Chapter 112: Dragon Hunters II (1/2)

A burnt smell hung in the air of the city.

It was the air of a battlefield.

A huge shadow swept across the sky, and the screams of people rang out with every pass.

「Adventurers who aren't participating in the fight to drive it off! And all those who aren't adventurers! Please remain calm and take refuge in the Adventurers' Guild! There's still time before the dragon attacks!」

On the main street, Guild employees and guards were directing the throngs of people.

Everyone was heading straight for the Odoriji spire.

「Stay calm! Don't run, and don't push! Please walk slowly! Children, if you're lost, please come to big sister! Your parents are at the Guild! It'll be alright, don't cry!」

A dog beastkin lady was shouting at the top of her lungs.

She was surrounded by about ten children who appeared to have strayed from their parents.

「The merchant over there! We can’t look after your goods and assets at the Guild! Please toss them out onto the plain! Move it! Get out of the way! What? Ensuring the safety of your merchandise? Not our problem!」

Our merchant company had already made preparations to move the merchandise to a safe place on the plain.

Right about now, Geto-san should be helping them move everything out of the city via the river.

「Furthermore! Adventurers who have taken up the request to fight it off! Listen up! All adventurers who have taken up the request to fight off the dragon! Do not attack the dragon until the Guild President gives the word! If you provoke it in any way, I will rip you to shreds and throw you into the dragon's mouth!」

Wow, she’s scary.

「Let's get to the top of the city walls」

With so many people about and so much noise, it was impossible to have a proper discussion.

Everyone in the party made their way to the city walls. After going up the stairs, we were on top of the walls. My sister, who had canceled her invisibility, joined us.

There were other adventurers on the walls.

We exchanged brief greetings by making eye contact.

I looked out over the people who were swarming like ants. It was probably because the evacuation was very well organized, but they were disappearing into the dungeon one after another.

「But it sure is big」

「That may be so, but it's one of the smaller ones among the dragons」

Otou-san's words sent a chill down my spine.

The dragon was soaring through the skies of Lemuria like it owned the place.

I had Yukikaze analyzed it and she told me its size.

Body length, 20 meters.

Wingspan, 74 meters.

Its silhouette looked slender, but as a living creature, it was stupendously large. It was twice the size of the dragon-tortoise we had fought in the past. On top of that, its huge wings made it seem even bigger.

Its front arms were longer and skinnier than I had expected, and its fingers, with sharp claws at their tips, were well-developed, like those of humans. Its back legs were thick and robust, and it appeared to be bipedal rather than quadrupedal. It had a lizard-like head and a long neck, the very image of what one would expect a dragon to look like.

Its distinguishing feature was the two curved horns on its head. And the whitish scales that covered its entire body.

It's a white dragon.

I find it terrifying, yet also beautiful.

I wonder if this sentiment is similar to how people view natural disasters as something divine. But this is already at the level of needing to bring out a Gundam. Is this an opponent that we, humans, can defeat? After seeing the real thing, I can't help but be feel daunted.

「Hey」

Otou-san prodded me.

「Don't get distracted. Focus on the enemy」

「Yes」

He was indirectly telling me not to be afraid.

「Rutsuko-san, Gunmerry, prepare the magic」

「Huh? But we're not supposed to attack until we get the go-ahead」

I smiled in response to Rutsuko-san's diligent reply.

「We weren't told not to prepare. Let's unleash it as soon as we get the go-ahead. Our magic will spearhead the attack」

「I see!」

Rutsuko-san really is a straightforward person.

The magician group got into formation.

Rutsuko-san stood in the center, with Gunmerry behind her, Rana in front and to her right, and Frey the same to her left.

Rutsuko-san had Rana and Frey's staves gripped in each of her hands.

「Are you ready?」

「Yes, please go ahead!」

Rutsuko-san gave a spirited reply to Frey's question.

「Rauaryuna-san, let's start. Please follow my lead」

「………Alright」

The good thing about Frey is that when she starts using magic, she stops acting foolishly.

And then, Rana will start sounding grumpy.

「Gastolfo commands you. Meltomu, the torrent, gather up our magical elements by ancient tradition and bind them into a light breeze」

「Oh Ezusu, my god. I offer this next wish. Arumoniya, the god of harmony, build up, bring together, align, gather the magic, and become one with this person」

「Eek!」

Rutsuko-san jumped, then started trembling.

Wind swirled around them. It was a wind laden with dense magical elements.

「It, it makes me feel really queasy. My insides are churning! They're being twisted! This feels so terrible! Gunmerry! Quickly! Hurry up! What am I to do, it's going to overflow! It's going to burst out!」

Responding to her request, Gunmerry raised both hands to the skies.

「Engine linking. Quantum transfer initiated………………linked」

Electricity surged out from Gunmerry's entire body.

At the top of his voice, he prayed.

「Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. By my cadenza, once again become the fount of miracles. Turn your glory into lightning and bring forth a great lance that decimates entire armies. Holy Grail! Holy Grail! By Maxwell's aria, the little birds sing! The flowers bloom! And let there be hell on this world!」

Rutsuko-san twitched and shook.

The wind gathered in Gunmerry's right hand, turned into light, and extended into a lance of lightning.

It was a small lance that was barely a meter long, but its power was well-proven.

「This is Keraunos, the lance with a fragment of holiness! Eat this! You goddamn liz――」

「Like I said, not yet」

I hit Gunmerry with Agathion.

With a full swing.

「Myself got carried away in the excitement of the moment and forgot」

I had hit him with quite the intent to kill, but all it did was dent his helmet a little.

「If you ever ignore my orders again, I'll make Rutsuko-san wear culottes skirts」

「Please don't do that. For myself, if I don't get to see panties, my performance drops by 2%」

That's not much of a decrease, now is it?

「Ea, as we've planned, hide this guy」

「Understood」

My sister walked up to Gunmerry.

「Tee-hee」

Gunmerry let out an annoying cry.

「Onii-chan, this guy is so creepy」

「Bear with it just for today」

She wrapped Gunmerry and the lance in her cloak, and turned them invisible.

「Rutsuko-san, how many more times can you do this?」

「Ummm, one. No, I'll try to endure it for two more times」

Rutsuko-san was not looking well.

The transfer of magic power didn't exactly have a good effect on her.

Looking around, I saw that the other adventurers were preparing for battle just as we were.

In general, ordinary magic is unleashed once the chant is finished. But thanks to Gunmerry's magic, we can create it then leave it for later.

「Lys, I'm repeating myself, but I'm counting on you when it breathes fire on us」

「Alright, alright」

Lys sounded fed up from hearing me say the same thing over and over again.

I'm being persistent because I still don't quite trust her.

「Otou-san, Barfuru-sama, I'm counting on you two when the dragon goes down」

『Yeah』

They both replied.

「Lazarissa, protect Frey, and if you have the leeway to do so, protect everyone else」

「Yes, understood」

This was the last chance I had.

I mulled over my orders to make sure I didn't miss anything.

「………………」

Alright. I've done everything I could. I've said everything that needed to be said.

It's now time to pray to god.

『This is the Guild President, Solcia』

All of a sudden, I heard the Guild President's voice.

There was a small winged doll at my feet, about 30 cm tall and made of burlap, that I hadn’t noticed. I had seen the Guild President use this magic before.

『The evacuation has been completed. The fight to drive off the dragon will now commence. Adventurers of Lemuria. This is a battle to test your mettle. Take no pride in dying here. Take pride in learning who you really are. If you feel that your life is in danger, call for help from the nearby Guild employees. Well then……………… Begin!』

Cries went up from the adventurers.

Chants for magic rang out like songs.

Flames, ice, arrows, and spears flew into the sky. But they fell well short of the dragon, which was 200 meters in the air.

But that was within the range of Gunmerry's lance.

「Gunmerry, prepare to fire――」

「Hey, Souya. Look at the dragon's head. There's someone there」

「Huh?」

Upon hearing Barfuru-sama’s words, I turned on the telephoto function of my glasses and zoomed in.

On the distant head of the flying dragon stood a figure, no, a familiar face.

Feeling the horns, patting the scales, and then crouching down to peer into the dragon's eyes……

……was a black-haired, dark-skinned elf.

「Maria! What the heck is she doing?」

「Huh? Maria?」

Rana also raised her voice.

「Oh, she fell」

Like Barfuru-sama said, the dragon had swung its head and shaken Maria off.

「Arghh! Yukikaze! Open communications with Maria! Quickly, quickly!」

『Yukikaze is already on it. You're connected』

『Hmm? What is it?』

「Don’t you “What is it?” me!」

Even though she was falling from the sky, Maria was talking to me through her communication device in a calm voice.

140 meters to the ground.

I'll catch her! No, that's impossible. I'll also get flattened!

『I'm going to teleport over to you, Souya. Hold your hands out』

「What?」

I held my hands out in front of me as if to catch someone.

And then, light exploded and Maria flew ”upwards out of it”. After soaring about 12 meters into the air, gravity sent her falling into my arms.

「Nice catch」

「Don’t give me that!」

I stood her up, then pinched both her cheeks.

「Hofuhea」

「Didn't I tell you to stay at the camp because it's too dangerous?!」

「I saw it flying in the air, so I went to take a closer look」

「Don’t!」

This child is too much. Who does she take after, I wonder?

I'm going to report you to your father.

「Hey, Souya. That kid sure uses some interesting tricks」

「How's that? Aren't I amazing?」

Maria had a smug look on her face when Barfuru-sama praised her. Her expression was exactly like Ea's.

「Maria, teleport away immediately! Get as far away from Lemuria as you can!」

「Ehhh」

「It's too dangerous!」

「Alright. I'll go home」

「Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. That girl, it looks like she's pissed off the dragon」

Barfuru-sama was right. The dragon had lowered its altitude and was flying straight towards us.

It was fast, as fast as a bird of prey.

That wasn't the kind of speed a creature that large should be capable of.

It seemed angry because its head had been stepped on. Already, my plan had suddenly gone awry.

「Maria! I'll contact you when it's over, so hurry up and teleport!」

「Tsk」

Light exploded and Maria was gone.

The dragon was 170 meters away and closing.

「Gunmerry, Ea, prepare to fire」