Metal Slime 244
Chapter 244: Golden Dragon TL: Cnine ED/PF: Part 1 「Hey... isn't this getting seriously dangerous!?」 Akito, looking down from the cliff, swa
Chapter 244: Golden Dragon
TL: Cnine
ED/PF:
Part 1
「Hey... isn't this getting seriously dangerous!?」
Akito, looking down from the cliff, swallowed hard. It had been almost five minutes since Yuuma transformed, yet there was no sign of him withdrawing from the battlefield. He continued to swing his fists, relentlessly attacking the "Tree."
「This is bad! He went berserk!!」
The color drained from Akito's face at Rui's remark. The bottom of the dungeon had already transformed into a sea of fire. If Yuuma's 『Metallization』 came undone in that situation... Realizing the gravity of it, Akito shouted as loud as he could.
「YUUMA! THAT'S ENOUGH! THAT THING IS GOING TO BURN TO DEATH SOON IN THE SEA OF FLAMES! CLIMB UP NOW! YOUR TIME IS RUNNING OUT!」
His desperate scream echoed throughout the dungeon, but it didn’t reach Yuuma, who was furiously swinging his fists in a blind rage. He blasted the trunk, burned the branches, and stomped on the roots, creating chains of explosions. The demon of destruction pushed even further, increasing the pace of his attacks.
◇◇◇
—JUST A BIT MORE, JUST A BIT MORE TO KILL THIS GUY!
The giant tree was ablaze, leaning heavily due to severe damage to its trunk. The ground had already collapsed in various places, and its underground roots were in tatters.
—WE WON! WE CONQUERED THIS DUNGEON!
The moment Yuuma thought that, he suddenly felt the strength drain from his body.
『Eh?』
He could no longer produce flames, and his body was gradually losing its mass. Yuuma looked at his hands.
—Running out of time, huh!?
At that moment, he suddenly came to his senses. Looking around, he realized he was surrounded by towering pillars of flame swirling across the ground. If he didn’t escape soon, he would be consumed by the fire.
Yuuma quickly tried to move, but his legs could no longer support him. His body kept shrinking, and when he returned to his normal size, the armor covering him lost its shape and faded away. The black color disappeared from his skin, and 『Metallization』 was completely undone.
Now, Yuuma was trapped in the fiery ground with his bare body.
「Gyaaa...」
Yuuma grimaced from the intense heat. If this continued, he would be burned alive. He wasted no time and invoked "Water Magic" to cover his body. However, the water evaporated instantly upon appearing, failing to protect him from the heat.
The swirling flames mercilessly assaulted Yuuma, burning his clothes, hair, and skin. He tried to heal himself with magic, but it was like pouring water on a hot stone. No matter how much he healed, he kept getting burned again.
His breathing grew labored, his footing unsteady. Unable to remain standing, he collapsed to his knees, his vision blurring. He raised his right hand forward, seeking help.
The moment the swirling flames touched his right hand, they flared up violently. His nails and skin burned away, exposing the bone of his right arm, which slowly turned to ash. Overcome by terror, Yuuma let out a piercing scream.
「AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!」
Only now did he truly understand the menace of the fire magic he had been using. Experiencing its terrifying might firsthand made him realize the true power of the 【Red King】's flames.
Yuuma was powerless, watching his body being consumed by fire. As his consciousness began to fade and he resigned himself to death, he thought he heard someone’s voice right before passing out.
「... Ma... Uma... YUUMA!!!」
A flash of light swept through the surroundings, extinguishing the flames. A loud thud echoed nearby, prompting Yuuma to lift his face.
Standing there was Akito, wielding his thunder spear, Gáe Bolg. He repelled the flames with lightning, barely managing to prevent them from burning everything.
「Are you okay, Yuuma?」
「Ah... Hah... Just barely...」
Akito’s lips curled into a grin.
「What a handful guy you are! This is what happens when you go on a rampage without thinking about time!」
「My... bad.」
While maintaining the "Thunder Barrier" with his left hand, Akito wrapped his right arm around Yuuma’s shoulders, helping him stand.
「Well, if it weren’t for you, we couldn’t have defeated that monster. Good job, Yuuma.」
「... How rare of you... to give such praise...」
「Geez, enough of that. Grit your teeth and let me take care of the rest.」
Akito firmly supported Yuuma and glared sharply upward.
Part 2
The cliff where Rui and Kayla stood was 150 meters tall. They had to reach it, or they would die.
Akito pulled Yuuma close and released his lightning magic. Plasma sparks crackled around him, repelling the approaching flames.
「I don’t have much magical power left, but I have no choice but to do it!」
Multiple lightning bolts surged upward. Akito kicked off the ground, leaping into the air, then kicked off the lightning itself. The electricity beneath his feet created a pulling and repelling effect, propelling him higher.
The technique, "Aerial Stride," allowed him to repeat the process. But carrying Yuuma drained his stamina and magical power rapidly. Still, he had no choice!
Akito gritted his teeth and ran upward.
Just when he thought he had made it, something surged upward at incredible speed—roots of the giant tree.
Dozens of roots shot past Akito, intertwining in the sky, blocking his path. They sealed the ceiling like a dome, trapping them inside.
「Gimme a break! Just a bit more!」
Using the crackling plasma as footholds, Akito glanced at the unconscious Yuuma on his shoulder. He had gone limp, completely out cold.
Looking down, the raging inferno burned fiercely. If they fell, it would be over.
「I have no choice but to carry Yuuma! And that’s why...」
Akito shifted his gaze to the spear in his hand—the ultimate enchanted armament, 【Gáe Bolg】.
Forged but unused, it had been treated as an antique. Akito had retrieved it from Farmel’s warehouse. The magic gem at its core, the "Yellow Diamond," was one of the largest in the world.
「At some point, it started to feel like a partner... But I can’t escape without relying on this thing!」
Akito gritted his teeth and raised his spear high.
「MAGIC GEM――RELEASE――!!!」
The spear trembled, as if bidding farewell to its owner. A massive surge of magical power erupted from it, and countless bolts of lightning crackled around Akito.
The bolts intertwined, forming a brilliant shape—a Golden Dragon.
It was the very form of the strongest monster of the 【Yellow Dungeon】.
Akito pointed the spearhead upward, held Yuuma tightly, and shouted.
「GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!」
The shining dragon soared, piercing through the roots and rising higher. Below, the shattered roots crumbled and fell, sinking into the blazing inferno. The trees turned to ash.
The golden dragon ascended and finally reached the top of the cliff.
The moment Akito dispelled the magic and landed—
The magic gem of Gáe Bolg lost its light and shattered into pieces.