Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Final Battle ④

Author’s comments: Water Dragon Iena’s perspective continued.

「What’s with this lot?」

Nobody warned me they were this strong. These Remnants of the Nightmare that I’m in combat with, are far stronger than I had imagined.

In defiance of the flowing water, they spread webs all over the ground and walls, using them as a platform for attacking us. Even if I try to use the water current to wash away the threads they don’t even budge an inch. In addition, if you get caught up in those threads you immediately become unable to move. My subordinates are becoming victims one after another like that.

It seems that I better consider each one to be capable of taking on a lower level dragon. And there’s swarms of them. You damn monsters, how dare you get so strong.

It is difficult for monsters to become strong. Which isn’t surprising, since monsters are something that humans need to kill after all. The foundation of the System is to train humans, then to recover the energy from that training. In that sense, monsters are stalking horses. It is certainly true that on occasion humans will be defeated by monsters and die, but monsters couldn’t be allowed to become strong enough to destroy humanity. For that reason, the amount of experience points and proficiency that monsters can earn is adjusted to be less than what humans get.

The exception to that, is the reincarnator who was reincarnated as a monster - the person called Shiro who is one of the masterminds of this incident, surely did not have that shackle. While it would be one thing for those like us who have lived for a great deal of time, normally it would be impossible for some random monster to gain enough power to surpass us within just a few years of being born. If that’s the case, then it’s possible that these Remnants of the Nightmare that are effectively her kin, don’t have that shackle applied to them either. Either way, it is unusual for them to have gotten so strong. However…

「Did you really think that you would be able to stop me with just the strength of a lower level dragon?」

The current of water strikes out. What if the threads can’t be ripped off from the ground and the walls? In that case, I just need to wash them away together with the ground and walls. Engulf everything with water, and submerge it. Then, once they are underwater they have no way to resist. My water flows into their bodies, making them explode from the inside. If they have a mouth then starting from there. If they respire then starting from their respiratory organs. So long as they are living creatures, they cannot prevent my water from invading. Given all this, perhaps this is why I am called the cruellest amongst the ancient dragons?

Perhaps the Remnants of the Nightmare sensed their disadvantage, as they began to retreat. Do you think I’ll let you escape? Already more than half the upper layer has been submerged. And, it is also beginning to collapse. If things continue at this rate then the upper layer itself will collapse, and it will become a matter of time before the accumulated water surges into the middle layer. Water and magma. An extreme temperature difference. That gives me a really bad feeling. The collapse of the upper floor - that implies the collapse of the entire Elro Great Labyrinth iself. If that happened, I wonder if he really intends to dig it up? Well, no matter what Dustin’s expectations are, I shall just carry out my role.

There’s a reaction from Danger Perception.

At once I twist my body. At the place where my head had been until a moment ago, a blade passes through. I don’t waste my time slowly confirming the situation. I drive my water towards the owner of that blade. However, that water froze in an instant.

「「Damn!」」

My opponent and I both click our tongues. A battle between water and ice. The result of that, can already be seen in how the water is being frozen over. The water in this place is being frozen rapidly. I quickly change the lower half of my body into human form as well, and jump out of the water. Immediately following that, the water is completely frozen over. If I had stayed there any longer, I’d probably have been frozen over by now.

I stare at my enemy, who is floating in the air so as to not touch the ice. A girl wielding a large sword. Sophia Keren. One of the exceptional people fighting under Ariel’s banner. It seems that even for Ariel, she had no choice but to quickly deploy one of her trump cards in a situation like this.

「I had intended to bring you down with that just now, but you’re pretty good.」

「As if something like that would be enough to bring me down - I sure am being undervalued huh.」

While exchanging words, neither of us fail to overlook the slightest movement of the other. During that time, new water flows into the upper layer, and begins to freeze. That ice becomes a support pillar, stopping the collapse of the upper floors.

Ahh, I see. Dustin anticipated this didn’t he.

With this development I now get it. From Ariel’s point of view, if the Elro Great Labyrinth was about to collapse, she would have no choice but to stop it. Dustin had said that the nexus of the System where the Goddess Sariel is would be safe, but there was no guarantee was there. In addition, if a way existed to stop this situation, the only options would be either Ariel herself or the dispatch of this Sophia. In other words, you could say that the opponent who matches me is this Sophia huh.

My chances of winning, seems to be bad… While facing against me, the water that has filled the upper layer is gradually but solidly being frozen over. Based on this, the difference in ability between me and her is clear. After all, in the battle of water versus ice, I am completely losing.

That being said, if she is doing things on such a scale, then it would cause a suitable amount of exhaustion. From this I can deduce that my optimum strategy is to…

「I’ll finish this immediately!」

「Don’t be like that - let’s dance.」

…buy time. Already the seafloor and the upper layer are linked together, and whether I do anything or not water will keep flowing in. In order to prevent the upper layer from collapsing, it is necessary for Sophia to keep freezing that water. Most likely, unless she is able to freeze over the entire upper layer, she has no way to stop this. While doing continuous hit and run tactics, I’ll lure my enemy into exhausing herself. Even if it means that I won’t win. I can hold down the military strength known as Sophia. Make her exhausted. There is value in that.

「Let’s dance! Forever and ever!」

「How impudent!」

Until I use up all my strength, you’ll accompany me won’t you?