Chapter 173: The Dragon's Mist
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"Ffshuuuuuuuuu!!!!"
In an instant, the surrounding area was enveloped in a pale pinkish mist.
The [Dragon Mist] was Oka's specialty technique.
Oka, with a red dragon as her mother and a white dragon as her father, was unable to breathe either [Fire Breath] or [Cold Breath] that each respective dragon species excelled at.
This was because Oka possessed the organs for generating both types of breath inside her body.
While her parents had hoped Oka would be able to breathe both breaths, that did not come to be.
The interference between the two respective organs meant Oka could breathe neither breath.
She was a defective runt.
She utterly hated herself for that.
However, there was someone who saved Oka.
That person was the woman Oka still reveres as her master for life even now.
At the time, the woman who had not even reached her mid-teens yet met Oka and began traveling together with her.
Oka, scorned as a defective runt by everyone else in her brood, was never abandoned by this woman.
Despite being a dragon unable to breathe any breath, the woman respected Oka as a friend.
Not only that, the woman possessed scientific knowledge - from where she had learned it was unknown - that "Fog is born when warm, moist air collides with cold air."
Applying that knowledge, she devised a technique that only Oka could use.
That was the [Dragon Mist].
Originally operating as a smokescreen, this technique of expelling mist generated by using water magic to moisten the air inside her body, heating it with her Fire Breath organ, then rapidly cooling it with her Cold Breath organ turned out to be more than just concealment.
The pale pinkish mist produced by [Dragon Mist] contained a large volume of Oka's magic power, allowing her to precisely grasp the movements of any living beings trapped within.
Moreover, the dense draconic magic power meant ordinary beings inhaling it risked magical power poisoning that could potentially kill them.
While the ability to indiscriminately engulf friend and foe alike was a weakness inherent to the wide-spreading mist, it was truly Oka's trump card, a deadly technique.
That was [Dragon Mist].
(Heh heh, with this, I've already won!)
Enveloped in the pale pinkish mist, Oka grinned with conviction of her victory.
Living beings that continued absorbing magic power exceeding their capacity would meet a miserable end.
Unable to withstand it, their souls would burst apart, killing them.
That girl was strong.
A monster.
Likely some kind of monster disguised in human form.
However, no matter how strong the monster, its soul could not surpass a dragon's.
If she inhaled the magic power-laden mist continuously, she would inevitably die of magical power poisoning sooner or later.
Unlike ordinary people who would die immediately, she might weaken gradually, but still.
Oka could sense her surroundings through the [Dragon Mist] even when enveloped within the mist herself.
She could see as clearly as daylight how the girl who had been scurrying about like an annoying insect moments earlier had now fallen perfectly still within the mist.
That was proof the [Dragon Mist] was effective even against that monster.
Yes, Oka had judged it so.
By now, the girl must be assailed by headaches and nausea, barely able to remain standing.
"Ffshuu..."
However, Oka would not act rashly here, attempting to tear apart the weakened girl with her claws.
She could not predict what that monster would do when driven to the brink of death.
Steadily, surely.
She would continue exhaling mist, gradually attacking the girl from a distance.
There was no need to resort to risky maneuvers.
Simply exhaling the mist would allow her to win safely.
...But even so.
"Ffshuu...?"
No matter how long she waited, there were no signs of the girl collapsing.
Instead......
(The mist is......thinning out!?)
Gradually, the pale pinkish color around her faded, visibility returning to normal.
Since Oka had used magic to create a windless state, there was no way for outside winds to blow away the mist.
Just what was happening!?
"Suuuuuuu......"
The answer was the faint sound that began reaching Oka's ears as the mist blocking all noise thinned out - this sound.
Was it the sound of wind?
"Suuuuuuuu......!!"
The mist continued clearing away.
The mist was moving.
...Where to!?
"Suuuuuuuu......!!"
The mist enveloping the surroundings was gradually revealing its destination as it converged entirely toward the girl's mouth and vanished...!!
In other words!!
(She's inhaling it!? She's inhaling the entire [Dragon Mist]!?)
Oka was dumbstruck by this reality, eyes wide open!
Her open mouth refused to close!
Just what lung capacity did this girl have!?
And what about magical power poisoning!?
How was she still perfectly fine!?
Questions flooded her mind!
However, they were still in the midst of battle!
Oka absolutely must not show any openings before this dreadful monster!
"......I can see you now!!!"
As the mist cleared enough for Emi to spot Oka again, she shouted those words, extending her right arm horizontally before spinning around once in place.
With just that motion, the large jagged boulder that had been behind her was cleanly sliced off at the base!
"Here I......gooooooooooooooo!!!"
Then Emi easily lifted that boulder weighing hundreds of times more than herself and flung it straight at Oka with all her might!
Spinning like a drill, the boulder closed in to pierce through Oka's body!!
(Owaaaaaaah!?)
However, Oka was a dragon.
Though flustered, she moved her massive frame at unimaginable speeds, dodging the boulder!
But then!
(Huh!? She's gone! That black-haired girl is gone!?)
In the brief instant Oka averted her gaze to dodge the boulder, the girl had vanished without a trace.
It was unthinkable she had simply fled.
But where did she go!?
However, Oka had no time to search around for the girl.
Dogon!!!
The next instant, a thunderous impact struck Oka's massive body along with that sound, a force capable of shattering even a dragon's bones!
Of course, this was Emi's doing.
Without missing the opening Oka showed, Emi had slipped into her blind spot, closing the distance enough to unleash a [Magic Strike]!
Oka's blind spot.
It was her left side field of vision.
The left eye gouged out by the enraged hunter had become the opening for the girl to attack the dragon.
Gonpeter's feelings had not been in vain!
Dogon!!!
Dogon!!!
Dogon!!!
The thunderous impacts resounded repeatedly, sounds one could never imagine coming from a little girl's fists!
"Gyagaaaaaaaah!!!"
Oka shrieked in pain!
Driven by rage and fear into thoughtless frenzy, she wildly flailed her claws, unable to strike the small monster!
Far from it......!
Gogik!!!
An disgusting noise rang out from Oka's left arm.
Her left arm swung down toward Emi had been nonchalantly evaded, a [Magic Strike] counterattack breaking the limb.
Dogon!!!
Dogon!!!
Dogon!!!
Then without pause, the assault on her body resumed.
With each strike from the girl's fists, Oka's flesh tore, bones broke, and scales scattered about.
Oka no longer had any means to resist.
"Gaaaa, gaaaaaaaaah......!!"
Weakly, all Oka could manage was agonized screams.
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<<<Hey......wait, wait......>>>
A few minutes later, every bone in Oka's body had been shattered, leaving her powerless as she lay sprawled across the rocky ground.
All she could do now was beg for her life.
"You can talk, lizard?"
Receiving Oka's [Mental Voice], Emi reacted with mild surprise despite her expressionless face.
Calling a dragon a "lizard" should have been an unbearable insult for any dragon.
However, Oka lacked even the spirit to muster anger over it.
"I really hate talking lizards."
<<<I'm sorry......forgive me......help me, help me......I apologize for trying to eat you...>>>
While shedding tears, Oka desperately begged Emi for her life.
Tilting her head, Emi said:
"The lizard is saying strange things. To live, one must eat. Isn't that natural? It's not your place to apologize. Nor mine to forgive."
<<<Help me......>>>
"No way. Yesterday, I hunted ten birds. But I only ate one. I'm still hungry."
Saying such incomprehensible things, the monster strode over to Oka's neck area and extended her right hand's fingers, raising them high.
She seemed to be winding up to swing that arm down, severing Oka's already weakened neck.
How could such a slender arm sever a dragon's neck?
Oka could not rationalize it, but she fully understood this girl before her was a monster capable of such a feat.
And through their exchange, Oka also understood this monster would not heed pleas for mercy.
However, Oka did not stop her [Mental Voice] pleas.
Because apart from her own life, there was one more thing she wanted to protect.
<<<Understood......you can eat me......but please, hear me out on one thing......>>>
"............"
Emi lowered the raised right hand for the moment.
It seemed she would listen.
Oka felt relieved.
<<<This area is my territory......so those guys from West Ridge......never approached......>>>
"Those guys from West Ridge?"
<<<A brood of young green dragons......ruffians......If I die......without doubt, they will attack......Yamaok Village......>>>
"............"
<<<Please......help......Yamaok Village......help......>>>
"I don't know anything about the village."
Emi bluntly stated.
"But if there are big lizards, I'll eat them. I'll kill them all. Leave no survivors."
And she added that.
<<<......I see>>>
Oka weakly laughed, then......had her neck snapped, dying.