novelraw Chapter 87: Ashen Kid [3]
Chapter 87: Ashen Kid [3]
His full name was Monar Calendir, known among his people as the Lord of Green. He wasn’t called that because his clothes were green or because his magic shared that color.
That title was born from a great feat—one worthy of being remembered in his old village.
His serene gaze, fixed on the creature flying above the ash-filled air, dimmed slightly with disappointment. His calm eyes blinked a couple of times before faintly glowing.
"Get ready..." said the dark elf.
Mitsuki looked up at the dragon.
Nine massive pillars of rubble rose around them in irregular positions—like rigid skeletal fingers—decorating the great magic circle carved into the stone floor. Small clouds of ash still lingered in the air, partially covering the dragon, which had settled at the center of the area on its powerful hind legs, cracking the stone beneath it.
There was nothing left resembling a town anymore.
Beside Mitsuki stood Azel and Marco; their auras glowed with the same color. Both men focused on the creature, which returned their gaze with a menacing smile, as if daring them to attack.
Azel dropped to one knee and drew his bowstring. Marco, still holding his sword high, frowned. Mitsuki couldn’t help but glance at them and follow suit.
He raised his weapon and aimed. Then the dragon spoke:
"I hope you won’t disappoint me again, humans. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real fight!"
It raised its hands, causing the magic circle beneath its feet to glow intensely with a searing firelight. In the next instant, nearly a dozen blazing flames ignited behind the dragon as it clenched its fist.
The crimson flames intensified, turning into the same greenish hue seen inside the hollow in the creature’s chest. Before the group could react, the flames shot toward them in an instant—transforming into fireballs.
’Shit.’
They reacted immediately. Marco brought his sword down in a slash, a mysterious golden glow covering the blade. Then he charged straight at the dragon, even as a fireball rushed toward him.
Azel fired four arrows before making a quick leap to the right. His body blurred, reappearing several meters away. In the next moment, he had already regained his stance, drawing his bow once more.
At the same time, Mitsuki didn’t know what to do. The fireball was as large as a person—and closing in at terrifying speed. If that thing hit him, he’d definitely be reduced to a charred statue.
So he chose to do the same as Marco—but with one key difference.
[ You have equipped Viktor, the Shapeshifting Sword (Firearm Form). ]
From the ash itself, he summoned Viktor to use as his secondary weapon. Just like when he used it against the small statues, he could use it against a much larger specter. He crossed the blade with the barrel of his shotgun, using it as an improvised shield, and dashed toward the fireball.
The intense green light radiating from the flames rivaled the sun, but at the perfect moment—without backing down, eyes wide open—Mitsuki pushed forward and—
[ The skill "Ash Propulsion" has been activated. ]
His body broke apart into thousands of particles that flowed through space, slipping around the blazing fireball. The next instant, his body reformed completely.
’I did it!’ he shouted inwardly. But another fireball was already right in front of him.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward again, calculated the timing, and his body dissolved into ash particles once more, passing through the fireball without taking any damage.
Meanwhile, Marco cut through the fireballs head-on, even as they exploded in his face. Each blast left trails of ash and smoke. He emerged from the smoke with minor burns, but his determined gaze showed no sign of the pain.
For him—the only one who didn’t use magic in combat—endurance was his greatest strength. He would be struck, spat on, insulted... but he would always stand firm. His conviction was too deeply tied to his past with the nobles.
Azel remained in the rear. As an archer, he couldn’t fight head-on against such a dangerous creature. Even so, he stayed close enough to unleash arrow after arrow of light through the ash-filled battlefield.
"Magic is a specter’s weakness," Monar said, prompting a laugh from the dragon.
"Magic is also a dragon’s strength, young elf."
Monar closed his eyes, shaking his head.
"Not when we’re talking about Arcane Magic. Marco, Mitsuki..."
Through the smoke of the flames, Marco burst forth, leaping straight toward the beast’s neck. At the same time, Mitsuki propelled himself in the same direction using his ash ability. In an instant, both adventurers stood face-to-face with the dragon.
In a fraction of a second, the dragon raised its right hand to block Marco. It did the same with the other hand—but Mitsuki wasn’t holding his sword to attack.
He was defending.
The real threat was the shotgun, which hummed with power, glowing with the natural color of water.
Mitsuki pulled the trigger. In that brief instant, the bullet tore through the air and pierced the dragon’s hand, making its eyes widen in shock.
"You insolent human!" the dragon roared, spreading its wings and taking flight.
Its membranes generated powerful gusts of wind that slammed into the group, forcing them to struggle just to stay grounded.
’Its hand... I hurt it! We can kill it!’
If he hadn’t known his magic would be this effective after Monar’s enhancement, he would’ve run away without a second thought. Now they had a chance—but this was only the beginning of the fight.
The dragon’s roar unleashed massive shockwaves that threatened to collapse the building where Monar stood. Despite the chaos, his serenity never wavered. He remained as calm as if this were nothing more than a peaceful stroll.
Then suddenly, the magic circle carved into the stone floor began to glow, shifting between four different colors. The sky, once darkened, thundered violently—lightning tearing through the clouds.
More fireballs appeared, and ash began to fall from the dragon’s body in massive amounts.