
“Shōjō? No. Such terrifying demonic beasts can only be handled by His Majesty or Charlotte-sama.”
…Did she just say something terrifying? The Giant Demon Lord aside, is his close aide Charlotte also that strong? I recalled the slender-eyed woman with long, curly golden hair. Her weapon was a whip, wasn’t it?
I shivered involuntarily, then regained my composure. Immediately, the battlefield came into view. A surprisingly low mountainous region extended across part of the steep peaks of Dragon Peak that surrounded us. And there, one mountain of extremely high altitude pierced through the clouds, appearing before us. From the base to the mid-slope of this high mountain, several plumes of dust were rising.
“Revalia. Our target is Dragon King Berrig. Find him.”
Revalia responded to my words with a roar. Then, she set her sights and dived towards the base of the high mountain. Lily ascended, rising above the clouds.
“Let me be clear, I won’t be participating in this battle or the fight against Orta.”
“Yes. Please do that.”
It would be troublesome if we were attacked from behind again.
As Revalia rapidly descended, approaching the target, three figures below noticed us and looked up.
“Ruiseine, let’s go!”
“Yes!”
I embraced Ruiseine. Then, from Revalia’s back, where we had descended to the limit, we leaped off using Spatial Jump. Once Revalia confirmed that our presence had vanished from her back, she unleashed a massive flame towards the three figures on the ground as a feint, and returned to the sky with vigorous wingbeats. Two of the three figures leaped far aside, evading Revalia’s flames. However, the remaining one did not move an inch and was engulfed by the flames.
Ruiseine and I landed on the ground. Before us, a middle-aged man in his human-dragon form, unfazed by Revalia’s flames, stood calmly with a two-handed hammer raised.
“Whoa, that was close! Tyrant, you’re trying to burn us to a crisp, aren’t you?”
“Elnea!”
A familiar voice called out from behind me. The person with the casual tone was Dragon King Heorona. The one who noticed me was Jirra, the other Dragon King.
“Jira, and Heorona. It’s been a while. Leave the fight with Dragon King Berrig to me and Ruiseine!”
My gaze remained fixed on the middle-aged man before me. Can I call him a middle-aged man? It was just an impression. That’s because the entire body of the person before me, except for around the eyes and mouth, was covered in thick, dark brown, rock-like scales, making it impossible to discern his original appearance. He was of medium build, but the thick scales coated his entire body like armor, making him look like an unmoving man of stone.
“State your names. Human boy and girl.”
Berrig, the man who stood firm, inquired. Without being shaken by the low, heavy voice, I answered while keeping my gaze on Berrig.
“Eight Dragon King Elnea Eris.”
“I am Battle Priestess Ruiseine Nefel.”
Ruiseine and I stood confidently facing Berrig.
“Ho. I’ve heard the rumors. I am the Unmoving Dragon King Berrig. Do you know who I am and intend to face me?”
Berrig showed no change in expression at our introductions.
“Please put away your weapon. We have rescued the people who were held captive in the north. You no longer need to aid the demons.”
“The ones we should fight are not our kinsmen or ourselves. The true enemy is the demons.”
At Ruiseine and my words, Berrig slowly closed his eyes. But his gaze remained fixed on us, and he opened his eyes again.
“I’ll be thankful for saving my kin. However, I can no longer stop.”
“Why! There’s no reason for Dragon Race to fight amongst themselves anymore!”
“Ah, there’s no reason for kinsmen to fight. But for me personally, there is.”
For a brief moment, I thought I saw sadness in Berrig’s eyes.
“My wife was also a warrior. But she is no longer in this world. The weapon she wielded happened to be a cursed magic sword… She lost her reason and left me with a cursed Wyvern. And she never returned.”
Berrig continued, gazing at me with unmoving pupils.
“You seem to have many wives. Can you understand? The sorrow of losing the one you love. The hatred for the one who killed the one you love. I can no longer control my own heart. I hate the one who killed her. Until I have my revenge, I cannot lay down this hammer.”
Quiet, quiet rage and hatred were consuming Berrig’s heart.
“Then…”
But I continued speaking without averting my gaze from Berrig.
“That vengeance… it’s likely my responsibility. I have killed many cursed Dragon Race members with my own hands. Surely, your beloved was among them.”
“…Is that so. It was you.”
Berrig’s two-handed hammer was raised.
“If you wish to settle your grudge, I will be your opponent. But if you lose to me, you must give up that hatred.”
“Fufun, interesting. You, a mere brat, will bear my hatred?”
“If that is how I can atone.”
I had been prepared from the start. Even though they were cursed warriors, I had taken the lives of Dragon Race members. Those I had killed must have had families, friends, and loved ones. I was convinced that I could not simply brush aside the lives I had taken. Therefore, I had sworn in my heart to deal sincerely with those who sought to direct their hatred at me. And now. If Berrig, consumed by hatred, wishes to fight, I will face his fury head-on, with honor.
“Elnea,” I was called from behind.
“I will handle Berrig. Jira and Heorona, you deal with the demons. And please persuade as many Northern Dragon Race people as possible.”
I pointed the tip of the white sword, drawn from my left hip, at Berrig without hesitation.
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