The Encounter Between the Forsaken Healing Magic’s Beloved Child and the Betrayed Black Dragon Princess of Calamity - 12

Chapter 12: The True Power of the Black Dragon Princess

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

“That’s why… Gilbert-kun, please stay where you are. Don’t move. Just watch. Watch my true strength… The strongest family of the dragonkin… The Fafnir family.”

After uttering those words, Mercedes-san shifted to her true form, the massive black dragon.

“-?! Oi!”

“AAAAH!!”

The two men also transformed, shifting into gray dragons. However, their sizes were much smaller compared to Mercedes-san. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were only half her size. 

“Now then… I will show you the overwhelming difference in power between us. Though… I suppose you won’t be able to feel it since you’d be reduced to a corpse before you could truly understand the extent of my power.”

Mercedes-san taunted, her voice was deep. I was reminded of the growl she had made when we first met. She spread her jet-black wings wide and soared into the sky.

“-?! Don’t underestimate us!”

Provoked by Mercedes-san’s taunt, the two gray dragons soared to the sky. Thanks to Mercedes-san… Or maybe thanks to all three of them? The surrounding trees were knocked down, allowing me to get a clear view of the three dragons facing off in the sky. 

“What now? You’re not going to come at me? Where’s the confidence from earlier disappeared off to?”

“You bastard!!”

One of the gray dragons with the worst manners and attitude bared its massive fangs and lunged at Mercedes-san. 

“Disgusting.”

“-?! GAAAHHH?!”

With her arms crossed, Mercedes-san swung her thick tail and hit the gray dragon. What happened next? Well, the gray dragon screamed in agony as he was sent flying to the distance from the impact. 

“Humph. They’re nothing but common soldiers. They’re not worth my time.”

With a gesture that reminded me of a girl brushing her long hair aside, Mercedes-san snorted in disdain. With just that simple tail brush, I could clearly see the differences in power. Mercedes-san was clearly on a whole other level compared to them.

“So? What are you going to do now? I’m sure you know the outcome is obvious enough.”

“Grrrr….”

Mercedes-san looked down on the remaining gray dragon, acting arrogantly and condescendingly. The gray dragon let out a low growl, seemingly frustrated, but then…

“Understood. I will retreat from here-Argh?!”

“Are you an idiot? You took advantage of my weakened state. I couldn’t unleash my true power because of the poison. You injured me and most importantly… You broke the fingers on Gilbert-kun’s right hand and crushed his left hand.”

“Hii-?!”

I wasn’t sure how Mercedes-san did it, but she somehow moved instantly behind the gray dragon and grabbed his neck. Her voice was laced with fury and hatred. Meanwhile, the gray dragon’s expression turned to one of despair.

“What’s wrong? Do you finally realize the mistake you’ve made? Or perhaps, despite being a dragon, you’re going to beg for your life like a pathetic fool?”

With her head slightly tilted to the side, the corner of Mercedes-san’s mouth curled into a smirk. Since she was in her dragon form now, her expression looked somewhat comical. Her fangs were big and menacing. Her crimson eyes looked more like bloodstained red than jewels. Her dragon form looked different from Mercedes-san’s human form… Wait, what?!

“…D-Don’t move.”

The lurched grey dragon said from behind me. Judging from the sound of his voice, it seemed he had returned to his human form. 

“Listen carefully. If you so much as twitch, I will kill you in an instant. If you still want to live, tell that woman… Tell Mercedes to-“

But before the man could finish his sentence, a flash of light ran through him. Almost simultaneously, a strong crashing sound could be heard from behind. 

“Huh…?”

I cautiously looked behind me and… The area where tall trees supposed to stand had been reduced into barren land. 

“Good grief… There’s no way I’m going to let them take Gilert-kun as a hostage. I’m not that foolish.”

Mercedes-san said, looking more exasperated and insulted than angry. It seemed she had anticipated that they would do this and had set up a trap in advance. 

So when she said don’t move a step… This is what she meant…

Recalling her words just before transforming into a dragon, I nodded in understanding while feeling relieved that I hadn’t done anything unnecessary. But still… Mercedes-san was really amazing. 

“Thanks to your comrades sullying the honor of the dragonkin with his cowardice act, I no longer have to hold back. Let’s see… How about I make you experience the same pain as Gilbert-kun?”

Mercedes-san said, seemingly amused as she took the right hand of the gray dragon. 

“Fufufu… Gilbert-kun endured all that pain for me and protected me until the very end… I wonder how you will fare?”

Crack. 

“-?! GYAHHHHHHH?!??!”

Mercedes-san twisted the gray dragon’s finger effortlessly and the dragon’s face contorted in agony as he screamed. 

“Oh dear. Come on, you’re being overly dramatic jus from having your pinky finger broken. What a disgrace to the dragonkin.”

“Ugh… Ugh…”

The gray dragon’s breathing turned ragged. He was even shedding tears of pain. Mercedes-san watched the dragon with a cold, unfeeling gaze. 

“Well then. Next…”

Crack. 

“ARGHHHHHH?!?!”

“Next…”

Snap!

“UGHH-?! A-ARGHHHH?!?!”

“Okay, let’s try breaking two at once this time.”

Crack! Snap!

“Hiiiiiii-??! AHHHHHHH?!?!”

Mercedes-san started with the pinky finger, then the ring finger, the middle finger and finally she broke index finger and thumb at the same time. Unable to endure the pain, the gray dragon thrashed and struggled, but his effort was all in vain since Mercedes-san had a firm grip on its neck. After screaming for a while, the gray dragon finally went quiet. It seemed the dragon had fainted from the pain. 

“You think you can sleep at a time like this?”

“A-ABBHH-?!”

With a cold expression on her face, Mercedes-san slapped the gray dragon without any inch of hesitation. The dragon let out a strange noise as he was forcefully woken up by Mercedes-san. 

“We… We were wrong! We jumped to the wrong conclusion…! Please… Please forgive our sins!”

The gray dragon cried. His tears flowed like a river as he begged for mercy. The initial bravado had long since disappeared. The dragon was begging for forgiveness from Mercedes-san desperately. 

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー