Chapter 17: Against dragon PART 1/2

„The Forest dragon have woken up…“ father turned pale.

„It’s level fifty one, it’s skills are all nature relevant… but something is off…“

„How can you say Leo?“ father asked.

„I combined my long sight skill with my apprisal skill to find out.“

„We need to help the citizens,“ father said and as he was about to leave, I called out my group.

„Ruzu! Take the soldiers we came with and go to the east gate, there are monster incoming. Kiira! You go to arventurers guild and ask them to prepare for income of monster materials, also ask them to bring any adventurer of Blood red rank or higher to fight for protection of the city. Taru! You go get priests to prepare healing for injured! And after you do, meet me at the east gate. We have steampade at our hands as well.“

„What, a steampade?“ Victina got shocked.

„Alette, please guard the princess.“

„Sure thing, brother,“ Alette nodded.

I looked at Lulu who was looking at me with trembling hand on her sword.

„What? Are you not coming Lulu?“ I said with a resoluted smile.

„Of course I go with you! Princess, please stay here in safety. I’m going to front lines,“ she said and bowed to the princess, her hand calmly lying on her sword.

„You have to return understand? Both of you,“ princess said and looked worriedly at us.

We kicked off the ground and moved to the east gate, where we could watch over the forest and movement inside it.

„What’s the situation over there?“ Goli asked with her spear ready.

„I can see about ten thousand monsters runing towards the city. Most of them are low ranked monsters like slimes and goblins, but I can sence Crimson bees and Frenzied bears coming here as well.“

„Frenzied bears… those are Bronze ranked… can we really beat that?“

„Our group surely, but our soldiers would have heavy losses. That’s why «Pit»“

I used earth magic to make trenches, pits and few large holes to force the monsters incoming to make smaler groups. I also made walls to lead them to said pits.

„It will reduce their numbers, but we will need more place to fight and keep them in check.“

„I know… I never used this spell, so please watch over me. «Exploding Hell flare»"

Giant vortex of flames erupted from my hands. The scorching flames mowed down part of the forest before us and my mana droped by half in an instant. Given how much mana I used with the earth magic, I was now running really low.

„Wh-what was that Leo?“ Lulu asked frightenly.

„My strongest fire spell… I can use it only once as it uses too much mana… let me rest for a while…“

I was so grogy that I didn’t even noticed that I lost my balance and was held up by Lulu and Goli.

When I woke up, the soldiers, adventurers and priests were already here. I was out for at least an hour, but my mana rcovered only by five percent of the original value.

„What’s the status?“ I asked and get to my feet. While Taru used «Hastened Mana restore» on me.

„Mages are mowing down as much small monsters as they can, but we think that monsters above Blood red rank will appear soon,“ Kiira told me.

„So, it’s no good.“

„Our highest ranked adventurer group is only Blood red ranked and our soldiers can fight against Bronze ranked monsters at best… the Frenzied bears will crush them,“ Ruzu continued.

„I understand… seems like we have no other choice, we have to kill that dragon here and now… we should have good chance against it… I think.“

„If you think we can win, then let’s fight! We will follow you until the end of time,“ Kiira smiled at me resolutely.

„Then let’s go, but leave the monsters go, we need all the power we have to fight it. Ruzu, after you summon wind spirits to help us move through the forest, join the front lines alongside Goli. You two are onlyone I can ask of that. Lulu, Kiira and Taru, I know that I ask too much of you, but please leant me your strenght,“ I bowed to them.

„You got it!“ the three of them nodded.

„Thanks guys.“

We moved out. Goli and Ruzu were protecting the city, while the rest of us were moving through the forest. Unlike any time before, monsters were so afraid that they didn’t even considered to hide from us and moved all around us.

Soon, we arrived at small clearing, where the dragon was just massacring some Frenzied bears.

„So what are we going to do now?“ Kiira asked.

„Let’s use our magic, Lulu!“

„Already on it! «Enhance: Magic power»“

"«Flame storm»“

"«Implosion»“

Kiira and me chanted our spells but…

„No damage? Is it negating magical attacks?“ Taru got surprised like the rest of us.

„If magic doesn’t work, then we use swords! Lulu, Kiira with me, Taru you hide in the forest and prepare healing, we will need it a lot.“

„„„Oh!“““

Kiira jumped in with boost from spirit magic and Lulu with her enhancement magic. I followed them with space magic.

„Hah!“

„Huh!“

Lulu and Kiira slashed at it’s front legs, but left just a small scratches.

„Take this!“ I slashed at it’s eye, but the dragon stopped me with it’s claw.

In that moment I felt something strange. The dragon looked at me and in next moment it disappeared. And next thing I know a tree is free falling right next to me.

Did it switch it’s position through Nature control skill? Where…

„Taru! It’s behind you!“

I used transfer to get next to her and blocked incoming claw with my sword.

But that’s the thing. Dragons claw is called unstoppable spear. No matter how stron you are, no one can stop a dragon claw with simple mithril sword.

It went right through my sword. And stabbed into my chest.

Am I going to die here? With such thoughts my consciousness faded away.

*
※ Taru’s POV

Leo, Kiira and Lulu attacked the dragon. I’m just a healer and mage and my magic is ineffective against this forest dragon.

I don’t know why, but it feels somewhat wrong. It’s like this dragon isn’t itself. It attacks anything that moves…

It disappeared?

„Taru! It’s behind you!“

Leo transfered behind me, where the dragon appeared.

I couldn’t even move, when I saw it pierced through Leo’s sword and armor.

Luckily the dragon didn’t kill him right away as some Frenzied bears attacked it in that very moment.

„«Heal!» «HEAL!» It‘ doesn’t work! WHY!“ I cried.

„That claw had curse and decay status added to it! You must dispell it!“ Kiira cried next to me.

„Okay! «Holy dispell curse!» «Decay removal!» «High heal!» «Blood booster!» I-I’m almost out of magic… but it should… be enough…“

„He’s not waking up! What’s wrong?“ Lulu cried and tears fell from her cheeks.

„He’s breathing, so he’s okay. But it seems he is unconscious.“ Kiira breath a sigh of releave like the rest of us.

Meanwhile the bears died one after another, but they managed destroy one wing of the dragon.

„Leo, you need to woke up soon. We need your power, but we will hold that dragon of until you wake up okay?“ I whispered to him, „Will you leant me your power, you two?“

„Anything to protect the one I love,“ Kiira nodded.

„It’s time for us to protect Leo, let’s give it a shot,“ Lulu added.

„Thank you two. Now, we will try what we did with the hell beetle Kiira, prepare freezing spell. «Tidal wave!»“

I created giant wave of water and sweep the bears at the dragon.

„«Freezing touch!»“ Kiira froze the water, locking the dragon in place.

But it didn’t last long.

The dragon moved it’s front legs-slash-wings and broke from the ice.

However, in that moment, Lulu was already on it’s head and stabbed her sword into it’s eye.

GRRRRAAAAAAH!!!!!

The dragon roared and send tremors through the earth. Lulu fell to the ground, her sword sticking out of the Dragon’s eye.

„This thing is really something. Can we really hold it back?“ Lulu asked.

„I belive in Leo,“ Kiira smiled, „after all, he IS my future—“

In that moment a golden light shot to sky.

The dragon looked at it with fear in it’s eyes.

The golden light with light touch of light blue colour, the sign of havenly aura.

I knew without a doubt who was in centre of that light.

Yes, his hairs gleamed with gold and his eyes were light blue with chalice shaped pupils now, but we knew it was him.

„Took you long enough, Leo,“ I smiled happily.