Chapter 14
Sweating and with disheveled hair, Mars leaves the bedroom with Hazuki. In the living room, Lilia is there with a disapproving look, as usual engrossed in reading a book.
「G-Good morning.」
「Good morning. Seems like you had quite a... enjoyable time.」
「Ah, yeah...」
――I'm already scared in the morning!
Mars wipes away the sweat, along with the sweat from exercising, and tries to play it off.
His sexual desire is just something he can't control.
Maybe it would be different if he was a bit older, but currently, his sexual desire is strong, matching his exceptional stamina.
「Good morning! I'm sure we made a baby!」
「Hou, that's good to hear. But getting pregnant isn't that easy, you know.」
「...Lilia-san, are you angry?」
「I'm not angry! ――I-I'm just... jealous!」
Lilia hides her face behind the book. It turns out the book was upside down. She was just posing and not actually reading.
「I thought I was done, but I feel like I could do it again right away.」
Seeing the jealous Lilia, Mars' sexual desire surges once again.
As Mars tries to approach Lilia on the sofa, she shrinks herself while covering her face with the book.
「N-No! Today is the Dragon subjugation, and I absolutely won't do anything until my mating period comes! A-And I'm not so cheap that I can be won over just because you've embraced me once!」
「Wow, wowwow! We've got a live tsundere here!? It's so... itchy! Cute!」
「D-Don't tease me!」
Currently, Lilia has the highest level of sexual desire among them.
Days and nights of consecutive copulation suddenly followed by a period of abstinence.
It would be tolerable if it was just that, but everyone except herself is engaged in baby-making with Mars.
Her mating period is approaching, and her body is already preparing for it.
As a result, Lilia is more aroused than ever before.
Her body throbs, and she can't even concentrate on reading.
The only thing that keeps her sanity intact is the upcoming battle with the dragon.
Even if she's highly aroused, she won't lose her reason during combat.
「Q-Quickly, go take a bath and get ready! Today is a crucial moment! It's poison for me if Master looks like that!」
「U-Understood!」
Mars quickly takes Hazuki and heads toward the bathroom.
「Lilia-san, she must be feeling really horny,......I get how she feels.」
「Since she brought it up herself, Lilia definitely won't complain. I think she was supposed to enter her mating period earlier.」
Mars and Hazuki have this conversation while showering together.
Hazuki places a handful of foam on her modest breasts, trying to enhance their size.
Despite having seen them countless times last night, there's no point in trying to deceive their size any further.
Not everyone in this world has large breasts, but Hazuki's complex is triggered by the fact that their companions all have big breasts.
「If it were me... I wouldn't be able to hold back.」
Mars thinks that Hazuki probably has no intention of holding back.
He thought it would be much better than having Hazuki suppress herself and accumulate stress.
「Since we're in the bath together, I want to have some intimate time, but... Lilia-san seems really likely to get angry, so let's finish quickly, okay?」
「We should also hold a strategy meeting, just in case.」
They both knew that Lilia's anger is scarier than the dragon's.
They don't know the nature or strength of the dragon, but they know Lilia's personality and strength.
「The long-range group consisting of me and Hazuki will launch a surprise attack from the beginning. We don't know how effective it will be, but Hazuki will use ice and I will use lightning.」
「Understood. Nemu-chan and I will engage in close combat. However, since we don't know the opponent's strength, we will observe Lilia and the others' attacks first.」
In front of the stairs leading to the next floor, everyone discusses their plan.
The tactics remain fundamentally the same. It is the most powerful and familiar approach they can take.
If their opponent is a dragon, they won't do anything overly elaborate.
What matters most in critical moments is the accumulation of experience in everyday battles.
「What should I do? I think I can generate water if it's only once.」
「For now, stay near Lilia and wait. If necessary, we might ask for your help, but if things get dangerous, seek refuge in Lilia or Hazuki-chan's treasure vault.」
Although Sion wouldn't say she's a burden, she can't be relied upon as a combat force.
She can barely walk around, and that's her limit for now.
Although her recovery is gradually progressing, using large-scale magic once again would put her life in jeopardy.
Sion understands this very well and nods deeply.
「I'll go ahead, so Nemu-chan, stay behind me.」
「Got it-nyaa.」
「Alright, let's go.」
What awaits them is the "Jet Black."
The dragon is nothing more than a vanguard battle.
However, it's the most tense they've ever been.
「Yo, nice weather, isn't it?」
「You're bad at small talk, aren't you? We can't see the sky from here, you know.」
Sitting cross-legged, "Jet Black" casually raises his hand and says something foolish.
「Well then, shall we bring it out quickly?」
The shadow of "Jet Black" extends and materializes.
What emerges is a gigantic dragon.
However, it's quite different from what Mars and the others had imagined.
「—An axolotl?」
「Yeah, that's it! Not an eel! I thought I had seen it somewhere!」
"Jet Black" shouts with a clear voice as he remembers.
What appeared was a plump axolotl-like creature.
In contrast to the sleek image of a dragon, its belly is swollen and its head is round.
Its eyes are closed, and its mouth stretches wide horizontally.
Its dark brownish body glistens with sliminess.
However, despite its foolish appearance, if you look closely, you can see sturdy claws on its limbs, and upon closer inspection, its entire body is covered in hard-looking scales.
Although it doesn't quite fit, it does somewhat resemble a dragon in appearance.
「...It looks lame-nyaa.」
「It's so... flat...」
For some reason, Nemu was disappointed.
She must have imagined a magnificent dragon.
Mars felt the same way, rather indifferent.
However, just the fact that it's a large creature evokes a certain level of fear.
He was convinced that even a casual attack could be more than enough to deliver a fatal blow.
「Yeah, it may look dumb, but this thing is strong. If you let your guard down, you'll die easily. ――Until I kill you, don't die.」
His voice could be heard, knowing that there was a smile beneath his helmet.
And then "Jet Black" disappears.
Mars couldn't help but smile wryly at his carefree nature.
「Anyway, it's huge.」
While observing the dragon—no, the axolotl from a distance without making any movements, Mars straightforwardly voiced his thoughts.
It's larger than the dragon zombie they saw at the Great Norn Tomb.
If we're talking about size alone, the largest one they encountered was the golem in the mines, but that was an extraordinary case even among extraordinary cases. This dragon also exists outside the norm for living creatures.
Since it's an estimate, it's difficult to measure its exact size, but it's approximately thirty meters.
Mars remembered that the Bryde's whale was about that size.
Needless to say, it's the largest creature on Earth.
In this world, it's overwhelming to think that such a creature is swimming in the lava.
The sheer scale of it is overwhelming.
Simply put, bigger creatures are generally stronger.
They have muscles just for movement to support their overwhelming weight.
Most creatures would easily die from the swing of a giant creature's arm.
Even with the size of a cow or a horse, a kick from their hind legs could easily kill a person.
If we're talking about a size of around thirty meters, equivalent to a Bryde's whale, the threat is unimaginable.
Moreover, it's not relying on buoyancy in water but standing on its own muscular strength.
Everyone decides to stay still and observe the situation.
「What... What should we do? It doesn't seem to be moving...」
「If we make a move, it might suddenly start moving. What's everyone's estimation? Considering it was in a volcano, it should be resistant to fire. And judging by its appearance, its skin seems surprisingly tough.」
It looked tough and resilient.
As far as Mars could sense, it was a tough monster.
Of course, it was just an estimation, but he was likely not far off the mark.
Mars had seen many monsters and creatures before.
It probably had attack power, but more than that, its defense and vitality seemed extraordinary.
Simple physical strength was the most terrifying aspect.
Dungeon monsters all had the ability to easily kill humans.
Yet, they could estimate the threat level to be low because they could kill them with their own attack power.
It was a matter of killing them before they got killed.
Naturally, such reasoning worked.
However, if it had an endless amount of stamina, that logic would no longer apply.
「It seems slow in its movements!」
「And it looks smelly-nyaa!」
「That's just an insult! But, yeah, it does look that way, though!」
Hazuki and Nemu honestly spoke their thoughts.
In this case, there was a slight relief and a hint of unease due to the lack of tension.
At first glance, it seemed like a sluggish monster.
―――But, that "Jet Black" said it was strong.
Just that made this monster feel more threatening than any other monster.
Lilia seemed to think the same as Mars, her expression serious.
There was nothing more reliable than the evaluation of a strong individual when estimating someone's power.
「The fact that it's not moving also seems like the composure of a powerful being waiting to see how we will act.」
Sion calmly stated.
It was reassuring to have someone level-headed in times like these.
「In any case, we have no choice but to attack and see what happens.」
「The question is whether to launch a full-scale attack or to attack in small increments and observe. It wouldn't be a good idea to wear Hazuki-chan out, but she has the highest probability of defeating it in one strike.」
「But, but, I'm probably not very good at fire magic, you know? Even with the 'Forbidden Magic Book,' I'm not particularly skilled with ice magic, so I'm a little scared...」
Hazuki continued, feeling like she couldn't efficiently and cleanly use her magical power.
「I don't know... Hmm, I'll try attacking while keeping an eye on its reactions. If the sword can penetrate it, we won't have much trouble. We might be able to slowly bring it down.」
Having made up his mind, Mars readied his sword.
The others took a step back and heightened their tension.
Fortunately, there was time to cast magic, including "Body Strengthening," and continue self-training.
He didn't want his arms blown off, but he was prepared for broken bones.
「Let's go. Everyone, prepare for battle!」
Mars dug into the ground and charged with full force.
His target was the area where he presumed the brain to be.
No matter what kind of creature it was, as long as it was an animal, the brain should be a fatal weakness.
He leaped and fiercely attacked the center of its forehead.
However...
「!?」
The sword was bounced back with a boing.
Mars, who had anticipated the sensation of a hard skull, momentarily lost his ability to think due to the unexpected turn of events.
He rebounded like a trampoline and landed on the ground.
In that instant, the dragon-like creature widened its eyes and opened its mouth wide.
「Evade left and right!」
Before Mars could say it, everyone moved.
Hazuki and Lilia moved to the right, while Nemu carried Sion and moved to the left.
Immediately after, a flame breath was released from the dragon's gaping mouth.
In an instant, the air in the room ignited, and even the air they breathed became hot.
It was then that Mars remembered.
The fire lizard, Salamander.
「I'll use ice magic! Chilled We~ll! I-I should have come up with a better technique name!」
Hazuki lamented while using magic.
Seeing the entire body of the Salamander freeze, Mars changed his weapon to a hammer.
Even if it had elasticity like rubber, if it was frozen, it could be shattered.
Elasticity is lost when frozen.
The principle is the same as when rubber placed in liquid nitrogen easily breaks.
Thinking that way, Mars swung the hammer down on the Salamander's head, but the ice quickly melted and steam rose.
The salamander didn't do anything special, but it seemed that the Salamander's body temperature was unusually high.
The temperature from the flame breath earlier might have also had an effect.
Even magic that could freeze the sea couldn't freeze the Salamander.
「Darn, did I mess up!?」
In mid-air, Mars felt deep frustration and his thoughts came to a halt.
In the air, trajectory couldn't be changed so easily.
The enormous mouth opened wide, ready to swallow Mars.
It was like a pitch-black hole, and instinctive fear enveloped Mars's entire body.
Due to gravity and the momentum he had plunged in with, he couldn't escape.
Even if he tried to create a doppelganger to kick himself out, his speed was too fast, causing the distance to open up between the location where the doppelganger appeared and where Mars was.
――Either I go wild inside its mouth and kill it from within or be devoured.
If it was unavoidable, he had to accept it and formulate a plan.
As he thought that, a sound of air being torn apart crackled.
「Mars!」
A few lightning arrows pierce into the Salamander's mouth all at once.
Even with its sturdy body, it seems the Salamander has no resistance to paralysis, and it momentarily stiffens.
Mars grabs onto the edge of its mouth and takes advantage of the recoil to escape.
「Thank you, you saved me!」
「We can't relax yet!」
Mars returns to Lilia and the others and observes once again.
Currently, the Salamander's limbs and extremities are still frozen, and it remains motionless.
Its sluggishness is not just in its form but also in its ability to feel pain.
Lilia's arrows don't seem to be effective as damage. It only feels the paralysis.
「It was bouncing earlier, but it's soft, right?」
「No, it's hard. But the inside is unusually soft. That's why the impact is dispersed, and the damage doesn't go through. It might pass if you stab it with a sword, but...」
Concentrating the impact on a single point increases destructive power.
However, even with Mars's attack power, he can't penetrate the hard scales without compensation.
He chooses to strike in a way that won't be repelled by the soft flesh inside.
If he aims for the forehead, which is the location of the brain, there is a mouth below it, and timing becomes difficult when guarding against the breath attack from there.
Its heart is even more impossible. It's not even known where it is, and its flesh is too thick.
Furthermore, if he misses the salamander's forehead and hits another area, Mars will sacrifice the function of his arm without delivering a decisive blow and lose the next opportunity.
In this situation, he can only aim to hit the brain for sure.
「Its movements are slow, so how about gradually wearing it down? No matter what creature it is, it has limits to its stamina. The problem is that it's more likely for our stamina to run out first...」
「It's slow, so Nemu thinks it'll be fine-nya! Even if it's big, it's meaningless if you can't hit it-nya.」
Even Hazuki's ice magic doesn't seem to cause any damage, so in terms of toughness, it's among the top monsters they've encountered so far.
Although they've only taken one breath attack, it probably has a considerable amount of attack power as well.
But it is deadly slow.
In terms of overall threat level, everyone thought it wasn't that high compared to the others they encountered.
The Hydra, which spreads deadly poison that can take lives just by being in the same space.
The necromancer Norn, who commanded a horde of undead, including dragon zombie.
The golem, which was not only enormous like a moving building but also had intelligence.
The sea god, who possesses enough magical power to control the sea itself.
Compared to such extraordinary beings, this Salamander has fundamental weaknesses.
If it is strong like Mars and the others, they shouldn't consider powerful attacks that don't hit as a threat.
After all, it's just a slow-moving giant lizard.
That's what they thought――
「!?」
After the ice that was clinging to it melted, the eyes attached to its silly head resembling a salamander opened.
Certainly, the vertically elongated and sharp pupils characteristic of reptiles emitted an intimidating aura.
At this moment, everyone finally understood that this creature was indeed a subspecies of a dragon, and they all shuddered with that realization.
And for the first time, they also understood that it had never been serious until now.
The salamander, now recognizing Mars and the others once again, extended its split tongue from its gigantic mouth.
Although its expression couldn't be discerned, it seemed to be mocking them.
「Disperse! Take Sion-san to the treasure vault!」
If they stayed together, there was a possibility of being wiped out in an instant.
When unsure of the opponent's moves, it's better to scatter.
The true identity of the intense pressure that suddenly swelled became apparent.
The salamander that was right in front of them disappeared.
「Nyaa!?」
The salamander had crashed into the wall near Nemu, who was standing far away.
Nemu narrowly evaded it, like jumping over a vaulting horse.
Despite there being a considerable distance between them, it had moved in the blink of an eye.
「Could it be this guy... it's fast!?」
Mars's visual acuity in motion is far superior to that of an ordinary person.
It is even further enhanced by using "Body Strengthening."
Yet, he couldn't even track it with his eyes.
Contrary to its sluggish appearance, it is the fastest among the monsters they have encountered so far.
Mars and Nemu could handle it if they anticipated its movements, but it was an impossible speed for Lilia and Hazuki to react to.
「Lilia, Hazuki-chan, head to the treasure vault immediately!」
Mars judged that the two of them were incapable of fighting.
Lilia's electric arrow had only momentarily paralyzed it, and Hazuki's ice magic had little effect.
In that case, it would be better to evacuate them considering the risks.
Without saying a word, the two of them immediately fled.
「It may not be of much use, but...!」
As a parting gift, Hazuki covered the salamander's whole body entirely in ice.
「Nemu-chan! Let's fight together while causing chaos! Avoid aerial combat! We can't dodge its breath!」
「Understood-nyaa! Should Nemu become the decoy-nyaa!?」
「I'm sorry, but I'm counting on you! If we don't miss the initial movement, we should be able to dodge it!」
Nemu's physical abilities far surpassed Mars's without relying on anything.
She had a talent far beyond that of a human from the beginning.
However, she lacked the attacking power that Mars possessed, and the composition of her "Forbidden Magic Book" focused more on utilizing Nemu's physical abilities than on attack.
Specifically, it included the ability to create footholds in the air.
That magic could also serve as a barrier.
Apparently, it caught Nemu's fancy, and the salamander repeatedly started running toward her.
The salamander didn't stop.
It was a frenzy, crashing into walls and stopping, then starting to run again.
It seemed to have decided to devour Mars and the others, with a wide-open mouth, but it showed no sign of using its breath.
――Neither of us had a decisive blow.
The salamander couldn't catch Mars and the others, and Mars and the others also lacked opportunities to attack.
Although a brief opening occurred immediately after their collision, Mars couldn't aim for it because the salamander had stuck its head into the wall.
If this situation continued for long, Mars and the others would undoubtedly run out of stamina first.
I want to find a way to land a blow on its head, but...
Lost in such thoughts, Mars momentarily diverted his gaze from the salamander.
The salamander that had been near Nemu was no longer there.
「This is bad!」
A gust of wind swirls as a massive mass moves.
Feeling the wind that threatens to blow him away, Mars looks in that direction and sees a salamander charging at incredible speed.
――I'll use sidestep with "Body Strengthening." No, I won't make it in time. This creature is too wide.
Upwards. There is a possibility that he can use his speed to launch a counter. In that case, its power should increase.
There's no time to hesitate.
Mars puts strength into his legs to jump. Or so he intended.
There was a miscalculation.
The ground beneath his feet is not a rocky terrain like before; it is part of the World Tree's roots.
As a result, he steps into the root, unable to gather enough strength in his legs.
The jumping distance is small, and he decelerates near the salamander's gaping maw.
He feels as if he is being sucked into a black hole resembling the entrance to nothingness, and Mars prepares for death.
――To die from a momentary misjudgment.
Even though he has repeatedly reminded everyone not to do so.
The fear of death forces his eyes shut.
Even having experienced it once, the fear couldn't be wiped away――.
「――Take this!」
In the next moment, the salamander is floating in mid-air, recoiling.
A large dent forms around its jaw.
Mars doesn't understand what just happened.
The only thing he knows is that his life was saved.
「Gahaha! The day has come when I can save you, Aniki! (Brother!)」
A voice louder than the sound of the salamander crashing into the ground resounds.
When he looks sideways, there stands a massive man――the dwarf Onyx, wielding a gigantic battle axe.
With reddish-bronze skin and deeply chiseled bulging muscles, he is a hero with a physique far from the typical small-sized dwarf.
His large head is still covered in fur, and his expression is a wide grin.
「Onyx!?」
「Yeah, that's right. I heard it was one of the Seven Great Dungeons and came to challenge it. But it seems like Aniki was in dire straits. So, I lent a hand!」
「Thank you... That was really dangerous just now.」
Onyx didn't do anything special.
He simply swung his powerful arm and sliced it.
The salamander was launched into the air like a baseball.
He was already stronger than Mars in terms of physical strength, and it seemed he had further honed his skills since they last met.
Mars felt a greater sense of dignity in his presence than before.
「Nyaa!? Bearded guy-nyaa!」
Nemu also notices Onyx and approaches.
The salamander seems to have completely fainted.
There are no apparent external wounds from Onyx's strike, so it's assumed that it attacked the jaw and suffered from a concussion.
「Now then, Aniki. It seems it would be better to save the lengthy conversation for later. Let's defeat this peculiar lizard first!」
「Yeah, let's crush its head together. Will you cooperate?」
「Of course. Isn't this situation perfect for me!?」
Mars stacks "Body Strengthening" to its limit, just barely keeping his arm functioning, and raises his hammer high.
He also prepares his doppelganger.
Onyx steadies his breath.
And with the help of Hazuki, who came out of the treasure vault, Mars ask her to freeze not a wide area but only the top of its head deeply.
With this situation, they should be able to defeat it.
The three of them, giving it their all, shattered the head of the Salamander.
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