Just the Two of Us (1)
―Kaaaaah!! The sand dragon, having lost its wings and crashed down, thrashed about pathetically. Its massive bulk kicked up clouds of sand, whipping up a storm. Thanks to my mask, my mouth didn't fill with dirt.
Whoa, even so, to sever Wilhelm's wing in one shot. Asella's Recall spell had a smaller range than the dragon's body, so only part of it teleported—causing the amputation. Imagining that hitting me sends chills down my spine.
"Haa, huu."
Asella panted heavily. The mana drain must have been more than expected. She'd forcibly replenished it with potions, so no wonder it took a toll.
What could I do? The other palace mages had fled with the emperor to protect him, leaving Asella as the only one here to fight.
'But we can't just ignore the rising odds of other bad endings.'
Her slaying the sand dragon was the best option.
"The third strike..."
As Asella raised her staff, the sand dragon lifted its head and let out a roar. The ear-splitting bellow made her grimace and stumble.
"Whoa there."
I grabbed her shoulder to steady her. The dragon was unleashing its intimidation. Can't blame it for being pissed—suddenly yanked into the heart of enemy territory. The Interworld was insanely far away; it was hard to believe it'd been Recalled here from there. The hatchling Asella summoned had been pre-captured and stashed in a tent.
'Did it originally live in this area?'
Maybe it had a nest somewhere in the mountains. This incident might've drawn the world's attention, leading to it being scouted by the Demon King's army.
'If we subjugate the sand dragon right here...'
I checked the bad ending list.
[No. 019: Sand Dragon's Curse 44%]
The ending where we lose to Wilhelm would be erased too. Two birds with one stone.
"Princess, focus."
"Right."
Asella reformed her magic circle. Having confirmed she could use Recall like an attack spell, she planned to follow up.
"This ends it."
She aimed her staff precisely at the sand dragon's head, intending to teleport just that and sever its lifeline.
"Recall."
The moment the cast completed―
―Kurrrung!
The sand dragon stomped the ground and leaped with unbelievable speed for its size, charging straight at us.
"Ugh!"
―Fwaaak!
Asella's spell hit, but it missed the head, merely grazing the flank. It only tore away a chunk of its belly.
―Kaaaaah!!
Enraged even further, the dragon roared without halting its charge. Wingless now, it was just a gigantic lizard. Its sharp claws shredded the earth in chunks, and it gaped its massive jaws.
"This is bad."
We'd be dragon chow at this rate. This thing was agile despite its speed, making it a tough opponent. I quickly reacted, pulling a muscle-enhancing injection from inside my robe and jabbing it vertically into my chest. Tok—I pressed the button at the end.
Just before the dragon crashed into us, I scooped Asella into my arms and jumped, dodging its teeth.
―Kwaaaang!!
The ground where the dragon landed cracked and collapsed.
"Ras?!"
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"N-no..."
The sand dragon whipped its head around toward us without pause. Black energy welled up from its maw.
"It's about to breathe. If it hits, you'll burn from the curse."
Not magic per se—just a wild explosion of malevolent mana. Fast and precise targeting made it hard to dodge.
I figured I could jump once more, wrapping my arm around Asella's waist in that instant.
"Haaap!!"
―Chaeng!
A crude bastard sword plunged into the sand dragon's black-energy-filled mouth. The beast clamped down, blocking the blade with its teeth. The sword's owner—a knight with flowing red hair—soared through the air.
It was Tanya.
"Master! Your Highness! Get clear!"
Tanya unleashed sword aura, pushing the dragon back in a contest of strength. Unaccustomed to being overpowered by a human, it froze in surprise.
"Princess, now!"
"Right."
We were on the same wavelength. Neither of us had any intention of fleeing. I couldn't back down, obviously. And Asella wasn't the type to turn tail before settling a score.
"Princess?!"
Tanya panicked seeing Asella chant her third strike. Sweat poured off her like rain, but she grinned wickedly, true to her villainess nature.
"A dragon for an opponent."
Golden mana erupted from her magic circle.
"The perfect magic demonstration, don't you think?"
―Paaang!!
Asella's Recall activated. The magic circle spun brighter than ever in radiant gold. Tanya had pinned the target perfectly—the sand dragon's head.
Sparks flew from its neck, and the next instant―
―Kuuung!
The massive dragon head plummeted before us, tongue lolling. Clang—Tanya's sword blade fell too.
The headless body lost balance and crashed to the ground with a thunderous kwaaang!
"Haa, haa."
Asella heaved ragged breaths. Casting such