* * *
What is that black lizard anyway?
Suddenly appearing and spouting whatever it pleases.
Then saying “Die” just because I was disappointing?
What is that black lizard anyway?
Don’t mock me.
How dare it treat my life that way.
Don’t mock me, don’t mock me……don’t mock me!
The black dragon, an embodiment of injustice.
Facing that overwhelmingly superior existence that struck her with death – the terminus of life.
What surfaced in Emi’s heart was not despair.
Nor regret. Nor sorrow.
Joy and delight were naturally absent as well.
It was anger.
Her heart was simply filled with rage.
Anger toward the injustice that was the black dragon.
Anger at her fate forcing such an unjust life upon her.
Anger at her own weakness.
<<<I’ve had enough. Die.>>>
With those curt words, the black dragon swung its claws down toward Emi.
But Emi was enraged.
Her anger fueled her, igniting her murderous intent.
The insignificant humans, the merciless monsters, and her insufferable life!
The murderous intent she had bottled up in her small heart, accumulating endlessly, overflowed!
“SHUT UUUUP!! YOU DIEEEE!!!”
The instant Emi screamed those words, the black dragon’s claws descended upon her!
But Emi……once again nimbly evaded using 【Grasshopper】!
Leaping away, landing!
Then withstanding the wind pressure, the shockwave produced when the black dragon’s claws struck the ground in her wake!
Emi reinforced the earth beneath her feet as much as possible with 【Solidify】, adhering herself in a crouched stance with 【Adhesion】.
This way, she wouldn’t be blown away.
As for handling the shockwave itself?
If she took it directly, no matter how reinforced her body was, she would likely be shredded into pieces.
However, Emi had already acquired a technique to disperse and withstand it.
Mana conversion.
Using her entire body, Emi continued converting and dispersing the encroaching shockwave through mana conversion!
Resisting injustice with the technique bestowed by her revered master! Defying it! Confronting it!
If there had been any observer witnessing this bizarre scene, they would have surely tilted their head in bewilderment.
For amidst everything being blown away, the area around that beast-postured girl alone remained eerily calm, like the eye of a typhoon.
Even if instructed to consciously replicate this feat, the current Emi would likely be unable to do so.
Her instinctive evasive actions committed in the face of mortal peril, consumed by rage, had allowed her to withstand the shockwave through sheer desperate exertion.
Yet Emi swiftly followed up with her next move.
Another leap.
Landing on the black dragon’s right arm still grounded from its swinging strike.
And running!
Using 【Silverfish】, she dashed up that vertically towering right arm at full speed!
<<<Oh, ohhh!?>>>
It was at this point that the black dragon finally noticed the situation.
<<<Hah, hahaha! So you’ve finally gotten motivated? Good, good!!>>>
Laughing delightedly, the black dragon swung its right arm, swatting at Emi with its left arm to knock her off.
However, the black dragon’s body was far too massive.
Compared to the still 7-year-old Emi’s physique, their size disparity was too great.
The black dragon’s arms failed to accurately strike her.
<<<Nggh, then how about this!?>>>
The next instant, the countless scales on the black dragon’s forearm bulged outward as numerous cannon-like protrusions emerged.
These were essentially the black dragon’s “sweat glands.”
While the black dragon’s form resembled a massive winged lizard, it was not actually a reptile.
Unlike cold-blooded creatures, it could perspire.
Moreover, it could freely discharge this “sweat” as highly pressurized water jets for attacks.
With Emi having already climbed up to its elbow, water cannons capable of piercing rock assailed her!
But Emi refused to stop!
At times lowering her head, at times leaning her body, she evaded the black dragon’s sweat jets while continuing her ascent up its arm!
Even the mighty black dragon seemed unable to freely manipulate the direction of its ejected sweat.
No matter how powerful, if it couldn’t accurately target Emi, those water cannons were useless against her!
<<<Hahahahaha! Truly marvelous! It seems my eye was indeed correct!>>>
Emi had already surmounted the black dragon’s shoulder, now climbing up its long neck.
Laughing with delight, the black dragon shook its neck left and right to shake Emi off.
But Emi refused to separate from the black dragon’s neck.
Utterly defying gravity, she continued her ascent.
Emi’s genius physicality and mana manipulation techniques were fully unleashed in her current hyper-focused state!
Evading the black dragon’s incessantly firing sweat jets, Emi finally reached its face.
The goal was near.
But what was this goal?
The sole radiant golden star amidst that jet-black night sky of a body.
In other words, the black dragon’s eyes!
From the outset, Emi had assessed that her attacks likely couldn’t pierce the black dragon’s scales.
However, its eyes were a different story.
Those unguarded golden orbs should be vulnerable to her strikes.
She gambled on that possibility.
Emi had already reached the black dragon’s right cheek.
Her target was right between its eye and nostril!
While dashing up at tremendous speed, Emi concentrated her magic power into her right arm.
What she would unleash was a 【Magic Strike】.
Quite literally striking with all her mind and soul.
No holding back.
Her opponent allowed no such leeway.
Compared to the black dragon, she was but a speck of dust. Yet for a human, the immense magic power Emi poured into her right arm was utterly abnormal.
Giii……mishiii……
The air groaned.
Her right arm screamed in pain.
But Emi ignored it.
Instantly closing the gap to the black dragon’s eye.
<<<Ohhh!? What? What!?>>>
Seeing Emi charging straight for its eye, the black dragon opened it wide in shock.
How fortunate. Don’t close it now.
With the momentum from her ascent, Emi struck that small fist carrying all her might directly into the black dragon’s eye!
That fist was her rage.
Shattering injustice to push forward!
Her way of living itself!
DON……OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!
Emi’s fist impacted the black dragon’s eye, the resounding boom following slightly delayed.
The sheer impact force whipped the black dragon’s face backward, staggering it.
As for Emi’s state?
Her body had virtually no magic power remaining.
She had poured everything into that one strike.
Maintaining 【Silverfish】 was no longer possible.
Stumbling, her feet separated from the black dragon’s scales as she plummeted straight toward the ground.
And the black dragon?
What of its golden eye that Emi had struck with all her might?
The conclusion?
It remained completely unscathed.