Dragon

During that time…

The battle near the elven settlement, if described succinctly, was a one-sided massacre. That’s how it could be summed up. The ones being brutally slaughtered were, needless to say, monsters.

Despite their overwhelming numbers, the forest’s terrain prevented them from moving as a single unit. They were naturally divided into smaller groups before infiltrating the forest.

The elves, on the defensive side, exploited this. Instead of relying on strong defensive walls, they, like the monsters, dispersed into small groups of five and scattered throughout the forest. Then, they ambushed the monsters who arrogantly strutted through the forest, using blaster rifles for the ambushes.

The effectiveness of this tactic was outstanding.

Sometimes head-on, sometimes from the side, sometimes from behind, and sometimes from both sides…

They bombarded the monsters with beams that inflicted fatal wounds with just one shot, leaving the monsters with no option but to expose their ugly corpses.

It was indeed a very one-sided slaughter. There were three reasons why the Elf Autonomous Zone’s forest became a killing ground.

The first reason, needless to say, was the blaster rifles. The weapons provided by Asuru, combined with the elves’ innate shooting skills, allowed them to effortlessly wipe out groups several to tens of times their size.

The second reason was the drones. Over a hundred insect-type drones were deployed in the forest, providing up-to-date information and leading the elves to perfect ambush locations.

However, the mere reception of information from the drones wouldn’t have yielded such great results. It was only meaningful because the gathered information was accurately communicated.

The third reason was the handheld devices. Asuru provided not only blaster rifles but also a significant number of foldable handheld devices similar to theirs, which were lent to the elf soldiers.

Through these devices, the elves could control the strategy headquarters set up in the village, directing death rays at the monsters.

It was a very, very one-sided battle. At the senior Forusha’s house, which served as the strategy headquarters, a girl named Eve sat, gazing into the void with a formal posture.

Only the color of her hair changed to infinite shades. However, the girl herself remained expressionless, not even blinking, something that any creature with eyelids would surely do, which seemed eerie.

What is Eve doing now? It may seem like she’s doing nothing, but in reality, she’s processing an overwhelming amount of information brought by the drone swarm. Not only that, but she was also continuously sending appropriate information to the elves’ mobile devices, the communication devices equipped by Banho, and Asuru, who was tracking Ente on his own.

Being able to do all this without using any tools seems to be a skill unique to her due to her connection to ‘Mamiya.’ It seems to put quite a strain on her body, but she takes on such a challenge precisely because this is a significant event.

“Eve, here is your tea.”

“Thank you, Uruka-sama.”

Her husband – though it feels embarrassing to call him that as of yet – greatly preferred the elven-made iced tea. So, she placed such tea in front of Eve, who thanked her with a blank expression. Yet, she did not touch it. Eve remains intensely focused, fulfilling her duty alone.

She must not interfere with her sublime work. Even though Uruka knew that she couldn’t help but ask.

“Uhm… Is Asuru-sama safe, by any chance?”

Upon those words, Eve responded while looking somewhere other than here.

“Master has successfully made contact with Ente-sama not long ago.”

“In that case!”

All that’s left is to bring him back. Just as Uruka was about to say that, she was interrupted.

“Afterward, he engaged in battle with a group of monsters, including an extremely powerful individual. The Rising Suit malfunctioned.”

“That suit!?”

Upon hearing this fact, Uruka let out a scream of despair.

The Rising Suit.

A specially made full-body armor designed for Asuru, the leader. The strength Asuru possessed when wearing this surpassed the realm of ordinary beings. That’s why Uruka and the others readily accepted solo missions. If it has been pushed to a malfunction, they must be in grave danger now.

However, while Uruka’s heart was on the verge of being crushed, Eve remained calm and composed.

“Please rest assured. I sent out a drone and confirmed that the Master emerged victorious. It seems like he defeated the enemy with pure strength.”

“Thank goodness…”

As she breathed a sigh of relief, a particular thought slipped out.

“Anyway… Asuru-sama was really strong, huh…”

“I’m surprised, too.”

He always said he was on par with Banho or even stronger.

Asuru had been claiming that, but it seems it wasn’t mere boasting. Despite her admiration, Eve, with an emotionless face, reported further changes in the battle situation.

“Confirmation of a giant monster approaching from a distance.”

The protagonists of this battlefield were the elves who lived in this forest. The efforts of Banho and the seven samurai under him should not be underestimated.

After all, they had a floating unit named Tanishi. Following Eve’s instructions, they unleashed precise air support from above. The effect was indeed tremendous.

Of course, the enemy also sent flying monsters to intercept, but the combination of the elves’ anti-aircraft fire successfully sealed their movements.

“Since the great battle with the Empire, we’ve faced losing battles one after another… But still, victory feels good.”

Taking a breather on Tanishi, soaring above, Banho muttered to himself. For Banho, this was a fight to protect foreign people, not necessarily leading to the restoration of his homeland as he had hoped. However, setting that aside… winning battles was genuinely refreshing.

“And… It’s not over yet. I can’t get ahead of myself with this feeling of victory.”

As Banho wryly smiled at his own carelessness, he noticed the wind brushing against his cheek. Where the wind was coming from… The face of the old general, looking in that direction, was filled with tension. He noticed the appearance of a gigantic monster looming towards the settlement from far away. There was no doubt about it; this monster…

“A dragon…?”

Even the battle-hardened Banho had never faced this foe, the strongest existence revealing itself.

“A dragon species, I see. If it’s come to this… ‘Summon it.’”

After a brief call with Eve, I operated the mobile device and ended the call.

“A dragon appeared!?”

Ente’s face, as she asks, is twisted in fear and despair. It’s only natural for that reaction.

The strongest creature, a dragon.

Its appearance among humans signifies destruction.

To break through this situation, there’s only one option. I’ve refrained from doing this due to concerns about the impact on the forest… but if the opponent is a dragon, there’s no other way.

Fortunately, the opponent is in the sky. By fighting in the sky, we can minimize the damage!

Therefore, I must summon one of the three humanoid modules that govern the ‘sky’!

I quickly manipulate the physical keys on the mobile device.

Four… Nine… Three… Two… Enter!

“I’m counting on you, Mamiya!”

High in the sky, Mamiya, currently invisible thanks to optical camouflage, I shout toward the autonomous humanoid module that has been eagerly waiting for its turn.