Chapter 361
Chapter 361
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 361
Chapter Title: Dragon Slayer -2
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Trusting people is hard work.
"First off, let's make one thing clear. We seem to share the same goal of severing its neck. Right?"
"This is the third time I've crossed paths with a dragon slayer. But it doesn't exactly fill me with warm fuzzies. There was a time I took in a kid as my disciple—one who'd lost everything to that evil dragon. Not anymore, though. Do you know what happened to him?"
"Either he was its vanguard all along, or his heart was true but he ended up as its pawn in the end. One of the two."
"The latter. One day, he transformed into a monster and tried to kill me. Looked like he couldn't control his own body. His eyes were full of regret."
Especially when you're up against some absolute being who gets off on toying with people's fates. It's eerily similar to fighting a guy with a hypnosis app.
The victim themselves has no clue they're under hypnosis. That's the key part.
No matter how burning your hatred for the evil dragon, if your actions are part of its scheme, you're just getting in the way. I knew that much.
A single question flashed through the boy and the mage's minds.
'Is the guy in front of us being manipulated by the evil dragon?'
"......"
"......"
But there's no real way to confirm it.
Hypnosis? A quick mental cleanse with mana fixes that. But twisted fate? How do you even detect it, let alone undo it?
We're talking about a monster that steals people's names on a whim, spins the world's gears to swap out protagonists, and mass-produces new races. If it's pulled strings, it'd be too cunning to uncover.
So—
"The dragon must be slain alone, without anyone's aid. To avoid falling into its plots."
"We should pool our strength, research ways to turn even that manipulation to our advantage."
Therefore—
"Let's keep our exchange to sharing info."
"Share intelligence and figure out safe ways to collaborate."
"......"
"......"
How are we this mismatched?
It's like we're going in total opposite directions, but somehow it clicks. My affinity for the Sword Saint ticked up a notch inwardly. But he seemed to feel the opposite—his wariness deepened.
It's a little intimidating.
The Sword Saint, in the form of a boy, had relaxed his stance, arms hanging naturally. But I'd seen him swing that sword earlier. He could strike from that position with zero delay.
If he wanted, the blade would flash in an instant. So I was prepping spells behind my back. And he noticed. His eyes flicked suspiciously, ever so slightly.
Killing intent, maybe? A razor-sharp aura slithered toward me like a viper, so I fired back my own pressure. No way I'd lose a staring contest.
Our party members picked up on the tension too.
Aisha was hiding in my shadow, signaling danger in Morse code while poised to burst out anytime.
Flutter.
"......No violence. Not just him—I'm here too."
"Violet Magic Tower Master."
Yuna cautiously revealed herself. The boy knight jacked up his guard two levels at the sight of her behind me. Yuna whispered in my ear.
"......Hey. You planning to explain everything to the Sword Saint?"
"Yeah. He's got trust issues and is picky, but he's still an ally for now. If we can cooperate, that's national-level firepower added."
"......That thing sealed in your head, the daughter made from peeling it off, you changing your race to an info-lifeform, your ability to transform into a mega-beast, and now you've even got the Dragon Heart...?"
"......"
A bit suspicious when you list it out like that?
-Super suspicious. Hell, you've even snagged a spot close to Irid with those coins, enough to shake the empire. If I were him, I'd go for your dad's head first.
But technically, that's thanks to the Sword Saint. He boosted the Magic Tower funding, letting me run that session, which turned Irid into a player.
-Doesn't that make you three times more suspicious? He's even considering he might still be a puppet. Then it feels like the evil dragon used him to craft a new disguise...
"Honestly, you're one of the most suspicious people out there..."
Fair enough.
If there was a contest for most likely empire folk to be the evil dragon's minion, I'd win just by breathing. I'd vote for myself.
Does that mean I give up on cooperating? Hell no. The Sword Saint's abilities had expansion potential that made my mouth water.
A power that lets you ring the unringable—maybe it could unilaterally assault the evil dragon's spirit sealed in my head?
If so, I'd visit him every morning, plop down in seiza, and he'd regularly smack the dragon with anti-magic damage from behind me.
No matter how the evil dragon flies and flails, ten years of sword stabs would kill off chunks of it!
Of course, judging by the personality I glimpsed today, there's a non-zero chance he'd just lop off my head, figuring one sacrifice ends it all. Which is why I need—
To earn his trust.
And right here... I've got the perfect way!
I dispelled the invisibility spell on Ping and shoved him forward. He was shivering all over—hates the cold, apparently—but now was his moment.
"Allow me to introduce: Hero Ping of the Goddess Church. Go on, say hi."
"Uh, u-uhh..."
"A hero who transcends ages... But his skills seem lacking for one. His build shows diligent training, but that's it. Just a mercenary hack."
"What era do you think this is? We don't brute-force strength like barbarians anymore. He's the Pope's godson, revered by the Holy City's citizens as an outstanding hero. Plus, he can ring the Goddess direct."
That's right—the Goddess.
With certification from a goddess who despises the evil dragon, even a Sword Saint without dementia or senility couldn't help but trust me, right?
"She's in my head right now."
"......"
I gave him the quick rundown. Evil dragon sealed in my head, got the Dragon Heart. Took out the named black mage, just gotta handle the dragon body now.
Skipped the tricky or complicated bits. Like Aisha.
Good call mentioning the Goddess. He twitched his fingers but heard me out fully. Then he sank into deep thought.
"Explanation's done. Now proof time. We'll contact the Goddess via Hero Ping and prove my innocence. Then we can talk cooperation, yeah?"
"Your words... make sense. Explains why traces of the bastard vanished like it did. It fits."
"Alright, Hero Ping. Shoot her a line asking for help. The fate of the world rests on you."
I patted Ping's shoulder. He flailed awkwardly, then knelt right there, clasped his hands in the most forced prayer ever.
"S-She says... Goddess... Honestly, I have no idea what these guys are talking about..."
Hero Ping's eyes went wide. Mine did too—I'd eavesdropped on the Goddess's line.
"......The Goddess says I should run?"
"......?"
Silence.
Confusion.
I'd asked her to vouch that I wasn't devoured by the evil dragon, that I was a trusty ally. Why the off-topic reply from a goddess who usually processes commands like a machine?
A passing answer. Explaining it wouldn't change the outcome anyway.
Reflex kicked in—I yelled.
"......Aisha, block!"
"『Strike Object』."
-『Dragon Scale Citadel』!
Kiririririk—!
Pitch-black dragon scales erupted in layers from my shadow. The boy knight's blade grazed over them. A ominous crack, and scales shattered and scattered.
I hustled Hero Ping to safety, assumed combat stance, and shouted.
"I said I'm not a minion—proving it now?!"
"I get it. You're probably an ally. But... with that thing sealed in your head, killing you ends everything, doesn't it?"
"You crazy old geezer! For all you know, my death kills the dragon—or frees it!"
"Even so. If you lose to its minions and get bodyjacked, we're screwed. So I need to check... your combat prowess."
He wanted a test run.
If I die in the test, I'd have died later anyway—no biggie. If I survive, the evil dragon vault is sturdy—win-win. That kinda mindset.
Heat rushed to my head.
Shiii—
"『Erase』!"
Sslash.
Yuna's info-wiping flash got bisected by a plain longsword's arc and dispersed.
Aisha, half out of my shadow, machine-gunned dragon scales, but one swing from him stripped their momentum—they plummeted to the ground. He can even hit those?
"Oho, got it. But... if you're picking a fight, you must be ready for the consequences, right?"
"If you can kill me, go ahead. I know shame. Even in death, no grudges or curses. I'll cheer dragon-slaying from the afterlife."
"Nah, not killing you. Why would I thin my own forces? Instead, I'll subdue you, wrap you nice, and toss you alive to my Magic Tower junior who loves shorts."
"......?"
And that's not all. If he pulls this crap and has zilch intel? I'll convene the Third Roundtable of the Axis of Evil.
And greenlight Yuria and Aisha's proposals unlimited.
Fine. Let's play.
Positively, this was my chance to gauge the Sword Saint's specs. Feed today's combat data straight to the Heavenly Demon module—might unlock 2.0 title.
Battlefield's favorable too. He's famed, sure, but our crew's no pushovers. And we've got secret weapons.
I pulled the black heart from my pocket. It was halfway between mineral and organism, pulsing naturally without veins.
I sucked in the mana pouring from the dragon heart, held it, and declared.
"『Dragon Heart』, time limit one minute—limited activation."
Vroooooom—!!
And overlaid a world upon the world.
#1: Crosswalk
His vision shifted. Illusion magic?
The boy swordsman gripped his longsword tighter, scanning surroundings. A master's senses engaged all five in rapid survey.
Crunch. Gravel underfoot, and... rails. Long, steel rails.
Mild climate. No clue what for, but a black line stretched along the path at three-meter height. Beyond gravel and steel: underbrush. Horizon: sunset.
And.
Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding—!
Far off, something iron barreled toward him with clamor. Long, huge, fast. A machine form he'd never seen.
Dodge.
Dodge, but his body wouldn't move.
"......"
Clunk, clunk. The metal mass closed in. No calc needed—it had mass to shred a person easy.
Like being pinned in scissors. A finger quivered, on the verge.
Beyond imagination. Plan was to corner the mad mage to death's door, test his resolve. Best way to peer into a soul.
Rejected Goddess vouch 'cause even she wasn't trustworthy. If benevolent, she'd have punished the dragon ages ago; if incompetent to catch it, not a god.
And most crucially.
"......Uhua, you hadn't achieved it yet."
I'd clearly heard that...
Bam—!!
The boy knight got smashed by the train.