We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Hardship sneaks in quietly.
It’s been ten days since Elnea-kun and the others departed for the west.
We were forced to struggle in the borderlands of the Armēdo Kingdom.
“Injured personnel, please evacuate immediately!”
“Ruiseine, and Kiiri and Inea too, fall back. It’s about to happen!”
Mistral, who had been diving down, issues a warning.
It was at that moment.
With a rustling sound, an eerie darkness appeared deep within the forest, and at the same time, “they” boiled forth.
“There are so many this time! I can’t comprehend them all with my curse magic.”
“Creacio, please continue your main detection. Naimi and Sefina-sama, guard Creacio with me!”
Creacio spread a magic circle on the ground and focused on his curse magic. The three of them guarded him, maintaining a wary stance.
“Adventurers lacking confidence in their arms, also retreat!”
At Mistral’s repeated warning, many adventurers began to retreat in a panic.
However, even if I was told to “retreat,” I couldn’t just back down yet.
This is because it is the duty of a Battle Priestess to heal and support everyone fighting on the front lines.
“Five Yōma have appeared ahead. But countless more are emerging from the left and right! And there are many monsters too!”
Following Creacio’s curse-based detection, those who remained began to move.
Mistral, flapping her beautiful wings, headed towards the swarm of Yōma that appeared on the left. Yufilia and Nina moved towards the Yōma that appeared on the right, while the remaining adventurers dealt with the five Yōma that appeared on our side.
That’s right.
We came to fight the evil race, but the current situation was vastly different.
Certainly, the threat of the evil race was still raging. But no less, or rather, perhaps more threatening in terms of numbers and frequency, were the swarms of Yōma that kept appearing no matter how many we defeated.
Why the appearance of the evil race coincided with the flood of monsters and Yōma, we didn’t know. However, each of them was a threat that could not be overlooked.
The adventurers who were supposed to be dealing with the monsters were completely overwhelmed when they faced Yōma.
After all, even Hero Lisuter and his companions could barely defeat one Yōma by working together. And here, we had five of them alone.
Looking at the wider area, even Creacio’s curse magic, which was detecting the “main enemy,” the evil race, couldn’t keep track of their numbers.
In the desperate situation, anxiety appeared on the faces of the brave adventurers who remained.
However, we were anxious for a different reason.
“Yufi and”
“Nina’s”
“Everyone, please retreat!”
“Dragon Lance Frenzy!”
A scream erupted. And it wasn’t from the Yōma, but from our fellow adventurers.
Yufilia and Nina, who were supposed to be handling the right flank, affect the overall battle situation no matter where they deploy.
“Honestly, sisters!”
Sefina exclaimed in exasperation. Even as she did, she skillfully manipulated the countless dragon lances fired indiscriminately, turning all their tips towards the Yōma.
The dragon lances guided by Sefina struck the Yōma directly. The Yōma dissipated, uttering a grating death cry.
The flurry of dragon lances, amplified in power by the two golden greatswords, “Ryūhōken,” pierced the Yōma one after another under Sefina’s guidance.
Four of the five Yōma that appeared on our side were annihilated by the dragon lances.
“As planned.”
“As per the plan.”
“Don’t lie!”
Sefina’s accusation was correct. However, it was also true that thanks to Yufilia and Nina, the Yōma on our side were reduced to one, and the Yōma on the right flank also decreased. Nevertheless, we could not let our guard down.
“Ruiseine, I’m coming!”
I also drew my naginata. Then, I charged into the frontline to support the adventurers who were struggling against the remaining Yōma.
Looking down from the sky, the battlefield was in a terrible state.
“Lady Revalia, I will support the retreating adventurers!”
“Leave those trash monsters alone.”
“Oh my, please don’t say such things.”
“Tch.”
Yōma were emerging one after another from the depths of the forest. But the front line was safe, as Mistral and the others were fighting valiantly. However, the retreating adventurers were in danger.
This entire area was infested with not only Yōma but also countless monsters. As the Yōma appeared, the adventurers, startled, became disorganized, and the hordes of monsters attacked.
Lady Revalia, her crimson scales shining, descended and trampled the monsters with her sharp fangs and claws. However, fire was forbidden, as it would burn the forest.
Thanks to Lady Revalia’s great efforts, the number of monsters was steadily decreasing. But even with her, she couldn’t deal with all the monsters without being able to burn down a wide area. Some adventurers were being attacked in places her fangs and claws couldn’t reach!
“Earth Dragons, please create a barrier to protect the adventurers!”
“Ooh, what incredible compulsion!”
“We can’t resist, can’t resist!”
“Well, we weren’t planning on resisting in the first place, were we?”
The family of Earth Dragons who lived nearby rushed to our aid and created a barrier with their dragon arts. The adventurers who had escaped the crisis thanked them and retreated.
Lady Revalia continued to annihilate the remaining monsters. It was at that moment that an ominous premonition struck from the front lines!
“Dragon Lance Frenzy!”
“Those troublesome sisters!”
“Oh my, Lady Revalia, evade!”
“I don’t need you to tell me that.”
Some of the dragon lances fired by Yufilia and Nina flew towards us. However, Lady Revalia evaded them with ease. Yufilia and Nina were firing their dragon magic with the confidence that Lady Revalia would absolutely evade it, weren’t they? What a wonderful trust relationship.
Lady Revalia, perhaps angered by the monsters attacking the adventurers, directed her strong wrath towards them and moved to further attacks.
“It’s… terrifying…”
It wasn’t the sisters’ dragon magic that did not consider their own damage. It was the strength of Elnea-kun’s kin.
I had known about the indiscriminate strength of Yufilia-sama and Nina-sama since childhood. However, I was also surprised by the skill of Sefina-sama, who wielded that violent dragon magic with such ease.
In the sky, Lyra, riding a wyvern known as the “Flame Emperor” with awe, was trampling monsters. She not only commanded the fearsome crimson wyvern but also controlled the wild Earth Dragons that had come to our aid.
On the left side, an even more terrifying sight unfolded. At first, I was worried, thinking Mistral was alone against the countless Yōma that appeared on the left! But that was a shallow, unfounded worry. Mistral is a Dragon Race warrior. Moreover, she holds the highest title of “Dragon Princess.” It is said that even Elnea-kun, the Dragon King, is no match for her. I had seen Mistral’s abilities before, but seeing them again like this, I felt both a sense of security and fear at her overwhelming combat power. Mistral swept away the Yōma’s attacks and struck them down with her jet-black One-handed Club. In a single blow, the Yōma vanished. Even to us, Yōma were a threat, but before Mistral’s overwhelming combat power, they were nothing more than weaklings. Her silver-gold hair. And the scales that appeared on parts of her skin. Despite being on the battlefield, her beauty shone undiminished. “Haa!” The mass of dragon energy created by Mistral took the form of a beautiful flying dragon and was unleashed upon the swarm of Yōma. It annihilated Yōma in a single sweep, dwarfing even the dragon lance frenzy unleashed by Yufilia-sama and Nina-sama in comparison. “So… terrifying.” What powerful dragon magic! If only I could use such dragon magic, I could surely be of more help to Listea than I am now. Ah, Listea. Please come back soon. I wish with all my heart. “Selys, don’t be spaced out.” “Oh, I’m sorry.” That’s right. Now was not the time to be thinking of Listea, who had departed on a journey to revive the Holy Sword. This is a battlefield. A very dangerous place. “Yufi and” “Nina’s” “Everyone, the second wave is coming! Please escape!” “Holy Dragon Summon!” Once again, a scream erupted from the adventurers, possibly more dangerous than the Yōma. Sefina-sama sighed deeply and, once again, manipulated the dragon magic of the two sisters, directing it at the Yōma and monsters. “You two, that’s enough!” Mistral, having finally become angry, complained from the right flank. However, those two sisters never reflect… “Those who find this level of dragon magic dangerous should hurry and escape.” “Those who cannot evade this level of dragon magic should withdraw sooner.” “H-hieee!” The words of Yufilia-sama and Nina-sama are extreme, but they are not wrong. If you cannot evade surprise or unpredictable attacks, you cannot face Yōma. Furthermore, when dealing with the evil race, you would only be a hindrance. A chill that made the soul stand on end washed over my entire body. “It has appeared. It’s the evil race!” Creacio, who was performing a ritual behind us, warned, sweat beading on his forehead. Deep within the forest. An abyss darker than darkness. From there, an evil being that evoked only despair appeared. A giant snake, its head alone larger than an Earth Dragon. The jet-black monster slithered across the ground, its black tongue flicking from its mouth as if searching for prey. “Everyone, maintain the front line and retreat!” Even before Mistral’s command, upon hearing Creacio’s warning, all the adventurers began to retreat. And we too, facing a monster that made our very souls tremble, began our retreat. Mistral’s full-power strike landed on the head of the newly appeared evil race. A meteor-like afterglow trailed behind it, and a fierce impact sound echoed seven times in an instant. The shockwave generated by the jet-black One-handed Club alone annihilated the surrounding Yōma. However, the evil race, despite taking a direct hit to the head, spewed blue blood from the wound and fiercely counter-attacked Mistral. The snake-like evil race bared its venom-soaked fangs and reared its head to swallow Mistral whole. Mistral gracefully flapped her wings and soared into the air, evading the evil race’s attack. Then, in place of the flying Mistral, Lady Revalia descended from the sky. “Yaaah!” Lyra, standing on Lady Revalia’s back, let out a spirited cry. Lady Revalia, matching Lyra’s spirit, violently swung her sharp claws towards the evil race. “GIIIIIIIIIIIIIII” The evil race let out a grating scream, but even Lady Revalia’s attack did not seem to inflict a deep wound. The evil race, its scales deeply scarred and bleeding blue blood, glared at us with malice. Just that alone sent a terror through my entire body as if my soul had been directly grasped. “Kiiri, Inea, apply mental protection magic!” Against the evil race, our offensive magic is like a drop in the bucket. Therefore, it is customary to take a different approach. If we cannot attack, we defend. We focused our minds and protected the minds of those on the battlefield with an incantation of protection. Creacio also seemed to have shifted from detection magic to defensive magic, and a sense of invisible power enveloped my entire body. “Yufi and” “Nina’s” “Holy Dragon Summon!” This time, instead of indiscriminate attacks, Yufilia and Nina created a single, immensely powerful holy dragon. “Everyone, attack with all your might!” Following Lyra’s command, the family of Earth Dragons that had rushed to our aid also unleashed their dragon magic. Mistral also changed her position and joined the attack, pressing the snake-like evil race. Selys and Naimi, who had retreated from the front lines, deeming the evil race too difficult to handle, bravely engaged the Yōma and monsters that were still raging around them, thus dispelling our worries about concentrating on the evil race. Before we arrived. The evil race had gradually moved south from the mountainous region, approaching the villages of the Human Race. According to the general commanding the Royal Army, it approached the village without hesitation, as if it could accurately sense human presence from afar. If our arrival had been delayed, not only the village but also the soldiers who confronted the evil race would have suffered immense damage. However, even after we joined the front lines, we could only slow the evil race’s advance. There is much that remains unknown about the evil race. The evil race appears out of nowhere each time, rages fiercely, and then disappears somewhere. Furthermore, in the surrounding areas where the evil race appears, not only monsters but also Yōma have begun to appear recently. We are supporting the front lines while confronting not only the evil race but also other threats. However, this time, we feel a bit of resistance. Perhaps angered by our resistance, the evil race does not try to escape even when wounded. If we do not let up our attacks, we may not be able to defeat it, but we may be able to inflict considerable damage. Just as I, and everyone else, began to think so. However, the situation escalated into a terrifying scenario far beyond our predictions. “Gigiki…” The snake-like evil race emits an unpleasant sound. “Gii… Gii” Is it a sound, or… a voice? Just hearing the strange sound caused not only my ears but also my head to ache, and my soul felt as if it were grinding. Everyone else grimaced at the sound emanating from the evil race. But it didn’t end there. “Giiii…. Yuru… Sano. Koro…su. Kura…u” N-no way…! I was left standing in despair. And not just me. Yufilia, Nina, Sefina, Mistral, Lyra, and even Lady Revalia were all speechless. The evil race spoke human language. We understood well what a threat and despair that represented, having been taught about the evil race by Micheila-sama… Does this world, said to have been created by a goddess, truly possess anything that can be called grace? The belief and worship of a creator goddess is a religious concept unique to the Human Race. But what about it? The world imposes even harsher trials upon this pious Human Race. Far to the east, the threat of the evil race is raging. In the west, before the aftermath of our recent battle has subsided, the threat of new demons is looming. And in the lands ruled by demons, the heroes of the Human Race are about to face arduous circumstances. “So, Chief. What brings you here? It’s rare for you to leave Sage Demon Lord’s side and come here.” The ogre who greeted him responded with a soft demeanor to the other ogre. “Oh, I just came to convey some interesting information.” “Interesting information?” Even among the same ogre race, their positions differ depending on the master they serve. The ogre who greeted him looked at the chief doubtfully. “It’s interesting information for you, or rather, for His Majesty the Fairy Demon Lord.” With that preface, the ogre known as the chief continued. “The visitors who came to His Majesty the other day were quite interesting. Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say we encountered them during our travels.” The ogre, who had a youthful appearance for someone called the chief, narrowed his eyes as if recalling the past. The ogre who greeted him listened to the chief’s words, though a doubt lingered on his face. “Regarding His Majesty the Fairy Demon Lord, I heard that he suffered considerable hardship in the east of Dragon Peak not long ago. I heard that not only did higher beings and His Majesty the Giant Demon Lord intervene, but he also faced fierce resistance from the humans.” So? the other ogre replied indifferently. “It is said that in the east of Dragon Peak, there is a human known as the Hero and a boy who calls himself the Dragon King?” This was not a question, but a confirmation of whether the ogre who greeted him knew this. The ogre who greeted him nodded silently. The ogre chief smiled, seemingly satisfied with the reaction, and got to the point. “The ones who visited His Majesty’s land this time are that Hero and the Dragon King. It is said that they are heading towards the Heavenly Mountain Range.” “Oh?” The ogre who greeted him raised his eyebrows slightly. “Are you selling that information to us, Chief?” “No, no, as fellow members of the same ogre race, I thought I would share the information you desire. Furthermore, Sage Demon Lord intends to incur a favor from His Majesty the Fairy Demon Lord.” The ogre who greeted him did not yet know the detailed circumstances as to why the Hero and the Dragon King were heading towards the Heavenly Mountain Range. However, as long as they were heading for the Heavenly Mountain Range, they would surely pass through the territory of the Fairy Demon Lord. The ogre chief, with his gentle demeanor, spoke, and the ogre who greeted him smiled with a ferocity befitting a demon. You can easily convey your support by clicking the heart. (Login required.) Support If you have an account, log in Learn more about the reading experience on Kakuyomu.
