Chapter 176
"Grrrrr... GROOOOOOOAAAR!!!"
Cal had lost one of his eyes, but far from being cowed, he had flown into a rage. He roared in anger and battered the Imitation Bone Dragon with his prized claws and tail.
Until now, he had remained calm and focused on evading attacks, partly because he had been fighting two opponents at once. But that had changed. Whether the enemy's claws tore into him or its fangs bit down on him, he rampaged without a care. If its claws cut him, he drove his own claws in even harder; if its fangs bit him, he bit back even harder. He seemed not to care in the slightest how much health he had left.
"This is bad! We have to take it down quickly!"
"Hnnngh...!"
"GROOOAAAH!?"
Cal might end up trading his life for the Imitation Bone Dragon's. Just as that worst-case scenario flashed through my mind, the Imitation Bone Dragon we had been fighting fell over. Apparently, Eiji and the others had concentrated their attacks on its ankles and succeeded in destroying one. This was the perfect opportunity!
"Now! Keep up the pressure!"
"Understood!"
"Of course!"
Iris and the others unleashed their strongest attacks. The Imitation Bone Dragon was in no condition even to stand, and once we swarmed it, our tiny bodies compared to its own left it unable to bring its overwhelming strength to bear. The only sounds echoing through the area were the crunch and snap of breaking bones and the Imitation Bone Dragon's screams. Its health steadily plummeted.
"GAAAAAAH... GROAAAAAAAH!!!"
By continuing to pummel it, we finally reduced its health to the point where 【Dragon Factor】 activated. That triggered an aura similar to the one that had risen from me when mine activated, now billowing from the Imitation Bone Dragon.
"Don't let it get back up! We are absolutely finishing it off right here!"
"We know!"
"Take that, that, and that!"
At the command, everyone's martial techniques and magic came crashing down. Our companions' swords, axes, arrows, claws, fangs, and horns shattered bones throughout its body, while dazzling 【Holy Magic】 reduced the bones themselves to dust. We were dealing damage faster than its health could recover, driving it down to a single dot of health before our eyes.
"This ends it!"
"Goooh..."
Eiji raised his axe high overhead and brought it down on the Imitation Bone Dragon's head with all his strength. That final blow finished it, and the first Imitation Bone Dragon was finally defeated.
"W-we won!"
"W-we did it!"
"No, no, not yet."
"Just a little more."
Toji and Moss-san admonished Shishu and Sei, who had begun to relax after defeating the huge and immensely powerful Imitation Bone Dragon. The other Imitation Bone Dragon was still alive, and Macfarlane remained as well, equipped with enhanced armor even more powerful than that dragon.
"...Izam. Leave command of everyone to me."
"What's gotten into you all of a sudden, Iris?"
Just as I was about to tell everyone how we should proceed from here, Iris said that to me. Why had she suddenly brought this up? Now that one front had been settled, I could take command of the entire battlefield again, but...
"You're worried about Cal, aren't you?"
"Guh!"
"It's written all over your face."
"Huh!?"
"You want to go, don't you?"
"Th-that is true, but..."
"We'll be fine. We'll join Hanna-san and the others and keep fighting."
Apparently, everyone—not just Iris—had seen right through my desire to hurry to Cal's aid. Even the front-line fighters were waving and urging me to go to him. I had thought I could not abandon them as their leader, but this time I decided to accept their kindness.
"...Thank you!"
After thanking them, I flew into the sky. Cal, I'm coming for you!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
Cal had been thoroughly enjoying himself ever since the battle began. There were two reasons for that. First, his beloved master was relying on him in battle. Second, his opponent was someone against whom he could unleash his full strength.
Cal knew that he was an extremely powerful monster. At the same time, he understood that there were countless monsters stronger than him. The clearest examples were Jigoro, Genjuro, and his master, Izam.
All three were smaller than him and inferior to him in raw strength and agility. But when it came to fighting, that was a different story. No matter how he swung his claws or tail with brute force, he could not even graze Jigoro or Genjuro. Conversely, even when he tried to evade their attacks, they still found their mark. If this was how things went in a sparring match, he would certainly be killed in a fight to the death. He could never honestly claim to be stronger than them.
That was why Cal had been learning from Jigoro and Genjuro how to use his physical abilities to their fullest and how to employ tactics that would give him an advantage against his enemies. His techniques were still rough and immature, but Cal was confident that he was gradually acquiring them.
As for Izam, he had far too many cards in his hand and was exceptionally skilled at making use of them. Cal would probably win overwhelmingly if Izam fought him head-on, but Cal was certain he would lose if Izam used indirect attacks and traps.
However, the three of them had one thing in common. If they took one of Cal's attacks head-on, they would suffer devastating damage. Genjuro's high defense and Jigoro's plentiful health and powerful recovery might keep their wounds from becoming too severe, but Izam would unquestionably be left at death's door—or killed instantly.
That was why Cal had been slightly dissatisfied. He had struggled to find an opponent against whom he could freely put the techniques and tactics he had learned to use in a real battle. Most enemies were practically finished the moment he knocked them over with his huge body. The strongest enemy in this area, the Spartoi Leader, had a fair amount of health, but that was all. It lacked the strength to withstand Cal's charge and the skill to evade and counterattack. Once Cal pinned it down, he could defeat it with ease, just like any other weakling.
But this Imitation Bone Dragon was different. It was larger than him, and its health was greater as well. He could make full use of everything he had cultivated. On top of that, there were two of them. The situation was nearly impossible to win even if he fought with all his might, but Dragons were a Race that instinctively desired battle, so Cal was delighted instead.
For a while after the battle began, Cal fought calmly. He would bite down on one dragon's throat to restrain its movements while scraping at its bones with his claws, using his tail and wings skillfully to keep the other one in check. Whenever one broke free of his restraint, he focused on evasion while inflicting a little damage with quick attacks. Then, whenever either one exposed a major opening, he immediately pounced and returned to restraining it with his bite. He repeated that pattern over and over.
He also made sure to maneuver so that the enemy's attacks swept up the Undead horde. Cal had held his own against the two Imitation Bone Dragons despite being wounded, but then a major change occurred on the battlefield. Macfarlane activated his enhanced armor.
Shortly afterward, Izam and the others annihilated the Undead horde. Thanks to Eiji drawing one of them away, Cal was left in a one-on-one fight with the Imitation Bone Dragon. Now there was not the slightest chance of him losing. All he had to do was finish it quickly and have his master, Izam, praise him.
"GRAAAAAAH!"
"GYAAAAAAAH!?"
That overconfidence proved fatal. The Imitation Bone Dragon took advantage of an opening and gouged out Cal's eye with its claw. Cal screamed from the unexpected agony and pulled away to create some distance.
After enduring the pain and regaining the slightest bit of composure, Cal felt an unprecedented fury. He was angry that his eye had been gouged out, but even more than that, he was furious with himself for letting his guard down and getting injured in the middle of a battle.
"Grrrrr... GROOOOOOOAAAR!!!"
Cal charged in a fit of rage and slashed with his sharp claws. His technique had not grown sloppy despite his fury; if anything, the blow possessed even greater power than before.
"GRAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
"GYAAAAAAOOOON!!!"
The Imitation Bone Dragon's answering claw tore deeply into Cal's body. His more powerful attacks were correspondingly broader, leaving him with larger openings. But Cal ignored the damage and kept attacking. His technique remained just as keen as ever, but he had forgotten himself, swept away by his rage.
"Cal, calm down! Astral Magic Circle, Remote Activation, Spell Adjustment, Holy Ring!"
"GYAAAAAAOOO!?"
"Grr...?"
Someone shouted and used magic, restraining the Imitation Bone Dragon. While it screamed in confusion and agony as the attack struck its weakness, someone landed on Cal's battered back. Cal recognized the weight, came to his senses, and looked back. There stood his master, wearing the familiar silver mask.
"Did it hurt? Poor thing... From here on, we'll fight together, all right?"
"Grrr..."
"There, there. I'll heal you now. Mid-Soul Heal."
While gently stroking Cal's neck, Izam attempted to treat him with 【Soul Arts】. Slowly but surely, Cal's health began to recover.
"I'm sorry for making you push yourself. Let's take it down for sure."
"Grrr!"
Cal certainly regretted that he had been unable to defeat it by himself. But his joy at being able to fight alongside his master was even stronger. The anger from moments earlier vanished without a trace, and Cal became extremely cheerful.
"GROOOO... GYAAAAAAOOOON!!!"
The Imitation Bone Dragon tore through the restraints of Izam's 【Holy Ring】 and let out a roar. It did not possess an AI capable of complex thought like Cal's. But that was precisely why its desire to defeat the enemy before it and grow stronger was so powerful. Thus, when something climbed onto Cal's back, all it thought was that this would mean more experience points.
Without realizing what a grave mistake that was.
"Cal, fight as you please. I'll match you."
"Grrr! GRAAAH!!"
Cal knocked aside the Imitation Bone Dragon's sweeping claw with one of his own. In a one-on-one fight, the dragon would have blocked Cal's counterattack with its other claw. But Izam was on Cal's back.
"Take this! Astral Magic Circle, Spell Adjustment, Holy Ray!"
"GYAAAAAAH!?"
"GAROOOOOON!!!"
"G-GYAAAAH!?"
Immediately after Cal knocked the claw aside, Izam's 【Holy Magic】 pierced into the dragon. A direct hit from magic of its weak element savaged its health. As it flinched instinctively, Cal swept it aside with his tail. The blade-sharp tail sliced through several of the Imitation Bone Dragon's bones.
If it defended against one attack, it would be struck by the other. Even when it tried to evade both attacks, it could not, because its movements were somehow being read. Faced with their skillful combination of magical and physical attacks, the Imitation Bone Dragon was driven into a helpless corner.
"Grrrrrr... GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Then 【Dragon Factor】 activated, and strength surged through the Imitation Bone Dragon's entire body. With this endlessly overflowing power, it was certain it could turn the tables.
"Cal, now."
"Gooo... GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Naturally, Izam had already anticipated that the Imitation Bone Dragon would be enhanced. As soon as it activated, he ordered Cal to use Dragon Breath. Meanwhile, he himself took several healing potions from inside his robe.
"G-GYAH!? GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
The Imitation Bone Dragon hurriedly used Dragon Breath to counter the oncoming Dragon Breath from Cal. Cal's pitch-black beam, seemingly capable of erasing everything it touched, collided with the Imitation Bone Dragon's poisonous purple beam. After several seconds of deadlock, Cal's Dragon Breath mercilessly reduced half of the Imitation Bone Dragon to ash.
"Ga... gaaah..."
Even after being exposed to that attack, the Imitation Bone Dragon had not yet vanished. That was the result of the increased stats and recovery granted by 【Dragon Factor】, combined with the fact that its own Dragon Breath had partially canceled out Cal's.
"It was insurance, but it looks like preparing it was the right call."
The Imitation Bone Dragon's misfortune was that its opponent was a man who would reinforce a stone bridge with steel before crossing it. Having considered the possibility that it might survive based on how far its health bar had fallen, Izam had poured a potion over himself. Potions could only damage him, but he had injured himself until his own 【Dragon Factor】 activated.
"Be blown away! Dragon Breath!"
"...!!!"
A pitch-black Dragon Breath, like Cal's but resembling a mass of vengeful spirits with anguished faces, caught the Imitation Bone Dragon as it lay sprawled on the ground. Unable to reduce the attack's power, the Imitation Bone Dragon was defeated without even being able to utter a death cry.