Manowa Chapter 247

Yumika didn't know that while she was fighting the Demon Wolf and its followers near the center of Tsaito Forest, Naoki's group, who were trying to come for support, were restrained by another group of monsters. The number and class of the monsters approaching Naoki's group were around the same as the monsters confronting Yumika, so it wasn't a situation where they would be able to come and rescue her.

「The Kobold Earth Dragon Modoki Riders are the most numerous, I think? Are these the monsters Yumika and the others said they were aiming at?」

Naoki had a tense expression as he looked forward. But Jinrai beside him tilted his head.

「No, that's questionable. There are『signs of a battlefield』in a different place. Yumika and Emily's team might already be rushing into battle.」

Jinrai said. Naoki frowned after those words.

「Doesn't that mean Yumika and Emily are in danger?」

「Maybe... but our situation could also be considered threatening enough.」

So answering, Jinrai's line of sight was turned towards the lined up Kobolds, High Kobolds, and Kobold Blues riding Earth Dragon Modokis. There was also the highest ranking type of Kobold monster called a Kobold King riding an Earth Core Dragon in the center.

Originally, the enemy Jinrai and the others fought on their way to Dolmu City was a pack of Kobold Riders. In that case, this group was probably that Kobold pack's main force.

However, the adventurers had mainly met the Demon Wolf's pack during the mountain hunting so far, and this group of Kobold Riders hadn't made an appearance. Jinrai and the others didn't know why they showed up. Since they couldn't communicate with the monster group, there was no way to know. The Childstone of the Demon Wolf Fenrir Imitator Yumika was fighting right now was originally from a Monster Tamer, and since the Demon Wolf inherited its Skill to control other species, it was impossible to know if this was a split off group from its pack.

Naoki:「Contact with Kobold Riders. Around 100 pairs.」

Kazane:「Do you see Yumika?」

Naoki:「Jinrai-san said they may have started fighting in another place.」

Kazane:「Yumika isn't responding.」

Naoki:「Is Yumika fighting?」

Kazane:「I can't search with Remote Viewing inside the forest, so I don't know.」

Naoki:「It seems like we're also going to clash over here soon.」

Kazane:「Contact Jinrai-san. Even without me, will you be able to win if my team and the carriage group assist?」

Naoki took his eyes off the Chat Window and told Jinrai about Kazane's request.

「Of course. If we don't mind sacrifices, we would also be able to do it as is.」

Even settling things alone was within Jinria's expectations.

And after Naoki relayed those words to Kazane, bestial roars resounded as the Kobold Riders started heading towards them.

「They're coming? The Kobold King is my prey. Don't steal it?」

Jinrai glared at the surrounding adventures with glittering eyes before urging Yuuko-nee to accelerate. The adventurers followed behind Jinrai's group.

Jinrai and Naoki's team was composed of many veterans and rough people. Jinrai had seemed the most likely to be capable of controlling this group of guys with fierce looks. Jinrai chuckled as he sensed that the group didn't show any signs of intending to obey his words. Warriors should be like this... he thought.

Thus, it was decided that the second battlefield would be in that place. Then Kazane had the remaining adventurers converge on that battle, and she herself rushed to Yumika's side.

At the same time, Emily and the rest of Yumika's team had almost finished with their battle. They'd had no way to contact the rest without Yumika, so in their isolated situation, they had entered battle with the pursuing monsters.

「Haa, haa, is it over with this?」

After piercing the Core of the Geminis Head with one of her precious dragonfang steel arrows and confirming that it had stopped moving, Emily sank to the floor.

The other adventurers surveyed the area and confirmed that the forest finally showed no more signs of movement before all members collapsed with thuds. They had been in that level of life and death struggle.

As a matter of fact, the Demon Wolf's mixed monster pack had been larger than they had initially seen. 200 monsters had gone towards Yumika, and 100 monsters had pursued Emily's group.

And the group that had 26 people without Yumika brought them down. Though they were barely able to seize victory thanks to the vigorous activity of the archer Rondo and the beastman warrior Mokko; it had been a paper-thin avoidance of annihilation. Half were wounded, and three had died. One was surrounded and killed, and two succumbed to the poisonous claws of Kobold Blues.

Among them, Emily had been more active than the surrounding people had probably expected. She had liberally used the arrows made with Earth Core Dragon fangs and brought down 2 superior monsters. I relied on tools... the person herself was thinking, but Rondo and Mokko were the only ones who contributed more. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

「Now then... what shall we do?」

After taking a breather, Mokko said that while looking in a certain direction. There was probably no chance they would be in time. They had heard that reinforcement from Naoki's group would come in 10 minutes, but they could only think that it was impossible.

「We have no choice but to go.」

After Rondo spoke, everyone still able to fight stood up. Of course, Emily was among them. Then they sent the injured back towards the city and immediately retraced their steps to their original location. But regardless of what words were said, they were inwardly preparing for the worst: the death of the girl who had stayed behind alone, and the likely death that was awaiting themselves.

Even in the battle just now, they had suffered enough damage to be reduced by half. Not to mention that they were heading to a battle against more monsters than they had just fought. Even with reinforcements, no one could say with confidence that they could win. However, the grand spectacle waiting for them at the end of their path smashed that tragic but brave determination in an instant.

◎Tasito Forest, Near the Center

「GURUoOOOOOOOo!!!」

The Demon Wolf howled. Yumika silently opposed it.

The tip of her spear flashed and collided with the Demon Wolf's claws, and the Demon Wolf was blown away along with a flash of lightning.

「...Hyu」

Slightly separated from the Demon Wolf, Yumika lightly inhaled. The enemy in front of her didn't easily allow her to breathe. The time limit of her God Wolf Transformation had already run out, so Yumika was using Dragonoidization. Therefore, her silver wolves were already gone. And the only living beings around were the Demon Wolf and Yumika.

The pack of 200 monsters was destroyed by Yumika during the battle up until now. Such dreadful fighting strength... rather than that, the Fatigue Recovery Skill from her God Wolf Transformation was probably the biggest reason it was possible.

In fact, even Jinrai would probably be defeated due to running out of stamina if he were attacked in waves by a force that size. No matter how strong someone was, maintaining performance as long as fatigue was a problem was difficult. A major reason dragons were called the strongest species was because their defensive power and stamina made defeating one a difficult endeavor.

However, since her God Wolf Transformation had ended, Yumika could no longer recover from fatigue. So she was breathing heavily, and her fatigue was showing on her face as she confronted the Demon Wolf.

Yumika was currently using Dragonoidization with her own Dragon Spirit, so she was a lightning type of Dragonoid. The light of lightning covered Yumika's spear when it approached to kill the Demon Wolf.

And the opposing Demon Wolf Fenrir Imitator was riddled with wounds. Its body had been mangled by the battle with Yumika so far, and it was covered in blood. It was just barely hanging on due to Yumika's performance falling from having to switch to Dragonoidization.

Then Yumika prepared her spear once again, and the Demon Wolf growled. Their confrontation had already lasted around 30 minutes, and they had mutually shown the scope of their power.

Then Yumika started running.

And the Demon Wolf started running.

Yumika thrust with her weapon, the lightning spear she believed in.

The Demon Wolf's fangs were its strongest weapons, and it plunged forward to slip past the enemy's blade and bite.

Both intersected. Everything happened in an instant.

The Demon Wolf avoided the approaching glow of lightning and lunged towards Yumika. Then the blow of a spear that wasn't emitting lightning was sucked into the mouth of the Demon Wolf.

It was Yumika's last gamble. She had used the glow of her spear clad in lightning as bait to divert the attention of her enemy. The trajectory of the lightning and the trajectory of her spear were slightly off, and without noticing that, the Demon Wolf avoided the lightning and was stabbed by the spear that wasn't clad with that lightning.

And Yumika pierced the Demon Wolf. Yumika immediately concentrated her Dragon Spirit on one point, and lightning ran through the body of the Demon Wolf. After receiving the lightning that Yumika poured all her Dragon Spirit into, the Demon Wolf could no longer resist, and it finally collapsed.

The victor would stand, and the vanquished would fall to the ground.

That natural logic clearly indicated the outcome of the battle.

Despite being overwhelmed by the spectacle, the adventurers who had come running simultaneously cheered. They had certainly been lost for words at the surrounding situation. But they weren't powerless civilians. They were adventurers, warriors that fought monsters. Therefore, everyone felt awe and praised Yumika for her splendid battle.

However, that excitement only lasted for an instant.

A flapping sound could be heard.

The aftertaste of victory vanished in an instant. It was rewritten by the despair that came from the sky.

One of the adventurers looked up at the sky and screamed, and another moaned.

「Dragon ...?」

Yes, it was this world's strongest species.

She was called the God Dragon Empress, a mighty existence that destroyed even high ranking devils while falsely naming herself a Devil King. Possessing the power gained from reaping numerous prey, she released an overwhelming air of intimidation from her body clad with glittering crystal as she alighted, scattering indications of full battle readiness.

… Without reading the air.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Draghorn Tonfa (Incomplete) x2, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Eating Ogre King's Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator, Rainbow Necklace, Rainbow Dragon Ring

Level : 33

Health: 135

Magic Power: 260+420

Strength: 57+20

Agility: 52+14

Endurance: 33

Wisdom : 65

Dexterity : 41

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』『Golden Dusk「Dragon Exclusive」』『Mirror Shield』

Skill : 『Kick Devil』『Warrior's Memory』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog's Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv3』『Rush』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link: Lv2』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Hand Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『Sturdier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Fabricated Coercion』『Stone Minotaur』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『Space Expansion』『Pseudo-silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』『Arms Creation: Black Flame』『Ingredient Connoisseur』『Dragon Pheromone「Dragon」』

Kazane:「I'm here! Yumika, I came to save you!!」

Yumika:「Yeah, thank you. You came rushing for my sake, right? I understand, but I'm」

Kazane:「Now, bring it on. Where are the guys who want to want to eat my Crystal Breath?! GAOOOOO!!」

Chapter end