kscans

Chapter 202 - The Dragon's Battlefield

『■■■■───ッ!!』

『GYYYYYYYY!!』

"This is...!!"

Beams of light from the Holophagus and fireballs from the Wyverns danced wildly across the medieval European-style town. The orderly stone-paved streets were transformed into a scorched wasteland, and the few houses that had barely retained their shape were blown to smithereens.

Dodging the rain of murderous intent that was also pouring down on me, I broke through with sheer speed and closed in on the Holophagus before me.

I dodged the six necks that lunged for a close-quarters fight and approached the main body's head. Maintaining my momentum, I circled around to its side and plunged my left arm into its right eye.

Without a moment's delay, I fired a heat ray. The Holophagus's head exploded, but it wasn't dead yet. Staggering, its main body stood firm as all six necks unleashed their beams at once.

I couldn't dodge in time. Using the Flügel as a makeshift shield, I took the hit and used the impact to accelerate.

But I had gained too much altitude. A Wyvern let out a roar and charged straight for me.

『GAAA!!』

"Get out of my—"

Just as I dodged the fireball it launched, it swiped at me with the claws of its hind legs as it passed. I blocked with my left gauntlet, but the force sent me flying with a shower of brilliant sparks.

"Whoaaaaa!?"

My vision spun as I crashed through a roof and into a house.

I smashed an old wooden desk with my back, scattering the cloud of dust with a blast of wind. I forced myself up and, without a moment's rest, slammed into the wall.

Just as I burst outside, pulverizing the wall of stone and mortar, the house I had just crashed into exploded from a fireball from directly above.

I leaped up through the blast wave and saw the Holophagus, its head half-missing, being swarmed by Wyverns behind me.

Looking forward, I saw three Holophagus laying down a terrifying barrage of fire on a single Wyvern.

"What kind of monster movie is this?!"

'A B-movie, for sure! Dammit!'

I skirted the barrage, flying just inches from the buildings. In that instant, a shadow fell over me.

"Tch!"

『■■■■───ッ!?』

I leaned my body to the right and released a full-power blast of wind. A Holophagus came crashing down right where I was about to be.

Its face was gripped by the hind legs of a Wyvern, and it was screaming in agony. As if there were no weight difference at all, the Wyvern dug its claws into the black scales and forced it down.

『GYAAA!』

『GA! GAAA!』

『■■, ■■■■...!』

In a flash, several Wyverns swarmed the fallen Holophagus, pecking at its flesh.

The sound of meat being ripped and torn at my back, I attempted to disengage.

But it seemed I looked like a feast to them. My Spirit Eye gave me a vision of five Wyverns charging me.

I immediately pulled up, decelerating. I let one pass from my left, then kicked off a roof to ascend, dodging an assault from the right.

Then, three Wyverns from directly above fired a volley of fireballs. They were clustered together as if in formation, rotating to switch places with one another.

Faced with this Gatling-gun-like attack, I deliberately closed the distance. Shielding my head with my left arm, I charged.

My bones groaned from the impact, and a sensation like my entire arm was blistering washed over me.

But before the pain could fry my brain, I broke through the center of the three. As I passed, I swung my sword and severed the right wing of one.

『GAAAA!?』

A Holophagus pounced on the falling Wyvern.

It stomped on the Wyvern's torso and fired heat rays from every one of its mouths, including its main head. The concentrated attack on its face blew the dragon's head apart in a fiery explosion.

And then, I witnessed its pale green feet turning white.

"It turned to salt... They're also from the dungeon—"

'Analyze later!'

"Right, got it!"

Exposed to the beams from the Holophagus on the ground, I immediately ascended.

As a Wyvern approached from my upper left, I drew and struck it with a knife in my left hand. The wind and fire imbued in the blade exploded, charring its head black.

The falling pale green giant was also beginning to turn white. They were definitely dungeon-born creatures.

There was so much I didn't understand, but I forced it all to the back of my mind. Right now, just focus on surviving.

Precognition allowed me to dodge two fireballs shot from behind with a horizontal spin. Without looking back, I knew two Wyverns were chasing me.

The fireballs they launched one after another created pillars of flame several meters high each time a stray shot hit a house or the ground. The impacted stone turned red and melted, slumping into slag.

I leaned left and right, again and again, but I couldn't shake them. So instead, I pulled up to decelerate and twisted my body.

As I faced the two approaching Wyverns, our closing speed meant the distance between us would be zero in a second. The one on the right widened its eyes at my maneuver, and I slid my blade into its open maw.

One flash. Accelerated by wind and fire, my sword sliced off its lower jaw and continued on, lightly grazing its torso.

I dodged the body as it passed by, moving diagonally downward. I shattered a wooden roof, landed inside, and the instant my feet touched the floor, I leaped forward.

The pursuing Wyvern pulverized the house I'd been in. As the dragon landed on the ground, I emerged from the dust cloud and slashed at its face.

"Hyaah!"

『GA!?』

Stomping the ground hard, I used every muscle in my body to unleash an upward diagonal slash. I severed its long neck and, without stopping, took a running start and leaped into the air.

This time, I didn't gain altitude, instead flying low, weaving through the alleyways. It didn't matter if houses collapsed around me. As long as I was alone, I could force my way through.

Flying at around 250 kilometers per hour, my eyes caught a yellow marking painted on a wall.

"Passed 'W-24'! 'V-19' is ahead!"

'Proceed in the two o'clock direction!'

"Roger!"

I kicked off a wall in front of me, changed direction, and entered a house. I shattered a wall with my shoulder and sprinted across the floor, breaking it underfoot.

I crossed my arms and advanced, tackling through any walls in my path.

After breaking through several houses like that, I emerged onto a wide road. Instantly, a breath attack came scraping across the ground toward me.

I leaned right and gained altitude to dodge it. As expected, a Holophagus was baring its fangs at me.

"You have time to aim at me?!"

『■■■■───ッ!!』

The wicked dragon let out a furious roar, stopped its breath attack, and deployed its six necks.

An all-range attack from those long necks. Dodging after seeing them would be too late! So, see!

"Ooooooh!"

I twisted my body to evade two beams that traced a diagonal line. I ducked under one aimed at the left side of my head and then accelerated rapidly, leaving the other heat rays behind.

Several more shots flew at me from the front in an immediate interception, but I evaded them by weaving left and right. I slipped into the shortest route and thrust the one-and-a-half-handed sword I held with both hands into the Holophagus's chest.

I then dragged the back of the blade upward, slicing it open. As the main body screamed and raised its head, I slammed my left arm into its forehead.

With my palm pressed against it, I focused and released the power of the Bracelet of the Flame Horse and the wind. A blinding light, followed by an explosion.

With a deafening roar that shook my insides, the wicked dragon fell to its knees and collapsed face-first. I lowered my altitude and approached the corpse, which had already begun to turn to salt.

If possible, I wanted to collect and use its drop item, but...

"One after another!"

Of the fireballs that rained down, I parried the first with my sword and dodged the second and third by rapidly retreating.

My organs felt like they were flipping over from the impact, but right now, that acceleration was a blessing. I'm counting on you, my untamed beast!

『GYYYYYYYY!!』

"Shut up!!"

Three Wyverns approached in formation. I charged them head-on.

Using Concept Interference to kick off the wind itself, I closed in while tracing a sharp, evasive trajectory. I slashed with all my momentum, but the Wyverns scattered and dodged it.

The one on top twisted through the air to get behind me. It fired a fireball, but I mirrored its movement and ascended. I executed a barrel roll at an even faster timing and got behind it.

But then, the remaining two closed in from above and below, sandwiching me. Fireballs were launched from their open jaws.

"Don't you—"

I decelerated instantly to dodge. Their own fireballs flew into the side of the upper one's face and the lower one's neck. The bottom one went down.

Without pause, I closed in on the remaining upper Wyvern. It folded its wings in an instant and performed a horizontal spin, turning to face me before spreading its wings once more.

『GAAA!!』

"...underestimate me!"

I dodged the spewed fireball by shifting downward and closed in without slowing. Before it could fire a second shot, I slammed an uppercut into its jaw and slashed at its now-defenseless neck.

It wasn't a clean cut, but I felt the sensation of severing bone. As I passed it, the Wyvern with the injured neck crashed through a house below and came lunging for me with its jaws.

"Whoa!"

My precognition allowed me to dodge by ascending just in time, but in the next moment, the other Wyvern slammed into me from the right.

I turned to face it instinctively, but I couldn't react in time.

"Gah...!?"

The impact of several tons of mass slamming into my chest nearly made me black out. I choked for breath, but still brought my left iron fist down on the dragon's head.

The Wyvern let out a short scream and pulled away. The one with the injured neck moved to support it, claws on its hind legs glowing as it lunged at me.

Against its movements, like a bird of prey targeting its quarry, I ascended and slammed a knee into its chin. We were both thrown off balance by the impact. I threw my sword at its scorched neck.

Fire and wind imbued in the blade exploded. The remaining Wyvern charged through the heart of that fiery blast.

『GAAAAAA!』

A breath attack fired from point-blank range. I slammed my right backfist into the fireball, which boasted a temperature of several thousand degrees.

Concept Interference.

"Raaah!"

My gauntlet melted slightly, and a stabbing pain shot through my right arm. But before I could even register it, I thrust that same hand forward.

My palm caught the Wyvern's snout. My bones and sinews creaked from the impact, but I heard the sound of bone breaking from my opponent as well.

I pushed the momentarily stunned giant downward and brought my left iron fist down from above. My target: the cracked scale I had just struck.

My fist smashed through its skull and reached its brain. Just to be safe, I poured in fire and wind and set it off.

"Hah... hah...!"

My heart, my lungs, my bones, my arms—they all ached, even though they should have healed.

For now, I lowered my altitude and hid in an alley, reconstructing my sword and knife, followed by my broken gauntlet and chestplate.

"Aira-san...! If I remember right, we came in at 'D-13'... right?! How much... farther until we get there?"

'No, we're not heading there.'

"Huh? But Erina-san and the others are near the entrance—"

'I've already predicted your general location.'

In the next instant, the wall of the building behind me was shattered.

I drew my sword on reflex, but immediately lowered the tip. The one who had smashed through the wall was a knight in white armor.

From behind it, familiar faces emerged.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kyo-chan!"

"Erina-san, Mia-san, too..."

They must have used a magic tool to travel here; a faint vortex of golden particles swirled around their feet. They must have rushed.

I let out a sigh of relief, unable to stop the tension from leaving my shoulders.

Using my sword as a cane, I stopped my body from collapsing.

'Wahahaha! Your positions are completely exposed to me, you know!'

"I'm starting to think you're a once-in-a-century genius..."

'Of course I am. Wait, what do you usually think I am?'

"Erina-san, can I ask you to handle the teleportation?"

"Okay! I can do it now!"

'Am I being ignored?'

"Nee-san, we're having a serious discussion right now."

'Yes...'

Erina-san raised her arm to the empty air and began to chant.

But she immediately broke off and snapped her head up. At the same time, my own Precognition activated.

"Above and to the side!"

"Got it!"

"No way!?"

I leaped up and slashed away a falling fireball.

Next, a breath attack that swept through the houses was blocked by Byakuren's shield and Mia-san's rock wall.

The sound of flapping wings, and the heavy, thudding footsteps.

As the Wyverns and Holophagus engaged in their chaotic battle, a portion of them had turned their gazes toward us.

In this town that had been reduced to a scorched plain in an instant, the only places to hide were the still-intact houses visible in the distance.

Floating in the air, I tightened my grip on my sword.

"Erina-san, how long will the chant take?"

'With the surrounding mana flow this chaotic, it'll take five minutes.'

"Understood."

Conversing through my earring, I raised my altitude slightly.

I could feel the number of Wyverns turning their eyes towards me steadily increasing.

"I'll protect you all. So please..."

'Leave it to me!'

I gave a wry smile at her usual reply and readied my sword.

A glimmer of hope for escape was visible. Now, all I had to do was endure.

It was a hellscape, with monsters rampaging as far as the eye could see. I wondered which was more terrifying: this, or the pandemonium of those 'B-Rank' freaks.

I sucked in the air, heated by the fires raging everywhere, and let out a war cry. It was nowhere near the roars of the dragons, but it was to draw as much of the enemy's attention to me as possible.

With murderous intent directed at me from all sides, the wide vision of my Spirit Eye caught sight of 'a certain presence'.

Something in this place that could absolutely not be ignored. An absolute powerhouse I must not meet eyes with.

What my eyes saw was...

the moment the white dragon finished its meal.

Without giving a second glance to something as insignificant as a human, the incarnation of calamity casually raised its head.

『G G G G Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y ────ッッ!!!』