<huge snake was a strong monster, but it wasn't a match for the hero. <like a massive dump truck charging at the hero, the snake lunged forward!>
<but such a simple attack meant absolutely nothing to the hero.>
<does it not understand that its repeated attacks are utterly useless? gaining size and strength means nothing if you're still just a beast, huh?>
“KYAAAAAA!!”
<but this time, something seemed different. After grazing past the hero who sidestepped, the snake coiled around quickly in a circle, tightening its grip like a living vice!>
<the snake's hunting method of crushing its prey with constricting coils. but if the snake were THIS huge... simply wrapping around and squeezing would be enough to devastate everything nearby!><an ordinary human would've been swept away by the dozens or hundreds. but the only one targeted by this attack is the hero standing alone.>
<no matter how fast the snake tightens its coil, the hero will escape far faster.>
“too slow!”
<and indeed, the hero leaped upward, evading the snake's tightening tail which then swung around trying to strike from above!>
<basically the same situation as their first clash. brute force and size mean nothing against the hero. especially when the exact same attack has already been broken once before.>
<but the snake chose a different option this time.>
<instead of just swinging its tail, it crushed the airborne hero downward with overwhelming pressure!>
“ugh?!”
<the hero swiftly swung the greatsword, carving into the snake's tail - but>“KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
<despite its wounds, the snake continued to press down relentlessly, trapping the hero like a lid on a boiling pot!>
“tch!”
<only now did the hero realize the snake's true intent. too late, hero.>
<hmm... has he gotten soft from relaxing in the village? his reactions were never this slow when i was pushing him.>
<so the snake tried to crush the hero with its massive body,>
“HAAAT!!”
<but with a mighty battle cry, dozens of slashes erupted from within the snake's coils!>
<from the hero's perspective, being trapped 360 degrees was actually an ideal situation to slash in every direction unimpeded!>
<by wildly unleashing strikes in all directions, the snake's attempted trap became completely meaningless!>
“KIIIIEEEEEEEK!!!”
<the snake screamed again. its tough scales have likely never been this heavily wounded before. it writhed in unfamiliar agony.>“phew…”
<as the snake's coils loosened, the hero emerged once more, clad in silvery armor that protected him from the venomous blood blackening the surrounding plants.>
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAK!!”
<the snake charged again, desperate now. its scales shattered, its squeezing failed, its tail strikes ineffective - all that remained was its venomous fangs!><but the hero calmly watched before>
“hmpf!”
<stepping aside just the right distance while backhanding the snake's left fang with his armored fist!>
<that single blow shattered the fang sharper than any dagger, breaking it off effortlessly thanks to the reinforced silver gauntlet.>“KIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!”
<the snake writhed in pain as it felt one of its main fangs shatter completely.>“phew… transformation解除.”
<the hero dispelled his silver armor, returning to his greatsword form as he regarded the massive snake.><what was once an imposing creature now lay battered and broken. its shield-like scales torn apart, its tail shredded and bleeding, one fang broken with venom leaking out.>
<meanwhile, the hero didn't have a single scratch on him beyond some dirt from the snake's thrashing.>
<hmph. i trained him well despite his dull nature. through hard work and perseverance, even someone clumsy can reach this level of skill.>
<though i'll admit, getting his heart to restart multiple times during training was... concerning.><well, resurrecting someone is easy enough though. and i did prepare resurrection magic just in case.>
<anyway, the victor here is obvious.>
<the hero looked at the slightly weakened snake and said>“this is enough. stop resisting and leave this place.”
<even though it couldn't understand human language, the snake gradually realized the hero wasn't attacking anymore and began slowly retreating.>
<hmm... while the hero is kind-hearted letting monsters like this live... it's problematic.>
<this thing will definitely go attack others somewhere else.><maybe i should take care of it remotely while the hero isn't looking? judging from how it didn't react much to the hero's sword cuts, it doesn't seem to have a piece of baal.>
<just as the snake was trying to put some distance between itself and the hero,>
“ROOOOOOOAR!!!”
“gah?!”
“KIIIEEEK!!”
<the hero covered his ears from the deafening sound, while the snake hastily curled its tail and tried to flee.><but the massive shadow wouldn't let it escape, firing a fireball that struck the snake directly, sending it flying far away.>
“this is… a dragon…?”
<nope.>
<not a dragon. it's a wyvern. see? only two legs. it's using its wing-like front limbs to fly, balancing with its hind legs and tail.>
<just... an unusually large wyvern, about three times bigger than normal. big enough to be mistaken for a small dragon.>
“could it be… is this wyvern also fleeing from a real dragon…?”
<so you finally get it, huh? except it's NOT a dragon. i can only say that because i haven't seen a real dragon!>
<tch. i can't reveal my true form just yet anyway. grrr...>
“gruurrRRR…”
<the wyvern's mouth glowed with flames. but its gaze wasn't on the snake anymore.><its gaze was fixed on the hero... and the hero's sword.>
<hmm... could this wyvern contain a piece of baal?>
<is that why it's targeting the hero's sword, sensing the piece of baal within?>
“KIIIIIAAAAAAAK!!!”
<the wyvern roared again, making the hero cover his ears once more.><the very air seemed to vibrate from its roar. this was clearly the wyvern marking the hero as its prey.>
“ugh…”
<the hero gripped his sword tighter. though he'd already fought once, there was no sign of fatigue.><but this new opponent, this massive wyvern that was strong enough to be called a "dragon"...>
<especially if it contains a piece of baal.>
<but... the hero will be fine. i didn't raise him to be so weak.>
<he'll be fine.>
<with that thought, i stood ready to teleport in at a moment's notice and began watching the fight.>
—
<the wyvern made the first move.>“gruuuuh… KYAAHAAACK!”
<spitting out a fiery gob accompanied by a phlegmy growl.>
<the hero simply swung his greatsword, cleanly splitting the fireball which exploded harmlessly behind him.><hmph. such fireballs won't hurt the hero.>
<if a wyvern's flame could hurt him, my fireballs would've burned him to a crisp long ago.>
<it's too slow, too weak in heat, and lacks both explosive power and range.>
<wait, i shouldn't be comparing this wyvern's flames to mine.>
<the hero leaped toward the wyvern, which responded by slashing with its rear talons.>KAANG!!
<sparks flew as the hero's sword met the wyvern's claws, which shattered under the impact.>
<clearly, even with dark enhancement, the wyvern's claws aren't a match for the hero's blade.>
<the wyvern created distance, seemingly confident the hero couldn't fly.><but>
“HAAT!”
<thanks to my intense training, this hero can leap into the air several times!><well, it's powered by magical enhancement, but he says it's difficult without magic.>
“KYAAAAAA!!”
<the wyvern spun around, lashing its tail, but the hero thrust his greatsword into the tail instead!><pwuuk!>
<the sword tore deeply into the wyvern's hide, cutting through the thick scales and sinking into the tail.>
<as the wyvern thrashed in agony, the hero tried to hold on, but maintaining his grip was impossible against the whip-like motion. eventually, the sword was wrenched free.>
“ugh!”
<and thus, the hero began falling toward the ground.>
