Arifureta Vol 6 Chapter 8 (2/2)
Although Hajime didn’t understand why it obstinately targeted Will, it was a convenient thing, since its target was already decided, so he gave out an instruction to Yue.
“Yue! Protect Will! I’ll defeat this guy!”
“Nh, leave it to me!”
Hearing Hajime’s instruction, Yue immediately “fell” towards Will, and stood in front of him. When she snuck a look at her back, irritation surfaced when she saw Aiko and the students who couldn’t move well in this situation and she muttered in displeasure.
“… … If you don’t want to die, hide behind me.”
The students were trivials, but regarding Aiko, Hajime was at least concerned about her, so she let out those words to not let her die. Incidentally, she had already forgotten how Aiko became a hindrance to them.
The students moved closer to Yue without particularly reacting to Yue’s cold words. They realized by Yue’s side was the safest place, thanks to the rampart of ice that chantlessly constructed using the surrounding moisture.
Normally, they’d have the ability to fight some more. But, no matter even if they knew Hajime was alive, the day they were almost killed by the Behemoth and Traum Soldiers as well as how Hajime fell to his “death” into the abyss still traumatized their minds. They followed Aiko because even if they couldn’t join the hero group in the dungeon, they couldn’t just half a.s.s things.Even so, their magic was ineffective against the Black Dragon, coupled with the roar filled with killing intent, made their heart completely withered. Their mental state was completely unsuited for combat.
Because Yue was there, Hajime was a.s.sured of Will’s safety, and concentrated on attacking. The flying Black Dragon was concentrating on destroying Yue’s defensive wall, as it targeting Will on the other side of the wall, even now. However, flame bullets were incapable of penetrating the wall, then it raised its head in an arch again as it realized it. It began to focus magic power inside its mouth.
“Hah, it’s the first time I’ve been ignored this far… … that’s why, I’ll do anything to make you not ignoring me!”
As Hajime put back Donner into its holster, he took out Schlagen from the “Treasure Box.” Immediately after he activated “Lightning-clad,” the three meters weapon with an atrocious form let out bright red sparks. As expected, the Black Dragon realized Hajime’s next move was a dangerous one, and it turned its mouth, aiming at Hajime. It was just like Hajime had predicted: it couldn’t ignore him.
At the same time the Black Dragon fired the death spreading Breath, Hajime’s Schlagen finished the loading and fired.
They let out the same extreme flash. They became a storm of death. Black and red aurora were clas.h.i.+ng against each other. At the moment of collision, a terrific shock wave was generated and the surrounding trees were blown away. Just by power alone, they were probably equal. However, the two auroras clearly divided between the victor and the loser from their nature. Although the Breath continued to let out an excellent aurora, Schlagen was specialized in penetrating through a single point. Therefore, the Breath was inevitably broken through, and that power reached the Black Dragon.
The head of the Black Dragon which fired the Breath suddenly curved upward. The full-metal jacket made out of star ore penetrated the Breath and hit the dragon’s opened mouth. However, the wound was far from a mortal one. With the bending of the Breath’s trajectory and power, several of its sharp fangs evaporated and as it nearly pa.s.sed through the side of its head, it stopped before one of its wings on its back was blown off.
“GURUaAAA!!”
The Black Dragon fell as it spun towards the ground and let out a pained scream. Hajime was fortunately able to evade the Breath using “Aerodynamic,” and while he was upside down in mid-air he used “Aerodynamic”‘s “Ground Shrinker.” As he dived at high-speed, he used “Grand Leg” to attack the Black Dragon’s abdomen.
ZUDONh! The lower abdomen let out a roaring sound from the impact, and the Black Dragon’s body folded. The ground was radially cracked by the impact. It couldn’t be said that the damage was considerable even though the Black Dragon let out a scream. Its armor was capable of enduring the Railguns after all. However, having a.s.sumed that, Hajime attacked further as he greatly held out the artificial left arm. KIiIIIII!!! Machine-like sounds came from the artificial arm. The “Oscillation Smash” he used before fell down.
It was Hajime’s fist of destruction that was thrust in high speed and was capable of pulverizing a large boulder in a single blow, and it mercilessly attacked the Black Dragon’s abdomen.
DOoGUuUU!!
Along with the m.u.f.fled sound, the scales on the abdomen were cracked. With the purpose of transmitting the impact, its insides received considerable damage from this attack, and the Black Dragon raised a pained voice again as it vomited large amounts of blood from its mouth. Maybe because it thought it’d be dangerous if this kept up, the Black Dragon poured its magic power in one of its wings and a windstorm appeared, then it tried to forcefully regain its posture. Once again, Hajime used “Aerodynamic” to evade. He didn’t forget to leave a parting gift.
At the moment the Black Dragon turned its golden eyes towards Hajime who escaped into the air, a big explosion occurred under its abdomen. The dragon’s gigantic figure flew two meters from the surface from the impact. Hajime’s parting gift was a “Grenade.”
“KUuWAaAA!!”
Receiving an impact at the same place as before, it couldn’t be helped that it was unable to raise a scream and only let out a m.u.f.fled groan. With its head drooped to endure it, blood was flowing from the Black Dragon’s mouth. Somehow, its groan weakened.
Maybe because the Black Dragon recognized Hajime as a threat, it looked away from Will towards Hajime and rapid-fired flame bullets from its mouth. The flame bullets flew through the air as if they were anti-aircraft fire. However, none of the fire hit Hajime. Hajime was using “Aerodynamic” and “Ground Shrinker” simultaneously to freely run in the sky, leaving after-images, Hajime knocked down the Black Dragon using Hit & Away tactic.
He fired Donner-Schlag from medium range at nasty places such as the claws, gums, eyes, tail’s base, and b.u.t.t. In the next moment, he drew closer and used the combo of “Oscillation Smash” from the shotsh.e.l.l outburst + “Grand Arm” to hit the head and flank.
“KURUu, GUWANN!”
Somewhat, no, the Black Dragon certainly began to give out a weeping voice. With its scales cracked all over the place, a large amount of blood dripped from its mouth.
“Incredible….”
Having watched Hajime’s fight, Tamai Atsus.h.i.+ spontaneously muttered that from the safety area behind Yue. Without having to say it, the other students and Aiko were silently agreeing as they nodded, and they were unable to look away from the overwhelming fight. As for Will, he intensely watched Hajime with sparkling eyes as if he didn’t remember he was trembling in front of the Black Dragon before.
By the way, unbeknownst to them s.h.i.+a had returned and tried to enter combat, only to be stopped by Yue who had guessed Hajime’s intentions. Currently, she watched him together with Yue by her side. Having been blown away at the beginning, she actually felt somewhat depressed.
Hajime didn’t immediately pull out Schlagen, Orkan, and the others because he thought it was a good chance to show off his fighting prowess to Aiko and the students. Although the Black Dragon was certainly st.u.r.dy and the power of one of its attacks was to be feared, it’s easier to attack its huge body if one fought calmly, and its attacks were monotonous. So, it was possible for him to put into practice “no matter what, it won’t hit,” after all it was an opponent Hajime could go easy on. Because he’d separate from Aiko and the students, to put a hard-line so the Church and Kingdom wouldn’t be relaxed when the heroes received the information from Aiko, he thought of showing off his true power to them.
Because of that, although Hajime completely knocked down the pitiful Black Dragon, he held grat.i.tude towards it in his mind. Even though there were cracks all over the place, none of the scales were completely crushed in the least. Truly significant durability. Because he remembered the scorpion-like thing, to be sure of it, he used “Mineral Appraisal” on the scales and because there was no reaction, it seemed it was a mineral that couldn’t be trans.m.u.tated.
Slowly, because he thought it was enough to make them understand his true strength, it was about time for the finis.h.i.+ng blow. He slipped onto the Black Dragon’s chest in an instant, and kicked with “Grand Leg” to roll him back towards its abdomen. Following that, he pulled out the Pile Bunker from the “Treasure Box” on the Black Dragon’s abdomen.
From the direction of Will and the others, he could hear a clamor but decided to ignore it. The anchors fired, and the arms fixed its location on the Black Dragon. Following that, he released “Lightning-clad.” The reason he chose the Pile Bunker was because he couldn’t pull out all of its power inside the Raisen Great Dungeon, so he wanted to do an actual combat test.
The stake which coated in Azanthium started to rotate intensely inside, and the Pile Bunker let out bright red sparks. If this kept up, the four ton stake would mercilessly end the Black Dragon’s life.
However, just like the proverb “a cornered rat will bite the cat,” a wounded beast was something one should be cautious of. It was the same as the Black Dragon.
“GUuGAaAAAA!!!”
Along with the Black Dragon’s roar, a violent blast was generated towards all directions. It was an explosion made of pure magic power. In addition, using a moment to strengthen its body to the limit and the explosive power from its muscles, the anchors that pierced the ground to fix the Pile Bunker were raised and at the same time it pried open the arms with its muscles. Following that, it turned around in an instant to shake Hajime off.
“Uoh!?”
Hajime instinctively stepped back. The heavy Pile Bunker was, the Pile Bunker that was on the verge of firing was turned to target the sky, and the stake that was accelerated to its max launched into the sky. A straight line that made ones narrow their eyes ascended through the sky, and Hajime who put the Pile Bunker into the “Treasure Box” confirmed the Black Dragon used its last struggle to move towards Will.
“Tch, s.h.i.+a!”
“Y-Yes”
As he clicked his tongue towards this blunder, Hajime called s.h.i.+a. s.h.i.+a, having realized his intentions, jumped towards the sky using the rampart of ice, and let out a yell so she wouldn’t be blown away this time. With the free fall and the outburst from the shotsh.e.l.l, she fell towards the Black Dragon just like a meteor.
If it was the normal Black Dragon, it’d be able to avoid it, but the Black Dragon that was literally in its last struggle didn’t have room for that, it was unable to avoid the hammer. s.h.i.+a, who held the ultra-heavy Doryukken in a high-stance, further poured her magic power to explosively increase its weight. Subsequently, it directly hit the crown of the Black Dragon’s head without missing an inch as it let out a thundering sound.
The Black Dragon’s head sank to the ground, and its lower body floated as it stood on its hands because it was in the middle of a charge. After a moment of stillness, it finally fell down and made the earth tremor.
s.h.i.+a, who pulled out Doryukken from the Black Dragon’s head that was on the ground, was surprised by what she saw. It was something natural. Although the Black Dragon’s head was smashed and considerably cracked, it wasn’t completely broken. It was truly dreadful durability.
Hajime came towards the Black Dragon from behind. Also, the stake launched from the Pile Bunker pierced the ground between Hajime and the Black Dragon. Hajime knew the sprawled dragon wasn’t dead by percepting its presence, next, he suddenly recalled the talk with Mottou about the Ryujin race from before. The one about “kicking a dragon’s a.s.s.”
Hajime pulled out the stake that pierced the ground using “Grand Arm” and carried it on his shoulder as he positioned himself before the base of the Black Dragon’s tail. Following that, he made a stance just like a javelin thrower. Naturally, in his hand was the Pile Bunker’s stake.
Everyone there was able to guess what Hajime was going to do, and their cheeks convulsed. Even though the scales were troublesome, it shouldn’t be a good thing to thrust it there(··). Even though Yue, s.h.i.+a, and the others floated expressions of horror towards Hajime’s mercilessness, Hajime only thought of that as blowing wind.
And finally, Hajime’s Pile Bunker mightily pierced the Black Dragon’s “bleep” and zuburi sound resounded. At that moment,
“Ah— — — nanojyaaaaa — — — !!!”
With its eyes immediately opened wide, the Black Dragon let out a heartbreaking scream as it woke up. In truth, having thrust half of the stake and using his fist to make it pierce further, as expected, even Hajime was surprised by the scream that obviously came from the Black Dragon, and he inadvertently removed his clasped fist.
“a.s.s is~, this one’s a.s.s is~”
Because of the Black Dragon’s grieving, painful, and somewhat excited tone, everyone let out a “What the heck is this!?” in amazement as they stared at the Black Dragon while stunned.
Apparently, it didn’t end as just a normal dragon subjugation.
<script>