We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Sunny, with occasional rain.
I raised both my arms to shoulder height, extending the tips of my white sword and Spirit Tree Wooden Sword straight out. With a light spin, I began a gentle dance.
The hem of my clothes swayed beautifully with my movements. The entire rotating view was filled with a large number of beastmen rushing towards me.
Listea took the lead and charged. Her target was an elephant-type beastman. Nearby, a rhinoceros-type beastman was also present, and the group of giant bodies exuded an unusual presence.
The holy sword’s flames engulfed the beastman, whose body was more than twice Listea’s size. However, the elephant-type beastman charged forward, unfazed by the scorching heat.
A heavy warhammer was swung down, and a giant two-handed axe was brandished.
The flames engulfing Listea’s entire body were blown away.
The flames, at Listea’s will, took the form of crimson shields. Several shields made of fire blocked the physical attacks unleashed by the beastmen.
Leaving the defense to the flames, Listea herself charged into the close range of the elephant and rhinoceros-type beastmen.
Meanwhile, Ruiseine and the others were being attacked by small beastmen throwing arrows and javelins from a distance. Kiiri and Inea erected a barrier to defend, and Ruiseine swung her naginata. The sharp edge of the naginata intimidated those who approached and cut down incoming threats.
Only Gawon remained, watching our battle without participating.
He too is one of the beastmen. I don’t expect Gawon to join our side in a battle to demonstrate our power, so it’s fine.
“Ruiseine, stay by my side, okay?”
“Yes!”
Ruiseine, who had not entered the barrier of Kiiri and Inea, slipped next to me.
While I danced the Dragon Sword Dance, I dealt with carnivorous beastmen who approached with blinding speed.
My white sword swung gracefully from below, and the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword followed up from a different trajectory. I launched a kick, and the vines entwined with the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword flexed. Ruiseine read my dance with her Dragon Eyes and, beside me, crouched to dodge the sword strikes. While doing so, she wielded her naginata as if to cover my blind spots and unleashed sorcery.
This coordination was possible due to the performance of the Dragon Eyes and Ruiseine’s familiarity with my dance from having watched it so many times before.
Listea was also fighting alongside us from a distance.
Beastmen, and not just them, but living beings instinctively fear fire. With her holy flames, Listea prevented the heavily armored beastmen, who were difficult to attack, from approaching us.
Listea acted as the shield, Ruiseine as the support. Kiiri and Inea, the healers, also drew the beastmen’s attention with their conspicuous barriers, easing our burden.
The two girls, holding Mei, who were confined within the barrier, were likely an unavoidable target for the beastmen. They were defended by the barrier.
Everyone was acting in their respective roles.
We hadn’t discussed this in advance, but it seemed they understood their roles through unspoken agreement.
Well then, I, in charge of offense, must also show my true capabilities.
A leopard-type beastman approached in a low, creeping posture. A lion-type beastman leapt greatly and attacked ferociously. I met the simultaneous attack from the ground and sky with sword strikes swung from a crossed-hands position at different angles. Then, arching my back, I delivered a kick to the next opponent while doing a backflip.
I defeated the successive beastmen with seamless movements. The beastmen’s eyes darted back and forth, following my flowing swordplay and leg movements. The skilled ones stared intently into my eyes, trying to read my movements from my gaze.
However, for me, who had begun the Dragon Sword Dance, everyone was a co-star and an audience. I mesmerized my opponents and invited them into my dance. Those who were lured in, unaware they were being danced, extended their hands and feet. I lightly evaded them and unleashed a flurry of counterattacks.
“You’re in the way, move aside!”
Folganne roared!
With just his aura, he parted the swarm of allied beastmen and swung his twin war axes from outside their weapon range. A golden wave was released from the war axes, gouging the ground as it approached.
“Ruiseine!”
I scooped up Ruiseine, who was chanting a spell behind me, and performed a Spatial Jump. We appeared in a different location in an instant.
Even so, Folganne instantly read my movements and approached with the glint of a ferocious beast in his eyes. His attacks, launched from his savage body, generated shockwaves and targeted me even from a range where blades could not reach.
“Elnea-kun!”
“I’m alright!”
I took a large evasive action for the first attack, just in case. Once I confirmed it, I understood its power. I didn’t hesitate and met the golden shockwave head-on.
I saw Gawon gasp in surprise. Folganne’s lips curved slightly. The golden shockwave, which shattered the earth and sent dirt and rocks flying, engulfed me. For a moment, my vision shone blindingly. Immediately after, I felt a fierce impact of destruction.
“What!?”
However, it was Folganne who shouted. He seemed convinced he had defeated me with the shockwave. But he was mistaken. My body, strengthened by Dragon Energy, was like being clad in dragon scales. This much could not harm a dragon.
Having endured Folganne’s long-range attack, I continued the Dragon Sword Dance without stopping my movements. Now, if you want to see my power, it’s only just beginning!
Through the previous dances, a large amount of Dragon Energy had already permeated the surroundings. The beastmen, caught up in the fervor of the fierce battle, did not seem to notice the presence of this dense Dragon Energy. Even if they are not demons, they can sense an eerie magical presence. Even without Dragon Energy, they can read the extraordinary presence emitted by Dragon Race members and dragons. Beastmen, too, might have noticed the anomaly around them if they hadn’t been blinded by their immediate targets. But even if they had noticed, they couldn’t have stopped it.
The grassland, filled with Dragon Energy, began to rustle as if in a wind, though there was none. It gradually changed into a regular flow in a specific direction. Birds overlooking from above might have seen the airflow. The Dragon Energy swirled, converging towards me at the center. Simultaneously, it swept the beastmen into the vortex of Dragon Energy.
I deflected the sword strike of a horse-type beastman charging at me upwards with the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. The beastman was then blown high into the sky.
Screams began to erupt everywhere. Cries of terror arose from those who had been charging, those who had tried to retreat, the beastmen swarming Kiiri and Inea’s barrier, and even the giant beastmen Listea was facing.
“Gnnnh, what is this!?”
Folganne, who had dug his claws deep into the ground a short distance away, was enduring. The king of beasts seemed unable to attack or even move, glaring at me. However, Folganne’s sturdy body gradually began to sway under the force of the fierce vortex.
We were fighting near the Ruined Capital. The vortex of Dragon Energy engulfed not only this location but also the surrounding grasslands. Through the spread Dragon Energy, I grasped the entire grassland. Animals, sensing the signs of conflict from afar, raised their heads to observe the situation. Both carnivores and herbivores were watching the commotion together.
“It’s alright. I’m sorry for causing trouble.”
I conveyed my apology to the animals via the Dragon Energy.
I sensed a presence different from that of animals. Perhaps people who weren’t participating in the fight but were interested in the beastmen’s issues. Beastmen of different species were also observing the situation from a distance. I apologize, but I’ll involve you too. I don’t want to deal with the hassle of having to demonstrate my power again later by saying, “We weren’t involved, so we don’t acknowledge this!” I sensed the presence of several people in the center of the Ruined Capital. They seemed to be holed up in a barrier. I can’t let them be inconvenienced, so I’ll exclude them. The refined vortex of Dragon Energy selectively captured those it targeted. Then, it drew them into the flow of the vortex and gathered them at the center. The coiling Dragon Energy storm dominated the ground, dragging the beastmen in. Those drawn to the center were then blown high into the sky amidst screams.
Listea, freed up as the elephant-type beastman she was facing was blown away, looked up at the sky. Kiiri and Inea’s mouths hung open within the barrier. Ruiseine lowered her naginata, mesmerized by my dance. I continued to dance, sending the beastmen flying into the sky.
The great tornado of Dragon Energy cleared the clouds, transforming the sky into a faint green landscape visible through the visualized Dragon Energy. Lightning ran across the ground, rising from below. Like a long-bodied dragon soaring into the sky, multiple bolts of lightning, like roars, raged and stretched towards the sky. In the sky, the beastmen let out screams that sounded like they were dying. From the ground far below, it might have looked like a lightning dragon attacking. I took care not to hit the beastmen, though. The lightning, having risen to the sky, remained charged in the green sky and then rained down on the ground. Folganne alone clung to the ground with the claws of both his hands and feet, enduring the great tornado of Dragon Energy. However, that proved to be his undoing. The rain of lightning that fell on the ground electrocuted him. I felt like a deep roar echoed across the grassland, though I couldn’t hear it over the thunder.
“You really…”
I think I heard Listea’s sigh. Listea began to scatter holy flames with a sigh. In response, I spread fresh, vibrant Dragon Energy across the grassland anew. Behind me, Ruiseine began to recite a prayer. Strangely, Ruiseine’s magic power rode on my Dragon Energy and filled the grassland.
In the sky, the screams of the beastmen trapped in the swirling storm continued. Conversely, on the ground, a sense of joy began to spread. The Spirits, having received the Dragon Energy, rejoiced with delight. They danced with the holy flames, twinkling and shimmering, making the grassland beautifully radiant. The Dragon Energy, imbued with magic power, gave life to the grassland. Spring flowers grew vigorously, opening their buds that had been eagerly awaiting the unusually late spring. Red, yellow, blue, and white flowers bloomed profusely, and insects danced seeking nectar. Birds felt the Dragon Energy wind pleasantly, and animals expressed their joy by leaping.
Now, for the finishing touch. I summoned the wind from the western sky. From the distant Dragon Peak, a dense presence flowed along with the clear air towards the northern land. The Dragon Race claims it’s bothersome to hunt in the northern lands and prefers the Wyvern Hunting Ground. However, that’s not to say they don’t fly in the northern skies. The sky trembled with a power far exceeding mere thunder. The Dragon Race, vying with each other, roared and flew in, dominating the northern skies. Countless wyverns and winged dragons flew majestically over the beastmen being spun in the sky. I placed my hands on the shadows on the ground and summoned the ultimate being. The shadow wriggled and swelled. Then, from the shadow, a dragon more gigantic and terrifying than anything else appeared. It was Lily. Lily and I were riding on her head, which emerged from the shadow at our feet. Her black, lustrous scales reflected the surrounding flames and the brilliance of the spirits, shining beautifully. In stark contrast to the dazzling shimmer of her scales, she let out a hellish roar, baring terrifying fangs that pierced everything. Then, with her enormous mouth, she bit down on Folganne, who was still standing on the ground.
“Can I eat him?”
“No, no, the match is already decided. Excessive killing is forbidden.”
“Then, Your Majesty, it’s alright not to invite them, right?”
“…Uh. Absolutely do not invite them!”
Contrary to Lily’s and my lighthearted conversation, Folganne, held between her fangs, looked at me with a deathly pale face. His eyes were filled with terror, and his whole body was trembling violently. He seemed too frightened to even stammer out a plea for his life.
“Lily, that’s enough now, please release him.”
“Okay, okay~”
“Everyone, thank you too!”
I waved to the wyverns in the sky, thanking them.
“What, is it over already?”
“Boring.”
“I thought you’d eradicate those beastmen.”
“Hmph, are you new? Cooperating like this makes things more fun later!”
“Meat festival!”
The wyverns roared again with renewed vigor and returned to the skies of Dragon Peak. Lily spat out Folganne and lingered.
“Umm, is it okay to play?”
“A beautiful flower garden, nya.”
“…”
“Oh? Did Elnea create those ruins!?”
“…”
“Revalia and Mist said to go have fun, so…”
“…”
“Elnea-kun, you must take responsibility, okay?”
“This is strange. I thought only Lily could appear from shadows…”
“If you ride on my back, you can bring me along!”
“You know. It made a slithering sound and disappeared into the ground, then it reappeared with a squishy sound.”
A small, warm presence clung to me from behind. Something rested on my head. Someone else rubbed their pointed belly against me. I tried not to look down, focusing my attention on the departing wyverns and the beastmen who had been sent flying. With Lily’s summoning, the Dragon Sword Dance had ended. As the dance concluded, the great tornado of Dragon Energy gradually began to subside. Then, the beastmen, who had been sent soaring into the sky, started to fall back to the ground like raindrops.
“Look, the beastmen are like dust!”
“Elnea-kun, your personality is changing…?”
Whether they had exceeded their limits or not, no screams reached me from the falling beastmen. They all seemed to have fainted. I asked Lily to catch the falling beastmen with Dragon Arts.
“If Lily hadn’t come, how were you planning to catch them?”
“Hahaha.”
Only a dry laugh escaped me at Lily’s retort. The presence that had been clinging to me, mistaking my laugh for their own, started laughing and playing along noisily.
“Elnea-kun, we’ll leave Priscilla-chan and the others in your care, okay?”
“Ugh, Ruiseine, help me!”
I knew without looking. The young girls had come to the northern land with Lily. This is terrible. An unfamiliar land, beastmen with strange appearances. Can I control these young girls in this situation…? Looking down at the grassland, which had become an endless flower garden, from atop Lily’s head, I inwardly apologized to the lying beastmen for the next commotion.
