Maintaining this dimensional distortion any longer would drain all my mana and reduce my armor to pieces, so I canceled the distortion magic. The moment I did, I wasn’t worried about the heavy pressure returning.
The two Akashis speculated that the Demon Tribe’s gravity manipulation didn’t suppress a wide area but instead targeted me within a certain radius.
That sounded more plausible to me too. If it were suppressing such a vast area, the mana consumption would be astronomical. It made more sense for them to lock onto me and keep applying the pressure.
Even if it were affecting a large area, I could’ve just circled within the distortion field and bypassed it. Whether or not the enhanced gravity was following me, it didn’t matter much.
Besides, I already had a countermeasure prepared. Before canceling the distortion magic, I had already jumped into their trenches. Though my armor had dulled from mana consumption and now emitted an irritating metallic sound with every movement, what mattered now wasn’t that.
Not only was I still standing strong despite the immense pressure that should’ve been unbearable, but even the random grunts getting sliced like hay in front of me were still on their feet. If the overwhelming gravity was still being applied, these soldiers would have collapsed by now.
Apparently, they lacked the guts to use excessive force against their own allies—or perhaps they had another trick up their sleeve. Whatever it was, I intended to crush it.
Trusting in my strength, armor, and sword, I hacked and slashed through everything in sight. At times, I hurled rocks and used broken spear fragments as makeshift javelins, carving a bloody path forward.
It felt absurd how easily I could break through, considering I’d been held back for nearly a week. While scanning frantically for the demon responsible, I deflected bullets when suddenly, I felt a dull impact far heavier than any bullet.
Thinking it might be the demon attacking, I turned—but it wasn’t. Instead, it was something neither human nor beast, covered in growing plants, striking my back with a wooden club.
”Die… you demon spawn! The penetrating life-force watches over me…!”
Judging by the peculiar uniform visible beneath the vegetation, this was definitely one of the enemy. However, I couldn’t figure out why his body was sprouting plants.
Regardless of the reason, I simply swung my blade. As his club came down again, I blocked it with my greatsword and then struck him forcefully with my tail.
But his neck seemed unnaturally tough; there was a grinding sound as my tail bent halfway around it. Despite this, he clutched his throat and coughed, yet stubbornly swung his club at my tail once more.
“Ugh…”
Though my tail was sturdier than most parts of my body, it wasn’t armored, and I felt the bone ache painfully. Pulling my tail away while spinning my body, I aimed to cleave through the plant soldier with all my might.
At that moment, strange light emanated from the inscriptions on my greatsword. My weapon began absorbing mana, and its edge glowed with white light.
Without hesitation, I swung at the plant soldier. Expecting to need multiple strikes to cut through, I was surprised when a wave of energy surged from my blade, slicing through him cleanly like tofu or water, leaving no resistance.
“Huh?”
The plant soldier, seemingly unaware of his situation, continued moving separately with his upper and lower halves.
The white energy didn’t stop there—it also cut through other soldiers behind him. What is this? For a moment, I stood dumbfounded watching the scene unfold.
Could this be the power granted to my weapon by the Goddess? They said it could sever divine entities. Was that plant-covered thing divine somehow? Just as I pondered, I realized something odd.
Nothing else happened.
Though the energy clearly passed through the soldiers, none of them split in half like the plant soldier. It seemed others were equally confused, feeling their bodies where the energy had gone through.
“Thinking can wait!”
Strategizing isn’t my job—that’s for the Akashis to handle. While they were still disoriented, I forcibly channeled mana into my armor, firing needle-like projectiles everywhere in search of the demon.
First, find the demon. The rest of the grunts can die later at their leisure. With ferocious swings of my greatsword, I carved a path forward.
”There was no mention of things like this! How does destroying a divine-enhanced soldier in one hit make any sense?!”
”Stop it, stop it! Use everything given by command! Dragon poison or whatever…!”
Realizing bullets were ineffective, the soldiers resorted to explosives to block paths, using boards and tables to buy time.
This was annoying. I either kicked or bulldozed through the obstacles, ignoring those crushed under them, continuing my relentless hunt for the demon.
He must be here somewhere based on the ongoing gravity effects. Could they have some escape equipment? After all, they had lasers, gravity generators, swamp creators, and super-strong magnets.
Considering this, it baffled me why they hadn’t tried world domination. Would their magical cannons not suffice to win?
Pushing aside doubts, I thoroughly searched the trenches. Once the demon fell, the oppressive gravity would cease. As long as he lived, this tiresome war wouldn’t end.
“Where are you hiding?! Come out—like the worm you are!!!”
As I roared, my spiraled horns straightened slightly. Soldiers frozen by my dragon’s roar became nothing more than red stains on my armor and sword.
Occasionally, creatures similar to the earlier plant soldier emerged, but they were instantly bisected by my blade’s energy. Perhaps this was their ace in the hole. Still, the demon remained unseen.
Where? Where could he possibly be? Mockingly, white smoke billowed from the opposite direction. Without thinking, I inhaled it.
“Cough… keh… hack…!”
An uncontrollable sneeze erupted. Realizing quickly what it was—the same powder the extermination squad always sprayed when hunting me—I understood this mist likely contained something extra.
Ignoring the burning sensation in my lungs and throat, I pressed forward. Unsure if the substance streaming from my mouth was saliva or blood, I advanced nonetheless.
”Over here, come on, come on! Teleporter recharge rate 92%, please…! No, it won’t work…!”
I blindly headed toward the sounds and vibrations. With my eyes closed due to the irritation and toxic fog, I relied on echoes to gauge distances. Finally, I pinpointed the demon’s location.
Connected to some bizarre device, he looked almost like a biomechanical hybrid. Coughing up blood, I charged toward him.
Nothing could stop me now. But as if mocking my plans, the gravity intensified again.
Both myself and anyone within ten meters were slammed to the ground. Even though the demon spat something out, the crushing force persisted.
Should I use the distortion again? But I hesitated. My armor was already weakened. Using distortion again would surely shatter it.
If that happened, I’d probably die—or worse. How many soldiers had I already consumed? There was no need to risk my life unnecessarily.
But then, a massive surge of mana enveloped the area where the demon and his forces stood. Before I could react, their presence vanished.
The gravity pressing down on me disappeared too. Opening my eyes despite the pain, I scanned my surroundings but found only unlucky enemies caught in the evacuation.
They got away.
Fueled by uncontrollable rage, I screamed into the sky.
”You son of a bitch—!!!”
—
It took less than twenty minutes for Alterra to devastate the enemy camp. Her roars and curses occasionally reached us here, causing concern, but she ultimately signaled her success with a red flare.
“Indeed, this is the combat power of a Half-Dragon. It’s hard to believe someone could unleash such destruction in this environment…”
“You mean a Dragon, right, Acacia? I’m more amazed by you guys.”
“Well, obviously. I’ve only ever seen one real dragon, relying solely on memory. Haven’t actually seen one in person for a long time. Makes my heart race, doesn’t it? And you, Hero?”
For some reason, the conversation turned to me, and my heart raced for reasons different from Acacia’s.
“…Uh, yeah, mine’s racing too.”
“Of course yours is!”
“I doubt it’s for the same reason as yours.”
Following the path cleared by Alterra, we cautiously crossed the barren battlefield. Thanks to the soldiers who had pre-prepared bridges, we avoided wading through the moat.
While contemplating what to say to Alterra, I noticed her drenched in both her own and others’ blood.
