Chapter 87

The giant dragon awoke.

In Hestia’s ears, a high-pitched voice could be heard.

"Hey, it’s been a while. The one under my belly is Hestia, my childhood friend, right...?"

"Enough with the greetings! Get up immediately!"

Hestia shouted, but there was no response from the giant dragon’s body.

"Can’t... I can’t control my body."

"Why!?"

"Maybe it’s because of that weird slime that latched onto me in the sky dungeon last time. I can’t use my magic properly. If I could move, I would have turned into a human form before falling."

"Did you catch some kind of illness...?"

That’s why he fell.

The reason made sense, but—

"Because Lamuros is so fat, if we keep going like this, we’ll be bounced off!"

"That’s harsh!"

It was harsh, but it was the truth.

He had been flying at high altitudes where his body was lighter and had a sedentary lifestyle. He was nearly twice as heavy as he was a hundred years ago.

"Ugh..."

The weight was draining her strength and magic.

Her arms were already torn from supporting the weight through the scales.

"Hestia... You should let go. The momentum has slowed, but if you keep this up, you’ll—"

She knew that much herself.

But there was a town below.

She refused to move, no matter what.

...I have to do what I can.

Hestia focused the remaining magic at her lips. Then,

"White Flame Impact!!"

She unleashed a full-force breath attack to try and weaken the momentum. White smoke rose from the heat and impact. And—

"No good..."

Enveloped in white smoke, Hestia was still falling.

She had managed to slightly weaken Lamuros’s momentum, but it wasn’t enough to stop the fall.

A black shadow still loomed in the sky.

The white, glowing barrier was cracking.

This would crush the town. And me too.

...My mistake...

Dianeia was also kneeling on one knee on the terrace.

Recovery was no longer possible.

...I used everything to bring it back, but it wasn’t enough.

While thinking this, she continued to stare at the black shadow in the sky. That’s when—

"Whoa, it’s dangerous to fall, you know."

She felt a sensation as if someone was supporting her back.

Turning her head, she saw—

"Why are you here?"

"Didn’t I tell you to let me know when you were done investigating? When you didn’t, I came to you."

The man who had once defeated and saved her was there.

●

I carried Hestia and landed on the ground.

Wearing the Vajra, I could easily absorb the impact of the landing.

I happened to land in front of my shop, so I had her sit on a chair at the counter.

"There’s a lot I want to say, but you did your best. Sit and rest for a while."

Saying that, I went inside the shop.

"W-wait! There’s still... up there!"

"Yeah, there’s a big one up there, and we can’t talk with it. So I’m going to stop it now."

"!?"

Ignoring Hestia’s gasp, I took out ten boxes from inside the shop.

They contained unprocessed apples.

I scattered them all around the ground near the shop.

"Will this work, Sakura?"

"Yes, sir. This land has a decent amount of magic, so with your magic, it should be enough to grow them."

"Alright. It’s not the intended use, but I can always bring more apples. Let’s use them."

Saying that, I dispelled the Vajra and restructured the tree composition.

"Mode: Vajra!"

"That’s the one you used to defeat me... It’s strong, but that’s not enough!"

"Relax. This is just the preparation."

I focused on the land outside the shop and the scattered seeds.

"This is my first time doing this outside. Sakura, I need your support. If it’s not enough, we can use the golems inside the shop."

"Yes. ...But with your power, it should be more than enough, sir."

"Alright, let’s do this."

I imagined the process of growing trees at home.

This was the first magic I used in this world.

Back then, I couldn’t have imagined doing this without the support of my home and Sakura, but now it’s different.

I’ve done it many times and am used to it.

So, I exercised my magic.

"Absorb all the magic and grow, great tree!"

Instantly, the seeds, imbued with my magic, sprouted all around the shop.

A thousand apple trees intertwined and rose up.

"Sink deep roots and grow tall!"

Roots as thick as the trunks burrowed into the ground beneath the shop and the street.

The trees, now with a solid foundation, grew taller than houses and castles, reaching towards the sky.

The trees twisted and compressed against each other.

"This is my shop. I will use my power to stop anyone who tries to destroy the safety and enjoyment here."

A few seconds later, a massive tree stood in the center of the town.

At the top, thick trunks and lush green leaves spread out like an umbrella.

"Heavy, but thanks to Hestia and Dianeia, the momentum was weakened. This should do it."

The tree firmly held and caught the body of the Star Dragon King.

The tree creaked, but it didn’t break.

"Amazing. This isn’t a dragon vein, and yet...!"

"I’m used to it. I can do this even outside my home."

Just growing trees, a basic technique.

Nothing complicated.

...Well, it’s easier and less tiring at home...

But that’s beside the point. This is enough for now. After all,

"The fall has been completely stopped, so we can talk now."

Thus, the fall of the Dragon King came to an end.