213 Extremity

I forced my mana to stir once again.

It was then that the Earth Dragon, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. I’d heard he was the most thoughtful and intelligent of the Four Dragons. If anyone’s going to listen to reason, it’s probably him.

"I shall ask... why do you stalk us?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "We only came to protect the village. We aren't the ones who attacked the Water Dragon, and we definitely aren't stalking you."

"Do not listen to them, Earth Dragon!" the Wind Dragon hissed. "These are humans!"

"Precisely," the Fire Dragon added. "Besides, it is already over. Look at you—you’re a mess of wounds. And more importantly, our preparations are complete."

In that instant, the Wind Dragon exhaled a massive breath. It wasn't a direct attack, but a spell.

I didn't understand what he was doing at first. Then, the reality hit me.

The monsters we’d enchanted with Flight Magic were suddenly plummeting toward the ground. A wide-range Magic Cancellation... and he’d pulled it off in the blink of an eye. We only managed to stay airborne by desperately clinging to our own innate Flight Magic.

But our footing? Gone. Totally gone.

"This is the end. I suppose I can humor you and listen to your final words," the Wind Dragon said, staring us down. The Earth Dragon seemed to have no intention of interjecting further.

"From here... just get lost!" I shouted.

Olynn and Lilith flashed quiet, determined smiles, while Tura and Biado actually managed to laugh. Seriously? We’re on the verge of death and they’re laughing?

"I see. In that case—perish."

The Fire Dragon’s hellfire came roaring straight at Olynn and me. But Debi was already—thank god—back in action.

"Debibi!"

"Weiss!"

Olynn grabbed onto a lone monster he’d sent escaping into the sky earlier and soared upward. I used Debi as a makeshift platform, kicking off him to evade the flames.

Lilith and Tura were both too injured to move, but they still managed to let fly a knife and a One-Hit Kill.

Our next target was the Fire Dragon.

Don't think about the odds, I told myself. Just focus on taking them down one by one with everything I've got.

These dragons had special eyes that perceived the world through mana. That was likely how they’d tracked us through the dense forest. However, that kind of vision is a double-edged sword. The mana within that hellfire was so overwhelming that it actually blinded them to anything else.

Just like that, the Fire Dragon lost track of Olynn and me.

But the Wind Dragon was there to back him up.

«Releasing Breath of Magic Cancellation»

—I see it!

"Shield!"

I stacked four layers of Shield in a single chant, but they were stripped away one after another by the breath. Despite that, my Flight Magic somehow managed to hold firm.

Olynn used his remaining left hand, and I used my Dual Sword, to drive our blades deep into the dragon's scales.