Run. Slice. Jump. Slice.
“You bastard!”
I ran toward a Wyvern, whose right forelimb-slash-wing was frozen, and slammed my sword against its reverse scale.
“Ga, aAa…!?”
“Ooooohhh!”
The monster groaned as our collision pushed it back a few meters. Afterward, I twisted my sword, kicked the monster away, and pulled out the sword. While I panted and watched the monster disappear, I heard a voice from the side.
“This way! Hurry!”
It started with the family of four earlier. From there, the group I was protecting as we evacuated together had grown to over 10 members. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, and I followed them and looked at our surroundings. After all, who knew from where next the monsters would come from.
However, the road we were following had all sorts of things: like a truck that had crashed head-first against a building and utility poles that fell on the ground, to say the least. There were so many things in fact that non-Awakened people, never mind cars, would have to move at a snail’s pace to get through. Worse yet, there were children and the elderly among the group.
“H-hey!”
“Yes?”
A citizen among the group called out to me as I continued to scan our surroundings.
“Can’t we move through the buildings? You knowm, to make use of the cover. We can even travel underground if we climb down through manholes!”
“There’s actually only a few manholes that people can pass through, you know. And going from building to building…walls and ceilings can break and fall, which can easily seal off our way forward.”
“I-I see…”
I only knew of the tidbit about manholes because I happened to watch it on the TV. And going inside buildings was simply a nonstarter. The scene of that Wyvern diving on the alleyway and killing many people was still fresh on my mind. An average building’s strength just didn’t stand a chance.
If what I remembered was right, Wyverns detected things not only through sight but through their magic power as well. Which meant that blocking the Wyverns’ line of sight of us wouldn’t stop them from charging straight at us.
But in the middle of that conversation, my Magic Eye activated.
“Above, to the left!”
“[Oh, Water]!”
“[Ice Fang]!”
In response to my call, Layla and Yukine launched spells aimed at our upper left side. Their water and ice spears made a direct hit on the Wyvern that was diving down from a building’s rooftop.
“Gya!?”
Perhaps shaken by the fact that we got wind of its ambush, the flying dragon got hit in the head and in the torso by the many spears and got slowed down. It soon crashed on the road right in front of the evacuees, and bounced once, bumped into the sidewalk’s railing, and then stopped. While it was badly deformed, its damage didn’t seem to be because of its fall.
Still, a large amount of blood flowed out from its puncture wounds and mixed with the rainwater. It was clear to see that the monster was heavily injured. It tried to stand on all fours but it was slow in doing so.
“Hiii!”
“Kyaaa!?”
I was already dashing toward the staggered Wyvern by the time the evacuees began screaming. And when the monster raised it head, I launched a full swing at its temple. I smashed through the scales and the skull, even its brain.
I kept watch of the monster as it breathed its last, on top of surveying our surroundings as per usual.
Soon afterward though, my Magic Eye activated again, this time to show me another of these monsters attacking the evacuees.
“You dumb…”
I only noticed the puddle, that must have formed because the rain had gradually gotten stronger, when I jumped and the water in it splashed all over. I aimed a fast diagonal slash at this Wyvern’s neck. When the blade was about to cut into the neck, I activated Magic Power Discharge which pushed my body and let me fully swing my sword.
However, the impact of the clash sent both of us crashing down to the ground. I failed to make a proper landing but I thankfully was able to stand right back up.
“Master!”
At that moment, almost at the same time I heard Layla’s warning, my Magic Eye told me of the impending danger. I flung my body to the side almost by reflex and soon felt the body of a Wyvern fly close to the ground. As asphalt that had been scraped and scooped out by its claws hit me, I followed its flight and found it soon crawling on all fours on a department store’s wall.
“Gyaa!!”
As soon as it turned its head at me, it launched a [Kamaitachi] from its mouth. If I were to intercept this attack normally, it would be weakened and dispersed by my Resistance stat but then proceed to hit those behind me.
“Raa!”
I read the trajectory of the wind with my Magic Eye and then used a bit of Magic Power Discharge as I swung my sword downward. The space in front of me was rent asunder, blowing away even the rain for a moment.
Almost simultaneously, an ice spear pierced the Wyvern’s wing. The monster cried out in pain and fell down. In the meantime, I leapt toward it and stabbed my sword at that open mouth. I twisted the blade and ripped the monster’s flesh. Watching as the monster draw its last breath, I thrust the tip of my sword on ground and tried to catch my own breath.
“Haa…haa…”
As expected, this wouldn’t be easy. I didn’t know how many of these shits I had taken down by this point. If I had to guess, I would say at least 50, but I could still hear the sound of destruction and the cries of the Wyverns themselves coming from all over the city, so there must have been plenty of them left.
Due to the frequent attacks and having to match the evacuees’ speed, we—that is, I, Layla, and Yukine—still haven’t made our escape yet.
At this rate, we really might have to abandon the evacuees and escape by ourselves…
When that depressing thought crossed my mind, I heard a large number of footsteps and human voices.
“Can it be…”
“Master, let’s head there!”
“Okay! Everyone, that way! Ahm…sorry, but can you guide us to get there?”
“A-alright. But what’s in that direction anyway…?”
Right when I asked one of the evacuees to serve as a guide through the streets, the evacuees seemed to have heard the same thing. Their faces made gloomy by the rain and fear suddenly grew all hopeful.
“T-this way. I-it’s probably coming from the highway!”
Our group moved at double time as we followed the middle-aged man. After a while, we emerged at a large road. There, a large number of people have gathered and were moving to evacuate.
<<Please don’t push each other! Keep your luggage to a minimum so that you can move as quickly as possible!>>
A policeman holding a megaphone seemed to be leading this group.
A Wyvern—probably drawn in by the amplified voice—came flying in, but it was soon peppered by a number of spears and arrows. Tracing those attacks back, I saw people who looked to be Awakened Ones, each on alert and had their weapons at the ready so they could protect the large group of evacuees.
“Then, this…”
“Hey, you there!”
As I vacantly watched the large group, I heard a voice suddenly call out to me from the side.
It came from a large man with a shaved head and rugged facial features. He looked to be in the latter half of his 20s. He had a two-handed mace on his shoulder. My guess was that he was an Awakened One. His attire was an armor that was a mix of beast hide and metal.
“Are you an Awakened One? If so, I’d like to ask you to help in the evacuation. I won’t force you, of course, but…”
“I’m in, I’ll help out as muchas I can.”
“Good to hear, thanks. Can you handle a Wyvern by yourselves?”
“If there’s only one, certainly. We might still be good if they have the same number as us.”
I replied so while looking at Layla and Yukine.
“Hoh…that’s reassuring. Well then, I’ll ask you to keep watch of that position. But then again, since my allies are going to be shooting them down, the only ones coming your way should be the few stragglers.”
“Okay, understood.”
There was some prickliness in the air around him, but as long as it was safe and easy here, I didn’t mind.
After I nodded in reply, he turned to those behind me.
“As for you lot there, you just have to follow that cop’s instructions. We’ll be protecting you.”
“Y-yes.”
“Thank you.”
The evacuees from my first group thanked him but he only snorted loudly and left. He looked not only like his ego has been stroked, but also like looking down on the evacuees.
But bah, whatever. That much is nothing.
It just didn’t sit right with me to throw all of our efforts out the window for such a thing, so for safety’s sake, I simply positioned myself where I was told to go.
“Ahm! Thank you very much!”
“You’ve saved our lives…I can’t thank you enough”
That was from the family of four who were the first ones I saved after making up my mind. The parents bowed as they carried the children—who had a vacant look, likely not understanding what was happening—in their arms. By reflex, I lowered my head too.
“Please don’t mention it. It’s only natural for us to help each other in emergencies.”
“But still, thank you! Thank you!!”
“No, please…”
We bowed to each other like that. And at this very typical Japanese exchange, the couple and I couldn’t help but smile wrily. My face was hidden by my helm, but I was sure the couple knew I was smiling with them.
We weren’t out of the woods yet, so we couldn’t let our guard down just yet, but it would seem that the situation changing for the better made me relax a bit nonetheless. Upon that realization, I brought myself back to focus and started to turn around.
“Well then, let’s do our best to survive and get out of this place.”
“Yes, please be careful too.”
“You have our thanks too, ladies.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Don’t mention it.”
On our way to our designated post, the child being carried by the father waved their hand. We waved back and—
“OoooOOoOOO!!!”
But then, we heard a thuderous roar.
I had no idea what the source of that was. But because it was so loud, everyone covered their ears and made a grimace. The glass on the windows near me got cracked, with some windows in the corner of my eye actually breaking and scattering shattered glass to the ground.
But Awakened Ones, having sturdy bodies and all, had the presence of mind to follow the source of that sound. And so, wondering what it could be, I and many others looked.
“…huh?”
I wasn’t sure if it was me or somebody else who produced that stupefied voice.
The thunderous sound came from above. When I looked up, it was as if the sun itself was descending to the earth. I saw a sphere in flames falling down from the black dome. It was so hot it made the rain falling near it evaporate. Soon enough, it landed on a remarkably large building.
The layer of flames parted and inside it, I saw a dragon…one that looked not like the dragons of the west but that of the east.
Crimson scales covered its entire body, and the scales on its four limbs were covered by red-hot flames. There were two blazing columns on its back, and after a while, those flickered and became shaped like wings.
It was so far away from me but I thought I could still feel the heat it was exuding. And yet, for all the flames it had, the brightest things about it were its eyes. The golden glow of its eyes looked like it could pierce through everything in the whole city.
It opened its mouth and exposed the rows of fangs that were very much like lances. I could imagine it being able to chew through a large truck with ease. Seeing the mouth open though, I instinctively knew that it didn’t open for chewing and such. Right now, it was less a mouth and more a muzzle.
“Get down!”
Maybe somebody else yelled that or maybe that was me. Maybe it wasn’t even just one person. Regardless, there was only one outcome.
Three halos formed in the dragon’s mouth. At the center of those, flames began to gather. The deployment of the halo, the concentration of the flames, and the release of said flames took only about 10 seconds all in all.
“————”
The sky was lit ablaze.
I heard an unpleasant sound of what seemed like large metal bodies scraping each other. At almost the same time, a flash swept through the sky. Actually, rather than a flash, it seemed more like an aurora. That light, probably a few meters in diameter, flew somewhere.
Everything in its line of fire melted like they were simply butter. The buildings, the apartment complexes, the utility poles, you name it, everything was burnt and melted without so much as a resistance. And it kept on going. I didn’t know exactly what the dragon was trying to hit with that attack, but whatever it was, there surely were people there. People who were trying to escape this expanding dungeon. Of which, there were many.
After a slight delay, the area around the dragon and the cityscape the aurora pass through transformed into a sea of flames.
The sound of the crumbling buildings reverberated so much I could feel it shake the pit of my stomach.
The dragon that caused it all was called a [Fire Drake].
Of the dragons that was still being mentioned in the legends around the world, there was actually only a few that could “breathe fire”. However, perception of dragons had morphed in modern times into one where all dragons could inherently breathe fire.
If dragons as a whole were elevated to such a level, then the dragons that could breathe fire according to legends could be said to be dragons among fellow dragons.
“GaaaaaAAAaaa!!!”
It was then that I finally realized that the thuderous sound I heard earlier was that thing’s roar.
I realized something else as I looked up at the dragon. Up there, slowly descending from the black dome…were several of those giant spheres of fire that could each be mistaken for the sun. Those were the same thing as what I saw when I was searching for that thunderous roar.
And they were descending onto the city.
It would seem the despair was just winding up.
And just like earlier, the layer of flame parted and out came dragons from each sphere. My eyes met with one such dragon.
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