Ch.1169Subsiding Tsunami

Enormous, powerful, fearful, and also magnificent.

The true form of the being that the fish-people had worshipped as a god matched exactly the impression described by our half-fish friends whom we had briefly met and parted with.

A nine-headed ancient dragon with four pairs of smaller heads beneath one massive sea dragon head.

The overwhelming presence of this ancient dragon, who had reached the ultimate limits of what dragonkind could achieve, was certainly worthy of being worshipped as a god if one didn’t know its true nature.

“Ina emon serepenit mi watte!”

“Ia! Ia! Leviathan! epwe feito!”

The fish-people who had survived by avoiding the trajectory of my Sky Slash continued to praise that being loudly even as they were swept away by the flooding lake waters.

As if a savior had descended. As if they believed without doubt that this being would save them from this sudden calamity.

Of course, I couldn’t just leave it at that.

“Attack!”

As soon as my signal dropped, my companions who had stepped forward together unleashed their prepared fierce attacks toward the lake.

Nigel’s lightning spear. Ophelia’s thunderbolt. The lava-like stream of fire spewed by the red-scaled lizard.

Everyone’s attacks struck the lake except for Leonore, who grumbled that she should have chosen an offensive sacred item instead of a mental defense one.

– Crackle!

“Kieaeeeeek!”

“Kararrrk! Kry kiieek-!”

“Gererererek…!”

Lightning streaks slithered like snakes across the surging waves. Streams of fire raced fiercely across the water’s surface, leaving trails of white steam.

Electrocuted fish-people convulsed while spewing black smoke and bubbles, and the ashes of roasted fish-people scattered, mixing with the steam.

A fierce attack targeting the moment when they were swept up in the raging currents, unable to defend or evade.

The half-fish creatures, who would have been quite troublesome in a fair fight, were swept away without even being able to resist due to the violent currents.

I suppose we scored the first points.

Of course, given their numbers, that alone wasn’t enough to secure victory.

Right now, we were taking advantage of the confusion following our surprise attack, but the effectiveness of a surprise attack naturally diminishes as time passes.

Once they regroup, the situation won’t remain this one-sided.

【 KYAAAAAAAAAAAK!! 】

Besides, that ancient dragon that just emerged didn’t seem willing to stand by and watch this scene either.

【 Kuhrrrrrr…! 】

The ancient dragon’s voice, which had been howling toward the sky, gradually lowered and transformed into a completely different tone.

From an ear-splitting roar to a low, heavy, resonating growl.

【 Facera…tranquillam. 】

Then, in an ancient language where each small resonance was imbued with powerful mana.

Immediately after.

– Kwaooooo…!

The lake waters that had been thrashing like a mad dog suddenly froze, and all the raging currents subsided in an instant as if they had been a lie.

Majestically and solemnly, like a giant slowly collapsing after its last breath. Quietly and calmly, like mud flowing to fill a pit.

The raging lake regained its tranquility.

“Magic…? No. This is something more primal…”

Ophelia showed interest in this application of mana that she had never seen before. Between the cold sweat dripping from tension, her five-colored eyes flickered with an unusual light.

A power more primal than magic… is it some dragon ability? I’m not sure what it is, but it was certainly impressive.

A powerful wide-area natural control ability that could instantly calm a tsunami-like surge—even Varnir Freyus couldn’t do something like that, I think.

“Ewe konik a wiliiti, Eu leeni mi kinamwe!”

“Ina än Kot ümöümöch!”

Anyway, the fish-people who had been busy getting fried and roasted gained an opportunity to regroup and counterattack faster than we had anticipated, thanks to that creature.

It seems it was genuinely serious about playing god. To expend such power for insignificant creatures it could have ignored.

Or perhaps such expenditure doesn’t matter to it? After all, even I used considerable power in my first strike.

“Tsk… what a shame. I should have cut its body instead of its whiskers.”

If that strike had hit its vital point, things would have been much simpler. That’s what I was aiming for when I swung my sword in a trajectory difficult for it to avoid.

However, as expected, such luck didn’t favor me.

The moment my momentum surged, it immediately detected it and responded instantly, pulling its body away from the trajectory.

Since its timing was slightly late, it couldn’t avoid completely and lost three small heads and one wing, but…

I’m not sure if that counts as a serious injury. This is my first time fighting an ancient dragon too.

“Well, I’ll find out as I keep cutting.”

I fully released my suppressed divinity, overlaying the holiness of stars and dawn upon my body.

A halo resembling a crown of thorns. A blue-white incandescent cross star. A dress that shimmered like an aurora.

Golden streams of light began to entwine around the longsword in my grip, eventually covering the entire blade with brilliant radiance.

At that moment.

【 Krrrr…! 】

The ancient dragon, shaking its bleeding head lightly to shake off the blood, turned to glare at me.

Snake-like yellow pupils. Vertical pupils filled with ferocious killing intent flashed with flame-like radiance.

“What are you looking at? You deformed lizard.”

Since I’ve revealed my power, there’s no need to hesitate anymore. I kicked off the ground and flew toward it.

“We’ll go according to plan! Retreat if necessary!”

The contingency plan for when I failed to eliminate the enemy’s rear with one strike, and when the advantage gained from the surprise attack reached its limit.

As I announced the start of our crude plan—I would face the fish-people’s “god” alone while my companions used every means to deal with the fish-people horde.

Will it work? I don’t know.

The best possible outcome would be me defeating this ancient dragon single-handedly. If that’s difficult, it wouldn’t be bad if my companions win and join me while I hold out.

If things go wrong and neither I nor my companions can defeat them, then… I guess we’ll just have to flee to somewhere without water with all our might?

Probably.

—-

【 Grrrrrr…! 】

The blue ancient dragon bent its body and revealed its claws as if to welcome me.

【 Quattuor fere milia—It has been four thousand years. Since I welcomed such an insolent visitor. 】

It addressed me with a thunderous voice.

【 A mere monkey who has luckily touched divinity dares to challenge me? Arrogant, reckless, and imprudent. 】

Or should I say it sent me a telepathic message?

I couldn’t understand the first part in the ancient language, but I heard the rest clearly.

Whether it changed to a language I could understand, or I naturally became able to understand its language, I’m not sure.

“Stop acting so high and mighty. You’re just a water snake that almost died in its sleep.”

Well, either way, it’s not my concern. It’s not an important issue anyway.

“Let me ask one thing before I kill you.”

Cutting off my interest in trivial matters, I charged toward it and asked a question that was close to an ultimatum before battle.

“You see, I plan to eliminate all potential threats to the current world in advance. What about you? Are you willing to cooperate with me?”

Would you consider joining hands with us?

It was a bit ridiculous even to myself to make such a proposal after already swinging my sword, but there was no harm in asking, so I just went for it.

【 Would I? 】

And predictably, this ancient dragon—Leviathan—firmly rejected my proposal as if it wasn’t worth considering at all.

“Well, I expected as much. I didn’t really have high hopes.”

If that’s your attitude, I have no choice.

“I guess I’ll have to kill you after all.”

【 How ridiculous. 】

It growled with laughter. Like an audience laughing at a jester’s nonsense.

【 You vermin have always been like this. Now that you’ve obtained divinity, do you think you have no enemies under heaven? I’m afraid that’s a grave misconception. 】

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you referring to yourself?”

My body accelerated. I pulled back Durandal behind my shoulder and increased my speed even further, to the point where the wall of air burst and its shockwave disturbed the water’s surface.

– Kwaaaang!

Crossing over the exploding water surface, I soared toward it like a comet shooting upward.

“Kyaaaaaaaa!”

A fierce, savage roar like a beast.

【 Sink into the abyss with that delusion, and contemplate your regrets eternally in darkness where not even starlight reaches. 】

Beyond the world that slowed down infinitely, my entire field of vision became covered with tsunami-like mana emitted by the creature.

【 I am Leviathan. The sinking tide and the swirling abyss! 】

With a thunderous, heavy, and majestic roar, a massive collision of forces shook heaven and earth, spreading in all directions.

– Kwaooooooo!

The belated explosion.

The lake that had become calm raised tidal waves again and churned.

Unlike its previous state of chaotic frenzy, it was now sharp and fierce like the spears and swords of tens of thousands of troops.

Growing larger and larger. Targeting only me.

It was a scene as if all the water in the world had become my enemy.