We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The will to win.
“Ruiseine. To ensure Lugah is taken down, it seems I’ll need your help. Will you fight with me?”
“Yes, I’ll gladly assist!”
Wol, who transformed into human-dragon form from the start, didn’t show even the slightest opening. As Ruiseine was asked for help by him, she regripped her naginata.
“Ngaaaaaahhhhhh!! Wol, you stand in my way for the third time!”
“This time, I’ll definitely defeat you.”
“That’s my line! I’ll defeat you, who will inherit the Eight Great Dragon Kings, and show everyone who was truly worthy of being Dragon King!!”
“Oh my, oh my, if that’s the case, then my husband is also one of the Eight Great Dragon Kings? Compared to Elnea-kun, it seems you still have a ways to go.”
Ruiseine’s provocation was unlike that of a modest miko.
Ah, to be precise, she’s a Battle Priestess, so perhaps in battles like this, her demeanor becomes daring and fearless?
Ruiseine displays my Storm Dragon Arts, which fill the world, to Lugah.
Lugah’s dragon aura runs rampant. However, faced with the overwhelming might of the storm clouds swirling in the sky, the lightning strikes that rain down like water, and the gale force winds that churn the atmosphere, Lugah’s dragon aura is nothing more than a tiny presence.
Lugah, who finally realized the scale of the Storm Dragon Arts, let out a war cry that seemed to tear his throat.
However, even Lugah’s scream was drowned out by the thunderous roar that shook the atmosphere.
“Now, shall we finish this? Eight Great Dragon King Wol, I shall advance!”
Spreading his wings, Wol took flight.
Ruiseine chanted her sorcery.
Lugah, having achieved human-dragon transformation, met the attack, his dragon aura surging.
“Hahaha. It’s lively over there. Well then, shall I enjoy myself a bit too?”
Facing the swordsman clad in jet-black full armor, Ruilala drew the long sword from her waist. The swordsman, glaring hatefully at Yufilia, Nina, and Madrine, showed caution towards the threat before him.
“Madrine, you should step back now. Your magic power is depleted, isn’t it?”
“Madrine, you should rest now. You’ve used up all your magic power, haven’t you?”
“Mgh, are you trying to dismiss me like that?”
“No, no, I’d prefer if all three of you would step back, okay? Otherwise, I won’t be responsible if you get hurt.”
“If I get hurt, I’ll tell Elnea-kun.”
“If I get hurt, I’ll tell the Demon Lord.”
“That’s harsh. I’m saying this because I care about you.”
Even without Yufilia and Nina reporting it, I grasp all the movements on the battlefield. Furthermore, the Demon Lord should also be sensing our battle situation through the gem embedded in the White Sword.
If Ruilala were to injure any of my kin, I’d strike them with lightning!
Though I didn’t say it out loud, Ruilala seemed to understand my thoughts upon seeing the thunderclouds overhead.
“Lately, I’ve been thinking. Elnea-kun’s family is more terrible than demons, don’t you think?”
While cracking such lighthearted jokes, Ruilala closed the distance with the swordsman. The swordsman gripped the god-slaying magic sword anew and lunged at Ruilala himself. The two high-ranking demons clashed swords, scattering sparks fiercely.
“It can’t be helped. In that case, I’ll go clean up my sister’s mess.”
“It can’t be helped. In that case, I’ll go help my sister.”
“Well then, me too.”
“Madrine, you should rest!”
Apparently realizing they couldn’t intervene in the duel between the demons, the three maidens changed their battleground. However, Madrine, who was showing enthusiasm, had no strength in her lower body. She had exhausted her magic power purifying the armor of the Nine Demon Generals. Yufilia and Nina, concerned about Madrine, urged her to rest. Then they themselves rushed to their younger sister, Sefina.
“Sisters, don’t interfere!”
And thus, their offer of cooperation was casually rejected.
“Uhyahyahya, isn’t that fine? I welcome any number of women, you know?”
Another high-ranking demon, Ryzen, laughed merrily and gazed at the arriving Yufilia and Nina with lewd eyes. Sefina, who refused Yufilia and Nina’s help, was covered in dust. It seemed from being blown away and rolling on the ground multiple times, her clothes were in a sorry state.
However, despite her terrible appearance, she had no major injuries.
“Sefina, are you alright?”
“Sefina, can you win?”
“Of course. Fighting you sisters is far more difficult than fighting this guy.”
Sefina wiped the blood flowing from her mouth with her dust-covered fist. Her sharply shining eyes held not the slightest shadow.
Every one of her actions was as cool as ever, making even a man like me admire her. Seeing Sefina like that, Yufilia and Nina stepped back.
“As Elnea-kun’s kin, I cannot afford to lose.”
“As Elnea-kun’s kin, you must win.”
“Yes, leave it to me. Sisters, you just watch from over there.”
Saying so, Sefina clenched her fist.
Ryzen, who had been grinning lewdly while watching the sisters’ exchange, lowered his stance and got into a defensive posture.
“Seriously, don’t you want to lie down and have some fun with me?”
“Oh, what a shame. I’ve decided that Elnea-kun is the only one I roll around with in bed. I absolutely won’t with you.”
“In that case, I’ll force you down!”
Ryzen charged. Leaving afterimages, he instantly slipped into Sefina’s range. A punch was thrown!
Sefina’s upper body swayed gently. Then, with a natural movement, she evaded Ryzen’s punch.
“I’ve had enough of those movements!”
Ryzen seemed to have anticipated his punch being deflected, and immediately followed up with his next move. He enhanced his physical abilities with magic power, exhibiting an unnatural, rapid movement. His arm, which should have been extended after being deflected, returned with a recoil as if pushed back by something unseen. Then, an elbow strike assaulted Sefina. Nevertheless, Sefina reacted smoothly and dodged Ryzen’s attack.
Ryzen’s fierce assault continued thereafter. However, Sefina skillfully parried them with her flowing water-like technique. Still, against the high-speed Ryzen, Sefina gradually began to be pushed back.
“Sefina!”
Yufilia and Nina’s voices overlapped. Sefina, hit by Ryzen’s knee to the abdomen, was sent flying through the air.
“Hyahyahah!”
Ryzen, who finally landed an attack, laughed merrily and attempted a follow-up. Just then, a rain of lightning strikes from above!
“Tch!”
Ryzen, reacting quickly to the magic from overhead, gave up pursuing Sefina and took evasive action. In the meantime, the thrown Sefina landed on the ground. With a clean breakfall.
“My, this sort of kick is nothing much, you know?”
With a light flick, Sefina brushed back her disheveled hair. As she said, she didn’t seem to have suffered any significant pain.
“Hey, Sefina, don’t worry us like that!”
“Hey, Sefina, don’t cause us trouble!”
“I’m sorry. Well then, shall I get serious now?”
Saying so, perhaps to her two sisters, or perhaps to me who provided support with lightning strikes, Sefina looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.
“Whoa there, you can’t be serious? I was coming at you for real.”
“No matter how serious a shallow man tries to be, he’s still shallow.”
“You sure got some nerve. In that case, I’ll get serious too and push you down.”
Ryzen grinned and drew a weapon he had hidden behind his back.
“That’s one of the Nine Demon Generals’ armaments, the Great Ogre’s Claw. Even a mere scratch can curse you, so please be careful.”
Charlotte was observing from the distant battlefield. Although Charlotte’s words wouldn’t reach Sefina…
However, even without Charlotte’s words reaching her, I could tell from its aura that the Great Ogre’s Claw was a terrifying weapon. A malevolent stagnation clung to Ryzen’s hand, which was equipped with the Great Ogre’s Claw.
“A long, long time ago. There was a fearsome great ogre. This weapon is said to have originated from slowly and carefully peeling off its claws. The great ogre writhed in agony and cursed the world, they say. How terrifying, isn’t it?”
“You, who wield such a weapon so readily, are far more terrifying.”
“Hahaha, you might not be wrong.”
Ryzen laughed cheerfully. Sefina sighed at this utterly frivolous demon. Then, she gathered her fist to her waist and slowly took her stance.
“Just receiving passively is a bit boring, you know? It’s more fun when women are proactive too.”
“In that case, I’ll meet that expectation. However, you can’t regret it later, okay!”
Sefina’s aura calmed down. Like the surface of calm water, all unnecessary fluctuations were eliminated, reflecting the world like a mirror.
Ryzen, with his usual dirty grin, eyed Sefina intently, observing her.
“Elnea, who do you think will drop out of this fight first?”
Just as everyone’s battles continued, the deadly duel between me and Baltnowar also continued. Baltnowar, who had received the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword head-on, asked me such a thing.
“Don’t you think it’ll be you first?”
“Hahaha. True, perhaps I’m in danger at this rate?”
“That’s not something to say while laughing!”
I made the White Sword glint and slashed at Baltnowar. Baltnowar skillfully brandished his long sword and deflected the White Sword’s slash.
Against my twin swords, Baltnowar had only one long sword. Yet, he could keep up with the consecutive attacks of the Dragon Sword Dance! Is this the ability of the elder generation? But my attacks aren’t just this!
I channeled my cultivated dragon energy into the Dragon Sword Dance, raising it to the heavens. The ascended dragon energy became Storm Dragon Arts, further agitating the world. A fierce wind swirled.
“Well then, shall we end this?”
My murmur was carried away by the raging wind and didn’t reach Baltnowar.
As a feint, I swung the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. Inside me, Ares-san responded, and the Spirit Tree Arts were activated. Riding the wind, countless Spirit Tree leaves danced in a frenzy. The Spirit Tree leaves grazed Baltnowar. Merely that was enough to tear his tattered clothes and cause fresh blood to spurt.
“Kuh!”
Baltnowar took a step back. Seizing that moment. I swung the White Sword, held in an upward stance, down with great force!
“Tch!!”
Baltnowar braced himself instinctively.
“Haa!”
A short battle cry. But it wasn’t mine. It was Sefina’s voice.
“Wha, what the…?!”
The one left speechless was the high-ranking demon, Ryzen. The Great Scythe Dragon Arts, swung down from the sky. However, it didn’t reach Baltnowar’s head. Instead, Sefina took the Great Scythe. More accurately, the Great Scythe was swung down towards Sefina’s fist.
With all her might, Sefina unleashed her fist! As the Great Scythe converged into Sefina’s fist, it was released as a multi-layered spiral blade! Towards Ryzen! Faster than Ryzen could discern Sefina’s finishing move. The spiral blade engulfed Ryzen’s entire body. And then. Without even a death cry, without leaving a shred of flesh, Ryzen, who was cut to pieces, was completely erased from existence. Only the Great Ogre’s Claw fell to the ground with a clang at the end.
“To succeed on the fly, she’s quite spirited.”
Inside me, Ares-san was praising Sefina.
“So that’s the finishing move Sefina was hiding?”
“Yes. Manipulating the dragon arts of others and making them her own. I must say, the idea is remarkable.”
When Sefina first rolled at my feet. What she asked for was precisely this situation. “Please drop the Great Scythe Dragon Arts onto me.” I didn’t voice it, so it would have revealed the plan, but Ares-san read my mind. And I, connected to Ares-san, understood it instantly. Sefina was already skilled at handling dragon energy. Then, by having Jiludo-san, who manipulates dragon arts freely, train her, her abilities blossomed.
The flowing water movements were a byproduct of this finishing move. To evade and neutralize the opponent’s power or arts. Conversely, if you use that, you can freely control even larger arts that you can’t handle yourself, right! Sefina’s humiliation was splendidly repaid.
“I told you. You wouldn’t be able to regret it later.”
Sefina, with a hand on her hip and gazing at the spot where Ryzen had vanished without a trace, was as cool as ever. By clicking the heart, you can easily convey your support.
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