"Welcome, Gentiles, my half has been taken care of."

 

Unlike the evil dragon, the blue old dragon wears a calm atmosphere.

Her clear blue eyes were capturing me.

One half of it.

The first thing that came to mind at those words was the image of an evil dragon.

It is a monster that we were finally able to defeat together, and it has been sealed as a corpse for hundreds of years.

 

"My name is Farga, the Divine Dragon, and I am a dragon who loves harmony and peace."

 

The old dragon, who called himself Farga, shook his body heavily, brushed off the water of his body, and came ashore in a slow motion.

It is probably a little bigger than an evil dragon.

It's pretty big for us humans.

 

"There is no need to disguise yourself before me, and I have no intention of harming the Lord here."

「...... Amako, Nea."

 

Farga...... No, I understand the meaning of Falga-sama's words, and I tell Amako and Nea to remove their disguises.

Norn and Leona are here, but for the time being, they decide that it is better to follow Falga's words.

Amako removes her cloak and Nea returns to her original demon form from the village girl.

Norn and Leona are astonished by such a two.

 

"What...... What--"

"Don't be upset, inexperienced, it's not as surprising as this."

"Oh, you'll be surprised!?"

"Fool, that's why you're an immature man, you poor little girl. How long are you going to feel like a princess?"

"Ugh......"

 

Norn is depressed by his dry words.

Leona, on the other hand, was surprised but immediately nodded in agreement.

 

"I see, now I understand why Usato's extraordinary powers were so great...... I mean, you--"

"No, no, I'm just a normal human being."

「...... What? Is that so?"

 

That's what I said when I interrupted him, but what exactly was this person trying to say?

No, it's kind of predictable, but .......

 

"Ko, Kohon, this is Farga-sama, the divine dragon he wanted you to meet."

 

The Norn, who had been depressed earlier, introduces us to Farga-sama.

Mistress Farga, who had been listening to her introduction in silence, began to speak without interruption as soon as she finished her words.

 

"Usato, I've been waiting for you to come."

"I've been waiting...... Is it?"

"Well, what's going on here isn't irrelevant to you."

"Isn't it irrelevant......?"

 

At Falga's words, the Norn beside him had a suspicious expression.

Is it something I haven't told her about?

No, it's more ...... Does that mean this is not irrelevant to us?

Either way, it seems certain that he will be involved in this matter.

 

"First of all, let me make sure that you have defeated one of my opponents."

「...... Yes I am. I didn't do it alone, but we defeated the evil dragon. In evidence--"

 

He takes out the hero's sword from his waist in a sheath and shows it to Mistress Farga.

Probably, this is what he created, so you can tell at a glance.

 

"A sword I made for him, I'm sure...... It's like a katana. The fact that one of the two swings is here is unmistakable proof that you have defeated him. But it's still hard to believe. I ...... that a man can overthrow half of my body."

 

The old dragon shifts his gaze from the knife to me and looks at me curiously.

 

"You don't have any special backgrounds, you don't have any outstanding talents other than healing magic, and you don't have anything special in your bloodline, but what has allowed you to overthrow half of my body is the power of your mind that you can tell at a glance -- I see, it is your power that will never break."

"I'm not strong enough to be told to do that, and in the end, my fists couldn't pass the Evil Dragon...... I was able to defeat the Evil Dragon because I worked together with my friends."

 

I don't feel like I've been told that my mental power is a monster, but I wanted to make it clear that defeating the evil dragon wasn't something I did alone.

The evil dragon was weakened, but still possessed great power. I was able to face it and win thanks to my teammates.

He looked straight at the old dragon and nodded his head in deep emotion.

 

"It has to be so," he said, "that it is only those who can unite and confront a powerful enemy. In that respect, you are better than that 'Wakazo.'"

"Wakazo-......?"

"It's the owner of that katana."

 

At those words, I see a small knife.

It is ...... to call the former hero a young man.

 

"That ......."

"What is it, immature?"

 

As he looked at the sword, the Norn spoke hesitantly to Falga.

His expression seemed somewhat confused.

 

"What is ...... evil dragon?" I heard that it is one of you...... Does that mean there was another being like you?"

 

Falga nodded at Norn's words.

 

"Yes, there you are, and you are deeply involved in this matter."

"Then why ...... now?"

"Even if you know, it will only create unnecessary impatience, which clouds your judgment and puts those around you at risk. Until today, all you had to do was protect the city and let the helpless people escape."

「......」

 

Norn shuts up.

After a moment of silence, she looked up with an anxious look on her face.

 

「...... Does that mean that this incident wasn't about Charon's dragon factor going out of control?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, but it's the difference between internal and external factors."

 

Is the cause of Charon's runaway ...... from the dragon factor?

Wait, does that mean that Charon was able to grow tails and horns due to the influence of the dragon factor that was hidden in him?

But why?

 

"Oh."

"Hmm? What's up, Nea?"

"It's nothing."

 

Nea noticed something and began to get upset.

Perhaps because I was the only one who noticed her abnormality, the old dragon continued to weave his words.

 

"The dragon that dwells in Charon did not awaken spontaneously, but was forcibly awakened by a strong external influence. A month ago."

「......」

 

Now I know what it is.

Nea is upset. Rather, it can be said that she is partly responsible for this case.

About a month ago, when Charon started to go out of control, we were fighting an evil dragon.

 

"My half, Charon was forcibly awakened by the vibrations released with the awakening of the Evil Dragon."

 

The old dragon's words startle Norn and Leona, but Amako and Alc both look at Nea next to me.

Nea's face was blue when she received the gaze of three people, including me.

 

●

 

The evil dragon was awakened by the power of the Necromancer.

At one point, the lives of many people were in danger, but before that, we were able to defeat the evil dragon and get away with it.

 

"Evil Dragon...... That's the existence that led to Charon's ...... going out of control."

"Not exactly."

 

Mistress Faluga denies the Norn's muttering.

 

"The trigger is definitely the Evil Dragon, but the dragon factor that sleeps in Charon in the first place is not easily awakened. The power of a dragon is not weak enough to wake up with the roar of a weakened evil dragon."

"Then why did he go out of control?"

 

The trigger is an evil dragon, but there is another trigger.

It is safe to assume that some other entity with some influence other than the Evil Dragon was influencing him before the Evil Dragon woke up.

Mr. Farga? No, there is no reason for this person to do such a thing.

If so, what is the most possible existence that I know?

 

「...... The resurrection of the Demon King?"

"Yes, at the same time as the awakening of the one with such power, the dragon factor of Charon was awakened. But to say that he has awakened is in the right way. Originally, he was supposed to use the power of the dragon with a slow awakening, but here an unusual situation occurred in which the evil dragon awakened."

 

He did what he should have gotten used to slowly, but he couldn't stand it all at once, and he went out of control...... Is that what you mean?

 

"Charon now has the same destructive impulse as the Evil Dragon, and at the moment it is only directed at the city, but what if it is directed at something else...... Disaster will not be avoided."

「......」

 

The cause was the resurrection of the Demon King in the first place, but if it weren't for the resurrection of the Evil Dragon, this wouldn't have happened.

Rather, if the evil dragon had not been resurrected, Charon could have been the trump card against the Demon King. The power of the dragon and the predisposition to be chosen for a powerful weapon -- all of them were first-class abilities, and it was Nair who revived the evil dragon with a light heart.

 

「...... Huh......"

 

If he keeps quiet, he may not be held accountable.

However, Falga-sama knows that it was Nair who brought the evil dragon back to life.

Still, I don't know why I don't say anything, but I have to put a squeak on it.

 

「...... Before that."

 

He shifts his gaze to Aluk and Amako.

Amako sighed in dismay, as if she knew what I was up to, and Alc nodded with her usual smile.

I'm really grateful that you keep up with my recklessness......

 

"Norn, Leona, this is our fault."

「...... Usato?"

"What are you talking about......?"

 

I glanced at Nea, who looked up at me.

The evil dragon was resurrected by Nea, but now it is one of us.

He's cocky and good-natured, and he's a bit of a mess, but he's helped me a lot.

If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here today.

It was because of her that I was able to save Eva.

So there's no way I can put the blame on this guy alone.

 

"We defeated the Evil Dragon, but it all started when one of our current comrades casually resurrected the Evil Dragon in order to capture us."

"That's ......."

"That's the girlfriend next to me right now, Nea."

 

Nea's face turns blue in a panic at my words.

The Norn looked confused or incomprehensible, but Leona had a stern expression on her face.

 

"But now he's one of my friends, so I can't put all the blame on one person."

"Then what do you do?" It's Usato."

 

At this point, Falga asked.

I answer the question clearly, as if I had predicted it.

 

"Let's help us stop Charon."

 

In the first place, it is impossible to ignore the situation in which Charon could become a second evil dragon.

 

"Well, immature, I say this, but will you take it? Why don't you take it?"

"Oh, ha...... I'll take it. I need your help."

 

The stunned Norn hurriedly replied.

Mistress Farga sighs at her and shifts her gaze to her.

 

"Usato, Charon's rampage is definitely your companion's fault, but I want to thank you."

「...... Why?"

 

They may be blamed, but they should not be thanked.

Speaking of half-body, I defeated a being who could be said to be the brother of Falga-sama.

 

"Originally, it would have been 300 years before he woke up, because it seems to have been sealed so strongly. If the seal had been broken, I wouldn't even have been able to stop him three hundred years later. No, there is no certainty that there is anyone in the world 300 years from now who can stop him from completely forgetting himself and turning into a complete disaster. If done poorly, two-thirds of the continent's life could be wiped out."

「......」

 

Both Norn and Leona are pale in the face.

When I actually met him, I thought about the possibility that the evil dragon really went on a rampage without reason, and I frowned.

It was only because he had half-hearted consciousness and intelligence left that he was able to get away with so much destruction.

What if we were to continue to destroy indiscriminately in the true sense of the word?

What if you were spreading poison everywhere?

What if they were charging into the country with unparalleled strength and ironclad scales that could not be passed by anything, and with a strength that even the army could not put on their teeth?

Surely, no one will be able to beat the evil dragon.

 

"Besides...... He's fallen into evil, but he's half of me. It is not a very pleasant story to be bound to this world only by the soul in such a form. Those who have died must rest in peace, as well as those who have done their utmost to do evil."

 

Falga's words about the Evil Dragon were somewhat sad.

 

"I understand the reason why that young man tied his soul to this world, but either way, it's not a good reason for a living person to play with a dead soul."

"Do you know why the hero tied the soul of the evil dragon to this world?"

 

At this point, Nea, whose face was finally ruddy, asked.

It seems that she was also interested in the actions of the hero.

 

"Of course, but I'm not kind enough to tell you that. There is no point in telling him what he is trying to do here and now. No...... It will make his deeds as a hero meaningless."

 

...... I mean, there's nothing to say about the hero.

But if the time for the Evil Dragon to wake up from the seal is 300 years from now, then what the hero was trying to do may have been to influence the future.

 

"You don't have to understand it now, because as long as you face the threat of the Demon Lord, you'll know it eventually. Rather--"

 

Master Farga paused and turned his gaze back to me.

 

"There's one thing I want to make sure you do to stop Charon."

"Is that something you want to make sure?"

"Oh, I don't know how much you can fight, but surely it was the power of you and your companions that defeated the Evil Dragon. But I want to make sure that you are capable of doing it alone."

「...... I understand. So how do you make sure?"

"So, shall I be the one to deal with Usato?"

 

When I asked her how she was going to test my abilities, Leona came forward as my opponent.

 

"Personally, he has a power that no ordinary knight can match, and I may not be strong enough, but if you look at a part of his ability—"

"No, you don't fight Usato."

 

Leona's words are interrupted.

Mistress Falga, who is somewhat grim, stares at Leona.

 

"Sure, you're the best opponent for Usato, but just being the best isn't the best. If you have doubts about your position and are lost in your heart, you will not be able to demonstrate your true abilities."

"That's ......."

"If it's a game, you'll win, but if it's a game, you're going to lose. It will not be a story unless you are satisfied with the 'position' you are in and are willing to fulfill the responsibilities of that position."

「......」

 

Leona, who was silent, looked at Faluga.

Leona, are you lost? I was amazed at the fact that she was able to fight against Charon, but she still didn't show more than she was capable of.

 

"I'll prepare you with my magic."

"Do you use magic to create my opponents......?"

"No, no, it's not 'producing.'" Invoke."

 

...... That? I have a very bad feeling about it.

My sixth sense is sounding the alarm.

Ignoring the fact that I couldn't stop sweating, Mistress Farga quietly cast a spell from her large hand, touching the tip of her cracked nail to the spring.

Then, the water from the spring forms a circle and emerges from the surface of the water.

 

"This is the magic of the mirror image, the magic of the mirror that reflects the object, and the person reflected in the subject's mind is summoned to this place for only three minutes."

「...... Magic that acts on space-time...... What a crazy ......."

 

Nea looks in the mirror and mutters something like that.

However, Falga-sama snorts as if he can't understand.

 

"If the evil dragon is the dragon that controls power, then I am the dragon of knowledge, and although I cannot wield the power to act directly, the many magic I have mastered through my wisdom are my greatest weapon. It's easy for me to connect spaces."

 

Even though it's only limited to three minutes, the magic of summoning someone from afar is certainly a no-brainer.

Since it is called a divine dragon, its lifespan is many times longer—no, it must be dozens of times longer, so it is not strange that he has learned countless magics.

 

"I'm going to limit what I'm calling from now on."

"What, limited? Isn't that what I'm going to choose?"

"Well, that wouldn't make sense, but it wouldn't make sense unless I could fight you to some extent."

 

That's true, but .......

Well, even if it's against a monster, what I do doesn't change. Luckily, I don't use a lot of magic, and I should be okay with fighting for about three minutes.

For the time being, I tried to calm my mind and not panic, so I took a deep breath.

 

"The eligibility is limited to 'those whom you have fought the most and who have angered you,' but those who have already died or have no intention of fighting are exempt from the condition."

 

Who ...... the most angry? Who ...... willing to fight?

The evil dragon and that serpent are no more, and Ferm is probably ...... You have no intention of fighting me...... The same is true for Fegnis.

Wait, there's only one person I can remember.

 

"What's the matter, Usato...... My face is blue, ......?"

"Nea, I may be beaten up without any way from now on."

"Huh!? I can't imagine you beating up!?"

 

I can say that because you don't know her.

At least she's much stronger and more relentless than I am.

No, I'm forgiving and being gentle for the time being, but even if I include that, it doesn't change the fact that I'm a strength that I can't compete with.

 

"Usato, are you okay?"

"No, don't worry, Amako."

 

Amako and Aluk, who sensed the person who would appear in the future, looked at me anxiously.

A person who would meet all the criteria.

I've been beating him many times in training.

I've been angry with him many times in training.

Speaking of people who are full of will to fight, .......

 

"Okay, I'm going to call you, are you ready?"

"What!?"

 

Isn't it too early!?

Wait. If my prediction is not wrong, there is a possibility that a massacre of a level that cannot be talked about, let alone a mock battle, will occur!

When Falga-sama imbues the mirror with magical power, light emanates from the surface of the transparent mirror.

When the light subsided, the mirror reflected a different landscape from the dimly lit cave scenery.

 

"Ah, ah......

 

At the end of the mirror...

A familiar black-haired boy and a silver-haired girl who also looks familiar are lying on the ground.

And there I saw my mentor and boss, Rose, the leader of the rescue team, looking down at them with a terrible smile on her face.

 

_______________________________________

Summary of this story: The Demon King is bad.