Final Battle⑥
Fire Dragon Gien's Perspective
Damn it—!?
N-no way... I was ambushed...!
Are the humans on my back unharmed!?
Did they fall into the magma!?
Rushing to check their presence, the humans were fortunately thrown onto solid ground.
Relief... but not the time for that.
The two-sword swordsman directly opposing me.
Appearance similar to a human, yet two horns extend from the forehead.
This form—undoubtedly one of Ariel's companions, Lars.
A foe who defeated both Wind Dragon Hyuban and Thunder Dragon Goka in tandem.
Goka, being simple-minded, lost easily—expected, perhaps—but Hyuban, even so, is a top-tier elder dragon.
...I hate to admit it, but Hyuban is stronger than me.
A foe who defeated Hyuban and Goka together in a two-on-one battle.
Can victory be achieved while guarding human targets?
"Capital!"
A single human, the young warrior, shouts.
...Julius, you've come.
Ah.
Then, no mercy will be shown.
!
While conversing with the young hero, Lars did not leave a single opening toward him.
Would pounce the moment there was the slightest opening.
"Wait!"
I will not wait. The time for questioning has long passed. So, if you have come here, consider me your enemy. I will cut you down.
Immediately after, an infinite number of weapons materialize.
The number of cursed blades contained within the spatial magic's void storage.
The tactics of Lars, as reported beforehand, were known.
To fire the cursed sword and detonate it.
The tip of the demonic blade pointed toward the young hero and the two girls accompanying him.
And released, an immense number of magical swords.
You!
Saying "slash," yet that is not an explosion!
“Nun!”
Manipulate the surrounding magma!
A wave of magma engulfs the magical swords.
The swords detonate. Magma splashes outward.
— Impossible.
Even the splatter of this magma could kill humans!
"Rise! Evacuate the brats!"
"Yes, yes."
"Wha—? Wait!?"
I feel Rise lifting the hero's young followers and running away behind me.
"Cannot let you escape!"
"Your opponent is me!"
I stand before Lars, who still attempts to launch magical swords at the young ones.
"Even if you are superior, the terrain favors me!"
This mid-level is filled with fire.
The perfect stage for my power—the fire dragon!
I gather the magma around me and hurl its torrent!
"Regret ever challenging me here!"
The difference in strength between Lars and me is likely minimal.
But with terrain advantage, even that gap can be reversed.
The only concern is rage.
But unleashing it risks losing oneself— a double-edged blade.
It cannot be activated prematurely.
According to Hyban, the enemy who used rage fled, but did not pursue further— suggesting a time limit on its activation.
The duration one can retain self-awareness is likely very short.
If the signs of rage activation are detected, and that brief window endured, victory remains possible.
"...Sophia, if it comes to it, I rely on you."
Just as magma surged toward him, Lars’s whisper reached her.
Before she could grasp its meaning,
"GAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!"
A roar, shaking the core of her body, echoed.
The magma exploded.
Lars charged through magma that would reduce bones to ash, unimpeded.
"G-ggwooo!"
Instinctively, he slammed in a breath attack.
Yet it made no difference. He advanced straight ahead!
He should have been struck by the breath attack!
No deceleration even—no pause, as if nothing had happened!
T-that's impossible!
The charge felt too fast even with his own thought acceleration active.
Facing the blade closing in on his neck, he instinctively forced his claw into the path.
The blade and claw clashed, scattering sparks.
An instant later—the claw split, and the sensation of an intruder piercing through the hand beyond it.
Still, the blade pressed forward without pause, aiming to pierce his neck...
"Huh!?"
He realized, he was staring up at the mid-level ceiling.
He immediately reached around his neck.
It was there.
Attached.
But... that just now...
"Thank goodness..."
A voice reached him. Only then did he realize the young hero stood just beside him.
"What... am I?"
"You were dead. The hero's mercy brought you back."
Layce stood beside the young hero as well.
He hadn't noticed that either.
His mind was too unsettled.
Yet, perhaps it was unavoidable.
Dead?
Me?
A shiver ran through his body. He barely restrained it with what little pride he had left.
"Where is he?"
"Hyban and Goka arrived. They're fighting him now."
"Is that so."
He rebuked his trembling body and rose to his feet.
"Thank you, hero."
"I can do no more than this."
"Do not belittle yourself. That alone is enough."
Looking ahead, Hyban and Goka were being overwhelmed by Lars—no defense possible.
ニーアの姿が見えないが、奴もまさか逃げ出しているということはなかろう。
おそらく隠れながらお得意の弱体化のスキルでラースの弱体化を狙っているはずだ。
だが、それでも、ラースを止められる気がしない。
「勇者よ。己らが死んだら、また蘇らせてくれ」
「は、はい！」
「頼んだ」
本音を言えば、また殺されに行くのは恐ろしい。
だが、ここであれは倒さねばならない。
甘く見ていたつもりなどない。
だが、奴は己らの予想を裏切ってきた。
「ガアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアア！！！！」
まさか、自我を失うことを恐れず、憤怒を使ってこようとはな！
……己はここで死ぬかもしれん。
否、ここで何度死ぬかもわからぬ。
そして、生き返れるかも、わからぬ。
こんな恐ろしい戦い、生まれて初めてであるよ。
火龍グエン
The dragon form resembled a typical Western dragon. It projected an aura of transcendent grandeur, yet beneath the display, internal states revealed agitation and fear—masked by posturing.