No More Dragon King
Even though quite some time had passed since the battle began, Le Ganus showed no signs of tiring.
On the contrary, the longer the fight dragged on, the more power seemed to surge through him.
Meanwhile, our side was growing exhausted as the battle wore on.
Thanks to Giryu and Melusio's valiant efforts, the damage to the other monsters had been lighter than expected, but even that was reaching its limit.
One by one, monsters fell, piling up until the stark reduction in their numbers from the start became painfully obvious.
“GRRROOOAAARRR—!!!”
Le Ganus let out a roar and swung his arm.
A sword-like black-red flame traced a massive arc along the path of his swing.
Even though Na and Lehatna partially offset it in time, its power and range were on another level entirely.
The monsters caught in its path screamed horrific death cries as they plummeted from the sky.
This is SSS-rank.
Four SS-rank monsters, plus effectively more with the others, were barely holding the balance.
According to Giryu, even this guy was inferior to the ancient Dragon King, yet it drove home the wall of SSS-rank once more.
But that doesn't mean I'll back down for a second.
It felt a bit daunting, but didn't that make victory all the sweeter?
Instead of despairing before this towering wall, it was time to think about climbing it.
Of course, the situation was too dire—extremely dire—for such optimism.
"I'll kill you all! Tear you to shreds and burn every last piece!"
An unnamed monster was snatched into Le Ganus's grip.
Sharp claws pierced its flesh, black-red flames blazing fiercely.
With a brief death rattle, another monster tumbled into the sky below.
Le Ganus turned his savage glare to another foe.
Giryu and Melusio rushed toward him without hesitation.
Both were thoroughly worn out, but there was no time to rest or recover.
If they slipped even for a moment, Le Ganus would tear through the rest.
I clicked my tongue softly at the sight of them charging bravely.
Never had my lack of wings felt more frustrating.
If I could just slip into that gap, the tide would turn dramatically.
Suppressing the rising frustration, I unleashed a breath attack.
Le Ganus, reaching for another monster, dodged my breath and pulled back.
Even he couldn't just tank it—my attacks stung enough.
In that instant, Le Ganus retaliated with his own breath, as if it were his turn.
Lehatna hastily erected a barrier, but exhausted as she was, it couldn't fully block his.
Crash—
The shattering barrier scattered another cluster of monsters as ash into the air.
Lehatna bit her lip at the sight.
Her face was gravely serious, nothing like her usual innocent cheer.
Had she realized her limits?
I glanced at her resentful expression, then quickly looked away.
Le Ganus suddenly seized Giryu by the scruff.
Damn it...!
I threw everything at it—magic, Magic Eye, every trick—but nothing reached.
His blazing black-red flames incinerated all our attacks, Giryu included.
"Giryu! You filthy worm who chose Lehatna over me! Didn't you have multiple lives? Let's see just how tough they are!"
"Giryu—!!"
His thunderous voice echoed alongside Lehatna's cry for Giryu, ringing in my head.
Melusio and the others dove at him, but the inferno rendered it futile.
Le Ganus focused everything on incinerating Giryu, the one who'd hounded him relentlessly.
Even Giryu's mighty storms were mere breezes against those flames.
Worse, they fueled the blaze, which grew ever larger.
I could feel Giryu's overflowing life force draining rapidly.
Damn it... if only I could fly!
Lamenting my grounded state, I kept up the relentless assault on Le Ganus.
"No! Giryu! Nooo—!"
I blocked Lehatna as she tried to fly to them, coiling my tail tightly around her.
She thrashed wildly against my grip.
"Let go, Nix! Please, let me go! Giryu! Giryu—!"
"Calm down, Lehatna! Charging in without a plan will just get you killed too!"
"But...! Don't do it—!"
Ignoring Lehatna's relentless struggles and pleas, I racked my brain.
How to save Giryu?
Regular magic couldn't pierce those flames—only fusion magic might.
Breath attacks lacked power without prep time.
Even my Magic Eyes were useless right now.
Grounded as I was, I had no way to reach him immediately.
Damn... have to trust Melusio?
But he was already spent, his pre-battle wounds holding him back.
Was I really just going to watch Giryu die helplessly?
Then, I spotted a phoenix rising quietly.
Freya, her pure white contrasting the black-red inferno, plunged straight into the flames without hesitation.
Her storm aura had long vanished, like Giryu's, but she ignored it.
Flames licked her body relentlessly, yet she pressed on toward Le Ganus.
Le Ganus, fixated on Giryu, finally turned his attention.
His face twisted at Freya charging, self-immolating.
"Freya—!!!"
Even Le Ganus's call didn't stop her wingbeats.
Her pristine feathers charred black, beauty lost, yet she surged forward.
His flames faltered for a moment at her sight.
Even amid battle, he'd avoided attacking her side subconsciously.
What must he feel seeing his beloved charge to her death?
Our attacks pierced the momentarily weakened blaze.
It wasn't enough to hurt him badly—hasty magic—but it created an opening.
Giryu slipped free in the clash.
Charred like a lump of coal, he crashed onto a floating island.
Lehatna flew to him desperately.
As Giryu escaped, Freya finally reached Le Ganus.
Her beak tapped his scales weakly, feebly—but it hit harder than any blow yet.
Le Ganus cradled her charred form and bellowed in rage.
"Freya—! Why did you betray me? Why go this far?! Answer me, Freya!"
Freya couldn't even muster a proper thought in response.
A faint, labored cry escaped her beak.
What was her final message?
With that enigmatic sound, Freya closed her eyes in his arms.
A roar louder than any before shook the heavens.
“─────!!!”
Whoosh—
Mana erupted explosively, black-red flames surging fiercer and vaster than ever.
The dragon who coveted his father's remains, killed his sister, and now his beloved mate had become the true Mad Dragon.
I flicked my tongue at the rampaging mana and soaring inferno.
No way to beat that came to mind.
"Nix...."
I turned to the quiet voice calling me.
There was Giryu, no longer charred—back to normal.
[You're safe.]
[Looks that way. Used my last stockpiled life.]
He glanced up at the sky.
A raving dragon, stripped of all reason and intellect, rampaged without target—just pure destruction, a calamity incarnate.
No clue how to handle it now.
Melusio and a few others circled it, but he'd reach us soon.
[...Tricky. No idea how to deal with that.]
[Nix.]
I turned to Giryu's calm call.
His eyes were his usual steady gaze.
Did he have a plan?
To my expectant look, he said evenly,
[Run.]
[...What?]
[We're outmatched. So run, Nix.]
[...What nonsense is that? Now? What about the dead? What crap is this, Giryu?]
My voice rose with anger.
I couldn't hold back a shout, but Giryu replied calmly, face unchanged.
[Don't you have a home to return to? You've upheld your duty. So....]
[Don't talk stupid. You telling me to run alone?]
[Yes.]
His flat tone twisted my face.
Giryu watched me, then flapped his wings.
[I'll buy you time to escape. Hope you make it back to your family safely.]
He took off before I could respond, joining the others against Le Ganus.
I stared blankly at his retreating figure.
Logically, I knew: if fleeing, now was the time.
Staying longer meant obvious doom.
I had a home, duties waiting.
Like Giryu said, I'd done enough—upheld loyalty.
But a nagging unease rooted me.
I looked back at the ongoing battle.
So many monsters left, now few remained.
Fire pillars and explosions made it hard to tell if Pelte or Deabel even lived.
Staring blankly into the void, I finally turned away.
There sat Lehatna, staring vacantly like me.
Giryu must have left her for me to take while fleeing.
What was she thinking?
As curiosity stirred, Lehatna, gazing skyward, spoke.
"Nix."
[...Yeah?]
"Not going?"
[...Thinking about it.]
"...I see."
Short exchange, then silence.
Explosions and clashes from above filled the air as we sat quiet for a while.
Lehatna broke the awkward hush first, mumbling.
"...I'm an idiot. The biggest fool under the heavens."
I had no response.
She continued as if talking to herself, not expecting one.
"Lost everyone, in this mess. Even now, I still don't want to be Dragon King... Right, Nix? Am I weird?"
Her direct question left me silent again.
She pressed on regardless.
"I can't understand. Don't want to... Can't wrap my head around it."
[......]
"Sister dead, brother like that, and now the Dragon King throne matters?"
Her slow words brought realization.
She wasn't talking to me—or anyone absent.
Just questioning herself.
"Does this sky really need a Dragon King? Must we be ruled? Can't we just live freely?"
She turned her eyes slowly to me.
Clear gaze contrasting her sunken tone.
"So, Nix. Question for you."
[...What?]
"Not going?"
The question again, but heavier now.
I glanced skyward.
Giryu and the others fought breathlessly.
Familiar faces like Pelte and Deabel flashed by.
Still alive.
My resolve settled.
[Not going.]
She nodded slowly. [I see.]
"You're so selfish, Nix."
[Everyone is.]
"Yeah, true. Everyone is."
She nodded again, then continued.