Chapter 317

If audio player doesn’t work, press Stop then Play button again317 – Swordsman of the Falcon, Nell

“Seyaah!”

Nell kicks off the ground to leap towards me. His jump doesn’t have much height, but the power behind it is incredible. He’s almost skimming across the ground.

He is by far the fastest human I’ve seen, but he’s still much slower than me. My ease of movement has been reduced slightly by my messing with [Humanisation Technique], but it’s not enough to overturn the difference.

His foot snaps off the ground, changing his trajectory to a diagonal approach. He lands, restores his stance as his back leg pivots behind him, then kicks off the wall to leap directly towards me.

“[Godspeed Flash]!”

He thrusts his sword out as he suddenly accelerates. Here it is. It’s the skill he used before. It only lasts for an instant, but it massively increases his speed.

But it appears he can only make straight line attacks with that skill. If that isn’t practical for the situation, then it’s nothing amazing. With my overwhelmingly greater power, I have plenty of margin for error in countering his attack and killing him. I swing down with the back of my still-growing hand.

Within the span of an instant, he withdraws his sword and twists in the air. He rolls down the surface of my hand and kicks off it to pass by my head and slip behind me. I hurriedly look back and see him upside down in the air. He’s managed to get behind me.

“Guuh…”

He got me. Was he using the straight line [Godspeed Flash] as a mobility skill from the start? He’s got a positional advantage now. Even if I were to turn and attack, his attack would reach me first.

I bend forwards as I proceed with the dragonisation of my entire body to strengthen my scales. This should be better than receiving the attack unprotected. Rather than attempting a fruitless attack, I’m better of devoting myself entirely to defence.

“[Dragon Felling Thousand Cuts]!”

The instant after I brace myself upon hearing his shout, a sharp pain shoots through my head. His sword has pierced my scales.

“Gu…”

This level amount of damage is… The moment I think that, a second blade stabs into my neck. His sword incessantly rains down on my head with tremendous speed. Before I’m able to counterattack, the downpour of blades travels down my back and finally ends with a single heavy blow to my tail.

I turn to see Nell low to the ground, bounding away from me. His sword’s no longer in hand, and he pulls a knife from his waist in place of a new weapon.

His sword is stuck in my tail. In the last attack, he stabbed his sword into my tail then kicked the hilt to create distance.

It’s was an incredible technique. After reaching my back, he rolled in the air repeatedly to build up speed while swinging his sword. After his first two attacks forced me to bend forwards, he ran down the length of my back to my tail. It’s clearly a technique meant for fighting large magic beasts. It’s only thanks to his small build that he can make full use of it.

But it looks like this is as far as he can go. He seems to be out of breath, having apparently through most of his stamina.

I more damage than expected, but my wounds are far from fatal. A big part of the reason why is that the scales covering me are brought closer together in my more dragon-like state. The Dragon Felling name is certainly appropriate for the skill, since if I were still a plague dragon, I would surely have been minced into the ground. The battle is already decided.

“I-I can still…!”

Nell props his back leg against the cave wall. I guess he plans on launching himself.

I quickly slam my tail into the ground. The entire cave shakes.

“Ugh!”

His balance crumbles as he kicks off the wall, causing him to land without reaching me. In addition to his legs, he uses one of his arms to support himself. I take the chance to close the distance, twisting my tail in front of myself to attack.

He lightly springs off the ground, holding out his knife. His plan is probably to avoid a direct hit and, by receiving the hit midair where it’s easier for him to be sent flying, reducing the damage he takes. My tail smashes through his knife and continues on to his body. He hunches his shoulders to protect his body.

The instant my tail touches him, he shoots towards the opposite wall. A cloud of dust erupts, and when it clears I see him crouched over with blood pouring from his feet. The feet he’s so proud of are injured.

“Haa… Haa..”

As I lift my tail, I suddenly feel a presence from outside the cave. It’s not a human. This size… No way, is it a manticore? I definitely killed that one, but it wouldn’t be strange for there to be a second individual.

I hurriedly look towards the entrance and see what looks like the head of a large lizard peering into the cave.

It’s a size smaller than me, and it’s ribs are visible pressed against its skin. But rather than looking feeble, it has an eerie appearance. It’s skeletal structure looks somewhat close to a human’s. It’s body surface is covered in uneven greys, broken up by mottled spots.

Withered wings sprout from its shoulders. It has the shape of a dragon, but… I get the feeling that, if anything, it’s closer to a devil of some sort.

“UoO, ooOOoOOOO…”

It cries out in an eerie voice. I’m too taken at first aback to do anything but stand and watch, but when I see a light gathering in front of the monster’s face I quickly gather my thoughts.

It’s rare to see a skill that gathers power like that. I’m reminded of the giant centipede’s [Heat Ray].

“N-no way…”

Nell looks out of the cave with an expression of shock.

“He said he’d release the children whatever the result… Why…?”

T-they’re allies then? I do a [Status Inspection] of the creepy dragon.

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[Azalea Armyne]

Species: Earth Huma

Condition: Dragonisation Technique Lv4, Berserk (minor)

Lv: 56/85

HP: 162/298

MP: 298/324

Attack: 384 (256)

Defence: 302 (201)

Magic: 311

Speed: 221

Characteristic Skills:

[Demon-Dragon Blood: Lv-] [Dragon Scales: Lv4] [Flight: Lv1] [Automatic HP Recovery: Lv2] [Automatic MP Recovery: Lv2] [Grisha Language: Lv7] [Swordsman Talent: Lv7] [Mage Talent: Lv7]

Resistance Skills:

[Curse Resistance: Lv7] [Physical Resistance: Lv6] [Magic Resistance: Lv6] [Fire-Attribute Resistance: Lv2] [Poison Resistance: Lv5] [Cutting Resistance: Lv4] [Paralysis Resistance: Lv4]

Normal Skills:

[Fire Sphere: Lv8] [Aqua Sphere: Lv4] [Shadow: Lv5] [Gale: Lv4] [Gravity: Lv4] [High Rest: Lv5] [Resist: Lv6] [Quick: Lv4] [Sumon: Lv7] [Flare: Lv7] [Dragonisation Technique: Lv4] [Dragoflare: Lv2]

Title Skills:

[Dragon Mage: Lv-] [White Mage: Lv7] [Black Mage: Lv7] [Sword King: Lv7] [All-Rounder Lv-] [Starved Hunters Battalion Commander: Lv-]

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Wh-what is that status!? Dr-[Dragonisation Technique]!? Azalea Armyne… That thing’s a human!?

The creepy dragon, Azalea, opens its mouth wide and swallows the amassed light. It’s cheeks swell and an evil glint shines in its eyes. I run towards the exit, cancelling [Humanisation Technique] as I do.

Azalea’s mouth opens. Red light shoots forth with a thunderous sound. The cave walls are destroyed as the red light impacts them as it pushes towards me. The entirety of the cave shakes and begins to collapse.

My head hits the ceiling. While bumping into my partner, I’m just barely able to raise my foreleg high and receive the light with my chest. A second thunderous roar resounds.