I Was Reincarnated As the Strongest Protagonist Who Would Eventually Become a Hero, But It Seems the Burden Was Too Heavy For Me - Chapter 16

“Kyahhh!?”

 

“A-A dragon!?”

 

The villagers were in a panic. It was only natural. In a village that had been peaceful just moments before, the greatest calamity suddenly appeared.

 

Anyone living in this world knew the danger of a dragon. 

 

That was why the villagers lost their senses and ran away, each trying to escape first.

 

“Don’t scatter! Everyone, head for the highway!”

 

I shouted at the top of my lungs. But just then, the trouble I had been anticipating arrived.

 

[This is bad! Other monsters have appeared too!]

 

“Tch! Damn it!”

 

Humans weren’t the only ones panicking. The local monsters, confused by the sudden appearance of the dragon, also came out. Edge Rabbits, who had been hiding in the bushes, and Red Bears, who had been napping, mistook the villagers for enemies and attacked.

 

“Blaze Armor!”

 

 I grabbed a villager who was being attacked by monsters and carried them to the highway.

 

“Run away!”

 

“T-Thank you..”

 

The villager thanked me and immediately ran off.

 

[Luke!!]

 

Salamander shouted.

 

The next moment, my body was flung into the air.

 

“Wha…?!”

 

It seemed I’d been hit by the dragon’s body slam. The pain was so intense I almost passed out. 

 

Unable to brace myself, I crashed to the ground, coughing up blood.

 

…It’s fine.

 

I can still fight.

 

What do you think I learned recovery magic for?

 

“…Cure.”

 

I quickly healed my injuries and regained my composure.

 

There was no point in defeating all the panicked monsters one by one. Defeating this dragon was the first priority.

 

“H-Hey!”

 

Someone rushed up to me from behind.

 

I turned around to see two men approaching me with anxious looks on their faces.

 

“We’re adventurers! We will help!”

 

“No! You guys can’t—”

 

—You guys can’t help us!

 

Before I could say anything, the man who called himself an adventurer was intimidated by the dragon’s magical power.

 

“Ah…”

 

“It’s dangerous!!”

 

The dragon’s tail approached from above.

 

Judging that the adventurers would be caught in it, I used my sword as a shield and deflected the tail.

 

“W-What is that… a monster…?”

 

The adventurers had completely lost the will to fight.

 

Anita and I were fine, but that dragon harbored a dense, sinister magical power. Just approaching it would be enough to break a normal person’s mind.

 

This dragon was probably even stronger than its parent that Anita and I had defeated. Although its body was slightly smaller, it moved more powerfully, and its breath attack that collapsed the cave ceiling was incredibly destructive.

 

“Adventurers, deal with the other monsters!!”

 

“B-But what about the dragon…!?”

 

“I’ll take it down!!”

 

The adventurer’s eyes widened.

 

“You can’t do it by yourself!”

 

“Trust me!”

 

I declared in a loud, confident voice.

 

“I’m Luke Venthema! I’m the strongest man in the world!”

 

I exuded a presence stronger than anyone else here.

 

Perhaps unconsciously, I was telling myself that as well. But my words seemed to have reached them—

 

“…!! Understood, I’ll leave that to you…!!”

 

The adventurers nodded and dealt with the monsters.

 

The problem was whether the dragon would target any villagers other than me… but that worry turned out to be unfounded.

 

The dragon was staring straight at me.

 

‘…I guess so.’

 

To you, I’m a murderer.

 

From the dragon’s point of view, it probably came to this village not because it was fleeing, but because the cave was too small and it was difficult to fight. It had no intention of letting me go from the start.

 

‘Salamander, from here on out, constantly deploy Blaze Armor.’

 

[Understood!!]

 

My whole body was engulfed in flames.

 

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr–!!”

 

The dragon lunged to bite me. 

 

I narrowly dodged, but it immediately followed up with a spinning tail swipe. I raised my sword vertically, blocking the tail with the blade as I put some distance between us.

 

The blow was so powerful that it could have been fatal.

 

I felt again the fear that if I, Luke, died, the world would be destroyed.

 

But I was certain that Luke would never run away from this dragon.

 

If it was Luke who created fear, it was also Luke who gave me courage.

 

For now, the latter prevailed.

 

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh–!!”

 

All unnecessary information disappeared from my field of vision.

 

Monsters, people, plants, insects—they all disappeared, and only the dragon’s presence remained.

 

In this hopeless situation, Luke’s talent gave me a new strength.

 

Ultimate concentration. —Unnecessary information vanished from my mind, while vital combat data grew clearer.

 

The world was dyed in monochrome.

 

The dragon was the only thing I could see clearly. I could see its furious eyes and hear the deep growl rumbling from its throat, all in sharp detail.

 

You can do it.

 

I felt as if Luke was telling me that.

 

“Blaze Strike!!”

 

A flash of flames struck the dragon’s body. 

 

I couldn’t tell if it had an effect, but close combat was too risky due to the difference in power. I had to stick with hit-and-run tactics.

 

‘Salamander! Can you put more magical power into the physical enchantment!?’

 

[B-But, if you go any further than this, it will put a strain on your body…!!]

 

‘I don’t care!!’

 

Despite her hesitation, the Salamander boosted the effect of Blaze Armor. I could feel my body creaking just by standing. This power was clearly beyond my current limits.

 

[Charge forward!!]

 

I immediately fired off a second Blaze Strike.

 

However, the dragon’s momentum didn’t waver. I quickly jumped back to the side.

 

“Ggh…!?”

 

My full-speed movement caused my toes to fracture. I immediately used Cure to heal it.

 

It hurt. But I could bear it.

 

Even if my flesh was torn off and my bones were broken, I would never stop moving. As long as I could bear the pain, I could heal it instantly with recovery magic.

 

‘Pain is also… a hindrance!!’

 

The moment I chanted that in my mind, I felt like the pain miraculously disappeared.

 

Luke’s talent must have responded to my will… Now I could fight without any restraints.

 

If I ignored the damage to my body, I could even engage in close combat with the dragon.

 

My sharpened concentration allowed me to see a gap in the dragon’s scales. As I blocked the attacks, I thrust my sword into the gaps, peeling off the scales one by one.

 

It was a continuous, delicate process, like threading a needle. Amidst this fierce offensive and defensive battle, with the earth shaking and dust flying, I slowly got closer to the dragon’s throat.

 

But then――

 

“Someone…help…!!”

 

Even in this critical moment, where I needed total concentration on the dragon, I heard that voice. It must be because Luke valued helping others above all else.

 

I turned in the direction of the voice and saw a woman with her foot pinned in the rubble of a collapsed building, unable to move.

 

A bear monster, Red Bear, was approaching her.

 

“Tsk!!”

 

The adventurers were too busy fighting other monsters. 

 

I rushed over, cut down the bear, and freed the woman.

 

The adventurers arrived a little later.

 

But at the same time, the dragon was approaching us.

 

“Kid, I am sorry…!!”

 

“I’ll buy you some time!! Take that person and get away!!”

 

The dragon attacked me mercilessly.

 

If I fell here, the adventurers behind me would be next.

 

No matter what, I couldn’t afford to lose.

 

‘Protect…!! Protect no matter what!!’

 

The dragon’s murderous intent weighed down on my entire body.

 

But I still faced forward.

 

‘This time――I will carry on Luke’s will!!’

 

I couldn’t protect Aisha.

 

So now――I would absolutely protect them!!

 

[Raging flames!!]

 

“Become a blade that cuts through evil!!”

 

Flames surged from the sword I held tightly in my hand.

 

“—Blaze Edge!!”

 

The slash of flames stopped the dragon’s charge.

 

 A wave of heat blasted out, searing my skin with intense pain.

 

‘Don’t stop the casting yet!!’

 

[Ah!! Got it!!]

 

The dragon’s onslaught hadn’t stopped.

 

So I continued slashing with my flaming sword.

 

“Ooooohhhhhh!!”

 

I deflected its claws, wings, and tail. 

 

My arm broke—Cure. 

 

My joint dislocated—Cure.

 

I repeatedly attacked and healed, over and over.

 

The crimson slashes overlapped one after another, like a storm of fire.

 

“A-Amazing..”

 

“Unbelievable… who the hell is he…?!”

 

I could hear the voices of adventurers behind me.

 

The flames surged, repelling the dragon’s claws.

 

Blaze Edge—ten strikes.

 

The dragon’s massive body staggered.

 

I couldn’t keep firing at it at the moment. My stamina was at its limit, not my magical power.

 

But even so, the dragon… didn’t retreat.

 

Even with its body covered in cuts, it glared at me with sharp eyes.

 

[It’s about to breathe fire!!]

 

The dragon’s mouth glowed.

 

A poisonous breath attack was coming—-I had to dodge it.

 

But if I dodged it, it would hit the adventurers behind me.

 

–I can do it.

 

Luke was a genius with the sword, so I was certain he could do something about this.

 

Right, Luke?

 

You wouldn’t give up on something like this!!

 

The poisonous breath was fired at close range. There was less than a fraction of a second before it would hit me. 

 

But I calmly matched my sword to the oncoming blast and deflected it aside.

 

[Wha…?!]

 

Salamander let out a cry of shock.

 

Even I was shocked by what I’d just done. 

 

A split second later, I gathered all my remaining magic.

 

“Salamandeeeeer!”

 

The dragon was still paralyzed by the recoil of its breath attack.

 

Having escaped from the difficult situation, this was the perfect chance.

 

I had to finish it now—!!

 

[Glorious flames!!]

 

“Cut down all evil everywhere!!”

 

It was an upgraded version of the first spirit art I learned, Blaze Edge.

 

Flames enveloped my sword, growing into a massive flaming blade.

 

“Blaze Sabeeeeeer—!!”

 

The flaming greatsword cut the Poison Dragon’s body in half.