Roxy's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and her face went pale. The shadow sweeping over her head was a massive adult Red Dragon covered in bloodred scales!
Its jaws gaped as it roared at Cain, who was focused on casting wind magic ahead of it, and unleashed a long torrent of flame.
"Cain!"
Roxy gasped and covered her mouth. Her face pale, she gritted her teeth and hurriedly raised her staff.
"Damn it! Mages, cover him!"
Zoldat shouted orders in alarm. But even as the mages raised their staffs and chanted as fast as they could, they were too late. The Red Dragon was moving too quickly through the air, diving at full speed.
"Cain!"
Roxy cried out desperately. She knew there was no time to cast a spell. All she could do was hope her voice reached her apprentice.
Good. As long as I keep this up, I can land safely.
High in the air, Cain kept pouring everything into his wind magic to slow his fall. Then he heard Roxy's faint voice from the ground, calling his name.
His pupils abruptly contracted, and a chill ran down his spine. He felt a powerful killing intent. When he looked back, scorching dragonfire was already upon him. The fierce-looking Red Dragon, its body covered in red scales, was spewing flames as it hurtled toward him.
"Tch!"
Cain frowned. The Red Dragon's dive was fast, but now that he had reacted, his draw was far faster. He was the Second Sword God of the Sword God Style, after all. Across the entire continent, fewer than a handful of people could surpass his reflexes and draw speed.
Demon Blade: Instant Void flashed from its sheath at the speed of light. Time seemed to stand still around Cain as he crouched, drew his Tachi toward the scorching flames, and slashed with all his strength!
His fierce Battle Aura collided with the roaring flames, carving a beautiful crescent of light through the air. It split the dragonfire without resistance and cleaved the Red Dragon spewing it in two.
The Red Dragon gave one last agonized howl. Blood gushed from both halves of its body as they plunged straight down.
But his Battle Aura had also cut through the air beneath him, and the price of that attack was an even faster fall. Cain frowned and aimed both hands downward, but before he could cast a spell, he and the Red Dragon's enormous corpse slammed into the snow with a boom.
"Cain!"
Roxy ran toward where Cain and the dragon's corpse had fallen. Layers of snow burst upward and swirled through the air. She pushed through the curtain of white, worry written across her frantic face.
She rushed into the cloud of snow and saw the deep crater their fall had left. Swallowing hard, she gripped her staff tightly, her body trembling.
Cain, you stupid apprentice! Don't you dare die! Aren't you a Sword God? If you die like this...
Before Roxy could make out what was in the crater, a familiar voice rose from below.
"Teacher Roxy, I'm not that easy to kill. Don't look like you're about to hold a memorial for me..."
"Have a little faith in me, will you?"
Cain knelt on one knee, his Tachi buried so deep in the ground that only its hilt showed. From the crater, he watched Roxy run toward him, delight on her face as she kept wiping hot tears from her eyes. He smiled helplessly and let out a small breath of relief.
"You stupid apprentice!"
Still wiping away her tears, Roxy jumped into the crater. Without another word, she wrapped her arms around Cain as he crouched there.
Ow, ow, ow! Do you have to hug me so hard, Teacher Roxy? What did I do to upset you!?
And your staff—don't just throw it away...
To Cain, that was like a soldier throwing away his rifle.
As he fell, Cain had adjusted his posture at the last possible moment and struck the thick snow feetfirst. Fortunately, the Red Dragon had attacked at a height of only thirty or forty meters. It had not been too far up.
Cain had coated his whole body in Battle Aura to absorb part of the impact, then used the best posture for surviving a fall to withstand the rest.
"Teacher Roxy, I'm happy to see you too, but could you cast a healing spell on me first? I've, well, picked up a few minor injuries..."
His left shin was broken, his right thigh bone was cracked, and the hands he had used to cast wind magic had not fared much better. Both wrists had been dislocated. His legs had taken the brunt of the fall. Fortunately, he had dealt with his wrists right away, wrenching them back into place.
At the Sword Sanctum, he often suffered injuries like these while sparring with his master Gall. They were nothing serious.
Still, even with the blood of the Undying Devil Race and its nearly undying healing ability, recovery would take several minutes. He was lucky the ground below had been covered in snow. Otherwise, his injuries would have been far worse.
If only I had a suit of armor to protect me...
Cain pursed his lips and looked down at his legs. He was kneeling on one knee, unable to stand because of the fractures. Battle Aura was good for attacking, but much weaker for defense. His was unusual, too, and far more fragile than ordinary Battle Aura.
Magic Power was even less help. Apart from letting him cast flashy spells, it could not even strengthen his body.
"S-sorry. But I'm so glad you're all right, Cain."
Roxy wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled, as happy as a child who had found a beloved doll she thought she had lost.
"Sorry for the trouble, Teacher Roxy."
Roxy nodded slightly. Her expression turned serious again as she placed a hand on Cain's back. She pressed her lips together at the sight of the burns on his left arm and began to chant.
"O merciful Mother of the Gods, soothe this person's wounds and grant him a body made whole!"
"Intermediate Healing Magic!"
Green light glowed from Roxy's palm. The burned flesh on Cain's arm healed rapidly, and a soothing warmth spread through him. Much of the pain faded.
After casting Intermediate Healing Magic, Roxy prepared to cast it again.
"That's incredible. So this is healing magic?!"
"If you want to learn it, I can teach you. For now, just rest."
"Mm. Thank you, Teacher."
When Roxy finished casting her healing spell, she smiled, turned her back to him, and crouched slightly. She glanced over her shoulder at Cain, her eyes soft.
"Want your teacher to carry you?"
"N-no, that's all right... I'm a Sword God of the Sword Sanctum, after all. If anyone saw..."
Cain scratched his cheek, his face a little red. Roxy rarely saw her usually aloof apprentice like this, and the corners of her mouth rose in quiet satisfaction.
Her foolish apprentice always acted far too grown-up. Seeing him blush with embarrassment was a charming change, and she could not resist teasing him a little.
Roxy was taller than Cain, so carrying him should not be a problem. He was only twelve, after all, and did not weigh much.
Cain pulled out his sword and used it to support himself as he tried to stand, but numb pain shot through his legs. He frowned.
"Don't push yourself. We couldn't have pulled this off without you, my adorable apprentice."
"Uh... adorable? Please don't call me that, Teacher. It feels weird..."
"Oh? I wonder who called me a beautiful lady the moment we met."
Smiling faintly, Roxy helped the blushing Cain up. Gentle as a caring older sister, she eased him onto her back and adjusted his weight. Luckily, he was light enough that she could just manage.
Her apprentice really was capable. Though he was the Second Sword God and possessed formidable sword skills, even she could not help feeling proud of him for slaying three Red Dragons in one stroke.
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