After breakfast, I left the royal capital with Iris.
We went to Fort Port, Surier, and Toue in turn and received the items that were filled with emotion.
The means of transportation was, of course, flight using [Space-Time Domination].
Adventurers and townspeople greeted us everywhere we went, offering us warm words of encouragement.
"I don't know the details, but I hear there's a monster out there! So, do your best!"
"We can only do this much for you, but good luck, Dragonslayer-san."
"Come visit us again when the battle is over, okay?"
I'm a very lucky man to have someone like that say that to me.
When the battle is over, I'll come back to report our victory.
The last place we will go to is the city of Aunen.
I'm a little sorry about that because I didn't show up yesterday.
As I headed toward the city, I saw many carts at the south gate, and many people were gathered there.
"Dragonslayer-san! Long time no see!"
"I heard you were active in other cities as well! I've heard rumors!"
"Here's a little token of gratitude for slaying the Black Dragon! Feel free to take it!"
Such voices could be heard from everywhere.
As I land on the ground, a blonde female adventurer… Cal comes running in the opposite direction.
"Yahoo! Kouchi, Irin, long time no see!"
She's as energetic as ever.
"I heard about it! I heard it's really bad! Oh, I baked cookies; you two should eat them! They're so good!"
Cal hands me a small package saying so.
"Thanks. I'll eat them later."
I answered and put the package in my [Item Box].
"Even so, you two still have the same air about you, don't you? A sense of security? A mature couple? It's just like that."
"We're not married, though."
Iris muttered with a wry smile.
As the two continued to exchange updates, Zitan, the head of the Adventurers' Guild's Aunen branch, arrived from the opposite direction.
"It's been a long time. Kou-kun."
"Long time no see. I'm sorry I didn't show up yesterday."
"Don't worry about it. I know how busy you are."
Zitan then turned to the carts lined up in front of him and said.
"This is everything we can get out of the city of Aunen. …Will it be enough?"
"Yes. It's enough. I thank you all."
I answered, storing the carts one by one in my [Item Box].
After I was done, I announced to everyone present,
"Thank you all for lending a hand on such short notice. I really appreciate it. Let me come back and thank you again when the battle is over."
"Don't say such watery things! Dragon Slayer!"
"Your home is here!"
"Come back anytime! We'll welcome you home!"
The people in the surrounding area were excited.
With warm cheers at our backs, Iris and I left the city of Aunen.
"Everyone was cheering for Kou."
"It's a great thing to hear, isn't it?"
With that conversation going on, we headed back to the capital.
When we landed on the deck of the Blaznir, Surara was just there.
"Master-san! I've collected the items from the people in the royal capital at the ritual hall inside the ship!"
"All right, I'll go get them. Thank you."
"You're welcome! Will you be leaving as soon as you're done collecting them?"
"Yes…"
I think for a moment and then tell Surara.
"What time is it?"
"It's two o'clock in the afternoon!"
"Well then, we should leave at 3:00 pm."
"All right! I'll go tell the king and Milia-oneesan!"
Surara said and went to the edge of the deck and jumped straight down to the square.
Rolling along, he headed out of the square.
What a cute way to move.
Iris and I looked at each other and chuckled, then headed for the ritual hall inside the ship.
There were many Helper Slimes waiting for me.
"Welcome, Master-san!"
"We've collected all the items brought to us by the people of the royal capital right here!"
"I bet you'll make something great!"
"Maybe."
I looked at the memorabilia gathered in the ritual hall.
The number of items will be in the tens of thousands.
"Let's just put them away for now."
When I thought of storing them, a magic circle appeared all over the ritual hall.
And in an instant, all of them were stored.
"…It's as out of the ordinary as ever."
Iris giggles.
The slimes seemed to be surprised too, and they rolled their eyes and exclaimed.
Well.
Soon after, the voice of [Full Assist] echoed in my mind.
A recipe is being prepared.
Based on Gram Origin, it is possible to create armament for anti-Zogral by using the items we have collected so far as materials with [Creation].
I understand; please take care of it.
I nodded and activated [Creation].
Sacred Sword Gram: A sacred sword that contains the will of the people to resist destruction. It contains infinite and inexhaustible energy. It cannot be controlled by ordinary means.
Granted effect: "Power to resist destruction."
The reason why no rank is attached to the granted effect seems to be that it is unmeasurable… I think.
In effect, it is higher than EX.
When I took it out of the [Item Box], a large sword with a golden glow appeared.
"Is this the key to defeating Zogral?"
I nodded in response to Iris' question.
"Oh, it has tremendous power."
Although I was only holding it in my right hand, a tremendous amount of energy was being transmitted throughout my body.
I feel reassured and put the Sacred Sword Gram back in the [Item Box].
Well.
Now the preparations are complete.
I told the Helper Slimes gathered at the ritual hall.
"We're headed off to defeat Zogral from now on."
"I understand. Master-san."
"Please come back safe and sound."
"When it's over, we'll all celebrate together! I'll get ready to see you off now!"
The Helper Slimes replied cheerfully and left the ritual hall in unison.
"Hey, Kou!"
Iris called out to me.
"How do we get inside the barrier?"
"We use the warp of [Space-Time Domination] to transfer inside the barrier."
After that, we had a short discussion about the battle, and then we left the ritual hall.
I went straight to the deck and found Surara there.
"Master-san, be careful!"
"Yeah, I got it."
I kneeled down and patted Surara on the head.
I looked around and saw that a crowd had gathered there.
"Dragonslayer-san! Good luck!"
"Make sure you come back safe and sound!"
"Please be careful!"
Many cheers came from all over the place.
"Kou-san, please come back before dinner!"
Oh, it's Milia.
She was waving her hands in our direction.
Iris and I both waved back.
Next to Milia was the king, who folded his arms and nodded his head.
Well.
We were about to leave, but the people of the royal capital had provided us with memorabilia, so it would be a good idea to show them what I had made with them.
It's called fulfilling a duty.
I took out the Sacred Sword Gram from my [Item Box].
May I make a little performance for the surrounding people?
Suddenly, I heard the voice of [Full Assist] in my mind.
I'm not sure, but I'll leave it to you.
I nodded, and immediately after, a dazzling golden glow emitted from Gram's blade.
The surrounding people exclaimed, "Oohh!"
Then please call out to the people.
Oh, really?
What in the world am I supposed to say?
But it would be awkward to leave the deck without saying a word, so I should at least say hello.
I took a deep breath and raised my voice.
"Listen up, everyone! Thanks for providing me with the memorabilia so that I could build a weapon to defeat that monster in the sky! I really appreciate it! We will definitely defeat the monster and return home, so get ready to celebrate and wait for us!"
Then, finally, I raised Gram high in the air.
Immediately after, the blade of the sword glowed even more dazzlingly.
When the glow subsided, King Octo raised his voice.
"Go, Kou Kousaka, the Dragon Slayer! I will give you whatever you desire upon your victory!"
His voice was very solemn, and it was accompanied by a trembling sound.
Perhaps he was activating "Charisma A+."
A few moments later, the people around us all let out a simultaneous exclamation.
Now, let's get going.
I responded to the waving people with a smile and then turned my gaze toward Zogral.
The golden barrier that surrounded it is still in place.
This meant that Lily, Leticia, and the Greedy Dragon were still safe.
Wait for me. I'll be there soon.
First, I thought of activating [Limit Break].
Immediately after, a golden glow overflowed from my entire body.
At the same time, the magic power exploded.
One trillion, ten trillion, a hundred trillion──.
Next, I thought of activating [Space-Time Domination].
With the sensation of consciousness diffusing, a bird's eye view of the world comes to my mind.
I gave myself and Iris the ability to fly, and we floated up into the sky.
Zogral was getting closer and closer.
When we approached the barrier, I activated the warp.
The two of us moved inside the barrier together.
Then, I perform another one of my [Space-Time Domination] abilities, Space-Time Interruption.
This is a power that is upward compatible with [Spatial Interception] and should be able to prevent the absorption of Zogral…
Soon after, just as my side's dominant area was about to collide with the surface of the Zogral──
"Wha..?"
Zogral cracked.
As if like a flower blooming, it snapped open and tried to envelop us from all sides.
"Kou, what are you going to do?"
"If it was going to welcome us this way, it's a good thing. We'll keep going."
"I understand!"
I cast "Divine Speed Blessing EX" on myself and Iris.
Then both of us plunged into the interior of Zogral at the same time.
The description of the appraisal said that the interior was connected to another dimension, and that's exactly what it was.
The interior of Zogral was infinitely wide, and infinite darkness spread out.
We plunged through the darkness.
"Kou, how far are we going?"
"As far as we can go!"
Fortunately, thanks to the [Limit Break], my magic power was exploding.
Now, I can use "Divine Speed Blessing EX" almost unlimitedly.
I'm going so fast that I can circle the earth several times in an instant.
Soon, I heard a voice in my mind.
I will explain our future course of action.
If we continue to go straight ahead, we will eventually reach the center of Zogral.
At that point, release the power of the sacred sword Gram.
"Understood. By the way, where are Lily and the others who entered earlier?"
We are searching for their location in parallel, but it is difficult to find them due to the severe distortion of space-time.
──We detected a strong space-time interference.
It was right after that.
Suddenly, the "Divine Speed Blessing EX" was deactivated.
In addition, the area of [Space-Time Domination] was quickly being erased.
"What is this oppressive feeling…?"
Iris shouted next to me.
It seems that something is happening that even she can feel.
I myself was feeling a chill that seemed to be eating away at my entire body.
[Space-Time Domination] was adjusted from expanding the area under my control, and instead, devoted its efforts to maintaining it.
By compressing it down to a size that just barely surrounds Iris and me, I was somehow able to settle on a place where I could compete with it.
…What's going on?
Just as I thought that, the space ahead distorted, and something appeared.
The sound of "kiiiiiiinnn" echoed from the sacred sword Gram.
What appeared from the distortion of space was a monster that looked like a nautilus──the Gluttonous Dragon.
After I defeated it, it fled to the outside of the world.
It must have returned to Zogral, after all.
"KULUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
That high-pitched, sing-song roar was the same as it was then, but the hostility was stronger than before.
Analysis complete.
The interference with the [Space-Time Domination] is presumed to have been caused by the Gluttonous Dragon.
In other words, if we don't defeat this thing, we won't be able to reach the main body of Zogral.
Currently, the Sacred Sword Gram is singularly focused on the function of Anti-Zogral.
Since it is not suitable for combat, its use is not recommended.
In other words, you want me to fight with Gram Imitate.
I open my [Item Box] and swap weapons.
Iris also took her Fimbul Mimir out of her pouch and readied it.
"I think it's better to act separately."
Iris said as she drank a flying potion, and moved away from me.
Iris's Fimbul Mimir had "Fake Mastery of Space and Time EX."
However, the space-time interference of the Gluttonous Dragon was more powerful than that.
Is there enough power to resist it?
As long as it is within the area surrounding Irisnote Fafnir itself, there is no problem.
Then it's fine.
I readjusted my Gram Imitate.
"Let's go!"
Iris was the first one to make a move.
As soon as she raised her spear, the tip shone.
Countless Fimbuls appeared from the void.
The total number of them exceeded one thousand.
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The spears all emitted a blue flash from their tips.
It was the Absolute Freeze EX.
"LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
In response, the Gluttonous Dragon intercepted it by releasing heat rays from each of its tentacles.
Countless flashes collide head-on, creating a spark.
The one who won the clash was Iris.
About half of the Gluttonous Dragon's body is frozen.
"Now! Go!"
Iris pointed her Fimbul Mimir at the Gluttonous Dragon.
Immediately after, countless spears rushed toward the carnivorous dragon, causing it to explode.
It was the effect of "Collapse of Phenomena EX."
In the countless spears of light, the Gluttonous Dragon became smaller and smaller until it disappeared from sight.
"It was a piece of cake. Thanks to Kou's weapon."
Iris breathed a sigh of relief.
It was then that Iris heard the sound of the dragon's voice.
"Iris, be careful!"
"Eh?"
Suddenly, something unusual happened.
The Gluttonous Dragon, which was supposed to have disappeared, regenerated in an instant and released a breath from its large mouth.
"Iris!"
I used the warp to get right next to her, and I grabbed her in my arms and left the scene.
"Are you okay?"
Yes, I'm fine. What in the world happened?"
The Gluttonous Dragon is currently receiving its power supply from Zogral.
As long as it remains in existence, there is a possibility of revival.
So it's practically invincible with unlimited remaining power.
That's too nasty.
I agree.
However, if the existence of the Gluttonous Dragon itself were to disappear completely, it would be impossible to revive it.
I see.
I nodded inwardly and turned my attention to the Four Emperor Dragons' bracelets.
If I use "Elemental Decomposition EX," I may be able to eliminate the Gluttonous Dragon.
It was worth a try.
However, I have to touch the target to activate "Elemental Decomposition EX," so that's a bit of a hassle.
I told Iris the information I got from [Full Assist] and asked her to lend me a hand to try "Elemental Decomposition EX."
"Alright. Leave it to me."
"Yeah, please."
We nodded to each other and approached in a straight line toward the Gluttonous Dragon.
Iris and I had been through many deadly battles together.
We no longer needed to speak to each other in detail.
Our hearts and minds were connected.
That's what it felt like.
"Haaaaahhhh!"
Iris went ahead and deployed the "Extreme Dragon God Barrier EX."
The Gluttonous Dragon continuously shot heat rays at us, but they were unable to break the barrier.
I reached the dragon unscathed, and I touched its throat to activate "Elemental Decomposition EX."
"Eat it!"
Immediately afterward, the body of the Gluttonous Dragon began to disintegrate around the spot where I touched it.
Did I do it?
──No.
I made a quick decision to retreat.
Immediately after, the roar of the Gluttonous Dragon resounded.
"LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
At the same time, its body stopped disintegrating, and it quickly regenerated.
Then, as if in a counterattack, it leaned back with countless tentacles like a sickle, releasing countless heat rays from its tips.
"I won't let you!"
Iris deployed her "Extreme Dragon God Barrier EX."
However, the heat rays seemed to be stronger than before, and cracks appeared here and there in the barrier.
This was not good.
That was when I thought so.
First, silver shooting stars poured down.
It annihilated the tentacles of the Gluttonous Dragon one after another.
Next, a huge meteorite covered with lightning poured down and shaved off the left half of the dragon's body.
Finally, a golden flash was released, obliterating the right half of the Gluttonous Dragon's body.
We took advantage of this opportunity to distance ourselves from the dragon.
When I looked behind me, I saw Lily, Leticia, and the golden dragon – the Greedy Dragon.
"Kou-san!"
"We meet at last!"
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
I don't know what the greedy dragon was saying, but I'm sure he was happy to see us again.
"I hope everyone is alright."
"Yes. We were in danger, though."
"If we hadn't been able to meet up with Kou-san, we would have been absorbed by Zogral."
The Space-Time Domination ability was given to Lily and Leticia's weapons, but it was only at the pseudo level.
Eventually, they would have been pushed aside by Zogral's power, and I'm so glad we were able to join up with them before that happened.
"And yet, we're in trouble."
Iris said.
"Neither "Collapse of Phenomena S+" nor "Elemental Decomposition EX" would work, so there's really nothing we can do."
"Maybe we should change our fundamental approach."
Right after I muttered that, I heard the voice of [Full Assist] in my mind.
Analysis completed.
It is impossible to annihilate the Gluttonous Dragon with an external attack.
The only way to break out of this situation is presumed to be to incorporate the Gluttonous Dragon into the inside of Kou Kousaka by means of [Creation].
Is such a thing possible?
I don't have to ask.
I had the Greedy Dragon inside me to begin with, so it would not be impossible for me to incorporate the Gluttonous Dragon into my body.
That is correct.
If you aim for the moment right after the dragon regenerates, your success rate will be even higher.
All right, let's do it.
Let's not waste time wondering about it.
I nodded to myself and explained to everyone how we were going to proceed.
"In other words, we should all attack at once to weaken the Gluttonous Dragon, right?"
"I understand."
"Fufu, this is a great new weapon for us. I've wanted to use it some more."
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!"
Iris, Lily, Leticia, and the Greedy Dragon.
They all seem to be fully prepared for battle.
"I'll approach right up to the Gluttonous Dragon. Don't worry about me; just attack."
I told them so and approached the Gluttonous Dragon at once.
At the same time, everyone began to attack at once.
Iris's Fimbul Mimir "Collapse of Phenomena S+."
Lily's Yggdrasil "God of War's Extreme Shot EX."
Leticia's Yarn Grapple "Mjolnir EX."
The Greedy Dragon's breath was probably the "Gleaming Dragon's Breath."
The Gluttonous Dragon was quickly weakened by the attack.
But just one more step was missing.
I approach the dragon just as I did before and activate "Elemental Decomposition EX."
"How's that?"
Just as before, the body of the Gluttonous Dragon disintegrates──and it immediately begins to regenerate.
Now.
Yes, now is the time.
Begin the sequence of taking in the Gluttonous Dragon.
Please activate [Creation].
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Touching the body of the regenerating Gluttonous Dragon, I activate [Creation].
Immediately after, I felt something enter my body.
"LUUUUUUUUUUU?"
The dragon was startled.
No wonder.
More and more was absorbed into my body.
"Ugh…!"
I felt intense pain throughout my body.
It seemed that the dragon was rampaging inside of me.
If you add Gram Imitate to the material of [Creation], it may be possible to suppress the Gluttonous Dragon with the blessing of the God of War.
Do you want to do it?
The answer, of course, is "Yes."
Immediately after, the Gram Imitate in my left hand was sucked into my body.
…I'm becoming more and more inhuman.
While I was thinking about this as if it were someone else's problem, the entire huge body of the Gluttonous Dragon was swallowed into mine.
The capture sequence has been completed.
Are you feeling any different?
"Oh, I'm fine. Surprisingly, I feel fine."
I'm glad to hear that.
Now let's head for the center of Zogral.
I nodded and cast "Divine Speed Blessing EX" on everyone present.