After we moved to the plain where the fight would take place, I decided to have some tea, as I had some time to spare until the dragon arrived. Marquess Doze’s city was a good distance behind us, with the knights and soldiers bolstering their defenses as the people crowded near the plain. They gulped nervously as they watched us. I didn’t mind if they fled—frankly, they were in the way—but I couldn’t tell them to go away after Isabel’s fantastic speech.
I was on my third cup of tea when I saw something fly out from the mountain.
“The dragon is here!” Oscar reported, peering through binoculars and spotting Emma as well. “Emma is alive.”
The dragon roared loudly and breathed its flames into the forest; I assumed that Emma was around there somewhere. Even from far away, the beast was an impressive size, and I knew that it would be much larger up close. After a while, I saw something jumping about in the forest like a flea, making its way toward us—Emma.
“Everyone, prepare for battle,” I ordered.
“Sir, yes, sir!” my squires bellowed, grabbing their weapons and getting ready.
“It’ll be a problem if it manages to flee, so we’ll lure it out as much as we can and knock it to the ground. When Emma reaches us, Alice and I will attack with our spells. When the dragon falls, Richard, Oscar, Isabel, I want you three to run up to it with your weapons. Lewis, I want you to give those three the blessing of God. Ah, and enhance me as well.”
“Your wish is my command,” Lewis said.
Lewis was our priest and began to chant to give us the blessing of God, which allowed us to endure the blasts of fire from the dragon. Emma was too far away to receive the blessing, but I was sure that she would be fine.
Finally, I caught a proper glimpse of her—she was racing through the plain at breakneck speed. The dragon relentlessly pursued her, its eyes focused only on her and no one else. It seemed the monster had taken a liking to Emma.
Does it prefer girls like her?
When the beast finally flew over the plain, I put my hands out in front of myself and chanted my spell.
“O grand gust of wind, heed my call,” I said. “Be the blade of tempests, the sword of gales, the vortex of storms. Make the atmosphere quake and tear through the heavens. Wind, O wind, become the force that rips through my enemies as you dwell in my hand and unleash your power!”
My target was the dragon’s right wing. Alice chanted the same spell and took aim at the left wing.
“Rip them to shreds, harbinger of storms!” I chanted.
Two powerful blades of wind cut through the skies toward the dragon’s wings. The spell wasn’t as effective on the dragon’s body because it was protected by scales, but its wings were only covered by a thin layer of skin. Our blades cut through them easily, tearing them to shreds.
The dragon, now having lost its wings, let out a mighty roar of agony and fell to the ground. Richard and the other squires rushed towards where it fell. Emma returned to my side, swiftly donned her armor, and joined the fray to fight the monster. She likely determined that it was best to have some sort of protection in close combat—she seemed airheaded, but her decisions during these situations were always precise.
“I’ll go too,” I said. “Alice, Lewis, support us.”
“Sir, yes, sir!” the two shouted.
There was no need for me to be at the front, but if I sat back and watched while my squires fought, I would leave a negative impression on the public. This was a battle for fame, and I was in front of quite a large crowd. I had to show off my power here.
The fallen dragon tried its best to stand back up, living up to its reputation as the strongest species amongst monsters. Just because it had fallen, that didn’t mean it was completely out of the fight. Richard swung his greatsword around like an axe, aiming for the beast’s leg.
“Rah!” he shouted.
He tore through the scales, blood gushing from the wound. The dragon, standing about as tall as my manor, staggered. It opened its ferocious mouth and tried to breathe fire on Richard, but Oscar had rushed behind it and attacked its tail, diverting the monster’s attention. Isabel aimed for its vulnerable, soft underbelly.
The dragon went wild with rage and quickly decided to use all four limbs, each armed with sharp talons, to attack. Emma joined the battle, and Alice and Lewis cast offensive and healing spells, allowing us to maintain our advantage.
I imbued magic into my sword—a treasured weapon of the duke’s house called a demon sword. It was the perfect weapon for me—the more mana I channeled into the blade, the stronger it became. As the dragon lowered its head, I summoned all the strength I could muster and swung my sword down.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Thank you, Lady Serena!” Marquess Doze said. His eyes were filled with tears as he thanked me.
Beside me lay the severed head of the dragon, its hollow eyes gazing up at me as though it had something to say. Surely the monster had a few excuses of its own, just as I’d had in my previous life. The dragon must’ve claimed this area as its home first, and humans later invaded its territory.
“Is something the matter?” Doze asked. He looked at me quizzically and thought that he had done something rude.
“No, nothing at all,” I replied.
I shook myself free of the compassion that I felt toward the beast and turned back to the marquess. The city’s knights, soldiers, and citizens had gathered behind him.
“I, Serena Rosenberg, have defeated the dragon that terrorized your city!” I declared. “As I purged the evil, I showed bravery, teamwork, and faith in others. These have allowed me to face my enemies no matter their size and claim victory. This wasn’t just a physical battle but one that tested my heart and soul as well. I feared no enemy as I trusted in my comrades and marched forward. Because of this faith, I was able to stand against evil! This isn’t just my victory but a triumph for everyone who lives on this land. If we learn from this experience, we can change ourselves and make this land even better and stronger! Do not forget this day—sear it into your hearts. And work together to carve a path toward the future!”
Even I didn’t fully comprehend my words, but I had given similar speeches practically every day when I trained my squires. I was quite used to winning over a crowd. I was truly just saying whatever nonsense came to mind when I spoke of this as a test of my heart and soul. This victory was the result of a difference in skill, plain and simple. It was thanks to my squires and I that the dragon had been defeated—the people of this city did nothing at all. However, this kind of oration generally went over well with an audience.
“Hooray for Serena Rosenberg!” someone shouted.
Everyone began to join in and cheer words of gratitude toward me. Some began to cry—in fact, Marquess Doze was in tears right in front of my eyes. He must’ve been extremely stressed all this time because the dragon was threatening his fief. I could sympathize with that.
My squires also seemed satisfied that they’d been able to show off their skills. While I thought that this mission had been a huge chore, I felt oddly fulfilled by our accomplishment.