We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Anguish and Hope
The Eastern Magician, weak and breathless, lay in my arms. Her chest, stained crimson, would tremble with each shallow breath she took.
Moments ago, she had been writhing in pain, spitting blood, but now, her strength to resist the agony was gone. She slumped against me, her light weight a burden.
What was I doing?
While everyone else was fighting desperately, could I only watch as the Eastern Magician faded away, powerless?
The crystal ball the Eastern Magician had taken out to cast remote sorcery had slipped from her grasp and now lay on the ground.
The crystal ball, still reflecting the caster’s will, continued to display a succession of scenes.
Slaton and his group were in trouble.
They were locked in a fierce battle with demons who had appeared from the shadows, centered around the Earth Dragon, Duranel.
The crystal, unfortunately, did not transmit sound, so I couldn’t discern the exact circumstances. Apparently, a high-ranking demon had betrayed them.
Wielding a magic sword, it was confusing the demons who had been its comrades until moments before.
However, the battle situation was not favorable.
Unlike the demons clad in black, the nearly ten dark demons were all seasoned fighters, and even Duranel was struggling.
Slaton, Toris, and Louvent were fighting skillfully, supporting Duranel, the core of their fighting force, but they were gradually being pushed back.
“Damn it! If only I had a holy sword…”
I wondered how much difference I could make against a high-ranking demon. But anything would be better than just staring at the scene on the crystal ball powerlessly.
Elnea had said it was a matter of placing people in suitable roles. But she didn’t mean that I, who had no means to fight, should stand by and wait for the battle to end. I understood that much without misinterpreting her intent.
But what could I possibly do right now?
The holy sword couldn’t be revived in the end. The Eastern Magician, our last hope, was in critical condition in my arms. More than that, I couldn’t even resolve the misunderstanding directed at us. And yet, Elnea had found a clue to solve the problem…
As if sensing my anguish, the crystal ball shifted from one scene to another.
In the depths of a valley burning black, a fierce battle raged.
Alex and Ogre General Balvria were fighting on even terms. A fierce exchange of sword strokes, neither giving an inch. In terms of swordsmanship, Alex seemed to have a higher skill level, causing Balvria pain. But strangely, it was Alex who was being wounded. Without even touching, Alex sustained more lacerations.
However, Balvria sustained injuries as well. The trajectory of the magic sword, aimed sharply, went wide, noticeably even through the crystal. Alex, as if anticipating the deviation, ignored the magic sword and leaped into Balvria’s guard. Then, with a flash of his divine sword.
With an irritated expression, Balvria dodged the divine sword. But he couldn’t completely evade a blow delivered after being closed in on. His jaw and cheek were cut, and blood splattered. Balvria was forced to retreat backward, creating distance.
Alex began to chant something. It was undoubtedly a divine utterance.
Divine Arts were activated, attacking the fleeing Balvria. But Balvria, his flowing elegant robes ill-suited for the battlefield, evaded the divine arts with a graceful aerial maneuver. In return, he unleashed magic. My fists clenched as I watched the rapid exchange of attacks and defenses, merely through the crystal ball.
The crystal then showed the next scene.
Demon Lord Kusharilla, known as the Fairy Demon Lord. Elnea, who was human like us, had been granted the title of Dragon King, a title of the Dragon Race. It was these two who were fighting most fiercely and on the largest scale on the battlefield.
Kusharilla was physically invisible, but his presence could be felt through the shimmering distortion of space. Like a heat haze, Kusharilla distorted space, his form wavering. Was he human, or beast-like, or something else? It was impossible to tell just by looking. But he was undoubtedly there.
No, at the very thought, I might be misjudging the Demon Lord’s power. If he willed it, he could prevent his presence from being recognized even when right in front of you. And that was precisely why even the Eastern Magician, who had protected the Heavenly Mountain Range and the human cultural sphere to its west for hundreds of years, was caught off guard and had her chest pierced. He seemed to exist, but actually didn’t. He appeared to be seen, but was not perceived. Even the phenomenon of shimmering space might be Kusharilla’s scheme, a trap.
I couldn’t even ascertain the Demon Lord’s very definition of existence. Yet, Elnea was fighting such a terrifying Demon Lord well. But she wasn’t exactly holding her own. It was understandable. Elnea normally fought beautifully, like a dance, using two swords, physical prowess, and dragon arts. But in her right hand, the white sword she relied on was not held. Elnea, like me, was on a difficult path. Having lost her white sword, she had to perform her sword dance with only a wooden sword, despite its mysterious power. Even that would be a difficult fight, and the attribute of her opponent, the Demon Lord, was the worst possible.
According to Elnea’s prior explanation, physical attacks were ineffective against Fairy Demon Lord Kusharilla. No matter how sharp the blade or how powerful the physical strike, it was useless against Kusharilla. That left only magic-based tactics.
But, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in question. Because. I had seen the Fairy Demon Lord fight before. It was when the Fairy Demon Lord clashed with the Giant Demon Lord in the capital of the Armēdo Kingdom. The terrifying storm of lightning unleashed by the Giant Demon Lord, even now, made my soul tremble. But Kusharilla endured the Giant Demon Lord’s lightning storm, an opponent of equal standing. This meant, after all, that she also possessed strong resistance to magic. The Fairy Demon Lord Kusharilla’s durability, which withstood the Giant Demon Lord’s magic. Then, how much could she resist Dragon King Elnea’s dragon arts? I knew, even without looking at the crystal ball.
A fierce blizzard raged around Kusharilla. It swirled violently, whipping snow horizontally. The snow turned into sharp blades, shredding anything it touched. But in the center of the blizzard, Kusharilla stood unfazed. She neither evaded nor defended against the snow blades. The snow blades attacked Kusharilla in time with Elnea’s sword dance. But when swallowed by the shimmering space, they vanished as if their existence was denied. Elnea was beginning to show signs of fatigue, perhaps due to the intense expenditure of energy. Despite it being winter, sweat streamed from her brow as she performed her sword dance with all her might. Yet, it seemed to have no effect on Kusharilla. On the contrary, Kusharilla moved with an air of confidence. She unleashed invisible attacks. I had no idea what they were. Were they whip-like, or sword- or spear-like? Or did they even have a specific form? Such attacks assailed Elnea. Elnea, while dancing, deflected the attacks. I had no choice but to praise her. Her beautiful dance gracefully deflected countless attacks coming from all directions. Was she conscious of all directions? Elnea had no blind spots. Yet, even so, Elnea couldn’t lay a hand on Kusharilla. If this continued, Elnea would eventually be exhausted and might fall before Kusharilla. No, knowing Elnea, she would never give up, no matter the circumstances. But, as far as I could think, there was nothing more I could do. Even if Elnea continued to fight, drawing Kusharilla’s attention solely to herself, with things as they were, only defeat awaited us.
The crystal ball displayed a new scene. The fierce battle continuing outside the cave. But a new spark had already been dropped on the Heavenly Mountain Range. Over a hundred thousand demons were advancing from various locations in the south and north. They didn’t move like the black-clad demons, instantaneously covering long distances through shadows. But they were steadily advancing towards this place. I didn’t know how much distance remained. But the demon army was undoubtedly approaching. We had no time left. Slaton and his group were struggling against the black-clad demons. Alex was fighting on even terms against Ogre General Balvria. Elnea was desperately performing her sword dance to keep the threat of the Demon Lord from falling upon her companions. But if the demon army of over a hundred thousand reached here, all of it would be in vain. No matter how much power one possessed. Ultimately, one could not overcome the brute force of overwhelming numbers. A few dozen or a hundred might be manageable. But faced with waves of thousands or tens of thousands, even the most powerful Dragon Race would run out of strength. And yet, the approaching threat numbered over a hundred thousand. Once the massive demon army arrived, we would be defeated, even without the Demon Lord taking direct action. What was I doing in such a desperate situation? What could I do? Even asking myself, I couldn’t find an answer. My anxiety only grew, a futile cycle. Conversely, as my impatience swelled, the Eastern Magician in my arms weakened and lost strength. Was I meant to simply witness the Eastern Magician’s end?
“Damn it. Where is the stage I’ve been given…” Frustrated by my own powerlessness, my gaze fell. Then, a small life came into my sight. “Elnea Older Brother will prepare it for me, nya. Until then, you should conserve your energy, nya.” It was a young dragon who had brought us to this Heavenly Mountain Range. Nimia, an Ancient Dragon Species. Duranel, Slaton’s partner, and the dragons living in Dragon Peak were beings feared by demons and even divine races. However, Ancient Dragon Species were said to possess wisdom and combat power exceeding even those dragons. Nimia, an Ancient Dragon Species. Although still a young dragon, her abilities were said to be far inferior to even Elnea or the fearsome Wyvern known as the Flame Emperor. Overwhelming combat power. Without a doubt, Nimia was the strongest among those who would side with us here. Yet, Nimia, who should have been our greatest asset, sat beside me in her small form, not going to the battlefield. I noticed that not only Nimia, but also Oz, a fox-like magical beast with two tails, remained. I wondered why. A magical beast should be able to fight sufficiently against demons. If Nimia had joined the battle, the situation might not be so dire. And yet, why did Elnea leave Nimia and Oz behind? “Elnea Older Brother is gentle, nya.” Perhaps she read my mind. Nimia provided a precise answer to the question in my mind. “Nyan is afraid of fighting, nya. That’s why Elnea Older Brother will never tell nyan to fight, nya.” Speaking of which, I recalled our journey. Elnea would ask Nimia for help with transportation, but never ordered her to fight. When attacked by the black-clad demons, Nimia did counterattack, but it was for self-defense, not for annihilation. I had seen Elnea’s family fight before, but now that I thought about it, I couldn’t recall seeing Nimia willingly fight. I felt like she always appeared from Elnea’s embrace or the arms of an Ear-Elf girl after the fighting was over. “Nyan,” Nimia replied charmingly. “Even in this situation, he is kind to you.” “Yes, nya. Elnea Older Brother is extremely kind, nya. That’s why he reaches out to those he wants to help without reward and will always help them, nya.” Nimia looked at me and the Eastern Magician. Elnea was trying to help not just me, but the Eastern Magician as well. “Elnea Older Brother keeps his promises, nya. So, trust him and wait, nya.” Nimia and Oz believed in him. They believed that Elnea would surely find a way out of this predicament. That’s why they were calmly waiting in the rear, waiting for the battle to end. Then, I too shall believe. As Elnea said, I too have my role. Surely, there is a role for me to fulfill ahead. Then, the Eastern Magician, who had been listening to our conversation with weak breaths, moved.
“De…mons…. mu…st b…e de…feated…. Th…en…. the …witch…” The Eastern Magician pushed my arms away. And then, she clutched her chest, in pain. Coughing up a lump of blood, the Eastern Magician spat it out. Looking down at her blood-stained chest, she scowled. “Hey, stop it. Don’t overexert yourself!” I hurriedly tried to stop the Eastern Magician. But the Eastern Magician, who should have been on the verge of death, surprisingly strong, shook off my restraint. Then, she picked up the crystal ball lying on the ground and got up, though still in pain. “You can’t do anything in your current state. Just rest. Then, Elnea and the others will surely repel the demons.” It pained me that I couldn’t say “we” instead of “Elnea and the others.” But now was not the time for self-reproach. The Eastern Magician took out an Orb of Flame from her inner pocket and began to crawl towards the outside of the cave. I didn’t know what she intended to do, but I couldn’t just leave her like this. I followed the Eastern Magician. Along the way, I found the holy sword, broken and with its orb removed, left in a sorry state, and picked it up. “What are you trying to do!?” I wrapped my arm around the Eastern Magician’s torso as she stumbled, helping her maintain her posture. “Re…pa…y… my… deb…t. Dri…ve… out… the… de…mons…” What debt? Was it related to the witch she mentioned earlier? No, but the Eastern Magician had attacked the witch with remote sorcery. The Eastern Magician muttered other fragmented, nonsensical words as she crawled outside the cave, her consciousness clouded. It seemed her thoughts were not coherent, perhaps driven by a strong resolve. It seemed I couldn’t stop the Eastern Magician’s movements, driven by her strong determination. Inevitably, I went outside to support the Eastern Magician. Elnea’s dragon arts extended to the immediate vicinity of the cave. I supported the Eastern Magician to prevent her from being blown away by the raging blizzard. The Eastern Magician did not shake off my support and began to chant a spell. “Are you going to use sorcery!?” The crystal ball in the Eastern Magician’s right hand showed the fierce battles unfolding in the Heavenly Mountain Range and the invasion of the demon army in real-time. The Orb of Flame clutched in her left hand glowed a crimson hue. Flames danced wildly within the orb. The Eastern Magician began to chant smoothly, a stark contrast to her previous broken words filled with agony and her breathless, weak breathing. In response to the Eastern Magician’s chants, light spell formations unfolded in space. I, watching from right beside her, was speechless at the overwhelming magical power. But my astonishment was premature. The sorcery unleashed by the Eastern Magician left me literally speechless. The blizzard, raging due to Elnea’s dragon arts, turned into a tornado of flames, creating a hellish inferno. But that was just the beginning. The entire Heavenly Mountain Range was engulfed in flames.
