Solving their food problem at least for now did a lot in terms of reputation.
For once, they weren't hiding from me. I wish I had the time to develop deeper relationships here, but I have to get home as fast as possible.
Not only do I have to beat another demon lord, I have to find a way home, and find some way to keep these guys safe when I'm gone.
It's just too much to do all at once.
I barely beat the first one, I had to sacrifice myself to even do it, so how am I supposed to beat another in their own world, without access to my own magic?
I don't have fighting experience, I have even less experience fighting with this wacky new form of magic. The only way I managed before was with how much freedom I had to come up with creative applications for spells.
The more I think about it, the more I despair.
Everyone told me it had to be me to fight the first demon lord, all because of 'fate', even the supposed summoning spell must have put me in this dragon body because it knew that was the only way I had a chance, the Mana capacity of a dragon stacked with the title of 'Dragon God'.
Was the only reason I beat him because of fate? What if I can't win without a prophecy telling me that I can't lose?
I just had to forget about it for now and move forward.
I wasn't sure what to say to Shiba and friends, but they seem to already know what my goal is and even suggested my destination.
They don't have much useful knowledge, save for the existence of a library/archive that seems pretty well known.
I should probably go alone to avoid getting them caught up in this, but just as I consider leaving alone, Shiba stops me while begging to come along.
"Wait, I want to come too! Let me come!" He says over and over again.
"You know I'm going to be getting into fights, right? Aren't they all going to get mad at you if you start running into danger?" I try to decline, having flashbacks to the last time I had to fight while protecting something.
"I don't have to tell them! I already got a new bow and plenty of arrows! I don't even need to get close to anything dangerous!" He complains and tries to push on the topic harder.
"Well, maybe it would help to have someone that can shoot. But you better not do anything stupid that I'd have trouble explaining later." I wouldn't even need help with that normally, but I don't have much range or power with fire breath in this environment. The Mana in the fire just reacts with the foreign energy here and fizzles out into a purple blur in the air.
Shiba celebrates his success and follows right behind me on the way out, almost certainly leaving a panic behind once he's noticed missing.
I realize there's no point keeping this size change active since it's probably going to wear off eventually anyway.
I'm going to have to figure out how to do this normally when I get back home, I'm sure Ria will overload if she sees me like this.
Maybe that would be a bad idea, I'm supposed to be the big sister anyway, turning into the equivalent of a teddy bear isn't my job.
Shiba and Ria both share the same excitability over getting to ride me. I want to know what it feels like to ride a dragon too, but I am the dragon...
Stupid thoughts- don't mind them, just keep flying.
---
"This is the best day we've had in years, Thane! We finally have an assignment worth our time, aren't you excited for how much fun it'll be?" Ryuna says, a short woman with curved horns, twirling around a long polehammer.
"Why did I have to be paired with such a fool? This isn't something you should be thinking of as just something to pass the time. Don't forget this dragon managed to defeat our first leader." Thane grumbles in a snappy tone.
"Oh come on, there's no way that guy died, something else must have happened."
"If he was alive, Grimnal wouldn't have dared take over command. At least Azgaroth had at least some semblance of care for his subordinates, Grimnal doesn't have any of that, he's just even more obsessed with invading some otherworld." Thane replies with a faint tone of disapproval.
"Well, then what are we supposed to do against something that can fight that guy and win?" Ryuna complains, dejected.
"Believe it or not, Azgaroth was not that hard to beat. He was alive so long that his arrogance completely overtook his reasoning in battle, it was inevitable he was going to lose if he ever met his match." Thane explains.
"Then just leave it to me! There's no way you're going to be fighting with that goddamn blindfold, it's just creepy!" Ryuna jeers at him.
"This is for aesthetic purposes, I can't see even without it, so I literally don't see the problem. That's exactly why I called you a fool, because you only rely on your eyes. I'm sure you expect everyone you fight to be doing the same, that's why you can't even touch me." Thane snickers boldly.
"I'd clobber you if it wasn't treason! You'll regret that after you see me smash this dragon before it can even react!" Ryuna explodes with rage, to which Thane just smirks and laughs under his breath.
--- Lava
It was quite a long flight to even get close to this place, and it was only made longer by Shiba complaining about the turbulence.
"I'm not the best at flying, okay?! Just deal with it!" I eventually growled. That finally shut him up for a while.
Eventually we finally reached the location, and it was very obvious by the change in scenery from sand and scary trees, to intricately carved stones and a sizable building that looks like it was built to last.
It's still smaller than I was expecting a grand library or archive to be, though.
"There you are! Senna is never wrong!" I hear a new voice call from in front of me.
Suddenly there's some guy wearing a blindfold and this short girl with a hammer?
Already a fight? No- I just have to calm down and focus on winning.
"Fall!" The short girl shouts and dashes towards me, appearing as just a blur for a second.
However, one of the things I learned early on is that my combat sense still works if I let my Mana escape my body.
The range is much more limited and it's not as sensitive, but it still helps.
With the short warning I got from Mana sense, I managed to block the hammer with a barrier and managed to grab her in a talon too.
That was way too easy, and I still almost died.
She is so strong that she must have physical enhancement magic, but it's not enough to get out of my grasp.
I'm able to take the hammer away just like taking candy from a baby.
"What are you, a child? Are they making kids fight?" I observe worriedly.
"You worthless lizard! You want to make fun of my height?! I'll kill you right now!" She screams in a fuming anger as the blindfolded guy just facepalms silently.
She doesn't seem to be thinking about her situation at all, so I guess she's just lucky.
"Ok, so not a child then. That's a relief."
Throwing the weapon as far as I can is the best I can do to let her live without having to fight both of them at once.
I'm not really in a position where I can afford to be looking for ways to spare every enemy I come across.
I've held Ria like this before, albeit a lot more gently.
So I really don't want to be plagued by memories of what it feels like to crush anyone like this. I don't dare to look in the genetic memories, either.
"So tired-" She mumbles before passing out.
I didn't do anything at all? I have no idea why this happened, but it works out for me. She can take a nap and I'll be long gone by the time she wakes up.
Maybe my Mana is having effects on them at close range, but I'm not sure why the Lupri wouldn't be affected. I'm not some magic scientist, so it really doesn't matter for now, I'll worry about that later.
So, after dropping the shorty to the side there's only one more left to deal with.
"I can do this! I can help!" Shiba claims and tries to shoot an arrow at him from my back.
The arrow flies true right for the remaining enemy, a blindfolded man with straight horns.
But he easily moves out of the way despite being blindfolded.
"How interesting. We're only here for the dragon, there's still a chance for you to give up and leave without consequences." He says directly to Shiba.
"No! I'm not going to betray my friend! What have any of you ever done to help us, who were at the bottom of this world's ranks?" Shiba yells and releases three more rage fueled arrows.
The blindfolded enemy calmly dodges all three while responding.
"I suppose that's true, but we all have our place. This is my job, so what do you think would await me if I refuse to do it?" He questions, "Now, dragon, are you going to attack, or should I? Do you simply desire the name of the one that will catch you? It's Thane, by the way. You did spare my idiot of a comrade, so I'll allow you the choice to come peacefully."
Shiba looks angry and he would probably be burning red if he had human skin.
I guess living at the bottom in a place where power rankings matter so much would make anyone angry.
I don't think I should let him attack first, if everyone in this world moves like that shorty did, then I'm in trouble! (Though she couldn't react to my attack?)
I put Shiba down to keep an eye on the shorty and immediately lunge towards the blind enemy.
I just need to grab him, that's all!
However, that's easier said than done, because he doesn't have a problem dodging it and even cutting my leg.
It's not very much, but it hurts like a paper cut, ouch.
"Sorry, my blade isn't the most suited for fighting a dragon." He continues, preparing to stab instead.
Instead of trying to dodge it, I use my new powers to block it with a barrier at the right moment.
Just like I wanted, the sword pierces halfway through the middle and gets stuck long enough for me to try to grab him.
He tenses and his gaze sharpens as he hits the barrier, "A dragon with a defensive ability?!-"
At the last moment he chooses to abandon his sword in the barrier and catches me off guard by jumping off of my attacking arm just to touch the bottom of my head with his hand.
Suddenly, everything goes black and I can't see anything! What?!
"It's over! Just surrender now and come quietly, it's what's best for that boy and his tribe to cut ties with you right now." He demands.
"That's nonsense! And from the way you're talking, you know it too! Can't you see the hardships they face at the bottom of this horrible world sorted into ranks of power?!" I shout with agitation.
"And what am I supposed to do about it? I'm not at the top of the chain, I don't make decisions, and neither do you! You aren't strong enough to make a difference as you are." He debates coldly.
"Then help me! This world doesn't have to be divided like this!" I try to be as convincing as possible, but it has no effect.
"It's not worth becoming a traitor for a cause that lacks anyone strong enough to uphold it. I know this better than anyone! Pray that the Lupri boy leaves quietly after I deal with you-" He doesn't even finish his sentence before I hear an audible clicking sound in front of me.
I can't see, my combat sense doesn't reach very far... What can I do?
"Lava, watch out!" Shiba screams, and I sense the very distinctive feeling of a projectile about to hit me.
My combat sense only extends as far as the Mana leaving my body can reach before dissipating, if I didn't have the ability to create barriers at will, I wouldn't be able to avoid this!
The bolt hits the barrier and taps harmlessly on the ground.
"What?"
Thane looks shocked and quickly distances himself out of striking distance.
"You can still react?"
He sounds surprised that I could feel that coming. I think I'm lucky he thought I could sense on the level he can, he doesn't seem to know it's just a small area around me yet.
I can't lose this opportunity, I quickly follow through with a breath attack, since it's the only way to reach him quickly.
The weak purple flames flood over him in an instant, but don't inflict much damage.
"Ah! It's only warm? What is thi-" He mumbles drowsily and drops silent.
I can see again! Maybe it was because he passed out, or that I moved my head into the fire I was letting out. It's not much a fire, though. As evidenced by what just happened, my fire breath is basically just a stream of Mana now, apparently not even hot enough to give a burn.
The upside is that I can win without having to kill if I can use my breath attack.
But damn, do breath attacks take more out of me than it used to. I feel drained just from doing that much, it's like dumping all of my energy out and wasting it.
Now it's time to see what this library has in store for me...