We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 317

We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.

Savior of Dragon Peak.

Her voice was clear and resonant, far beyond what one would expect from a girl her age. She closed her eyes, concentrating deeply.

The spiritual energy flowing in from Mistral was refined within Ruiseine, then released.

The gathered Miko gasped as Ruiseine began her incantation in a unique melodic tone.

But that was only for a moment, as everyone moved as if they understood what they needed to do.

Two Miko approached from either side of Ruiseine, placing their hands on her shoulders. Then, another Miko took the free hand of the Miko whose hand was on Ruiseine’s shoulder. The next Miko took the free hand of the previous one, and the Miko continued to join hands, placing them on shoulders and waists, connecting together.

With a *thump*, Ruiseine struck the cobblestones with the butt of her naginata. Then, the spiritual energy that had filled Ruiseine’s inner self flowed to the Miko who had touched and connected with each other.

The flowing spiritual energy coursed through the Miko, was refined and amplified, then passed to the next Miko. This spiritual energy, filtered and amplified countless times, was released.

A great barrier began to be re deployed, overlapping the barrier that the chicken dragons had set up.

Columns of light were revived, enveloping the Great Shrine and the Shrine Plaza.

No explanation was needed.

Assessing the situation. Our presence. The figures of Mistral and Anemone. Who was the enemy and who was the ally.

The hearts of the Miko and Miko, who are destined to protect people, maintain their precepts daily, and continue their rigorous training, remained unshaken.

They moved precisely, without losing sight of what needed to be done now, which was deeply impressive.

It was not a time for us to stand idly by.

Mistral, Anemone, and I nodded to each other.

“I’ll leave the sky to Lyra. I will protect the west.”

“I’ll just be in the way, so I’ll focus on the task of receiving the Dragon Race people who are arriving late.”

“Yes. Thank you. I will protect the east.”

The Great Shrine is built facing the main street that runs north and south through the center of the capital.

On the western side facing the main street. The Shrine Plaza spread out there, with a solemn stone shrine standing behind it.

Surrounding the Great Shrine, the north had a cityscape for visitors, such as souvenir shops and accommodations. The west had many residences for the clergy, and the south had recreational areas such as parks and rest areas. And across the main street to the east, there were shops and residences used by the people of the capital.

Mistral elegantly flapped her beautiful wings on her back and soared into the sky. Then, she flew over the Great Shrine and disappeared to the west.

I too, leaving Anemone behind, performed a spatial jump.

As we landed in the Shrine Plaza, the people who had evacuated surrounded us, making it difficult to run. If that’s the case, it would be faster to just dash through with a spatial jump.

A voice of surprise rose from behind me as I disappeared in an instant.

The great incantation of the Miko, the clamor of the evacuated people. And, hearing the voices of those praying to the Goddess in the background, I performed consecutive spatial jumps.

It was possible to break through the plaza with just a few spatial jumps. However, there were those who caught me before I could leave the plaza.

“Ernea-kun has arrived.”

“Ernea-kun has come.”

“No, no, why are the two of you here? I thought I asked you to head to the Royal Castle.”

“We’ve already been.”

“We’ve already evacuated them.”

“Why evacuate…”

Recognizing me as I performed spatial jumps, the Twin Princesses ran from the north.

I stopped to greet them.

The Twin Princesses, who ran up to us, were both glistening with sweat. Their sun-kissed skin repelled the sweat, and their silver hair shone brilliantly.

In the cold wind from Dragon Peak, their cheeks were flushed red.

They had been working hard. Even though a barrier had been set up with powerful magic, if they continued to leave the approaching Demon Race unopposed, they would only fall into disadvantage.

The priests and warriors and Twin Princesses who could not participate in the great incantation were fighting the Demon Race outside the barrier.

I escorted Ruiseine and Creacio to the shrine and headed for the Royal Castle. I didn’t probe into why they chose evacuation, but they returned afterward and fought.

They appeared with smiles, but they must have been exhausted. Thinking so, I handed Yufilia a mass of dragon energy shaped like a chicken dragon.

“Fufufu. Thank you.”

“Ernea-kun. How unfair to my older sister.”

Yufilia embraced the chicken dragon formed by dragon energy, and it slowly dissolved into her body.

“Kuwa! What is that strange-shaped magic!”

“Ah, everyone. Thank you for the barrier.”

“Don’t mention it, boy of the potato. We merely protected ourselves.”

Next to appear were the chicken dragons. If the chicken dragons hadn’t been there, the Great Shrine would surely have vanished by now. I thanked them again and briefly explained dragon arts.

“Hmm. We could point out that the modeling is still insufficient. We are more divine than that.”

“Yes, I will strive to improve.”

“Humility is good.”

The chicken dragons seemed to have gathered in a place separate from humans. I assumed they had been informed by the people who took refuge in the Great Shrine under their protection, but perhaps the chicken dragons were avoiding them. People looked at the chicken dragons with curiosity, which might have been bothersome. Although they resembled chickens, they were still dragons, possessing great pride and dignity. They likely preferred not to be put on display. Nevertheless, I was deeply grateful that they had erected a barrier to protect humanity. The chicken dragons claimed they only protected themselves, but if that were the case, they could have simply erected a barrier around themselves. Deploying it over the same area as the great barrier was undeniably to protect humankind.

“So, what will you do from now on?”

“I think I will protect the east side.”

“In that case, we will protect the north.”

“Then, leave the north to us.”

“It would be worrying if you twin princesses were alone. We will maintain the barrier, but we will send some hot-blooded individuals to reinforce you.”

“Oh, how wonderful.”

“Oh, this sounds like it will be fun.”

This is dangerous… Twin Princesses reinforced by bloodthirsty chicken dragons? The north was already a mountain of rubble from the recent big explosion. I tried to warn them not to damage the capital any further, but they retorted that I had no right to say that. I’ll be sure to restrain myself! The Great Shrine and its surroundings will be protected by Ruiseine’s great barrier. Since the chicken dragons will also maintain the barrier, it is impregnable. Mistral headed west. Although she is using the Dragon Jewel more than necessary to send spiritual energy to Ruiseine, she can be fully trusted. The north will be handled by the Twin Princesses and the chicken dragons. In addition, the Dragon Race people who are arriving late will be able to counter the Demon Race attacking from the west and north. I will protect the east side. Being on the main street, it is easy for the Demon Race to gather there. But it’s alright. I am now adept at area attacks! So, what about the remaining south side? The last visitors have arrived. “Lily-chan has arrived!” How many people noticed the black dot that appeared in the sky in the southeast? Her cute voice did not match her gigantic body. The people in the plaza started to commotion at Lily, a black winged dragon who spoke human language, which alone was enough to make one speechless. “The ruins can no longer be contained, so I came!” “Are the warriors of the Mimicho Race and the Dragon Forest alright?” “They are fine because the Magic Beasts have returned!” “So, you lost the ability to use wide-range dragon arts in a place where you had to fight amidst chaos, and you abandoned your post.” “You say more terrible things than His Majesty.” Lily laughed, her throat rumbling with amusement. However, her appearance only instilled fear in ordinary people. I could sense the aura of the capital’s people recoiling behind me. But Lily’s appearance was just the beginning. “Ooh, did we make it in time!” “Fahaha! Alright, let’s wreak some havoc.” “I heard there will be rewards from Ernea for whoever is most active.” “Is that true? I’m looking forward to it!” “I want beef. I want beef.” “I heard human food is surprisingly delicious.” “Work, work. It’s food!” The Earth Dragons appeared, clamoring. “Whaaaa, why did you all come!” I couldn’t help but shout. “What are you saying? We left behind those who lost the lottery to guard the designated locations.” “Indeed. What a pity to have bad luck.” What’s this about losing a lottery to stay behind… “Ooh, what do you mean by leaving us behind!” “I’m tired of running before the fight…” “I’ve had enough of being a delivery person. Now, let us deal with the Demon Race!” The Dragon Race people, who were delayed, appeared next. They forcefully thrust the flowers they were holding into the hands of the people in the plaza, then grabbed their weapons and let out war cries. “Ernea, we have come to assist you.” “This is the final battle, isn’t it?” To top it all off, Carly and several other Mimicho warriors arrived. “Ehhh, Carly and the others are here too!?” “Indeed. Lily-dono took flight, so we came chasing after her, wondering what was happening.” “Lily, isn’t this different from what we discussed?” “Hmmmm… You didn’t say anything about getting permission, did you-” Lily averted her eyes, and Carly and I gave a wry smile. “Is it alright over there?” “No problem. The Magic Beasts are doing well.” “Fahaha. What about us, the Magic Beasts?” “Ehhhh. You guys came too!” It’s not alright! The Magic Beasts who had fought bravely at the West Fortress also appeared, and the plaza was descending into chaos. I was afraid to look back… “Why is everyone gathering here…” I muttered, and everyone laughed. “Because everyone wants to fight with Ernea-kun.” “Because everyone wants to be by Ernea-kun’s side.” Somehow, I felt a mix of happiness, embarrassment, and confusion. However, I was grateful that everyone had gathered like this. “Alright. Then Lily and Carly-san, please take care of the south side. And, everyone from the Magic Beasts, can you assist Yufi and Nina?” “Leave it to us!” “Understood.” “Alright, let’s go!” At my command, everyone dispersed. “What should we do?” I decided to have the remaining Dragon Race people head towards Mistral. If the fighting strength was in place, there was no need to burden Mistral alone. The Dragon Race headed west, and I began to run again towards the east. Breaking through the great barrier and the chicken dragon’s magic, I burst onto the main street. Countless demons were already swarming there. They were casting magic and trying to shatter the barrier. I swung the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword in my left hand. Verdant leaves, unsuited to the gray winter scenery, swirled. The leaves danced, repelling the magic. Then they attacked the demons, slashing them to pieces. I leaped into the small gap created by the Spirit Tree’s magic. Dance. There was no need to hold back anymore. Now, all that was left was to annihilate the demons. I sent dragon energy into the white sword in my right hand. Dragon energy surged through my body and flowed into the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. The demons in the vicinity died instantly. Sensing my dragon sword dance, the demons began to distance themselves. Then, they attacked with magic. I remembered my sparring with Zan. The demons switched to long-range attacks against me, who excelled in close combat. But, I had grown. If they couldn’t be reached. If they tried to escape. I should just draw them in! Rampaging dragon energy erupted from the released Dragon Jewel. While performing my dragon sword dance, I scattered the overflowing dragon energy and the power of the surging dragon veins. The waves of dragon energy spread like ripples, and my consciousness expanded throughout the capital. I could feel it. Numerous demons rampaging throughout the capital. The presence of humans fighting bravely. The extraordinary dragon energy of the Dragon Race protecting the evacuation shelters. In certain places, I recognized the presence of individuals with immense magical power. They were high-ranking demons. In the Demon Race Army, demon generals and soldiers were the main fighting force. However, there were other terrifying beings. High-ranking demons, capable of withstanding even my true lightning strikes, were participating in the war seeking destruction and slaughter. They could not be underestimated. They might even be worse than the disciplined demon generals and soldiers. I detected the presence of multiple high-ranking demons, in accordance with the ripples of dragon energy that encompassed the capital and continued to spread. In the west, a presence that appeared to be Id was confronting a high-ranking demon. The north was also in a melee. I could sense that multiple demons had already crossed the fortress and were fighting within against Listea and others. Perhaps the demon Listea and her companions were facing was the Great Demon Yan. Its aura was peculiar. In the south and east, Magic Beasts and demons were fighting mixed together. I noticed that the Dragon Forest was being protected by an aura similar to Ares-chan’s. Come to think of it, the Grand Elder of the Mimicho Race, Yufi-sama, said she would use great spirit arts. The forest’s defense might be alright if that’s the case. While cutting down demons who bravely engaged in close combat, I read the auras throughout the capital. And then, towards convergence. I began to gather the spreading dragon energy. Even now, I imagined the crimson hell created by the Shōjō was swirling in a corner of Dragon Peak. Was Orta still alive within that inferno? If so, how painful and torturous it must be. But, there was nothing else we could have done back then. I don’t sympathize with Orta. I don’t regret it. However, I don’t want to make the same choice again. Therefore, I will defeat those I can defeat. I will show no mercy to enemies who come at me! Infusing my dragon energy with strong resolve, I drew it in. The spreading dragon energy began to swirl and converge. The spiraling, rampant dragon energy whipped up the wind, entangling the demons in the surroundings, churning them, and creating gale-force winds that dominated the capital. The gray, thick clouds were swept away by the wind, swirling into a vortex, beginning to resemble a storm. The jewel embedded in the hilt of my white sword glowed pale blue. The storm in the sky summoned thunder, intensifying further. In contrast to the wild weather, I felt a calm, divine dragon energy from Mistral in the west. My dragon energy mingled with Mistral’s and rose towards the sky. If anyone were to witness this, they might have seen it as the twinkling of stars flowing upwards from the ground to the heavens. The raging, swirling dragon energy. The divine dragon energy rising to the heavens. The magical power covering the sky. These complexly intertwined, summoning a winter storm. Clicking the heart allows you to easily convey your support (login required). Support If you have an account, please log in Learn more about the reading experience on Kakucom.