The Fang That Arrived

“Hey… say something. Tell me. …What do you mean you killed my father, whaaaaatttt!!”

Henrik glared at Lindwyrm and screamed.

“Wh-what do you mean!?”

“Could it be… that the Lauri Lindwyrm mentioned is Henrik’s father?”

Jonah and Patricia hurriedly ran up to Henrik.

But his gaze was fixed solely on Lindwyrm, and he didn’t respond at all to Jonah and the others’ questions.

“Heh! Could it be you’re Lauri’s child? Now that I look, you do kind of resemble that traitor!”

“…!? What do you mean my dad was a traitor! And how could someone like you have anything to do with my father…!”

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Ahahahahaha! Don’t you know? That man… Lauri called me a friend, but he betrayed me and ran away! He said things like, “I won’t see you anymore!”’

After letting out a mocking laugh, Lindwyrm contorted its face into an utterly twisted expression and roared at Henrik.

The White Dragon wore a face filled with such hatred it seemed it could curse and kill the entire world; at the sheer force and presence of it, Jonah and the others were left speechless.

“That’s why I killed him! Lauri! Since he wasn’t my friend anymore, it’s only natural, isn’t it!”

When Lindwyrm said ‘killed’, as Fafnir had told them, it meant it had devoured Henrik’s father.

As a result, Lindwyrm tasted humans and likely ran rampant with murderous acts.

“Ah… but I have one thing to be grateful for. Because of that traitor, I learned the taste of humans. If it’s this delicious—melting on my tongue—I should have eaten them sooner.”

Lindwyrm licked its lips and looked up at the sky with a rapturous expression.

That gaze suddenly turned toward Henrik.

“I wonder if that guy’s child tastes the same? Well, that’ll be something to look forward to after I kill Fafnir.”

Lindwyrm cackled loudly.

And yet, to Jonah the White Dragon didn’t look happy at all. No—instead it seemed pained, sorrowful, as if it might collapse into tears at any moment.

That said, if it won the fight against Fafnir, Lindwyrm would likely turn on them… on Henrik.

So.

“O source of light that dances in the heavens, manifest before me, become a shield that repels calamity, and guard us from the pitiful dragon that has falsified its pride.”

Jonah rapidly traced with his right index finger, and a magic circle of light materialized before them.

“【Égide】”¹

A massive, weighty shield clad in light appeared and hovered between Jonah and the others and Lindwyrm.

To protect Jonah and the others from the White Dragon.

“J-Jonah, this is…”

“No matter what happens, this shield will protect us. Even if it’s the legendary Paired Dragons, their fangs and claws will not be able to reach us.”

“…!?”

Jonah sent a cold stare toward Lindwyrm.

As if implicitly telling the White Dragon that had lost its order and pride, ‘You can’t defeat me.’

“Heh… That’s an interesting thing to say. Then…”

“What are you saying? Your opponent should be me.”

Fafnir, who had been silent until now, raised its massive body and fixed its gaze on Lindwyrm.

However, to anyone’s eyes it was barely standing; if it continued fighting Lindwyrm like this, it would probably just be defeated.

Even so.

“Goraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”

Fafnir let out a violent roar.

As if to vividly demonstrate the pride of the proud Black Dragon Fafnir.

“Haa… I understand. I’ll kill you, and I’ll eat that very small human and Lauri’s child.”

Sighing, Lindwyrm shook its head.

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Answering Fafnir, Lindwyrm returned the roar.

In any case, Fafnir had only enough strength left for one more strike.

The Black Dragon put its full weight on its fore and hind legs, crouching low as if crawling along the ground.

Lindwyrm, too, as if to meet the challenger Fafnir as a worthy opponent, rose up putting weight on its hind legs and spread its forelegs wide.

And then.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Aiming at Fafnir’s straight-line charge, Lindwyrm brought its foreleg down.

However.

“…!? Ga… f…!?”

Fafnir’s fangs sank into Lindwyrm’s white throat.