Dragon Fighting
Until just moments ago, I'd thought Glacia and Airi's fight was intense, but theirs had been nothing more than a catfight. Watching Melissa and Camellia clash made every Falcon Punch and construction-site brawl I'd ever seen look like harmless kitten swipes. The world is vast, and there are realms of power that minors and fresh adults can never reach.
Blood lances rained down like a storm, and storms of sword aura howled in reply. Melissa's blood spears, aimed at Camellia, shattered against the barrage of slashes Camellia unleashed. It was impressive that Melissa could fire so many, but Camellia's ability to read and deflect every single one was equally masterful. Most sword-wielding characters in games rely on "science," but Camellia fought with both precise judgment and raw physical talent.
Even when Melchior and I tried to mediate with the nonviolent spirit of Gandalf-sensei, they refused to listen. By the time I realized how fleeting nonviolence truly was and why the UN had to resort to force, the two women were staring each other down and speaking.
"Melissa, I recommend you stop now."
"I'm not kind enough to let live the woman who ruined the engagement ceremony our princess was looking forward to and even destroyed the place filled with memories of my husband and me."
"Haa... It seems conversation is impossible."
"This is exactly why I can't stand you. Always acting like you're different, like you're the only noble and righteous one—it's so disgusting it makes me want to vomit!"
They were supposed to have been close friends, yet their words sounded like they were avenging their parents' deaths. Melchior, who had followed me, pinched the bridge of his nose. So this was the sorrow of a married man—the weight of being the head of a household was so heavy that even a barbarian warrior had to be granted reason. It meant the situation was difficult enough to force even him to regain his senses.
I asked the sighing Melchior, "I remember Melissa noona and Camellia noona being close. Why are they like this...?"
"Because they're friends, Werner."
"Because they're friends?"
Friends, so they were blasting each other with techniques that could easily take a life? They weren't even ninjas whose fights made your chest swell with excitement. Though, judging by the scale alone, they seemed evenly matched.
Still, it looked like one of them would get seriously hurt soon. In that instant, one of Melissa's blood lances grazed Camellia's side, and one of Camellia's slashes lightly clawed Melissa's cheek. Melchior and I instinctively knew—this had gone too far. Dialogue was no longer an option.
Melissa brushed her cheek, while Camellia touched her side. When they saw the blood on their fingers, their eyes changed. They were now looking at each other with the genuine intent to kill.
"Hahahaha... Blood? So you really have gone crazy wanting to die. If you wanted to die that badly, you should've just said so."
"...That's my line. I'll be going all out, so don't regret it later."
"Who said I've been fighting seriously until now? Fine, come at me. Let's see if you can bathe in half-elf blood today."
These hematophilia patients getting excited at the sight of blood were something else. Melissa bit her thumb, and a massive amount of dark-red blood gushed out. Blood that thick probably meant high cholesterol—age really couldn't be hidden after hundreds of years. When I got back, I'd have to tell Glacia to take better care of her mother. Children want to support their parents, but parents don't wait. Her mother's health wasn't great, so she needed to show filial piety.
"From now on, I'll be using the queen's own blood instead of some nobody's... so even if you die, it's not my responsibility, got it?"
What kind of scam terms were those? This was exactly why you had to read the fine print carefully, damn it.
Camellia adjusted her grip on her sword and took a stance. "I saw a decent sword technique recently... I'd like you to be my test subject."
That stance—wasn't it the one used by the boss from the hidden quest, the wraith of the Verdi family? The one rumored to have no mother in terms of difficulty...
The black blood Melissa spewed had already taken the shape of a giant bird. Meanwhile, Camellia's sword radiated a dark, ominous aura. If those two attacks collided, neither side would walk away unscathed.
Just as Melchior moved to intervene, I stretched out my arm to stop him. Stopping conflicts, stopping fights—that was my duty and role as the one who inherited the spirit of the UN. I walked to the midpoint between Camellia and Melissa, but both were too focused on each other to notice me.
After a moment's thought about which spell would work best, I chanted the most suitable one.
"Become a wall, O tempest."
A powerful gust blew around us, forming a wall of wind centered on me, Melissa, and Camellia. Touching that wall would turn you to dust instantly.
Only then did the two noonas notice my presence.
"How about we stop the fight here, noonas? Your youngest is asking nicely."
I clapped my hands together in a prayer-like gesture. It might have looked like nothing, but it was a kind of sign language mages used when they wanted to say "don't mess with me, I'm angry."
"...Or else I'm really going to get mad. Okay? Let's just end this nicely."
Though the words sounded like "Please don't fight, noonas, your youngest is begging, sob sob," the real meaning was "Let's stop before I actually get angry."
Of course, they knew that and snorted.
"If you don't want to get hurt, move, Werner. And don't delude yourself into thinking your threats will work on me."
Big-eared Camellia didn't listen.
"Youngest, Noona's really angry right now, so go play over there. And do I look like the kind of person who'd cave to threats?"
She was a vampire, not even human, and she said that?
I sighed in frustration at the two non-humans.
"What meaning is there in fighting like this, noonas?"
"This isn't something you should interfere in, Werner."
"Youngest, don't butt into noonas' fight and move aside."
These guys were trying to suppress me with age? These Confucian Taliban—how many evil customs and injustices had been born because of them? Anger at those customs and injustices welled up inside me.
"Yeah, fighting you noonas with ordinary magic would be impossible."
"If you understand, then move. I'll go settle things with Melissa."
"Who said I'd let you walk away on your own two feet? And youngest, if you understand, then quickly—"
I gathered mana at my fingertips. The extra novel had described the sensation of gathering mana as collecting something circulating through the blood in the body all at one point.
"I really hate it when you noonas or hyungnims fight. So if I want to stop you here..."
The quick-witted Melissa seemed to realize what I was about to do.
"You crazy bastard, do you not know what'll happen if you use that?!"
"I'll have to use Grand Magic."
Even Camellia's expression changed. I knew using Grand Magic in my current state would put an enormous strain on my body. Whatever the side effects were, I'd probably just catch a cold or something.
"O lightning dragon, descend to the earth and dance while laughing..."
I began chanting the original spell, and my chest was already burning. So this was that "chest swelling with grandeur" sensation.
"The earth dragon ascends, revealing its majesty..."
Before I could even finish the chant, I vomited blood. Using it didn't just strain me—it was actually forbidden? My wide-area skill from the first installment, when I was ten, had been nerfed so badly I couldn't even use it? Even Neople wouldn't nerf something this hard.
I vomited blood and collapsed to the ground on my own. Damn, Grand Magic was worse for your health than weed. Should I become an ambassador for eradicating Grand Magic later? Of course, I was a Grand Mage myself, but compared to celebrities who smoked weed, this was nothing.
I'd only vomited blood and felt no pain, but all the strength drained from my body. Melissa and Camellia dropped their blood and stances and rushed toward me. As I collapsed, the wall of wind I'd maintained also disappeared. Seeing my state, Melchior came running in shock too—man, that huge body charging at me was kind of scary.
"Werner!"
"Youngest!"
"Werner!!!"
Ah, my eardrums were going to burst because of Melchior. He checked the blood at my lips and seemed to grasp the situation. Camellia and Melissa were flustered and fidgeting. Melchior took off his top, wrapped it around me, and lifted me up. I didn't like being in a man's arms, though...
Then Melchior spoke to Melissa and Camellia: "Treating Werner is the priority right now, but... if anything happens to him, you'd better be prepared."
I'd pass on a man's courtship, but brotherly affection for a younger sibling was fine. And maybe because it was so cold, my eyelids grew heavy and closed on their own.