Leave a comment

The heat radiating from Kafal’s back, shimmering like a mirage, felt imposing. Her size provided reassurance to Lucella. However, spreading her wings so as to obstruct was a bit much. Lucella peeked out from behind Kafal to assess the enemy’s situation.

The giant water serpent swayed its massive head, not so much to gauge an attack timing but seemingly searching for an opportunity to flee.

Indeed, the primary motive behind the water serpent’s actions seemed to be gathering dragon aura according to the instincts of the Variants. That’s why it targeted Lucella.

Initially, it even targeted Kafal, but it seemed impossible after being thoroughly beaten.

“Shall we draw it into the base camp and finish it off?”
“I’ll do it. Lucella, block its escape route.”
“Understood. …Everyone, handle Monica’s evacuation.”
“We’ve got it.”

Tim and the others left ripples on the water’s surface as they returned to the base camp. The water serpent didn’t pursue. Whether it prioritized its prey in front of it, was wary of Kafal, or both, remained unclear.

As soon as the three behind had distanced themselves enough, Lucella launched a surprise attack. From a position invisible to the enemy, she climbed up Kafal’s back and neck, kicked her head, and leaped. Then, she propelled herself through the air with flames akin to a breath from both legs, dancing in mid-air.

This unexpected maneuver caught the water serpent off guard. Jumping over its massive head, Lucella, alongside Kafal, positioned herself to strike the water serpent from both sides.

The water serpent attempted to flee. With its escape routes blocked, it descended below. It already had an experience in succeeding in its escape this way.

However, from the depths, a thunderous sound shook even the soul. Grayish, stagnant water exploded, shooting up to the sky. Kafal had ignited the flames, causing an eruption at the bottom of the water.

Lucella also plunged into the water. Looking down at the deep bottom, she felt as if she were flying in the sky. Below her, the distorted silhouette of the water serpent swam. Even further below, amid the lukewarm water swirling with vapor bubbles, she saw gleaming lava.

Everything was set. When Lucella called, the flames responded. It was the weapon entrusted by Kafal. As the lava pulsated, it rose sharply like spears.

It was like a needle slime or perhaps a spear trap in a dungeon. Countless red-hot lava spears protruded from the bottom of the water, piercing through the water serpent. Burning through its armored tumors, the fiery spears thrust through. Seeing the impaled form of the water serpent, Lucella was reminded of a dish she once tasted called ‘kabayaki.’

The water serpent convulsed violently, spewing out large bubbles. However, despite suffering such a severe blow, it still didn’t die. It wriggled its way out and escaped from the fiery spears. As the spears emerged from below, it naturally ascended to the surface.

Suddenly, flaming arms plunged into the water from above! Kafal’s front limbs grabbed hold of the water serpent. Burnt bubbles danced around. Dragging the water serpent out of the water, Kafal used her hind limbs to further hold it and forcefully flapped her wings. With a violent gust that uprooted nearby trees, Kafal flew up.

“Wow, what strength!”

With the burning water serpent in her grasp, Kafal flew. It seemed like a second sun, with Kafal itself becoming a mass of flames.

The water serpent thrashed about, trying to escape from Kafal’s grip. However, it soon realized it was futile. It contorted its body forcefully, perhaps even breaking its own spine, and aimed its jaws toward Kafal.

It’s the “Bite Breath”!

Watching from below, Lucella understood just from the gesture. With its powerful jaws, the water serpent intended to bite while unleashing a breath attack at point-blank range. Facing two of the strongest weapons of the minor dragon simultaneously would be no simple feat even for a genuine dragon.

Kafal reacted immediately.

“Lucella, take it!”

Unlike human speech, a dragon’s words conveyed multiple meanings in a short neigh. There was no misunderstanding in communication during the battle. Kafal hurled the water serpent instead. Caught by gravity, the water serpent began to fall. At that moment, Kafal unleashed its breath attack from mid-air!

A dragon’s fire breath didn’t just spew flames; it generated physical pressure as well. Struck by the breath on its underside, the water serpent plummeted, bending in mid-air.

It slammed into the water’s surface.

“AaAaAaAaA!!”

And then screams erupted. Waiting beneath the water’s surface were the lava stone spikes created by Lucella. This time, there was only one massive spike. The water serpent was deeply impaled on it.

The water depth at this location was only up to Kafal’s chest when standing upright. There was no depth for the water serpent to retreat into.

Kafal landed, causing a steam explosion. Then, plunging into the boiling water, she snapped off the massive lava stone spear (or perhaps it was more appropriate to call it a tower).

“Rooooooar!”

Kafal roared. Gripping the lava stone impaling the water serpent, Kafal soared over the water’s surface as if gliding. With each flap of her wings, the surrounding trees ignited.

The water serpent, still impaled, was towed by Kafal, its body dragging across the water’s surface like a condemned criminal tethered to a ship’s stern, destined to be shark bait.

Around them, the water’s flow churned unnaturally as if trying to release the water serpent. But cutting through that current, Lucella pursued over the water’s surface. Following Lucella were shadows underwater, resembling schools of fish. They were swords made of countless lava stones, harboring the essence of fire.

The lava stone swords trailing behind Lucella were ejected one by one from the flow. They pierced into the water serpent, igniting flames. Though individually small, their sheer number was overwhelming. Faced with the relentless barrage, the water serpent could do nothing but thrash and writhe in agony.

Soon, the surroundings transformed. Sparks and volcanic ash mixed in the wind, turning the submerged trees into black, iron-like, rigid structures.

A blackish-gray stone island emerged in the watery mana realm. At its center sat a small volcano just big enough for Kafal to sit coiled, with streams of lava flowing around. This was Kafal’s domain, built by gathering dragon aura.

When the water serpent was brought ashore on the lava stone island, it was already on its last breath. Dragged into Kafal’s domain, its connection to the water’s blessing was severed.

Though it still showed signs of life, attempting to wriggle, it was futile resistance.

“……【Return it】……【Return it】……【Return it】……”

It was repeatedly muttering the same words, like delirious ramblings from its charred mouth.

“Doesn’t it seem like… it’s been saying the exact same thing this whole time?”
“…Indeed. Even though we can see its heart through its words, it shows no fluctuation whatsoever. Like a scorch mark etched into stone, its heart remains unchanged…”

They were the words of power full of feelings and nuances like that of the dragons. However, a heart was something that constantly wavered and sometimes throbbed. For it to be outputting the same kind of emotion, as if painted with a single color, it was not just strange but already in the realm of scary.

“……【Return it】……”
“I don’t know who you are but…”

Kafal lifted the water serpent.

Not addressing the pitiful water serpent but whatever force was driving it into battle, Lucella spoke. “Instead of borrowing someone’s mouth to speak, how about you come and speak to our face?”

Kafal tossed the water serpent into the crater of the small volcano. The volcano belched black smoke, then fell silent once more.