Chapter 42

Bash Side Story 2/4 – The Exiled One Encounters a Sorceress
After arriving at the mountain where the Black Dragon was said to dwell, I first investigated the area around the industrial road. However, perhaps because of the rumors about the Black Dragon’s appearance, there were no signs of carriages passing through, and the Black Dragon itself didn’t show up either. The more I searched, the more my impatience grew.

“Ugh… this makes gathering information in town feel pointless… I wanted to at least get a look at the Black Dragon first…”

Following the industrial road, I made my way toward the upper part of the mountain. As I defeated the monsters I encountered along the way, all sorts of thoughts ran through my mind.

Back when I was in the A-rank party Red Dragon’s Wings, I would’ve recklessly charged at monsters and overwhelmed them with brute force. But after taking on quests solo, I realized something. The source of that invincible feeling had been Aron’s enhancement magic.

On my own, without any buffs, I can’t even bring out a fifth of the strength I had when I was in a party. And with my personality, cooperating with other parties doesn’t go well either.

As a result, every time I fight a powerful enemy solo, I nearly get killed, and there have been plenty of times I’ve had to run away. I rack my brain, search for weaknesses, devise countermeasures, and sometimes even lure them into traps just to barely manage a win.

It really sinks in how blessed I was back then… Guildmaster-sama must have sent me on this training journey so I could experience exactly this.

“Ah, damn it, I’m getting weak-minded again. I’ve gotta find it.”

If I can’t find the Black Dragon, then I’ll look for that girl who went into the mountains. Either way, if she beats me to it, all the money I’ve spent so far will go to waste.

I pressed deeper into the mountain. After detouring around a steep slope that couldn’t be climbed directly and nearing the summit, a roar that shook the very air echoed throughout the mountains.

“That’s a dragon’s roar… no doubt about it, it’s the Black Dragon!!”

I sprinted through the trees. After a while, the forest suddenly opened up into a clearing before me.

“GROOOOOOOOAAARRR!!!”

“Prepare yourself, Black Dragon!! Your power shall all be mine!!!”

Standing before the Black Dragon was a single girl. She looked slightly younger than me. Her long purple hair was tied at the ends, and she wore highly revealing, ethnic-style clothing. I’d only seen equipment like that once before. She might be a sorceress.

A sorceress wears down a target’s vitality, then uses a domination curse to control the monster. That girl… is she planning to control the Black Dragon?

“Come forth!! My thralls!!”

When the girl raised her right hand, three bird-type monsters materialized in the air. Night Hawks, powerful monsters about the size of a human. They’re formidable opponents. So she’s skilled enough to tame even those.

“Draw its attention!!”

“Kyooooo!!”

The three Night Hawks beat their massive wings and attacked the Black Dragon. They flew around it, and one that slipped into its blind spot launched a charge cloaked in a barrier of wind magic.

“GROOOOAAARRR!!!”

The Black Dragon barely evaded the attack. Whenever it tried to counterattack, another Night Hawk would slam into it, robbing it of the opportunity.

“That coordination’s insane… the Black Dragon can’t do a thing.”

While the Night Hawks kept up their assault, the purple-haired girl finished her chant. In her hands was a sphere large enough to swallow a person whole. She aimed it at the Black Dragon and shouted.

“Curse Art: Demonic String Barrage!”

In that instant, the sphere burst apart, releasing countless small black orbs that rushed toward the Black Dragon.

“GROAAAGH!?”

The black orbs struck the Black Dragon directly. As it cried out in pain, the girl smiled.

“Good! Now we just need to whittle it down! Thralls! Crush any chance of counterattack!”

“Kyoo!!”

The three Night Hawks nodded and circled the Black Dragon. Then, all three unleashed their charging attacks simultaneously.

But…

“GROOOOOOOOAAARRR!!!”

A thunderous roar. A large ring of light spread from above the Black Dragon’s head. As the ring expanded outward, the Night Hawks found themselves within its radius. The ring flickered, and the intervals between flashes grew shorter and shorter.

“Hey… that doesn’t look good…”

The moment I said that, a deafening crash rang out, and the Night Hawks were slammed into the ground.

“Gyaaahhh!!?”

Their screams echoed. Is that the gravity magic the villagers mentioned? Enter the ring of light, and you’re crushed by an invisible force. The power and range are on a completely different level from ordinary magic.

The Night Hawks tried to escape, but smaller rings of light appeared individually around them. The rings flickered, and gravity magic activated in rapid succession. The Night Hawks were slammed into the ground again and again, until they were crushed beyond recognition.

“W-What…!? Was it merely observing our attacks all along!?”

The girl staggered backward. Perhaps it was beyond her expectations, her curse art dissipated. So gravity magic can be used as a wide-area, high-power strike, and also activated repeatedly in a smaller area. And the smaller range can be deployed multiple times… That thing’s a serious threat.

“I’ll use a curse barrier…!”

The girl deployed a barrier. In response, the Black Dragon swung its tail forward. The tip of its tail opened like a flower, and from within, tentacles shot out toward the girl. The barrier surrounding her was struck again and again, cracks forming across its surface.

“The power’s too great…! I-I must retreat…!”

The black barrier protecting her shattered under the tentacles’ assault. As she tried to run, a tentacle snared her right leg, and she fell.

“It’s already broken!?”

She was dragged across the ground toward the Black Dragon. At this rate, she’ll be crushed by gravity magic too. Just like the Night Hawks.

“L-Let go… I will absorb your power and conquer these northern nations…”

I should help her. Just as I stepped forward, a voice echoed in my mind.

─Don’t. She’s your rival, isn’t she? Wouldn’t it be easier to defeat the Black Dragon if you watched all its attacks first?

That voice felt like the old me. The arrogant me from when I was in Red Dragon’s Wings would definitely say that. Weighing others by profit and loss, making cold decisions while getting drunk on the idea that it was a leader’s duty…

“Damn it…!”

I punched my own cheek for thinking something so pathetic. I hit myself again and again, trying to scatter the tangled mess in my head. Don’t get sentimental, you idiot! Right now, I carry Guildmaster Zilkein-sama’s expectations on my back. Don’t forget that!

I’m not just Bash Lamilton standing here.

I’m an A-rank adventurer dispatched by the Luminage Guild.

My actions will determine Luminage’s reputation. I won’t take actions that would shame the Luminage Guild. I refuse to.

So…!

“UOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

I burst out from the bushes and sprinted toward the girl with all my strength. Channeling everything into my swing, I slammed my sword into the tentacle restraining her.

“GROO!?”

The Black Dragon flinched. I grabbed the girl’s hand as she was freed and yanked her up.

“W-Who are you!?”

“Save it for later! We’re getting out of here!!”

The moment we started running, gravity magic activated, and the ground where we had just been caved in with a heavy thud.

“…!?”

“See?! We don’t have time to waste!”

I ran at full speed. Ahead was the steep slope I’d detoured around earlier—but it was thick with trees. A massive creature like the Black Dragon shouldn’t be able to follow.

“L-Let go!! I need no rescue!”

“Shut up! You were about to die, don’t act all high and mighty!!”

A roar thundered from behind us. The booming crashes suggested gravity magic was activating repeatedly. If we stop here, we’re dead. Even as my breath grew ragged, I forced myself to keep running.

“GROOOOOOOOAAARRR!!!”

A ring of light appeared on the ground in front of us. Damn it. The slope’s right there.

“W-Wait! If we enter that, we’ll be crushed!”

I have no intention of getting crushed. But the area around us is already filled with rings of light. If I change direction and slow down even a little, we’ll be flattened. Having watched the Black Dragon fight, I know. Judging from the flicker pattern of the ring ahead, we can still slip through.

“We’re jumping!!”

“W-Wait… nooo!?”

I kicked off the ground, pulling the girl close as we plunged through the ring of light. The flickering sped up, gravity magic activated. But just as I predicted, it triggered a few seconds after we passed through.

It was close, but we made it.

The next instant, my back slammed into the slope. We didn’t stop. At least protect the girl, thinking that, I wrapped her in my cloak and we tumbled down the steep incline.

It hurts like hell!? But the Black Dragon’s roars gradually faded. The trees must be blocking it, it doesn’t seem able to follow.

“N-No! We’ll die!”

“Even if I die, I won’t let you die!”

My body lifted into the air again and again. Just before hitting the ground each time, I shielded her, slamming into the earth over and over. Finally, we crashed into a thick tree, and our descent stopped.

“Gah… that hurts like hell… I-I’m alive… right…?”

As I slowly lay on my back, the girl in my arms lifted her face.

“W-Why… did you protect me…?”

“Geh… If you rolled down like that in those clothes, you’d be torn to shreds, right? They’re probably good for magic efficiency, but be more careful…”

“Ugh… what kind of logic is that…”

“Well… I’m just glad you’re not hurt…”

Her face turned bright red as she opened and closed her mouth. Her eyes were wide, like she was seeing something rare.

“Y-Your… name?”

“Me? I’m Bash. I’m traveling.”

“Traveling… Bash…”

She repeated my words quietly, as if savoring them. This feels like a weird time for introductions. And with her face this close… what is this? It’s hard to believe we were just on the verge of death.

“I-I am called Saika. What were you doing in such a remote mountain…?”

Now that I listen closely, she has a peculiar way of speaking. Archaic, almost regal. Lost in that thought, I answered her question, completely forgetting that she’s my rival.

“I came to defeat the Black Dragon. Same as you, Saika.”

The moment I said I was here to defeat the Black Dragon, her eyebrows shot up.

“What did you say!? You dare aim for my prey!? You are my enemy!!”

“Whoa!? Hey, cut it out!”

Saika struggled to break free from me. Instinctively, I spread my arms, and a sharp pain shot through my right arm.

“Gah!?”

What the…?

I nervously lifted my right arm. My wrist dangled at an unnatural angle.

“Gyaaaahhh!? M-My arm’s broken!?”

Panic surged through me. In the chaos of my thoughts, the one person who came to mind was, of course, him.

Guildmaster-sama… Can I really defeat the Black Dragon like this…?