Chapter 84
"Yuka! We need to deal as much damage as possible before Mina casts his spell!"
"Yes! ‘Lightning Rush’!"
I unleashed a surge of lightning aimed directly at Zeren, but the attack was swallowed by the surrounding whirlpool. Half-hearted strikes clearly wouldn’t work. Then what about from above?
"‘Falling Thunder’!"
A bolt struck Zeren from overhead. Though it landed cleanly, the damage seemed negligible—he retaliated with corrosive water arrows. I countered by weaving a canopy of lightning to intercept them.
"Then we’ll overwhelm him with numbers—‘Lightning Spears’!"
"GRROOOOAAARR!!"
Countless lightning spears materialized around Zeren and fired in unison. The sizzle of evaporating water filled the air.
"‘Thunderstorm Domain’!"
Lord Albert erected a barrier around Zeren, trapping him inside a storm of relentless lightning. Bolts rained from every direction, searing his body.
"GYAAAAAAHHH!!!"
Zeren thrashed wildly, but the barrier didn’t budge. His flesh blackened under the assault, scales charring as regeneration failed to keep pace. Smoke choked the enclosed space.
"Thanks, Yuuka, Al. I’ll take it from here!"
"Do it! Yuuka, fall back behind Mina!"
"Understood!"
I leapt back just as Minato unleashed his spell.
"Sorry for the wait. ‘Eternal Permafrost’!"
"G-G-GAOO…"
Everything around Zeren froze. His body stiffened mid-roar, encased in a transparent cocoon of ice before he could even scream. The whirlpool solidified mid-air and shattered on impact—though Minato cushioned Zeren’s frozen form with a water barrier to prevent him from breaking.
"Did we get him?"
Lord Albert tempted fate. But for once, no twist followed—Zeren remained trapped, a dragon-shaped ice sculpture.
"Seems it’s over. I’ll cast restoration magic on the corroded buildings. Now we just need to tally the wounded… and the dead."
The battle was won. Yukari and Aqua rushed over—apparently, there were injuries but no fatalities. A flawless victory.
Black Garden’s Zeren Branch: Annihilated.
Remaining: Three branches. One headquarters. Total: Four.
"Uh, Master, what the heck is this?"
"It’s Zeren."
"Eww, he’s totally mutated! Ugh, a Corrosion Dragon? He’s all slimy and stinky… Can I even use this…?"
Two days after the battle, Rigur—Minato’s familiar and Zeren’s younger brother—arrived. While he gaped at his brother’s frozen, draconic form, I was stunned for entirely different reasons.
"Whoa. He’s way prettier than me. Like, ridiculously cute."
"You’re plenty cute too, Yuka. To me, you’re number one. But… yeah. There’s no way that’s a guy."
"Th-Thank you…"
Flustered by Lord Albert’s praise, I couldn’t tear my eyes off Rigur. His "girl power" was even stronger in person than in photos. Instead of a maid outfit, he wore a checkered sundress, his pale hair tied back with a black ribbon. Light makeup accentuated his features, and a pink bracelet adorned his wrist—he looked like a noble’s daughter.
"That’s really a boy? Like, equipment included? With that face?"
"Supposedly… But I’m starting to doubt. Wanna check?"
"Yes. Let’s confirm."
We nodded solemnly and approached Rigur, who tilted his head in confusion. The gesture was 100% maiden-like.
"Huh? Albert? Yuka? What’s up?"
"Rigur (san)…"
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Please take off your clothes."
.
.
.
Result: Rigur burst into tears, and Minato and Cecelia immediately lectured us.
I still don’t get it.
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