Chapter 366: Reunion with the Drakon
Reunion with the Drakon
Drake found them as soon as they turned off their Stealth. The drakon descended, producing strong winds that disturbed the miasma below. When he was in front of Hikaru's party, the wind blew against them, along with clouds of dust.
「..........」
Spitting out the sand from his mouth, Hikaru gazed at Drake. The drakon certainly looked like him. The white fur, the look of surprise. The only difference was his size. He was now as big as the Gray Noble Drakon. The Drake that Hikaru knew was so much smaller that he could hold him in his arms.
「Who are you?」
「The Drake I know is small. Just enough to fit in my arms. He didn't blow winds and dust at us like this.」
Grow big? You became gigantic. This is taking growth spurt to a whole new level. Hikaru kept his thoughts to himself. It wasn't like human common sense applied to drakons as well.
「Is that really our little Drake?」
「Evolution...」
「There's another word I'm not sure I know the meaning of. So who's the other guy?」Hikaru pointed at the other drakon. It was staring at the humans intently, studying them.
Slightly smaller than Drake, the mana stored in its body was enormous. Faint light spilled from the gaps between its purple scales, and there was profound wisdom in its watchful eyes.
「Hmm... Looks like some kind of big shot from your hometown, by the looks of it.」
Sensing enmity from the drakon, Hikaru quickly pushed Lavia aside. He then jumped back, activated his Stealth and gripped his wakizashi.
The drakon didn't do anything. It felt like it was about to attack. Or he already did. But nothing happened.
「Interesting hobby you got there.」
Hikaru deactivated his Stealth and walked towards the girls. Everything happened too fast that they could only stand still, their mouth open.
「You okay?」Hikaru asked.
「Uh, yeah. I couldn't move...」
「The hostile aura it emitted must have frozen you on the spot. Sorry for pushing you.」
「It's fine. It's my fault for not being able to move.」
Lavia's face was pale. Right now, Hikaru deemed the elder drakon to be an enemy.
「What's this about a barrier?」
「I see...」
Hikaru thought their timing was impeccable, arriving right after they killed the Evil Drakon. So that was the reason.
the Elder said.
「Clean up?」
Hikaru was right in getting rid of the miasma, after all.
「How are you gonna do that?」
The elder drakon spun around. Facing the pool of miasma, it took a deep breath and exhaled. The miasma dissipated the moment its Breath—a special kind, a mix of purple light and lightning—reached it.
「Wow...」
「That didn't take long at all.」
The miasma disappeared so fast that Lavia and Paula were left flabbergasted.
「Looks like the flying dragons sniffed us out, though.」
More than ten figures were closing in on them.
Drake took off alone, rushing towards the incoming dragons.
「Drake!」
There was no time to stop him. Hikaru's worries, however, were unfounded. Drake bit off the dragons one by one.
「Uh... was he always that violent?」Hikaru said.
「Drake grew up to be such a fine drakon.」
「You call that "fine"?」
The swarm of flying dragons was subdued in no time at all. There was blood all over Drake's mouth when he returned, but Hikaru decided not to say anything.
「You actually tried to eat them?」
It was a group of Earth Dragons crawling on the ground this time. Drake killed them off one by one, with only a single blow each. There were several more attacks after that, but Drake managed all by himself.
The elder drakon was breathing heavily. Hikaru could see that most of its mana went into its Breath.
The sun had already gone down, and it was getting dark. Even under the light of the moon, the Evil Drakon's sinister aura remained.
「What do you mean? I just want it burned or something. Anything to get rid of it.」
The elder drakon's eyes widened, then it guffawed.
Its laughter was so loud that they had to cover their ears.
「I have no idea why you're laughing.」
「Not me, no.」
「I said I don't want it.」
「For the record, I'm no saint. But materials from a drakon that breathes miasma? No thanks. That's just gross.」
No matter how high-class a fish was, if it came out of the sludge of Tokyo Bay, he would not want to eat it.
Hikaru covered his ears as the elder started laughing again. He's an enemy, all right, he thought. Those who don't care about others are threats.
「I couldn't ask for anything better.」Hikaru replied.「And thanks Drake. For taking care of the monsters.」
You stupid drakon... Hikaru shot him a glare.
the elder said.
「Don't tell me the whole continent's gonna explode?」
If that happened, everything they had done would have been for naught.
The elder drakon mumbled the rest of its words.
「Oh, you're gonna carry us? Much appreciated.」
Drake was brimming with confidence.
「Isn't disposing of the Evil Drakon's corpse dangerous?」Lavia asked.
「I'm worried too.」Paula added.
the elder drakon answered.
「O-Okay...」
Drake said.
The drakon grinned, baring his sharp teeth. His smile looked menacing more than anything. That's Drake, all right, Hikaru thought.
It only took them a few hours to get from the northern tip of the continent to Dream Maker. Many people on lookout spotted a white figure racing through the night skies, but no one from the city knew what it really was.
Drake said as they landed in the forest a little distance away from Dream Maker.
「Really?」
「Is this goodbye?」Lavia asked.
「We'll miss you.」Paula said.
The girls hugged Drake from both sides. He looked awkward, yet also happy.
「I've become a little more aware of my role as a drakon—as a Rule Maker of this world. I might not see you guys ever again, but I'll always be watching over you.」
Hikaru reached out to touch Drake's nose.「That's stupid. How can you call yourself a mediator if you can't even visit those who you want to meet?」
If it weren't for the tears welling up in Drake's eyes, he wouldn't have said that.
「I don't give a damn about the rules of your hometown.」
Hikaru's chest lit up a little, where his guild card was. When he looked at the card, he saw a new class.
[Drakon Killer God: Drakon Slayer]
「......... 」
「What, you think I'm some kind of a homicidal maniac?」
Filled with sorrow and regret, Drake left Hikaru and the girls, soaring into the night sky.