Chapter 59

The dragon was about seven meters long. Its body was covered in pitch-black scales, and its slender forelimbs had five sharp claws. The giant wings on its back shimmered with a faint glow, from which one could tell they were entwined with magic. The wings flapped broadly, stirring up a gale that seemed far more powerful than what wings of that size should produce. However, the most striking feature was undoubtedly its golden eyes, which resembled the moon emerging in the dark night, long and dangerous, yet radiating a beauty that was mesmerizing.

The golden eyes looked down at Aichi and the others from the sky. A deep roar escaped the black dragon's throat. The overwhelming presence was far more formidable than that of the Haiberia they had encountered at the bottom of the Laizan Grand Canyon. In general, Haiberia were already considered formidable high-level monsters, but compared to the black dragon, they were like mere birds. The majestic presence was truly befitting of the king of the skies.

Like frogs frozen by a snake's gaze, Aiko and the others were paralyzed on the spot. Especially Will, his face turned ashen, trembling violently, and he had already collapsed to the ground. The memories of the attack must have flashed through his mind.

This must be the one that turned the river into a tributary, Aichi thought. He had seen the scars this black dragon had left on the earth and considered it a powerful monster. But upon actually seeing the black dragon, Aichi felt its magic and overwhelming presence, and his perception changed. It was a monster far more powerful than he had imagined, at least three times stronger. While it didn't quite match the power of a monster from the 90th floor, it possessed strength equivalent to a 90th-floor monster. (Note: Aichi, are you crazy? A 90th-floor monster can't have over 10,000 attributes. When you fought Hydra, your highest attribute was only 2450.)

The black dragon's gaze sharpened as it recognized Will's figure. Then, in front of the frozen people, it slowly raised its head, opened its jaw lined with sharp teeth, and concentrated magic there.

*Roar!*

An inexplicable sound echoed through the mountains, already beginning to be dyed red by the evening sky. Aichi's mind flashed with the image of the dragon's breath that had excavated part of the river and made adventurers disappear.

"–! Take cover!"

Aichi issued a warning and leaped away from the spot. Tsuki and Shizuka followed. However, most people, no, everyone in this situation, failed to react to Aichi's warning.

Aiko, the students, and Will were all frozen in place. Aiko and the others were caught off guard, their bodies unable to keep up with the situation, while Will was paralyzed by fear, unable even to look away.

*Swish!*

"Aichi!"

"Aichi-sama!"

Aichi used [Telepathy] to give instructions to Tsuki and Shizuka, and with [Shrink], he returned to his original position, placing himself between Aiko and the others and the black dragon. He had initially intended to leave them, but Aichi didn't have the heart to let Aiko die, and more importantly, he couldn't abandon the miraculously surviving Will. He had accepted the mission to bring him back if he was alive, and he couldn't give up halfway.

A coffin-shaped large shield appeared in the air, extending from Aichi's left arm, and as magic flowed into it, a stake appeared at the bottom and pierced the ground.

Then, the dragon released a black breath, a straight line like a laser. The breath, faster than sound, instantly reached Aichi's shield, and with a thunderous impact, the ground around the shield melted from the heat.

"Guh! Oh oh oh oh oh!!"

Aichi's shout infused with determination as he resisted the pressure of the breath. The shield, which had begun to glow red along with Aichi's body, was his [Vajra]. However, the breath seemed to have considerable power, and after a brief resistance, it broke through [Vajra] and struck the shield directly. (Note: This confirms Aichi is crazy. A 90th-floor monster can't break through Vajra.)

Despite this, the shield held against the breath. The power and heat sufficient to break through Aichi's [Vajra] slowly melted the surface of the shield. But every time a layer was melted, Aichi immediately repaired it with [Synthesis], preventing it from breaking through.

The stake that had been driven into the ground to secure the shield began to yield under the pressure, digging into the ground and slowly retreating. Aichi reinforced his boots with [Synthesis] and reactivated [Vajra], pushing back with all his might. He extended his left arm to connect with the shield and added his right arm as well.

The large shield Aichi had retrieved from the [Treasure Vault] was made primarily of Tauru ore, with Sitaru ore in the middle and Azanquim ore as the outer layer. As a Synthesist, Aichi could repair even attacks that exceeded Azanquim's durability if he could hold out for a few seconds. Even if the first layer was broken, the second layer of Sitaru ore increased in strength with the amount of magic infused, so as long as Aichi had magic, the shield would not be broken.

Thus, the breath that could not break through Azanquim could not destroy the shield itself. However, it could still blow the user away. In fact, even Aichi, with his superhuman strength, was being pushed back. The stake driven into the ground and Aichi's feet, which he was using to brace himself, dug three deep grooves into the earth.

If this continued, being blown away was only a matter of time. Aichi, with his shield and [Vajra], had superhuman durability and would likely not suffer serious injury. But Aiko and the others, who did not have shields, would be helpless victims of the breath, disappearing without a trace from this world.

Just as Aichi was feeling a bit anxious, a soft touch came from behind. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Aiko had somehow come to his back and was desperately supporting him. It seemed that during the time Aichi was defending against the breath, Aiko had regained her senses and, seeing him being pushed back, had rushed over to support him. Seeing this, the students and Will also hurried over to support Aichi.

The breath continued. The surrounding river water was evaporated by the heat, and the soil and rocks on the riverbank were blown away, leaving no trace. How long had it been since the breath struck? Aichi felt like it had been an eternity, but in reality, it had only been about ten seconds. Clenching his teeth and thinking about this, Aichi finally heard the sound he had been waiting for.

"[Calamity Heaven]"

The moment the spell name was declared, a swirling black sphere about four meters in diameter appeared above the black dragon's head. It was a deep, dark color that seemed to draw one in, and then the black dragon was crushed and fell to the ground.

"Grraaaaah!?"

The black dragon, which had fallen to the ground with a loud thud, lay on its belly, emitting a cry of pain as the breath was interrupted. However, the swirling sphere, as if to say that this was not enough, did not disappear and continued to press the dragon into the ground.

[Calamity Heaven]

This was Tsuki's gravity magic. It created a swirling gravity sphere that compressed the target with a supergravity proportional to the magic consumed. It could also be used to change the direction of gravity, making it a convenient spell.

When used on oneself, the magic consumption was not severe. However, when used on objects, space, or others, or when the gravity sphere itself was used as an attack, even Tsuki needed at least ten seconds of preparation and a large amount of magic. Tsuki herself had not yet fully mastered gravity magic, but with continued practice, the activation time and magic efficiency could be further optimized.

The air king, pinned to the ground, struggled to raise its limbs and escape from the pressure. At this moment, the rabbit-eared girl Shizuka descended from the sky, shouting, "Stop it, I say!" and, using her jet gun to accelerate, swung her hammer in a large uppercut at the black dragon's head.

*Bang!*

The impact was unlike anything seen before. The ground shattered in a radial pattern with a thunderous sound, creating a crater as if from a bomb. This was possible because Aichi had modified Doryugen. The main material was compressed Azanquim infused with gravity magic. It was not a gravity-neutralizing material like an unmanned reconnaissance drone but had a gravity-enhancing property, increasing in weight with the amount of magic infused. Doryugen now had a cartoonish performance, a thousand-ton hammer!

Thus, the creature struck by this super-heavy blow was bound to suffer severe injuries. Yes, if it was hit...

"Grraaaaah!"

With the black dragon's roar, a fireball shot out from the dust kicked up by Doryugen, rapidly approaching the stunned Shizuka. Tsuki immediately raised her right hand to make Shizuka [Fall] and dodge in an emergency. However, as a result, the gravity sphere spell was dispelled.

The fireball's aftereffects cleared the dust, revealing the black dragon, which had narrowly avoided Doryugen's strike. At the moment of impact, the black dragon had barely managed to dodge with its unique arm strength. Free from the constraint, the black dragon's eyes, as if seeking revenge, spun its body and struck Shizuka with its massive tail as she pulled Doryugen out of the ground.

"Ahh!"

At the last moment, Shizuka used Doryugen as a shield and leaped backward, managing to counter the impact but was still sent flying and disappeared into the forest.

The black dragon, regaining its balance with the momentum of its spin, fixed its golden eyes on Aichi... or rather, on Will behind Aichi. Aichi immediately returned the shield to the [Treasure Vault] and drew Dona Shuraku to fire. Several flashes accompanied by gunshots streaked through the sky toward the black dragon. Struck by the unavoidable storm of destruction, the black dragon was blown back and fell into the river behind, sending a massive splash and a ground-shaking sound into the sky.

Aichi, noticing the black dragon's gaze on Will, felt something was wrong and launched an attack. In the air, he reloaded Dona Shuraku and continued firing. However, the black dragon, roaring and scattering the river water, ignored Aichi and shot a fireball at Will.

"–!"

Despite Aichi's efforts to draw the black dragon's attention with a barrage of attacks to prevent Will from being targeted, the black dragon paid no heed to Aichi's intentions and locked onto Will for an attack.

"Aiko!"

"Got it, [Wave City]"

In front of Will, who had let out a pitiful cry and curled up, a high-density wall of water appeared. The incoming fireball was blocked by the water wall Tsuki had constructed, dissipating. At this moment, the students finally came to their senses from the chaotic situation and began casting spells. They wanted to help, and hastily launched fireballs and wind blades in arcs toward the black dragon.

However...

"Grraaaaah!"

The black dragon's roar easily scattered their spells, and its golden eyes, even more terrifying than the roar, fixed on the students. The students let out the same pitiful cries as Will and retreated, with the female students even sitting on the ground.

Aichi judged that Aiko and the others were completely out of the fight and shouted for them to leave. Aiko hesitated. Aichi was her student, and was it right to abandon him to a powerful monster? Her teacher's instincts made her doubt this.

During this time, the black dragon flapped its wings, scattering the surrounding river water and flying into the air, still shooting fireballs at Will as it ascended.

Aichi had been continuously firing with the electromagnetic cannon, but it failed to draw its attention. The black dragon's scales seemed to have the same exaggerated hardness as the scorpion monster, and the electromagnetic cannon's direct hits could not even scratch the surface.

The black dragon persistently targeted Will. It was as if it was being controlled, like a robot obediently following orders. It ignored everything else except for direct interference with its attempt to kill Will.

Aichi did not know the reason for the black dragon's persistent targeting of Will, but now that it had a designated target, things would be easier. He quickly gave instructions to Tsuki.

"Tsuki! Focus on protecting Will! This one is mine!"

"Got it, leave it to me!"

Tsuki, following Aichi's instructions, [Fell] rapidly toward Will and positioned herself in front of him. Glancing back, she saw Aiko and the students, and with a voice that conveyed both frustration and annoyance, she muttered,

"...If you don't want to die, stay behind me."

Regarding the students, it didn't matter, but Aiko was someone Aichi cared about to some extent, so Tsuki at least made a call to prevent her from dying. She also sharply pointed out,

"...Don't do anything unnecessary, it will be a hindrance."

The students had no particular reaction to Tsuki's cold words and huddled around her. They had realized that Tsuki's side, where she was using the surrounding moisture to construct an ice wall without incantation, was the safest place.

Originally, they had the ability to fight to some extent. However, even though they knew Aichi was still alive, the day he fell into the abyss and nearly died at the hands of the skeleton soldiers and Behemoth had left a strong impression of death on their minds, and the psychological trauma still lingered. Coming with Aiko was a way to contribute to the dungeon without being at the forefront like the hero group, but their resolve was not firm. Thus, their spells were ineffective against the black dragon, and they were overwhelmed by its malevolent roar, leaving them in no state to fight.

After entrusting Will's safety to Tsuki, Aichi focused on the attack. After the black dragon ascended, it continued to target Will behind Tsuki's defensive wall, concentrating on breaking through it. However, realizing it could not penetrate the wall, it raised its head and began to gather magic at the corners of its mouth.

"Hah, being ignored to this extent is a first... Then, I'll make you unable to ignore me no matter what!"

Aichi holstered Dona and retrieved Shuraku from the [Treasure Vault], immediately activating [Thunder Wrap]. The nearly three-meter-long, menacing weapon emitted a red glow. The black dragon, recognizing the threat, turned its jaw toward Aichi. It seemed it could not ignore him either.

If the black dragon released its death-spreading breath, Aichi's Shuraku would simultaneously finish charging and fire.

With a tremendous flash. The storm of destruction. Black and red auroras clashed violently at the midpoint between them. The moment of impact generated a terrifying shockwave, uprooting the surrounding trees. In terms of power, it was probably a stalemate. However, the two auroras had different properties, so a clear winner would emerge. The breath was a continuous aurora, while Shuraku's was a specialized penetration type. Therefore, it was inevitable that the breath's glow would be penetrated, and that power would reach the black dragon.

The black dragon's head suddenly snapped back as the metallic Sitaru ore bullet, which had penetrated the breath, struck its upper jaw. However, it was not a fatal wound. The breath's power had deflected the bullet, which took out a few sharp teeth and grazed the side of the black dragon's head, finally blowing off one of its wings.

"Grraaaaah!"

The black dragon, likely feeling the pain, roared and spun as it fell to the ground. Aichi, who had used [Air Force] to retreat into the air to avoid the breath, then used [Air Force] and [Shrink] in the air to perform a supersonic dive, delivering a [Power Kick] to the black dragon's abdomen as it lay on its back.

*Crash! The impact resonated from the depths of the abdomen, and the black dragon's body folded into a 'V' shape. The ground shattered in a radial pattern from the impact. Although the black dragon let out a roar, it was not a significant injury, given its armor that could withstand the electromagnetic cannon. Aichi, who had anticipated this, raised his left prosthetic arm to deliver a more powerful follow-up attack. The prosthetic arm emitted a mechanical sound, *Squeak