Chapter 38

Daily High Fantasy Ranking 10th!

Weekly High Fantasy Ranking 6th!

Monthly High Fantasy Ranking 6th!

Thank you very much!

Kaito and Edith were heading for safety, and Reta, who had entrusted Mina to them, was with Hildegarde and the other elf warriors.

"Strong elves! The enemy is the hateful Black Dragon that burned our village! I understand your fear. To be honest, I am scared too. But if we run, who will protect the village and our comrades!"

In front of the Black Dragon circling in the sky, Hildegarde loudly encouraged the elves.

"This time, we have Reta, the healer! If we don't die, we can be healed! That alone is a great comfort!"

"...... Hahaha. I'll do my best."

The elves' gaze turned to Reta, who had not expected his name to be called, and his tension rose sharply.

However, he had no intention of fleeing.

Mina was in the village too.

"This time, we will not lose! Victory in our hands!"

"Uooooooooo!"

The warriors, in unison with Hildegarde's raised sword, let out a battle cry.

They were ready to fight.

There was no turning back.

"Archers, take your positions!"

With a rustle of footsteps, the warriors lined up and raised their bows.

Their target was the Black Dragon in the sky.

Though there was a significant difference in strength, the elves outnumbered the dragon.

The outcome was uncertain.

Having been defeated once before, the warriors were on guard.

They would not be defeated so easily.

"Reta"

"Ah"

"I am sorry for involving you, a human"

"But I was the one who said I would fight"

"Even so. But it is a great comfort to have a valuable healer. I am grateful. When we return alive, I will gather rewards from the entire village and give them to you"

"That sounds promising"

With such light-hearted banter, Reta and Hildegarde nodded to each other.

Then,

"The battle begins! Fire your arrows!"

At the young elf's command, the warriors released their arrows in unison.

The arrows, whistling through the air, attacked the Black Dragon.

The arrows of the elf warriors, known by various names such as forest dwellers and hunters, were imbued with magic.

They were designed to pierce distant prey and to fell enemies with a single strike.

But now, the elves had abandoned these techniques and poured all their strength into defeating the enemy.

Thus, the arrows had the power equivalent to high-level human magic.

No matter how strong a dragon, it could not withstand such a barrage of arrows.

"GAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The dragon screamed as the arrows pierced its scales and reached its flesh.

Covered in arrows and bleeding, the black dragon was about to be overwhelmed by more arrows from the elves.

"This is the same as last time! Don't let your guard down! We must bring it down!"

It was obvious that if the dragon maintained its position above, they would eventually be at a disadvantage.

The elves prioritized bringing the dragon to the ground.

However, the dragon had anticipated this.

It would not be brought down so easily. It swept its wings to knock the arrows away and began to release a scorching breath from its sharp-toothed jaw.

"Breath attack! Everyone, form a barrier!"

Following Hildegarde's command, the warriors huddled together to form and layer barriers.

Naturally, Reta also took cover behind the barrier.

In the next moment, scorching flames were unleashed from the dragon.

"Ugh, what is this? It's too hot even with the barrier!"

Thanks to the barrier formed by over a dozen people, the flames did not reach Reta and the others, but the heat could not be blocked.

The intense heat assaulted Reta, and he let out a scream.

"...... This is a dragon"

As the flames subsided and he confirmed he was still alive, Reta muttered in astonishment.

The power of the dragon as a species was overwhelming.

(--- Can we win against such an enemy?)

He felt a lack of confidence and even doubted their victory.

His chest ached.

The thought of never seeing Mina again made it hard to breathe.

They had only spent a short time together.

Their future was just beginning.

He had hardly begun to feel like a guardian and had not done much for her.

Yet, the thought of ending here made him feel like he couldn't die even if he wanted to.

(--- I can't die here. I can't die!)

This strong resolve first dispelled his fear.

Next, the magic power in Reta's body surged.

It continued to rise as if there were no limits.

(--- I can't lose to a flying lizard! I will return!)

His senses became incredibly sharp, something he had never experienced in his thirty years of life.

It felt as if the shackles that had weighed him down had been removed, and he felt a lightness.

(--- It's amazing. I feel like I can do anything now)

He had lived a life as an adventurer with little success.

His daily life as an adventurer was far from enjoyable.

But everything changed after meeting Mina.

He discovered his healing magic was excellent.

He realized he could fight better than he had thought.

--- Then, I will have confidence. I will believe I can do it.

Gripping his palm tightly, Reta stepped out from behind the barrier.

"Hey!? Reta!? You don't know when the breath attack will come! What are you doing!?"

Smiling at the panicked Hildegarde and nodding to show he was fine, Reta released his magic power in a burst towards the Black Dragon.

"I will defeat you and return! To her!"

At that moment, a blade of wind, released from the high-density magic power, cut off the black dragon's wing.