”…… n!…… d…… nen!”
…… A voice.
…… Dammit. Vision’s blurred.
Not only that. Head fuzzy…… painful, can’t breathe right.
”…… ga……! Quickly…… [Heal]……!”
Oh…… wrapped in green light, I gradually perceive.
“Kid…… ! Wake up, kid!”
“It’s all right, Ouga. [Heal] is taking effect.”
“Karen……? And Yueli too…… how, here……!?”
Faded consciousness recovered; pain hit my whole body.
But thanks to Karen’s [Heal], it eased instantly.
“Ouga. Remember what you were doing?”
“What…… fighting the dragon…… right, I took a tail hit and got knocked down……”
“Yes. I came to [Heal] you.”
”…… Huh? Then why is Yueli here?”
“Kid fights bravely — I can’t do nothing!”
She handed me a prosthetic vastly different from previous Dragon Vanishers.
Color changed — black to white.
Metal-body lines went red → yellow, two on each side.
The shape — earlier near-human-like; this is 1.5× thicker with heavier armor.
“[Dragon-Slay Fist · Kai]. That’s its name.”
”…… You thickened the arm for dragon-punching.”
“The dragon’s alive, so your original arm thickness wouldn’t have enough force.”
True. To kill it, I lacked power.
If [Gear Change · Hard] had been usable, the skin might’ve torn.
“And…… to pack in all your requests, no choice.”
”…… So you took those seriously?”
“Who do you think I am! Done…… though no flamethrower. Not enough mana-stone…… sorry.”
“Heh, enough. You did your job. Now, my turn to respond.”
“Kid……”
Yueli hesitated, then gripped my right hand.
“Kid, sorry just after waking. But I have a favor.”
”…… Say it.”
“Fight wearing this.”
“Hold on! That’s……!”
Karen’s stopping makes sense.
She watched my prosthetic experiment fail once.
Wearing [Dragon-Slay Fist · Kai] means amputating right here.
Without anesthesia or nerve numbing — limitless agony incoming.
Use [Dragon-Slay Fist · Kai] for a reversal blow, or stay arm-broken and fight alongside the others?
I looked at Yueli.
“——Believe in me.”
Her eyes burned like when she spoke of her dream.
…… You’ve been fighting here together.
”…… Karen. Stuff something in my mouth so I don’t bite my tongue.”
“Ouga……!”
“I’ll believe in Yueli’s passion for her dream.”
A broken right arm means attrition. I’d suspected this outcome.
Hoping for a one-shot kill failed; even Mashiro’s magic landed and the dragon counter-attacked. Its durability is huge.
So drawn-out fight is bad. Must end with one strike.
Steeled, I tore the sleeve so the right-arm cut would be visible.
“Yueli. Remember where to cut?”
“All your data is in my head. Align the cut, attach the prosthetic, flow mana like in tests. The body will recognize it as a part.”
“[Heal] fuses it.”
“Right. Note: don’t use [Heal] before flowing mana into the prosthetic. So kid, endure pain briefly.”
She must have researched usage after I commissioned this.
Useful, in a layman setting.
“I’ll draw the cut line — hold still.”
A pen ran on my right arm.
Knowing a blade will fall there — honestly, want to flee.
If Karen weren’t crying before me, I’d have hesitated harder.
I want to look cool for her.
”…… Ouga. It’s all right. I’ll keep holding your hand.”
“Thanks. Courage 100×…… no, 1000×.”
Not exaggerating.
Her warmth through my hand calms my mind.
”…… Kid. From me too…… thank you. For believing.”
”…… I’ll prove it by killing the dragon. Your implement surpasses old-man Dud.”
”…… Yeah! Of course! Our future rides on your right arm…… trust!”
She tapped my fist with hers.
“Drawing it out doesn’t help. Time to go.”
”…… Ouga, do your best.”
Karen folded a handkerchief into thirds, placed it in my mouth.
She covered my eyes so I wouldn’t see.
“Axe — one swing. Here we go!”
The sound of Yueli winding up.
Ten-some seconds later, my scream resounded.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The current situation: pinch, you’d say.
Ouga’s and Enkalton’s missile first strike.
Our elemental-magic second wave.
Alice’s sharp third strike.
Damage definitely landed on the dragon.
But its being far exceeded our imagination.
Ouga took a close-range counter and was thrown.
I sent Karen to support him; we three barely held until his return…… but——
I glanced.
“Hah…… hah……!”
Mashiro’s color is bad.
She’d been more aggressive than ever.
Against an ordinary foe, fine — this is the demon dragon. Holding this long is impressive.
“Miss Alice……!”
“Yes — until Lord Ouga returns!”
Alice and I stood protectively before Mashiro.
The initial damage helped us last; limits near.
…… But why isn’t the dragon retreating?
Past Enkalton-attacking dragons withdrew from Dude’s implements.
This one stays despite more damage.
As if it can’t return……
“Lady Reina! Coming!”
Alice’s call brought me back.
Energy gathered in the gaping maw…… magic cannon to finish us.
It anticipates Alice and I being frozen…… monsters underestimate us.
”…… Miss Alice. Endure until Ouga-kun arrives!”
“Of course! With Lord Ouga, definitely……!”
“S-still…… I can too……!”
Magic cannons have setup time.
We can use big spells in turn!
“GAAAAAAU!!”
“[Lightning Pierce]!”
“[Afterimage Empty-Empty · Slash-Wind-Dust]……!”
“[Frost Mirage]……!!”
Our spells collided with the magic cannon.
The triple combo should stalemate, but the dragon’s purple electrical torrent swept us up easily.
No good……! Then with just two of us……!
I reached for the vial hidden in my thigh, my last resort——
“Sorry to keep you, three.”
—— That voice stopped me.