Bab 36: Chapter 35: Dragon Maid
"Mc pov"
As I unleashed <Archmage>, a tremendous amount of mana poured out of my body to the point it started to affect the surrounding atmosphere.
Rihito pulled out Muramasa, took a high sword stance, and started pouring mana into it. After absorbing a certain amount of mana, Muramasa began to emit a cracking noise.
"Crack"
"Creek"
Noticing this, Rihito used <Mana Sense> to check, seeing the cracks on his blade, Rihito couldn't help but sigh and think. [Guess I have to fix you again.] Rihito then used his <Slashing Aura> to reinforce the blade and kept pouring more mana until it was slightly higher compared to the dragon's attack.
Just as Rihito's preparations ended, the dragon's concentrated fire breath blew away the surrounding dust cloud completely and came at Rihito.
Rihito sensed the incoming attack and swung a horizontal slash from Muramasa. An arch-shaped, pure concentrated attack was launched and directly clashed with the breath attack.
"Booom!!"
Both of the attacks fiercely clashed at the centre and tried to overpower each other. But as time went on, Rihito's attack overpowered the breath attack and directly hit the green dragon.
"Booom!!!"
"..."
After the explosion occurred, Rihito saw the result of the clash and thought, [Hope, I didn't kill the dragon or we will have another problem on our hands. I don't want to have a problem with the dragon men.] Rihito really didn't want to kill the dragon that's why he reframed from using any of his offensive skills, he knew if he used any of those the match would have ended in an instant.
Rihito thinking this went towards the forest where he saw something crashing to the ground, which was likely the dragon surviving the explosion. He then landed a few meters away from the dragon, so as not to agitate the dragon even more. As I got closer, I saw a few green dragon scales scattered around the place, which I picked up in glee and stashed in my <Item box>.
In any anime, game, and manga dragon scales are very valuable for making weapons and armour. So, it's extremely wasteful not to stash such rare items.
"..."
While collecting dragon scales, I found the severely injured dragon. The dragon was slumped down, its scales burned and torn off in the explosion. Nevertheless, the dragon was awake and glaring at me.
"Damn humans!!", the dragon cursed in rage.
Rihito seeing the dragon alive wiped away the imaginary sweat. [The Dragon is alive that's a relief. But, by the tone it talked it seems it doesn't like humans.]
Then with cautiousness, I asked, "Hey dragon, do you remember what happened."
Hearing my question, the dragon angrily responded, "You dare ask? It is because of you that I am in such a deplorable condition. If only I were in control, I would have torn you apart," growled the dragon.
Seeing the dragon sulk, I can't help but snicker "Hehe… maybe."
The dragon then looked at me with a mixture of scowl and resignation. "Human, you are here to finish me, right? So, do it. It's not like I can resist you in this state."
Rihito, still snickering and listening to the dragon's words, was stunned and went silent. For a moment silence rained.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Rihito then unable to bear the tense silence spoke with a slightly awkward tone, "Umm… no, I was not trying to kill you. Before we fought, I had noticed that you weren't in control, so I was trying to make you snap out of it by punching you in the head."
The dragon hearing the explanation from the human dumbfoundedly exclaimed "What? Why didn't you use dispel?"
To the dragon's inquiry, I scratched my head and answered "I don't know how to cast it." listening to my response dragon again went silent.
"..."
"..."
"Sigh"
The dragon sighed and asked "So, you are not here to kill me? Then what do you want?" This time dragon's hostility lessened while questioning me.
"I have a few questions but before that let's heal you up first". I lifted my hands and used <Healing Domain>. Taking the dragon as a centre a green colour dome appeared, which started to heal all the injuries and burns from the fight, not a single scar was left.
The dragon now healed, stood up and said in a hostile tone "Human, do you think just because you healed me, I will not attack you."
Rihito hears the dragon's threat and smiles challengingly. "Oh, you can try, but I am certain that you already know killing me will not be easy." My words make the dragon angry. The dragon angrily asked, "Are you looking down on me human" the dragon growled.
"No, no, if you really wanted to attack me, you would have done it the moment you healed." The dragon whose intention was seen through huffed…
Rihito then turned serious and asked, "Have you seen the person who cast the control spell."
Dragon recalled the black-robed figure, just thinking about him made the dragon bellow in anger, "That scoundrel, I'll crush him like a bug when I find him."
"By your reaction, I am guessing you don't know much about him." The dragon nodded with irritation.
[This guy doesn't know, Huh.] Then I thought about asking about Tio and garnering some information about the dragon men. "Hey is the other dragon also the same as you."
Dragon listening to my question, frowning, said, "Don't compare me to that half-dragon. Comparing us is like comparing a lowest-level noble to a royal family."
"..."
[Half-dragon? Wait this guy is not a Dragon man?] With genuine shock, I said my next words "You are a true dragon?" I questioningly asked.
(a/n: I am not talking about tensura true dragons. They are on a completely different magnitude compared to Tohru.)
Dragon snorted air from its nostrils and said with pride, "Yes, I am a true dragon."
"..."
[There are true dragons in Arifureta? From the bits of news I heard from the internet, I know in this world, they are only supposed to have dragon man. Then what about this guy? Ah, now that I think, I didn't ask the dragon its name.] Halting my thoughts, I looked back at the dragon who was examining me like I was some kind of foreign creature.
"..."
Dragon spoke before I could: "You. What are you? You look like a human, but you can't be a human with so much magic power."
"..."
"Umm… from what I know my parents are human so I should be a human," I acted like I was confused.
Dragon tried to discern lies from my words but found none. [This human isn't lying, but the sheer amount of mana I am sensing from this human is absurd. How is his body able to hold it in?] Hiding its inner thoughts, the dragon sceptically said "I see."
"Hey, now that I think about it, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Rihito, Sakai Rihito. What's yours?"
"It's Tohru," Tohru said nonchalantly.
Getting a direct answer Rihito was slightly shocked. Tohru noticed and asked, "What with that look."
Scratching my head I said, "I thought you would not answer me." Tohru huffed hearing my words.
Shaking my head I get back to questioning, "Tohru, you want to find the guy who controlled you right? Then how about coming with me?"
Rihito paused to see if Tohru was still listening. Upon noticing that Tohru was paying attention, I continued, "My companions and I are searching for that guy. Before you kill him, I have a few questions for him. If we work together, we can find him faster."
…
Tohru hearing the suggestion from this human, no Rihito thought, [Work with him huh? That means I have to choose.] Tohru then remembered the words spoken by a smiling girl with a scar on her cheek. Even if she wanted to do this, Tohru doesn't want to choose just anybody, that person should at the very least a strong will. Then, Tohru looked at Rihito standing in front waiting for her answer. [I have decided.]
"..."
"Alright," Tohru affirms both to herself and Rihito. She had decided that from this point on, she would follow her own path. She didn't know if this decision would make her regret it, but it was her choice, and she was determined not to turn back. As for humans, Tohru had a feeling if she followed this human called Rihito, she might find an answer.
…
After Tohru agreed I sighed mentally. Then I asked Tohru, "Can you transform into human form."
Tohru tilted her head and asked, "Why?"
"Well, to find him we might have to go to the human city, there you can't enter with your dragon form. They will be too scared and will run away if they see you, and it is troublesome to keep looking up and talk, my neck hurts you know."
"..."
Tohru gave me a blank stare and thought, [Why do I feel, you only care about the latter part.]
Tohru's body then shone white, and slowly it took the shape of a humanoid. Rihito saw the human transformation and was shocked. In front of him was a beautiful girl, whose hair was blonde hair with flaming orange tips, her eyes were red-orange with dilated pupils, and a buxom figure with large thighs and large breasts, and covering all that was a make-ship cloak. Rihito seeing her characteristics got a Deja vu. He just stared at her, wondering where he had seen her.
"..."
"..."
"..."
After racking his head, Rihito remembered, [Wait a minute why does she look like someone from a different anime? What was its name again, something Dragon Maid if I remember correctly. But how come she appeared here? Is this world also a merger of different worlds? Does she appear because of the butterfly effect? Where the fuck is that butterfly flapping its wings, I knew my existence would change things. But how did it end up bringing a character from a different anime?] For a while, I had one after another wild conjecture.
…
Meanwhile, Tohru completed her transformation into a human body and frowned, "Ugh... I don't like this transformation. The sudden change in body size and weight feels weird."
While Rihito still pondered [Should I ask her about her origin or leave it alone.] Rihito wanted to know, but he decided it would be better to ask her later. Shaking my head I decided to return to Shea and others.
Tohru saw me shaking my head, looked at me weirdly and asked, "Rihito what will we do now."
Hearing her question, I look at Tohru, and my eyes widen. I then hurriedly turn around, and my next word comes out in fluster, "Wh what are you doing naked, put some damn clothes on."
Tohru tilted her head and looked down at herself, her front was completely exposed, and her makeshift robe wasn't covering her privates. Understanding the problem she said. "I don't mind if you look you know," Tohru said those words nonchalantly.
Those nonchalant words felt like thunder for Rihito's ears, and his teenage body started to react on its own. To prevent the reaction he started to take deep breaths which helped, and with a slight control, he said, "The first thing you need to do is to wear some clothes on. I don't know about you dragons, but we humans wear clothes when we go outside."
Hearing that Tohru remembered something, and then she closed her eyes. Then her cloak shone and turned into an outfit from maid cafe. Tohru checked her outfit and asked, "What about this outfit."
Hearing Tohru's voice I looked at her new outfit, which was for some reason a maid outfit. "It's fine, but why a maid outfit," I asked in puzzlement.
"It is because I have decided to be your maid."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The sudden decision she abruptly made left Rihito speechless. The words, "My maid," kept repeating in my head in bewildered silence.
…
"Chapter end"
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Author note:
Here is an early chapter and the next chapter might take some time. I will be out for a while.
(If you like my story please comment and give me power stone. It will motivate me to write more. Thank you.)
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