Targa
The words spoken by the Marquis, "Call Baron Van," stirred various emotions within me, but right now, the priority is to leave this place.
“T-Targa-sama! The earth dragon is almost upon us…!”
I nodded silently in response.
“It’s too close. If we don’t strike first, we won’t be able to escape.”
I said this as I turned my face toward the approaching earth dragon.
“Gather everyone and head for Cenetta. I leave the Marquis to you.”
With that, I lifted the semi-conscious body of the Marquis with one hand and placed him on a knight’s horse. After quickly securing both the knight and the Marquis, the knight lowered his head solemnly.
“...May you be blessed with good fortune. Cenetta needs you, Targa-sama.”
“I understand.”
After that brief exchange, the knight spurred the horse forward, and without wasting another moment, I began chanting the magic. Time was running out. If the earth dragon used its breath attack, that would seal my fate.
“...The Black-Scaled Earth Dragon, Rufus. This is the worst.”
Upon identifying the type of the earth dragon, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Earth dragons are known for their tenacity, but their legs are usually slow. However, the Black-Scaled Earth Dragon was slightly different. It resembled a forest dragon that dwells in the woods. While it can’t fly, it’s faster and more agile than most earth dragons. Its breath attack, although limited in range, is still as powerful as any other dragon’s.
The only silver lining was that its legendary durability was not as strong as the usual earth dragon’s.
“...Earth Spear Wall, Earth Spike!”
The moment I invoked the spell, dozens of earth spikes, the size of a human torso, lined up before the earth dragon, forming a wall. Given the dragon’s strength, it was hard to expect that earth magic could counter it. At best, it would only slow it down.
As expected, the earth dragon’s movements were somewhat hindered, but it quickly slammed its massive arms down, crushing the earth spikes underfoot.
“...We’re at a disadvantage, but we have no choice... Rock Wall!”
I shouted as I cast my magic. A massive wall of rock, over five meters high, appeared in front of the earth dragon. It was a straightforward, durable wall, nothing special about the spell’s design.
But at least this would buy us some time.
Just as I relaxed, an explosion occurred nearby. I thought it was from the cannons, but then I realized it was smaller in scale.
“Black orb...!”
I quickly turned around, and noticed a group of cavalry breaking through the approaching lines. Around ten, maybe twenty, cavalry were moving to block our retreat.
Even further back, I could see cavalry chasing after the retreating Marquis.
“This is bad...!”
I clenched my teeth and suppressed my rising anger. I could feel blood filling my mouth as I tried to think of a way out.
I urged my horse to move and cut down one straggling soldier from the group. The black orbs were hurled, and explosions erupted around us.
We had no choice but to run through here with everything we had. There was no other option but to charge forward.
The explosions from the cannons continued without end, but I had come to a realization.
The cannons, even if they targeted a fleeing opponent, couldn’t be used as effectively as I thought. They were probably difficult to aim. Most of the shots went wide.
What was truly terrifying here were the black orbs, which could be thrown nearby for a guaranteed effect. Or perhaps the breath of the earth dragon.
“…Dammit! I can’t catch up!”
The black orbs thrown by the cavalry could be avoided as long as I kept moving, but I wouldn’t make it in time to assist the Marquis.
With a sense of frustration, I watched the Marquis and the others as they retreated. Then, I saw a large knight on horseback approaching.
He had a black cloak, like the Marquis, and I could see a golden bull emblem faintly.
“Stradale...!”
I couldn’t help but shout as Stradale appeared at the perfect moment. But what happened next was even more surprising.
Stradale, who had come from diagonally ahead of the Marquis, charged straight into the cavalry that had been closing in from behind. It seemed like a suicidal charge. He came at them with such momentum.
However, the result was different from what I expected. Despite riding at full speed, Stradale cleaved through the oncoming cavalry, cutting off their heads in the briefest moment. In that split second, five heads rolled to the ground.
Without losing momentum, Stradale charged toward us.
“I’ll lend my assistance.”
“I’m grateful.”
The exchange was brief, but I could sense his resolve.
Stradale is undoubtedly the right-hand of the Marquis, willing to throw his life on the line to help slow down the enemy in order to protect his master.
Watching Stradale charge through the explosions from the black orbs, I couldn’t help but feel envy for the Marquis. Or rather, for their relationship.
“Earth Spike Wall!”
I cast the magic, separating the cavalry from us. Stradale instantly understood my intention and quickly took down the nearby soldiers.
The cannons and black orbs were exploding all around us, but Stradale didn’t falter. He expertly controlled his horse, cutting down one cavalryman after another.
“Alright, this should be enough.”
Once the last of the cavalry retreated, I called out to Stradale.
“Understood.”
Stradale acknowledged and quickly turned back. From behind him, the earth dragon, having climbed over the stone wall, appeared. We had managed to buy some time, but whether we had enough time to escape was another matter.
“...I’m afraid I can only delay it.”
“It’s fine. Let’s toy with it and take out one of its eyes.”
“...Are you serious?”
I couldn’t believe it. Could Stradale really joke like that when facing an earth dragon? But he nodded expressionlessly and dashed straight for the dragon.
This was completely unexpected. Even I, who had seen many battles, was taken aback. I quickly began chanting my magic, but at the same time, the dragon was preparing to release its breath attack. I realized, I might not be able to avoid it.
Just as I thought this, I saw Stradale throw something. Suddenly, something exploded at the earth dragon’s feet.
“Black orb...!”
When had he obtained that? Or perhaps, had he been carrying it from the start? No, none of that mattered now. This was our chance.
As expected, the dragon’s gaze shifted to Stradale. It had to choose which was the bigger threat. But that was a dangerously naive decision.
“Leaving your mouth wide open is rude…”
I invoked my magic right after. A massive stone spear appeared in front of the dragon’s mouth and pierced its upper jaw. Even a dragon couldn’t maintain its durability inside its mouth. While it didn’t penetrate all the way through, it was enough to interrupt the dragon’s breath.
The deafening roar of the dragon filled the air as it swung its head violently. The stone spear shattered, but Stradale had already passed by the dragon’s side.
“Shh!”
I heard a sharp exhale. Looking, I saw Stradale’s sword had slashed through the dragon’s arm. It probably didn’t cut through to the bone, but to land a blow like that was truly astounding.
Perhaps out of anger, the dragon tried to swipe at Stradale with its arms and tail, but by that time, Stradale was already out of range. The synergy between rider and horse was flawless.
“Rock Wall...!”
Once I confirmed the dragon’s movements had stopped, I activated the magic I had been chanting. A massive wall appeared between us and the dragon, giving us the opportunity to retreat.
“This is the end...! Let’s retreat!”
“Understood!”
I gave the order to retreat, and the response came immediately. Just then, the top of the stone wall, which had just been created, was destroyed with a thunderous sound. Giant chunks of rock, the size of a grown man’s body, flew toward us, and some were rapidly approaching.
I twisted my upper body, but I couldn’t avoid them in time. I was struck heavily on my right shoulder and thrown from my horse.
I tumbled across the ground a few times before coming to a halt, face down.
“Ugh…”
I groaned in pain as I pushed myself up with my elbows. The cannon had likely hit me directly. The thick stone wall we’d created had shattered at the top, and I could see the earth dragon’s front legs propped against it.
As I witnessed this scene, a sense of despair washed over me, and my vision seemed to fade to black.
No comments:
Post a Comment