The choker that Elana gave to the weakened Wyvern revived it.
Icicles flew towards their wings and shattered into pieces. Even so, the mountain’s rage did not cease, and it charged towards Nigpyura, spewing flames from its mouth.
Small ice fragments hit my face. If things continued like this, we would collide. If that happened, neither I nor the girl, my master Harpy Hummingbird, would be safe. Yet, there was no sign of slowing down.
The extreme cold, along with the wind pressure, assaulted my entire body. When I opened my eyes slightly, I saw that both wings were frozen. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t move, they *couldn’t* move. If only I could somehow move my wings. But the cold had begun to spread from my wings to my hands. My fingertips froze and stuck to the Wyvern’s back.
The flames flickering in front of me weakened.
“Gha, gaaah!”
The Wyvern contorted its neck as if in pain, struggling. A massive icicle, as if to deliver the finishing blow, flew from the front. I had to get the girl next to me to escape somehow! If only she could detach even one hand. My fingertips were numb, and I couldn’t exert any strength.
I hid my head on the Wyvern’s back.
The air trembled with a roar. Hot and cold air mixed, making it feel like my whole body would be blown away. With that tremor, I managed to pull one hand free.
Emerging from the white smoke was Piyo. Had she protected us with her explosion? Then, Piyo tore off the choker she was wearing.
“I’m counting on you from here!”
She threw it towards the Wyvern. As if it understood, the dragon swallowed it. Piyo smiled faintly and descended to the ground. Her expression was not her usual bright smile. It was the smile of a warrior entrusting her hopes.
The Wyvern’s body, having swallowed the other choker, began to burn red. It felt as if its entire soul was gaining power, energy erupting from it.
“You get off here.”
I grabbed the girl next to me and dropped her down. She opened and closed her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
“Piyo, I’m counting on you too! Alright, let’s go.”
“Giiiiiieeeech!!”
The ice that had trapped my wings evaporated in an instant, turning into steam and rising. The Wyvern flapped its wings mightily and plunged towards Nigpyura once more. It was hot, hotter than any oven. That was natural, as it was being roasted by direct flame.
An icicle flying towards us hit the dragon’s shoulder, causing it to sway. However, it did not freeze. This flame would not be extinguished by any cold blizzard now.
“Give it your full fiery breath!”
I thought I would burn everything to ashes with a fire breath. But the Wyvern didn’t slow down. Its wings were no longer frozen.
“Wait, wait, wait, we’re going to crash!”
I pulled hard on its mane. My gaze met Nigpyura’s wide-open eyes.
Everything was enveloped in red, and then it went dark.
Ah, it burned… and it hurt. Even breathing was painful. My throat felt scorched, and my lungs felt like they would explode. When I put strength into my hand, I felt a rough texture. It seemed I was still stuck.
So, I had crashed while riding the Wyvern. I had survived by sheer luck. Please, move, or I’ll really burn to death like this. When I opened my eyes, the red world appeared again.
“Ugh, guh…”
I couldn’t muster strength in either arm. I somehow pulled myself up, raising my face like a caterpillar.
It seemed I was on the roots of the tree where Nigpyura had been standing. The impact of the collision had caused it to collapse and tilt. I had just happened to roll here instead of falling. I had to get down quickly and join everyone. Flames were rising from the entire root system. It would soon spread and engulf everything.
Speaking of which, what happened to Nigpyura? Well, given the scale of the collision, even that fellow probably wouldn’t have survived. Now, how should I get down from here?
Just then, a thin root wrapped around my neck. I was lifted upwards.
“Gaah, guki!”
I was careless. I never thought it would still be alive.
“Haa, haa, well, you really outdid yourself.”
“Damn it…!”
The blood vessels in my neck constricted, and my vision began to darken.
“I’m surprised to have suffered such damage. Arisugawa Hiroaki of the human race. You, a loser who can’t use magic or even swing a sword, bit my hand.”
Nigpyura was clearly damaged, its body covered in soot. There were also painful scrapes on the back of its hand.
“I was wondering while looking at the data why someone like you was still alive. It seems you have more than your share of bad luck.”
“You too… you understand, don’t you…”
Nigpyura looked up at me as if to say, “What are you talking about?”
“What I possess.”
“Heh heh, you’re not going to say ‘heart,’ are you? Friendship, trust, kindness. Please stop, it’s making me sick.”
“That’s right…!”
I tore away the root wrapped around my neck. Kicking my legs, I stabbed my dagger into the gap I created and severed it. “What?!” Nigpyura’s composure vanished from its face. Veronica and the others must have done it. The root, deprived of its nutrient supply, was brittle and could be cut even by me.
“What?! You can cut it with a toy like that?”
“I have a precious weapon. It is my companions. That is the greatest strength I have cultivated on this journey. My companions are my sword and my magic.”
