Akatsuki Translations

“Don’t screw with me, you damn lizard! Now it all makes sense!! Well done, Ur!!!”

Victor simultaneously managed to do three things at once—fly into an irrational rage, reach a satisfying conclusion, and praise the one who made the discovery.

The Magic Eye of Future Vision. Given the current circumstances, the worst possible magic eye had made its appearance.

Victor was well-versed in the subject of magic eyes. To the knights who maintained order in the city, these eyes were essentially magical tools that altered the body—akin to freely carried weapons in an urban setting. They were an ever-present source of trouble. Because of that, Victor had made it a point to familiarize himself with most kinds of magic eyes, including the rare and valuable ones like Future Vision.

It granted the user a “highly precise vision of the near future,” only seconds ahead.

“Our defenses will weaken, but we have no choice. Switch from sandstorm magic to dispel magic. We need to completely nullify the magic eye’s effects—”

“Captain?”

“…How long will it take to establish a large-scale dispel barrier around the dragon?”

Upon hearing the question, the intelligence unit promptly contacted the magicians responsible for the sandstorm via their communication device. Moments later, they responded.

“Approximately two minutes.”

“Then begin preparations immediately and do it—but only with half of the unit. The other half will continue the sandstorm. Intelligence team, start the timekeeping and observe the dragon closely.”

Some of them grasped the true intent behind Victor’s orders. Others did not. Regardless, they all moved as instructed. The magicians surrounding the dragon began their preparations.

Then, after roughly a minute—

“A swarm of wyrmlings has emerged around the black dragon!! They’re heading for the magician unit!”

“Cease dispel magic! Deploy defensive formations and fall back immediately!!”

Victor barked his orders without hesitation, pulling the magicians back.

The dragon, which had begun to move, suddenly halted its advance. Then, as if nothing had changed, it resumed its relentless assault—lashing out with its magic eye and razor-sharp wind blades.

Victor clenched his teeth at the revelation.

“Future vision confirmed… but it can see one full minute ahead?!”

Future Vision magic typically allowed its user to glimpse only a few seconds into the future. That was the general limit for any magic eye wielded by a human. Even if someone could see further ahead, it would be nearly impossible to process—the two visions would be too disconnected, making comprehension unfeasible.

But the dragon was different.

It could read a full minute into the future, precisely anticipating any attack that would put it in danger.

“…But it can’t be all-powerful. If it could receive all information about the future, the entire black dragon subjugation force would be dead by now.”

If its Future Vision were truly perfect, it wouldn’t have allowed itself to be captured by 【Wise Heavenly King】 after securing Sua. Nor would it have failed to wipe out the surrounding adventurers by predicting their every move.

It had limitations.

Ideally, they would gather more information before taking action. But—

“The Ashen dragon is approaching!! One hundred meters from the barrier and closing fast!!!”

“No time…!”

They didn’t have time. The crisis wasn’t limited to the black dragon alone. They couldn’t afford to concentrate all their forces on just one target.

Then what was the solution?

They had to abandon certainty and act by force. Given their current options, the best course of action was to pick the least disastrous choice. They needed a way to counteract this mysterious Future Vision without fully understanding its conditions.

And that meant—

“…Unbelievable. This is utter bullshit.”

For once, Victor allowed himself a raw, unfiltered curse.

“Captain?”

“Has the black dragon displayed any regenerative abilities?”

“No, sir. Its durability is terrifying, but the magic eyes it lost in combat against 【Wise Heavenly King】 have not regenerated.”

“Then contact Ur of【The Walkers】.”

His voice carried a heavy weight—an unspoken frustration directed at himself.

But in the end, his choices were limited.

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---

Aboard the Rock ’n’ Roll

“…So, what you’re saying is, I have to destroy the dragon’s magic eye of Future Vision?”

『Aren’t you gonna die doing that?』

《I’m fully aware I’m asking for the impossible. But I need to hear it from you—can you do it?》

Ur fell silent. Sweat trickled down his forehead—not just from the heat searing his own magic eye, but from the crushing weight of the situation bearing down on him.

Captain Victor wasn’t wrong.

As someone who also possessed the magic eye of Future Vision, Ur had a chance. If he could disrupt the dragon’s future sight with his own, he might be able to bypass its predictions. By sheer luck—or misfortune—he was also the closest to the dragon’s core.

But Future Vision was the only thing he could negate. The dragon’s other senses were still intact. The moment it noticed him, it wouldn’t matter what tricks he had—it would crush him like an insect. And that would be the end of it.

It was reckless. No, it was suicide. Even Victor, through the crackling transmission, sounded grim. He knew he was giving an impossible order, one that essentially meant go and die.

But if Ur didn’t move now—

The black dragon’s defeat would be delayed.

Sua wouldn’t be saved.

The tide of battle would shift against them.

The world would fall.

“…I’ll do it.”

《………We’ll support you with everything we have. I’m counting on you.》

The transmission cut off.

The moment it did, a skull peeked out from inside the tank, turning to face Ur.

『So? What’s the plan? That was a hell of a demand back there.』

“…Still thinking.”

『Just so you know, if it’s impossible, say it’s impossible.』

“But if I say that, they’ll be even more screwed, and then we’ve got a world-ending crisis on our hands.”

『Not my problem. That’s for the commander and the king to figure out.』

Rock stated it outright—blunt, callous, and utterly irresponsible. But Ur wasn’t dense enough to miss the concern beneath the words.

『Did you come all this way just to save the world? That’s not it, is it?』

“…Yeah. You’re right. Thanks, Rock.”

Ur spoke his gratitude sincerely.

It was exactly what he needed to hear.

The relentless battles, the overwhelming stakes, the crushing responsibility—he’d almost lost sight of himself. He wasn’t fighting for the world.

He was fighting for himself.

And he couldn’t afford to forget that.

It wasn’t reckless desperation.

Nor was it because he had a clear shot at victory.

But he understood the weight of this battle. The sacrifices, the determination, the sheer willpower of those fighting alongside him. He didn’t know much about this so-called world they were trying to protect.

But he knew the people who lived in it.

The ones he cared about.

The ones who raised him.

And he wasn’t about to abandon them.

That much was certain.

But that only made the next question even more pressing—what the hell was he going to do?

” Ur-sama.”

Shizuku’s voice pulled him back to the present. She grasped his hand.

“I told you during the operation—if you need my power, use it.”

“I do rely on you. But if you move, the Future Vision will still—”

Then it hit him.

” Ur-sama?”

『Ur?』

“…Well, it’s not like I haven’t been an idiot before.”

With newfound resolve, Ur tightened his grip on the dragonfang spear.

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Near the Black Dragon—Just Outside the Magic Eye’s Range

“Leader!”

Begude landed heavily, having just flown back from aiding the mage division. He had returned quickly, preparing for the operation about to unfold.

“What’s the situation?”

“No movement yet… Can they really pull this off?”

“…If their legs give out, so be it. We’ll move instead. Stay ready.”

“Understood!”

Even as he gave orders, Begude couldn’t suppress the frustration simmering in his chest.

What grated at him the most wasn’t just the precariousness of their mission.

It was the fact that the most critical part of this operation was being placed in the hands of the least experienced, least tested member of the Sun Eaters.

It was disgraceful.

“…Pathetic.”

The whisper barely escaped his lips, too quiet for his subordinates to hear. To entrust the fate of this battle to someone he had once dismissed outright—it was almost laughable in its irony. But he swallowed it down.

Shame? Pride? None of it mattered in the face of impending catastrophe.

They could mock him later. He could bow his head in apology a thousand times over if they survived.

For now, he would do whatever it took.

Just as he steeled himself, a scout using farseeing cried out.

“The Walkers are on the move!”

“…So he’s really going through with it.”

When Begude had said, if he freezes up, then so be it, he had meant it. It would have been understandable. The burden placed on Ur was far beyond what a boy his age should bear. No one would have blamed him for hesitating, for faltering under its weight.

But he didn’t. Begude found himself momentarily speechless.

He was surprised.

And, deep down, impressed.

Then he saw it.

And his brain short-circuited.

“…Huh?”

“Command! Do you read me?! Command!!”

His men were already shouting into the communicator.

And what they reported was—

“Something weird just came out of something weird!!”

Emerging from the chariot was Ur.

Clad in bone armor.

A cursed blade in his right hand.

A dragonfang spear in his left.

And strapped to his back—like some kind of living weapon—was a silver-haired girl.