We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 610

We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.

Ruga Dowan

The area around me, as I meditate, is as lively as ever.

Priscilla-chan, Ares-chan, and Nimia are happily playing by the lake in the courtyard, even though it’s still early spring.
Yufilia and Nina are training against Sefina-san. …No, I wonder if that’s training.

Yufilia and Nina are chasing after Sefina-san, who is on the run, like demons.
However, Sefina-san is skillfully evading the demonic hands of her two older sisters with fluid movements.
It seems the fruits of her training are already showing.

“Ruiseine hato…”

As I expand my consciousness, I sense her presence within the mansion.
The mansion is protected by magic to maintain cleanliness, but that only applies to rooms that are not in use. Places that are used regularly get dirty and messy as usual.

Well, it would be creepy if the disheveled bedding from after a night’s use magically cleaned itself by the next night.

So, Ruiseine is probably cleaning up the places she has used.

“Cleaning is not my strong suit, nya.”

Nimia, who flew past me as I sat in meditation, said something like that.
I’m not good at cleaning either.
It’s not just me. Priscilla-chan, Yufilia, and Nina are all not good at it.

“Ruiseine, I’m sorry.”

If Mistral were here, we would all be scolded and have to clean together, wouldn’t we?
Forgive me!
At least I have something I *must* do!

As I meditate, my consciousness extends far away, riding the dragon veins.
My consciousness crosses the mansion and reaches Dragon Peak, visible to the east.

The mountains of Dragon Peak, facing east of the Forbidden Territory, are a region called the Dragon’s Mausoleum.
In that Dragon’s Mausoleum, a Dragon Race member named Ruga Dowan is rampaging.
And, in pursuit of Ruga, who attacks old dragons, a group of volunteers from the Dragon Race has gone out to search.

Airi-san, whose presence I don’t sense in the mansion, has also entered Dragon Peak since morning.
By the way, Jiludo-san, who was forced to deal with Airi-san all last night, is still in bed. When I went to check on him in the morning, he was suffering from a hangover.

My consciousness bypasses Airi-san, who is searching for Ruga and old dragons in the shallows of Dragon Peak, and extends even further.
If I extend it this far, I can’t feel the subtle movements of every presence. However, I can sense some kind of anomaly, a sudden surge of dragon energy, or a presence that seems to be drawing from the dragon veins.

A long time ago.
It was shortly after I met Sleigsta (Old Man) and Mistral for the first time.
When I was in danger in the ancient ruins, Sleigsta (Old Man) sensed it through the dragon veins and sent Mistral to my rescue.
Now, I am the one monitoring the dragon veins and searching for anomalies. I continue my meditation, thinking about how much my life has changed in just a few years.

And then, it happened suddenly.

“Nimia, prepare for departure!”

To the south. Near the area where the Dragon’s Mausoleum, facing the Forbidden Territory, overlaps with the northern part of Dragon Peak, I suddenly detected the presence of an explosion of dragon energy. Following that, the dragon veins became turbulent.
Someone is probably drawing power roughly from the dragon veins. And that must be a signal that some kind of battle is occurring!

At my command, everyone moves quickly.
When Nimia grows larger, Yufilia and Nina jump on. Ruiseine, sensing the commotion outside keenly, also rushes out with her naginata in hand.

“Jiludo-san, please watch Priscilla-chan!”
“Um, leave the staying home to me.”
“Be careful and go.”

I entrusted Priscilla-chan to Jiludo-san, who came out of the mansion at the same time as Ruiseine.

Priscilla-chan must continue to guard the Forbidden Territory. So, she’s staying behind.
If a Mimicho race woman were to attack in response to Ruga, Priscilla-chan would be needed to assist Yunyun and Rinrin.

“Elnea-kun, I want to go too?”
“Sefina.”

Then, Sefina-san, looking up at us who had jumped onto Nimia’s back, made her request.

“Sefina, you still need to train.”
“Sefina, you still need to stay here.”

Her twin sisters said curtly.
However, Sefina-san looked at me, not her two older sisters, and pleaded again.

Now, what should I do?
I believe Sefina-san has become stronger than before through her training.
But…

I hesitate for a moment.
At that moment, Jiludo-san speaks to me gently.

“Elnea-kun, take Sefina-san with you. Whether she can be a fighting force or not is another matter. I believe it’s important for her to witness firsthand the burdens you carry. Besides, if you leave her here, the Mimicho race might attack, right? In that case, she would be safer by your side.”

With Jiludo-san’s words, “I can protect even just Priscilla-chan,” I reached out to Sefina-san.

“Sefina-san, let’s go together. And Jiludo-san, please let me know if anything happens here.”
“Of course. I will buy us time and await reinforcements for Elnea-kun and the others.”

If a veteran warrior says they will buy time, they will probably buy any amount of time. Jiludo-san, even though he is retired, has that much skill.

We left the Forbidden Territory to Jiludo-san and the others, and hurried towards the place where the dragon energy had exploded.
As long as I indicate the direction, Nimia, who is an Ancient Dragon Species, will sense it.
Nimia flies at such a speed that the scenery below streams by like a line.
And we quickly arrived at the raging land.

“I’ll go first!”

Nimia descends in altitude, flying just above the treetops.
Using Spatial Jump, I go ahead and land on the ground.
A fierce battle was unfolding on the ground right now.
However, the situation where I landed was quite chaotic.

Dragon Race members who had undergone Jinryūka (Human-Dragon Transformation) were clashing fiercely.
One was a giant man, rampaging while swinging a thick, long spear. The other was also a large man, whom I recognized.
He was a Dragon Race warrior I had seen at the ruins of the northernmost village.
So, the giant man swinging the thick, long spear is probably Ruga.

The giant man swings his long spear. The large Dragon Race warrior blocks it with his thick-fleshed double-headed axe, but stumbles back from the sheer power.
Upon closer inspection, the Dragon Race warrior is injured all over his body.
It seems the giant man is attacking unilaterally.

I draw my White Sword and Spirit Tree Wooden Sword.
However, instead of directly confronting the giant man who seemed to be Ruga, I turned my attention to the other disturbance.

“Hey, calm down already. We came to help!”

Another Jinryūka man is facing an old Earth Dragon and speaking to it.
The Earth Dragon was bleeding profusely from its torso and neck, and was enraged.

“Humans. To attack me with such petty tricks! I will not forgive you.”

This is far more dangerous than the fight between Ruga and the Dragon Race warrior.
The Earth Dragon unleashes torrent breaths at anyone and anything.

When the dragon energy released from the Earth Dragon’s mouth touched the ground, it kicked up rocks and debris, surging in a wide area like a wave.
Not only I, but Ruga and the others also hastily evaded.

With a loud bang, it strikes its thick tail, which has lost some of its scales.
This time, the ground liquefies and attacks our feet as we evaded.
If you get stuck, you’ll be pulled into a bottomless swamp and disappear into the deep ground in no time.
I escape using Spatial Jump. The Dragon Race warriors also dodge in their own ways.

“Hey, calm down. We are allies!”

The Dragon Race warrior facing the Earth Dragon desperately tries to restrain the rampaging dragon, but the Earth Dragon shows no sign of responding.
The old Earth Dragon is in a rampage from a surprise attack.

“Elnea-kun!”
“Got it!”

Seeing that Ruiseine and the others, who had landed in a safe place unlike me, had gathered, I swung my Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. At the same time, through Ares-chan, with whom I had assimilated beforehand, I activated the Spirit Tree’s magic.

The trees that were not swept up in the torrent breath extend their branches and vines, wrapping around the entire body of the Earth Dragon.

“Hmph, do you think this alone can bind me!”
Says the Earth Dragon, but its movements are restrained.
After all, these are branches and vines strengthened by receiving my dragon energy. They won’t break easily.
However, it is a dragon, after all.

Creak, groan, the branches and vines make a screeching noise.
It may not hold for long.
However, if the Earth Dragon’s movements are even slightly dulled, it will be in line with our plan.

“Ruiseine!”
“Yes!”

At my signal, Ruiseine jumps onto the Earth Dragon’s back.
Then, she performs healing magic on the Earth Dragon.

“Listen, we are not enemies. Look, the Miko is healing your wounds, isn’t she?”

The Earth Dragon is enveloped in soft green light.
Tsk, the giant man clicks his tongue obviously.

“See, it’s not scary. So, be good.”
“See, it’s not frightening. So, be a good boy.”

Yufilia and Nina are using some suspicious dragon arts.
The two of them clash their Ryūhōken (Dragon’s Bending Sword) in front of the Earth Dragon. The Earth Dragon, glaring at them, begins to sway as if dizzy.

“Come on, calm down. You are a wise Dragon Race, aren’t you? Then you can tell who is the enemy and who is the friend, right?”
“Hmph, my strength is being sapped. And the pain of the wound…”

Sefina-san gently strokes the Earth Dragon.
The Earth Dragon lowers its giant torso to the ground with a thud, prostrating itself.

What is this!?
It easily pacified a dragon!
Amazing, the three royal sisters. And Ruiseine.

However, the Earth Dragon should be fine now.
I turn my attention back to the giant man swinging his long spear.

“You are Ruga, aren’t you?”
“You know me? And you, human… I see, you are the Human Dragon King!”

Ruga’s pupils gleam ferociously.

“I’ve heard about the underhanded tactics from Wol, one of the Eight Dragon Kings. I will absolutely not forgive you!”
“Fufufufu, a mere human, saying you won’t forgive me? Just right. I will kill you and make my power known!”

He blows away a Dragon Race warrior who stepped into his range with a single blow of his long spear, and Ruga furiously charges towards me.

With the momentum of a thrust that seems to generate a shockwave, I sweep it away with my Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. As I do so, I rotate my body and swing my White Sword horizontally.
Ruga grips the ground with the sharp claws of his dragon-transformed legs, and stops his forward momentum with the impact of the thrust. And he directly receives my Dragon Sword Dance.

My White Sword glitters.
Ruga, perhaps sensing the danger of the White Sword, which is imbued with the Dragon Slayer attribute, dodges by shifting his body.
The tip of the White Sword lightly slashes through the scales on Ruga’s thick chest.

As if to counter, Ruga swings his long spear.
I lower my stance and deflect it with my Spirit Tree Wooden Sword.
Then, I unleash a kick as if leaping up from my lowered center of gravity.

Rruga judges it to be a simple human kick and blocks it with his left arm.
A dull sound echoes, and Ruga’s face contorts in pain.
The red cloth wrapped around his thick arm, where scales were exposed, came undone from the impact of the kick.

“Trash!!”

Perhaps his head is rushing with blood from the unexpected intense pain, Ruga roars in anger.

“A mere human!”

Ruga’s eyes turn red, and he swings his long spear down with his right hand.

“!”
The tip of the approaching long spear transforms into numerous dragon fangs and attacks.

This is a move I must not receive!

I activate Spatial Jump and distance myself from Ruga. Ruga’s ferocious strike, which failed to kill me, gouges countless deep holes in the ground.
If I had received it head-on, my body would undoubtedly have been riddled with holes.
However, it is not impossible to avoid.

I leap and approach Ruga again.
And I lure him into a Dragon Sword Dance starting with a strike from my White Sword.

Ruga, with a demonic expression, clashes blades with me.
His anger is palpable.
Why is this human the Dragon King? Hatred is infused into every attack he unleashes.
But I am not intimidated.
I walk the path of honor and have become a Dragon King recognized by the Dragon Race and Dragons.
Even if he unleashes his anger on me for attacking an old dragon with underhanded tactics, or hates me, I will not be afraid.

And I will never lose to Ruga, who has no pride as a Dragon Race member!

The Dragon Sword Dance finally begins to show its true power. The dragon energy I had spread out began to converge, starting with Ruga as the origin.

“Gah, what is this!?”

Ruga, finally noticing the anomaly around him, opens his eyes in astonishment.
But it’s too late!
The storm of dragon energy swirling and converging seals Ruga’s movements as he tries to escape.
I take some distance and bring my Spirit Tree Wooden Sword down from an upper stance.
Responding to my movement, the dragon energy that had converged in the sky becomes a great scythe and falls upon Ruga!

Facing the deadly presence approaching from above, Ruga shows a look of despair.
And then, the tip of the great scythe, which cuts through everything, hits Ruga.

Or, just before that!

With a violent vibration of the air, the great scythe of dragon energy I released is shattered.

“Seriously. Was that a close call? Or, if Elnea-kun had full intentions of killing Ruga, perhaps I couldn’t have stopped it. Was it that? Were you intending to capture Ruga and extract information from him? Or perhaps to make him atone for his sins?”
“Baltnowar!”

Suddenly, appearing between me and Ruga, Baltnowar, a man dressed in black, shattered the great scythe of dragon arts.