"A human? Then let's land right away!"
Emiya figured that with Melusine's level of strength, she could rampage freely in the modern world—very few humans could match her in a fight. Besides, the odds of encountering humans in a secret realm like this were slim. Most likely, it was one of the teammates Mai had mentioned…
Sure enough, he soon saw a familiar figure—Zero—and an unfamiliar middle-aged man beside her.
A blast of sonic booms tore through the sky, the distorted airflow composing a cacophony of shrill noise.
To be honest, even though Melusine had implemented windbreaks and structural restraints, the engine-like roar from her breaking the sound barrier nearly gave Emiya tinnitus. Nono must've felt the same.
Emiya swore to himself: unless Melusine ever decides to slow down, he's never flying with this little dragon girl again!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
As expected, Melusine descended in a direct line, landing near Zero and her temporary companion Chu Tianjiao with a full-on superhero landing.
BOOM!
The ground caved in a perfect crater beneath her, dirt and debris shooting out like lethal shrapnel in every direction.
Emiya felt like he'd just ridden a theme park's drop tower ride—his organs jarred by the impact. It took a few unsteady steps before he could stand still. Nono, meanwhile, had dropped to a squat, her lips pale—clearly in worse shape.
"Melusine, you need to understand—humans are far more fragile than you think. We can't just ignore inertia like you can."
Melusine blinked in confusion at Emiya's quick approach and warning. When she saw him rush to help Nono, she tilted her head and lifted her chin. "I see. My combat functions are simply too superior? Of course, I am a dragon. Very powerful."
…I wasn't complimenting you!
Communicating with a dragon and getting mutual understanding felt like a long and painful process.
"We meet again," Zero said as she and Chu Tianjiao finally made their way over.
They hadn't rushed over immediately because the landing had caused such a commotion that they were nearly caught in the debris wave. The explosion had sent deadly shrapnel everywhere—practically a natural death trap.
Zero, protected by her "Dustless Domain," was fine. Chu Tianjiao, however, had to dodge with his time-based ability.
The result: he dodged… but not completely.
He was now covered in dust and dirt, his hair a tangled mess like a bush. He looked like a miserable traveler caught in a sandstorm.
Emiya greeted Zero with Nono and Melusine, then eyed Chu Tianjiao. "And this is…?"
A beggar? A refugee?
Zero shook her head. "This is Chu Tianjiao. He's a contact we ran into during a mission assigned by our boss. Not one of ours."
"Ohhh, so just a temporary ally from a coincidence?"
"Yeah, he's an 'outsider.'"
Chu Tianjiao immediately panicked. That sounded like they were about to abandon him. No way he could survive Nibelungen alone!
The seasoned middle-aged driver wiped dirt off his face and forced a smile. "Hey now, Miss Zero, I'm not just good at driving—I just didn't get a chance to show my full capabilities. I can definitely hold my own. I won't drag you down…"
"…So what you're saying is… you're strong?"
Melusine suddenly perked up at the keyword.
She had been following the conversation between the humans. Clearly, being useful and capable meant you were allowed to stay.
According to her logic: the weak obey the strong. If you're not strong enough, you don't qualify.
"Then… shall I test his strength?" she asked Emiya with glowing eyes.
Chu Tianjiao: "..." Excuse me, what did you just say!?
This armored girl could fly and punch holes in the earth. Even the shockwave from her landing nearly killed him. If she actually attacked… you might as well kill him now!
What even is this girl? A dragon or something? Why is she hanging out with humans—and listening to them?
Chu Tianjiao's worldview was collapsing.
Emiya waved his hand. "Bringing one more person is fine. As long as he's not with the enemy."
He glanced at Zero, who subtly shook her head and came closer to whisper. Chu's identity was sensitive, but he wasn't an enemy or a suspicious threat.
Emiya then looked at Nono, who also had no objections.
Melusine looked a bit disappointed but accepted she'd have another chance to demonstrate her strength later. Chu Tianjiao, meanwhile, was scared stiff—already planning ways to avoid becoming her "target of opportunity."
"Alright, since we're all on the same page, let's talk next steps. We've mostly confirmed the direction the enemy's attack came from."
Emiya explained to Zero and Chu about their recent experiences with Nono. "Judging from the aquatic assault patterns, the enemy's main base is likely underwater."
"Strategically, it's the best way for them to exploit their strengths."
Zero nodded. "Our experience matches yours. That massive white whale emerged from the sea at the end of the path."
"I injured it, but strangely, it hasn't reappeared since."
Emiya considered this. Maybe it stopped to heal? No way. They were already attacking the core of the enemy base—there's no way their leader would sit by calmly. He had to be more anxious than they were.
"Enemy lifeforms detected," Melusine suddenly announced.
A long dragon's roar echoed from the distance.
Elements swirled violently in the sky. A cyan dragon with wide membrane wings soared toward them. Wind elements howled in the clouds. At the same time, an underwater current surged up from the sea, forming a massive column of water.
A deep-sea navy-blue dragon burst forth—another one!
Chu Tianjiao's pupils contracted. These were ancient dragons, bodies tens of meters long—clearly dragon attendants of Nibelungen!
Shit! They're screwed! How do you even fight that!?
The power difference between humanoid dragons and full-fledged dragon forms was huge. Even if the Secret Order didn't understand dragon growth stages like juvenile and mature, they knew bigger dragons meant greater threats.
But no one looked ready to flee. Zero had stepped beside Nono to protect her. Emiya raised the Dueling Dragon Platform, the weapon gleaming with lethal sharpness.
As for Melusine, she was already itching for battle—
She had just mentioned wanting a chance to show off, and one conveniently delivered itself!
She locked eyes with Emiya. They had two flying enemies and only one flier on their side.
"Melusine, take out their wings first!"
But before he finished, Melusine was already soaring upward. "Understood! Commencing annihilation operations—leaving the heads intact!"
"…??" Emiya facepalmed. Girl, what part of that order did you actually understand?
He was 100% sure if he ever said, "Go teach someone a lesson," she'd interpret it as, "Annihilate! Decapitate!"
Communicating is exhausting. Suddenly, he really wanted to become a dragon tamer. Urgently. Advice welcome.
WHOOSH WHOOSH! The cyan dragon flapped its wings, wind elements roaring to life. It lunged with its claws, crackling with high-voltage lightning.
At only 1.47 meters tall, Melusine looked like a pesky fly to it—easy to swat.
But Melusine was far more nimble than it expected.
Whoosh! She weaved between the dragon's electrified claws, gliding through like a darting fish. Then her sword flashed—mana burst into a searing stream!
Her pale blue blade erupted to dozens of meters long, slicing like a precision laser. She cleaved through the dragon's arm and left wing in one stroke!
She prepared to decapitate it, but a torrent of freezing water shot toward her. She dodged midair and rushed the navy-blue dragon.
Splurt! Dragon blood sprayed. The cyan dragon shrieked as it lost its balance in midair, tumbling with only one wing.
Its altitude plummeted. It tilted downward and crash-landed toward the nearby landmass.
Whoosh! Just before hitting the ground, flames and sword aura slammed into it.
The dragon sensed danger—triggered by the Dueling Dragon Platform and its connection to the Nine-Headed Serpent—and flailed, trying to dodge with its one remaining wing. It couldn't fly properly, but it barely stayed aloft using wind elements.
But that was a mistake. Emiya had already anticipated its limited movement.
A volley of long swords soared after it. These weren't Alchemic constructs, but raw mana-forged blades—built to collapse into fantasy destruction.
A dazzling chain of explosions lit the sky, bursting into brilliant flashes and searing heat.
(End of Chapter)
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