The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 76

Chapter 76   Hellfire

“Whoa!”

Sein jumped back to escape the crumbling body of the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.”

He barely avoided being caught in the collapse.

(That was close… But I definitely felt that attack land.)

The adventurers around him started to murmur.

“The body of the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ is falling apart!”

“Did we get it?”

The spot where the dragon had stood was now obscured by a cloud of dust. The adventurers watched anxiously, waiting for the dust to clear.

As the wind blew the dust away, the sight that emerged was the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” with its rocky armor completely gone. Its scales and bare skin made it look like a typical dragon, although its size remained far larger than any ordinary “Fire Dragon.”

The “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir,” now free of its rocky burden, shook itself like a dog, scattering dust and debris. Its scales shone brilliantly, like a snake that had just shed its skin.

It looked around with its reptilian eyes, moving its neck and scanning the area with a sharpness that was absent before.

The sluggishness it had shown earlier was completely gone.

“Shooting squad, fall back!”

Arl quickly ordered the shooters to retreat.

(The ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ has regained its vigor. It seems it was only half-awake before.)

“Heh, now it’s finally showing its true colors. This is getting exciting…”

The “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” fixed its gaze on Sein and suddenly let out a mighty roar.

(What the…!?)

Sein covered his ears against the ear-splitting sound of the dragon’s roar.

When the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” ceased its roar, something began to wriggle out of the volcanic crater.

“What is that!?”

Emerging from the crater were “Fire Dragons.” Soon, they poured out one after another from the wide-open crater, clustering like bats from a cave and casting ominous black shadows around the crater.

The members of the Great Alliance were speechless.

(So many of them… If they all come at once…)

“Calm down. Even though they are ‘Fire Dragons,’ I doubt such a large group can attack us all at once. We can take them down one by one with our fire spears.”

Arl’s words helped calm the troops.

(No matter how many ‘Fire Dragons’ there are, it’s not the real problem. The real issue is…)

Arl’s gaze shifted to Sein and the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir,” who were still facing off.

(The real problem is the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.’ If we get attacked by both the ‘Fire Dragons’ and the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir,’ we won’t stand a chance. We need to time our retreat perfectly, or it could be disastrous. Don’t overdo it, Sein.)

“Heh. So you decided to call for backup because you can’t win on your own?”

Sein slowly closed the distance between him and the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.”

“But mere ‘Fire Dragons’ are no match for me…”

Suddenly, the “GiantFire Dragon Grand Fafnir” turned and dashed towards the rear guard.

The adventurers were startled by its sudden agility.

“Tch.”

Sein aimed the “Dragonhead Gauntlet,” but it was too late.

The “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” unleashed its fiery breath.

“Full defense and recovery! Hurry!”

Arl shouted.

The “Fireball Shields” absorbed the fiery breath, but the pressure of the breath was overwhelming. It struck the adventurers who had formed a defensive line, causing significant damage and scattering their formation.

“Agh!”

“Guaaah!”

As the troops crumbled, the swarm of “Fire Dragons” near the crater took flight.

Black shadows covered the sky as they dove toward the scattered adventurers.

The “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” inhaled deeply again, preparing to unleash its fiery breath upon the Great Alliance.

“Take this!”

Sein fired the “Dragonhead Gauntlet,” but the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” lowered its head, curving its massive body to dodge the attack.

(Damn, for such a big creature, it’s surprisingly agile.)

“In that case, I’ll just get in close like before…”

Sein circled around, aiming to get to the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’s” side.

The “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” couldn’t keep up with Sein’s agility and lost sight of him.

“Alright. I still have the advantage in maneuverability.”

Sein slipped under the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.”

“Take this!”

Just as it seemed Sein’s attack from a perfect blind spot would hit, the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” crouched down and leaped into the air.

“What the…?”

The “Dragonhead Gauntlet” missed, cutting through the sky and veering off target.

As Sein stood stunned, the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” descended rapidly, landing with its full weight.

The ground shook violently.

(What? The ground is shaking… I can’t move my feet.)

The “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” twisted its long neck, preparing to unleash its “Tsunami-like Fire Breath Hellfire” upon Sein.

“Damn it…”

Sein tried to counter with the “Dragonhead Gauntle,” but his arm wouldn’t move.

(No way, it’s malfunctioning!?)

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Hellish flames engulfed everything around him.

“Sein has been taken down!”

“Ahh, it’s over!”

“Run! The ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ will eat us!”

The members of the allied guilds panicked, scattering in all directions.

“Calm down! The fight isn’t over yet!”

The “Guardians of the Magic Institute” struggled to restore order.

They restrained and calmed the adventurers who had fallen into confusion.

They desperately tried to reorganize the crumbling troops and maintain control.

“Pull back the defensive line. Just find a place where you can calm down. Retreat to a location out of the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’s’ fire range. Those with Fire Spears, intercept the ‘Fire Dragons’!”

(After all, this is just a ragtag group with poor coordination. Until now, we’ve managed to hold things together with the captain’s combat prowess, but the battle against the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ has exposed us as a disorganized mob. These guys are no longer useful. What about the captain and the vice-captain?)

One of the “Guardians of the Magic Institute” looked over towards the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.”

The area where Sein had been was still engulfed in flames.

Arl saw Sein being swallowed by the flames and ran towards him.

As a result, he was now the one taking command.

(If the captain is defeated, not only will the allied guilds fall apart, but even our guild, the ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute,’ could collapse. Please be safe, Captain!)

As the fiery breath ceased and the flames began to die down, Sein’s location became visible to those on the periphery.

The adventurers strained their eyes to see if Sein was alright.

There stood a figure, seemingly Sein, clad in scorched armor.

(Is he alive?)

Everyone there thought the same thing.

Then, the armored figure twitched.

“Captain!”

“You’re safe…”

(Ugh, am I alive?)

Sein, his vision blurred, looked around at the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.”

He noticed a magic circle at his feet.

(This is… “defensive enhancement” and “healing magic.” A dual spell for support and recovery. To accurately cast this from outside the firestorm, targeting the recipient precisely… Only one person can pull off such a feat…)

Sein turned to see Arl standing there, staff in hand.

“Damn it, this healing magic… It was you, after all.”

“Sein, it’s over. We need to retreat. There’s no point clinging to the S-Class title anymore. If you insist on fighting, we’ll have no choice but to leave you behind. Can you really face the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ and a swarm of ‘Fire Dragons’ alone with the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet’ broken?”

“Damn it.”

The allied guild was already under intermittent attack from the ‘Fire Dragons.’

The sounds of battle cries and screams filled the air.

Staying here any longer would be impossible.

Sein felt a sudden gust from above.

He quickly moved aside just as the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” landed with a powerful stomp, intending to crush him.

Sein barely avoided the attack.

“Damn it.”

“Sein!”

“I know! We’re retreating. Everyone, get out of here, now!”

As Sein turned his back on the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir” and fled, the allied adventurers gathered and began to rush down the mountain together.

Behind them, they could hear the triumphant roar of the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir,” accompanied by fiery breaths launched into the sky like celebratory shots.

“Damn it all.”

Sein glanced back in frustration as he retreated down the path they had come.

“Sein, how’s your equipment?”

“…It’s no good. The ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet’ is useless.”

Sein flexed the gauntlet, checking its range of motion.

His gauntlet could no longer bend the joints of his fingers properly.

“Sorry, but I’ll leave fighting the monsters on the way back to you.”

“Let’s hope it’s just monsters we have to deal with.”

“Look! The ‘Guardians of the Magic Institute’ are retreating with their tails between their legs,” Jamil said gleefully, peering through his telescope.

Through the telescope, he saw the members of the Great Alliance rushing down the mountain.

“So they couldn’t take down the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’ after all.”

“Every one of them looks like their equipment is in tatters. And yet, they seem to be carrying heavy loads. Must be a lot of rare metals.”

“It’s like ducks bringing jewels right to us.”

“Let’s go. It’s hunting time. We’ll make them regret messing around in our territory.”

The members of the Thieves’ Guild ‘White Wolf’ quietly began to move through the forest, weapons in hand.