Yue was so focused on getting Hajime to drink the second bottle of holy water that she didn't notice the numerous flashes of light descending from the sky. When she heard the warning and looked up, even Yue was too late to activate her magic. Just three more seconds, no, just one second... Yue frantically constructed a defensive spell in her mind as time slowly flowed.
"Don't even think about it! —"Raisora"!"
Tio bought Yue the seconds she needed, casting the intermediate wind-attribute defensive magic "Sleet Sky." The compressed air wall took the rain of death. The moment the aurora bore down on it, the wind barrier vibrated violently. While the air wall should have been able to deflect the attack, it couldn't do so before a continuous stream of smaller aurora borealis struck the air barrier, leaving it with only a few seconds to withstand the impact.
But that was enough.
“—『Holy Spell』!”
Yue's defensive magic activated. She had originally wanted to use "Absolute Disaster," but while her increased proficiency had shortened the activation time, gravity magic was far more difficult to construct and activate than other attribute magic. As for the high-level defensive magic she could temporarily activate, "Holy Severance" was the most appropriate choice.
Yue raised her hand, and a shimmering barrier of light appeared in front of it, covering Yue and Hajime, who lay beside her, in a hemispherical shape. Then, Tio's open "Rainy Sky" was finally unable to withstand the rain of small auroras, and disappeared with a sound of air crackling. At the same time, the torrent of destruction continued unabated, crashing into the barrier of light below.
Boom boom boom boom boom! ! !
The pressure like a waterfall continued to attack without stopping, attempting to destroy Hajime and Yue, almost breaking through the "Holy Absolute".
“Ugh~Aaaaaaah!”
The power of the small Aurora was beyond imagination. Yue judged that if it continued like this, it would be broken, so he transformed the deployed "Holy Absolute" from a shield that covered the whole body to a shield that only protected the head. As the range of protection was reduced, the defense was relatively stronger.
The surroundings were completely destroyed by the aftermath. Except for the place where Yue and Shi were, the rest of the rock was shattered and sank into the magma sea.
The small auroras seemed to be concentrated on Hajime, and the sheer number of them descending seemed to be solely intended to hold Shia and Tio, who were standing on the rocks a little further away. Even so, considering they were able to hold Shia and Tio back, the small auroras were still quite powerful and dense, truly an extraordinary attack.
"Mr. Hajime! Mr. Hajime!"
"Calm down, Shia! If you leave my protection area now, even you will die!"
“But! Hajime-san…!”
Shia was about to cry and wanted to rush into the small aurora rain. Tio used the whirlwind shield to change the trajectory of the aurora while trying to persuade Shia.
Tio was also worried about Shia, and she understood Shia's feelings perfectly. However, even though these Auroras were miniature, they had already severely injured Shia, and even the sacred water's effectiveness was minimal. Under such a terrifying attack, Tio couldn't let Shia rush out defenseless. Tio grasped the back of Shia's collar with one hand, continuing to do her best to neutralize the Auroras' brutal attack.
I don't know if it was ten seconds or a minute.
The aurora storm, which seemed to last forever, finally ceased after a particularly intense burst of activity. The surroundings were horrific, with white smoke billowing everywhere.
Yue and Tio used up all their magic power, and gasped for breath before taking out the magic power stored in the magic crystal to replenish it.
A man's voice, a mixture of exclamation and surprise, came from above.
"...Your strength is undeniable. Setting up an ambush here was indeed the right decision. You're too dangerous, especially that man..."
Yue and the others looked toward the ceiling where the sound had come from, their eyes wide with astonishment. A staggering number of dragons had appeared, dancing in the air. Among them was a pure white dragon, its size unmatched by any other dragon. Riding on its back was a male demon with red hair, dark skin, and slightly pointed ears.
"I didn't expect that man to survive the breath of my Uranus... and even possess the unknown powerful weapon reported... These women are amazing too, they could actually survive the barrage of fifty gray dragons. It's simply unbelievable. Who are you guys? How much Age of Gods magic have you learned?"
The male demon narrowed his golden eyes, similar to Tio's, fiercely, and glared down from above. Yue and the others stared back at him warily, but the male demon ignored them and asked a question. He seemed to believe that Yue and the others had gained such power by conquering other great labyrinths and obtaining magic from the Age of Gods.
"How about you tell me your name before asking? Are demons so rude?"
The one who answered the demon was Hajime, who had just been lying on the ground. The male demon frowned, but before he could speak, Yue, Shia, and Tio shouted.
"beginning!"
"Mr. Hajime!"
"Are you alright, Master?"
Hajime managed to sit up, but his injuries seemed serious, and he almost fell down again. Yue hurriedly supported Hajime, and Shia and Tio also jumped onto the few remaining rocks and came to Hajime's side to express their concern.
Seeing Yue and the others looking at him worriedly, Hajime smiled and said he was fine, then stood up on his own feet. He was probably still in no condition to fight right away, and the sweat on his forehead indicated that he was in severe pain. Even so, Hajime turned back to face the demon in the sky, smiling arrogantly.
"...I don't think it's necessary to tell someone their name when they're about to die."
"I totally agree. I'm just asking out of convention. I'm not interested in your name at all, so don't take it personally. By the way, how's your friend's arm? Isn't he much more handsome without it?"
Hajime asked teasingly, buying time for a response. Hearing words like "report" and "ambush" from the male demon reminded Hajime of the demon who had been secretly plotting in Ur Town, only to have his hand severed and escape with his life. This man likely got his information from that demon.
The male demon's eyebrows moved for a moment, and he answered in a tone a little lower than before:
"I've changed my mind. I'll carve my name into your flesh and blood. My name is Fried Bagua, a faithful apostle of God, dedicated to bringing divine punishment to pagans."
"Apostle of God?... How exaggerated. I'm guessing you're only allowed to claim that title after you've acquired Age of Gods magic? Your Age of Gods magic isn't magic that summons monsters, right? ...Monsters that can cast auroras aren't everywhere. I'm guessing yours is magic that creates monsters, right? If you can create an incredibly powerful army, you truly deserve to be called an Apostle of God."
"You seem quite perceptive. When I received the power of the Age of Gods, 'that Lord' spoke directly to me, calling me 'God's Apostle,' and so I risked everything to fulfill my Lord's wish. Those of you who might become obstacles, I will do my utmost to deny your existence."
This demon named Fried Bagua gave people the feeling that he was a bit like Pope Ishtar of the Holy Church, and he completely denied the existence of Shi and others.
Hearing the other party's heated words, Hajime merely smiled arrogantly. Though his injuries were healing slowly, Hajime, relying on the derivative skill of "Magic Conversion," converted his magic power into healing power, finally managed to stop the bleeding. His left hand was still useless, while his right was injured to the point of visible bone, but not broken and still usable. Hajime internally told himself, "I can still fight!" to cheer himself up.
"That's what I'm saying. Since you're standing in my way, you're my enemy. The only way to deal with an enemy is... to kill without mercy!"
Hajime cried out in pain, aimed Donal at Freed, and pulled the trigger.
The intense recoil caused his right hand and body to scream, but Hajime suppressed the pain with his murderous intent against the enemy. He then activated "Instant Light" and took out the Cross Floaters, maneuvering them to attack. Yue simultaneously released "Thunder Dragon," Tio exhaled, and Shia fired explosive shrapnel.
However, several dragons called gray dragons, about three to four meters long, entered the beam, and a dark red barrier composed of countless equilateral triangles immediately appeared, receiving all their attacks.
Due to the immense power of Hajime and his men's attack, cracks appeared in the barrier in mere seconds, and it seemed on the verge of shattering. However, other gray dragons appeared from behind, entering the ray and deploying multiple barriers in the same manner, preventing their attack from successfully breaking through. A closer look revealed a turtle-like monster clinging to the dragon's back, its carapace glowing a dark red. Those barriers were likely the turtle-like monster's unique magic.
"Do you think the only monsters I brought here are dragons? This layer of protection won't be easily broken. Come, I'll show you the power of another Age of Gods I've acquired!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Freed instantly entered a state of intense concentration, motionless, and began chanting the spell. He explained that the newly acquired power of the Age of Gods was likely the same magic he had acquired at the Grun Volcano. Hajime and the others, aware of the power of Age of Gods magic, immediately launched a more intense attack, refusing to let him finish his chant.
However, even if they broke through the barrier, the gray dragons would immediately erect a new one behind them, preventing Hajime and the others from reaching Freed. He should have let Yue and the others provide cover, while Hajime used his "air power" to directly attack the enemy. However, Hajime hadn't fully recovered yet, and would only be shot down by the gray dragons. The thought made him grit his teeth in regret.
Hajime put away Donal and took out the Alcorn, which had less recoil, and fired all the bullets in one breath. However, at most, he could only destroy a few gray dragons along with the barrier, and still could not attack Freed. The power of the cross floater was not enough to destroy the barrier.
The time is up, and Fried finishes the chant.
“—‘World Piercing’!”
"! Hajime-san! In the back!"
Just as the last name of the magic spell was chanted, Fried and the white dragon disappeared. No, to be more precise, a shining membrane appeared and they flew into the membrane.
As Freed chanted the name of the spell, Shia shouted. Hajime and the others heeded the warning and turned back before they could even react with surprise.
Before Hajime's eyes was the white dragon with its mouth agape, and Fried, sitting on its back, glaring at Hajime. The immense heat and mana condensed and compressed within the white dragon's mouth had now reached its limit.
Hajime instantly used Alcorn as a shield and fired Aurora at extremely close range.
“Mmm!! Aa ...
With a resounding roar, the aurora struck Alcorn, who was blocking the way ahead, sending Shi flying horizontally. The intense impact caused Shi's already injured body to wail in agony, and Shi gritted his teeth, groaning in pain.
"beginning!"
In order to rescue Shi who was blown away by the power of the aurora, Yue and others immediately wanted to attack the white dragon, but the opponent seemed to predict their actions and the gray dragon shot at them, making them unable to move.
Although Hajime wasn't hit directly, the impact of the aurora caused the wound to split open, gushing out a large amount of blood.
(This power is too strong! Damn it, I won’t be able to resist if this continues!)
So he made a decision. In this critical situation, he no longer held back.
The first thing to be activated was of course――『Limit Break』.
His body was enveloped in a strong red light, and all his ability values rose rapidly.
“Drink aa ...
Hajime shouted as he lifted Alcorn upward, forcing the aurora to deflect upward. Even so, he couldn't completely neutralize the power of the negative light. He was attacked by the aurora's aftermath, spurting more blood and flying away.
Bai Long launched countless light bullets in pursuit, and even this move was exactly the same as Xudela's, but the power was even greater. Given this, the power of the light bullets must be stronger than Xudela's, and not a single one could hit him.
"Cross Floater!"
Concentrating to the limit, time slowed to a fading color. In this world, Hajime swayed like a leaf, dodging incoming light bullets by the millimeter. Listening to the whoosh of death passing by his ears, Hajime's heart was as cold as ice, and he calmly launched a counterattack.
Hajime put away the Alcorn, which was melted by the Aurora and could not be used, and at the same time drew out the Donal and fired continuously, and then summoned the cross floater to launch a strong attack on Freed.
"You're incredibly resilient! You managed to dodge the attack just in the nick of time!"
Fried was once again surrounded by the barrier set up by the turtle-shaped monster. Seeing that Hajime, who should have been seriously injured, was so tenacious, he was annoyed and amazed. Then he controlled the white dragon to fly at high speed and began to chant again.
"Don't even think about chanting!"
Hajime dodged the light bullets, gradually closing the distance. Fried and White Dragon retreated under the fierce attack of the cross floater, trying to buy time. At this moment, a strange sound that seemed to echo throughout the entire space was heard, and Fried and White Dragon were hit hard on the side.
Fried was thrown back by the impact, clinging tightly to the white dragon, his chanting interrupted. Unexpectedly, a ten-meter-long white dragon was knocked back. Fried looked to see what had happened, his eyes widening in shock.
"How is this possible! It's actually a black dragon!?"
"How dare you, a mere fake, act so presumptuously in front of me! I will never let you hurt my master again!"
Just as Fried said, it was Tio who transformed into a dragon and pushed Fried and the white dragon apart.
Tio was well aware of the risk of the demons knowing she was a dragon-man, but she still decided to take on the form of a dragon. Although the black dragon was much smaller than the white dragon, the oppressive feeling it exuded far surpassed it.
Tio decided to go with Hajime and the others because she admired him, but also to identify the people from the other world and observe their fate. Under this premise, she originally planned to hide her identity as a dragon person.
Those rules were set to protect the tribe, so they were naturally obeyed. Even if they were a powerful race, they could not defeat the enemy in large numbers. She had learned this firsthand during the persecution five hundred years ago.
However, Hajime, who was thought to be invincible and could not be hurt, was now seriously injured. When Tio saw Hajime fall down after being burned by the aurora that descended from the sky, she was deeply shaken.
——What on earth had he been thinking all this time? Hajime was also a human being, he could get hurt, and he could easily die due to a moment of carelessness.
Such a natural truth, but Tio only just remembered it now. It was only then that she realized—her worship of Hajime had caused her to forget common sense even after living for so many years. Hajime wasn't just an object of interest to her, nor was he just someone to entertain her.
To Tio, Hajime was the "man" that she, as a woman, did not want to lose, and an irreplaceable companion.
Therefore, she made up her mind to transform into a dragon in front of others.
If she held back when her companions were in danger, she would no longer be able to stand with Hajime and the others with her head held high. She would also be failing the Dragonkin, who were persecuted yet still held the honor of being their protectors. Furthermore, she swore on the soul of the Dragonkin Tio Kularus that she would never disregard the lives of those important to her for the sake of a cowardly existence!
"Young man, remember this! This is the breath of a dragon!"
Energy gathered in an instant.
A black flash of light approached rapidly with a loud noise, trying to swallow up Fried and the white dragon together.
The white dragon twisted its body and responded to the approaching breath with a similar aurora breath. A flash of black and white clashed between them, sending out a powerful shockwave. Centered on the collision point, the magma sea below surged, creating a tsunami.
Tio's and the White Dragon's breath were evenly matched at first, but Tio's breath gradually gained the upper hand.
"I didn't expect to encounter a Dragonoid survivor in a place like this... I have no choice. Although it comes with risks, I will use this magic to transform the entire space—"
"Stop dreaming."
「!?」
Perhaps because his subordinates' report did not mention the dragon people, Fried was really surprised. The unexpected situation made him grit his teeth and prepare to chant the magic of the Age of Gods of unknown origin again.
However, the chant was interrupted by a voice and an impact from behind.
Blood gushed from his wound, and without warning, he circled behind Fried and shot Donal repeatedly. With a single gunshot, six bullets were unleashed, each hitting the same spot almost simultaneously, with an accuracy of less than a millimeter.
The turtle-shaped monster beside Fried had already opened its barrier before Fried could react, but the flash and impact were emitted almost at zero distance, and the barrier shining with dark red light was easily broken through. Just when Fried was anxious, it approached him.
He activated the "Wind Claw" attached to Donar and swung it down in one breath.
“Guaaaaa!?”
At the critical moment, Friede retreated, avoiding being cut in half, but a horizontal cut still pierced his chest. Hajime's attack continued unabated. After wounding Friede, he spun around, unleashing a "Magic Wave" with "Magic Conversion," and unleashing a back-spinning kick.
“Ughhhhh!!”
Fried tried to block with his left hand, but he couldn't withstand the force of the attack. His left arm was shattered and his internal organs were damaged. He flew horizontally from the white dragon's back.
Perhaps realizing that his master was not around, the white dragon was distracted and the black breath approached in one breath.
Just as Hajime backed away from the White Dragon, Tio's breath pushed the White Dragon and Aurora back.
“Hooaaaaaaaaaa!!”
The white dragon cried out in pain from the blow. Despite being severely wounded by the breath's direct hit to the abdomen, it managed to regain its balance in the air, soaring to the ceiling. There, Fried had appeared atop the gray dragon. They reunited in the air, Fried once again riding the white dragon.
Hajime wanted to use his aerodynamics to pursue, but—
“Ugh!! Ugh!!”
The red light enveloping Hajime quickly vanished, and not only did his wounds bleed, but he also spat out a large amount of blood. The time limit for "Limit Break" had expired. By exceeding the limit while injured, Hajime's injuries worsened, and the time limit became shorter. "Aerodynamics" automatically dissipated, and Hajime was about to plummet into the sea of magma.
"Master, cheer up!"
"Um, Ti, Tio..."
Just as Hajime was about to fall, Tio flew over and let Hajime ride on her back. Due to the side effects of the "Limit Break" and the serious injuries, Hajime was about to collapse, but he still managed to support himself on one knee, staring sharply at Freed in the sky above.
Looking closely, the group of gray dragons that had attacked Yue and the others were also gathered around Fried.
"beginning!"
"Mr. Hajime!"
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