Chapter 43 “Cocoon”
Julian, a boy of the dragon race, was walking through the city of Granden, which had turned into a battlefield.
Due to the effects of the healing arrows that had been released by Liz’s powerful healing technique and her own Wind technique that seemed to cover the city, the number of dead was almost nonexistent.
Occasionally, there were ghosts that sprang up from the ground and attacked, but their surprise attacks were meaningless to the dragon race with their special senses.
While the soldiers who had escaped from the disaster were running around, making some kind of noise, he suddenly heard something that caught his attention.
“Are the beastkins girls that were brought in just now alright?”
“Yeah, one of the wolf girls seemed to be mortally wounded, but the elf girl’s healing technique saved her life. ……”
“I see. I didn’t think anyone would have the talent to stand alongside that Ensign Fourestier, but you never know.”
The girls from the beastkins race are Roka and Shaula?
Although not as good as Roka, Shaula, who had no rivals other than Theodore in Midiana’s physical technique, was mortally wounded.
What on earth had happened?
–I remember when I was with Shaula in a practical exercise of physical technique in Mildiana.
Most of the other guy was blown away by her light kick and the rest were fainted, but Julian was different.
There was a rule that forbade excessive attacks on those who specialized in magic, but he hadn’t expected it to backfire.
Julian, who confronted that pure white wolf girl, thought that he could at least consider it as a light self-defense practice….
She got behind him in a flash, and then quickly took his arms. After being pinned down on his face, Julian was slowly shaken to death as Shaula worked on his joints.
He’d rather faint with one kick himself than have to go through this, just like any other man.
He threw all kinds of abusive language at her, but she seemed so happy about it!
After torturing Julian as much as she could while laughing at him, he tortured him until he got tired of it, then he unjointed Julian’s arm, threw him away like a piece of trash, and quickly disappeared.
–I guess she was getting carried away because there were only a few opponents who were stronger than her.
Julian thought to himself, “That’s a bummer,” and hurried onward, chuckling.
He was curious about the cracks that had suddenly appeared in the sky above Granden.
It was from the military, and as he made his way through the city, he saw soldiers scurrying to escape.
“Hey, what are you–”
It was at that moment that a tremendous explosion rang out. He was immediately startled by the magical power he sensed. This was because it was clearly something that led to the realm of the forbidden arts.
As he hurriedly approached the source of the magic, he was met with a strange sight.
“So you can reach the first level of the forbidden magic if you remove the limiter and put magic power into the magic stone? …… It’s a pretty interesting toy, this one.”
A blue-haired boy with a large magic gun in his hand was muttering something like that and looking at a certain point. When he looked over, he saw an eerie creature with a pure white body color.
It let out a deafening roar and swung its unusually long neck around.
“Hmm. Hi, Julian. Long time no see, how are you?”
“You’re still the same, you know that?”
“I don’t think people change in such a short time?”
Theodore replied somewhat out of focus, and showed off his magic gun to Julian.
“What do you think, Julian? This is the magic gun. I asked General Duras about it and he said I could use it too. There was something strange coming into town, so I took it out for a spin. Depending on how you use it, it can be powerful enough to reach the forbidden arts like that. It’s really interesting. Would you like to try it?”
What’s with this child-like joy at being given a new toy? He felt like his eyes were shining brightly. Theodore was scrutinizing his magic gun in a good mood while Julian looked half astonished and half dismayed.
Due to the tremendous power of the magic gun, even the surrounding buildings were reduced to dust. Even the connecting corridor, which was just above them, had been blown away in the aftermath of the gun.
Fortunately, there will be few humans left in this surrounding area, so human casualties will be minimal. …… And when he was unintentionally almost swallowed up by the atmosphere of this non-standard ability, Julian let out a sigh.
“So. What’s that thing you’re dealing with? It looks like the shooting equivalent of the forbidden art isn’t working too well right now.
“I don’t know. I think it’s probably some kind of failed magical creature or something. I can tell just by looking at it that it’s a failure, and most importantly, it’s a weak and unintelligent guy.
I couldn’t help but think that you’re the one who’s weird, Julian said as he looked at the monster that was smoking all over his body.
“There’s no way something like that could just pop up out of nowhere. The reason is that thing in the sky.”
“I guess so. I couldn’t see it until the moment it fell because it was quite far away, but it seemed to have run toward this city right after it made the strange noise.”
“That creature was running, huh? It doesn’t look like that monster can carry out the mission.”
“I’m a little concerned about that. By the way, Julian, what about the other special students? Have you met them yet?”
“If it’s that damn elf, she has collapsed and been carried away after using that huge spell. The wolf girl was mortally wounded, but thanks to her technique, she is still alive. I don’t know about the rest.”
When he tell him that, the boy says as he points the barrel of his gun at the white monster.
“I wonder if it was Toto who attacked …… Shaula.”
“Oh? Who the hell is that?”
“She’s a pretty girl with purple hair, and despite her appearance, she’s very belligerent, which makes her even more attractive. When I first met her, she almost killed me out of the blue. That was a little bit of a crush.”
“Oh, so she’s strong enough to defeat those beastkins?”
The blue-haired boy nods with a half-eyed look.
“Yeah. I knew that she was very capable just by looking at her. …… Maybe she was responsible for the attack on the temple. I didn’t think she could beat General Duras, so I don’t know what she did.”
“You’ve got a lot of time on your hands. Won’t there be more corpses if we leave her alone?”
“She has already run away…. That’s right, that girl named Toto had a companion named Hain. He had developed an interesting ability.”
Julian frowned as Theodore gave him the gist of the story.
“…… A sword that eats people, an immortal body. And a belief in a fertility god.”
“Unfortunately I don’t know much about Gods. Julian. What do you know about it?”
As Theodore chatted, he immediately poured his own magic power into the magic gun and fired a shot.
A tremendous explosion struck the monster, blowing away its massive frame. His gaze was completely fixed on Julian. Literally, he didn’t even turn around.
“Not that I have any idea, however—- huh?”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I sense my former compariots in the air.”
The robed dragon boy turned his eyes in the direction of the crack that had appeared in the sky west of Granden. There are more than a hundred people who have the same blood as him in their veins. He’s pretty sure they’re from the Zenan Dragon Kingdom.
“Zenan’s military might have made a move.”
“Well, that sounds interesting. Do you want to go see them?”
“…… No, I’m not going to do that. If people knew I was from the Empire, it would be a lot of trouble.”
“I see. Okay, here. Here.”
Theodore pressed his magic gun against Julian.
Julian, who picked it up, screamed, “What?” And glared at Theodore with a suspicious look, he said with a smile.
“It was fun, but I’m bored. That’s yours to use at your leisure.”
“Hey, ……, man.”
Theodore quickly walked towards the west, waved his hand with a flutter and was soon gone.
Julian, who was left there alone, held his magic gun heavily and clicked his tongue.
“You should at least teach me how to use it, damn it. Uh, the structure of this is …….”
“Kurukuru…”
When he turned his eyes, he saw a white monster that was still alive despite the powerful gunfire.
It seems to be dying, but it is still highly resistant to magic.
Julian looked at the monster and the magic gun alternately, then let out a big sigh. He threw away the magic gun.
“You should have at least cleaned up your mess before you went, you son of a bitch. ……”
Julian’s silver eyes glittered as he scratched his head grimly, and a dazzling light emanated from his body.
◆
The shockwave from the divine sword Revisistra sliced the white monster’s body in half.
It didn’t get a scratch from the attack of the soldiers who had been dealing with it.
Everyone gasped as the monster was dealt with in an instant. Some of them began to shout for joy.
“Whoa! Our Grace General Duras is really incomparable!!”
“This is the prestigious power of the great hero!!”
“It must be the guidance of the Great Goddess Orphelia …… that I will see His Grace riding that Brendan again!”
Some of them were even crying with joy, perhaps remembering Claude’s appearance on the battlefield with Brendan in the past.
While receiving those cheers, Claude called out to Brendan.
“Are you okay? Are you in pain?”
“Brrr!
“…… That’s my partner.”
After patting Brendan on the back, Claude shouts to the military men.
“If you encounter the monster, evacuate immediately! You must put the protection of people as top priority, and devote all your energy to defending this city!”
“Yes!!”
At that moment, a roar echoed through the city.
A powerful technique must have been used not too far away. The image of that blue-haired boy – a demon in disguise – flashed through his mind.
I never felt any hostility from him when we had our meeting, so it was a bit of a quandary.
He won’t do anything rash.
However, Claude had one thing on his mind.
(Where is Lady Rena, ……?)
A beautiful woman who was called a hero 500 years ago. Even just relative to each other, he felt an overwhelming power that seemed to contradict its beauty.
Where is she now, and what is she doing? Why won’t she join us in this battle?
He read in the literature that she was originally from the Empire, even though she was already with the demons.
It said she was a legendary hero who loved the empire more than anyone else, was kind but proud, and had power that no one else could match.
As a child, Claude secretly longed to be such a hero. Whenever his late parents would tell him stories about Rena, he would feel a strong sense of shock and excitement.
What is she thinking when she sees this devastation in Granden?
Will she ever take up the sword again and fight for the empire? While he was wondering this, he was suddenly approached by a soldier.
“General Duras! We’re in the process of taking a roll call of the soldiers who are safe in the city, but we’re still unsure of the safety of the platoon led by Ensign Fourestier.”
“I’ve instructed the Fourestier platoon to head to the High Magic Court. Have you done your investigation?”
“Yes. However, the High Court of Magic has already been destroyed, and part of the outer wall covering Granden has collapsed.”
Don’t tell me she ran into Toto, who escaped, or got into an engagement with one of her people?
At that moment, more information came to light.
“Someone witnessed Frestier’s platoon heading out of Granden territory!*
“What ……? No way.”
Claude turned his attention to the cracks in the sky west of Granden.
Recently, Clarice had been very dissatisfied with his treatment. In fact, she had not been able to hide her dissatisfaction when she was entrusted with the security of the High Court of Magic.
He knew what she wanted. She must have wanted to be recognized by Claude as soon as possible and become a respectable soldier.
However, she is inexperienced despite having a lot of power. He can’t let someone as talented as her do anything dangerous. If you take the right steps, you can surely reach the rank of general in the future.
A promising young girl should not be allowed to get involved in such a macabre case.
“Okay. I’ll head out while looking for anything strange in the city. You guys be careful.”
“Yes, sir!”
Claude drove Brendan again and ran through the city.
◆
A thunderbolt roared over the land west of Granden, and a flame burned through the surroundings.
“Ensign Fourestier, we are ready!”
“Then proceed as planned.”
The blonde girl screamed as the white monster turned its long neck towards her.
“Fire!”
A shot worthy of the seventh rank was fired from the magic gun whose limiter had been released.
When they landed one after another, and the monsters that had been under attack from earlier were frightened, Clarice chanted.
“Holy sword of thunderbolts, pierce the evil one! Thunder Flash!”
The bellows-like blade extended vertically and pierced through the monster’s head.
The hardness, as if she had poked a rock, numbed the sensation in Clarice’s arm.
After finishing off the monster, Clarice turned back to the platoon, breathing hard.
“Is anyone injured?”
“We’re in perfect condition, Ensign! I mean, we’ve been left in the Ensign’s hands, so there’s no way we could get hurt!”
“Then we can fight. The magic power in the magic stone must have been depleted by the gunfire. Load a spare magic stone immediately!”
While checking on those who were hurriedly exchanging the magic stones, Clarice turned her head toward the swirling flames.
The flames from the mouths of the ten red flying dragons had completely scorched the white monster.
The great dragon general saw this and said while playing with his stubble.
“It’s not a big deal.”
Clarice muttered inwardly.
(What a power in front of that monster…. This is the power of the Zenan Dragon Kingdom …?)
She had a gut feeling that there was a difference in rank.
The Fourestier platoon, led by Clarice, is made up of young and inexperienced people, but many of them are excellent. Compared to the troops led by the general of Granden, she felt that they were more than capable of competing with them, as long as they had the right number of heads.
However, the company-sized dragon cavalry that had gathered here were out of the ordinary. Every single one of them could control a flying dragon at will, and the powerful breaths they released were like magic.
If you convert it into a technique, it is so great that it approaches the realm of forbidden arts.
She can’t imagine how her country and a country with such power could have continued to fight until a few years ago, when they gained the upper hand and had a ceasefire treaty signed.
Of course, she knows the story.
The current commander-in-chief of Mildiana, Lieutenant General Ludio Lambert, who has the most tremendous magic power in the empire, destroyed the airborne mobile fortress, Dryg, despite being seriously injured.
That alone is astounding, but the guardian of this Granden, General Claude Duras, who was the first of the three generals, single-handedly destroyed the airborne fortress of Beluda and won an unscathed victory over the thousands of dragon tribes that guarded it.
This is the most important reason for the ceasefire, and the reason why Claude is called a great hero.
It was all too unrealistic.
Even with a company of dragon cavalry in front of hee, she doesn’t feel that she can win no matter how hard she tries.
Clarice could only wonder inwardly if the five great heroes were so great.
“Hey, Clarice-chan.”
“……! I thought I told you I was an Ensign!”
“Something bad is coming.”
“What’s ……?”
As soon as Clarice looked up at the sky, that white mass of flesh came pouring down in large quantities.
A member of the platoon screamed and backed away, and Clarice couldn’t help but take a step or two back.
From some of the lumps of flesh, the monstrosities with their strong stench, strong viscosity, and rock-like hardness began to stir again.
Just when she thought that she would have to deal with these monsters again. From the cracks in the sky above her, she felt a strange sensation that she’d never felt before.
She look up at it.
The crack was now completely ripped open, and as lumps of flesh poured out of it one after another – a most peculiar object fell.
It was a strange object that could only be described as a huge purple cocoon or something.
She was in a daze when a voice called out to me.
“Little girl, you’re gonna die if you keep slacking off.”
“……, I know, I know, ……!”
Even though there’s a truce, why am I fighting with the enemy? What are these monsters? And what is this cocoon-like thing?
I don’t understand.
Everything was still incomprehensible, but Clarice wielded her holy sword again and shouted her next command to inspire her men.
