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“A message from Lady Roche: ‘Use holy energy,’ she says.”
“…I’m not a sorcerer, though.”

This happened shortly before we infiltrated the dragon’s body. The golem appeared out of nowhere, relaying the Saint’s message.

“And another thing: ‘Is this really the time to nitpick?’ That, too, was her exact message.”
“That Saint… But unfortunately, I can’t use magic. I don’t even have faith in a god, let alone holy energy.”

Holy energy was a unique form of magic employed by sorcerers, particularly to counteract curses and malevolent spirits. It and curses were opposites, neutralizing each other upon contact.

But the enemy was no ordinary curse—it was the ghost ship, an embodiment of centuries of grudges. Let alone the Saint, it would be nearly impossible for anyone with less holy energy than a god to get to the inside of the ship.

“Worry not! That is why this one has rushed here! This one shall bestow the holy energy carried within to you, Lady Laika!”
“…Is that even possible?”

Sorcerers, after all, originated from strong emotions—faith, hatred, something deeply personal. It wasn’t something an inorganic being like a golem, no matter how intelligent, could wield.

“This one is called Koutei Kageuchi.¹ The details can wait, but rest assured, it is possible. Now, lend me your hand!”
“Wait, don’t just—”

Before I could finish my protest, the golem grasped my hand and began transferring its so-called holy energy.

A warm, foreign sensation coursed through my body. It was far from pleasant, like an unwelcome guest forcing its way in. The contact lasted only a few seconds, but in that short span, the golem had poured an overwhelming amount of holy energy into me.

“There we go! Full tank! However, this one is now out of power…”
“I don’t even feel any diff—hey, wait!”

Before I could process what had happened, the golem collapsed, its body slack as though its strings had been cut.

It had given me every ounce of its energy, leaving itself utterly drained. Not only was it incapable of fighting, but it couldn’t even retreat on its own.

“Pay it no mind. If Aldebaran falls, this one is prepared to crumble along with Lady Roche. In that case, entrusting this one’s power to the one with the highest chance of success is only logical.”
“…The weight of expectations is a bit much. Don’t break too easily now.”
“Not to worry, durability is this one’s forte. May fortune be with you.”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“Alright, Momo, we’re making a run for it.”
“Run? We’re retreating?!”
“Of course. There’s no reason to play along on the enemy’s field. For a dragon of this level, there’s a way to handle it.”
“You…!”

A calculated taunt riled up the dragon’s spirit form.

So easily provoked—definitely a younger dragon. An elder would have dismissed human mockery without a second thought.

“Momo, duck your head.”
“Huh—?! Wahh!!”

I yanked Momo down just in time, a sharp shard of stone slicing through where her head had been moments earlier. Unlike the crude barrage we faced outside the dragon’s body, this was a precise and deadly shot.

It confirmed my suspicion: the dragon was still reluctant to harm the infant.

“Enough. I thought to show mercy, but no more.”
“Don’t spout lies, Claxton. Your words betray your caliber.”
“Die.”

With that venomous utterance, massive walls of rock erupted from both sides, threatening to crush us. Though appearing as rock, these were manifestations of the ghost ship’s curses, brimming with malevolent energy.

For ordinary people, merely touching it would mean instant death, long before they could be physically crushed. However, in this particular situation, the curse’s intensity worked against it.

“Momo, I’m lending you this as well. Handle your part on your own.”
“Eh? Y-Yes!”

As the walls bore down, I extended my hand toward them, intentionally making contact. Under normal circumstances, such a curse would annihilate a person the moment they touched it.

But here, the instant my hand met the surface, the walls disintegrated into nothingness without any resistance.

“W-wow… Master, you’re amazing!”
“How… where did you obtain such holy energy…!?”
“Would you believe me if I said it was from the Saint of Aldebaran? I imagine it stings quite a bit for a body steeped in curses like yours.”

I’d been confident this would work, but the results were far beyond my expectations. This wasn’t something that could be achieved with the magic power of a single human, no matter how saintly.

Koutei… I knew that wasn’t just an ordinary golem. What exactly is it?

“Momo, take the infant and get out of here. If you run in the direction behind me, you should see an exit soon enough.”
“W-what about you, Master?”
“I’ll stay back and act as rearguard. I can’t keep up with your speed anyway. And don’t worry about me.”

Even as we chatted, the dragon was preparing another assault. It must have learned that curses wouldn’t work on me, as this time it opted for sheer quantity and mass.

Above us, countless stone spears materialized, packed tightly and poised to rain down like a deadly storm. A clever move—unlike firing projectiles sideways, this vertical bombardment had a much lower risk of accidentally striking the infant.

However…

“——What…!?”
“As you can see, his attacks can’t touch me.”

The countless spears that descended to skewer me all veered off course before they could land, deflecting harmlessly away from my body. It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded me, leaving every last spear to strike nothing but air.

Not a single one came close to hitting its mark.

This outcome must have dealt a severe blow to the dragon’s pride. The old man’s furious gaze, now blazing with rage, was fixed entirely on me.

“Go, Momo. Staying here will only get in the way.”
“I-I understand… Please be careful!”

Momo took off at an incredible speed, cradling the infant I had entrusted to her. At that velocity, she should be able to escape without any unnecessary interference. After all, the real challenge starts after she makes it out—I’ll trust her to see it through.

“Now then, with the distractions gone, I feel much lighter. Shall I brew myself a cup of tea to celebrate?”
“Do not mock me… do not mock me, human…! What is that power? How can someone like you defy a dragon…?”
“You’ve just grown senile, that’s all. If you’d been at your full strength in life, I’d likely be struggling a lot more.”

The dragon hadn’t realized it yet—what it wielded now was nothing more than the lingering trace of its spirit, bound to the ghost ship. Perhaps it never had the opportunity to exert its full strength in this state.

Regardless, its menace as a dragon was rapidly fading as we spoke.

It was evident even now that it wasn’t aware of the unique magecraft I had deployed.

“Senile… weakened…? I, a dragon…!?”
“Don’t dwell on it too much. After all, in the end, this world is nothing but———”

Momo had fled, and in this sealed-off space, there were no witnesses. Which made this the perfect opportunity to air out some of my long-forgotten magecraft. After all, the only one to bear witness—the dragon before me—would soon vanish from this world altogether.

1. TL Note: I’m not sure what significance it holds as of yet, but in Japanese blade/katana forging, the smiths used to forge several identical blades and only the best one, called Shin’uchi(真打) would be bestowed with a name and offered to the shrines or the lords, while the other copies, called Kageuchi(影打) would remain with the smith. (Genshin players might remember this from Inazuma quests and events.)

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