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Chapter 167
This battle seems to be heading towards an unexpectedly easy conclusion, isn’t it?” (Shion)
Shion, who’s looking down onto the battlefield from Rubydra’s back, says to Renya, but he doesn’t answer.
Shion believed that to be odd, but since Renya’s back, which she was clinging to, remains stiff, she realizes that Renya is watching the situation below while still keeping up his vigilance and tension.
“Renya?” (Shion)
“The enemy army is too brittle. Besides, even though the three heroes expressly made a flashy entrance, the bigwigs haven’t come out.” (Renya)
“Renya…don’t tell me…” (Shion)
Renya looks over his shoulder with partly closed eyes due to Shion’s trembling voice.
He sees how Shion stares back at him, tightly gripping his shoulders, with an expression as if she had seen something unbelievable.
“Did you possibly perceive what I said as me using the heroes in order to bait out the bigwigs?” (Renya)
“You probably intend to attack the heroes along with the bigwigs, while at it, don’t you?” (Shion)
Being told as such with a serious expression, Renya’s face twitches.
Shion, who saw that, quickly glued herself to Renya’s back for some reason.
Renya guessed that she did that to avoid a light spanking from him, but even if he tore her off, there would be no way to attack Shion who’s right behind him.
“Just who do you think I am?” (Renya)
“Isn’t that a sound and simple method?” (Shion)
“I’m not that much of a villain that I would use my friends as bait.” (Renya)
Shion reveals a relieved expression towards Renya who looks slightly hurt.
As for Shion, her still having a tinge of worry left despite knowing he wouldn’t do such a thing is something that can’t be helped even though she understands that it’s bad to think that Renya would do such a thing.
Precisely because that would be just the usual with him, she can’t discard the possibility in her mind completely.
As for Renya, he does understands those circumstances one way or another, but it’s not like he won’t feel somewhat hurt if he’s treated like this.
“The heroes entered the stage from the start because the battle progress was too disadvantageous for the dragonoids. I judged it necessary to use excessive fire power, even if it’s overkill, to promptly overturn the situation.” (Renya)
“And while at it you probably thought that it would be nice if the bigwigs showed up because of the war situation seemingly being reversed, eh? Sorry, that was a bit mean.” (Shion)
Shion smiles wryly due to Renya’s tone which sounded like he was trying to make excuses.
She made that suggestion with the intent of teasing Renya a bit, but now she regretted it as she had accidentally stabbed deeply into one of Renya’s soft spots.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re probably harboring such impressions because it’s me after all.” (Renya)
“No, umm…Renya, are you sulking!? Can’t you cheer up!? I just wanted to tease you a bit, really!” (Shion)
Shion visibly started to panic due to Renya’s remark that was mumbled softly as he turned back to the front while dropping his shoulders.
Ignoring Shion, who’s shaking his shoulders from behind, Renya watches the surface with a serious gaze, which contrasts with his woeful tone.
Speaking honestly, even Renya, as a human, possesses a heart that can be hurt.
The fact that Renya was doubted on whether he used his friends as bait could be considered him getting his just deserts, but in the end it was still painful.
Nevertheless, it’s not like Renya, who has exceeded an age of 90 years, if you only take his mental age into account, has such a weak mind that it would break from just that much. Him acting slightly depressed and sulky was like an appeal towards Shion.
That doesn’t mean that he’s asking her to comfort him since his feelings got hurt, but it was an appeal that tried to stop her from reproaching him since it was painful.
<It’s great that you’re getting along well, but could you not kick up a fuss on my back, please?> (Rubydra)
Seemingly believing that things won’t progress no matter how long she waits if she leaves the panicking Shion and Renya, who’s pretending to be depressed, alone, Rubydra sends a telepathic message to both of them while feeling fed-up.
Shion completely changes her attitude from her previous flustered state, and becomes meek, seemingly feeling ashamed.
Renya, who wasn’t depressed to begin with, asks Rubydra while tapping her body,
“Can’t you sense something?” (Renya)
<No way. The demons should be somewhere, but they are hiding themselves quite skillfully.> (Rubydra)
No matter how powerful the demons might be, there’s no way for them to be strong enough to face the three heroes who are the combat forces for the final battle against the demon king’s army.
The demons have chosen to hide in order to deal with the sudden appearance of the heroes. They’re most likely holding back while analyzing the combat power and the fighting style of the current heroes to repel them if possible, and if not, to retreat, Rubydra guesses.
“Are they going to run away…? I suppose that can’t be helped either though?” (Renya)
The current objective is to confirm the dragonoids’ situation to begin with. As far as Renya could say, the subjugation of the demons is no more than taking the opportunity if it presents itself.
Since you could say that their goal will be achieved if they make the demons retreat after causing some damage to the monster army, Renya thought that there might not be a need to unreasonably search for the demons, but Rubydra denies Renya’s thinking.
<No matter how many monsters are defeated by the heroes, it doesn’t mean much.> (Rubydra)
“Why?” (Renya)
<Because, it’s easy to replace them. If it’s monsters from goblin to ogre class, it’s simple to replace their losses.> (Rubydra)
The monsters slaughtered by the heroes on the battlefield have high breeding rates due to their brimming reproduction urge, and moreover, rapid growth rates.
“Even if their numbers were to be decreased by hundreds or thousands, they are capable of making up their numbers, or even get more than what they lost,” Rubydra says.
<Those guys are really spawning in swarms…> (Rubydra)
“So you’re saying we won’t deal a serious blow even if we decrease their numbers here, huh?” (Renya)
<If you’re trying to force back the area under their control, it’s indispensable to kill the demons.> (Rubydra)
Clearly being told as such by Rubydra, Renya pondered for a bit and then,
“Rubydra, can you tell the heroes to fall back?” (Renya)
<No problem.> (Rubydra)
Responding to Renya’s request, Rubydra sends a telepathic message to the heroes fighting on the ground.
After the three heroes looked up for an instant, they immediately fall back close to the city’s wall as instructed.
While watching how the monsters close in on the city once again in response to the hero’s retreat, Renya hurled an instruction at Rubydra.
“Rubydra, prepare your breath!” (Renya)
<Sure, but…my breath won’t be able to cause any damage on such a vast area?> (Rubydra)
Renya starts pouring his own mana into Rubydra through the mana supply path that was still active as she began amassing mana in her mouth.
<Eh? Ah, yeah. That is, if you add that kind of mana, the power of my breath will rise as well, but…hey, Renya?> (Rubydra)
Without answering Rubydra’s questioning tone, Renya continues to pour mana into her.
Even when he threw more than a thousand fire lances at the ancient dragon Renya remained calm as if he didn’t feel any significant burden, but this time his forehead started to sweat faintly, and even his palms, which are pressed against Rubydra’s back, began to become damp.
Shion, who was clinging to his back, seemingly believed that something absolutely no-good was going to happen, judging from Renya’s state, and thus wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him with all her power. Emedra, who sensed something was about to start, hurriedly left the area by increasing her altitude.
The three heroes, who looked up from the ground, exchanged some words and quickly evacuated into the city by climbing over the wall behind them.
<Hey, listen to me! What’s going on with this!? What are you planning!? Jeez, how about an explanation!?> (Rubydra)
Rubydra complains, but Renya remains silent.
While feeling sweat starting to run down along his chin line, he continues to inject mana.
Even Rubydra might have spit out the mana inside her mouth once she sensed an unusual phenomenon, but she was confused by the vast amount of mana compared to the mana she usually uses. By the time she realized what was going on, she had already fallen into a situation where she couldn’t spit out her breath as she was completely focused on just controlling and compressing the mana inside her mouth so that it wouldn’t go out of control.
<Impossible, impossible! I’m telling you, it’s impossible, Renya! I don’t know how to handle something like this! I don’t know how to handle something so amazing!> (Rubydra)
“How noisy. Focus on controlling it if you don’t want to be blown apart.” (Renya)
<Impossible! Such a big one like this is impossible! It doesn’t fit~! It’s scary! I’m scared!> (Rubydra)
“Since it’s pointless to close it at this point in time, give up and open it up. Around half has already entered. There’s only the other half left, so be obedient and accept it.” (Renya)
<I don’t want to~! Impossible, impossible! It’s going to break, it will break~!> (Rubydra)
“Somehow…if one just listens to your conversation, it sounds as if you’re doing something terribly obscene. How mysterious.” (Shion)
Shion listens to Renya’s and Rubydra’s exchange while laughing feebly.
It’s at the level where I would call the guards if I came across such an exchange inside a city.
What’s actually being described as oversized or not fitting is Renya’s mana. The matter of closing and opening up refers to the mana supply line.
If they used proper nouns, it would be a totally harmless conversation, but by just omitting them, it turns into a criminal-like interaction. That’s the mystery of words.
<It’s already impossible! I’m telling you, no more! Anymore won’t fit! Please let me off~!> (Rubydra)
“Hey, don’t push since it will spill out. Just relax your body and accept it.” (Renya)
<I’m dying! I will definitely die~!> (Rubydra)
The cluster of mana inside Rubydra’s mouth, who’s kicking up a fuss, is beginning to emit such intense brightness that it could burn someone’s eyes, if they looked straight at it, and reflected its image on the retina even with one’s eyes shut.
When the white radiance began to gradually be tinged crimson with a burning glittering, even Shion, who doesn’t have any profound knowledge regarding sorcery, started to have a bad premonition.
“Umm, Renya? How much power is this going to have?” (Shion)
“Let me see. I don’t know unless we try firing it, right?” (Renya)
Renya identifies himself as a swordsman.
A swordsman who can use sorcery, although it’s probably wrong to say only a bit.
However, because he perceives himself as a swordsman, he hasn’t obtained any knowledge about sorcery, not to mention practical skill.
He can merely say with confidence that he has enough skill that he’s capable of using sorcery without chanting.
However, as to what might happen if he uses an X amount of mana with Y’s spell formula is something Renya can’t predict at all since he’s somehow controlling it with nothing more than his own intuition.
Shion is no different as she’s just a swordswoman too, but although she’s a complete novice in regards to sorcery as a technique, she was at least taught the basics about it due to her position as a princess.
Once she tried to evaluate the current situation with that knowledge, she could immediately tell that Renya’s action was extremely dangerous.
After all he’s trying to use sorcery while unable to predict its outcome.
“Renya! Can’t you stop this!? I feel like it will cause unimaginable damage, if you release a dragon’s power boosted by your own mana.” (Shion)
“Stop…like how?” (Renya)
It was apparently too late by now.
Shion wracks her brain, brooding over a method to somehow minimize the damage.
“How much mana do you have left?” (Shion)
“I think I have poured in the same amount as I have left.” (Renya)
“So it contains 50% of your mana, Renya…? Use the remaining mana for protecting the city. You can at least use some kind of defense wall spell, can’t you?” (Shion)
“Like this?” (Renya)
Renya turns his eyes towards the dragonoids’ city.
A wind wall is slowly but steadily formed, surrounding the broken city wall. Before long it changed into a huge tornado wrapping up the whole city.
There’s no damage at all to the city that’s right in the center of the whirlwind which is blowing with a thunderous roar, but the monsters, which were crowding outside the city, were enveloped by it in the blink of an eye, and hurled into the air.
“What about us?” (Shion)
“Once fired, we just have to escape at full speed, don’t we?” (Renya)
<Whatever. Just let me shoot this as soon as possible~!> (Rubydra)
Shion quickly tells the whining Rubydra,
“Ruby-chan, once you fire it, you have to escape as fast as you can. To be precise, if you fly and graze a part of the tornado, you should gain speed due to the wind’s power. I’d like you to pay attention and only fly in the same direction as the wind. A flash breath like before is no good. We won’t have any time to get away. Umm…gently ptooie it out while keeping its cluster shape.” (Shion)
<Ptooie!> (Rubydra)
Without any forewarning, Rubydra spat out the lump of mana in her mouth.
It’s a breath that was compressed and controlled by force, on top of Renya’s mana, which was poured into it to a crazy degree while blending with Rubydra’s mana, which gave it the draconic attribute.
The instant she saw the crimson cluster, Shion became pale.
Without doubt Shion felt a fear of death from that cluster, which flies while distorting the surrounding air just like a heat haze.
“Ruby-chan, fly!” (Shion)
<Full speed ahead~!!> (Rubydra)
Without making sure of the impact, Rubydra turned around and flew while grazing the wind barrier protecting the city as she had been told by Shion. With the power of the wind filling her wings, she sharply accelerated .
“This was called a swing-by, wasn’t it? (Renya) 1
“As if I’d know, but Renya, restrain yourself a bit~!” (Shion)
The instant Shion raised a desperate scream on Rubydra’s back, who’s steadily getting farther away from the city, the world turned pure white and was dominated by a sound that couldn’t be perceived as anything but a long silence.
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