Roxy's mouth twitched as she watched the adventurers cheer for her and Cain. She felt as though she had barely done anything. She was riding on Cain's coattails...
Just then, another dark shadow swept across the ground!
"It's a Red Dragon! Prepare for battle!"
Zoldat's pupils contracted as he saw another enormous Red Dragon, covered in crimson scales, diving rapidly from the sky. He shouted a warning, drew the twin blades at his waist, and took a firm stance.
The adventurers around him were all B-rank to A-rank elites. At his shout, they quickly spread into defensive formations, while Brook and the other fighters who normally served on the front line shielded the mages.
Cain narrowed his eyes at the diving Red Dragon. He rested a hand on the hilt of the Demon Sword Instant Void and slowly drew it a fraction, exposing a sliver of cold steel.
The Red Dragon's slit pupils seemed to catch something. It spotted its companion's headless corpse lying in the snow, blood still gushing from its neck. With a beat of its huge wings, it broke off its dive and hovered in midair.
Its slit pupils swept over the tiny black specks below, those humans who looked no bigger than ants.
One of these weak humans had somehow killed its companion in an instant. If it charged down, it might end up throwing its life away just as foolishly.
Red Dragons were intelligent monsters. This one had no intention of coming down. It would wipe out the humans another way.
It hovered a hundred meters up, beating its massive wings. A fiery glow gradually appeared inside its savage maw, lined with jagged fangs.
"It's Fire Magic!"
Roxy shouted a warning as she watched the Red Dragon overhead. Gritting her teeth, she raised her Magic Wand in both hands and began rapidly chanting Water Magic. Light flickered from the Magic Wand.
The mages in the rear heard her warning. Their faces turned grim as they raised their Magic Wands and began chanting together.
Cain narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue, then slowly slid the Demon Blade: Instant Void back into its sheath.
So this monster was intelligent. That made things a little tricky.
"Cain, can you cut it down?"
"If you can get me within fifty meters of it, no problem."
Zoldat narrowed his eyes at the hovering Red Dragon, which was gathering fire magic in its mouth, and swept out a hand.
"Everyone, fall back behind the mages!"
They hurried behind the mages, who stood with raised Magic Wands chanting all kinds of spells. Against an attack from that distance, the swordsmen would only be easy targets.
"Explosive Water Bullet."
At his words, every eye turned once more to Cain, the Sword God. Above his open palm, a huge, steaming ball of water more than ten meters across formed and shot toward the Red Dragon.
"Hey, hey, you've got to be kidding! That thing's enormous! Advanced-class? No, is that Saint Rank Water Magic?!"
This time, it wasn't just the adventurers who were stunned. The mages from Magic University who had come to help were shocked too.
"H-he didn't chant just now, did he?!"
The crowd was stunned all over again. Only Roxy, still chanting her Water Magic, lifted her chin slightly, feeling a little proud. After all, she had taught Cain that spell.
Boom! The massive water ball closed in fast. The Red Dragon's pupils contracted, and it frantically beat its wings to dodge.
The Red Dragon was rated an S-rank monster largely because being airborne enhanced it in every respect, especially its agility.
It missed? Cain looked disappointed as the Red Dragon howled in midair, drenched in scalding water from the exploding ball. His aim really had been a little off, though the dragon's speed had caught him by surprise.
In any case, he had failed to stun it and knock it down into his range.
The Red Dragon angrily snorted two puffs of black smoke. The scalding water had thoroughly enraged it, and its Fire Magic had been interrupted. It glared at the humans below and began circling above the adventurers, as though waiting for something...
"It still won't come down..." Cain narrowed his eyes and put his hand back on his sword hilt.
"Frost Strike!"
Several ice spikes, each a few meters long, flew from above Roxy's Magic Wand. The dozen or so mages behind her raised their Magic Wands and unleashed attack spells of their own.
Ice spikes, Fireballs, and wind blades flew toward the circling Red Dragon in a relentless barrage. But apart from Roxy's ice spikes, which struck its hard crimson scales and bounced off, the other spells posed no threat at all. Most missed outright.
"Tch. That Red Dragon's too fast!"
Zoldat gripped his swords tightly, his brow furrowed. The Red Dragon was deliberately draining the mages' Magic Power. If this went on, they would soon have none left, and the adventurers would be unable to fight back.
Once the Red Dragon started using Fire Magic, they would have no choice but to take the hits. The hunt would surely fail.
"It really is an S-rank monster. Cunning bastard. Cain, do you have any ideas? At this rate, we'll have to retreat for now."
Cain stopped casting and turned toward Roxy, who was concentrating on her attack spells among the mages.
His own aim wasn't good enough to hit the Red Dragon as it circled at high speed. Of all the mages there, only Roxy could land a spell on it. The others couldn't even touch its tail.
But while Roxy could hit it, she could do no more than make it wobble slightly. She couldn't deal any meaningful damage. Its scales seemed to lessen the damage from magic attacks.
The spells were coming less frequently. The mages' Magic Power wouldn't last much longer.
Cain stared at the circling Red Dragon and pursed his lips.
"Zoldat, I have an idea, but I'll need your help and Roxy's."
"What is it?"
"Here's what we do..."
Zoldat's mouth twitched sharply. He stared at Cain in disbelief.
"Will that work?!"
"That Red Dragon's staying so high because it wants to drain our Magic Power. Our mages are nearly out already. Once it starts using Fire Magic from up there, we'll be in trouble. Let's try it."
Cain spoke earnestly. He admitted he had underestimated Red Dragons. They were cunning S-rank monsters, and they really were clever.
But Cain believed that even the slyest fox couldn't escape a good hunter.
Zoldat gritted his teeth and nodded helplessly. He soon brought Roxy over from where she had been focused on casting spells.
"Cain, what is it?!"
Roxy looked at Cain's serious expression in confusion.
"Roxy, how confident are you that you can hit it?" Cain pointed at the Red Dragon overhead, one hand on the hilt of the Demon Sword Instant Void.
"About seventy percent. Even if I miss, I can disrupt its flight." Roxy's expression was utterly serious as she tightened her grip on her staff.
"I see. I knew I could count on you."
Cain nodded with relief and drew the Demon Blade: Instant Void. Sunlight flashed brilliantly off its blade. Seeing the confusion on Roxy's earnest face, he gave her a faint smile.
"Then please get me close to that thing, Roxy. Let's end this boring fight."
Before you continue