681 – A Certain Girl and the Dragon of Revelation (side: Miria)

The monster with a second face on its abdomen leaps down from the roof and dashes towards us.
Its speed is terrifying.
We definitely can’t hope to escape it by running.

“It’s the one that destroyed the northern church! It’s clearly targeting us! No choice; we’ll take it down!”

Meltia-san raises her sword as she yells.
Now that this has happened, the monster heading towards us is way more threatening than the unmoving Jornes.

Radda-san extends an arm out towards the monster, holding his fingers at an angle.

“…Using the Maybel method to estimate its danger from its speed, it’s around upper B rank.
We might have been better off using that arrow made from the fang of Ammit on this thing.
If we got lucky and shot off its head with Sirius-sama’s [Dragonshot], we would probably have taken it out in one hit before it got close.”

I’ve heard of the Maybel method.
By using fingers to ascertain the visual change in size of an approaching monster, you can deduce its speed after mentally counting down the seconds, and so gain a rough estimate of its stats.

You need to be able to accurately count down the seconds, compare a monster’s original size with the surroundings, and calmly make good use of those skills during a predicament to actually make the calculation.
With such a high difficulty and the limitations of its use cases, it’s my first time seeing someone actually use it, despite its fame.

“Upper B rank…”

I ponder over Radda-san’s words.

A monster that’s rated B rank in danger is generally designated a calamity.
A single B rank will easily spell destruction for a village.
Even for a large city, much of it would be destroyed if the defenders were to slip up.
The only monsters that I’ve seen with this danger rank are Irushia-san, and Thermal of the fake princess’ three knight retainers.

“It’s over if we let it get close! We need to attack at this range!”

Meltia-san yells a command.

The warrior priests let loose their bowstrings together.
However, the arrows that hit graze its skin at most and none penetrate properly.
At this distance, against a monster of this danger rank, that’s the most bows and arrows can do without assistance from skills.

I’ve no choice but to try to do something with my magic.
I aim my staff at the monster’s abdomen.

“[Fire Sphere]!”

The ball of flame smacks straight into the second face on the monster’s abdomen.
However, even though its surface is a little burnt, it doesn’t flinch at all and continues barrelling forward.

“N-no way…!”

If my magic attack isn’t working, our current forces won’t be able to effectively attack that monster at long range.

“Miria, stay back and concentrate on using white magic! We’ll take it down somehow!”

Meltia-san and three of the warrior priests line up in front of me.

Having closed the distance in a flash, the twin-faced monster leaps straight into our front.
With their vision obscured by the dust cloud of its landing, the four are unable to take meaningful action, and two of the warrior priests are swept away in one giant swing of its arm.
They spiral through the air and smack into the ground.

“[Lucent Luna]!”

Stepping into the monster’s blind spot, Meltia-san attacks with countless bullets of light from her blade.
However, it is completely unphased by her attack, not even raising an arm to block.

“[Clay]!”

Taking advantage of the dust cloud, I succeed in encasing the monster’s left leg in earth.
With this, it should find it much harder to do battle.

The monster immediately stamps hard on the ground with its left foot.
Cracks run across the surface, and the [Clay] shackle crumbles.
With an effortless thrust of its arm, Meltia-san is sent flying away.

“Guh!”

It didn’t even take five seconds for our battle formation to fall apart.

It has a tough body, herculean strength, and, most overwhelming of all, the long reach of its gigantic body.
It isn’t something we can win against in head-on close combat with just five people.
If Sirius-san’s group were alive and could use the Ammit’s fang arrow, it might finally be an even match.

Perhaps having heard the sounds of battle, I can see another three monsters coming this way from different directions.
As the normal kind, they would usually be within our abilities to deal with, but there are only two of us who aren’t incapacitated, myself included.
The only warrior priest left standing has seemingly already lost his will to fight, his spear hanging loosely from his fingers.

The monster stands right in front of me.

“Fire Spher…!”

Before my magic can activate, a gigantic hand grabs my body and lifts me effortlessly.
With a smooth surface like porcelain, it’s a bizarre feeling.
I try hitting it with my staff, but I have little hope of being able to shake it off.
The difference in strength is way too large.

“M-Miria!”

Meltia-san all but screams.

I’ll be killed the moment it clenches its fist.
As I realise that, the monster suddenly flies backwards into the air, its spine buckling as it’s thrown back.

A moment later, I realise that something like a slash has passed through the monster’s abdomen.
Then, a vertical slash cuts through the monster.
Despite its toughness, it splits in two clean halves and collapses onto the ground.
I tumble down from its hand.

“A-an upper B rank monster, in an instant…”

I have no idea what just happened.
I looked around as I lay fallen on the ground, but I don’t see anyone who could have sent those slashes.
Only, I spot that a large scar in the ground that has formed from the shockwave of that earlier attack.
With that amount of firepower, I can understand why such a tough monster could be cleaved through so easily.

A thunderous roar resounds.
The three monsters headed this way all split open at the same time from a similar attack.
If it was the act of the same person, then the range of their attack is insane.

In disbelief of what we’re seeing, all we can do is stare slack-jawed while laying crumpled on the ground.

“M-Miria, the cathedral!”

At Meltia-san’s voice, I look towards said edifice as I rise to my feet.

A giant red and black dragon is perched on the enormous structure’s roof.

Its head is adorned with curved devil-like horns, and its long blue-white mane flutters in the wind.
It has long fangs, a gigantic tail, and claws that are clearly specialised for fighting that carry a poisonous glow.
Its form is the most repulsive within all the monsters I’ve seen up till now.

Its two eyes are locked sharply onto us.

“I can’t believe it… But, there’s no mistake.”

Soaked in blood, Radda-san looks up at the dragon with wide open eyes.
His expression is one of absolute terror.

“Y-you know about it?”

Radda-san nods at my question.

“I’ve seen it many times in writing and paintings.
The dragon heralding the end of the world as written in the prophecies… the Apocalypse.
But to think it actually exists… What is the world coming to? The city was already practically destroyed when Jornes-sama appeared, but now the Apocalypse is here…! It’s all over! It’s not just the city, the entire world is finished…!”

My eyes meet with the apocalypse’s.
It’s terrifying but… for some reason, more than that, I feel a sense of nostalgia.
I sense warmth and gentleness behind those dreadful, eerie eyes.

It’s a gaze I remember.
It’s the same gaze of that dragon that bore me on its back as we rushed back to the village during the strife with the rock dragon.

“Could it be… Irushia-san, is that you?”

There aren’t many high ranked dragons in existence if at all.
If this really is Irushia-san, then I can understand the reasons why Saint Lilixira spread false information and set out to subjugate him.
She might have foreseen that Irushia-san would evolve to become the feared Apocalypse of the Holy God religion.