Chapter 172
Dragon Zombie
Translator : PolterGlast
The Dragon Zombie opened its maw wide and roared,
filling the area with a horrendous stench. Given that it was rotting, I found
this putrid odor perhaps more detestable than anything else.
"It stinks! Forget about it being loud or scary, I just
want it to stop roaring because of the smell!"
"Aoi-chan, let's switch to breathing through our
mouths. If you let it bother you, you won't be able to concentrate."
"I know, but... even breathing through my mouth feels
kind of gross!"
You don't smell the odor, but the fact remains that you're
inhaling foul air. Sympathizing with Aoi's lament, I also switched to
breathing through my mouth.
"—Ah! Here it comes!"
"Okay! I'll go first!"
Aoi dashed
out to meet the Dragon Zombie, which was charging in with the force of a
body slam. Her footwork was light as she stepped around it, exuding composure
even against the massive opponent.
Her expression was relaxed; she truly seemed to be enjoying
the situation. I can see how much she's grown, and for me, that alone is enough
to make me happy, but Aoi was prone to making careless blunders. I
gathered my magic power so I could intervene immediately, readying myself to
cast a spell at any moment.
"Hmm, compared to Graham, it's slow! Its body is
huge, but its openings are huge too!"
Aoi moved as
if mocking the Dragon Zombie, dodging attacks by a hair's breadth and
slashing continuously. The wounds themselves were shallow, but the fact that
she was attacking unilaterally was impressive.
She would likely get used to its movements gradually, so Aoi
would gain the advantage as time passed. The remaining point of interest was
how they would utilize Ginia, who was waiting in reserve.
"You can't hit me! Ginia, give me a signal when
you think you're ready!"
"Yeah. Can you let me watch for just a little
longer?"
"Of course! I'm usually up against the unreasonably
strong Graham, so fighting a Dragon Zombie with just the right
amount of strength is fun!"
Ginia seemed to
be preparing something, and Aoi's conversation sounded like she was
buying time until then. Ginia's concentration was even higher than Aoi's
on the front lines; her eyes, locked solely on the Dragon Zombie, were
intense enough to be frightening.
For about three minutes after that, Aoi continued to
take on the Dragon Zombie alone, until finally, Ginia appeared
ready. Aoi hadn't taken a single hit so far and was starting to be able
to cut quite deep with her attacks, but Aoi was living flesh while the Dragon
Zombie was a corpse. Aoi was starting to run out of stamina, so it
was good that preparations were complete at this timing.
"Aoi-chan, thank you for waiting. —I’m ending
this."
"Huff, huff... It-It was a total breeze! I could
have defeated it myself, but... I'll let you have the best part! Ginia,
finish it off!"
Aoi and Ginia
exchanged a light high-five before switching vanguard and rearguard positions.
Although the Dragon Zombie was bleeding from everywhere, its momentum
remained unchanged from the start.
It let out a massive roar at Ginia, who had stepped up
to the front, and then charged just as it had with Aoi. Ginia
maintained her high concentration, but she didn't move an inch while gripping
the hilt of her sword, making me worry just watching her.
The distance closed rapidly, and even though she had entered
the Dragon Zombie's striking range, she still didn't move. I almost
thought she was frozen with tension, but her body was relaxed—it was the best
stance I had ever seen from Ginia. I released the magic I had been
gathering and decided to watch over Ginia with peace of mind.
The Dragon Zombie's jaws snapped shut where Ginia
had been, gouging out the ground itself—but Ginia had swung her sword in
time with that bite attack. The flash of her blade as she dodged was nothing
short of magnificent, and the slashed Dragon Zombie hadn't even realized
it had been cut yet.
Then, a beat later, a spray of reddish-black blood danced in
the air. It wasn't just the neck; she had sliced its torso clean in half
horizontally. The Dragon Zombie collapsed forward with its jaws still
buried in the ground, leaving its lower half behind.
"What was that?! That was amazing! I thought Ginia
had been eaten, but then the Dragon Zombie was just cut in half!"
"That was indeed amazing. It was Ginia's
specialty—a counterattack—but I think the power behind it would have been
enough to slice it in two even without using the Dragon Zombie's
momentum."
"Thank you both for the praise, Graham-san, Aoi-chan.
It was a critical hit made possible only because I was able to observe its
movements carefully."
Her blade placement was perfect too, slicing through the
spot where the dragon scales had peeled off. I thought the two of them could
defeat the Dragon Zombie, but I never expected such an overwhelming
victory.
"For a split second, it looked like one of Graham's attacks! Or rather, you based it on
Graham's attacks, didn't you!"
"Aoi-chan, you noticed! Ever since hearing Graham-san
talk about Change of Pace, I've been practicing to see if I could
reproduce his attacks. I thought that even if I couldn't match his actual
speed, I might be able to replicate the momentary perceived speed experienced
by the enemy. ...Though, speaking strictly of this attempt, my proficiency is
still lacking."
"Using the opponent's momentum, stepping in with
rotational force, and utilizing Change of Pace to land a clean hit on a
weak point. I honestly think it was wonderful. Also, although it was
overshadowed by Ginia's strike, Aoi's movements and attacks were
excellent too. You've both truly grown in this short period of time."
"Graham-san, thank you so much!"
"Thanks for the praise! But I can't lose to Ginia,
so I'm going to aim even higher!"
"I won't lose either!"
Despite overwhelming the Dragon Zombie, the two of
them still possessed a drive for self-improvement. They might just keep getting
better.
I used to think the potential of the sisters I left back in Furo Village was overwhelmingly superior, but Ginia and Aoi harbor potential that rivals them. This battle convinced me of that.
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