Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Tower of Tarros (11)
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━Clang! ━Kagang!
The sound of metal clashing against metal.
It was the noise of Rafne's spear colliding with Siegfried's sword.
"Urgh... sorry about this, Rafne. Don't hold back—take me down!"
At his words, Rafne whipped her head around, looking at me with a lost expression.
She was seeking my orders in response to her comrade's plea for her to end him.
But I didn't have the luxury to just stand there and think.
"Emily—! Dodge—!"
━Kwarrrgh!!
I scooped up Emily's body, who hadn't reacted in time to the incoming barrage of icicles, and urgently pulled us out of the way.
Countless ice spikes embedded themselves into the spot where Emily and I had just been, mere seconds earlier.
"Ke, Ken!"
━Fwoosh!
A fireball hurtled toward the place where we'd taken refuge.
Thanks to Emily's shout, I barely dodged that flame too, then took stock of the situation.
Three attackers coming at us.
Tarros's unique skill had seized control of our comrades' actions.
'...This leaves us without anyone who can land a big hit.'
I grimaced at the dire turn of events.
Tarros's unique skill was currently sealed by Emily's Target Seal.
That meant neither Emily nor I had to worry about being controlled anymore.
But the dragon was still wielding its purple mana, manipulating all three of them.
The seal's effect couldn't influence spells that had already been cast.
"Rafne—! Can you block all three at once?!"
"Yeah!"
Rafne flashed a confident smile at my shout from afar and quickly pulled away from Siegfried.
She faced off against the trio.
━Pabababak!
She deflected their onslaught of spells and attacks simultaneously, using her spear that freely extended and contracted like it was nothing.
Her movements looked like a dance—so mesmerizing that the word "dancer" sprang to mind.
'That buys us some time, at least...'
Fortunately, the pendant Rafne wore made her immune to curse-type skills like "Whisper of the Soul."
But Rafne didn't have a big attack capable of smashing that dragon in one go.
That left only me who could deliver a decisive blow right now.
I frantically rummaged through the creation category during the brief window Rafne had opened up.
A weapon that could unleash a massive strike right this instant.
'Aspetra with rapid creation...'
Aspetra—my trump card.
But the mana required for creation, as listed in the category, exceeded my maximum mana pool.
Remaking Aspetra was out of the question.
'Something... something lethal...!'
As I scrolled through countless weapons,
I spotted an unexpected name.
'...Why is this here?'
To add someone else's weapon to my category, it needed a perfect repair.
Or I had to craft it myself.
But this was a weapon I had no memory of doing either for.
Even stranger was the mana cost.
For a sword with the "Demon Sword" trait, the required mana was suspiciously low.
Full of questions.
But in this desperate situation, no other weapon looked better.
I set Emily down beside me and thrust out my hand, focusing my mana.
'Rapid creation...'
With a faint hope, I recited its name.
'Demon Sword Tirpione...!'
Soon, I felt my mana being sucked away, and the characteristic bright light of rapid creation gathered in my hand.
And then.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hehe. Hoho...!] A familiar feminine voice began to echo.
[Kyaaaaah—! Maaaster—!!]
The moment the sword formed in my hand, a silver-haired woman materialized in midair.
The instant she opened her eyes and saw me, she broke into a joyful smile and rushed at me.
[I knew it...! I believed in you! I knew you'd make me again, Master!]
"Ti, Tirpione—! How are you here too—?!"
I hadn't even considered that she was in my category, let alone that her spirit would manifest the moment I crafted the sword.
"Wh-who... is that?"
"...A woman's voice."
Emily's quiet murmur from behind, and Rafne's voice as she whipped her head around, glaring murderously this way.
Ignoring the two women's scorching glares, Tirpione continued gleefully.
[My true body is just a vessel for my spirit... So if my master—bound to me by a blood contract—creates me, it's only natural that I transfer into that vessel!]
In the heat of the moment, I didn't fully grasp it.
But I recalled how Tirpione had bitten my hand and drunk my blood when we first met.
It seemed that wasn't just to prevent corrosion—it was a full master-servant contract.
'...Whatever the reason, she's exactly the big gun we need right now.'
I pried her off me and pointed the sword at Tarros, asking her,
"Your corrosion ability—can it rot all three eyes on that thing's forehead?"
[Of course! Though it'll take a lot of your mana, Master!]
Confirming her confident expression, I gripped the demon sword tighter.
"Rafne—!"
"Y-yeah!"
I shouted to her, who had been shooting uneasy glances at me even as she blocked the three.
"I'll end this quick! Just hold those three off!"
"L-leave it to me—!"
Rafne stopped glancing over and focused on blocking the controlled trio.
I glared at the massive foe before me.
The dragon, breathing raggedly as it shook its purple mana, concentrating on controlling the three.
Target locked. I tensed my legs and kicked off the ground.
━Boom!
My body shot forward, shattering the floor, reaching the ancient dragon in an instant.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ System: The Dragon's Essence trait activates. Ancient Dragon Tarros gazes upon you. [Roooaaar—!!]
Spotting me charging with ominous momentum, the ancient dragon erased the purple mana rippling in its hand.
━Rumble rumble rumble.
Then, red energy gathered at its maw.
'...Breath!'
Realizing it was the dragon's fiery breath, I pushed my legs even harder.
━Thud!
The moment I reached under the massive dragon and kicked off the ground to leap,
Crack.
Its jaws parted, and the compressed breath attack shimmered before my eyes.
[M-Master—! Something huge is coming—!]
Tirpione's voice rang in my ears, having sensed the breath too.
I'd thought I had more time, but Tarros had timed the breath perfectly for my jump.
It might be weaker than a standard breath, but facing it defenseless was still lethal.
'...No choice—!'
Resigned to taking the breath head-on, I maintained my speed toward it.
Then.
━Kwarrrgh!
[Guhk—!]
An ice pillar erupted from the ground in an instant, smashing into the dragon's lower jaw.
Forced to clamp its mouth shut by the powerful blow, the impending breath exploded inside its closed maw.
Thud!
Thanks to that, I landed safely atop its head and turned to look down.
There stood Mary, staff raised, glaring this way.
With the purple mana vanishing from the dragon's hand, the curse controlling the three seemed to lift as well.
I eyed the ancient dragon, whose eyes had rolled back from the internal breath explosion.
Unlike its two white-showing eyes, the red eye on its forehead remained intact.
Locking eyes with it, I regripped my sword and channeled mana.
[Hah! Master's hot stuff is flowing into me!]
"Don't say weird crap like that now!"
The mana I fed into Tirpione transformed into her sinister demonic energy.
Feeling her overflowing power, I charged straight at the target.
Thud—!
'This ends it!'
Squish!
Tirpione's sharpened blade plunged unhindered into the center of its weak point.
And her special demon sword ability activated.
[Die, you oversized lizard bastard—!]
Tarros's third eye succumbed to Tirpione's vicious demonic energy.
Dark aura spread from the embedded sword.
Crumble.
Fsssh...
The flesh around the sword began to corrode and disintegrate.
[Rooooaaar—!!]
The ancient dragon Tarros let out its death cry.
Already on the brink from Aspetra's strike, its last embers snuffed out from Tirpione's blow.
Drained of all vitality, it staggered and shook its body.
"Wha, whoa!"
[Kyaa! Careful, Master!]
"W-wait! You're making it harder to balance by clinging on!"
Tirpione suddenly manifested and latched onto me, just as the dragon's body collapsed.
Boom!
Its massive head slammed into the floor, kicking up a storm of dust.
Sealing the death of ancient dragon Tarros.
"Ken—!!"
I heard my comrades' voices.
Amid the rising dust, I clutched my head, coming back to my senses.
[Ughhh...]
Thanks to Tirpione's solid form cushioning me, I hadn't been badly hurt.
[M-Master... are you oka... Huh?]
Tirpione, regaining her senses alongside me, started to rise but sensed something off.
[Ah, aaaah! To part like this so soon! Nooo—! It's only been a moment since we reunited—!]
True to her rapid-creation nature, she had a one-use limit—her form was fading after a single activation.
"Thanks, Tirpione. I'll make you again when I need you next."
[Sniff! Promise! Master! I'll always be waiting for your caaaall...!]
Before she could finish clinging and shouting, Tirpione vanished completely.
'I never dreamed I'd get her like this.'
Demon Sword Tirpione, with its corrosion ability.
An amazing blade, but one no one claimed due to the instant bad-end penalty upon acquisition.
Now I had a loophole to use her as a disposable weapon.
'...She helped big time this round.'
Once back at the academy, I'd craft her once, let her eat something tasty before using her up.
"Ken—!!"
As I silently thanked her, someone rushed at me from behind.
Squish.
This size, this feel. And this familiar scent.
"Keeen! Sniff, thank goodness! You're safe!"
Rafne, who must've sprinted here fastest with her top physical stats, buried her face in my shoulder.
"I'm fine, Rafne. Not a scratch on me."
I chuckled familiarly and patted her head.
She'd probably worried because of the huge crash when Tarros fell.
As I reassured her, Rafne lifted her head slightly and stared right at me.
For some reason, her eyes were utterly vacant.
"Hey, Ken... So who was that woman earlier?"
"Uh, um?"
"The way she clung to you... didn't look like first-time lovers or anything."
The worrywart from moments ago was gone, replaced by eyes that threatened my life.
Flustered, I agonized over how to explain Tirpione.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ System: You have defeated Ancient Dragon Tarros. As a reward for slaying the dragon, the 'Dragon Slayer' title is granted. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ System: All dragonkin fear you due to the 'Dragon Slayer' title effect. You gain 30% additional attack power against dragonkin. The sudden messages left me speechless.