Category: Umareta Chokugo ni Suterareta kedo, Zensei ga Taikensha datta node Yoyuu de Ikitemasu

“This is Shuten-doji, the strongest Karakuri soldier!”

It’s a Karakuri doll resembling an ogre. It appears to have been created as a weapon, as it wields a giant sword in its right hand and a cannon on its left arm.

“Gagaga… Battle, preparations, complete…”

Suddenly, the sword in its right hand begins to spin at high speed.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrr!

To be precise, the wrist of the arm holding the sword was spinning rapidly in circles.

“Is… that really how you’re supposed to use a sword?”

“This way is stronger than just swinging it normally! Plus, it works as a shield too!”

With a loud clank, clank, the mechanical soldier charged toward me.

“Thunderbolt!”

A fierce bolt of lightning struck the Karakuri soldier. Naturally, his sword couldn’t block it, and the metal on its surface melted and scorched, instantly ceasing to function.

“Giga-gagaga…Malfunction…Malfunction…Malfunction…Malfunction-MalfunctionMalfuncti――Beeeeep!”

“You said electricity was its power source, so I wondered what would happen if I hit it with a big surge all at once. Turns out… this is what happens.”

It had probably shorted out because the surge exceeded its capacity and damaged the circuits.

“Maybe electricity is a weak point for karakuri. Metal conducts electricity easily, so if you’re going to use them as weapons, you’ll need countermeasures. Like covering them with materials that don’t conduct well.”

Genko drooped her head as her prized creation was taken down so easily. But after hearing my advice, she suddenly looked up.

“That’s it! And seriously, you’re one insanely advanced artificial intelligence… We’re researching AI ourselves, but we’re nowhere close—right now, all we can manage is letting it pick and choose from pre-input data.”

Creating intelligence from nothing was, of course, something magic alone could never pull off.

“I really want to know how you work… won’t you let me take you apart…?”

“I already told you, NO. But I will be taking this karakuri soldier with me.”

“Wha—why!?”

“You took us in on the shogun’s direct orders, right? Attacking guests like that… imagine what kind of punishment you’d get if the shogun found out.”

“Ugh…”

“Think of it as the price for my silence.”

After being safely released, I reunited with Fana and the others.

“Master, how was it?”

“That was some very interesting research!”

I was very satisfied to have managed to obtain a Karakuri Soldier. I plan to disassemble it later and carefully examine its mechanism.

After leaving the facility, we headed for Karen’s hometown using the magical airship. Perhaps having received information that the monsters had been defeated, the villagers had already returned to help with the reconstruction.

“It’s all thanks to you guys. I want to thank you again.”

“I was ready to die back then, but I ended up surviving. Now that I’ve even been given these convenient prosthetics, I’ll just enjoy my remaining years to the fullest.”

The old man said he would go back to his carefree rural life.

Karen, on the other hand, had no intention of staying in the village.

“Master, I intend to continue my warrior’s journey for a while longer. This whole incident has made me keenly aware of my own shortcomings. I’ll train both my sword and my heart, and come back much stronger.”

“Hmph, it seems my stupid disciple has grown up a bit. It’s past the stage where I have nothing else to teach you. Do as you wish.”

“…Yes, thank you Master.”

“But let me just say one thing… Make sure you keep your sarashi on.”

Oi, old man, what the hell are you talking about?!

And so, we parted ways with the old man and headed back to Edo City. During our flight, Karen suddenly bowed to me.

“I would love to accompany you on your journey.”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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As we toured the karakuri research facility, our guide—Hiraga Genko, the current head of the Hiraga family and the institute’s director—led us into yet another section.

“And this here’s the team working on medical karakuri. You’re the one who needs a prosthetic limb, right?”

“That… yes I am…”

The old man replied.

“Got word straight from the Shogun, so I went ahead and made it already.”

It seems that prosthetic limbs had been prepared for the old man in advance. Without delay, the old man began fitting the artificial arm and leg into place.

“Whoa! What is this? It moves on its own?!”

“It automatically reacts to the user’s movements. It takes a bit of skill, but once you get used to it, you should be able to run and dance with it.”

“Amazing! I can even hold a sword!”

The old man grips the sword with his prosthetic arm and swings it. Of course, it won’t perform as well as his original limbs, but with this level of performance, it shouldn’t be a problem in everyday life.

“Sensei, with this, you can continue practicing with the sword!”

“No, I don’t think I can go that far. I won’t be able to use most of the Yagyu Shinnen-ryu techniques.”

“But…. you used your secret technique on the Yamata no Orochi the other day, right?”

“I was only able to do that because I was mustering up the last of my strength. It’s not something I can do normally.”

At his disciple’s remark, the old man gave a wry smile.

“Mm, you’ve got a point. It might hold up against an average swordsman, but it won’t keep pace with the movements of a master. Well, that just means there’s still room for improvement. One day I’ll make a prosthetic that can—but for now, make do with this.”

From there, we were treated to demonstrations of various other karakuri still in development. It had been a long time since my curiosity had been stirred so deeply, and I couldn’t have been more satisfied.

As for Fana, Anje, and Karen—the muscle-brained trio—by the halfway point they were already holding their heads, as though all the complex talk is giving them migraines.

“But you’re pretty clever! I’ve never seen anyone show such comprehension on the first try! You don’t just have human-level intelligence, you might even surpass it!”

I chuckled, puffing out my chest.

“Fufufu… I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“That settles it! There’s something I’ve just got to show you—and you alone!”

“Only me?”

“Yes. The contents are… well, let’s just say they’re not for the not brainy ones. You’re the only one here who could possibly understand it!”

And so, leaving the others behind, I followed Genko deeper into the research facility. We passed through a series of heavily secured doors, each one shutting behind us with a heavy metallic thud.

“Research-oneechan, what kind of thing are you going to show me?”

“A craft that can generate an infinite amount of electrical energy. Honestly, it’s top secret among top secrets, but I’ll make an exception—just for you.”

I followed her, excitement bubbling in my chest. After a short while, we arrived… at a completely empty room.

“…? What’s this supposed to mean?”

The next moment, ropes seemed to reach out from all sides and automatically wrapped around my body.

“Yessss, got you! Now I can take you apart as much as I want!”

Genko yelled with bloodshot eyes.

“I’m so curious about how a doll with such great capabilities works, I won’t be able to sleep at night!”

“Even if you take it apart, I don’t think you’ll understand how it works—it’s powered by magic, after all.”

“If that’s the case, then so be it! Seeing is believing! I just have to see it with my own two eyes to be sure! Hihihihihiii!”

Well… I couldn’t really blame her.

If I saw something I didn’t understand, I’d want to dig into it until I figured it out, too. In fact, it was that very obsession—endlessly researching magic—that had led me, in my previous life, to be called the Great Sage. She is probably the same breed of human as I was.

Of course, that didn’t mean I am just going to sit still and let her take me apart. Besides, I wasn’t even a karakuri doll to begin with—I am a human.

Riiip, riiip, riiip!

I easily tore through the ropes and freed myself from the restraints.

“Heheheh! I knew something like that wouldn’t hold you! But—how about this?!”

A door at the back opened automatically, and out stepped a karakuri doll. Its thick armor plating and array of built-in weapons made it obvious this thing hadn’t been built for anything peaceful.

“This here’s the strongest karakuri soldier—developed with the concept of surpassing even top-class swordsmen in combat ability!”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The research institute that developed and manufactured karakuri devices lay on the outskirts of Edou.

“I’ve already heard everything from the shogun!” I’m Hiraga Genko—the twenty-fourth head of the Hiraga family, and director of the Hiraga Research Institute! Pleased to meet ya!”

The head of the Hiraga family turned out to be a woman—petite enough to be mistaken for a girl in her teens, though in truth, she is apparently somewhere in her thirties.

Her eyes, brimming with curiosity, locked onto me.

“So this is the karakuri doll from the West!”

“Uh… y-yes, ma’am.”

“Oooh! You can pull off such a complicated expression so easily! We’ve been trying to make humanlike dolls ourselves, but expressions like that? We are nowhere close!”

Whether from excitement or sheer fascination, Genko is practically snorting with enthusiasm as she ran her hands all over my face and body.

“This skin feels so real! What is it made of? And there aren’t any seams anywhere! Even the hair…. it’s like it’s actually growing out of your head! Hey, can I—just a thought—take you apart? Just a little?”

“Of course you can’t!”

“Why not?! Just a tiny bit! I swear, only the tip—just the tip!”

The tip? The tip of what, exactly…?

“I’m delicate, you know. Even a little dismantling is strictly off-limits.”

“Tsk, boring! No… wait a second—are you really a karakuri doll? You’re not an actual baby in disguise, are you? That would be a whole different kind of shock if that is the case!”

“A-anyway, just hurry up and show us inside already!”

Most of the facility turned out to be a massive workshop for crafting karakuri products. What amazed me most was that it wasn’t people making them by hand— even the manufacturing itself was done by karakuri.

“For the common products, it’s all fully automated.”

Genko explained.

“You mean… you use karakuri to make more karakuri? That’s an incredible system.”

Aside from a few staff stationed here and there for quality checks, the place was shockingly devoid of people. It was the kind of thing you could never replicate with magical tools that required human labor. When it came to mass production, karakuri might have the clear advantage.

“We put most of our manpower into development. Karakuri still have depths we’ve yet to reach you see. No matter how much we study, there’s always more waiting to be uncovered after all.”

I was also shown around the development site.

“This team here’s working on communication karakuri. In other words, machines that let people talk with each other anytime, no matter how far apart they are.”

“How would you do that without magic?”

“By using something called electricity.”

“Electricity?”

“That’s right. We convert a voice into an electrical signal, send it along wires, and—bam—it reaches the other end. We’ve already strung wires across most of the country so people can keep in touch, but laying all that cable is no easy task. Right now we’re working on making it wireless instead. But to do that, we gotta study radio waves a whole lot more.”

Electricity. Radio waves. Neither was a concept I’d ever even heard of before.

“Electricity is a kind of energy you can’t see. It comes from teeny-tiny particles moving around together. For example, when two things rub against each other and make a spark—that’s static electricity. You ever had your clothes crackle and snap in winter? That’s the stuff.”

“I see, I see… So lightning would be caused by electricity too, then?”

“That’s right! Look at you, catching on fast. Your comprehension is off the charts!”

Electricity is basically something that travels through matter, but radio waves, while similarly invisible energy, apparently travel through air and space. They’re called radio waves because their properties resemble waves.

“That’s quite interesting. It works in a completely different way from magical tools.”

The mechanisms behind these seem to be quite deep, once you start researching them.

“Hmm, I don’t get it.”

“…Me too.”

“Same here.”

Fana, Anje, and Karen didn’t seem to understand the concept at all, and they had a faraway look in their eyes the whole time.

“This is the vehicle development team. They make great vehicles that can transport people and cargo at high speeds, and we have a variety of models, from four-wheeled to two-wheeled, and in all sizes, from large to small. We also have vehicles for use in civil engineering and agriculture.”

It seems they eventually want to build roads throughout the country, allowing people to travel long distances easily.

“I’m also thinking of something even larger that can carry a lot of people and cargo. Of course, I’ll eventually need to make it fly.”

So she’s basically planning to create something like a magical airship without using magic.

While I had my doubts about whether she could really do that, Genko’s confident tone made me think that perhaps one day it might actually be possible.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The country of Edou had long been ruled by the Tokuyama shogunate, passed down from generation to generation. The man before them was its thirty-sixth ruler—Tokuyama Ietaka. His appearance, however, was hidden behind a hanging screen of fine bamboo slats, leaving no clear view of the man himself.

It seemed the old man had met him once before.

Ietaka, the current shogun, was the eighth child of the previous ruler. Back in the day, when the old samurai served as sword instructor to the shogunate, he had personally taught the boy some basic swordplay.

“For a swordsman of your caliber to retire from the role of instructor… it was a great loss. What do you think? It’s not too late. Why don’t you consider resuming your post?”

The old man lowered his head slightly and replied solemnly.

“Ietaka-sama, I have already stepped away from the world. Your words honor me greatly, but such a heavy responsibility is far too much for this withered body. And besides…”

The old man extended his arms, revealing the mechanical limbs.

“As you can see, I have but half my limbs remaining.”

“What!? What in the world happened to you…?”

“It is, in fact, related to the reason I’ve come here today.”

And so the old samurai recounted the events that had happened. The sudden appearance of the dreaded Yamata no Orochi near his village, the failed attempt to defeat it that cost him his limbs, and the eventual victory—achieved only thanks to the warriors from the West whom his disciple Karen had brought to him.

“Yamata no Orochi!? That’s the monstrous serpent of legend! Such a being exists in reality…? No, that’s not the main point….. What’s even more unbelievable is that it was defeated with only a handful of people…?”

As expected, skepticism filled the chamber.

So, as proof, we brought forth the severed head of the Orochi which was stored in my subspace. Only one of them, of course—any more would have been too large to display.

“W-what the-!?”

“There’s no mistaking it… that’s the head of a dragon!”

“But… where could something like this even come from…?”

The gathered retainers erupted into whispers and gasps.

“There are seven more heads like this, plus a massive body. If you’d like, we can move to a larger area later and I can show you the whole thing.”

“S-seven more…!? Then….. it is truly the legendary Yamata no Orochi…”

Even the shogun was stunned.

“Warriors from the West… you have done our land a great service. Had such a beast been allowed to run rampant, it would have brought unimaginable destruction upon our country. …But tell me—what are you exactly? That child… is speaking like an adult.”

“I’m a karakuri doll made in the West!”

『….Are you really planning to get away with it as a karakuri doll, Master?』

The old samurai gave me a look that clearly said, “You expect him to believe that?”—but I ignored him.

“A karakuri doll? Hm. It’s true that in our own land, dolls capable of complex speech are being developed… but something this advanced…? That’s still beyond us.”

“Well, I also run on Western-style magic. You could call me a magical automaton.”

“Incredible… so Western civilization is that far ahead…”

“Still, your country’s karakuri technology is amazing too. Who makes it all?”

It turned out there was a family—no, a clan—dedicated solely to that craft.

“They are known as the Hiraga Clan. For generations, stretching back hundreds of years, they’ve devoted themselves to the art of Karakuri.”

They were once considered outcasts, persecuted as eccentrics for producing strange contraptions. Now, however, they were at the heart of the nation’s technological prowess. Young people from across the land came to apprentice under them, and they continually produced ever more advanced creations. Their innovations had become part of daily life, and the shogunate backed their work wholeheartedly.

Although we were promised great rewards for defeating the Orochi, what we wanted more than anything was to see the Hiraga workshops.

We asked—and were surprisingly granted permission almost instantly.

“Indeed. Yagyū Genzō, you should go as well.”

“Me? To the workshops?”

“Yes. That prosthetic you wear—it’s just a basic tool, is it not? But now, I’m certain they could craft limbs that move like the real thing. I’ll send a letter to inform them in advance. They’ll prepare everything for you.”

Apparently, they even had a way to communicate instantly across vast distances, without using magic.

How that was possible though?

I had no idea but I am very eager to find out.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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At the heart of Edo lay the towering Edou Castle, perched atop a small hill that overlooked the city below. Surrounded by deep moats and featuring its iconic central keep—the tenshukaku—the castle exuded both grandeur and unshakable authority.

We disembarked from the airship onto a bridge spanning the moat. On the other side of the bridge was an impressive castle gate with guards strictly checking who enter and exit.

“Hmm, a suspicious group of foreigners huh. This is Edou Castle—the residence of the Shogun himself. This is not a sightseeing spot. Entry is strictly prohibited without permission.”

Naturally, we weren’t allowed in just by asking nicely. That’s when the old samurai stepped forward.

“Hn? C-could you be… No… It is you, Sir!”

“Indeed. I am Yagyu Genzo, former sword instructor to the shogunate.”

“Y-Yagyū Shinnen-ryū…!”

Apparently, the old man’s name is Genzo—and judging by the startled expressions on the guards’ faces, that name carried serious weight.

“Please wait just a moment!”

Before long, a more senior-looking guard came rushing out. His eyes were wide in disbelief.

“Yagyū-dono! It’s been a long time! Has it been ten years already? But… your limbs…”

It seemed they knew each other.

“It’s been a long time. I’ve come today to deliver an urgent report to the Shogun. I’ve detailed everything in this letter—please see that it’s delivered promptly.”

With those words, Genzo handed over a sealed document.

“…Would it be alright if we confirmed its contents first?”

“I have no objections.”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me…”

Given it was something for the Shogun himself, it was only natural they’d want to verify it. Genzo, of course, understood that, and nodded without resistance.

After reading the letter, the senior guard froze for a brief moment, then snapped to attention.

“W-we will arrange an audience at once! However, it may take some time to prepare. Please wait in the office in the meantime.”

And just like that, we were ushered past the gate and into the castle. Thanks to the old man being here, we are able to get through smoothly. If it had just been Karen showing up, things would’ve gone very differently.

We ended up waiting a while, but during that time we were treated with utmost hospitality. We are offered tea and sweets. Judging by the guards’ reactions, it was safe to say that being the sword instructor to the Shogunate was a position of serious prestige.

“Ojiichan, you used to be a really important person huh.”

“Hah, that was a long time ago.”

Karen beamed with pride while Genzo gave a modest chuckle.

“Master founded the Yagyū Shinnen-ryū style in just a single generation. Even though Master came from a small village, he rose all the way to become the Shogun’s sword instructor. Even now, applicants flock to the village hoping to study under Master. Most of them get turned away though. Of course, I was accepted right away!”

Karen puffed her chest as she talked about it with pride.

Genzo, however, simply snorted.

“I figured a reckless fool like you would die a dog’s death if I left you alone, so I decided to give you some guidance out of pity.”

“Was it pity?! I thought you saw promise in me and recognized my potential!”

As they bickered, a man dressed in formal attire approached us.

“Yagyu-dono, preparations for your audience with the Shogun is done. Please follow me.”

We were led down the hallway.

Along the way there are various doors with complex locks and staircases with tricks, including some large-scale mechanisms that make entire rooms rotate or float in the air. It was clear this entire path was designed to disorient intruders—or prevent anyone from memorizing the route.

They said Edou had been at peace for generations, and politically stable too… but clearly, they weren’t letting their guard down.

Eventually, we arrived at an enormous chamber, about a hundred meters from end to end. The floors were covered with soft, woven mats called tatami, and the sliding doors on either side bore exquisite paintings. At the far end, raised slightly above the rest of the room, sat a figure we could only assume as the Shogun.

A bamboo screen—called a sudare—hung in front of him, hiding his appearance from view.

“It has been some time, Yagyu Genzo. And for the rest of you, this must be our first meeting. I am Tokuyama Ietaka, the thirty-sixth Shogun.”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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There was only one dragon head left. Perhaps realizing it would be defeated if things continued this way, it used its huge body to escape. It shrank its remaining head as much as possible to protect it with its body, dragging all seven heads along as it fled.

Of course, there was no way we would just let it get away.

“Thousand shots of light arrows!”

The countless arrows of light I fired pierced its last neck one after another.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

The monster let out a loud roar and finally ran out of strength. It was a more powerful monster than expected, but we were able to subdue it safely.

“B-but what in the world… I can’t believe that the Yamata no Orochi was subdued so easily…”

The samurai old man still looked at the scene in disbelief.

“Well, in any case, I owe you my gratitude. If things had continued as they were, not only would our village have been destroyed, but it would have become a national disaster.”

The old man said this while gazing at the corpse of the huge mythical monster.

By the way, mythical monsters may eventually be resurrected. Although many difficult conditions must be met, mythical monsters are also born in this world through the unique evolution of other monsters. In other words, the one we subdued earlier must be a different entity from the Yamata no Orochi who was defeated by the hero Susanoo no Mikoto.

Additionally, mythical monsters of the same species cannot exist at the same time. Of course, there are also mythical monsters that seem to have lived since ancient times up to the present day.

“I have to report this to the shogunate… Karen, write a letter to the General and take it with you.”

“Eeh? I’ll be the one writing the letter to the General…?”

“There’s no one else. You see, I’m not in good shape. It’s hard for me to entrust this to someone so naive, but I have no choice.”

“You don’t trust me that much, do you…?”

It seemed he intended to report to the head of this country that the Yamata no Orochi had appeared and been subdued.

Right. This old man once served as a swordsmanship teacher for the shogun, and his letter would probably be read.

“I was the instructor under the previous shogun. However, I also met the current shogun when he was still a child.”

“Actually, why don’t you come with us, Ojiichan? Honestly, I feel like Samurai-oneechan might be overwhelmed by the responsibility.”

If she didn’t handle it well, she might be turned away.

“Who do you think I am?! I can deliver a letter to the Shogun! I’ll just go to Edo Castle, ask where the Shogun is, go there, and hand it over!”

“……Yeah, looks like that’s not going to work after all.”

“Right…”

Karen spoke proudly, puffing out her chest, but both the old man and I sighed at the same time. Naturally, if she tried to hand it over directly, she’d be captured instantly.

“But I’m so weak… Maybe it would be better to leave it in the care of you foreigners…”

“Well, it’s okay, Ojiichan. I think you’re saying that because traveling on foot is difficult, but it’ll be fine—we have a very convenient vehicle.”

Just like when we came to this village, we’d take an airship.

“Then let’s head there right away. And just in case, we should bring that corpse.”

“Eh?”

I threw the monster’s corpse into my subspace.

“I-iit disappeeeeeared!?”

★★★

Once aboard the magic airship, the samurai-ojiichan started frolicking like a child.

“What a surprise! They’ve even made karakuri that can fly! That didn’t exist when I was in the city!”

“This isn’t a karakuri. It’s powered by magic, so it’s more like a magical tool.”

“Ooh~. I can see the village and the rice fields from up here!”

He is not listening at all.

Well, ordinary people don’t know the difference between magic tools and karakuri.

Eventually, the airship arrived at Edou’s central city, “Edo.” Further in the center was the General’s residence—Edo Castle.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Anje, who had moved to the left of the eight-headed dragon, was also facing off against two of its heads. She stood her ground, confronting the heads that sprang toward her without taking any evasive action.

“Haa!”

Anje swung her leg with all her might, kicking the dragon under its chin. At the same time, a pile of soil erupted from the ground with tremendous force, striking almost the same spot. The dragon’s head jerked violently as it received the simultaneous kick and magic attack.

“All three of you easily damaged the dragon I struggled so much with… Just three people—well, with a wolf monster in the mix…”

“Uh-, um.”

“Master!?”

The old man woke up.

“…..Karen? I’m alive? What happened to the dragon…? Eh!? It multiplieeed!?”

He was so shocked to see that the number of heads was clearly greater than before he lost consciousness.

“Uhm, Master, what you fought was just one of the eight heads of a huge dragon.”

“Whaaat!? C-could it really be the Yamata no Orochi?!”

“Yamata no Orochi…?”

“It’s a mythical eight-headed dragon! A monster said to have been defeated by the ancient hero Susanoo-no-Mikoto long before the founding of the country of Edo! I’ve heard that the country of Yamato, which supposedly existed back then, was destroyed by this single monster… I can’t let this continue! I must tell the shogunate right away— O-ouch, it hurts!”

The old man hurriedly tried to get up but collapsed again due to severe pain.

“C-calm down, Master. As you can see, they’re already fighting it.”

“Huh? …..W-what’s going on with those guys!?”

While Karen and the old man were arguing, the battle with the eight-headed dragon continued. As I soared through the sky, I looked down at the scene below.

“Alright then. I’ll take you out one by one. Fiery Meteor!”

A huge rock, burning like a meteorite, appeared and crashed into one of the dragon’s necks at breakneck speed.

BOOOOOOOON!

There was a thunderous roar as the dragon’s head was crushed under the massive boulder. A large crater formed in the ground, and the red-hot black debris inside was made of trees that had been caught in the blast and instantly charred.

『As expected of my Master. You finished it off in one blow. Okay, I can’t lose either.』

While admiring me, Lill bit into one of the dragon’s necks. The neck, already punctured several times and is already in tatters, finally gave in. Unable to withstand the Fenris’ powerful bite force, it was torn off with the sound of bones shattering.

“Next up is you! Blast-Thrusting Flash Spear!”

BAAAAAAN!

A lightning strike pierced through the dragon’s entire neck. The light vanished from its eyes, and it collapsed, smoke billowing from the gaps in its scales.

“Mm, Master and Lill are amazing. I can’t lose!”

A fierce wind enveloped Fana’s body. She turned into a gust of wind and slashed with all her might at the neck of the dragon she is facing.

Slaaash!

Fresh blood spurted from the dragon’s neck as its scales were completely sliced apart. Fana kept going, flashing and chasing it. As gusts of wind battered the dragon from all sides, blood continued to gush from its wounds.

Finally, it lost strength and crashed into the ground.

“Infinite Freezing!”

Piki Piki Piki!!

My magic completely froze another neck solid.

“Linlin, Warhammer Mode.”

『Understood.』

“Alright, se-no!”

I slammed Lindwurm—now in warhammer form—into the frozen neck. The ice cracked instantly, the break widening until the entire neck shattered into pieces.

“I can’t lose either! Haaaaaaaaa!”

Full of fighting spirit, Anje charged at another neck. Her fists—each one powerful enough to split the earth—pounded the dragon’s neck over and over.

ZUDODOOOON!

Scales and bones shattered under her relentless assault, and the dragon’s head dropped to the ground.

It still tried to move, but Anje approached and delivered the final blow.

Including the one Karen had killed, we had now destroyed seven heads.

Only one remained.

“Hoh~ Running away, huh?”

The giant body desperately tried to move away from us. Apparently, it realized it couldn’t win and decided to flee.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Karen finally defeated the dragon. The fallen dragon didn’t move a muscle this time.

“Now, leave the rest to us.”

“Huh? What do you mean? As you can see, I already defeated the dragon…..”

It was then.

Suddenly, the mountain began to shake violently, and along with a rumbling sound, the trees on the slope began to rise up one by one.

“W-what’s happening!?”

“The monster is trying to reveal its true identity.”

“What do you mean!?”

It was as if the mountain itself was about to rise into the sky, but then soil and trees fell, revealing the things that had been sleeping inside the mountain.

“W-w-wh-what the…..!?”

Karen’s legs gave out seeing the unbelievable scene. She fell butt first to the ground.

What appeared was a similar dragon to the one she had defeated earlier.

—However, there was more than one.

“……Five, six…… s-seven bodies!? I desperately defeated one and now there are seven of them!?”

“If you include that one from before, that makes eight. But to be more precise, I’d say it is just one.”

The monster revealed its full form as it rains mud and sand around. Buried in the mountain was a huge body over 100 meters long. It has a lizard body with front and hind legs, as well as a tail. Eight long necks extend from it. In short, the eight dragons were connected to one base body.

『That’s quite a big one. From the looks of it, it appears to be only just been born, but it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s already at the level of an elder dragon.』

Lindwurm spoke with admiration.

“S-so, the one I was fighting so desperately just now was just one of its eight heads…?”

“That’s right. Didn’t you think it was strange that it didn’t show its tail at all even though it was a dragon?”

“Now that mentioned that….…”

At the same time, I noticed that there was a huge magical power lying deep in the mountains.

“Samurai-oneechan can take a rest, we’ll take care of the rest.”

“Hmm, leave it to me.”

“Take this old man to a safe place.”

Thanks to Anje, the old man’s complexion had brightened, and his breathing had stabilized. He hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but he will wake up soon.

“Are you prepared to fight that!?”

“If left alone, not only will this village be in danger, but the whole country will be in danger from this monster.”

One of its necks had been broken and it is now extremely enraged. Its intimidating presence is comparable to that of a mythical monster.

“But, if it’s a mythical monster, there’s one here too.”

“Master, let me join you.”

We leave the old man’s affairs to Karen, and we start moving all at once.

Lill rushed in from the front, Fana to the right, Anje to the left, and I flew into the sky above the monster’s head.

“Oaaaaaaaah!!”

Three heads leap at Lill, but Lill easily deflects them with an agile movement and charges hard at the base of the neck.

“““Ooooaaaaaaa!!!”””

There was a terrific crash, but the mountainous body only shook slightly.

“Hmm, looks like I can’t do much damage in human form. Master, I’ll return to my original form for a while.”

“Okay~”

Lill’s body expands in an instant. Soon, a huge wolf with silver fur appears.

“M-monster!?”

Karen was shocked.

Well, Lill’s true identity is a Fenrir, a mythical monster.

However, the eight-headed dragon is much larger than a Fenrir. Still, Fenrir’s sharp claws easily pierced the dragon’s scales.

“““~~~~~~!?”””

The body and the eight necks seem to share a sense of pain, and they are all writhing in discomfort. In a hurry, the three heads jumped at Lill to eliminate her. However, Lill avoids them with a quick leap.

Then she bites one of its necks.

『No matter how big you are, it will be useless if you’re slow.』

On the other hand, Fana, who was circling to the right of the dragon, had two heads attacking her. However, she is not so easy to catch as she moves faster than Lill with the support of the wind.

“Fu!”

Fana’s slash cut into the dragon’s neck. The flesh along with the scales was sliced cleanly away, and blood spurted out.

“Mm, I can cut it.”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“.….I can defeat it? But… just now, Master’s blow with all his might didn’t work you see……”

Karen was confused by my words.

“You came back because you thought you surpassed your teacher, didn’t you?”

“Well, that’s what I thought…… But that monster was completely more than I expected……”

“You don’t have to think about anything superfluous. Look, it’s coming.”

“Oaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

“Kuu! Then, I’ll take your words and believe you!”

Karen hurriedly raised her sword. Then, alone, she confronts the raging dragon.

“Can she really defeat it?”

“Of course, it’ll be difficult in her current state.”

I answered Fana’s question clearly.

“Then what do you mean before?”

“It means that she needs to increase the multiplier of her body strengthening even more.”

The dragon moved its huge body and tried to swallow Karen whole. Karen narrowly dodged it, and she slashed back at the dragon’s cheek. However, there was only a slight scratch on its hard scales.

I guess the blade did not even reach the flesh.

“It’s futile after all…. It was only with that single blow where Master even risked his life that he was finally able to break through these scales!?”

Karen let out a shriek-like cry when she felt no damage when she made her slash.

“Shouldn’t we join in?”

“Calm down, Anje-oneechan, don’t panic, don’t panic.”

During our conversation, Karen managed to dodge the dragon’s next attack and fights back, but her sword slash still doesn’t penetrate its tough scales. But while she was slow to dodge in front of the dragon’s massive body at first, she now gradually became more relaxed.

“She has gotten faster?”

“Yes, but that’s not all. Look at the dragon scales she just slashed.”

“The wound is deeper than it was at the beginning!”

“That means her attacking power is increasing too. In other words, her physical strengthening is increasing.”

I explained to my disciples who look at me wondering what the hell is going on.

“Normally, if you want to increase the effect of body strengthening magic, you have to train consciously.”

Fana and Anje also learned it through training after the treatment of the magic circuit.

In order to be able to swing a sword or activate other magic while using body strengthening magic, one must be at a level where he or she can maintain body strengthening magic without thinking. However, this is surprisingly difficult to do.

“But in the case of Samurai-oneechan, it’s something that she did unconsciously, so she doesn’t have to do anything special. If she continues to do that, it will naturally strengthen her body to the limit.”

In other words, as Karen fights the dragon, the performance of her body strengthening magic is gradually increasing and so does her strength.

“Yagyu Shinnen-ryu, Annihilation!”

Karen leaped over the dragon’s head and slashed at its scales again and again as she spun at high speed.

“Oaaaaaaaaa!”

““It worked!?””

Finally, her attack seemed to work, and the dragon let out a painful roar. The scales were destroyed from the top of its head to its back, and blood was streaming down its massive body.

“I-I can do it! For some reason, my body is feeling lighter and lighter, and my attacks are getting stronger!”

She seems to have felt the response and is screaming excitedly.

From there, a terrifying one-on-one battle between the dragon and the samurai unfolded. Even though Karen’s attacks are now working, the dragon’s huge body naturally has extraordinary durability.

On the other hand, Karen was able to avoid the dragon’s attack with ease. However, if she was bitten by that fang, she wouldn’t be able to do anything.

Still, she didn’t lose her concentration and continued to inflict damage on the dragon.

And—

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”

With a desperate roar, the dragon finally ran out of strength and fell to the ground.

“I-, I did it……!! Master…… I avenged my Master!”

Karen rejoices.

“Yes, well done, Samurai-oneechan. Now, leave the rest to us.”

“……Huh?”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The old man, Karen’s Master, spoke in an uncompromising tone.

“Hurry up and leave this village! Of course, that includes you guys! Don’t get any strange ideas!”

“T-then, Master, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t have much time left anyway. I’m going to take a gamble and let it taste my secret sword technique.”

“With that body!? Master, you are in no condition to do that!”

Even though he lost an arm and a leg because of the monster, he is still in this village.

At that moment, “Oaaaaaaaah!!”, a tremendous roar echoed from the direction of the mountain.

“Master, take a look near the top of the mountain.”

“…..Is that the dragon?”

When I looked towards the mountain, I saw a dragon coming down the slope towards this village, with its long body slithering down.

“Tsk! Why did it start moving at this timing?! You guys, get out of here!”

The old man shouted. But Karen shook her head from side to side.

“That won’t do! I can’t leave Master behind and run away. That’s unbecoming of a samurai!”

“This idiot disciple……! Hey, take this kid with you guys, even if you take her by force!”

Meanwhile, the dragon approached us at breakneck speed, mowing down trees as it went.

20 or 30 meters long huh.

“Kaaaaaaaahh!”

A fierce “Qi” swelled up from the old man’s whole body. This is also known as fighting spirit, and it converged into the blade of the sword he drew from his waist.

On the other hand, the old man’s cheeks are getting more and more sunken, and blood vessels appeared on his face and arms.

“I’ll hit him with all my might! Use that opportunity to get away!”

Apparently, the old man’s so called secret technique involves channeling all of his life energy, his fighting spirit, into his sword.

“W-wait! Are you trying to die!?”

Anje, sensing the old man’s resolve, shouted at him.

But the old man ignored her. Immediately afterwards, the old man kicked the ground with one foot. He charged straight at the approaching dragon with speed that was hard to believe coming from just one leg.

“Yagyu Shinnen-ryu, Mysteries and Despair!”

The next moment, the old man’s sword was slammed into the dragon’s head.

“~~~~~~~~~!?”

The dragon’s tough scales had been cut apart and blood spurted like a geyser from its forehead, raining down on the ground.

On the other hand, the old man’s sword seemed to have been unable to withstand the impact and was shattered into pieces.

“M-Master!?”

The old man’s body bounced in the air and is now falling to the ground. He seemed to have lost consciousness. His body has no strength left.

“Oop.”

I stretched out my magic and caught the old man’s body. I brought him back to us.

“Master, are you okay!?”

“Yes, he’s barely alive. Anje-oneechan.”

“Leave it to me!”

The old man’s symptom is a complete depletion of qi. Anje had previously shared her qi with Goritia when he had fallen into a similar situation, so it should be fine to leave it to her.

“As expected of Master. I can’t believe that he defeated that monster with a single blow!”

The dragon writhed in pain before crashing to the ground and is currently lying still.

“No, it’s too early to judge that Samurai-oneechan.”

After I said so, the dragon raised itself again.

“As expected, it is still alive.”

“Even Master’s secret technique wasn’t enough to defeat it!?”

The dragon’s forehead was cracked open, revealing its skull inside, but it still roared with rage burning in its eyes.

“Oaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

It seems to have taken some damage, but it still got a lot of energy. The old man’s almost suicidal attack didn’t seem to have much effect.

Well, it would be hard to tell if his arms and legs had still been intact though.

“How on earth are we going to defeat such a monster……?”

Karen, who had enthusiastically declared her intention to defeat the dragon so triumphantly, is now completely wilted.

In the end, it seems that it turned out to be as the old man said.

“Samurai-oneechan, don’t worry.”

“Eh?”

“I’m sure you can beat it the way you are now. And if you can’t, we’ll support you, so I think you should give it a try.”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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