"Overrun them. And don't retreat this time."
The lizard girl, known to her kind as Dragonoid, commanded the horde of Red-Eyes monitors.
They all heeded her words, slowly advancing toward Brad and the other hunters up ahead.
'Human.' The Dragonoid silently observed. 'It's finally time. I'm finally paying back the humiliation I suffered from you all those years ago.'
The memories kept haunting her dreams after so long. Destroying this little village wouldn't satisfy her, but it was a step in the right direction.
She had been planning this attack for months. Slowly building up the monster army, the girl had raised them and trained these previously mindless beasts into a cohesive unit that could follow her orders, although only barely.
'That creature… He said there'll be Silverback and Tiger packs coming shortly. Where are they? Late?'
At first, she was so sure of this operation. The inexplicable fire yesterday had toppled the defense of this settlement, which the girl had been observing for the past several days. It was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
And in addition, the promise of additional troops for her monster army provided by that mysterious visitor… It was as if a dark god had guided her to use this day to strike.
"These humans… to think they could last this long."
But the truth was, this village was still standing. Its residents, although greatly reduced, still had strong enough spirits to resist the assault.
This outcome wasn't the one the Dragonoid expected.
Why did her troops retreat earlier? They only needed a little more push to break through the hunters guarding the building where all the humans moved. But somehow, they all turned around instead, feeling disoriented and agitated. It didn't make sense to the girl.
'Was it really that sound?' She did hear it earlier, the mysterious noise that carried a potent magical hum. It was the only plausible reason the Dragonoid could think of.
Although she wanted to know its source, there wasn't any clue that she could figure out. That was the main reason why she came along with the monsters this time, instead of waiting in the back and observing from the distance.
"Grrraaagh!!"
A yell broke her out of the reverie. "That human… Something about him feels wrong."
The Dragonoid took note of the latest hunter that joined the fight. It was Elrand, the novice hunter boy Senna encountered before. Wielding a short sword, he jabbed in the direction of the Red-Eyed monitors in desperation.
Amateur. Weak. Unreliable. Even the Dragonoid who hadn't really known much about humans knew that the boy was no good. And yet… How did he manage to keep dodging the lizards' attacks? Why did his every strike seem to always hit their target and claim the reptilian's lives?
Why did Elrand look so unthreatening and dangerous at the same time?
"Must eliminate…" The Dragonoid decided. That mysterious visitor had told her that any potential threat had to be eliminated at all costs, no matter how trivial or seemed to be.
All for the sake of The Advent, he said. The girl had no idea what he meant, but she already promised him her helping hand in exchange for backing her revenge endeavor.
She flicked her hand lightly and an object suddenly manifested in her grip. A long pole, hard as a rock, one of its ends attached with a sharpened point similar to that of an arrowhead.
It was her Draconic Spear, the unique weapon passed down in her clan.
"Must eliminate…" repeated the girl. She jumped up high, passing over the lizard horde completely and dropping down toward Elrand.
"El, she's on to you!" Brad, who had been keeping an eye on the girl since earlier, warned Elrand when he noticed her movement.
"Awah!?"
*Clank* The clashing of metals echoed through the yard. The Draconic Spear, pointing straight at Elrand, was parried by his flimsy-looking shortsword.
"Hrmm!?" The Dragonoid didn't expect that he could block her attack. "…Why?" Landing on the ground, she twirled her spear and trusted it toward Elrand.
"Woah!?" He dodged. "Woah, awawa, uuahh!?" The spear's thrusts repeatedly launched toward him, and every time, Elrand managed to dodge them.
'Why can't I hit him? He moves so weirdly.'
No matter how much she thrust, swiped, and twirled, her Draconic Spear was never able to find its mark.
"Damn it El, fall back!" Brad had dashed to his rescue ever since his warning earlier and he had just now reached him. "You're really one lucky fella, you know that? The way she moves, she's good!"
The axeman had put himself between the two of them, and her flurry finally ended. 'This one… is strong. Should I retreat?' she considered after looking over the interloper.
"No. Must destroy you human…" The Dragonoid shook her head and free herself from any hesitation. "I will get my revenge…"
A muddy brown aura began to leak out from her body. "You will pay for my pain." As she murmured, her body began to change.
She planted her spear on the ground. Then, raising her now free hands in front of her face, they started to transform. They grew bigger and scales the same as the ones on her tail enveloped her skin. Her nails had grown to become claws, glinting the muddy glow radiating from them.
"What the hell…?" Brad became anxious. Before, he could only feel wariness from seeing the uncanny girl, but now, fear started to creep on him.
"Die." The Dragonoid lunged at him, posing her claws to rip at him at any moment.
*Clang* Brad used his axe to block her assault. He cringed when he heard the sound the clash produced and how heavy the strike was.
He knew he was in trouble. "She's really a monster!"
"Brad, I'll help—"
"No, stay away!"
The axeman wouldn't let the novice Elrand join the deadly fight that was about fo unfold. There was a limit to how much luck could save a person's life. That, he believed.
The Dragonoid girl was oblivious to his resolve. She continued to pummel her claws toward Brad, her flurry slowly grew to become too much for the axeman to handle. His blocks were starting to slow down, and sooner or later, a lethal blow would connect to his body.
'Is this it!?' Brad feared his end was near. At that instance…
*Ring Ring*
"Now, Bel!" A beautiful chime of a bell accompanied Senna's yell.