The Dragon's Ally Captured
“So, did you come out early to greet this old man and make things easier for him?”
While the gargoyles bought time, Kainaknus descended to the ground. At his gesture, three Anibolkas wreathed in flames appeared. Though they were the same summons, the speed of their manifestation far surpassed Geil’s, and his choice proved excellent.
Thanks to the blessings of Agno carved into their bodies, the mana of lesser demons could not even scratch them.
Runes also rose around the men in black robes and the figure at their center, but their speed was noticeably slower. The Anibolkas charged the demons, flaming swords leading the way. Their massive frames, red skin, and grotesque mix of skull and bat features revealed the crude, mass-produced nature of lower demons crafted by their superiors. Their power and strength were exactly as limited as their appearance suggested.
The flames the demons spewed scattered the moment they touched the Anibolkas. The barriers of the lesser demons crumbled helplessly before the burning blades. When the demons tried to resist with mana-wrapped fists, the swords cut through them regardless.
The lesser demons vanished into the sacred flames. The Anibolkas hurled themselves at the survivors. At that moment, the enemy summons finally completed—though late. The black-robed men had called forth black giants of similar size to the Anibolkas. These creatures lacked mouths or noses, possessing only glowing yellow eyes and sharp horns that jutted forward like a bull’s.
The black giants swung their fists at the Anibolkas. The Anibolkas’ swords severed the giants’ arms, but the severed limbs turned to black smoke that swelled and obscured their vision.
These creatures, called Nizin, could transform their bodies into black smoke. Unless their core was destroyed, no purification spell or wind could disperse it. Their combat strength was not high, but they used this ability to blind and buy time.
Such tricks were nothing before Kainaknus, the Dragon’s Ally. He immediately shared his sight with the Anibolkas through soul synchronization. The Anibolkas cut through the black smoke and swung their swords at the black-robed summoners.
“……!”
The two summoners tried to dodge, but the flaming swords struck them. Their bodies turned to ash before they could even feel pain.
With their contractors dead and mana supply cut off, the Nizin vanished. The Anibolkas lunged at the last remaining man. The sight of three burning giants descending upon the gaunt, skull-faced figure made the outcome all too clear.
Yet the first two summoners had only been stalling for a reason. Runes appeared around the skull-faced man, and black serpents poured forth. Riding the tide of snakes came a red skull dripping black blood from its entire body.
This red skull was one of the watchers of Naraka, one of the underworld realms. It was the fate of souls who had committed sins, refused salvation through repentance, and chose to remain in the underworld to revel in others’ suffering.
The endless black blood flowing from its bony body represented the pain they endured, while the black serpents were the remnants of malice drawn to the scent and taste of that suffering, given form.
Kainaknus judged the man foolish and inexperienced.
“Evil spirits against Anibolka?”
No matter that it had become a watcher, it was still merely an evil spirit. It was ill-matched against Anibolka, warriors of the gods, and their sacred flames.
Yet something felt wrong. The flames on the Anibolkas’ swords, which had been cutting through the black serpents reaching for them, gradually dimmed and vanished completely. They could advance no further.
“Ho.”
Kainaknus’s eyes sparkled with interest. He had not noticed at first, but the watcher of Naraka was not alone. Floating in the air behind the red skull was a black eagle with eyes on its belly—one of the servants of the demon god Kalaariman, carrying his authority. Wherever its gaze fell, light and flame weakened. That was why the flames on the Anibolkas’ swords had disappeared.
“Your skill is better than I expected.”
Kainaknus had no choice but to acknowledge that the skull-faced man was a far more capable summoner than he had assumed. Drawing out the power of that eye to this degree required considerable mana, yet the man showed no sign of fatigue.
The Anibolkas were occupied with the endless swarm of serpents and could not reach the watcher of Naraka creating them. As long as Kalaariman’s eye shone upon them, this would continue.
Normally, one would wait for the summoner’s mana to run out or call forth new summons. Either option would have been trivial for Kainaknus, but he did neither.
Instead, he walked straight toward the center of the battle. He did so with his frail body, without any protective spells or safeguards. The sight looked dangerous to anyone watching, and it was far from wise.
The skull-faced man’s eyes gleamed at Kainaknus’s action and began a new summoning. Yet even as he saw the attempt, Kainaknus made no move to stop it. He simply kept walking.
Something strange was happening. His slightly hunched back began to straighten, and strength gradually returned to his steps. His body transformed. His hands, visible outside his sleeves, became covered in green scales, and sharp black claws emerged. Soon his clothes tore apart as a pair of wings and a tail burst forth, revealing a sturdy body covered in scales.
His form now resembled a lizardman, but the intensity in his eyes and the overwhelming pressure he exuded were nothing like a mere lizardman.
Though still human-sized, he had become a dragon itself.
“This is rather undignified. At my age, tearing my clothes again.”
After muttering briefly, he launched himself forward. In an instant, he leapt over the swarm of black serpents and crashed into the watcher of Naraka. The red skull’s body was torn to pieces by his sharp claws and tail. The spirit, unable to maintain its form, fell back to the depths of the underworld.
When he turned his head and opened his mouth toward the black eagle bearing Kalaariman’s eye, a tremendous surge of mana erupted from his jaws and erased the eagle completely.
The skull-faced man, unable to hide his dismay, hurried to complete his summoning, but he was too late. Kainaknus was already right in front of him, his sharp claws hovering dangerously close to the man’s throat.
“It would be best not to try anything unnecessary. In this form, my blood runs hot and it’s hard to hold back.”
The skull-faced man had no choice but to stop his summoning. Even if it had succeeded, he could never have faced the current Kainaknus and the restored Anibolkas.
Kainaknus, the Dragon’s Ally. This form was undeniable proof that he had truly formed a contract with a dragon. When a summoner truly contracts with a dragon-like being, the soul connection grants the summoner various influences.
Usually this meant increased mana, better health, and extended lifespan. In cases of high soul synchronization and exceptional summoners, the physical changes could be far stronger.
Exactly like this—the ability for the summoner to transform into a dragon’s form. Though not comparable to a true dragon, the combat power was, as he had just demonstrated, extraordinary.
“Now then, I have many questions. Who told you the path to Urshus, and how did you find my location?”
The skull-faced man stared at the sharp claws at his throat and into Kainaknus’s eyes. Fear was clearly present in his gaze, yet strangely faint, and something else lingered behind it. Moreover, the corners of his mouth twitched as if he were about to smile.
“……!”
By the time Kainaknus noticed and tried to pull back, it was already too late. Green-glowing roots burst from the ground and tightly bound his arms, legs, tail, wings, neck, and mouth.
The Anibolkas rushed over, but black lights erupting from the darkness pierced their heads and hearts, reducing them to mere sparks that vanished.
Kainaknus tried to gather his mana to break the roots or begin a new summoning, but even with his mana several times stronger than usual, it was not easy. His mana was rapidly draining along the roots wrapped around his body. The glowing green roots were so sturdy that even his dragon-form strength could not snap them.
His only remaining hope was summoning, but before it could finish, an intense darkness engulfed him and he lost consciousness.
—As expected of Kainaknus, the Dragon’s Ally.
The skull-faced man, relieved, touched his neck and quickly bowed toward Alsh Unak emerging from the darkness behind him. Alsh Unak’s body was surrounded by a dark red aura, and the green roots binding Kainaknus appeared to be under his control.
He approached Kainaknus without so much as glancing at the skull-faced man paying respects. Kainaknus’s unconscious body was gradually reverting from dragon form back to that of an old man.
—I knew he could transform into a dragon, but to nearly complete a summoning while bound by Letenia’s roots… If I hadn’t prepared Urshus’s mana in advance, capture would have been impossible.
Alsh Unak carefully laid Kainaknus on the ground while loosening the green roots one by one. Each of his actions carried not just caution, but a hint of respect for Kainaknus. At his gesture, the skull-faced man hurriedly pulled a black cloth from his robes and draped it over Kainaknus’s now fully human form.
—Let us return.
Alsh Unak crossed his hands in the air, and several runes appeared around them. The skull-faced man pressed close to Alsh Unak’s side. Soon, black mist gathered around them and swallowed them whole.
When the mist cleared, they were gone.