Chapter 424: O Dragon, O Dragon! Part 1

Author's Preface
I declare this right now: please prepare yourselves for this to go up to around Part 50. (Dead eyes)

Are you ready? I am.

Late October. On a certain Sunday when the arrival of autumn was halfway through and the signs of winter were just beginning to be felt, the vanguard arrived as a surging wave.

『Unique Scenario EX「Come Forth, Heroes! My Destiny Transcends Time」transitions to the Decisive Battle Phase.』

『Clear Condition 1: Defeat the Unique Monster "Siegwurm the Heavenly Sovereign."』

『Clear Condition 2: Subjugate the "Red Dragon Dreadhowl," "Green Dragon Brockentried," "White Dragon Bryreinyego," "Black Dragon Noirlind," and "Blue Dragon Eldranza."』

A window suddenly displayed to all players who had reached the New Continent. It closed automatically before the players could dismiss it... and as if that were the command, they appeared.

"Jijijijijiji!!!"

"Wh-What!?"

"Ants? No, they're white, so termites?"

"No, that's wrong... They're dragons! A massive swarm of tiny dragons...!?"

A massive swarm of small dragons possessing six legs and abnormally large abdomens and heads compared to their thoraxes—truly bringing "ants" to mind—invaded the frontline base while overlapping their eerie cries.
The white tsunami, clearly mismatched with the greenery of great nature, showed no signs of stopping. The players, bewildered by the sudden attack, readied their weapons and began to intercept them.

It was then.

『I see, it certainly is a fine place... I'm slightly displeased that it's somewhat cleared out... but yes, it is just right for our nest.』

Low, yet high. A strange voice evoking such contradictory impressions echoed.
Backed by a low rumble like the growl of a beast, the words spun in a feminine high pitch concisely evaluated the frontline base, and as the owner of the voice revealed herself, she spun the continuation.

『Yes, all that remains is to crush the maggots infesting it... Fufufufu, go forth, my beloved children. Trample everything, even the maggots' nest!!』

To call it a dragon, it was far too grotesque. Indeed, if one were told she was the "Mother" of the ant-like small dragons, similarities could be found.
However, her appearance—with the upper body of a dragon distortedly attached to a massive abdomen that showed even greater hypertrophy than the small dragons—looked less like a dragon and more like a centaur, a fusion of human and horse.

And above all else, the abdomen stood out. Supported by over a dozen legs, the back of the abdomen bore several strange protrusions with silhouettes reminiscent of onions. From there, an inexhaustible supply of small dragons clad in slime crawled out and joined the tsunami.

"White Dragon Bryreinyego...!"

The name muttered by no one in particular was exactly correct.
The pure white "Swarm Dragon" that instantaneously produced massive amounts of Clones (Children) roared loftily. It was like the opening arrow of the Great Dragon Calamity War.

"We'll leave the main body for later! Crush the small dragons first!!"

Perhaps those words weren't directed at any unspecified majority. However, several people who heard those words grasped the logic in them, and the flow rippled out to the entirety.
Naturally, not everyone's intentions were perfectly unified, but the vast majority of players began thinning out the numbers of the small dragons.

"I claim the first strike!!"

Of course, there were also those who launched a surprise attack on Bryreinyego's main body, seeking to be the hero. However, their strikes were intercepted by small dragons that crawled out from the White Dragon's back and leaped at them. In the next instant, they were swarmed by a massive number of small dragons and vanished.

"Hiii! Is this a splatter flick!!"

"We're launching AoE attacks!"

It's unknown which clan they belonged to, but a group likely comprising many magic classes unleashed their magic all at once.
Having probably accepted that a certain amount of friendly fire was unavoidable at this point, the attacks striking a wide area landed, sending several players and a massive number of small dragons dancing through the air.

"Alright! They aren't that strong individually! We can whittle them down!!"

"That's not 'alright' at all! Are you out of your mind shooting the tanks from behind!?"

If you ignore logic, things fall apart. Players who were caught in the crossfire—or nearly were—raised voices of protest against the perpetrators.
As the battlefield began to take on an aspect of chaos due to the strained atmosphere, a clear, projecting voice echoed.

"This is not mandatory! But if you have the will to follow directions, I ask that you listen!!"

The source of the voice was a woman bearing a golden sword and accompanied by five floating swords. The female Sword Saint with several players waiting behind her... Psyger-100 once again projected her voice across the battlefield.

"First, reduce the numbers of the small dragons! In the worst-case scenario, if the survey ships or major facilities are destroyed, the EX Scenario itself might fail!! Magic classes, halt your attacks for now! I want you to gather near the 'Black Sword' and the 'Knights Tempura' and synchronize your timing!!"

Right now, the players could only be described as a disorganized mob. Some loathed being forced to do things, while others actively sought out some form of direction.
There had probably been some kind of discussion before they appeared here. A flag bearing a sword motif on a black background and a flag bearing a shrimp tempura design on a white background were hoisted high.

"I'd also like the clan leaders to gather if possible! This is an all-out war. I want to build a cohesive front before the other colored dragons arrive!!"

At those words, the vast majority of the players changed their movements.
Tanks and physical combat-class players moved forward, while magic classes capable of wide-area attacks fell back.
Even though there was still a not-insignificant number of players acting on their own discretion, a faint light of coordination had appeared on the chaotic battlefield.

It was then.
A massive tree, large enough to be used as a battering ram as is, was blown away. An immense mass of "Green"—incomparable to the pure white small dragons or Bryreinyego—revealed itself while roaring furiously.

『Where is the insect known as Tottoriii!!!』

"Eh, huh? Me!? Or rather, Brockentried!?"

Amidst the bewildered screams rising from the sudden personal call-out, the massive frame that appeared while pulverizing trees was illuminated by the mid-heaven sunlight.
It looked like a turtle, or perhaps like a mountain itself was moving. It was a massive body nearly twice the size of even Bryreinyego.

What drew the eye most, contrary to its slow and heavy appearance, were the dozens, no, hundreds of thorn-like tentacles writhing like the tentacles of an octopus or squid.
Growing from its abdomen and legs, they were thrust into the ground obeying the will of the massive body, emitting an effect that clearly stated, "I am absorbing something."

And then.

『Hmph!!!』

The effect absorbed by the thorn tentacles converged into its right front leg. A fissure pattern, looking as if the front leg had exploded from the inside, glowed a greenish-white, and the raised front leg smashed into the earth.

"Wai,"

"Hol—"

"Nnah!?"

"What did you do, Tottorii!!"

"I don't knoowww!!"

An explosive tremor. A transcendent quake that could only be described as such shook a vast area centered on the point of impact. Given that the attack occurred immediately after it burst out of the Sea of Trees, it was perhaps fortunate or unfortunate that there were no players in the immediate vicinity.
A green effect raced across the earth, and every player and small dragon within its range was literally blown away.

Witnessing every entity within a visually estimated radius of fifty meters blown away, taking damage that increased the closer they were to the center of the circle, the players truly understood what "all the colored dragons gathering" actually meant for the first time.

"No, this is an impossible game..."

The Shangri-La Frontier system sneered at the words that had likely crossed the minds of the vast majority of players.

───Chaos at this level is laughable. As if to say just that.

『It reeks... it reeks... The hypocritical stench of a child-crazed fool...!!』

『...Old geezerrr, do you intend to disturb our peace... My children, kill him!!』

Who ever guaranteed that enemies would be allies? The swarm of child dragons shifted their target to the Green Dragon Brockentried, and the Green Dragon, likewise baring its hostility toward a dragon other than itself, took a heavy step forward.

"It's too chaotic... But this is a chance! We're building a battle line! Clan leaders, gather up!!"

The Unique Scenario EX "Come Forth, Heroes! My Destiny Transcends Time" had cut the ribbon on the decisive battle in a distorted form.
While the "White" and "Green" that appeared as the vanguard clashed, the Pioneers began to move.

All of them uniformly harboring the certainty that the "Red" and "Black"—and the "Gold"—yet to appear would bring forth even further chaos.

Author's Afterword
While the colored dragons are designated as "Dragons," the appearance of most of them is far removed from that of standard dragons. Rather, Noirlind and Eldranza actually looking like dragons is what's rare.

Because "Dragon" is merely a category name, and their true nature is fungi, so they aren't necessarily lizards. (They do have some broad dragon-like aspects, though.)

The author's vocabulary cannot fully describe their appearances, so I will probably upload some simple body size comparison illustrations to Inventoria eventually. Eventually.