Akatsuki Translations

A few days earlier, in the operations room of Dragon-Devoured Uuga

“Lastly, there’s one thing you must never forget when facing a dragon,” Diz, acting as the instructor, continued speaking to the exhausted members of Uuga who had just received an explanation about the dragon that was likely to appear. Although everyone looked like they’d had enough, she showed no mercy.

“…What, is there still more we need to hear?” Jain asked with a tired expression. Honestly, the more he heard about these outrageous monsters, the more disheartened he became, but he couldn’t afford not to listen. He too was desperate to survive.

“As I’ve explained, most dragons are extremely dangerous. They launch attacks that far exceed common sense. Even if you don’t make a single mistake, there’s still a high risk of total annihilation,” Diz explained.

Various attack methods aligned with each of the deadly sins. A multitude of malicious abilities, any one of which could end everything if suffered. It wasn’t wrong to fear dragons. It was the correct response in line with survival instinct.

However,

“There’s something people often misunderstand due to being intimidated by their scale. Dragons are not invincible. It’s not that attacks don’t work on them. If it seems like nothing is working at all, you’re probably being deceived,” Diz continued.

This information might be unnecessary for those who choose to flee rather than face the dragon. It could even become a hindrance. But for those who have decided to risk their lives and fight, it’s absolutely crucial to keep in mind.

“Even dragons can be slain. If you’re going to face one, that’s the one thing you must never forget.”

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Dragon-Devoured Uuga, Hybrid Dragon’s fall point.

“Phew…” Jain wiped the sweat from his brow and steadied his breathing.

The pain in his leg, which had been pierced by the dragon’s root earlier, still lingered. When Rabin forcefully pulled it out, it seemed to have clawed and damaged the surrounding area. Even healing magic couldn’t completely cure it.

Of course, they couldn’t have left it as it was. There was no time. Jain was grateful for Rabin’s decision. So this pain was a necessary expense.

The dragon’s root invasion was progressing. Jain was now peering out from a fourth-floor window of a five-story building, and the roots had already overflowed to about the third floor.

However, the central area and other places weren’t like that. In other words, these roots were clearly targeting Jain and his group.

“The fact that it’s not doing this to all of Uuga means it can’t. So there’s a limit to its total quantity. But its position tracking is accurate, given that it attacked me directly…” Jain muttered, voicing the information he’d gathered. It was partly to distract from the pain, but more importantly to imprint the dragon’s individual characteristics in his mind. He’d heard about the general threat of dragons from Diz, but he’d also been told that individual differences could be significant.

Moreover, they were now facing a hybrid dragon that somehow possessed the traits of two underling dragons, so they couldn’t let their guard down at all.

《Jain-san! We’re ready!》 Rabin reported.

“Fire. Just one shot,” Jain immediately instructed. A large spear then flew from the rooftop of the building to Jain’s right, striking the pitch-black body of the dragon in the center of the square.

『Z…』

“…No change, huh?” Jain observed.

The launched spear was one provided by the 【Hero】. She had said it was something that could be expected to have some effect even against dragons.

— A specially-ordered item enhanced from the masterpiece 【Dragon Slayer】 made by “a certain prisoner” working in the Black Flame Desert. It should work in most cases against dragons, though it might not be enough to kill them outright.

She wouldn’t offer easy consolation. In other words, there was no room to doubt the power of the “spear cannon.”

If that was the case, there must be another reason why the attack seemed to have no effect on the dragon. Removing the fear and prejudice against the threat of dragons, the simplest reason for an attack not working would be–

“–It’s not actually hitting properly,” Jain concluded.

《But it is hitting, isn’t it?》 Rabin questioned.

“After falling to the ground, the dragon didn’t move. I thought it was to attack us with its ‘roots’, but…”

If that wasn’t all there was to it.

For example, if it had hidden its vital points, its weaknesses, under the ground.

“Kalkara, can you hear me?” Jain called out.

《Yes, no problem.》

“The dragon’s feet– 『Z』 Tch!”

Jain swung his hand axe, cutting off a part of the dragon’s root that had suddenly writhed towards his throat.

“Damn it!!”

《Are you alright!?》

“Never mind that, just break up the ground under the dragon!! Shatter it as much as you can!”

Jain ignored the screaming pain in his leg and climbed to the upper floor. The “roots” rising from below were equipped with magic eyes. Just having them in view inflicted significant debuffs.

However, the fact that the roots were targeting and approaching Jain was also “as planned.”

“Rabin!! Have the roots crawled over to your side!?”

《Not yet! They’re writhing around the second floor!》

“So it can’t distinguish what’s a threat and what isn’t…!”

The “roots” approached places where there were human presences, heading towards nearby locations. However, there was no discrimination in this. The intelligence of the dragon’s main body was unknown, but the behavior principle of the extremities of the roots was just that. Therefore, some level of misdirection was possible.

“Damn it!!”

Reaching the rooftop, Jain leaped to the neighboring building. Immediately after, the building where Jain had been was completely covered by black roots. Jain quickly ducked into the building he had jumped to, hiding from view before the mass of roots covering the previous building could turn their magic eyes towards him.

“There are several bulging magic eyes, but it doesn’t seem to be utilizing visual information… Are the magic eyes just a means of attack…!?”

The more he thought about it, the more distorted the dragon’s ecology seemed. He often felt this way about monsters, but this dragon was exceptional. It was unclear if this was the result of forcibly combining the characteristics of two dragons, but it shouldn’t be as versatile as it appeared.

《Are you safe?》

“I’m fine! More importantly, what about the dragon’s lower part!?”

《We’re working on it now.》

Jain once again peered out the window at the square. As Kalkara had said, the ground beneath the dragon was crumbling. Originally, this square had been repaired and reinforced by Kalkara’s 【Stone Spirit】 blessing. Therefore, breaking it was easy.

Naturally, as if an earthquake had occurred, the ground beneath the dragon crumbled and split.

『Z』

Normally, the dragon’s body should have fallen with this collapse.

However, that didn’t happen.

The dragon’s body remained motionless in place. Instead of the supporting ground, black roots that had attacked Jain and the others clung to the dragon’s body, extending downwards. The roots bundled together, overlapping to form thick tree-like structures.

And in the center of those thick trunks, there was a giant, glowing light.

“…Well, that makes it easy for us,” Jain remarked.

That was the vital point. The rotting mass of flesh above it was just a discarded shell.

And now that the weakness was clear, there was only one thing to do.

“Lynne!!! Blast it!!!”

It was time to unleash their maximum firepower.

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Command Tower, Rooftop

“This is the worst,” Lynne muttered, frowning as she surveyed the situation through binoculars from the command room’s rooftop.

Beside her, Echelle also observed, furrowing her brow.

“…What is it doing?” Echelle asked.

At first glance, it was hard to understand. The dragon seemed to have abandoned its original body and become tree-like. It was a bizarre sight. Disturbing, but even more perplexing. Its intention was completely unclear.

In contrast, Lynne seemed to understand. She sighed, pointing.

“It’s trying to take over Uuga,” she explained.

“—…This is the worst!!” Echelle exclaimed.

“Isn’t it?”

They absolutely had to stop it, no matter what. If Uuga were to be hijacked by the dragon, it would give birth to the largest and worst dragon in history.

“I have no intention of letting such a monster have my Uuga,” Lynne declared.

“It’s not yours, you know???” Echelle retorted.

“At least it won’t be jumping up again like this,” Lynne said, tapping the ground with her staff. The resistance magic water enveloping the tower gradually disappeared.

“I’m going to cancel the resistance magic. Please set up a barrier and ventilation with wind magic simultaneously,” she instructed.

“Leave it to me. Take care of the Guild Master,” Echelle replied.

“Of course.”

They coordinated with the 【White Serpent】 mages as well.

“【Speedwriting Activate】. Echelle!” Lynne called out.

“Ah, right! 【Miralphyne!】” Echelle responded.

As the tower’s resistance magic dissipated, Lynne began drawing the White King Formation on the tower’s rooftop.

Simultaneously, Echelle clutched the “black book” tightly to her chest, and a mirror appeared above Lynne. It reflected the trajectory of the 【White King Formation】 Lynne was drawing. Inside the mirror, an identical magical formation continued to be drawn.

“Don’t let them interfere! Eliminate all the monsters!” someone shouted.

Around them, a battle between the monsters swarming the barrier again and the mages and warriors began. The situation was worse compared to the initial state. This was because the mages’ efforts were now needed to eliminate the 【Mist of Slumber】. With fewer hands available, they were constantly being pushed back.

However, the attacks didn’t cease. Everyone was giving their all to complete the White King Formation, which still took time even with 【Speedwriting】.

This was because everyone knew that her power would be a great force in overcoming the current situation.

“–!! Alright!! Here we go!! 【Open!!】” Lynne shouted.

“【Reflect!!!】” Echelle called out.

“【Refined Bullet of the Heavenly Flame ・ Doublefold】”

It was a strike using the double White King Formation devised during the previous invasion. A reproduction of the phenomenon that had increased in power when accidentally overlapped and mixed.

“【White King’s Firebolt】”

The mighty ball of fire released from the command tower scorched everything around it as it struck the dragon’s glowing tree directly.