Akatsuki Translations

“Why has the Black Dragon already fallen!?”

At the very start of the Black Dragon subjugation operation, Victor found himself beset by the unexpected, and it made his head ache. He had braced himself for unforeseen circumstances, but to be hit with one right from the outset was a direct assault on his stomach.

If he looked only at the outcome, the fact that the dragon had fallen was a good thing. However, there were too many dangerous variables surrounding the beast to simply chalk it up to good fortune.

“The Dispel Magic Unit, tasked with bringing it down from the sky, hasn’t moved yet!”

“Then why did it fall!?”

“It looks like it came down on its own!!”

“On its own…!?”

It made no sense.

The Black Dragon was the one holding Sua captive. That was why it had been so desperate to escape. The idea that the dragon would willingly turn its back on an escape route and descend to the ground was unthinkable.

And yet, it had.

Now, it was rampaging near【The Walkers】, who were engaged in a monster-subjugation operation on the ground. As if it had deliberately abandoned its retreat.

Could it be that Sua-sama had died inside its belly, making escape unnecessary?

The thought flickered through Victor’s mind for an instant, but he shook his head. If that were true, the battle situation had just taken a turn for the absolute worst. As a commander, he couldn’t afford to ignore that possibility, but if he acted on that assumption, morale would collapse.

Regardless, the dragon had to be slain. That Black Dragon itself had to fall.

“Captain!! The ‘weird one’ among 【The Walkers】 is in serious trouble!!!”

A report came in from the intelligence unit, sounding utterly nonsensical. Victor had half a mind to shout at them to be more precise, but he understood what they were trying to say.

“Enough! There’s no time to hesitate!! Advise the king to revoke 【Divine Hand】!! Prepare the【Dragon Slayer】!! Bring down its wings!! Combat units, advance immediately!! Dispel Magic Unit, merge with them!!! Move!!!”

Just as Shizuku had said during the strategy meeting, this operation had to be pushed through, even if it meant forcing things. That meant that no matter how many unforeseen circumstances arose, they would need to rely on battlefield judgment and improvisation to see it through.

And that was exactly why adventurers were at the heart of this mission. The only shared objective was dragon slaying—handling the countless unexpected developments would be left to each individual’s decision-making.

“Which means—hold out until we get there, you brats!!!”

Victor bellowed at 【The Walkers】’s “tank-like” contraption, which was currently being swung around wildly, clutched in the grip of the dragon’s tail.

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As part of the rear guard following 【The Walkers】, Begude had been making his way toward the anticipated dragon crash site—only to be blown away along with the dragon’s sudden fall. When he landed, his eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

【The Walkers】 were being flung around by the dragon’s tail.

“Just how bad is their luck…!?”

It was one thing for the dragon’s descent to be unexpected, but why, of all places, had those guys ended up directly beneath it at the moment of impact?

On top of that, whether they had collided with the beast, gotten impaled, or simply been caught up in the chaos was unclear, but they had somehow ended up entangled at the very tip of the dragon’s long tail. Now, they were being whipped around violently. Judging by the screams coming from inside, they were still alive—probably. His head throbbed just thinking about it.

“Leader! What’s the plan!?”

“We proceed as planned—coordinate with the others and bring down its wings! Move in the moment 【Dragon Slayer】 is fired!! Mages, stir up a dust storm and synchronize with the priest of the Lampfire Spirit!!”

“What about those unlucky bastards from 【The Walkers】!?”

“I’ll deal with them myself!!!”

Barking out orders in rapid succession, Begude leapt forward, gripping his sword tightly.

His body groaned in protest, but it was far better than it had been when he first woke up. The feeling of the slender blade in his grasp was still firm. Maybe he had fully recovered. Maybe the curse had been lifted. Or perhaps—though he hated to admit it—it was thanks to that abomination of a liquid, the so-called “tea” that had assaulted his senses with its brutal flavor.

Whatever the case, his body felt oddly good.

“I owe you one! So don’t you dare die on me!!!”

With that, Begude dashed through the fixed air beneath his feet.

At the same time, a massive cloud of dust erupted around the dragon, obscuring the battlefield. The mages’ spell had activated—concealing the field from the dragon’s evil eyes. Now, he could close the distance without hesitation.

He kicked off the air, launching himself straight toward the dragon’s tail.

—And then.

“…!?”

Just before he could take off, Begude suddenly twisted in midair, kicking off into a different trajectory.

It wasn’t a conscious decision. It wasn’t quite the 【intuition】 granted by skill, either.

It was something deeper—an instinct honed through years of survival.

And it saved his life.

A blade of wind slashed through the space he had just been about to enter.

His reflex had been right.

Gritting his teeth, Begude turned his gaze toward the fresh assault, activating his 【Fixation】 magic eye.

And he saw it.

『KIIIIII!!!』 

“A 【Kamaitachi】[1]!?” 

A creature that rides the wind, slicing through the air like a blade. These monsters move in packs, preying on birds—and sometimes, when the opportunity arises, even attacking airships. Vicious and malevolent beasts. 

Now, they were swarming around the dragon. 

Begude swiftly slashed through one of the creatures—a weasel-like monster with unnaturally long claws and wings—before immediately activating the communication magic on his adventurer’s ring. 

“Headquarters! 【Kamaitachi】sighted! They’re flying all around the dragon!” 

《Are you certain!?》 

“I’m certain! Which means—the dust storm is going to ‘vanish’!!” 

Even as he spoke, strange winds began to surge around the dragon, scattering the magically conjured sandstorm. It didn’t completely wipe it away, but enough gaps had formed that the dragon’s evil eyes flickered through the haze. 

“Tch…!!” 

The force of the winds wasn’t as bad as the one that had first sent Begude flying, but if he got blasted away again, passing out was not an option. 

“The eye hasn’t been completely suppressed. We can’t get close recklessly!!” 

《…! Understood!! Melee fighters, hold back!! Focus fire on the wings with Dragon Slayer and the mage unit!! Keep the sandstorm going as much as possible!!》 

Hearing the knight commander’s orders, Begude pulled back further. 

Yet even as he did, his brows knitted in confusion. Something about this wasn’t right. 

“This is… No, now’s not the time!” 

Shaking off his doubts, he refocused, turning his sword toward another 【Kamaitachi】that was closing in, its claws ready to tear his throat apart. 

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“Prepare Dragon Slayer!!”

The knights swiftly set up the long-range turret, the 【Dragon Slayer】 launch device. This specialized weapon—a black spear crafted solely for slaying dragons—was feared for its deadly effectiveness. However, it bore no enchantments to enhance its firing power.

It was simply, and purely, a weapon designed to pierce and kill.

Because of that, a launcher was necessary, and to ensure a successful strike, they had to close the distance.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened as they advanced. Of course, as they moved beyond the safety of the barriers and neared the dragon, they were attacked by hordes of monsters. But that, too, was accounted for and efficiently repelled.

With all preparations in place—

“Aim for the wings! Do not let it take flight a second time!! Fire—!”

It was the moment right before the 【Dragon Slayer】was launched.

『ＧＨＹＡＨＹＡ』

For an instant, it felt as if the dragon laughed.

“…!? Detecting multiple high-heat magical signatures from the dragon! A Roar attack is coming!!”

“Defensive positions!!”

The order was given, and at once, the knights activated the barrier. Unlike the colossal shield that protected the Wise Heavenly King at the heart of Babel, this was a smaller, shelter-type defense meant to withstand concentrated attacks in a limited area.

At that moment, radiant beams of light erupted from the dragon’s body. But rather than striking directly, they first soared into the sky. Multiple pillars of light shot upward, curving in grand arcs before plummeting straight toward the Dragon Slayer unit.

“Urgh…!”

A knight collapsed from the impact. But the barrier held.

They had prepared for the possibility of enduring attacks outside the safety of the walls. This level of shock was within expectations. They could withstand it. They would withstand it.

But—

“…It’s not stopping! How long is this attack going to last!?!”

No barrier, no matter how strong, was built to endure an unrelenting onslaught for an extended period.

The knight commander on-site was in disbelief. Not because they were being attacked—but because the dragon’s assault was entirely, deliberately focused on them.

A sweeping, arcing blast from above—its trajectory was designed to avoid obstacles and ensure destruction of its intended target.

The enemy’s intent was unmistakable.

It was trying to obliterate them.

“This…!”

“Captain! The barrier won’t hold much longer!!”

“Maintain the shield while retreating! Do not let the Dragon Slayer be destroyed!!”

The order to fall back was given. It was disgraceful to retreat, but losing the Dragon Slayer was not an option.

Yet, even in this setback, they had gained one critical piece of information.

“Captain Victor! The black dragon—is anticipating our every move!!!”

TL Note(s)

[1] The Kamaitachi is Japanese yōkai from the oral tradition of the Kōshin’etsu region. It can also refer to the strange events that this creature causes.

They appear riding on dust devils and cut people using their sickle-like front claws, delivering sharp, painless wounds. The name is a combination of the words kama (sickle), and itachi (weasel). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamaitachi