The False Dragon
"Dragon?"
"Scatter—! Cover each other's blind spots and focus on attacking!!"
At my shout, the mercenaries spread out one by one, taking their positions. It was the formation I'd used most often since founding the Ska Mercenary Group. We scattered in all directions while still supporting one another. Clustering together risked total annihilation from a single powerful strike, and this method forced the enemy to endure attacks and interference from multiple angles—an extremely efficient tactic.
Kraaaak—!
The dragon opened its massive jaws wide enough to casually crush a small house and charged forward with a roar that threatened to burst our eardrums.
Whoosh—!
Claws capable of tearing a person in half with the slightest swing came slashing down. I barely managed to dodge the incoming talons by concentrating my mana.
Slash—Thud—!
—Get it!
—Now's our chance! Hit it!
—Eat this, you monster!
As always, once I drew the monster's attention, the mercenaries coordinated their assault.
"...Kgh, why is it so damn hard—!"
Just as someone cried out, no matter how hard we struck or slashed, we could only inflict minor wounds. Nothing landed with real impact.
Kraaa—!Whoosh—!
"Kgh!"
—Aaaagh!
—What the—!
—...Damn it!
The dragon soon folded its wings and crouched before suddenly spreading them wide, sending everyone nearby flying. The wind pressure from a mere flap of its wings was enough to hurl dozens of people away. Combined with a body so tough that ordinary attacks barely scratched it...
"So this... is a dragon."
Grrrr...
The dragon's imposing figure, wings spread like a massive wall, resembled a predator gazing down at its prey with cold arrogance.
'...Hah. Yeah. If it's a dragon, it should at least be this strong!'
This much was within expectations. I never thought we'd easily defeat a creature that only appeared in legends. That's why I'd prepared for this.
"...Everyone, switch to the second plan! Move to your positions!"
""Positions...!""
At my command, the mercenaries pulled thick ropes—thicker than a person's forearm and tougher than rubber—and massive stakes the size of human heads from their packs.
"...Vanguard, charge—!"
Everyone except those handling the binding equipment—including me—rushed back toward the dragon.
Kraaa—!
The dragon charged with its mouth wide open, ready to devour me alive. I focused mana throughout my body and tracked its movements.
Crunch—!
The dragon snapped its jaws shut, trying to chew me up, but I narrowly evaded.
"Hup!"
Thud—!
At the same time, I slammed my full body weight into its now-vulnerable head.
"...Now!"
—Strike it down!
—That'll daze it! You monster!
Those with superior physiques rammed the dragon's head like I did, while those wielding blunt weapons brought them crashing down with all their strength.
K...rrr...
Even a dragon couldn't stay steady after taking multiple heavy impacts to the head connected to its brain.
"Rear guard, throw the ropes!!"
Thud, thud—!
Following my order, those who had secured the massive stakes to the ground hurled ropes tipped with enormous spikes, embedding them into various parts of the dragon's body.
Stagger—!
K...raaa—!
"Don't stop attacking! Don't give it time to resist!!"
At the same time, an overwhelming barrage of attacks rained down, fueled by the collective will to slay this monster. There was no retreat—only the resolve to annihilate the enemy before us, a force stronger than any blessing.
Thud.
Finally, the dragon—its entire body bound and exposed to relentless attacks—dropped to its knees.
"Cerise, vice-commander!!"
"Hah—!"
Cerise leaped into the air and reached the dragon's head just as it knelt, gasping for breath.
Slash—!
An attack backed by overwhelming physical strength and mana struck the restrained foe.
....Thud.
Before Cerise's devastating power, the legend fell.
"...We did it—!"
Starting with Hans's cry, the mercenaries erupted in victorious cheers. They had slain a 5-star monster. Not just any monster—a dragon from legend. And the request had come directly from the Empire itself. Even as they panted heavily, they celebrated their assured golden future.
....But was that really the end?
'...Something feels off.'
I stared at the dragon's corpse, its head severed and limp. It had been strong—far stronger than any ordinary 4-star monster—but it hadn't lived up to its fearsome reputation.
A shadow fell over us as clouds passed overhead. At the same time, a fog of uncertainty began to cloud my mind.
Was this really the level worthy of a direct imperial request? It was strong, sure... but the Empire had countless mercenary groups and powerful individuals under its banner. While the Ska Mercenary Group was proud of its strength and stood out even within the Empire... was it truly a threat to the Empire, as the request implied?
'No. Something like this... someone else could've handled it too.'
I hadn't expected we could defeat it with just stakes, ropes, and overwhelming force like we just did. That's why I'd prepared backup plans. Yet the dragon had been eliminated far too easily.
And there was another strange point.
—...A natural disaster that soars through the skies, spewing forth calamity-like flames, possesses indescribable power.
Those were the exact words written in the request form. The classic traits of a dragon that flies and breathes fire.
'But that thing never flew... and it never breathed fire either.'
Whether its wings had been torn during the fight or it was born that way, I couldn't tell. Either way, those wings couldn't possibly support its massive body in flight. And as for breath attacks—it showed nothing but claw and bite strikes.
...Aside from its appearance, there wasn't a single trait in common with the "dragon" described in the request.
'...Then there are two possibilities.'
First hypothesis: The dragon at the time the Empire issued the request was indeed that corpse, but it had weakened for some unknown reason. ...That was ridiculous. A dragon that once terrorized the entire continent couldn't have grown so weak in Death's Desert, where even the strongest monsters were only 4-star Sand Worms.
And the second...
'....That wasn't a dragon.'
If that corpse wasn't a dragon... if we never encountered a dragon at all, then everything made sense. And in fantasy, there existed beings similar to dragons but far inferior. Drakes. Far weaker than dragons, yet still immensely powerful. People called them flightless dragons.
Then... that monster wasn't a dragon... but a drake?
...Then where was the real dragon? The calamity that slaughtered dozens of Sand Worms...?
"....Commander."
Just then, Cerise approached with a hesitant expression, her face downcast.
"...Wait. Cerise, vice-commander..."
"...Yes?"
...And there had been something strange since earlier. If those were clouds... they shouldn't stay in one place. They should drift with the wind. Yet the shadow looming over our heads hadn't disappeared.
...Rather, it seemed to be growing larger, as if something was approaching.
With unease rising in my chest, I looked up at the sky. But there was nothing there. No clouds, no dragon. Only clear blue sky.
"......?"
Narrowing my eyes, I spotted something shimmering in the air. The shimmer grew larger and larger, approaching us.
...Especially approaching Cerise.
"......."
Without a word, I sprinted toward Cerise. Even if it cost me my life, I had to reach her.
Warriors who could sense mana tracked attacks through its flow. They could see trajectories and locate monsters through mana. But what about attacks that contained no mana at all?
Attacks so finely concealed that their mana trail was invisible?
...The answer was simple: they couldn't be detected.
But most people didn't worry about this. There were only two types of attacks without visible mana trails. First: attacks so weak they carried no mana. Second: attacks so perfectly hidden that they were too powerful to even perceive.
The second type was so rare that even veterans like us almost never encountered it, so most only considered the first. And if that habit persisted, warriors could handle mana-traced attacks even from blind spots—but attacks without mana left them completely defenseless.
And Cerise, unaware of the approaching strike, was only looking at me.
An attack she could never detect. An attack that could kill even Cerise in an instant.
Tap tap tap—!
"...Commander?"
Thud—!
I threw myself at Cerise and shoved her with all my strength. The mana-infused push, combined with my weight, sent her flying far away—beyond the attack's reach.
And I collapsed onto the spot where Cerise had just been standing.
"Commander?! What are you—!"
...Thank goodness. It went according to plan.
Crunch—!
As the shadow darkened to its deepest point and the shimmer reached right before my eyes, I felt the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart—and a body that no longer obeyed me.
***
"...Haa."
Finally. We'd defeated that dragon. I was surprised it was much weaker than expected... but better that than the alternative.
'...Right. Now... I should apologize to the commander.'
The time she'd promised herself had come. The promise to apologize to the commander once the weight was lifted and the battle ended. All the excuses and escape routes she'd accumulated had vanished. With nothing left behind her, the fear of being abandoned disappeared, replaced by courage.
The scorching sunlight was blocked by clouds, casting a shadow, and Cerise felt an inexplicable joy. Was it because she could finally apologize? Or because she had mustered the courage to face the commander again?
"...Commander."
Cerise approached Venice, who seemed somewhat dazed, and spoke. It had been days since she'd last addressed him like this. Just being able to look at his face filled her with happiness.
"Wait. Cerise, vice-commander..."
"...Yes?"
The commander must have grasped the situation as well and needed a moment to think. ...Surely, if it was the commander... he would forgive her?
'Everything will go back to how it was.'
To those fleeting happy times. To the days when simply being alive brought joy.
Cerise forgot all her previous fears and hesitation, imagining the happy future ahead.
Tap tap tap—!
At that moment, the commander began running toward her.
...Could it be? Was the commander going to speak to her first? Still... he didn't need to be so desperate about it...
"....?"
The commander wore an expression like he'd seen something he shouldn't have, sprinting toward her with everything he had. ...Pouring even more mana into his body than during the battle.
"...Commander?"
Surely... he wasn't going to hit her? No... even if he did, it was fine. If she could return to the past... she could endure any pain.
Thud—!
Crash—!
"....Huh?"
The commander, still running, suddenly threw himself at her. At the same time, a tremendous impact struck, sending her body flying far away.
Thud thud—!
"...Ugh! Commander?! What are you—!"
Cerise, caught off guard by the unexpected shove, sat there in confusion, staring at the commander.
Crunch—!
At the same time, the commander—who had been looking at her with a relieved expression—had his body brutally torn apart.