Chapter 32 : Magic Tower City (9)

Every time Aris’s breath struck the city, the mage tower trembled.

When the black spells from the magical book met the golden dragon’s magical power, Aris’s advantage became clear.

I carefully observed the magic being unleashed by the golden dragon.

It was all too familiar.

And it wasn’t just because Aris was a member of the hero party.

Her graceful smile, the conversations over tea, the moments when she protected me in times of crisis.

Of course, the current Aris is my precious companion.

No matter the circumstances, that won’t change.

But in the original story, she was a bit different.

“If this keeps up, the city will really be destroyed.”

Extra Stage, the Great Librarian of the Dragon Race.

The boss monster that had caused despair to countless players.

Naturally, I knew all of her patterns.

“Director!”

I shouted towards Lucy.

“Try twisting the ether flow at a 45-degree angle. Aris’s magic rotates in a spiral!”

With Lucy’s gesture, the city’s magical circles spun in unison.

The spiraling blue magic wrapped around and consumed the golden flames.

[Ugh…]

Aris’s attack scattered into the air.

Her wings fluttered.

As soon as she confirmed that her attack was blocked, she began preparing the next spell.

Black magical books rose around her.

Her lips curled into a slight smile. As expected.

“I’ll start with the Necronomicon. I’ll try to corrode the barrier with death spells…”

Lucy nodded.

With her gesture, the city’s magic circles rearranged.

The pages of the black books turned, and spells flowed out.

But the already prepared barrier blocked them.

“Next is Erebus. The attack will come in 3 seconds!”

Just as I had said, a red aura-filled spell hit the barrier and bounced off.

[How…]

Aris’s golden eyes shook in doubt.

Cracks began to appear in her graceful expression.

Magical books continued pouring out from the void.

“Skip the Book of Vilt! We need to focus on the other three. Especially when the Grimoire and Necronomicon’s spells clash, it will cause an explosion!”

Lucy’s hands moved gracefully.

Hundreds of magic circles rearranged, blocking Aris’s attacks.

It was a perfect counter.

In terms of individual power, Aris was the strongest in our party.

A perfect combination of a dragon that had lived for thousands of years and the wisdom of a sage.

A master of magic and physical strength.

Seraphine, like a saintess, was the best supporter, sustaining the party with healing and buffs.

Of course, her divine power was also considerable, but that was when she worked in sync with me, the hero.

Nia… Well, her limitations as a thief were clear.

She was excellent at reconnaissance, infiltration, and information gathering.

But in a full-scale battle, she couldn’t compare to Aris or Seraphine.

If she were a Pokémon, she’d be one used for teaching move sets, I suppose.

But Aris was different.

A master of magic and an overwhelming force.

The title of Dragon Scholar was no exaggeration.

Her display of overwhelming combat against an entire city proved this.

But the Mage Tower City was no pushover either.

It was the culmination of 300 years of research by past mages.

Every wall engraved with magical circles, amplification devices set up in every street, and the flow of ether from the crystal towers.

Moreover, while I could read Aris’s patterns, I couldn’t actually dismantle them.

I wasn’t a mage, and I had no magical knowledge to apply from the original story to the real world.

Therefore, Mage Tower City Arcana was the optimal battlefield for a fierce battle with Aris.

[Could it be…?]

Aris’s wings trembled.

Her gaze turned toward me.

[You… You…]

“Are you doubting me?”

I lowered my voice slightly, with a tone that sounded a little wronged.

[Ah… No! I mean…]

“I thought you would trust me.”

[Ah, no! I would never doubt you!]

“Right, Aris. I knew you’d understand! It’s the Mage Tower that’s targeting you!”

I raised my voice. I needed to redirect the suspicion.

[What did you say?]

“The scholars of the Mage Tower have been coveting your library.

They’ve been studying how to deal with you all this time. And they’ve been using me as bait…

To hunt you down.”

Aris’s pupils narrowed.

…

[Is that true? How dare they target me and even use you…!]

Aris’s breath became ragged.

Her magical power swirled around her.

The dragon’s fury once again swept over the city.

[The price for touching the Dragon’s treasure… will be paid by the city itself.]

“Aris, calm down!”

No, don’t calm down.

Magical books unfolded in unison.

Forbidden spells poured out.

Alright. Now it’s time for us to tear each other apart.

In the golden flames engulfing the city, I raised the corner of my mouth.

Sorry, Aris. But I have to survive like this.

You call me the Dragon’s treasure, but… I just want to return to my ordinary life.

To do that, I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means pretending like this.

The blue barrier of the Mage Tower stretched across the sky.

It was a great magic that hindered Aris’s flight.

The magical amplifiers set up all around the city began to glow.

Aris’s wingbeats faltered.

The blue magic chains disrupted the dragon’s flight magic.

Aris’s expression twisted in pain.

I must have gotten closer to Aris.

Now I can read the dragon’s expressions too.

“Is this the end for the Dragon Scholar? The Great Librarian is powerless in front of humanity’s glory.”

Lucy’s cold voice rang out.

The magical circles rearranged, tightening the grip on the golden dragon.

I bit my lip as I watched Aris trapped inside the barrier.

Kk.

Indeed, the Mage Tower City’s power was at a level that even the dragon race couldn’t ignore.

[Ugh…]

Aris’s wings wavered.

It looked like even the dragon’s pride might collapse.

‘Now it’s time to balance things out.’

I drew the holy sword. The light of dawn split the air.

The first magic relay device collapsed, weakening the barrier’s power.

“Aris!”

Her golden eyes turned toward me.

“Wait for my signal!”

[You?]

“Trust me. 300 years of research… is nothing compared to the five years we’ve spent together!”

I lifted the holy sword. The sacred energy of dawn flowed through the blade.

The second relay device collapsed. The blue barrier was growing faint.

“Now!”

The sword light cleaved through the crystal tower. The magic relay device shattered, and the power of the great magic scattered.

Aris’s wings flapped powerfully. She regained the ability to fly freely.

“Aris, listen to me. I didn’t run away last time.”

[What are you saying…?]

“If I really hated you, I would have gone to another woman. If I did that, you’d never be able to find me, you know?”

Her wingbeats paused for a moment. It seemed like my words had reached her heart.

“I just needed some time alone.”

[But without you…]

“I know. Our bond is precious to me too.”

The trajectory of the holy sword cut through another relay device. The blue barrier weakened further.

“Thank you for coming this far for me.”

[You…]

“But this time… I need some time alone.”

Aris seemed torn between her possessive nature as a dragon and the trust we had built over time.

[Really…?]

“I know it’s hard to understand right now…”

I swung the holy sword toward the final relay device.

“Trust me, Aris. This is for you. Look, I chose you again in the end.”

[Ha…]

Aris sighed. Her wings reflected the moonlight as they glowed.

[I understand. I will trust you.]

“Thank you, Aris.”

[But… don’t make me wait too long. Even a dragon’s patience has its limits.]

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. That’s so like Aris.

I examined the magic relay towers one by one. Finding the right balance was harder than I expected.

‘This should be enough…’

I selectively destroyed some of the crystal towers. Not all of them, just the precisely calculated number.

The city’s blue barrier weakened little by little. But it wouldn’t collapse completely.

Aris’s golden breath grew stronger. She was beginning to gain a slight edge.

‘This should be good.’

Even so, I couldn’t let Aris, my ally, be completely defeated. If she were captured in the magic tower city, she’d truly become a test subject. I had to give her some dignity. I needed to exert just enough power to barely win.

“Perfect.”

The golden dragon and the magic tower city, both prepared their final strikes.

Golden magical energy swirled around Aris. With the power of her grimoire, the dragon’s breath was condensed.

The city was bathed in blue light. The magic circuits accumulated over centuries began to awaken all at once.

[Pay the price for aiming at the dragon’s treasure!]

The dragon’s roar echoed through the sky. Golden energy gathered from her mouth.

“I’ll… research everything.”

The magic of the magic tower city surged upward into the sky.

‘Now’s the time. A true hero knows when to leave.’

I had found the clue for dimension shifting magic. There was no longer any need to stay in this city.

I hid behind a crystal tower. The two of them were so focused on each other that no one would notice I was disappearing.

And now… I had to take this chance to escape.

I waited for the moment when their ultimate attacks would clash, stepping backward one step at a time.

It was time to leave.

“Good job, I’m leaving now.”

The sky split open.

The golden dragon’s breath and the blue magical energy collided, and the night sky became as bright as day.

The power of 300 years of magic towers and dragons collided in an explosion that covered the city.

The crystal towers began to fall one by one. The blue barrier shattered, and the city was engulfed in golden flames.

[1000-!]

“Ugh…!”

Aris and Lucy screamed simultaneously. Black smoke covered the sky.

When the smoke cleared, the scene of the magic tower city appeared. The once magnificent crystal towers were half-collapsed, and the streets were in ruins.

“Heh… in the end…”

Aris transformed into a human form and walked through the destroyed streets. Her golden hair fluttered in the wind.

“This is the price for trying to hunt a dragon.”

Lucy was already collapsed. She had exhausted all the city’s magic power and was completely drained.

Aris’s footsteps continued. Her graceful steps carried a growing bloodlust.

“But you… have already left again, haven’t you? Where have you hidden this time? You are my most precious… treasure…”

She kicked a shattered stone with her toe. It shattered into pieces.

“If I burn this city to the ground… will you show up?”

Her eyes slit like a serpent.

Golden flames soared in the center of the ruined city.

Aris’s fury painted the sky red. The dragon’s wrath heated the air.

“Burning the city won’t help. The teacher has already left.”

At that moment, a calm voice pierced through the flames. A girl in a school uniform walked forward.

It was Serena. Her neat ponytail fluttered in the wind. With a neutral expression, she stood before the golden dragon.

“What are you? How dare you…”

“Dragon-sama, Teacher Haru asked me to deliver a message.”

In Serena’s hand was an old book.

Aris’s eyes wavered.

“This is…”

It was a fairy tale about the love between a dragon and a human. The book that Haru and Aris had jokingly talked about when they first met.

“The teacher said, ‘Wait for me,’…”

A letter fluttered in her hand.

“Haru…?”

Aris’s hand trembled. The fury that had been burning the city temporarily subsided.

<I’ll definitely return. Wait for me… about 100 years? -Dragon Knight Haru->

“Foolish…”

Aris’s laughter echoed in the sky. But there was no longer any anger in it.

“The teacher must have already gone far through the Alterion family’s secret magic circle. I think she went north?”

“Ha.”

Aris laughed again, this time with a mix of resignation and affection.

The golden dragon, looking one last time at the fallen city, flew into the sky.

In the ruined streets, Lucy and the mages lay unconscious. Their 300 years of research had crumbled in one night.

“Teacher… I did what you asked.”

Serena muttered as she looked up at the sky. Her madness was still evident.

The flames engulfing the city reflected in her smile. Her face showed pure anticipation.

“I’ll quietly wait for the next class… Until then, please stay safe…”