“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 46-47

Chapter 46: Rebirth of the Black Dragon

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“……Duel.”

The green shadow pointed her blades at the black dragon. Even as the girl charged with such speed that sound itself was left behind, the black dragon didn’t move a muscle.

With a hint of irritation that her approach had been allowed so easily, Satsuki tensed her legs and jumped high into the air. Beneath the open sky, with nothing to obstruct her, her twin blades caught the moonlight and crossed paths like shooting stars.

Clanggggg…!

The swords, graceful yet powerful, struck and shattered the dragon’s scales. However, the dense flesh beneath allowed no further penetration. Her attack repelled, Satsuki was thrown into the air in a vulnerable position. She became prey to the black wings and was slammed straight into the ground.

Just as I expected, it’s tough. Its strength is several times greater than the one before…

Accepting the shock of impact to absorb the force, Satsuki twisted her body mid-air and managed to land safely. As she did, Drawlan, who had been observing the clash nearby, rushed over to her aid.

“Let’s fall back for now. It’s too much for just the two of us to handle. Besides… I suspect its target isn’t us.”

As Satsuki listened to Drawlan’s reasoning, the black dragon lowered its stance, as if to support that very theory. It turned its gaze toward the fallen giant serpent on the ground—once a ruler of this forest—and pressed its hand to the corpse.

With a crunching sound, the serpent’s belly caved in. No fangs, no tongue—just a palm pressed gently against it. An inexplicably un-monsterlike act. The two of them stood on edge—until the next moment.

“GrrruuuuWAAAAAH!”

A roar echoed like it could shake the entire world, and the magical energy that had formed the giant serpent was mercilessly extracted by the black dragon’s hand. The lifeless Steelscale Serpent, Gardonea, shriveled up like an emptied wineskin, withered, and crumbled into dust.

“What was that just now…? Did it absorb its power…?”

Even while stunned by the complete disintegration of the serpent—as if it had never existed—Drawlan tried to remain calm and think. Satsuki, keeping her blades raised, maintained her composure but directed them warily at the black dragon.

“Phew… That should be enough.”

“…A voice?”

Was she hearing things? A woman’s voice, unfamiliar and belonging to no one present, echoed faintly. Satsuki questioned her own ears.

“Haaah, I’m exhausted… Making a new body is no easy task. Did I drain about fifty of them? Well, that should be enough to fulfill the ‘conditions.’”

“Who’s there!?”

Now certain she wasn’t imagining it, Drawlan scanned the area, trying to trace the origin of the words clearly not meant to be heard by anyone. Naturally, no answer came. But in its place, cracks suddenly ran across the black dragon’s body. From the breaks, dazzling light and magic burst forth, and a wave of destruction spread rapidly over its entire form.

Crack! Crack-crack!

Thus, the black dragon brought an end to its own existence as a dragon. Abandoning the empty shell that remained, it crawled out into the open in a newly formed body.

Hair of bluish-purple shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Sleek black wings unfurled gracefully from her back. Crimson surrounded her golden eyes in a fiery glow. Standing calmly on two legs, her appearance still retained traces of the dragon—but was unmistakably that of a “human.”

“Alright! That went well! Now I can finally go see you, Athos!”

It was the moment the black dragon was reborn—not as a beast, but as a human.

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Chapter 47: The Black Dragon’s Ascension

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The girl who bore the claws, wings, and fangs of a dragon moved her unfamiliar new body awkwardly, trying to get used to its sensations.

“Ah—ah—ah…Yeah, no problem with the voice. Body size is just as I expected. Nothing to complain about here! Yep!”

Looking quite satisfied with her supple, elegant flesh, the girl fussed over herself while the two adventurers, on the other hand, were simply stunned by the sight before them.

“…A girl came out of the dragon?”

“Was she eaten? No, judging by that form, she’s the dragon’s true body…? Is this some kind of molting transformation…?”

“What? You guys keep staring at me… I’m not some kind of show, you know?”

As the girl grew irritated by their rude stares, Hime—who had heard the commotion—joined them.

“Heeey! Are you two okay~? I finished healing Oi-san, so I’m here to check up on you~”

“Well, actually…”

At a loss for words, Drawlan turned his gaze toward the girl in question. Unaware of the situation, Hime followed his eyes as prompted—and upon seeing the cracked dragon husk lying silent on the ground and the barely-clothed girl standing atop it—

“—Wha… A PERVERT!!”

“Wh—What!?”

Having shed the armor that was her draconic form, the girl now stood completely nude—the same state in which all humans were born. While the most important parts were barely covered by her trailing hair and leftover fragments of her dragon’s scale, to an outsider, it looked like some suspicious person standing buck naked in the middle of the forest.

“…Hime. I was deliberately avoiding commenting on that—why did you have to say it out loud…”

“But! She’s standing out here totally naked with a power pose too! She’s definitely a pervert—wait a second, Glasses-kun, you’ve been staring way too much at her, haven’t you? …Wait, don’t tell me you’re turned on~? Oh no, we’ve got two perverts now~♡”

“I am not. Please stop trying to spread such ridiculous misunderstandings.”

Drawlan stated this flatly, while Hime grinned mischievously and kept teasing him. Satsuki, meanwhile, stood back quietly, watching the scene with a hint of reservation. Seeing the three of them, the girl realized what she was missing.

“…I see. Humans need clothes, huh? That was close… I almost took off like this…”

Obeying this newly budding human instinct, the girl covered her body with her hands and reached out toward her own discarded shell. In response, the once-impenetrable body of the dragon crumbled easily. The residual magic flowed into the girl’s body and reformed, creating a new, sturdy armor around her.

“Alright, now I should be good to go. …Well, I guess I should thank you, at least a little. Thanks.”

“Y-You’re welcome…?”

Drawlan gave a vague reply, unsure of what exactly he was being thanked for. Meanwhile, the girl quickly turned her focus elsewhere, spread her jet-black wings, and soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, she rose beyond reach. The three of them could do nothing but watch as the dragon girl disappeared above.

“I’m coming, Athos. And you—just you wait, that woman… For using me like that—I’ll make sure you regret it!”

“Athos…?”

Upon hearing the name of the Demon Lord left in the girl’s parting words, Drawlan immediately turned his gaze skyward to confirm the direction she had flown. Just then, a grumpy Wurfe arrived, clearly lagging behind the others.

“Damn it, my body’s still heavy… Hey, you guys! Did you finish off the Steelscale Serpent Gardonea or what!? I don’t see it anywhere… Don’t tell me you let it get away!?”

“…We defeated it. However…”

“…It was absorbed by a black dragon, likely a subordinate of the Demon Lord. It flew off to the northwest just moments ago. If we’re going to track it, now’s the time.”

“What!? Then let’s go after it! We can’t miss this chance… I’m going to find that bastard and take the Demon Lord down for good!”

And so, Wurfe and his party set off in pursuit of the (former) dragon girl—drawing ever closer to their fated encounter with the Demon Lord.

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