Chapter 75

"Hehehe. The time has finally come. The time to earn the title of S-Class. Aruru, from now on, I will dedicate myself to battling the 'Huge Fire Dragon.' I'll leave the command of the troops to you."

"Sei-chan, are you really going to fight the 'Huge Fire Dragon'?"

"Of course. We led the grand alliance to get here. What reason do we have to back down now?"

"We've already collected enough rare metals. We've fulfilled the guild's orders. The troops are exhausted from the reckless march. We should retreat from here..."

"Don't be ridiculous! We can't back down after coming this far. Come on, let's go."

"Wait, Sei-chan!"

Sei ignored Aruru's attempts to stop him and pushed forward.

(No use. There's no stopping Sei-chan now.)

Aruru glanced back at the troops.

The allied guilds seemed to have temporarily regained their morale after Sei's pep talk, but they soon showed signs of reluctance.

They tried to conserve their strength and let the 'Guardians of the Magic Academy' do the fighting.

As a result, the adventurers of the 'Guardians of the Magic Academy' were thoroughly exhausted.

"Is something wrong, Vice-Captain?"

A cheerful member of the 'Guardians of the Magic Academy' spoke up.

"No, I was just wondering if we can keep fighting like this. Even if we survive the battle with the 'Huge Fire Dragon,' we still need to get back down the mountain."

"Don't worry. With the captain's 'Dragonhead Gauntlet,' we'll manage. Besides, we have the allied guilds. They're the elite who made it this far. Getting back down the mountain shouldn't be a problem."

(If only they were on our side.)

Aruru glanced at the descent route.

The thief guild members, who seemed to be threatening their rear, had fallen eerily silent.

However, they must have been aware of their movements.

Especially since Sei was firing the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet' recklessly.

The thief guild must be lurking right behind them.

The battle began when Sei stepped onto the gray ground (indicating the 'Huge Fire Dragon's territory).

"Let's go, 'Huge Fire Dragon'!"

Sei charged at the 'Huge Fire Dragon.'

The 'Huge Fire Dragon' sensed Sei's approach and slowly raised its long neck, turning to face him.

"Too slow!"

Sei activated the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet.'

The gauntlet transformed into a cannon, and the magic array inside glowed.

The flames generated by Sei's 'Explosive Flame Magic' converged inside the barrel and were fired in a single burst.

The 'Huge Fire Dragon' also breathed fire, and a firefight ensued.

The fire breath of the 'Huge Fire Dragon' was different from that of other dragons.

The thick, towering flames surged like a tsunami, threatening to engulf the group of over a hundred adventurers.

However, the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet' had superior firepower.

The flame bullets fired from the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet' cut through the wave of fire and struck the 'Huge Fire Dragon' on the forehead.

"Got it!"

The wall of flames the 'Huge Fire Dragon' had released fragmented and scattered, hitting the rear troops far behind Sei.

"Fire breath is coming. Prepare the 'Fireball Shield'!"

Aruru shouted the order.

The 'Fireball Shield' deflected the numerous fireballs.

"Ugh!"

"Uaaaaa!"

Several 'Fire-Resistant Stones' embedded in the 'Fireball Shield' were destroyed.

The flames then attacked the adventurers who had lost the protection of the 'Fire-Resistant Stones.'

"The shield is broken!"

"Heal them!"

"Use water magic too!"

The troops were suddenly busy with extinguishing fires and healing.

"Everyone, move the front line back about twenty meters. It's too dangerous here."

Aruru ordered.

(Although they're exhausted, the 'Fireball Shield' being destroyed by the weakened fire breath from the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet' is concerning. What a firepower. This is the S-Class monster, the 'Huge Fire Dragon.' Is Sei-chan okay?)

Aruru looked at Sei, who was unharmed and facing the 'Huge Fire Dragon' in the scorched field.

(He's safe.)

Aruru sighed in relief.

"Hmph. For taking a hit, you're awfully quiet."

Sei taunted.

However, the 'Huge Fire Dragon' moved slowly, like a rusty machine.

"Have you lost your spirit after not having any challengers for a while? If you won't come to me, I'll come to you."

Sei activated the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet' again to deliver another blow.

The 'Huge Fire Dragon' finally moved, reluctantly opening its mouth.

They exchanged flame bullets and fire breath again.

The result was the same as before.

The 'Dragonhead Gauntlet' cracked the 'Huge Fire Dragon's rocky body.

The 'Huge Fire Dragon's fire breath eroded the adventurers' equipment as it spread.

"Whoa!"

"Those with broken shields, fall back."

"Please, heal us over here..."

(Damn. I want to support Sei-chan, but I can't get close because of the fire breath. This is strange.)

Aruru looked suspiciously at the 'Huge Fire Dragon.'

(Even though Sei-chan is provoking it, I don't sense any intention to defeat us. It's as if it doesn't care about us at all.)

Sei also felt frustrated.

(I'm dealing damage, but I don't feel any impact.)

The firepower was evenly matched, but Sei's attacks were met with counterattacks, making it feel more like he was being attacked.

(Are they waiting for me to run out of gas? Either way, this firefight isn't getting us anywhere. To make them move, I need to...)

"Deal more damage. That's it!"

Sei ran towards the 'Huge Fire Dragon's belly.

"I'll hit it from closer range with the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet'!"

The 'Huge Fire Dragon' spread its rocky wings.

The massive wings, which seemed to cover the sky, shed rocks as they spread, raining down on Sei.

"Whoa!"

(Damn, these rocks aren't very powerful, but there are too many. I can't move forward.)

Sei had no choice but to stop.

The 'Huge Fire Dragon' then retreated, regaining its distance.

(Damn, it's taking distance again. Is it planning a war of attrition?)

"Sei-chan, use this!"

Aruru threw a shield to Sei.

"Thanks a lot."

Sei caught the shield and prepared to face the 'Huge Fire Dragon.'

With the shield, he could now approach even if the rocks rained down.

Suddenly, the 'Huge Fire Dragon' turned its back to Sei.

Seizing the opportunity, it whipped its rocky tail at Sei.

"Whoa!"

Sei barely jumped back in time to avoid being hit.

"Hah, finally a proper counterattack. You don't like being approached, huh?"

Sei, while speaking, kept his distance and circled around to the 'Huge Fire Dragon's back.

The 'Huge Fire Dragon' slowly turned, but it couldn't keep up with Sei's agility and lost sight of him.

(The 'Huge Fire Dragon' has changed its orientation! Now's my chance!)

"Archers, move forward. Shower it with arrows, but don't get too close. Just provide support."

Seeing the 'Huge Fire Dragon' change its orientation, Aruru ordered the archers to advance and attack.

Their arrows didn't deal decisive damage, but they were enough to distract the 'Huge Fire Dragon' and slow its movements.

The slight opening created was more than enough for Sei to get closer to the 'Huge Fire Dragon.'

"Got it!"

Sei slipped into the 'Huge Fire Dragon's belly, positioning himself between its legs (where he could avoid tail attacks) and fired the 'Dragonhead Gauntlet' at point-blank range.

The 'Huge Fire Dragon's body shook violently.

Sei smirked.

(I feel the impact...)

Cracks rapidly spread from the impact point, and the rocky skin of the 'Huge Fire Dragon' began to crumble.