kscans

Chapter 112 - Subjugating the Underworld Dragon

A great cheer rained down on Demon Lord Lunaria as she stood defiantly on the roof of the carriage that had entered the plaza.

He wanted to ask what happened to her social anxiety, but it seemed her desire to act like a Demon Lord had won out.

Lunaria paid no mind to the people around her, her eyes fixed on the Underworld Dragon. She drew the sword at her waist, Arondight. Then she pointed its tip at the dragon.

"To think you'd rampage about in my absence. How insolent. I'll make you rust on this demonic sword."

(Weren't you just holed up in your castle because you're scared of ghosts?)

He couldn't very well make a retort like that, so he just watched the situation unfold.

As if anticipating the Demon Lord's arrival, both players and NPCs cleared a path for the carriage, wider than necessary. It was a satisfying sight to see the crowd part like that, but it also made them a perfect target for a Dragon Breath.

The Underworld Dragon was about to unleash a Dark attribute Dragon Breath at that very spot.

"Maris!"

When Hayato shouted, Maris skillfully handled the horses, replying, "Leave it to me!" The carriage suddenly veered to the left, looking like it was about to crash into the crowd.

"Clear the way!"

The players and NPCs had been focused on the carriage, so they dodged to avoid being hit. And once again, the crowd parted. Immediately after, the Dragon Breath was unleashed.

They had originally intended to drive the carriage towards the Underworld Dragon, so there were no players or NPCs in that spot. However, there was someone who had been chasing the carriage. And the carriage had suddenly made a sharp turn and disappeared to the side. This meant the person chasing the carriage would be hit by the Dragon Breath.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Pat was caught in the Underworld Dragon's Dragon Breath. He didn't fall, but he took damage and tumbled to the ground.

Pat tried to get up immediately but froze. He was already surrounded.

"You're the gunman Rosalie-sama was talking about, aren't you? And it seems you were attacking Lunaria-sama. That is a crime punishable by ten thousand deaths."

"...It really is my lucky day with the ladies. I wonder what I did in a past life?"

The members of the Ten Black Rose Saints had surrounded Pat, their weapons pointed at him. A battle began immediately after.

Hayato watched this from the window of the stopped carriage.

(Alright, the Black Rose Saints will take care of Pat. That just leaves the Underworld Dragon.)

"Lunaria-san, I'm leaving the rest to you. It'd be uncool to lose here, you know?"

"The Demon Lord is cool at all times. That's why I'm the Demon Lord. You should burn this strength into your eyes from the best seat in the house. But if Noat-chan's song stops, things will get bad, so you absolutely have to protect her."

"If you're going to act cool, see it through to the end. Maris, drive around the plaza so we don't leave the song's effective range. Just watch out for the Dragon Breath."

"Understood! Let's go, everyone!"

Maris said this to the horses pulling the carriage, and they immediately took off. Lunaria leaped down from the roof of the carriage and began walking towards the Underworld Dragon.

The crowd had already parted, but as Lunaria began to walk, they parted even wider.

The Underworld Dragon was clearly frightened. Even with its boss-level stats for the Stampede, it seemed to be afraid of the Demon Lord.

Perhaps thinking it had no chance of winning, the Underworld Dragon averted its gaze from Lunaria and looked towards the carriage. It then fired a magic bullet of materialized nightmare, the Necromancy spell ‘Nightmare’.

The carriage, controlled by Maris, quickly dodged it. It then moved through the crowd.

"It seems it's decided to try and stop Noat's song rather than win against Lunaria-sama," Esha said, taking a sip of juice, having stopped her attack on Pat.

"Well, that's not the wrong move. But is Lunaria-san really that strong in her current state? With Arondight in the state it's in when her allies have fallen, she'd be incredibly strong, but…"

Lunaria's sword, Arondight, had its seals broken each time an ally fell, eventually becoming nearly twice as strong as normal. Furthermore, its blade would be enveloped in a black aura, increasing its attack range. In that state, she would likely be unbeatable, but right now, it was a normal Arondight. It was certainly strong, but Hayato didn't think it was strong enough to overwhelm a dragon.

"Lunaria-sama was on par with Ivan even without that sword. If anything, Lunaria-sama was probably superior in terms of pure swordsmanship. That's why Ivan went so far as to ask her to help him defeat it."

In the Clan War before Esha and the others lost their memories, Esha had taken out both Ivan and Lunaria with Destroy. It was something of a cheap shot, but it was a strategy born from the fact that she couldn't win otherwise.

And the Underworld Dragon remembered Lunaria's strength. Back when Ash and the others were the clan Dragon Soul, they hadn't fought Lunaria's clan, but they had been able to watch the Clan Wars as spectators. That strength was likely in a corner of its memory.

"Your opponent is I, Demon Lord Lunaria. If you look away, it will be over quickly."

Saying this, Lunaria slashed at the Underworld Dragon's left hind leg with Arondight.

Arondight, which ignored defense, had a fairly high base attack power, but against the Underworld Dragon with its boss-level HP, it couldn't even reduce its HP bar by a millimeter.

Reassured by this, the Underworld Dragon looked at Lunaria and grinned.

"What, you're not so tough for a Demon Lord. I was scared for nothing."

"You'll be scared soon enough. This demonic sword has recognized you as a worthy foe. That is the signal for the Black Swan to awaken. My attacks will not stop until you fall, so you'd best be careful."

A black trail lingered behind Arondight as Lunaria swung it. Arondight's unique skill, Black Swan, had activated.

Though it was a virtual reality, this world still had laws of physics. Of course, they weren't exactly the same as in reality, but people couldn't jump ten meters, nor could they attack ten times in one second.

But Lunaria's attacks bent even those laws of physics. Black Swan was that kind of weapon skill.

Lunaria leaped up, closing the distance to the face of the nearly ten-meter-tall Underworld Dragon.

"Whoa!?"

She unleashed a flurry of attacks on the surprised dragon's face. The speed completely ignored the physical laws of this world, and the trails left by Arondight began to blacken the surrounding area.

The Underworld Dragon's HP bar began to drop rapidly, and cheers erupted from the crowd. The players also resumed their attacks.

"This is bad! Pat! Do something!"

"I'm a little too popular over here myself! Use Knockback or Stun to stop the song! That should do something!"

If the song stopped, it could summon ghost-type monsters. That was the advice, but it was meaningless. Hayato had given Noat equipment that nullified those effects.

Unaware of this, the Underworld Dragon followed the advice, but the song didn't stop, and neither did Lunaria's attacks.

"It's no use!"

The Underworld Dragon tried to stop Lunaria's attacks by clawing and biting at her, but Lunaria dodged while continuing to layer on more attacks. Lunaria was attacking the dragon's entire body at ultra-high speed, and the dragon's body was gradually being painted black.

"Destroy one of the facilities! Even if you're defeated, don't let them get the fragment!"

Pat, while fighting the members of the Black Rose, gave this new piece of advice, and the Underworld Dragon moved as if to escape the plaza.

Though Lunaria was attacking, it would still take time to defeat it.

The players, understanding the dragon's goal, shouted encouragement, "Protect the facilities!"

However, only some of the players and NPCs could nullify Knockback or Stun. The Underworld Dragon gradually moved towards what appeared to be a shop.

"Maris-sama, please move to that location."

"Huh? Oh, yes!"

Esha gave Maris instructions. It was a place a little away from the plaza.

Esha then climbed from the carriage window onto the roof. She readied her Beelzebub. Then she looked through the scope.

"Esha? What are you—"

"It won't do any damage, but it should get its attention. Destroy."

Her usual effect occurred, and a laser-like attack grazed the Underworld Dragon's face.

That the dragon turned to look at Esha could be said to be the turning point. Lunaria's attacks piled on even further, and with the addition of the players' attacks, the Underworld Dragon's HP bar vanished in that instant.

"You've got to be… kidding me…"

The Underworld Dragon staggered, then collapsed to the ground, its strength gone. It then dissolved into particles of light.

"The subjugation of Underworld Dragon Onyx Rod was successful. Participants in the Stampede will be awarded contribution points and a Dragon Soul Fragment. I repeat—"

When the world announcement was heard, everyone in the plaza cheered.

But the cheers soon died down. Another dragon had appeared in the plaza.

"A Stampede has occurred in the Demon Capital Zardogia. Mineral Dragon Pat Faruson has begun its invasion. Please engage and repel it. I repeat—"

(A dragon made of metal…? Pat, that gunman! The fact that he didn't transform into a dragon until now suggests there's some kind of restriction. And for a dragon state to trigger right after a Stampede is strange… No, that doesn't matter—)

As Hayato's mind raced, that very Pat looked towards the carriage.

"The boss will be mad if I go back empty-handed. I'm taking you with me, at least."

Pat's tail swung at the carriage, destroying it. The members who were inside were thrown to the ground. Pat's gaze was fixed on Hayato.

Pat used Dragon Roar, then a Wing Flap, to spread Stun and Knockback to the surroundings. Hayato himself wasn't wearing equipment that nullified those effects. His body went rigid from the Stun effect.

Pat flew in low, skillfully scooped Hayato up with his foreleg, and then flew into the sky.

Hayato couldn't move, but he moved his eyes to look at the ground and saw Esha and the others watching him. Noat aside, Esha and the others were likely unable to move, so there was nothing they could do.

He thought this was bad, but then reconsidered that it might be a chance.

(Could this mean I'll be taken to the Genesis Dragons' base? I don't know what they'll do to me, but I have a Ring of Teleportation, so I should be able to escape even if I'm imprisoned. In that case, I'll gather information there. I might even be able to talk to Veru-san again.)

With that in mind, Hayato decided not to resist. He couldn't move due to the stun anyway, but he resolved to do nothing.

"Mineral Dragon Pat Faruson has retreated. I repeat—"

As that world announcement was made, a half-hearted cheer rose up in the Demon Capital Zardogia.