Between the ground dragon and Shiro, it was hard to tell who was more intimidating . He stood before the car with his holy blade in one hand while the other pushed his hair to the side away from his eyes. The sword let out a light hum from the aura surrounding the blade making Kuro feel uneasy from their last encounter. Luckily, he was not the target at the moment.
"Right," Kuro cleared his throat. "First things first, we need to get the dragon away from the town."
“Obviously,” Shiro answered, tapping his foot impatiently. “How do you plan on doing that?”
“I just need to get underneath it and I’ll do the rest. What I need you to do is clear out the way for me to get there.”
“So you want us to act as bait? That’s not very reassuring. We’re better off hopping back on the walls and driving it away from there.”
“I’ve done it before, you’re just going to have to trust me and give me a clear shot.”
“Trust you? We just met and you’re literally asking me to go on a suicide mission. Instead of fighting just a ground dragon from the walls, you want us to fight its army in front of it too!”
Noelle hopped down from the top of the cart in between where the two heated parties. Sera also stepped forward and raised her hands up to ease the tension brewing in the air. Both Kuro and Shiro turned their gazes away from each other at Sera’s insistence as she gave a warm smile to them.
“I am Captain Noelle of the Illiago Imperial Guard and I can vouch for Kuro’s capabilities. Just days ago, he was instrumental in defeating the previous ground dragon and I believe him to be trustworthy. Hero, I ask for your assistance in this hour of need!” Noelle bowed her head.
“Yes! Let's all work together shall we!” Sera assured while clapping her hands.
There were many reasons for Kuro to be irked at the moment. Shiro’s condescending tone and a side eyed look that he gave him were surprisingly not on the top of the list. More so it was the fact that Sera stood between the two and had not taken his side. Another grim roar from the ground dragon reminded Kuro that there was no time to dwell on such thoughts and it was more important to wake up the Milly whose eyes still only showed their whites. She woke up slowly at Kuro’s light slaps on her face reigniting her fighting spirit with a "nyaa!"
"Mia, we're going to work with the hero to defeat the ground dragon," Kuro filled in.
"Ugh, my head is pounding," Milly winced in pain. "I think all I can do right now is back you up from a distance with our cart. It should last long enough if I use the batteries to drive if they get too close."
“That’s fine, just steer clear away from directly behind us and get as far away as you can when I attack.”
A nod from Kuro let Milly know he was ready to give the driver’s seat to her. While he helped her to the next seat she held onto her head to manage the throbbing. She eyed the hero standing there waiting to begin, but the look of disgust she gave him eased Kuro’s heart. Shiro already had taken enough from him and for Kuro he drew the line at Milly. After all, Noelle’s look of admiration toward Shiro was enough for Kuro to know their paths together would soon be over.
"Think you can keep up Captain? You're looking a little banged up. If you want you can hang back with him," Shiro pointed his thumb towards Kuro.
"And pass up the fight of a lifetime? Never!" Noelle grinned, igniting herself in magical energy.
"Just do your job and I'll do mine…" Kuro scoffed.
"Yes, sir," saluted Shiro insincerely.
Together, the group began their run towards the ground dragon. Each member burst forth in magical light that shimmered like a rainbow while one pale beacon of light led the charge. All of them except a dark shadow that trailed behind. The ground dragon took in the scent of energy in the air before it turned and let out its deafening scream of defiance. Swarms of lizardfolk responded to the beckoning and charged in to clash with the lightshow of the group. Shiro let out a wave of energy from a slash of his sword that cleaved its way through the swarm. It was followed by blades of wind and great shards of ice that pierced and slashed their way through. From behind heavy shadows shot into the sky before dropping in the distance to explode scattering more lizardfolk in the group's path. Violet let out a blast of water that singed any that approached from their flanks as the group plowed forward.
Seeing its kin being torn limb from limb the ground dragon lifted its massive claws away from the walls and faced the pests that dared challenge it. Each heavy clawed step raked the earth on its approach, quaking the ground. With its massive bladed jaw it lunged at the group with fangs glistening in the magical energy’s light. Shiro made a torrent of slashes shooting out white arcs of magic to halt the dragon from getting closer as it deflected the strikes with its plated head. For a split second, Kuro could admire Shiro’s rate of growth and prowess with the blade, but they were close enough. Kuro jammed the staff into the ground behind him and angled it at the dragon as he circled out of line of fire between.
“GET OUT OF THE WAY AND JUMP ON!” screamed Kuro.
The hero twisted his sword to push himself off of it with a burst of light while the rest of the party covered Kuro’s flanks. In a single thought the staff widened and shot a heavy uppercut onto the ground dragon’s chest launching it into the air. The staff tore the earth under it as it grew wider carrying the dragon further over the southern woods. Roars filled the air as both the staff and the dragon came tumbling down devastating the land under their weight. Kuro and the rest ducked down to hold onto whatever footing they could to keep from falling as the staff dropped beneath them. Stone blocks collapsed with the earth under them cratering leaving much of the town’s walls fallen along the path of destruction. Yet, distant weakened outcries in the wood marked the night not over just yet. With the dust settling the group stood atop the staff once more.
“Nice going, Monkey King. You came through,” Shiro spoke up with the holy blade on his shoulder.
“Monkey!? Whatever that is, it sounds offensive!” Kuro yelled in a huff.
“Hey! It was a compliment! Just forget it... I’ve got work to do and I don’t have time to explain it to you.”
“Let’s just leave it at that. Good work Kuro, I always knew you had the makings of a great adventurer,” Sera praised with her hand on his shoulder.
A big slap on his back shocked him with Violet passing him with a wink, “I think you would have been better as my partner in crime.”
Kuro couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at their words, yet the light in his eyes were somewhat fading. With the ground dragon away, he could feel his stomach rumble and weakness in his knees, “I guess I’ll have to leave it up to you all. I don’t think I can go much further than this”
All of them made their way to where the staff and ground connected for Kuro to shrink it back to its usual length. He leaned against his weapon like a cane and noticed the gaping trench it left leading southwards.
“I don’t have to pay for that do I?” Kuro joked to Noelle.
“Uh, let’s just say the ground dragon did it,” Noelle tried to laugh it off.
Two beams of light approached the group with Milly at the wheel. Her mouth was wide from seeing the landscape before her calling for Kuro to hop into the cart.
“I guess this is it,” Kuro said as he waved goodbye.
“Wait!” Sera yelled. “If you want, we can all journey together. With all of us working as a team the demon lord won’t stand a chance.”
Her words echoed in Kuro’s soul as the memories of that fateful day flashed in his mind. Kuro gritted his teeth, but was surprised to find whatever resentfulness he carried nowhere in his heart. All he saw in front of him was the girl yelling for him in the cart with puffed cheeks tapping on the wheel impatiently.
Kuro turned and smiled to the woman who was once his mentor and quite possibly his world, “Thanks Sera, had it been that same day he drew the sword I might have taken you up on that offer, but I’ve got a new path before me. Maybe someday we can meet up again and catch up, but for now this is where we have to go our separate ways.”
“Kuro I- I’m sorry I left you that day. I swear I went looking for you as soon as I could,” Sera sobbed with tears welling up beneath her eyes.
Kuro rubbed his chin as he recalled back to that day, “I believe you, but things have a funny way of working out. I promise you I’m not mad or anything. I do have to get going though.”
“O-okay,” she responded with her face flushed. “I suppose I should go help Shiro finish off the dragon then.”
“Yeah, just don’t go falling in love with that jerk, I still don’t approve of him”
Sera stomped the ground and stuck her tongue out at Kuro before the two turned away from each other with their friendship restored. Kuro hopped into the cart with Milly who sighed while she turned the cart northward.
“Why are you always talking to pretty girls? It’s like you’re in your popular phase or something,” growled Milly.
“I might be, I’m talking to you too after all,” Kuro teased.
Milly’s face grew warm and she turned to punch Kuro in the shoulder. His eyes were already shut with a goofy smile left on his face
“I’ll let him get away with it this time,” Milly smiled to herself.
She patted his head as he began snoring with one hand while she drove them onto the road northwards. From her bag, Chomper peeked out and let his tongue flap in the wind. With the sky turning blue to her right, Milly pulled the lever behind the wheel racing the cart down the dirt road.
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