Dragon Bane
It hurt.
Disastro's body trembled under the barrage hammering into it. Cannons loaded by the combined strength of hunters and soldiers pounded its frame. Ballista bolts streaked in from time to time, piercing and lodging deep into its desiccated carapace. Fallen as it was now, it lay fully exposed to the hunters' assault.
What had it done wrong to deserve this? It had only been hungry. Was that reason enough to suffer such agony?
Bang—!
Something stirred within it — the survival instinct that exists in every living creature. Even a worm will thrash when stepped on. Disastro, which had collapsed from the shock, forced itself back up.
It was moving.
Alice narrowed her eyes. Something was off about its condition. The killing intent Disastro radiated had grown even denser than before. Drool dripped from a mouth lined with jagged teeth. Its head swayed back and forth, then it withdrew the tail it had exposed above ground, burying it beneath the earth once more.
Seeing the tail vanish before his eyes, Guido shouted toward the hunters.
"The tail's gone!"
Everyone tensed. What reappeared above ground was only its torso. It moved its head this way and that, as if surveying the situation. What would the next attack be?
While everyone held their breath, Alice saw through the scheme of the creature that refused to move. The ballistae were in danger. Disastro was currently using the sensory organs in its head to read every vibration in the air, every movement of life — everything. Where did these ropes lead? Where were their ends? At the end of where its head had turned lay the ballistae, fixed to the ground and unmoving.
Beneath the wasteland, Disastro's tail began to move. It was thrashing to sever whatever was binding it. The tail, devouring and boring through the earth, overturned the ground where the restraint ballistae stood.
"Gyaaah—!"
The soldiers stationed there were swept up and flung aside. A ballista shattered, and one of the ropes binding its body went slack. Sensing that the force restraining it had weakened considerably, Disastro pulled its head back and thrashed. The ropes were still taut. The tail moved in search of the next ballista.
"Uwaaagh!"
Soldiers clinging to a ballista were smashed to pieces as the tail burst up through the ground. One shattered, then two.
Crrrack—.
When the third broke, an ominous sound began to groan from the still-taut ropes. Watching from above ground, Melchior raised his voice.
"Restraint teams, get away from the ballistae now—!"
Raising his voice was a mistake. Disastro whipped its head toward Melchior. Its mouth gaped wide as it fixed on him. Alice sensed something was wrong and spun around. Melchior, failing to notice that Disastro was targeting him, ran to check on the soldiers' safety. The royal scribe chased after him.
"Your Highness—!"
No. If the prince fell here, the tide of battle would break. Alice looked at Disastro. It showed no interest in her direction at all. She had to stop its movement somehow and draw its attention.
Alice raised Bloodshell Sword overhead. She braced the flat of the blade with one hand and gripped the end of the hilt. Then she spun her body hard, wringing every ounce of power into the rotation, and hurled the greatsword toward the creature's head.
Whoosh—!
The greatsword soared high into the sky.
"That's..."
Noah murmured, watching the greatsword climb into the air. Made of unusual materials — it was clearly Alice's weapon. Noah looked at Alice. Alice was staring down Disastro empty-handed. It was an extreme measure to block Disastro's guided attack.
The flying greatsword plunged deep into Disastro's mouth.
――――KIEEE!!
Its oral cavity was softer than its carapace. The greatsword's edge forced its way into the flesh. Disastro shook its head in a frenzy.
"Hey, what are you thinking, throwing away your weapon?"
Guido, who had pulled back from Disastro, asked. Wasn't a weapon indispensable for facing a monster like this? Alice answered Guido, who was questioning her.
"Don't worry about me. Stick to it and fight."
Alice's voice was ice-cold. Guido was momentarily overwhelmed by Alice's presence and couldn't say a word. That was how completely Alice had staked everything on killing Disastro.
"...Alright. I trust you."
Guido rejoined the others clinging to Disastro's body. Alice rolled her eyes around. There were plenty of weapons. The weapons of fallen and dead hunters lay scattered across the ground here. Alice grabbed a bow that had fallen to the earth and a quiver lying nearby. Capello's weapon. The Luga-lac bow. It wasn't fully charged yet and couldn't be used properly, but as a weapon itself it was still serviceable.
Alice took a deep breath and steadied her mind. She nocked an arrow to the string. She had to keep provoking Disastro.
Twang—!
The arrow wavered in the sandstorm but never forgot its target as it flew.
――――AAAA!!
"Ugh."
Then the creature roared and blasted the arrow away. At the same time, the Bloodshell Sword lodged in it was torn free by the wind and fell. Through the pain of eardrums that felt ready to burst, Alice nocked another arrow. Finished roaring, the creature reared up.
Whipping. This worm that used its own body like a whip thrashed violently. A merciless, directionless onslaught. Oflo bellowed and threw himself forward.
"Scatter! All of you!"
"Aaaaagh!"
One of the ten-captains who failed to dodge in time was literally crushed to death by Disastro's body. Tragically, there was no hope of recovery. Done whipping, Disastro now drew in a massive breath. Its body remaining above ground swelled larger and larger until it expelled sand and air like a breath attack. Casualties mounted, and the eyes of those on the front lines grew increasingly hollow.
Kyle grabbed a hunter whose arm was broken, groaning in pain.
"Hey, stay with me!"
"Be-behind...!"
The injured hunter pointed behind Kyle's head. The tail that had resurfaced was now spitting out boulders. Kyle raised his twin swords against the rock hurtling toward his head.
Mutilation.
Kyle shredded the boulder that had been about to crush them and hauled the hunter up.
"You can run, right? Get out of here."
"Th-thank you...!"
Kyle gritted his teeth as he watched the hunter flee. It was relentless. No matter how much bombardment it took, no matter how many ballista bolts pierced it, far from dying it only grew more violent. A monster you were facing for the first time was tough even for a Master Hunter. All the more so if it was a Supreme-grade monster.
Kyle looked at Disastro after saving several people. Should he hope for the creature to fall one more time? Kyle looked at Alice. Alice, who had thrown her greatsword, was now using a bow.
――――!!
Disastro snapped at Alice, who was irritatingly shooting arrows in front of it.
Crunch—!
It thrust its head forward and clamped its jaws shut, but nothing entered Disastro's mouth. Alice put power into her legs and rolled swiftly to the side. Watching the mouth pass beside her body, she nocked two arrows to the bow.
Thwack—!
Arrows sank into Disastro's gaping mouth that had failed to eat her. Alice set the bow down. Next she picked up a spear that had fallen to the ground — one of the dead hunters' weapons.
"Hup!"
Then she stomped the ground and hurled it with all her strength toward Disastro's retreating head. Lighter than the greatsword, the spear whistled viciously as it chased the mouth. The spear lodged in its oral cavity. Having a weapon driven into its mouth was agony even for Disastro. But she couldn't keep targeting the mouth forever. She could only hope the others would break through the carapace.
Then.
Crunch—!
Monster power erupting from the tip of Oflo's staff peeled away the carapace. A section of Disastro's brown skin was exposed.
"...Got it."
Oflo muttered quietly. Noah didn't miss the opening. A gleam flashed in her eyes. Stepping forward, Noah raised her sword sharply and thrust.
Sword Pierce.
Adding the power of essence on top of it, she drove deep into Disastro's skin.
"Haaaaah—!"
She shoved the blade sideways, splitting the skin open. Disastro's filthy blood sprayed. Like a tree that seemed unscarred after dozens of axe blows finally breaking. It was a small wound relative to that massive body, but Disastro shrieked in agony.
Disastro was beginning to sense a threat to its life. It was only a small wound for now, but it knew this was just the beginning. At this rate, it would die. It had to flee. Disastro focused on its surroundings again. It felt the ropes growing looser bit by bit. Moving its tail, it destroyed one more ballista pinning it down.
Crrrrack—!
The remaining ropes, stretched taut, screamed. Watching from afar, Matillo clicked his tongue.
"...At this rate, it'll break free."
Pina, gripping the handle, asked in a fluster.
"Wh-what do we do!?"
"We're short on time, but we still have to wait. Landing this one shot is what matters."
If it fled, they couldn't hit it. They had to fire. Someone had to stop that constantly moving body without putting it down.
"Trust me and wait."
Matillo clenched his fist. And the soldier who had received Matillo's request — thanks to running around dodging boulders — barely managed to deliver Matillo's message to the prince.
"Hah, huff, hah..."
"Aren't you the soldier who should be at Dragon Bane? What's going on?"
"Th-the head, huff, has to be held still for Dragon Bane to hit — I came to tell you!"
"Is that so! So you couldn't fire because of the angle. Right, thank you."
Melchior, who had been supporting fallen soldiers, nodded. But it was far too vague. What method was there to stop the head? Perhaps she would know? Melchior vaguely thought of Alice. From preparing these goggles and masks, to already knowing how best to fight Disastro...
"Scribe, I'll be heading up front for a moment."
"Y-Your Highness? It's dangerous!"
"They won't hear me from here."
Melchior entrusted the soldier he'd been supporting to Biopia.
"I'll be back."
"Your Highness...!"
The prince ran toward the battlefield where Disastro and humans were locked in tangled combat. Alice, who had retrieved her greatsword from where it had fallen far from the battlefield, widened her eyes at Melchior running toward her from the distance. The prince? Unless he was trying to kill himself, what reason could he have? Alice frowned at the prince.
"Why did you come all the way here...!"
"Alice, huff, we need to stop that thing's head right now. Up there."
"...Stop it without putting it down?"
"Yes. Only then can we fire Dragon Bane."
Alice blinked, then nodded. As long as it meant no one else would die, as long as it meant a faster hunt — anything was fine. In that gap, Disastro's tail burst onto the battlefield once more. Like erupting lava, it spat boulders in every direction. One of the rocks flew toward the two mid-conversation. Alice immediately raised her greatsword and swatted the boulder aside.
"Got it. I'll try. Stop the bombardment."
"...Right. I'm counting on you."
Melchior withdrew. Stop the head for a while without putting it into a groggy state? It was an absurdly reckless request. But that kind of challenge made Alice's heart race. How should she do it? Disastro's eye level and theirs didn't match at all. Of course it had no eyes, but that was how vast the difference in size was. Alice walked forward. Then she just needed to match its level, didn't she? Finished thinking, Alice sprinted off to find Oflo at once.
"Oflo!"
"...Alice?"
"Send me up onto Disastro."
Oflo, who had pulled back to catch his breath, looked puzzled.
"You mean to climb onto that thing's body?"
"To land Dragon Bane, we have to stop its head."
"...I understand what you mean."
Oflo raised his staff. Fortunately, his essence was fully charged.
"I'll send you high. Land well. You only get one chance."
Oflo released the essence in his staff. Alice stepped back a little and steadied her breathing in front of him.
"Go."
Oflo struck the ground with the tip of his staff. The power of essence moved according to his will. Soon a monster's hand surged up from beneath Alice's feet. That hand shoved Alice skyward with tremendous force. Alice shot into the sky like a bullet. Piercing through the sandstorm, high into that sky...
And then Alice was suspended above Disastro. Looking down on a monster was more thrilling than she'd expected. Alice's body stopped rising and began to fall slowly. Without losing her balance as she fell, Alice gripped the greatsword strapped to her back. She seized the hilt with both hands, angling the blade downward. The edge of Bloodshell Sword, still stained with the blood from piercing Disastro's mouth, was razor-sharp.
Pierce.
Shunk—!
The energy built up through the fall crushed the carapace, forced through the skin, and drove deep into the flesh.
Skrrrrrk—!
At the same time, unable to withstand the force of the fall, Alice's body — still gripping the greatsword — was dragged downward. If she let go, she'd fall to the wasteland below.
"Grrngh—!"
Even through pain that felt like her arms would tear off, Alice refused to give up. Her forearms trembled. She clung firmly to Disastro's body and planted her feet on top of it.
――――KAAAAA!!!
Of all the roars she'd heard today, this was the loudest. The creature began to thrash wildly. Alice absolutely would not fall from up there. Slowly, gripping the gaps in its carapace tight, she climbed upward. It felt like mountain climbing. At the end of that climb, the monster's mouth awaited.
While Alice climbed Disastro's body, the frontline hunters including Kyle continued to harass Disastro from below. Kyle clashed his twin swords together and shouted.
"Don't stop!"
They had to split its focus so it couldn't throw Alice off. Kyle's twin swords gnawed at its senses and laid them bare. Guido and Lucas's longswords carved and burned its skin. Oflo's staff delivered powerful shocks through the carapace, and Noah's sword forced its way into small gaps. Everyone's efforts were gathering in one place.
Alice trusted them. She couldn't stop smiling at Disastro. No matter how much you thrash and crawl, you can't beat humans. Because you're alone.
"Haa..."
Alice finally stood atop Disastro's head. It panted, drool dripping steadily. The creature was growing weary of this fight. So was Alice. Alice raised her trembling arms.
"Now, stop."
She lifted the greatsword and brought it down hard on the crown of its head. But the hard shell wouldn't break easily. The edge of Bloodshell Sword had been completely ground down during the landing and was far from perfect. But she couldn't give up. Once. Twice. Three times. Four times... Gripping the greatsword with shaking hands, she kept striking the head.
――――KIEEEEE!!
The creature shook its head. Alice immediately lowered her body, gripping its carapace and holding on. Like a tick, she clung on and tormented Disastro to the end. Rising again, Alice lifted the greatsword and brought it down on Disastro's head.
Crunch—!
At last a crack formed in the carapace and it crushed inward. This was the last one. She pressed the sword into the soft flesh revealed between the broken carapace.
――――AAA!
In that instant, Disastro's body went rigid. Disastro couldn't move from the sudden change. It could sense nothing around it. Because the sensory organs in its head had been damaged. Given time it would gradually recover, but there was no such time.
Matillo pulled the handle he'd been gripping without hesitation.
"Now!"
As the shell's lock released, the harpoon head emerged from the barrel.
"Pina, pull it now!"
"Yes!"
And Pina yanked the heavy handle down hard.
Clunk.
When the handle was fully down—
Boom—!
The shell advanced with a roar as massive as a monster's. A massive harpoon with a one-meter caliber, well over ten meters long. Flames erupted from its rear, accelerating it. Originally a weapon designed to bring down dragons soaring high in the sky. Now it flew to kill a monster that had lurked deep within the earth.
Thud—!
The harpoon pierced through Disastro's head.
"Ah..."
From the tremendous impact, Disastro's body lurched sideways. Alice lost her balance atop it and toppled sideways, falling slowly toward the ground. Alice looked at the giant harpoon. The harpoon's propulsion didn't stop there. It erupted with even more flame, accelerating further, and skewered the head clean through like a spit. As the harpoon forced its way through flesh, blood and chunks of meat sprayed filthy in every direction. The flames gradually died down. At last the harpoon stopped accelerating.
Disastro's body slowly collapsed. Only then did the ropes snap, and it was free. But it was dead, so freedom no longer meant anything.
Alice smiled. Are you watching? With human power, they had killed an unholy monster. Now this wasteland would once again become a peaceful sanctuary.
From afar, she could hear people's cheers. Her arms trembled and her whole body ached with muscle pain, but she couldn't stop smiling. Alice, smiling to the very end, closed her eyes just like that.
"...Kyle, go catch her."
"Yes sir, send me up."
The one who caught her was Kyle. Oflo launched Kyle high with his staff. Kyle settled into a familiar stance and caught the falling Alice.
"Oof—"
His legs tingled on landing, but this much he could handle. Kyle carefully laid Alice, cradled in his arms, on the ground and sank down where he was. Then he looked at Alice and smirked.
"Good work."
Kyle sprawled out on the spot and shouted.
"We won—!"
Right after, many people came running. The prince, the scribe, Noah, Pina, Matillo, Guido... And beyond them, many soldiers and hunters who had been worrying over the heroes approached. Unaware of their feelings, Alice slept soundly with a smile on her face.