「What is this…….」


  Dianeia looked at Karen’s unfamiliar state with fear.

  It was no surprise with how Karen was walking slowly towards the town with unsteady footsteps. Her body was half enveloped by blackness.

  The blackness continued to overflow from the pendant on her chest.

  「Karen!」


  Athena stepped forward and cried out…but Karen didn’t respond. Her consciousness was already gone. Not only that but…


  「GUUOOOOOOO…!」


  Black magic light began gathering in her mouth.

  It was light filled with powerful magic.

  「…..Breath!? We need to defend!」


  As Dianeia shouted a greyish black light fired from Karen’s mouth.

  The light filled with magic power produced a huge shockwave as it shot forward.

  「Kuu! Multiple Barrier Shield!!」


  Dianeia placed her defensive magic in front of them.

  Even so, the shockwave from the collision cut and burnt them.

  「……A-are you two ok?」


  「I am, fine. Thanks to your, magic barrier.」


  Hesty said without a scratch on her.

  However, her clothes had been burnt and her expression had turned severe.

  「But that, is dangerous. Wind and Fire, Earth and Water, many things are mixing together. If we’re not, careful, we’ll get hurt badly.」


  Hesty said while looking at Athena.

  Athena had several wounds on her body which were bleeding.

  「Athena, those wounds…..」


  「Th-this much is still fine. I-I can still go on.」


  Her fighting spirit hadn’t weakened with just this much…however, she was a Princess.

  An existence that would cause many problems if she died here.

  「……Athena, I’ll leave the rear backup to you.」


  「Eh…..bu-but?」


  「It’s an important role. If worst comes to worst, you’ll have to use emergency teleport to tell everyone what happened. So please, I’ll leave it to you.」


  Dianeia said seriously.

  「n……..ok…….!」


  Athena held in her pain and nodded her head.

  All that was left was to continue fighting.

  「But…Hesty-dono, how are we supposed to deal with such a state of affairs?」


  Dianeia asked while watching the slowly approaching Karen, and Hesty calmly answered.

  「This is originally, a condition that only occurs, in lower rank dragons, where spirits hijack their bodies. Right now, Karen’s body has been taken over, by the spirits, who are using it as a vessel to, utilize their powers. To deal with it, we need to shave away the magic power, and cause the berserk power, to dissipate.」


  「I see.」


  「……for that, we need to, weaken Karen, and remove the pendant from her, causing the spirits to split from her. That would be ideal, if it’s possible….」


  Hesty said with a grim light shining in her eyes.

  「If it’s possible……?」


  「Karen is the 「Superior」 Dragon King. All of her, base abilities are very, high. So, if we don’t weaken her, severely, I don’t think we’ll be able to split, the spirits away.」


  Certainly she could feel monstrous power from the ominous form of the Dragon King in front of her.

  She was honestly frightened when she was told to face her and make her ‘vent’ her power. However,

  ……. ‘He’ was even stronger.

  That’s why Dianeia could still stand here firmly.

  「If she continues like this then the town will be endangered, we have to fight…..!」


  「Guuuu……Ah!!!」


  Perhaps sensing Dianeia’s will to fight, Karen began running towards her.

  Her body was completely enveloped in magic with each step crushing the ground beneath her. She dashed with incredible speed…but,

  「I will, help you too. This power, is dangerous….so I will stop her as a fellow Dragon King…..!」


  And using her body, Hesty stopped her.

  Blood flew out of her body and arms, but even so, she had stopped her. In addition…


  「Let’s fire, together……!」


  「Yeah! —Burn and Pierce, The Great Spear of the Flame King! 「Prominence Charge」—!!!」


  Hesty gathered white flames within her mouth and fired.

  From behind her Dianeia’s burning spear enveloped them.

  「Guuuuuu…!?」


  The two Dragon Kings were burnt by the heat.

  Of the two, Karen took the majority of the blow and was sent flying meters away.

  But, they couldn’t stop yet.

  「Not yet!! —「Prominence Charge」—!」


  The scorching spear once again flew out.

  It hit Karen’s stumbling body and exploded.

  「O-Onee-sama a-amazing. With the Dragon King Karen as your opponent…to be able to fight like that. You’re much stronger than before…….」


  「Haha….I trained a lot so of course I’m a bit stronger.」


  She could finally understand and see the results of her efforts.

  「…….but, she won’t fall with just this much…」


  「n, that’s right.」


  「Eh…….?」


  From within the flames of the explosion she emerged…..

  「Guaaa…..!!」


  Her clothes covered with burns, Karen appeared almost completely unharmed.

  Her voice seemed filled with displeasure, it seems she was angered.

  「Her magic power was shaved off but……her magical defenses are incredible. Everything was blocked.」


  「That is, the power of a Dragon King, mixed with spirits. Doing it with, the will to kill only resulted in a little, damage.」


  Hesty spoke calmly but,

  …….how were they supposed to deal sufficient damage……..

  Even so, they couldn’t make the choice not to fight.

  They needed to do what they could and weaken their opponent…as she gazed at Karen,

  「Aaaaahhh………!」


  Once more she gathered a dark gray light.

  However, this time the size of it was incomparably larger.

  The magic power around Karen warped and twisted as the ground shook.

  「This power……this is bad….!」


  She yelled and Hesty nodded.

  「n, this is, pretty bad. If we don’t, block it, it will reach the town……if we don’t put all our power, into intercepting it then even, we will die.」


  「Aaahh…..we just have to do it!」


  A highly dense and powerful magic power was gathered before them.

  However, Hesty and Dianeia were preparing to block it from the front.

  「I won’t run from something like this! 「Prominence Charge」!」


  「White Flame Breath……..!」


  The two of them fired their attacks once more. Then,

  「GUOOOO……..!!」


  Karen released her gray magic.

  With incredible power and fierceness the two sides collided.

  —BOOM!!–


  They exploded against each other and a shockwave exploded out.

  The plain was mowed down by the explosive power, but that was it.

  Somehow, they’d held out.

  「A-amazing Hesty-san and Onee-sama! To block that incredible attack!」


  They heard Athena cheer from behind them.

  Since she was safe behind them, the town should be as well.

  She thought, thank goodness and relaxed for a second.

  At that moment.

  「Dianeia, not yet!」


  Hesty cried out. She immediately looked and saw…


  「Another one!?」


  「GU-O-O-O-O!」


  Another gray mass of magic had been charged and Karen fired once more.

  「Damn……White Flame Shock!」


  「Multiple Barrier 30 「Triakonta Shield!」!!」


  「M-me too! 「Shield」!!」


  It was repelled by the hastily raised defensive magics, but the clash produced a huge shockwave.

  「Ga…..!」


  A feeling like her entire body had been slammed by a hammer struck Dianeia. The power of it hit her and sent her flying and rolling on the ground.

  「Ugu….the recharge…is way too fast……」


  Both Hesty and Athena were sent flying as well before rolling on the ground.

  「Athena…….are you ok?」


  Athena was bleeding from her head, but it seemed like she was still conscious.

  「Y-yeah, I’m ok…..Onee-sama you’re bleeding…」


  「I can…still stand so I’m ok.」


  Dianeia said while wiping away the blood and looked around.

  The only ones left standing were her, Hesty, and Karen.

  Their side was bleeding and unsteady…honestly they were at a disadvantage. Even so,

  「Can you, still do it?」


  「Yeah, there’s no way we can stop here.」


  「Guaaa…….!」


  Even now Karen had not stopped moving towards the town.

  Behind them were the people they had to protect.

  There was no way they could remain on the ground, they stood before Karen once more.

  At that moment.

  —Boom— —Boom—


  A huge sound came from behind them.

  And from the huge sounds behind them they felt a huge warm and gentle magic power wrap around them.

  「…..this magic power is……it can’t be….」


  「…..yes, it is….Hesty-dono….」


  Once she felt that power wrap around her, Dianeia lost all the power in her limbs and collapsed to the ground.

  Not too long ago she’d been frightened of this power…but now it couldn’t be any more reliable an existence for her….it surprised even her but…


  「He’s….come…」


  They turned to look at the source of the enormous but gentle magic power, and saw a huge wooden giant running towards them.