Furthermore she hadn’t become stronger in order to kill her sister.

  With those thoughts Nagini unexpectedly turned away from the Founding Dragon, who was still reeling, and calmly carried her sister.

  She could feel how weak her sister felt in her arms and how listless she was, but she could clearly feel the beating of her heart.

  She was still alive. Moreover,

  「……uu…….」


  She was beginning to make sounds. It seemed like she was starting to wake up.

  It might be because she had been released from the control of the Founder.

  Be that as it may, her body was still weak and her body temperature seemed to be falling.

  That’s why she decided to take her outside as quick as she could and seek help.

  Nagini strengthened her grip when at that moment,

  「To pierce through my defenses and cut off a portion of my body…you’ve truly trained your body to be strong and sturdy. To see the objective of my attack and judge precisely how to deal with it was quite quick thinking.」


  「——!?」


  From behind she could hear the voice of the Founding Dragon that should have had both its jaw and its neck cut into pieces.

  No…more precisely.

  「I-it’s healing….!?」


  Its neck and jaw were wrapped in a red light as they rapidly regenerated to the point where it could speak again. But not only that the voice wasn’t only coming out from its mouth…


  「I should only destroy that wonderfully strong body as my final choice.」 「「First I should try and burn your consciousness to ashes instead」」 「「「It might also be fine to leave you with only the ability to think…or maybe destroy everything and reorganize it into something new. Umu, for now I should just make it so you can’t move.」」」


  The Dragon’s body moved while still missing most of its jaw and neck while dribbling blood red lights from it. Not only that…


  It’s body was getting bigger and bigger as the voice coming from its body began to multiply over and over. It grew more and more heads.

  「The necks are….increasing……w-what is this ssu?」


  The Founding Dragon’s body was revealed in its original glory unlike how it usually hid itself by curling up.

  Even the magic power felt from it was incomparable to before.

  It was a transformation that she had never seen. Nagini started retreating with her sister in her arms.

  No, there were parts of its body that Nagini could recognize. That was…


  「T-the heads of the past Kings of the Dragon Country…?」


  The heads that grew from the Founding Dragon’s body looked almost exactly like the depictions of those that had been in her study materials.

  The Founding Dragon sneered as it looked down on her as Nagini spoke those words with a trembling voice.

  「What is there to be shocked about? I am the Founding Dragon. I am all this country is and all it ever was. Even the successive kings of this country were all mine. It’s obvious that I took them in….indeed your predecessors extending back through the ages all obeyed my commandments! —That is your duty as well.」


  The Founder didn’t stop talking.

  It was as if a dam had burst and the words kept flowing out. It’s gaze wandered as words poured out one after another.

  「Ahh, that’s right. If I have this new body…this new more perfect body I can use it to expand my territory. The Magic Forest and the lands of men…I can even crush those demon beasts that escaped my rule. Yes, if I have that power then I can destroy that King of Demons as well…..!! No, even if I were to go to the east I could crush those Divine Beings who laughed and said my country had fallen to ruin…!!」


  After speaking that far it seemed the Founding Dragon had finally vented out the feelings in its heart as it suddenly stopped moving. Then it focused its gaze upon Nagini…


  「Now then, if you understand…you’ll be giving me that body of yours.」


  It simply stated its objective directly.

  I see…the Founder seeks to take over my body…but,

  「I won’t let you sacrifice my sister for such a twisted selfish desire ssu….」


  She would not respond to its wishes.

  Leaving those words Nagini took Dora dashed towards the passageway leading outside at full speed.

  「Fumu, so it’s a failure to reach a consensus…you choose to run huh?」


  Of course.

  If she were to go again such a giant creature with such crazy magic power there was no way she could fight while still protecting her sister.

  However, she thought that it was possible to escape while protecting her at least.

  …..this was part of what I learned from Master ssu

  Even if you’re no match for your opponent you just need to keep thinking and move your body.

  Fighting such a gigantic enemy in an enclosed space was nothing but foolish. For now it would be best to escape and get to a wide open space before thinking of her next step.

  At the very least she would get her sister out of here, hide her, and then face the Founding Dragon.

  She thought as she ran at full speed for the corridor. But,

  「Did I give you permission to leave?」


  One of the heads had moved at incredible speed to catch up to her and was now keeping pace beside her.

  「So fast…!?」


  She was running with all her might but even the head was fast enough to catch up.

  Furthermore flames began to wreathe the head near her.

  「First of all give me that baggage you’re carrying.」


  The flames moved like a whip and attacked her sister as she lay in her arms.

  「Tsu…!」


  One of her arms got burned, but she was able to use that arm to block the flames and protect her sister.

  …..plus as long as my legs can move there’s no problem ssu…!

  She grimaced in pain but still continued running unabated.

  From behind her she could hear the sound of a gigantic body scrambling quickly after her.

  She knew that the Founder was chasing her, but there was no chance to turn around and check. She felt heat as bullets of flame rained down around her.

  「What do you think will happen even if you do get out?」


  It said while continuing the apocalyptic rain of fire.

  「Ugu….」


  She sensed as best she could and avoided attacks that would hit her vitals but her back and shoulders still took some hits.

  Smoldering sounds erupted across her back as blood streamed down her body.

  「You should already know, once you exit there’s nothing out there but a wide and empty plain.」


  One of the shots exploded nearby.

  The passageway of the mausoleum was exceedingly sturdy so it wouldn’t break in any major way. Even so small pieces of debris got broken off and fell towards her causing wounds on her forehead.

  Blood flowed into one of her eyes and her field of vision narrowed.

  …but not yet…..the exit is right there ssu….!!

  She could vaguely see the wall of light in front of her.

  「It’s useless. You have no path left to you. Just obediently offer yourselves to me. That is your fate.」


  「I refuse to believe that ssu….!!」


  「I couldn’t care less about your stupid beliefs. After all, the first thing I’m going to do is destroy that independent will of yours.」


  Once again flames flashed before her eyes.

  This flame shell filled up an entire half of the passageway. It was the largest one yet.

  No matter how she moved it was nigh impossible to dodge.

  If she could escape the passage up ahead then there was still space to dodge but…


  …I won’t make it in time…!

  The moment she reached the exit and moved to dodge she would end up burnt to a crisp.

  But she didn’t have time to even give up at the moment.

  She switched her magic defenses to focus all her power on her back and around her sister to reduce the air resistance from the front as much as possible. Then she pushed herself even harder to run even a little faster. Then the moment she stepped foot outside of the mausoleum…


  「Give up your useless struggles….!」


  The attack arrived at the same time as it spoke. The vast destructive power of the flames struck at Nagini’s back then….

  「——」


  That destructive blow behind Nagini was blocked by a giant tree that exploded out of the ground.

  「Eh……」


  A wall of trees explosively grew out of the ground in front of the mausoleum as if they intended on destroying the very entrance itself. They created an impenetrable wall at the entrance of the mausoleum.

  I was…saved? Nagini thought.

  But, why?

  Haaaaa, Nagini let out a huge sigh of relief as she looked around at the wide open plains and the beautiful blue sky. Then she saw the one who had saved her.

  「M-Master…?」


  「Well…there’s been a lot of loud voices shouting from inside the mausoleum. So I took the opportunity to butt in Nagini.」


  Daichi stood there with his body enveloped in his wooden armor as he controlled the trees that blocked the entrance of the mausoleum.