We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The battlefield is a scene of carnage.
Berryg glares at the tip of the white sword.
“The Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest. Is that a Dragon Slayer sword carved from its fangs?”
“If you know about it, then this will be quick.”
“Foolish one. It is you who does not know. You should know that such things will not work on me at all.”
This means that absolutely nothing related to dragons will work on Berryg.
However, Berryg is also ignorant of many things.
I lower my stance and gather strength throughout my body.
“Luiseine, please cover me.”
“Leave it to me. I won’t let anyone interfere with you two!”
Luiseine understands. This is a one-on-one fight between me and Berryg. However, others might not see it that way. The Dragon Race warriors from the north have not been persuaded. There is also the possibility of demons and magic beasts interfering.
Luiseine holds her naginata outward to deal with anyone who might intervene in the one-on-one fight.
“In that case, it’s up to Elnea. Heorona, let’s take on our roles.”
“Can’t be helped. Elnea, we’re leaving this to you.”
Jura and Heorona rush off to their respective battlefields.
Around the area where Berryg and I face each other, intense fighting is still raging.
The mixed army of demons and magic beasts, using sheer numbers, is pressing towards the village halfway up the Ninblen Mountains. Warriors from the south are fighting bravely to stop them. Interfering with and attacking them are the warriors from the north.
The warriors from the south are being pushed back by the sheer numbers and momentum, and the demon race army has already begun to approach the village.
Then, fire unleashed by Revalia rained down, turning the slopes of the Ninblen Mountains into a hellish inferno.
Amidst the battlefield where dust and fiery tornadoes raged, a zone of silence existed solely between me and Berryg.
The Immovable Dragon King, Berryg. He inherited the Dragon Jewel of the Earth Dragon, it seems. His heavily grounded stance makes him feel like an immovable presence, unshaken by anything.
He holds a fearsome-looking war hammer in both hands, waiting for my move.
I kick off the ground and rapidly approach him.
The fight won’t end just by glaring at each other. In that case, it’s time to take the initiative!
As usual, I approach my opponent and swing my weapons with both hands. My fighting style, regardless of who the opponent is, centers on the Dragon Sword Dance. I will bewampment them with a flurry of moves and flowing movements until they are defeated.
I swing my white sword horizontally towards Berryg’s abdomen. However, the white sword, imbued with dragon energy, only grazed the surface of Berryg’s thick scales and was repelled. Using that momentum, I swing the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword from the opposite direction. This time, I aim for the area around his eyes, where there are no scales.
Berryg directs only his gaze towards the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. Then, with a slight movement of his head, he dodges it by a hair’s breadth.
Berryg, who blocked my two consecutive attacks with minimal movement, finally moves. I sense a slight movement at the tip of his dual war hammers. At the same time, a sense of crisis swells in an instant. Without hesitation, I use Spatial Jump to move to Luiseine, who is guarding our surroundings in the rear. Then, I embrace Luiseine and use Spatial Jump again to move even further away from Berryg.
Immediately after.
A shockwave rips through the battlefield. Following it, the ground around Berryg is torn up and explodes!
Luiseine and I lower ourselves to avoid the flying rocks and dirt. The multi-layered barrier created by Spirit Tree arts and Dragon Arts is violently struck by debris. Mixed in with it, large chunks of Dragon Arts are scattered around. Clumps like mud pierce through the barrier. I hastily create multiple barriers with Spirit Tree leaves, managing to defend against them.
“!!”
I am left speechless.
The power of a single blow, likely from just one swing of his dual war hammers. After the wave of destruction subsided, Luiseine and I, now back on our feet, stare at Berryg, who remains in his stance at the center of the blast site, with astonished eyes.
The dual war hammers he must have swung are held in their original position. And Berryg stares intently at us.
A full-powered blow. He withstands and dodges the opponent’s attacks with absolute defense, then defeats the opponent with a single counterattack. There are no wasted movements, and a second blow is unnecessary. The Immovable Dragon King, Berryg, is a warrior who has perfected combat to the minimum.
However, I endured it. In Berryg’s gaze, there was surprise at his counterattack being dodged and a determined will to prepare for the next move.
“Elnea-kun…”
Luiseine looks up at my face from within my arms.
“It’s all right. I can fight Berryg.”
I smile at Luiseine and face Berryg once more.
“You dodged that. Young Dragon King.”
“Even so, I’ve passed through the brink of death many times.”
Step by step, I tread on the wasteland created by Berryg’s attack and close the distance.
“With such power, why don’t you fight for Dragon Peak?”
“As I said. I’m not stopping anymore. No, I cannot be stopped. The title of Dragon King, my kin of the Dragon Race, Dragon Peak – none of it concerns me anymore. A world without her? I have no interest in it.”
Berryg’s words leave me speechless. I have never lost anyone important, so while I can imagine Berryg’s pain, I cannot perfectly understand it. If I were to say something feigning understanding, it would be an insult to Berryg. Therefore, all I can do now is to bear Berryg’s sorrow, hatred, and despair with my whole being.
I now understand Berryg’s fighting style. So, I will no longer fight in a way that endangers Luiseine behind me. Infusing power into my white sword and the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword, I use Spatial Jump. I accelerate from my previous slow advance, closing the distance. I instantly leap into white sword’s range and unleash a sharp thrust. The tip of the white sword digs into the gap between Berryg’s thick chest scales. However, it does not reach the surface. At that moment, I channel a lightning strike from the Spirit Tree Jewel! Berryg spasms for a moment. He glares at me, only moving his eyes.
So, you use magic as well as Dragon Arts. Berryg’s eyes convey that. However, even the lightning strike, derived from magic power, seems to be ineffective.
In that case!
I summon countless leaves around me and make them dance at high speed. Each leaf becomes a sharp blade attacking Berryg’s entire body. It doesn’t even scratch his burnt-brown scales, but it cuts his mouth, which is exposed skin. Berryg senses the danger of the swirling leaves and dodges approaching ones with minimal movement. With a slight turn of his head, the leaves miss their mark and bounce off the scales on his cheeks and forehead. Berryg’s gaze shifts from me to the swirling leaves. He has judged that my attacks can be blocked by his thick scales without even moving. That judgment is not incorrect. No matter how many moves I add with the Dragon Sword Dance, my swords cannot even scrape Berryg’s scales. However, I continue to perform the Dragon Sword Dance. No matter how many times they are repelled, or even if they only graze the scales, I dance gracefully before the immovable man, without stopping my hands, legs, or entire body.
“It’s useless. Your attacks don’t affect me. You claim to accept my emotions, yet this is all you can do!” Berryg glares at me, dodging the leaves approaching his face.
“That’s right. My attacks don’t seem to work. But I am one of the Eight Dragon Kings. I won’t shame my title!” I glare back with strong resolve. Dragon Arts, lightning strikes, and even Spirit Tree arts are ineffective. Physical sword strikes are also blocked. But! I still have means to fight. The swirling leaves and the Dragon Sword Dance were merely preparations.
Berryg finally notices the change in his surroundings due to my unwavering will. Dragon energy spreads to cover the battlefield. And a furiously swirling storm converges towards me at the center. Berryg’s eyes widen. Then, he attempts to swing his dual war hammers, which he had been holding steadily.
“I won’t let you!”
Following my will, several vibrant green vines erupt from the ground around Berryg’s feet and entangle his entire body.
“Ngh… What is this!”
I silently murmur to myself, *These are the vines entangled with the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword.* More accurately, they are vines that are always entwined with the Young Spirit Tree. The vines are a separate plant from the Spirit Tree, but for some reason, they are reacting to my will and the Spirit Tree arts. I detach the vines from the Spirit Tree and conceal them beneath the ground while performing the Dragon Sword Dance. The Dance of Swirling Leaves is a diversion to hide the vines and secretly activate the Storm Dragon Arts. Berryg, whose movements are restricted by the vines, attempts to swing his dual war hammers with brute force. But it is too late! I retreat using Spatial Jump, leaving the center of the storm around Berryg. Then, giant rocks, drawn in by the gale, fly towards him. Rocks more than twice his size, riding a vortex of dragon energy, approach the center of the storm at high speed. Not only that, but countless other rocks and debris, large and small, attack Berryg.
“Gguah!”
Although Berryg shatters the first giant rock, he cries out in agony at the relentless onslaught of rocks and debris. Even if it’s just dirt, flying in chunks becomes a formidable weapon. The stones turn the storm into a physically brutal force, slowing Berryg’s movements. And the giant rocks deliver a heavy, dull impact to Berryg. If sharp attacks are ineffective, then switch to blunt, heavy attacks. My Dragon Sword Dance is ineffective. But, I wonder, how would Mistral confront Berryg? Thinking that, I realized that while dragon arts might not work, Mistral’s formidable one-handed club would likely crush Berryg’s scales along with him. As expected, Berryg writhes in agony from attacks like being battered by rocks.
“Wh-what the…!”
Berryg glares at me. But then, a rock flies at high speed and hits his face. Berryg’s head snaps back as if struck. And he lets out a groan of pain. It’s working, it’s working. At this point, all that’s left is to wait for Berryg to surrender. Berryg swings his counterattack war hammer. However, he is blocked by obstacles gathering from all over the battlefield, and the attack cannot reach me.
“Gugyagyyaaa!”
“Gueh, what is this!”
“Kuoohhh!”
Demons and magic beasts caught in the Storm Dragon Arts are swept up by the gale and fly through the air. They are then propelled towards Berryg at the center. Along the way, they collide with rocks, are crushed, and turn into chunks of flesh. Even if they survive long enough to hit Berryg, they meet a gruesome end from the impact.
“Elnea-kun, you’re merciless.”
Perhaps judging that the battle is decided, Luiseine approaches me, wears a wry smile.
“Yes. It’s all I can do.”
Luiseine tilts her head at my words.
“I don’t think I can fully bear all of Berryg’s sorrow. In that case, all I can do is offer a requiem for Berryg’s beloved.”
The storm briefly subsides. In the center of the gale, Berryg, with his scales stripped bare and his face contorted in agony, kneels on one knee. However, his gaze remains fixed on me, unwavering.
“…Is this your power.”
“Yes.”
“The strength of the Eight Dragon Kings?”
“Have you learned it firsthand?”
Even though the storm still rages and demons and magic beasts are blown away amidst rocks and debris on the outskirts, our voices somehow reach each other clearly.
“My wife was killed by you…”
“There is no mistake. I did it with these hands. I fought with all my might.”
“…I see.”
Berryg closes his eyelids, obscuring his gaze from me.
“She fought against such a strong opponent in the end. Someone I couldn’t even lay a hand on. The Eight Dragon Kings delivered the final blow?”
Berryg mutters as if to himself. Luiseine and I quietly continue to watch him. Berryg’s beloved was also a warrior. However, she wielded a cursed weapon and met an unwilling end. Perhaps Berryg couldn’t forgive that more than his grief. Dragon Race warriors take great pride in being warriors. Only those who undergo strict training and overcome trials can become warriors. To be cursed, lose oneself, and die in an unwilling battle might be an unbearable humiliation. Berryg undoubtedly feels the sorrow of losing his beloved. But more than that, he grieves for his consort who met such a pathetic end. For such a Berryg, what can I do? Is it not to tell you that your cherished person had a splendid end as a warrior? I must prove that the person Berryg loved was by no means weak. I must prove that she fought with all her might against an opponent whom Berryg himself acknowledged as strong, and then died. I must teach Berryg that the person who died an ignoble death due to a curse was, in fact, brave and fought like a warrior until the very end. This is the only atonement I can offer. It is a single salute and a requiem for the fallen warrior.
“She died as a warrior.”
Warriors sometimes wish to die on the battlefield. Perhaps Berryg’s beloved was such a person.
“…When she was cursed. I couldn’t do anything.”
After a long silence, Berryg opens his eyes, lets go of his dual war hammers, and stares at his hands.
“I should have been the one to deliver the final blow. I should have sent her off with these hands before she met an ignoble death. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to kill her. What a weak heart. What pathetic resolve. And I am a Dragon King? Don’t be ridiculous. I am neither a Dragon King nor a proud warrior of the Dragon Race. I am a pathetic coward.”
“That’s not true. You are a great Dragon King.”
I reply to Berryg’s lament.
“I, too, absolutely cannot kill my own family. If I lost them, I would surely fall into the deepest despair. But that’s normal for a human, isn’t it?”
Because you are a proud warrior, you shouldn’t grieve the death of your kin. Because you are a Dragon King, you must act for Dragon Peak and the Dragon Race no matter what. I think that’s wrong. It’s okay to grieve when you’re sad and to be dejected when you’re in pain.
“I believe your sorrow and lament are valid. But that is precisely why I want you to look forward.”
I approach Berryg and extend my hand.
“Many Dragon Race members and dragons are experiencing the same sorrow as you now. It’s all because of the demons and Orta. Do you want your children and surviving kin to suffer the same fate? Do you want to add even more sorrow? If you don’t want that, please take my hand. And, together, let’s quell the turmoil at Dragon Peak and mourn for the departed.”
Berryg stares intently at the hand I’ve offered.
“However, I am already…”
“Ah, you’re truly stubborn!”
His heart is already wavering, yet he resists. He must have figured out what he needs to do next through our fight. He is now agonizing over the sin he committed. I take Berryg’s hand and forcibly help him stand.
“You stubborn old man! For once, be true to your heart!”
“No, I think the result of being too true to my heart was the rampage just now…”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true…”
Amidst this meaningless banter, a smile finally appears on Berryg’s and my faces.
