Chapter 71
Dragon Slaying (Part 2)
The battle between Durge and the dragon was getting more and more heated, as the two kept throwing everything they had at each other. The arena trembled from the clash of these two titans, making the area anywhere close to them something no one normal could ever hope to approach. If they did, they would only end up dead for their foolishness.
“Yeah! Kick the shit out of him, Durge!” Ryle cheered as she watched the battle go on. “Damn, he’s crazy strong! Maybe we can actually win against an actual dragon after all!”
“...I don’t think that’s possible,” Erin said with a grim expression. “If we don’t do something soon, I’m afraid he’ll just end up dead.”
“Are you still on about that!? Didn’t I already tell you that we can’t do anything to help him!?” the blonde asked. “Besides, what makes you think that he will lose!? He’s been kicking that lizard’s ass this whole time!”
“He’s been getting slower and slower as the fight has gone on. Not only that, but you can see that he’s breathing heavily,” the redhead said. “I fear that whatever this form of his is uses up a lot of energy. Even if the dragon doesn’t kill him, he might end up dead from exhaustion alone!”
Ryle took another look at Durge and realized that Erin was right. While the orc had been able to put on a strong fight before, his attacks were now sluggish and easily avoidable by the dragon. Not only that, but he was breathing like he had just run two marathons in a row without pause. It was a painful sight to behold.
“...Y-You’re right! He’s barely holding on!” Ryle said, understanding just how bad the situation truly was. “But what the hell can we do!? If we just run in there, we’ll end up getting trampled or eaten!”
Erin hated to admit it, but her friend was right. There was virtually nothing they could actually do. A battle of this level was way beyond their capabilities, but they still needed to do something. The redhead was desperately looking around for anything they could use to assist Durge, but nothing came to mind. It looked completely hopeless.
Suddenly, Durge managed to land a powerful uppercut to the dragon’s jaw, knocking it to the floor. It looked like the tide of the fight had finally turned in the orc’s favor.
“Yes! He got that thing!” Ryle cheered, thinking that this was the end of the battle. Erin also watched with anticipation, hoping that Durge would win.
However, the hope that Erin and Ryle had was quickly crushed, as the dragon fought back viciously by using its claws. Blood was spilled on the floor, as the claws tore through Durge’s flesh, leaving large wounds on his body.
“DURGE!” Erin screamed, horrified over the orc’s fatal injuries. Just as the redhead thought that it was over for him, the wounds began to close in an incredibly fast rate. “What in the…?”
“He’s regenerating… His body is actually healing itself!” Ryle said, as she stared at the sight before her with wide eyes. “Whatever it is that allowed him to transform has some incredible abilities packed into it.”
The joy of seeing Durge survive his wounds didn’t last long, as the orc was still in a very bad state. His wounds might have healed themselves, but he was now utterly exhausted, as he couldn’t even find the strength to even stand up. The dragon saw this and decided to use the opportunity it had been given by charging its breath attack once again. The flames that shot out from the beast’s mouth washed over Durge, as Erin and Ryle could only watch in horror.
image [https://i.ibb.co/JFjJ19H/Ch-71-Pic-1.jpg]
However, before the dragon managed to turn its opponent into ashes, it suddenly stopped its attack. With the flames no longer burning him, Durge’s charred body simply fell to the floor. As Erin and Ryle wondered what had happened, they saw that the dragon was acting strangely, like it was getting lightheaded and was having trouble breathing.
“What the hell is wrong with that thing?” Ryle asked. “It almost looks like it’s sick or something.”
“...Or maybe it’s poisoned,” Erin said as she realized what was going on. “The tip of the spear I used to pierce it through the eye had venom on it. It’s finally starting to take effect on it. This might be our chance to beat that thing.”
“Maybe so, but how?” the blonde asked. “Poisoned or not, that is still a dragon and I don’t think we should be getting close to it.”
The redhead cursed as she realized that her friend was right. Even if it was being affected by the venom, it was still a very dangerous monster that could easily kill both of them. It seemed like their situation hadn’t changed much at all.
Just as all hope seemed to be lost, more metal crates fell from the ceiling, landing close to the dragon. Before anyone could do anything, the crates opened, letting out all kinds of beasts. These included wolves, giant reptiles, spiders and insects.
Being caught in a full panic, the beasts began to attack those close to them, which included the dragon. Even though it was poisoned, the dragon still showed just how mighty of a beast it truly was and easily annihilated the lesser creatures that dared challenge it. But while it could easily deal with its new enemies, the venom running through its veins took its toll. This allowed more and more of the beasts to attack the dragon, leaving their marks on its body.
Erin and Ryle could only stare in awe at the carnage that was unfolded before their eyes. It was truly a picture of hell, as the beasts did all they could to tear each other apart.
“Erin! Ryle!” Lexton suddenly called out to the two, as he ran towards them. “What is happening here!? Why did those monsters suddenly get dropped on the arena!?”
“We are just as clueless as you are in regards to that, Lex!” Ryle answered. “All of a sudden, crates full of monsters just dropped right next to the dragon and all hell broke loose! I don’t know if this is lucky or unlucky for us!”
“Oh, it’s definitely lucky!” the kobold said. “With the rate those things are going at it, there won’t be much for us to worry about soon! Even that dragon might get killed, if we’re lucky enough!”
“By the way, where have you been?” Erin asked. “You said that you were going to make something that could actually kill that dragon. What exactly did you make?”
“Well, you see-”
Lexton’s reply was cut off, as a loud roar, filled with primal rage that desired blood, echoed through the arena. They turned to see that the dragon had finished killing off all the beasts that had attacked it and was still standing. Despite the numerous wounds covering its body and the venom still going through its body, the dragon still refused to fall down and instead stood tall and prepared for battle.
In fact, it had just put its sights on its next target. More precisely three of them. Flames were slowly building up in its mouth, as the beast prepared to wipe out its targets in one go. The dragon began to move towards them with heavy steps, as its injuries slowed it down.
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“...Okay, no time to explain!” Lexton said as he quickly handled a metal cylindrical object to Ryle. “Hey, remember when we were fighting against that guy who used an ocarina to control animals!?”
“Sure, but what does-?”
“And remember how you threw ME at him!?” the kobold continued, cutting off the blonde. “By the way, NEVER do that again, asshole!”
“No promises! Still what are you getting at?” Ryle asked.
“Once that thing opens its mouth, I want you to throw that in it!” Lexton said. “Get ready to do that the exact moment it opens its mouth or else we’re all toast!”
Ryle gave a quick look at Erin, who simply shrugged. With no other options, they decided to simply put their faith in their friend and prepared to face the dragon.
It didn’t take long for the beast to get into optimal distance from its targets. While its eyes were hazy from loss of blood and the effects of the venom, one could still tell that it was determined to see whatever its gaze fell upon dead. Its breath attack had also built up and all it needed to do now was unleash it and let the fire wash over those before it.
As its maw opened, Ryle used her good arm to throw the weapon Lexton had given her. The metallic object flew through the air and hit its target, landing right in the middle of the flames within the dragon’s mouth.
Before anyone could do anything, a loud explosion erupted inside the dragon’s mouth, causing smoke and flames to fly in all directions. The blast was strong enough to knock down Erin and Ryle, who had not expected such a thing to happen.
Once the smoke finally cleared out, they saw the dragon swaying from side to side. Its mouth had smoke rising up from it, as the explosion had done its damage. The beast’s tongue had been torn apart and several of its teeth had been sent flying out. Blood was dripping down like a fountain, as it tried to remain standing, only to fall down with no more strength in its body.
For a moment, Erin and Ryle could only stare at the dragon’s corpse, unable to believe that it had actually died. Once they were sure it was dead did they allow themselves to relax.
“Holy shit… That was quite something, huh?” Ryle said. “Hard to believe that big lizard is actually dead.”
“I know what you mean,” Erin said. “But what actually happened? What was that thing you gave her, Lex?”
“Pretty effective, wasn’t it!?” the kobold proudly called out to his two companions. However, instead of standing next to them like they had thought, he was hiding behind one of the metal barricades, having ran there after giving the weapon to Ryle. “I guess this just goes to show how much of a genius I truly am!”
“Lex, you cowardly little bastard!” Ryle yelled angrily at the kobold. “You actually hid yourself and left us to face a freaking dragon on our own!?”
“Ryle, just let it be. It’s been a rough day for all of us,” Erin said with a deep sigh, not in the mood for any arguing. “But still, what was in that thing you gave Ryle?”
“I told you that we had the perfect tools available to take on the dragon, right? What I meant by that was that I could build us a bomb that would be effective in taking that thing down,” Lexton began to explain. “You see, the spider you killed wasn’t just any spider, but a creature known as the Bombardment Spider. The venom it uses doesn’t affect your nervous system or anything like that. Instead, it actually heats up and explodes. Once I found something that I could use as a container, I carefully extracted the venom into it and sealed it with its web, thus creating a bomb perfect for dragon slaying.”
“You came up with that so fast?” Erin asked in an impressed tone. “You really are quite something.”
“Yeah. A real jackass,” Ryle said, still sounding upset. “Would it have killed you to warn us first?”
“I didn’t exactly have the time, did I!?” Lexton argued. “Besides, what are you upset about? The dragon is dead and we’re alive! I’d say that’s a pretty good end result-”
A new roar echoed throughout the arena, as the dragon suddenly stood back up with renewed energy. Despite its body being torn and battered all over, the beast still somehow found the strength in it to move again. It wasn’t certain if this was pure willpower, an animal instinct for survival or just sheer anger at the ones that had harmed it, but the dragon was once again showing just how much of a terrifying monster it was.
With its body up again, the beast set its sights on the ones who had put it in this state, Erin and her friends, before making a mad dash towards them.
Erin, Ryle and Lexton had been so caught off guard that they were unable to do anything in response. Time seemed to slow down for them, as the dragon rushed towards them with a bleeding maw open and ready to tear them apart.
Just as the dragon was about to reach the three, something came in and stopped it. This was none other than Durge, who was still alive. As soon as the orc had woken up, he had seen the dragon running towards Erin and her friends. This forced him to get up and run to stop the beast.
Now Durge was holding the dragon by its jaws. The monster tried to desperately fight back, but it was completely futile, as the orc simple bent the dragon’s jaws until a sickening crack was heard. Upon this happening, the dragon finally stopped moving and went completely silent, as its last remaining embers of life were snuffed out.
With the dragon finally dead, Durge dropped its body onto the ground before falling on his knees, having used up all the energy he had. While he was still in his transformed state, his regeneration was no longer working as effectively as it was before. The orc had also shrunk a bit and his eyes were starting to look more normal. These were all signs that his transformation was most likely getting undone.
Despite fearing that she might get attacked by him, Erin slowly moved closer towards Durge. They might not have known each other all that long, but he had done a lot to help her and her friends. She needed to at least make sure that he was okay.
“Durge?” the redhead called out to him. “Are you-?”
“Kill… me…” the orc said in a weak tone. “Please…”
“W-What!?” Erin said out of shock.
“I can barely… hold it back…” Durge said. “The urge to kill… It’s still strong… If I’m not stopped… I will… kill again… without any control… Please… Kill me before it happens…”
The redhead was taken aback by the sudden request and didn’t know how to respond. Seeing her hesitation, Ryle stepped up.
“Alright. I’ll do it,” the blonde said. “I’ll make it quick and painless.”
A small grateful smile appeared on Durge’s face, as he gave a glance at Ryle. However, before the blonde could finish off the orc, Erin stepped in front of her.
“Ryle, what are you saying!?” the redhead asked in a mix of shock and anger. “How can you just kill him after everything he has done for us!? Don’t you still understand how much he has done for us!?”
“I do. And it’s exactly because of how much he has helped us that I am willing to do it,” the blonde said without any hint of hesitation or wavering. “I now know that he isn’t the monster I made him out to be. He’s a good person and we owe him for helping us.”
“Then why are you-!?”
“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO MAKE HIM SUFFER!” Ryle yelled, cutting off Erin. “Can’t you see that he is suffering!? He doesn’t want to live like this anymore! Whatever it is that gives him his powers also causes him to attack friends as well! That’s why he is asking us to put him out of his misery, so that he won’t harm others again! Including us!”
“...I-Is there nothing we can do?” the redhead asked on the verge of tears. “Can’t we help him somehow?”
“...We can make it painless. That’s about it,” the blonde answered.
With nothing to argue against Ryle’s decision, Erin regretfully stepped aside, allowing her friend to get in a better position to grant Durge’s wish. The blonde had a sorrowful look on her face, as she stared down at the transformed orc before her, begging for death.
“I know we didn’t exactly start on good terms, but… I’m honestly grateful for what you’ve done for us. The fact that you tried to save Arnie even at the risk of your own life and even helping me out. I just… wish we didn’t have to end things on such a shit note,” Ryle said. “I just hope you can find peace and maybe even look after my brother in whatever it is you end up in, okay?”
image [https://i.ibb.co/pvN4Bch/Ch-71-Pic-2.jpg]
With her last words for Durge said, the blonde began to gather her ki in her good hand, making it into a dedly weapon that could break stone easily. Even though he was transformed, Durge was so weak that a powerful blow like that would easily put him down for good. The orc closed his eyes and waited for death to claim him.
“Excuse me?” Lexton suddenly called out. “What the hell are we doing here?”
“What the-!? CAN’T YOU FREAKING TELL!?” Ryle asked angrily. “I’m about to kill Durge obviously!”
“...Why?” the kobold asked.
“Are you… Are you for real?” the blonde asked in half anger and half disbelief.
“Lex, the thing is that whatever this transformation that Durge uses is very dangerous and he could lose control at any time,” Erin explained in a sad tone. “He himself doesn’t want to hurt us accidentally, so he’s asking us to put him down.”
“I still don’t get it. Why does he have to die?” Lexton asked. “All he really needs to do is allow the transformation to wear off and that’s it.”
Before either Erin or Ryle could make any arguments, the kobold walked up to the orc and stabbed him on the shoulder with a knife. The two women at first thought that Durge would attack Lexton in retaliation, but were shocked to see him simply fall over. Upon taking a closer look, they saw that the orc’s eyes had rolled to the back of his head and that he was foaming at the mouth.
“...Lex, what did you do to him?” Erin asked while staring at Durge with a wide eye.
“Nothing much. I just used some of that wasp’s poison on him,” the kobold answered. “It’s a very powerful neurotoxin, so it should keep him down until his transformation wears off.”
“You mean you poisoned him!?” Ryle asked angrily. “How is that any better than what I was going to do!? You’re just making him suffer a more painful death!”
“Calm down, idiot. It was just so that he wouldn’t run around causing havoc,” Lexton replied. “I noticed how well his injuries had healed, so there has got to be some sort of a healing factor tied to his transformation. The venom I used on him might be potent, but it was a relatively small amount. I’m sure his body will be able to fight through it, before the rest of the energy in his new form is completely burnt out.”
“Wait… Are you saying that he doesn’t have to die?” Erin asked in a hopeful tone. “We can actually save him?”
“Of course. Have I ever lied to you?” the kobold said back with a smirk.
The redhead let out a sigh of relief as a couple of happy tears escaped her eye. They had done it. They had gone against a dragon and not only did they defeat it, but they managed to do so without losing anyone. It was the best possible outcome she could have ever imagined.
However, none of them realized that the danger was far from over.