Chapter 51: The Special Task Force’s Close Battle (3)

Jun spoke with a gentle smile.

“Calling me a monster is a bit much. No matter who you are, words like that can be hurtful, you know?”

“As if. Like you’d get hurt, looking as unscathed as you do.”

Unlike Laila, whose whole body was riddled with holes, Jun appeared completely uninjured.

Even though her brow could be pierced at any moment by the Mana pouring from the sniper rifle, she didn’t lose her composure.

“Are you going to pull the trigger?”

Click! Bang!

The moment Laila pulled the trigger and fired the sniper rifle—

Jun fired at Laila’s leg from behind with a pistol.

Bang bang bang bang!

“Urgh!”

Four bullets to the exact same spot.

Jun wore an expression that seemed rather tired.

“The Dragon Body really is amazing. Even when you turn into a human, you can still be this tough… I didn’t expect I’d need to fire four bullets into the same spot just to make a scratch.”

“Damn it…! A scratch, my ass, you shot through me!”

“But you guys regenerate so quickly, right? So it’s no different from a scratch for you.”

Despite her youthful appearance, Jun laughed in a carefree manner as she aimed her pistol at the back of Laila’s head.

Bang!

“Kh!”

When Laila quickly turned her head to dodge, Jun had already moved to her front, aiming the barrel at her forehead.

Bang!

“Argh!”

At last, Laila dropped her gun and rolled along the ground.

Seeing this, Jun muttered with a dumbfounded expression.

“Even though it’s just a pistol, it should have enough power to dent iron, but it can’t pierce your head? No matter how many times I see it, it’s really amazing.”

“You… crazy wench.”

What? Dents iron?

The strength of a dragon’s body is fundamentally harder than iron.

Moreover, when a dragon takes human form, its Dragon Scales become skin; and just the strength of those Dragon Scales alone is such that not even a Master swordsman wielding Sword Thread could make a scratch.

No matter how advanced the Prasion Kingdom’s special Mana Pistol is, unless the user can compress Mana to a master’s level, it’s impossible to wound Laila’s body.

“With that kind of power… why are you on the side of the Demon Army?”

“Why are you curious? We’re enemies anyway.”

“…That’s true, I suppose.”

“You don’t look as beaten up as you seem.”

“That’s right.”

The reason Laila was assigned to Jun was neither because they used the same weapons nor because of similarities in their sniping styles.

“Of the Five Fanatics, you’re the most dangerous. I can’t afford to fall here. I promised that person I’d handle it, too.”

“That person, huh… For such an arrogant dragon, your choice of words is oddly romantic. Is it a lover?”

“No.”

Laila placed her hand on her body and gathered Mana.

Green Mana sparked and flowed through her, quickly healing her wounds.

“Strictly speaking, they’re like a Master to me. There’s a lot I can learn.”

“…Oh.”

Jun muttered, looking genuinely surprised.

“So this is why people say not to mess with dragons… You can heal your wounds in an instant like that?”

Laila stretched both hands forward.

“If you’re curious, you can check for yourself.”

A tiny magic circle formed at each fingertip.

“…What?”

“Lightning.”

Ten streaks of light shot out from each finger and struck the spot where Jun had stood.

Click.

As Jun appeared behind Laila, just as she tried to pull the trigger—

Laila, who had already withdrawn her hand, began chanting another spell.

“Lightning.”

A streak of light shot from her index finger straight toward Jun’s gun barrel.

The Mana bullet being fired collided with the lightning and exploded on the spot.

“…Well, that’s something. I didn’t expect you’d react to that.”

Laila frowned as she looked at Jun, who had already leapt far from the blast’s aftermath.

“When I first saw you, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

“…Huh? Out of nowhere?”

“I thought a mere human shouldn’t be able to use a power that shouldn’t exist, that shouldn’t be wielded.”

Regardless of Jun’s puzzled look, Laila clapped her hands together and condensed Mana.

“I’ll ask directly. Depending on how you answer, you could die quickly or writhe in hellish pain before you die. Choose your answer well.”

“Come on, if I’m going to die either way, having only one choice doesn’t make me want to answer.”

Ignoring that, Laila continued.

“Did you receive Authority directly from the Demon King?”

“…Oh my.”

Jun put on a mischievous expression and retorted.

“How did you figure that out?”

Lightning shot out from Laila’s hand.

The instant Jun reappeared to her left—

Lightning from Laila’s left hand surged toward Jun’s head.

Bang!

Jun quickly raised her pistol to block the lightning, twisting her body in midair to land safely.

Had her reaction been just a bit slower, Laila’s spell would have pierced her head.

‘Damn… My pistol’s broken…!’

As Jun grimaced in mild dismay, Laila approached her, hand outstretched.

After disappearing again, Jun reappeared at Laila’s side, aiming the barrel at her chin at close range.

The inner magic circle was broken and she couldn’t gather much Mana, but if it exploded at point-blank range, it would still inflict damage.

“Got you.”

But before the Mana could fully gather, Laila grabbed Jun’s arm first.

“Don’t think you can run away now.”

“…Wasn’t planning on it from the start.”

Click, boom!

Jun pulled the trigger and the pistol exploded in a burst of red, sending shrapnel flying everywhere.

Her arm, which Laila was holding, exploded as well, but at the same time, Jun regained her freedom of movement.

Jun quickly fled from the scene of the explosion, frowning as she clutched the spot where her arm had been.

‘If I can just recover a bit of Authority, I can fix this… I just need a little more time.’

Thinking so, Jun’s gaze turned to the site of the explosion.

Shiver!

Chills ran down her whole body, and she immediately leapt away.

A bolt of lightning pierced through the dust cloud, writhing like a worm as it struck the spot where Jun had stood.

“You really are a nuisance. No wonder you’re a lackey of the Demon King.”

With a voice as cold as ice, Laila gazed at Jun with razor-sharp dragon eyes.

The moment Jun gritted her teeth and tried to move—

“Not so fast.”

Laila’s body was already right in front of Jun’s nose.

Thud!

“Ugh?!”

Laila’s fist slammed straight into Jun’s abdomen.

“That person told me to limit my fighting style to sniping… but it seems I can’t strictly follow those orders against you. From now on, I’ll fight seriously.”

“Guh… So, you’re saying you weren’t serious until now?”

“That’s not it. I was fighting seriously—insofar as it was limited to sniping.”

Laila punched Jun in the face again as she spoke.

“But if you can use the Demon King’s Authority… the power of ‘Time Manipulation’, then isn’t it foolish to fight you with that restriction?”

Reeling from the blow, Jun glared at Laila.

“How crude. Punching a lady in the face…”

“Lady, my ass.”

When Laila charged in swinging again, Jun vanished from the spot.

But Laila, having seen this trick several times, didn’t even turn her head as she reached out toward the presence appearing behind her.

“Lightning.”

The moment Jun reappeared, the spell struck her leg, forcing her down on one knee.

Laila smirked as she approached the battered Jun.

“As expected, it seems you can’t use that Authority recklessly.”

“…”

Jun kept silent and calmed her breathing.

Laila slowly closed in, her presence pressing down on Jun like a tightening noose.

Mana began to gather in her right hand.

“Any last words?”

“Would I?”

“Then it’s time to die.”

As Laila raised her Mana-charged hand overhead, Jun thrust out her right arm, which had been blown off by the earlier explosion.

The arm, clearly gone a moment ago, was now fully intact—and in its grip was the pistol that had exploded just moments before.

A moment Laila neither saw nor sensed.

She had reversed the time of both her arm and the broken pistol.

“That’s not going to happen.”

Bang!

A tightly condensed Mana bullet shot from Jun’s pistol toward Laila.

Laila coolly raised her Mana-filled right hand to intercept the oncoming Mana bullet.

As Jun’s Mana bullet touched Laila’s mass of Mana, it was completely absorbed, becoming one with it.

“…Huh?”

Seeing Jun’s startled face, Laila sneered.

“Did you think that would work?”

No matter how advanced the technology of the Prasion Kingdom, it had its limits.

And the origin of that technology was Mana itself.

Most users of Mana are called magicians, but most users of technology are ‘those who could not become magicians’.

They can manipulate Mana, but cannot perform magic.

No matter how skilled such people are, can they really challenge a dragon with their total magic and Mana?

Even if Laila was just a Wyrmling, not yet a full-grown Dragon, their species were simply on different levels.

Jun muttered, a mix of absurdity and resignation on her face.

“This feels unfair. That was supposed to be my big finishing move.”

Without answering, Laila ruthlessly slammed the massive ball of Mana straight down on Jun’s head.

Crash! Boom!

Jun’s head and body were smashed by the ball of Mana, crushed straight into the ground.

“Whew.”

Standing at the center of a newly-formed crater about five meters wide, Laila wiped her brow with a refreshed expression.

“Well, that’s taken care of for now… Hmm. I should probably report this.”

She immediately used telepathy magic.

‘Lord. Can you hear me?’

[Laila Stroper. What is it?]

Responding to the Lord’s question in her mind, she replied in a solemn tone.

‘It seems the Demon King has begun to move in earnest. I found the Fake Saint.’

[…A human used Time Manipulation?]

‘Yes. I’m certain. I think it would be best if we take preemptive measures on our side. If things continue like this, just like in the old era, the Maou’s Saint might appear. If that happens, unlike when we only had to face the Army Corps Commanders, the damage will be…’

[Do not be hasty.]

The Lord replied with a heavy tone.

[Regarding that matter, I plan to speak directly with the Captain of the Special Task Force, so for now, as the Guest of the Special Task Force, simply continue to report every unusual event in the Light Kingdom.]

‘Are you sure… it’s really okay to just watch?’

[What’s more important is to stop anything that may happen in the Light Kingdom. Something big will happen soon.]

‘…Understood.’

[Yes, take care of yourself until we meet again.]

With those words, the telepathy was cut off.

Laila frowned, then eventually stretched with a refreshed “Well, whatever happens, happens!” expression.

The music of a mad artist was so bizarre and surreal, it could barely be called music at all.

The spectacle of sheet music floating in the air, with notes and repeat signs resonating, made the scene even more mystical and unreal.

The music of a Great Artist takes control of everything around.

And the same goes for those who hear the music.

Soon, the world itself becomes a stage, and my own body is bound as if by threads of sheet music.

[The Five Lambs.]

In my mind, as if someone had programmed me, only one phrase echoed.

I cut through those words with my will and bent my own hand.

The pain helped to clear my mind just a bit.

But nothing about the scene around me changed.

The only thing different was that, apart from the floating sheet music and notes, everything else had changed.

I had definitely been deep in the woods, but now I found myself somewhere completely unknown.

A void, with nothing in it.

From where Virtus floated in the air, the lyrics of the melody flowed gently.

[The day the Five Lambs of the Sacred Land were born.]

[They met the Sun through their Mother.]

[With the Blessing of Light and Protection of the Sun, at last, prosperity is upon you.]

[Let us praise, let us sing, that the days with Mother may be eternal.]

Along with that, a Holy Mother and five children appeared before me.

They were the Five Fanatics as children, whose grown selves were locked in battle with the Special Task Force…