MTM 74

Whoooo.

When their swords clashed, a gust of sand rose. As the sound of grains scraping against metal echoed, Draik leaped into the air.

Clang!

Instead of charging straight ahead as Zed expected, Draik landed on the shafts of the spears stuck all around. He moved across them as if performing acrobatics, and then used the recoil of a bending spear to launch himself toward Zed.

The crash of steel meeting steel split the dry air. Sand scattered in every direction from the impact between the greatsword and the serrated blade. Both men were pushed back.

Thud, whoosh!

Draik landed again on the shaft of a spear, as if he had practiced the fall.

‘That bastard…’

Zed realized that the man had not driven the spears into the sand for attack alone, but to build platforms that would amplify his own movements.

“Whoo!”

Perhaps for that reason, Draik looked even more relaxed, despite the battle being one where his life was at stake.

Draik easily dodged Zed’s swing and stepped onto a spear beside him. The spear bent under his weight and flung him toward Zed. With sparks flying, the two blades crashed together with a loud metallic clang.

Clang!

Zed blocked the strike and jumped toward the spear where Draik might next land, then split it in half.

“Zed!”

At that moment, Harto shouted. Draik had already soundlessly ran across the sand, not giving them a moment’s rest. Even on this desert sand, he moved so quickly that he left no footprints.

“Urgh!”

Zed barely dodged the attack and put some distance between them.

“Huff, ha… ha, ha…”

Even though it had been a short exchange, Zed’s breathing became rough and heavy.

Ploc, ploc.

Beads of sweat fell from Zed’s jawline onto the sand.

“Zed…”

When Harto lifted his gaze, Zed’s hair and the back of his neck were drenched with sweat. The desert heat and the weight of the greatsword drained his stamina far more than usual. Even the smallest movement made sweat pour from him like rain.

‘No. He can’t hold out like this. I have to help him.’

Zed had told him to do nothing, but Harto couldn’t obey.

Harto steeled his mind and looked around. He thought that if he could at least remove the dozens of spears scattered over the dunes, it might help. He whispered to Zed.

“I’ll take care of those.”

“…?”

While Zed looked at him in confusion, Harto raised one finger toward the nearest dune and twirled it in the air. The ground hummed, and the sand grains began to move slowly.

Whoooo

Riding on the wind, the sand began to swirl upward, forming a vortex. In an instant, it grew to the height of a person.

Harto swept his hand and flicked his wrist as if he were pulling something out. The spears stuck in the nearby sand were swept up and shot into the sky.

“…What?”

Draik frowned in disbelief as the spears vanished in the vortex after only a few gestures from Harto.

“You little thing, you’ve got some tricks.”

Draik thought little of it, believing that a mere monster was only mimicking such power.

“Whew. It’s too hot. I should finish this now.”

He rolled his neck slowly, then adjusted his grip on both weapons. After a short exhale, Draik charged toward Zed.

Zed watched the enemy rush at him. He did not take a single step back. He quietly waited and drew in a breath as he steadied his stance.

Whoosh!

He thrust his greatsword forward, but Draik lowered his body and dodged. The serrated blade traced an arc and aimed for Zed’s waist.

“Urgh!”

By the time Zed realized it was an attack aimed at his opening, it was already too late. There was no room to dodge. Zed decided to push through even at risk. He grabbed the man’s wrist and brought his greatsword down with all his might. He meant to cut off his leg entirely.

But Draik twisted his wrist and slipped away like a snake that shed its skin.

“Ah! That almost turned bad for me.”

As Draik mockingly exclaims, Zed spoke coldly.

“It already did.”

“…What?”

The man blinked his one remaining eye, and blood spurted from his thigh. The stream scattered over his chin, his cheeks, and the sand below.

“Ugh!”

Draik screamed and staggered back. But the bleeding didn’t stop. The wound was fatal. If he didn’t stop it soon, he would surely die from loss of blood.

“Damn it…!”

Draik gritted his teeth and went down on one knee. He looked momentarily startled by the unexpected turn, but he soon calmed down. Then, with his fingertips, he slowly touched the eyepatch that covered one eye.

“…There’s a reason I’m stronger in the desert.”

His remaining eye was yellow. The pupil narrowed and lengthened, turning into the eye of a reptile.

Psshhhhh

Right after that, black energy started to emanate from him. His skin warped into a gray shade, then turned black. Scales covered his body, and his frame swelled larger and larger. The sound of grinding bones crawled down the spine. From his back, a long massive tail grew out.

“What is that…”

The growing figure reminded them of the serpent that had appeared at the sanctuary of the Bellancia Cathedral. But this one released a far darker and more vicious aura.

When the enemy revealed his completely changed form, Harto’s eyes widened. Despite the dire situation, the sight looked strangely familiar to him.

“A… dinosaur…?”

“It’s a lizard. It’s not the same kind as the demons.”

Zed, who had understood him as saying “dragon,”¹ added with a serious look.

‘He’s really using the sorcerer’s power. How is that even possible…?’

Grrr.

By then, Draik had already become a gigantic black lizard. Without hesitation, he tore off his bleeding leg with his sharp claws. The sound of ripping flesh and his scream split the air. But before the blood even dried, new flesh sprouted from the torn stump, and a new leg grew.

It was self-regeneration. Not simple healing, but regeneration far faster than that. Whatever he had done to his body, the man now possessed power beyond any sorcerer.

“…This time won’t be easy.”

Zed murmured and adjusted his grip on the handle of the greatsword.

The lizard’s eye, now free of the eyepatch, glowed red as it released black energy. The slit pupil chased the bright trace of the greatsword without missing it for an instant.

Shaaah!

The lizard swung its long tail wide enough to blanket the entire dune. Sand poured down like rain and filled the air.

Zed moved quickly, but the desert sand slowed him. The lizard’s claws sliced through the dune and came crashing toward him.

Bang!

The saw-like claws, stained deep crimson, met the greatsword. Screeching metal rang out, and dazzling sparks scattered. Zed held on with all his strength. He used the recoil to jump and came down swinging the blade again.

Thud!

A shock like an earthquake rippled through the entire desert. There was no time to breathe. Draik struck the dunes with his hind legs in rage.

The ground trembled, and waves of sand swept in every direction. The rising dust blurred the air until their vision turned gray.

“Harto, hold your breath.”

“Yes.”

Zed and Harto covered their mouths and noses with the cloak and braced themselves for the blow that was coming.

Thwack!

The long tail came crashing from the left. Zed stayed perfectly still, then the moment he saw the shadow of the tail falling, he threw himself forward.

Thwack!

This time it came from the right. He barely dodged it and lifted the greatsword, driving it up with all his strength.

The blade thrust deep into the giant lizard’s ankle. As it pierced through, sticky blood splattered. Without delay, Zed cut through the joint and jumped back.

“Grrrr!”

Draik let out a monstrous roar and flailed. His tail whipped the desert, the dunes collapsed, and fierce sandstorms rose again, turning the sight white.

Thud, thud, thud…

Draik’s form vanished in the dust fog. From the sound of his steps, it seemed that his leg had already regenerated.

“Damn it… at this rate, it’ll never end.”

Zed exhaled between heavy breaths. It seemed the fight would only end when one of them dropped from exhaustion.

1. 공룡 (gongnyong) means dinosaur, but 용 (yong) by itself means dragon.  ↩︎