CHAPTER 32

The Emperor Dragon

We head closer to the battle between Chaos Machina and the Great Mother while still invisible. When we arrive at the safe spot Seiya previously specified, we watch over the battle with bated breath.

The Great Mother points her staff forward, creating a magic that shoots a sphere of light at Chaos Machina. Holy-type skills and magic are extremely effective against demons, but Chaos Machina knocks it away with her claymore, avoiding a fatal wound. But the Great Mother continues to unleash spheres of light until one of them hits Chaos Machina’s leg. She groans in pain, dropping to one knee. That’s when Seiya suddenly asks:

“Rosalie, you around?”

“Y-yes, sir! I am right here!”

They seem to be whispering to each other while still invisible until I can hear Seiya clearly state:

“Go slash the Great Mother’s throat.”

I am taken aback! A-another assassination attempt?! He already tried that with Rosalie, and it failed!

“They are currently in the middle of battle and focused solely on their opponent. It would be difficult for her to notice a third party, especially one that is invisible, approaching from behind.”

“Hero… What is this sword?”

Seiya apparently handed Rosalie a sword, but since we’re all invisible, it’s impossible to know exactly what it is.

“A Dragon Killer. After unleashing your demon arm, buff the blade with some of the dark aura you received from Natosus.”

“The Dragon Killer…! But when did you make such a weapon?”

“I made it in the underworld. I combined a platinum sword with a few strands of Mash’s hair and a few hundred strands of Rista’s to make it.”

He used some of Mash’s hair…! He must have gotten some when we first ran into him in Nakashi Village! He’s always one step ahead of everyone else, huh? …Hold up! A few hundred strands of my hair?! How long has he been secretly plucking my hair out again?!

After rubbing my head to make sure I’m not bald, I decide to give Seiya a piece of my mind, but before I can, he gives Rosalie orders in an extremely serious tone.

“Rosalie, you’ve already failed once. This is your last chance.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“You have a much higher chance to succeed this time compared to last, since she doesn’t have Igzasion to remove your invisibility. In addition, I do not care if the wound isn’t fatal. As long as you are able to somewhat hurt the enemy, I will deliver the final blow.”

“I will not let you down!”

Rosalie lost an arm last time, thanks to Seiya, and yet she doesn’t even complain. If anything, her reply was brimming with determination.

…Rosalie, still invisible, is most likely sneaking up on the Great Mother with the Dragon Killer right now. Staggering before the dragonewt is Chaos Machina, her breath ragged. The difference in power is as clear as day. The Great Mother keeps her soldiers on standby around them as her long tongue slithers out of her mouth.

“The Human-Demon Alliance was abandoned, and you demons were kicked out of town. Heh-heh-heh. It appears the humans were cleverer than you, after all.”

“We would have gained the upper haaand if it weren’t for a sudden irregularityyy.”

“What do you mean, ‘irregularity’?”

“Heh-heh… You’ll soooooon find out when he kills you, too.”

“I have had enough of your nonsense.”

The Great Mother kicks Chaos Machina straight into the air with a thud, causing her to crumple.

“How do you remove the barrier around Iglu? I will make your death quick and painless if you tell me.”

“O-only the huuumans inside can operate the barrier. There’s nothing you can do to get inside.”

Although coughing up blood, Chaos Machina smirks.

“Hmph.” The Great Mother briefly exhales before continuing:

“Fine. The Dragon Lord will surely be thrilled either way once I tell him I killed both Chaos Machina and Eraser, two former generals of the Demon Lord’s army.”

“You shouldn’t…underestimate me…”

Chaos Machina uses this brief opening to point her claymore at her own stomach. It’s as if I were having déjà vu. When she fought Seiya in the original Gaeabrande, she unleashed her true form, Greater Demon, from within her stomach. While she lost to him, Chaos Machina’s stats in this world are far greater than when we fought her. In other words, Greater Demon’s stats are most likely freakishly high as well.

Which means Chaos Machina could actually win!

However, Chaos Machina’s claymore is sent flying in the distance with a high-pitched clink. Her expression is overcome with astonishment. The Great Mother posing with her staff fully swung cackles!

“You were trying to break some sort of seal, correct? A powerful, ominous aura is overflowing out of your stomach. Did you truly believe I would not notice?”

“Tsk!”

Chaos Machina’s normally easygoing expression tenses.

“Die!”

The Great Mother swings her staff infused with a holy power…but Chaos Machina’s head is still attached to her body. The Great Mother wears a staggered expression and shouts:

“Wh-where did you come from?!”

Huh?!

I can’t believe what I am seeing, either. Rosalie has suddenly appeared before Chaos Machina and is blocking the Great Mother’s staff with the Dragon Killer!

“R-Rosalie?! Why?!” I instinctively shout. I can hear Seiya click his tongue by my side as well.

“Unbelievable. What is she doing?”

Seiya sounds as if he honestly can’t comprehend it. Cerceus, however, mutters as if he has just realized something after seeing Rosalie push away the Great Mother’s staff:

“Maybe she did that…because Chaos Machina was about to be killed?”

“So she removed her invisibility and saved her?! Does that mean…”

Rosalie?! You still consider Chaos Machina to be your friend?!

“It makes absolutely no sense. The demons were only pretending to cooperate with the humans, and Rosalie knows that.”

And yet, she put herself into a dangerous situation because she changed the enemy’s target from Chaos Machina to her. Rosalie somehow deflects the Great Mother’s club-like attacks while slowly stepping back.

“Princess…?”

We aren’t the only ones surprised. Chaos Machina stares at Rosalie in clear disbelief. The Great Mother, realizing what the demon meant, licks her lips.

“Oh! So you are the emperor’s daughter!”

Rosalie creates some distance between them before getting back into stance with the Dragon Killer. Chaos Machina also stands back up and regains her footing.

“Do you truly believe that you can beat me if you fight together? It appears I am bringing more gifts back to the Dragon Lord than planned. Prepare to die!”

The Great Mother immediately tears off her clothes, then her body swells in the blink of an eye! She is no longer a humanoid lizard-person but a colossal, ocher-colored dragon with an overpowering aura!

“S-Seiya! Rosalie’s going to die if we don’t do something! We have to disable our invisibility and go help her!”

“Not my problem. She did this to herself.”

“Come on, don’t say that! Summon those Phantom Hands or something! Please!”

But in the midst of my pleas, the dragon opens its mouth wide before Rosalie and…

“Holy Breath!”

…a blinding beam of light shoots out of her mouth, far different from the flames she showed us in the original Gaeabrande. While holy attacks are usually only extremely effective against demons, a powerful blast like that would fatally wound anyone from such close range.

“Rosalie!” I scream.

But right before the beam of light can hit Rosalie, Chaos Machina leaps out in front of her and spreads out her arms. She’s completely vulnerable, having lost her sword. The violent noise of electricity discharging echoes until Chaos Machina’s entire body is fried. She lifelessly drops to the ground. I’m taken aback—confused—and Rosalie seems to be no different.

“Why?! Why would you protect me like that?!”

Rosalie holds Chaos Machina’s body in her arms. Despite suffering a mortal wound, she smiles just like she always does.

“It’s funny, isn’t iiit? It seems some habits can’t be broken… Hee-hee… After pretending to protect you for the past ten years…I just naturally thought, ‘I have to save her…’”

The dragon opens its mouth once more, as if preparing to unleash Holy Breath a second time.

“Seiya, hurry!” I yell, and the Great Mother immediately growls deeply.

“Mmm?!”

When I look over, countless spectral hands are growing out of the ground and grabbing onto the dragon’s legs.

“Th-thanks, Seiya!”

I can’t see Seiya’s expression, since he’s invisible, and while he probably feels indifferent, there were now dozens—hundreds—of shadowy hands completely covering the entire area around the Great Mother. She’s fully incapacitated.

I turn my gaze back to Rosalie and Chaos Machina. As Rosalie holds Chaos Machina in her arms, the demon falters:

“If you were a demon… No… If I were a human like you… Maybe we really could have become friends…”

“Chaos Machina…!”

Chaos Machina gently smiles one last time, then her head limply tilts to the side.

I-is she dead?! I can’t believe a demon really helped a human!

I suddenly hear Cerceus’s voice by my side.

“She said ten years wasn’t long for a demon, but even then…maybe living together all that time softened her heart of stone.”

“Yeah, it’s strange, but…that must have been what happened…”

Cerceus and I grow sentimental together, despite being in the middle of battle. Seiya suddenly removes his invisibility, so Cerceus and I do as well. Seiya scowls, perhaps also having been moved a little. But…

“What are they rambling on about over there? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Seiya…?! How can you seriously be colder than a demon?!”

After making sure the Great Mother can’t break free from the shadowy hands, the robotic, emotionally challenged Hero beckons to Rosalie. She holds Chaos Machina’s lifeless hand with a complex expression, then rushes over to Seiya as if she has come to her senses and bows.

“Y-you have my deepest apologies! I failed to assassinate the—”

“It’s fine. What’s done is done.”

H-huh? I thought Seiya was pissed? Then again, this is Seiya we’re talking about. He’s really good at putting things behind him. But to my surprise, Seiya wears a somewhat kind expression as he approaches Rosalie until they are so close, they can feel each other breathe.

“H-Hero?”

Rosalie is struck with astonishment by how close he is. Seiya places a hand on Rosalie’s chin, then leans in even closer until their lips touch and—whaaaaaaaaat?!

“You’re the one who doesn’t make any sense, Seiyaaaaaa!!”

I scream while witnessing the sudden kissing.

“H-huh?! H-H-H-Hero…?!”

Rosalie’s face turns bright red as if she has no idea what’s going on, either. Seiya then sweetly says to her:

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Th-thank you…very much…?”

“You must still be shaken up because of Chaos Machina’s death. You need to focus, though. We’re in the middle of battle.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“I’ll back you up with magic from the rear.”

Seiya places a friendly hand on her shoulder.

“I’m counting on you, Rosalie.”

“I won’t let you down!”

Her eyes twinkle as she grips the Dragon Killer. It looks like she has been able to shift emotional gears for battle.

So he only kissed her to get her to focus on battle…? I—I still can’t believe Seiya would do such a thing!

I’m extremely flustered, still unable to believe what I saw. But the tides of battle are not concerned with my dismay…because before I even realized it, the Great Mother used Holy Breath to destroy every last hand of darkness and is now staring right at us.

“So you all are the ‘irregularity’ that Chaos Machina spoke of?”

She extends her long neck and looks around.

“It appears all of my men have been disposed of.”

That’s when I first realize it as well. All of her subordinates, who were waiting around her, are lying on the ground, and beside them are shadowy hands and fire salamanders! While we were distracted by the battle between Chaos Machina and the Great Mother, Seiya was apparently disposing of her men. And yet, the Great Mother roars with laughter as if she’s impressed.

“Heh-heh-heh… Ha-ha-ha-haaa! I can tell! I can feel the divine presence and the aura of the chosen one! The Goddess and Hero have arrived from another dimension!”

The earth roars as the colossal body walks heavily toward us.

“What business could have possibly brought you here now?!”

“W-we came to correct your mistakes!”

“Gaeabrande no longer needs anyone other than us! If you plan on getting in the way of our prosperity, then I shall dispose of you both!”

She raises her head high, but Seiya points calmly at Rosalie.

“Great Mother, she will be your opponent.”

Rosalie lightly nods, then charges at the dragon. Seiya simultaneously moves his index finger, creating countless Phantom Hands under the Great Mother once more. She clicks her tongue. She is aggravated by the fact that they continue to grow no matter how many she stomps or burns with her light beam. The Great Mother may be powerful as a dragon, but she’s also slow. Rosalie, on the other hand, is clearly quicker after gaining her demonic powers. She waits for an opening, then swings the Dragon Killer at the Great Mother, who is distracted by the shadowy hands, and carves into her epidermis.

“Oh, my. This is not good at all. It appears I must actually take this battle seriously.”

The Great Mother confidently sticks out her long tongue, despite being unable to move and under attack.

“Ultimate Wall!”

Her body immediately glows gold as her scales sharpen like blades! Th-that’s the Great Mother’s secret weapon! Her Ultimate Wall defends against both physical and magical attacks!

“Seiya! Rosalie won’t be able to break through her defense! You need to help her!”

Technically, Seiya didn’t even break through the Great Mother’s Ultimate Wall the last time they fought. He used Eternal Sword with two blades to gradually push her back until he knocked her into the Abyss, winning a narrow victory. Unfortunately, there isn’t an abyss to push her into this time. Nevertheless, Seiya calmly claims:

“Rosalie can handle this. The Great Mother has sacrificed mobility for Ultimate Wall, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Despite being pretty far away from them, the Great Mother apparently heard Seiya. She looks our way.

“I am impressed, Hero. You have already unraveled Ultimate Wall’s attributes, so allow me to show you its next form.”

“Y-you’ve gotta be kidding me! Don’t tell me she’s gonna get even bigger!” shouts Cerceus with clear panic in his voice. I swallow my breath as well as the giant dragon gazes into the sky and prays:

“May the Seraph bless us all!”

The massive Great Mother’s body instantly contracts as she returns to her former self…or so I thought. She has long, black hair, piercing eyes, and a well-defined chest. She has transformed into a human!

“This is the power of the Seraph! A transformation that surpasses even Dragon God Metamorphosis! Emperor Dragon Metamorphosis!”

“E-Emperor Dragon?! What the hell is that?!”

She swings her arm to the side, unleashing a wave of holy aura that instantly vanquishes each and every hand of darkness.

“I have reached even greater heights after defeating the Demon Lord! This is the ultimate evolved form of the dragonewts!”

Cerceus and I shudder, but Seiya observes the Great Mother with great curiosity.

“Does that mean Mash can do that, too?”

“But of course, for no dragonewt is greater than he. The Dragon Lord has grown so powerful that he could crush the Demon Lord with a single hand.”

“Oh? Interesting.”

He can transform into an Emperor Dragon and wield Igzasion?! Mash’s immeasurable power robs me of all words. Nevertheless, Seiya calmly pats Rosalie on the shoulder.

“Don’t be scared. You can do this, Rosalie.”

“Yes, sir!”

Rosalie charges forward once more and swings her sword into the Great Mother’s exposed soft, fair skin. She doesn’t even attempt to dodge. However, the Dragon Killer bounces right off her body as if it had just hit hard metal. The Great Mother then raises her delicate arm and reaches for Rosalie.

“Gwah?!”

Rosalie is knocked backward, despite the Great Mother barely even touching her with the tip of her finger. She bounces on the ground a few times before managing to regain her footing.

“Ha-ha-ha! Now I can have the power of Dragon God Metamorphosis with the defense of Ultimate Wall! Furthermore…”

The radiant light appears before the Great Mother’s hand as she holds it straight forward.

“W-wait…! Is that Holy Breath?!”

“It appears she can move swiftly even with Ultimate Wall activated and can shoot holy-type beams from her hand as well.”

“She’s basically invincible now!”

The Great Mother wears a triumphant expression as she raises her arms high into the air while facing Rosalie.

“Return to ash!”

But before she can unleash Holy Breath, shards of ice rain down from the sky and knock the dragon off balance. Only then do I notice the cool mist rising from Seiya’s body as he aims his hand at the Great Mother.

“Fenrir Shot.”

He apparently changed magic types when I wasn’t paying attention. The out-of-control ice magic, Fenrir Shot, prevents the Great Mother from pursuing Rosalie.

“Keep calm and continue attacking. I will cover you.”

“Much appreciated, Hero!”

Rosalie takes the front while Seiya handles the rear. Each one of the Great Mother’s beams is being blocked by either a hand of darkness or Fenrir Shot. Nevertheless, every one of Rosalie’s attacks bounces off the dragon’s body with a high-pitched clink.

“S-Seiya! I don’t think Rosalie’s attacks are working!”

“That’s fine. My plan to perfectly defeat the Great Mother is already in motion. All Rosalie needs to do is buy me time.”

I have absolutely no idea how we’re going to defeat her, but Seiya seems to already have a plan.

B-but…

Even though Seiya said the plan was already in motion, he doesn’t look like he’s doing any more than quietly watching them fight.