Chapter 2:
Of Springs and Curses
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Shortly after noon the next day, we found ourselves facing a vast forest drenched in warm sunlight.
Behind us, the Furyu mountain range stretched from east to west like a massive wall of rock. Below was an endless sea of trees, looking almost like a green carpet butting up against the mountains. Beyond that, to the northwest, the Karyu and Hyoryu ranges created a near-complete ring of mountains around us.
After our brief rest, we were fortunate to find a route from the subterranean lake to the upper parts of the cave. We discovered a tunnel above one of the cavern’s waterfalls, and we followed it for some time until it connected to the main path. However, it would have been impossible to reach the waterfall in the first place without my teleportation magic. Fortunately, the cavern was well-illuminated, thanks to the crystals scattered about, which gave me a clear view.
Now that our long journey through the dark cave was over, Ariane, Chiyome, and I stood side by side at the cave entrance halfway down the Furyu mountain range and took in the view.
“Well, I’m glad we got out of there before the sun started to set.” Ariane sighed in relief and opened the map Glenys gave her back in the village. “We made it past the Furyu Mountains. The village will be pleased to hear this.”
“Kyiiii…”
“Where is the spring that we’re looking for, Ariane?” Chiyome’s cheeks had taken on a rosy hue. I was pretty sure it wasn’t just from Ponta playing with the cat ears on her head.
Ariane looked back and forth between the scene before us and the map, then pointed toward an area up ahead. “It should be near that mountain’s summit.”
She indicated a rocky outcropping near a mountaintop jutting from the middle of the forest. It wasn’t far from where we stood, and didn’t seem all that tall. However, a massive tree grew out of the mountaintop, its dense foliage casting the slopes beneath into shadow. Something about it gave off a very peculiar vibe.
I squinted. “That tree at the top…is that the Lord Crown? I don’t see a dragon.”
“Well, you can’t see him from here. Anyway, if we do run into the Dragon Lord, neither of you do anything stupid, okay? Just leave it to me. That goes double for you, Arc!” Ariane tapped my chest plate.
I had no real desire to face off against a dragon, much less one of the most powerful dragons, so I simply nodded in response.
No paths led down the Furyu Mountains, so we descended by looking for areas where the slope was a bit less severe, eventually arriving at the trees and shrubs that lined the foothills.
From there, we headed east, making our way back above the forest. There, we once again caught sight of the mountain and its massive tree. Now that we were directly below the peak, the tree seemed even larger.
At the mountain’s base was a large, grassy plain. Right at the edge of the tree line, I saw a large, bluish stone lying in the dark shadow cast by the tree high above. Immediately after, I noticed a structure near where the plain met the mountain. I could hardly believe my eyes.
From that far away, I couldn’t be sure how large the structure was. Judging by the height of the nearby trees, though, I figured it was about ten meters tall.
Two large, gray stone pillars with two poles—one above the other, with a space between them—ran parallel to the ground. The sudden appearance of that very familiar archway made me swallow hard.
I managed to choke out a few words. “Is… is that a…?!”
“What is it? Hey, Arc!”
Without a second thought, I teleported to the structure. I didn’t catch the end of what Ariane had started saying, but that wasn’t important.
What stood in front of me was a torii—the entrance to a Shinto shrine.
Other than the green moss growing around the base of the two pillars, there were no notable decorations. However, it was undeniably a torii. I hadn’t seen anything like that in any town I’d visited since coming here.
Now that I thought about it, though, Chiyome had wanted to accompany us on our journey because she was looking for the hideout of the Jinshin clan’s founder, Hanzo. It was apparently located beyond the Furyu Mountains—where we were now. Assuming that Hanzo was either Japanese, or a person who knew about Japan, the torii might mark his hideout’s location.
I looked ahead and found all the proof I needed. Beyond the archway, a stone stairway led up the mountainside. It certainly looked human-made. I decided that I should go back and let Chiyome know immediately. Right at that moment, however, the ground beneath me shook, and I fell to one knee.
“Wha—?!”
Who dares set foot on my back? You have guts, little runt!
A voice boomed inside my head. The world went black, and I could feel the rocks beneath me tremble, throwing me high into the air. Gravity soon took over, however, pulling me—and the heavy armor encasing my body—back to the ground.
As I fell, my eyes fixed on what I’d thought was a blue stone below. It had grown four wings. A long neck with an enormous, angular head rose from one end. The creature opened his large mouth and let out a loud roar, displaying rows of intimidating fangs. The air itself shook, and the birds in nearby trees took to the sky in unison.
I managed to twist my body around as I dropped, rolling as soon as I hit the ground. Even so, the impact hit me far harder than when I’d fallen at the elven outpost, sending me into a coughing fit.
“Nnngh! Gah… That hurt…”
I cast a recovery spell on myself before turning my attention to the thing that hurt me in the first place.
In front of me stood a huge dragon.
Blue-tinged scales covered his body completely, and four large wings protruded from his back. On top of his head were four long, black horns—two on each side. His neck, marked with a striped pattern, led down to four powerful-looking limbs supporting his body. From his snout to the tip of his long tail, the dragon had to be at least thirty meters long.
Despite his size, however, he was surprisingly agile. He stretched out nimbly, knocking trees over as he moved, opening up the grasslands even further. It was quite an intimidating sight.
Was this the Dragon Lord Ariane told me about?
The dragon’s eyes narrowed as he glared at me, pupils vertical slits. He let out another loud roar. The soundwave knocked me backward, although I managed to remain standing. I shook my head to clear the ringing in my ears.
So, you were able to take that, huh? Well, if you’re here to challenge me, runt, a challenge is what you’ll get.
Once again, I heard a voice speaking in my head. The dragon’s lip twisted upward slightly, baring his fangs.
He seemed to be smiling.
The voice came from the Dragon Lord himself, using some sort of telepathy to speak to me directly.
If I was facing an intelligent creature, you’d imagine we might start our conversation with introductions. Apparently, however, I’d inadvertently given the impression that I was here to challenge the Dragon Lord.
How was I supposed to know that what I thought was a rock was the Dragon Lord’s back? I’d been too lost in excitement at seeing the torii to think straight.
From the Dragon Lord’s point of view, it might have seemed that I’d stepped on him in a show of defiance. Honestly, however, I had no desire to face off against one of this world’s strongest dragons.
“Please, wait! I have no desire to fight,” I tried to explain.
There will be no discussion! I will show you the folly of your actions! The Dragon Lord’s thoughts boomed through my head as his massive body moved.
He spun around, lashing his long tail like a whip.
For some reason, my mind was stuck on the fact that this was the first enemy I’d met who came out of the gate swinging, without discussion. I came to my senses an instant before the impact, grabbing the Holy Shield of Teutates off my back with my left hand, and taking the blow from the dragon’s tail head-on.
The attack reverberated up my arm, causing untold damage, but I didn’t have time to worry about that just then. The Dragon Lord repositioned himself and reared his head.
From where I stood below, I couldn’t quite see what he was doing, but I caught a glimpse of green light growing around his mouth. A tingle ran up my spine.