92
Chapter 92
Rumble-.
The earth shook with a thunderous roar. The ground split apart as a massive earthquake struck.
Meta, the 'Goblin Shaman,' looked down upon the cracking ground with cold, distant eyes.
'Stay focused. These are the crowds trying to attack Lord Oscar. Not a single one must survive.'
After joining Oscar's side, Meta had undergone three types of training.
The first was physical ability. Following Oscar's advice that a man's body is better when strong, Meta had diligently performed basic physical training, though he had abandoned his masculinity.
Thanks to this, while his height remained the same, his physique had become as rugged as any Dwarf.
The second was mental discipline. Told that one must break through the goblin spirit to transcend their species, Meta spent three hours every day in meditation. Although it wasn't Oscar's original intent, that time eventually became the foundation for Meta to unlock his Necromancy.
"Everyone wait. Not yet, not yet. When they move in a bit more, that's when you all rise."
The third was the operation of Demonic Energy. Goblins were naturally born without it, but by making a contract with Oscar, Meta became able to borrow Oscar's Demonic Energy, just like Beatrice.
Originally, Oscar intended for him to focus that energy on enhancing his physical abilities, but...
Rumble-.
"I can see them now. Just a little, just a little longer."
Possessing a natural talent for being a shaman, Meta naturally excelled in Necromancy as he grew.
Boom-!
"Now! Everyone, rise!"
K-boom-!
Now, he had become a full-fledged necromancer, commanding four Legions under his rule.
An Immortal army that did not die even in death, grew in number as they fought, and never tired regardless of how violent the movement—all were in Meta's hands.
Sizzle-!
The ground split, creating a giant pit. A chasm so vast it resembled a canyon engulfed the advancing monster herd. Every monster that couldn't fly was plunged into the pit. It was a hole large enough to swallow an entire mountain.
Inside the pit, thousands of undead monsters lay in ambush everywhere. Having spent the previous moments digging the earth under Meta's orders, they now bared their fangs and weapons, charging toward the newly arrived monsters.
"Screeeech-!"
Flying Sirens sang their songs of curses. However, as Meta raised both hands, intangible Demonic Energy constricted their entire bodies. Then, it dragged them down into the pit.
Meta was not only skilled in Necromancy. While he excelled at it, he was also proficient in various other types of dark magic.
Crunch-! Snap-! Crack-!
The immortal legion slaughtered the monsters. Of course, it wasn't entirely easy.
The individual power of the undead tended to be weaker than when they were alive. Quite a few were crushed by the sharp teeth and hard claws of the monsters.
However, the true terror of the undead was not their strength.
Snap-!
"Grrr... Why, why won't you die...!"
"You dare try to attack Lord Oscar! Pay the price for your insolence!"
The undead do not die. Even if they are cut, torn, or crumbled, they eventually regenerate. Unless the necromancer's Demonic Energy is depleted or their concentration is broken.
Thus, Meta simply watched the situation from above the pit. He endlessly radiated a near-infinite amount of Demonic Energy. Even when flying Magical Beasts tried to climb out of the pit, he knocked them back down with dark magic, leaving them with no way to sever Meta's Necromancy.
Chomp-!
"Aagh! I-I've been bitten! Gack!"
If one undead was weaker than one Magical Beast, he would simply deploy two. If two weren't enough, he would send in three.
No matter how many times they are broken in the process, the undead eventually recover. Furthermore, any Magical Beast slain becomes a new member of the undead, acting as Meta's extensions.
"Don't leave a single one behind. Kill them all."
The sword of the Skeleton King, the cataclysmic stomps of the Cyclops, and the petrification magic of Medusa struck the Magical Beasts. These were Meta's 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Legion Commanders, respectively. Despite having once been defeated by Oscar's party before becoming Meta's undead, they possessed power enough to wipe out the monsters.
The Magical Beasts tried to flee in panic, but the hellfire emitted by the 1st Legion Commander, Balrog, limited their movements. The flames that scorched their flesh were a source of terror even for the most ferocious creatures.
"Screeech!"
As the battle continued, the enemy numbers grew while the allies died rapidly. Witnessing such an unrealistic sight, what living creature could possibly maintain their will to fight? The brainwashing of the three Dragons—'Kill the demons and their companions!'—was indeed powerful, but battle is not won by mindset alone.
Rumble-!
The first clash between the Seven Dragons' forces and Oscar's group, minus Oscar himself, began to tilt in favor of Oscar's companions.
*****
A cold wind brushed against her cheek. Aru's hair, which grew down to her toes, fluttered wildly.
Riding on Uriel's back, Aru shouted.
"Don't stop! We have to kill the one-headed one first!"
"The one-headed one is Silchizrei, and the two-headed one is Silgemund. You should at least know the names of the targets you intend to hunt."
"Bark bark!"
The shadows grew closer. The difference in size was so overwhelming that it made her whole body tremble just by looking at them. If she took a direct hit, it felt as though every bone in her body would be shattered into pieces.
However, Aru did not let fear take over. Her position as a 'Predator,' forged through hundreds of years of hunting, allowed her to salivate even with the most powerful dragons right before her eyes.
"Gulp."
"...You, did you actually just swallow your spit?"
"Bark!"
"It's probably because your mouth is dry, right? It has to be. Confidence is good, but arrogant bravado will only hold you back."
Aru gave a short nod after hearing Uriel's advice. She was right. This was a fight involving not only her but also the Young Demon; she couldn't afford to lose due to a meaningless mistake.
"I can't hear it. Bark bark."
"Whose voice are you talking about?"
"The Young Demon's voice. He went inside somewhere. With the big human."
"As for that side... is everything going smoothly? Didn't he say he was up to something?"
"I can't hear him. So I don't know. Grrr, don't worry about them. Focus on these guys."
"Alright, you brat. We're almost there."
Just as Aru was about to ask what she meant when there was still a fair distance to go, a circular ring formed beneath Uriel's feet. It was the result of gathered white energy.
Uriel flapped her wings powerfully and kicked off from that circle. Propulsion was added to a speed that was like a bolt of light. The distance between the two dragons and Aru rapidly closed.
"Who goes there-!"
Silchizrei, the dragon who noticed the charging Aru and Uriel, bellowed. Silgemund, the two-headed dragon, immediately released his fear.
Dragon Fear. It is a technique where a dragon emits its presence in an instant. While many races have their own unique fears, a dragon's fear is special. Those caught in Dragon Fear immediately suffer limb paralysis, difficulty breathing, and a total loss of the will to fight.
"Bark bark bark bark! Grrr!"
"He broke the fear!?"
"Phew, I would have been paralyzed if I hadn't set up a barrier with Holy Power. This is why I hate fighting dragons."
"These guys... it's them. The ones we were trying to hit. Though for some reason, only a Wolf Beastman and an angel are visible."
"Really? That saves us the trouble of searching. Seeing as they broke the fear, it looks like they're at least decent enough for a warm-up."
Whoosh-!
When the distance between Aru and the dragons closed to about thirty meters, Aru pulled out a dagger hidden at her waist. The blue blade sparkled under the sunlight.
"Bark!"
Boom-!
Aru's leg strength pressed down on Uriel's back. Uriel plummeted toward the ground instantly. At the same time, Aru flew forward like an arrow using the recoil and swung her dagger.
Slash-!
A red streak was drawn across the eye of the arrogant Silchizrei. As the streak spread, Silchizrei felt his vision falter. His sight, which should have been clear, was clouded by a crimson mist.
"Gah!"
Silchizrei let out a scream-like roar. It was a thunderous cry that shook the plains and pushed back the clouds. Even after hearing it from such close range, Aru remained unfazed and landed on the dragon's brow between its eyes.
Swish-!
"Silki! Be careful!"
"How dare this brat stand... Gwah!"
Holding the dagger in a reverse grip, Aru slammed the blade down. A silver flash rained down vertically. Another sword strike was carved into Silchizrei's right eye.
It was a red cross. A cross where blood gushed out from the gaps. Only then did Silchizrei realize Aru's position and swung his forepaw over his head, but Aru immediately leapt into the air.
Thump. Consequently, Silchizrei suffered the humiliation of hitting his own face. Having already lost vision in one eye, it was a painful loss.
"Bark bark!"
Falling through the air, Aru called for Uriel. Uriel, who had been tracking Aru's every move throughout the fight, flew under Aru before it was too late.
Clink-!
"Bark! Great! Well done! Excellent!"
"...You Wolf King, you're using the Leader's way of speaking with me."
"Bark bark! I love praise! I work better with praise!"
"You brat, do you think I'm a wolf like you? Or do you view me as a creature more ignorant than yourself?"
"Bark bark? Weren't you the dummy?"
"...Let's just focus."
Uriel began flying in earnest. Creating footholds of Holy Power wherever her feet touched, she darted around at speeds comparable to the speed of sound. The two dragons, limited by their massive size and restricted field of vision, could not fully track Uriel's movements.
Slash-!
Slic-!
Whoosh-!
Each time Uriel flew past Silchizrei's body with Aru on her back, a new scratch was carved into the dragon's hide. No matter how small the wound, the pain of the skin tearing to reveal the flesh beneath was severe.
"You bastards...!"
Occasionally, Aru would climb onto Silchizrei's body. Being as heavy and sluggish as he was, Silchizrei could not react in time to her agile movements.
Furthermore, Aru's blade was small, but it was not weak. Every time the dragon's hide, said to be as hard as steel, was sliced as easily as paper, Silchizrei let out a silent scream of horror.
Gradually, dragon blood soaked the surroundings. When she leapt off the wings, Aru landed back on Uriel's back and continued attacking Silchizrei with the angel's help.
Just as Silchizrei began to crumble under the storm-like onslaught of attacks.
"ROAARRRR-!!"
Silgemund, who had remained quiet to avoid catching Silchizrei in the crossfire, finally stepped into the battlefield. A Dragon Roar that punished the very air filled the space, tearing through everyone's eardrums.
"...!"
"Yelp!"
Snap-!
Blood trickled from the ears of Aru, whose hearing was exceptionally keen. Before the two small beings, two red eyes and several blue eyes loomed.
The pupils of the small beings began to shake. This was a privilege exclusive to dragons, on a completely different level than Dragon Fear. The Dragon Roar had exerted its Authority.
Just as an ant feels terror before a human, or a mouse feels helplessness facing a cat, an overwhelming fear of a superior existence seeped into the bodies of Aru and Uriel.
"Ugh!"
Uriel was the first to regain her senses.
'To feel fear toward a mere lizard! I have fought Lucifer in his dragon form!'
Uriel's Holy Power takes the form of flames. She seared Aru's thigh with brilliant red fire. The sudden heat jolted Aru awake. Immediately, she crouched low, assuming the characteristic combat stance of a wolf.
However, Silchizrei had already bought enough time.
"Silki! Fly! Once we fire the breath from the sky, they can't do anything!"
Whoosh-!
The two dragons spread their wings in unison and soared into the air. They flew to a height so dizzying that it felt untouchable.
After creating sufficient distance, Silgemund looked back at Silchizrei. Blood was trickling from all the wounds across his body.
"Check your body first, Silki. I don't think we should face them in close combat."
"Tsk... they certainly weren't as easy as they looked. It's been ages since I've been pushed this far. I got humbled trying to test their level. But, it's all just meaningless struggling-!"
Mana flowed along the lines of the dragon's skin. Green mana seeped deep into Silchizrei's wounds. A sinister smile played on Silchizrei's maw.
"I'll show you exactly why dragons are called the progenitors of magic!"
"If a mere beastman could kill a dragon just because they had slightly better physical abilities, you would be the supreme beings of all creation. Silki, I'll prepare the breath. In the meantime, heal yourself."
"Bark? Angel, what are they saying?"
"...Damn it, I should have ended them while we were pushing them back. Now we're just back to square one. No, it's worse since our strengths have been exposed."
From the start, Silchizrei had intended to identify the attack methods of these two insignificant foes. Though the lethality of those attacks was higher than expected, and he had almost been defeated without a chance.
"Bark bark? He's bleeding. Why is it square one? We hurt him a lot."
"Wolf King, do you not know about Dragon Mana?"
"Bark?"
"Dragon Mana possesses a near-universal self-healing ability. Especially for wounds inflicted by lower beings. This is the Authority that raised dragons to a semi-immortal state and the reason they stand at the apex of all races. Unless you finish them in one blow, any number of small wounds will simply return to nothing."
Aru tilted her head upon hearing Uriel's explanation. Silchizrei smirked and covered his entire body in mana. Just as Uriel said, he intended to reverse all the scars inflicted by Aru.
Sssss-.
However.
"Wh-why isn't this working!"
"...! The wounds are rejecting the mana! Something is wrong!"
The ragged body, the sliced eye, the torn wing.
Not a single one had healed. Silchizrei's green eyes wavered in shock.
Watching the two dragons flounder in confusion, Aru retorted to Uriel's words with a grumpy face.
"Bark! Such arrogance!"
"I am a king, the King of Wolves!"
"There can be no exceptions for the King's prey!"