Squeaky

Rather than a serpent, maybe it should be called some kind of dragon, instead? The razor-sharp teeth definitely didn’t resemble a snake’s, its head was too large and there were haphazard spikes growing all over it.

I took a step back, too awed (= scared) to say anything. Even Saga seemed to hesitate whether to just slash at that thing or not.

Our surprise did not end there, however.

“You dare show yourselves here?”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

The snake was talking?

“Y-y-you can talk!?” sputtered Kai, clearly sharing my shock. Saga widened her eyes as well, exhibiting some emotion for a change.

The serpent-dragon’s eyes, now looking to me more intelligent than bestial, passed along us. It almost seemed to be laughing at us with its eyes.

“Yes, I am capable of speech,” he agreed in a mocking tone. “Does that make you scared, worm?”

I briefly considered this. Was that really the case? The fact it hadn’t pounced on us probably meant it was intelligent, but could it really speak?

“Say… are you really talking?” I pointed out, then turned to my companions. “It’s possible One’s just hiding nearby and talking through that thing… maybe even from inside it?”

Kai raised his brows, moving his gaze back to the serpent, who actually looked rather mad and opened its jaw even wider.

“Foolish warriors,” the monster spat. There was definitely something suspicious about how it spoke; it made no sense with the structure and movements of its mouth. “I am the most powerful of One’s servants! How dare you look down on me, the great Squeaky!”

Despite it being completely inappropriate for the situation, I nearly burst laughing right there and then.

“D…did you just say Squeaky? Don’t tell me that’s your name!?”

It looked even angrier; I stepped back, getting ready to cast a spell. “You mock the name bestowed upon me by Master? You miserable worm!”

“Hah, that’ll definitely fit the sound this thing makes once we wring it out like an old cloth,” said Saga. She raised her blade in her usual fighting stance.

“Insolent worms…” Squeaky raged again. “You may have defeated Squads A, B and C… but you will never defeat me! One might be waiting for you to arrive, but since your bad luck brought you here, I will not allow you to go even a step further!”

That was apparently a sign that the time for talking was over, because the dragon’s next move was to lunge at us from the lake.

Kai and I leapt away in a hurry, but Saga went on the offensive, more thrusting than slashing her sword toward the open mouth.

Unfortunately, it seemed like it really wasn’t a dumb animal—the serpent moved the moment before Saga reached and instead swiped its head like a bludgeon to smash her. She rolled away, evading by a hairsbreadth, and the ground and the entire surface of the lake shook. Some water and dirt sprayed around as the large head pounded the earth.

I shuddered. A hit like that would turn any of us into paste.

An arrow flew through air the next moment, possibly aiming for the snake’s eyes—but instead hit only the scaly, spiky chin.

Not inflicting even a scratch, the arrow fell into the lake with a splash.

The snake opened its mouth again and began raising its head as Saga lunged, slashing and stabbing despite the earlier lack of success.

Its response was to swing its head so suddenly that it caught even Saga by surprise. She was sent flying and pounded against a nearby tree, the sword rolling away from her.

She groaned in pain, falling to the ground.

My legs shook when faced with this extraordinary power. Neither the arrows nor Saga’s excellent sword even scratched it. Likely trying to hit its soft interior was the correct strategy, but Squeaky itself seemed aware of this weakness.

However, another part of me grew excited.

If this was an enemy that couldn’t be defeated with any conventional weaponry, wouldn’t that mean that this was finally my time to shine?

Trying to muster as much power and confidence even into my voice, I shouted, “Let’s hear you squeak, worm!”

I directed both hands to shoot forth a bolt of lightning. Purple crackles immediately surrounded its entire body and lightning danced even on the lake’s surface, perhaps adding to its conductivity.

Something like that would surely fry it to death even from outside and inside. I would get a ton of EXP, level up my spells and be ready to face One.

So I thought.

Unfortunately, my fantasy did not end up coming true.

Although the serpent was completely covered up in electricity, it looked completely unfazed.

“Pathetic worm,” it mumbled and its head shot toward me.

“C!” shouted Kai. An arrow passed through my sight, nearly hitting me but getting nowhere near the giant snake, whose mouth now looked like a tunnel to me.

Where was this tunnel going to take me?

Toward my death?

My feet wouldn’t move. My arms wouldn’t move. I felt like my heart was about to stop, too.

I recalled the immense pain I felt for a second as I put on my helmet, an as of yet unsolved mystery, and wondered—would getting bitten and swallowed by Squeaky hurt less, or more?

I never found out.

A shape appeared right next to me, pushing me away.

The lake dragon closed its mouth around Saga’s body as I tottered to the side.

Her yell of extreme pain echoed in the lake and blood poured out.

Oh, shit.

Saga was so dead. She was so, so dead. I was watching her getting eaten right in front of my eyes and couldn’t do anything.

The moment I thought this, however, something struck the snake in the eye and its mouth let go. Dripping with fresh blood, it roared in pain from the arrow sticking out of its head, throwing the bloody Saga away.

I noticed something else… Saga’s pure-white sword was stuck in the serpent’s mouth. Perhaps she managed to thrust it inside while saving me.

Shit. Was Saga dead? She seemed to be twitching. Could my insufficient magical healing be enough to save her?

No, I couldn’t think about this right now. Because if I didn’t do anything, all of us were going to die anyway.

And to a dragon with such a stupid name?

No way in hell!

The world seemed to slow down. With one hand I shot the strongest blast of cold air I could muster right into the snake’s mouth while approaching.

That actually seemed to get its mouth stuck, or at least slowed. My other hand thrust forward and grabbed the sword, which was actually rather warm to the touch.

Completely unaffected by all the ice otherwise controlling that space, I easily grabbed the gleaming sword and thrust it up and ahead.

Time resumed its proper flow as Saga’s blade pierced the dragon’s head, hopefully ending Squeaky once and for all.