Parry!
Well, shucks.
I really don't think
I'm hero material.
Instructor Noor!
Instructor!
You're still alive! Are you hurt?
I'm all right. Everything's fine.
Huh?
Now it all makes sense.
Thanks for your help, Rolo.
Huh? What are you talking about?
The dragon calmed down
just like you told it to.
That really saved my butt.
N-no, I didn't! That wasn't me!
What?
But the dragon stopped being hostile
all of a sudden.
I thought it was because of you.
That definitely wasn't me!
There are people who are scared of
and also hate that I have this power.
Oh, that's right.
The dragon may be docile now,
but just the fact he can control something
so ferocious is intimidating...
I get it.
If that's what you say,
then we'll just leave it at that.
Uh... yeah.
Anyway, I have a favor to ask of you.
Me?
If possible, can you send this dragon
back to where it came from?
Huh?
But, Sir Noor, this dragon is dangerous!
For sure, even I understand that
it's better to just kill it here.
But if at all possible,
I don't want to kill this dragon.
I know it's selfish of me to say that,
but could you consider it?
Okay.
If that's what you want...
Rolo, can you do it?
I'm not sure.
Given how powerful it is...
I think the best I can do
is ask it politely.
It's okay.
Neither Lynn nor Ines are afraid of you.
Okay, here I go.
Huh?
What's wrong?
I-it said it would do anything
its "master" orders.
M-master?!
This dragon really said that?!
Wow, this hardly seems real.
I don't believe it...
Crazy to think that such a gigantic dragon
would call him its "master."
What should I do?
In that case, can you tell it to
quietly go back to where it came from?
And while we're at it,
tell it to never harm humans again.
Uh, yeah. I'll tell it.
It says it understands.
It's going to agree
to everything you asked.
Th-that's amazing.
Yeah... it is.
So, it's gone.
Yeah.
Well, that couldn't have gone
more perfectly.
Even a dragon that's
lived thousands of years
is still just a stupid beast in the end.
Nothing more than my pawn.
Hmph, I thought nothing would be left
of the capital.
Well, whatever.
Commence the attack!
Sir!
You're certain this will bring an end
to the Clays Kingdom?
Because I'm not backing down.
A well-known beast tamer
has already awakened the
Dragon of Calamity and brought it to heel.
Guess it was worth the high price
they demanded.
Then, after the dragon goes on a rampage,
our forces will march
on the royal capital.
All foot soldiers will be equipped
with magic swords and magic shields,
while the elite troops will have
magic armor and magic cannons.
Furthermore, we'll have three Aegises,
the mobile mana-bulwark generation device,
and four of the ultra-high output
mana ray weapon, Brionac.
Splendid!
Please wait, Your Majesty.
What is it, Randeus?
Pardon my bluntness,
but I just don't see this war
benefitting our country in the long run-
That's enough!
I beg you, please reconsider!
You fool!
I said I've heard enough!
No one can pose a threat to our empire
while we stand at the forefront
of magical technology!
And now we'll make sure
the world knows it!
In the near future, this is the story
people will tell of the Clays Kingdom:
That it was a country of fools
who neglected proper upkeep
of the Dungeon of the Lost,
led down a path to ruin
by their own selfish greed.
Meanwhile, we shall be remembered
as a humanitarian army
that liberated the people
from their idiot of a monarch.
History has no need
for multiple storytellers.
One truth is all that is needed.
This way!
See, over there!
Okay. Is it alive?
I don't know. We need to get closer.
Instructor!
It's the Magical Empire!
Advance!
Sir!
Your Majesty, over there!
What is it?
The princess, is it?
Next to her is Ines, the "Divine Shield."
One of the living legends
known all around the world.
Perhaps she is the reason why
the royal capital
has not been totally razed to the ground.
That's just perfect.
Because the era where "legends" rule
has already come to an end.
We now live in an era
defined by those of us with wisdom.
Fire the Brionac on them!
Sir!
She may be the "Divine Shield,"
but the heat of the Brionac
will evaporate her into nothing.
Yet another one of these so-called
"legends" will die by my hand.
Ah, what bliss.
This is why I love going to war!
Ready!
The Brionac is prepared to launch!
Everything is ready, sir.
Fire!
This is the end.
What is that?
Lady Lynneburg, please stand back!
Rolo!
Parry!
What...
Hm? What just happened?
I-I believe there may have been
a misfire due to a problem
with the mana condensation process...
Damn you half-wits!
Prepare the next one immediately!
That was too close for comfort.
What even was that light?
More importantly,
look at all those people...
Did you say that was the
imperial army?
Deridas the Third
has mobilized his troops.
There are thousands... no, maybe
even more than ten thousand of them.
What in the world is happening here?
All we can say for sure
is that those brutes
are here to try and
annihilate our kingdom.
What?!
We have an army in the capital,
but not enough to put up a fight
against those numbers!
Lady Lynneburg.
We can't do anything else here.
Let's retreat.
We'll retreat and meet up with my brother.
What will you do, Instructor?
Considering the situation,
do you even need to ask?
There's really no other choice
but to run for it.
Of course. That was a silly question.
Why is she smiling?
Did she really understand what I meant?
Obviously, I'm gonna run away t-
Attacks incoming! Get behind me!
Divine Shield!
How aggravating!
Your Majesty, for safety's sake,
take shelter in the rear.
Finish the job, quickly!
They'll keep us pinned here at this rate.
Guess there's only one way out.
Instructor, what are you doing?!
I'm going to get their attention
and buy some time.
You three should
use that chance to escape.
But, Instructor...
I'm bad at fighting,
but I'm pretty used to running away.
I'd often go hunting for honeycomb
and get attacked by bees
when I touched their hive.
If I run around like crazy,
things'll work out.
I won't do anything reckless.
I plan on coming back alive,
so don't worry.
All right.
Then allow me to offer you
what little I can to help.
Okay, go right ahead.
Is she casting defense magic?
Here we go. Prepare for impact.
Hm? Impact? Don't tell me...
I'll control the output this time,
so it'll be okay!
Hold up, Lynne!
You realize I'm not going out there for
some kind of crazy suicide attack, right?
O-over there!
There's another shining light!
The next one is coming!
We're leaving everything
in your hands now, Instructor.
Godspeed!
Oh crap! I'm not ready for the impact!
Physical Enhancement!
Wind Blast!
I escaped instant death somehow!
Parry!
Good to know I can deflect those!
In that case...
Parry!
It's working!
My momentum is too strong
to change course at this point,
so here goes nothing!
I'll take it as far as I can!
Parry!
The more time that I manage to buy,
the better chance Lynne
and the others have to escape!
I'm just gonna run around and
parry everything in front of me!
Parry!
What the hell?
Wha-
Our weapons are gone!
Hey!
They're up there!
Defend yourselves!
I don't have a shield!
What are those big blocks up there?
That bastard again!
What is this?
What the hell happened?
What's going on?
Hold on, haven't I seen you before?
That doesn't make sense.
That man was way over there.
How did he cover
all that distance so quickly?!
Why is he looking at me?
He pays no mind to the imperial guards
and looks only at me!
Does he know I am the emperor?!
In which case, I must be his target!
H-he's gonna kill me!
That's right!
I have my Kaiser Armor and Kaiser Sword
that are both made of orichalcum!
What's wrong?
Did you chicken out?
Huh?
Why the hell are our cannons
sticking out of the ground like that?
What the hell is this?
I had 10,000 soldiers
that were all perfectly equipped!
And Aegises that can defend against
dragon's breath!
Even the Brionac
that can burn dragons to a crisp!
And now they're all worthless?!
Wh-who the hell are you?!
Why haven't you just killed me yet?!
That weapon...
King Clay's Black Blade!
The one dungeon relic
that I want above all others.
Why does this man have it?!
Don- don't be...
Wait.
As I recall, that sword was made from
an unknown metal.
It's supposed to be too heavy
for any normal human to carry!
I've heard even that freakishly strong
king needed both hands to use it!
There's no way anyone
can surpass King Clays!
But that's the only way to explain
what's happening!
This man did it!
He did all of this... by himself!
The reason I'm still alive is because
he wants me to endure the torture
of humiliation before
brutally beating me to death!
He's doing to me exactly what
I was planning to do to King Clays!
NO!
#9 I Parry an Army