Fighting a Dragon Part 2

Several days later, in the middle of Treswel Woods, a high-ranking danger zone full of a multitude of magical beasts...

A small group of people were traversing the trees cautiously while the Sun was still bright out, their movements limited in both sound and speed.

Although they seemed to be on a stroll with how deliberate their steps were, a quick glance and one would realize that each member was ready to engage in battle at a moment's notice.

Their hands wandered around at the hilt of their blades, clenched around their staffs as pairs of eyes drifted from place to place, seeing no resting place to stop.

All but one member were attentive in their every gesture.

A young man with brown hair, light armor, and slothful eyes with his hands behind his head yawned peacefully, taking the lead unintentionally. He seemed unaware of the danger lurking nearby, an odd mix amongst the others.

"How pleasant... What a lovely day, right guys?"

He turned back to his party members, walking backward facing them, and asked. His comrades who were used to his antics paid no heed to his actions.

The youngest amongst them and their newest member was the only one who found his leisure attitude out of place and inappropriate.

"Calistaf, don't you think you should be taking this commission more seriously? We're already in the vicinity of her location but you're acting like this... You were informed that we're fighting a dragon right?"

Soravita couldn't help but ask, somewhat mindful of her newcomer status but half ignoring it as she questioned her senior's behavior

"You fret over the small details too much, Avan. You need to learn to let loose once in a while. Admire your surroundings more, you'll notice some details you haven't before. It's refreshing."

Calistaf responded with a carefree grin, dodging a tree in his path while walking backward, taking in the sights around him.

"Fighting a dragon is small for you?... I can't tell if you're just playing around or if these soundless woods got to your head."

She was a little flabbergasted, still unused to her senior's antics which seemed rather inappropriate considering the immense danger awaiting them.

She seriously considered that he was making small talk to prevent himself from losing his mind from how stifling the forest was.

"I didn't give the specifics to him, lest he makes a run for it."

Audar, the party leader intervened in their chat as he retook the lead, casting neither a glance as his eyes seemed to penetrate through the trees before his immediate direction. He suddenly paused as they entered a suitable area.

"We'll rest up here briefly. Calistaf, I'll leave the reconnaissance to you, as usual. Be on guard."

"Yes, sir."

Audar gave his orders and Calistaf saluted playfully before his figure vanished.

The remaining members chatted amongst themselves while resting comfortably as they awaited their comrade's return.

Despite the radiant light shining in between the gaps of the treetops, the surroundings were terrifyingly tranquil, like the dead of the night.

Had it not been for the sound of their footsteps and the chatter between one another, it'd be hard to notice their presence even if they made it known.

The sudden appearance of an apex predator, a dragon has driven all regular inhabitants to the outskirts of Treswel Woods, a few weaker ones leaving the area quicker than the others.

Their vigilance was up to go against those runaway monsters should they encounter any. Although it was unlikely for experts at their skill level to suffer a wound against such opponents, it wouldn't be ideal to be injured before the most important battle.

Danger creeps on the most unsuspecting victim.

As they waited patiently, they each attended to their own gear, ensuring everything was in place and the moment soon arrived.

"...I found the target."

Calistaf returned, his figure flashing in between the treetops before landing without a sound. His countenance was solemn, unlike any other faces he made before, almost as if it was all an act. It only goes to show that the dangers awaiting them had him on his toes.

....

The stalemate between the two sides lasted for a few seconds longer before a sound from the group of warriors was made.

I promptly turned my head slightly to their side and noticed a gallant warrior with a large build wielding a greatsword befitting his large frame.

Phaidra quickly made a wave with her free hand as the other was stuffing her face full of popcorn. In an instant, an enlarged screen of the battle appeared before my eyes, like that of TV.

"I almost forgot, I've also given you an automatic language translator of sorts temporarily. It'll help with the battle so you don't have to worry about not understanding much."

I turned to her with eyes full of gratitude and she acknowledged that by nodding lightly as we returned to the event before us.

The aforementioned man wore seemingly heavy armor on most parts of his body with artistic patterns forming intertwining shapes and designs. It was a blend of primarily dark and light silver with his greatsword of matching properties, a set batch so to speak.

His hair and beard are short but coupled with his armor and sword, one look was all it took to know that his large build wasn't just for show.

With his first step, he brought his greatsword overhead, and with his next step, he vanished.

Wait. Vanished?

My eyes had processed the event and my mind had recorded it but I still found it hard to believe even when I saw that he truly did disappear, his other companions acting separately.

Momentarily bewildered, I quickly found that he had reappeared before Cerise, the injured Crimson Dragon seated at a height several tens of meters high.

My brain had stopped for a bit but as I recounted all the strange yet unique events that have happened to me, I quickly tossed the questions bothering me aside.

Hmmm... Yes.

I'll just attribute this to mana.

He probably used a lot of mana to leap into mid-air faster than the eye could see despite his heavy armor.

Yeah, that's what happened.

Anyways, this guy was now face to face with Cerise, only a few meters separating his now advancing greatsword and her snout.

He swiftly cut the distance, projecting more strength to increase the speed of his descending blade, and just when I thought the two would connect, his blade stopped in mid-air only a few feet away.

CLANG!

A resounding boom echoed, its effects reaching even as far as here but thankfully enough, my body wasn't affected.

Sparks flew out constantly from the contact between his greatsword and the invisible shield that surrounded the undisturbed Crimson dragon who had yet to make a move.

Breathing in deeply, he retracted his blade quickly before bringing it back down in quick succession while still hovering in the air.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Ten, Twenty... I already lost count of how many attacks he has made consecutively but despite the tremendous impact I could feel from each strike, the shield showed no signs of breaking.

His fall resumed soon after and taking advantage of that, Cerise finally made a move. She lifted her tail slowly before she lashed out in his direction with incredible speed, the air forced to bend to her power.

Prepared for a counterattack, he brought his greatsword vertically in front of him to prevent as much damage as possible. A noticeable sphere quickly enclosed around him before contact was made with the tail, evidently a shield of sorts as the screen switched to someone new.

A charming and mature woman in fantasy-like priestess clothes a blend of pure white and gold, intricate symbols scattered which further enhanced her beauty. She had flowing blonde hair and striking hazel-colored eyes. In her hands was a sophisticated staff with several golden rings at its end. Her hands held around the staff were outstretched and she was mumbling some sort of incantations with her eyes closed.

Even with my limited knowledge, she appeared to be a supporter-type companion, a necessary addition to any well-balanced group. That same shield soon enclosed all the other members, herself included as she continued with her role.

At that point, Cerise's tail had finally made contact with the large guy at the forefront leading the charge.

With a resounding BOOM, he was sent flying to the side, toppling several trees as piles of dust built up. His barrier had shattered instantly but its effects had proven themselves as he had gotten mostly scot-free, with only tad bits of blood leaked out of his mouth.

Bearing the full brunt of that attack was most definitely an instant kill for basically anyone else, even with a shield. Momentarily cast away from the battle, the screen returned to the others who had already crossed the distance separating the two sides and achieved appropriate locations around the dragon.

There was a total of five members attacking, two ranged and three physical considering their outfits or armor and choice of weapon. Of the ranged members, one was a supporter type who prevented fatal injuries by casting a barrier to take the brunt of most of the damage.

The other was a young girl who seemed to be in her teens and was wearing a magician's outfit. Her large witch-like hat was covering her face and her staff was slightly shorter and seemed more antique. The air was visibly crackling around her immediate vicinity which was not far from the priestess. A large attack was soon to be manifested.

I was certain of that much.

Of the three remaining members, one was temporarily incapacitated but soon to rejoin the battle. The other two were prepared to launch a joint attack on opposing sides of Cerise whose eyes were locked on the two girls a tad in the distance of the open field.

On the right was a swordsman of a noticeably smaller build compared to that giant but it was still larger than average. He wore a shoulder guard on his right arm which was wielding his finely crafted sword whose appeal was apparent even to someone as inexperienced as me.

He wore light armor cast in a mix of dark azure and ruby. He also had short black hair and bright olive eyes as a grin was spread from cheek to cheek. No fear apparent whatsoever.

He lunged forward with great momentum, his blade outstretched by his side, ready to strike at the barrier.

Cerise brought her deep marine eyes from the two girls to the swordsman who was getting increasingly closer, seemingly having judged the closer individual a greater danger. She locked her eyes onto his figure and with a wave of her claw, she seemed to have prepared a move of sorts.

Guarded, the swordsman was prepared to slash out at a moment's notice, his sword close at heart but noticed that something was off.

He turned around and saw that a sharp pillar had shot from the ground and was only an inch away from the priestess, her eyes still enclosed and her mouth containing her chants.

Death looms.