Kranol Wizar knew from the outset that this was a battle they could not win.
Killing the Black-Gold Dragon's Dragon-Tooth Soldier was impossible.
‘Unless the original protagonist comes here.’
However, that man would not come.
This situation was entirely different from when Kranol had commissioned him to exact revenge.
He would not fight unless there was something for him to gain.
‘Then there is only one option left.’
Their opponent was so overwhelmingly powerful that killing it was impossible.
In that case, they would have to drive it away.
They had to prevent it from inflicting even the slightest damage.
“What is your name?”
“Kranol Wizar.”
“Very well, Kranol. You need to prove your claims.”
Mayor Koldo regarded the handcuffed Kranol with suspicion.
“There is little time left before the Dragon-Tooth Soldier arrives. You appear to know a great deal, but frankly, your answer does not sound convincing. Are you certain that this is truly how we can survive the Dragon-Tooth Soldier?”
“Yes, I am certain. And I can prove it quite easily.”
Kranol gestured with his chin.
“The path one takes reveals one's true nature. Could you determine the route the Dragon-Tooth Soldier is taking into the metropolis?”
“At its current pace, it will reach Aletica District 13 first.”
Mayor Koldo frowned at the city hall employee's answer.
Then his expression slowly turned to astonishment.
“Wait, District 13 is…….”
“The chemical workshop district that manufactures fluoride toothpaste!”
Fluoride toothpaste.
It was a cavity-prevention product that had recently become popular in the metropolis.
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier's instincts could not have been more honest.
Mayor Koldo's eyes widened.
“Bring us enough sweets to rot every tooth in this city! Do exactly as Mr. Kranol instructed!”
Everyone immediately began following Kranol's commands with perfect coordination.
As a result, city hall employees had to knock on the doors of bakeries and fruit shops in the middle of the night.
The greatest difficulty, however, was recruiting dentists.
“A Dragon-Tooth Soldier? You mean the Dragon-Tooth Soldiers from the legends? The ones supposedly created from a dragon's teeth……?”
“Do dragons not normally remain within their own territories?”
“And you are saying it belongs to the Black-Gold Dragon! How can that be possible? Has such a monster truly appeared in the world again?”
Once news of the Dragon-Tooth Soldier's invasion spread, every citizen and tourist trembled in fear.
Most of them even attempted to flee, creating chaotic congestion throughout the streets.
Who would dare volunteer for a dangerous battle under such circumstances?
Fortunately, some did.
Even in a crisis such as this, foolish yet magnificent heroes stepped forward.
“It appears I have no choice but to go.”
“Father! No! It is too dangerous!”
“Release me! I once killed a patient while pulling out his wisdom tooth with iron forceps! I must go! For the greater good!”
Bineureban stared at them wide-eyed and pointed something out.
“Are some of those men not quacks?”
“That is even better. They will irritate the Dragon-Tooth Soldier further.”
Kranol calmly removed his handcuffs.
Mayor Koldo, who had been about to order someone to bring the key, stared at him in surprise.
“How did you remove those by yourself……?”
“We need to save time. Fewer than three hours remain.”
“Rooooar.”
The invisible Hatchling who had secretly brought him the handcuff key voiced her agreement.
Plumpy bounced excitedly as well.
“I will help too, Mister! What should I do first?”
“We need to arrange the alchemists' Chimeras. Move every Chimera other than the Cold-Attribute ones to the rear.”
“That is easy! You there, fire lizard that trampled Rolly to death! Follow me!”
Now free, Kranol began issuing instructions personally.
However, Bineureban and several others still looked dissatisfied.
The prideful alchemists did not yet trust him.
“Knowing a great deal does not necessarily mean that he is skilled in warfare.”
“A metropolis should have plenty of experienced experts. Why must we rely on an outsider?”
“No matter how urgent the situation is, I cannot entrust my Chimera to a novice!”
Kranol silently snapped his fingers.
Chubby deactivated her Invisibility and spread her wings.
Fine strands of Black Lightning coiled around her, giving her a magnificent appearance.
In that state, she unleashed her Breath toward the sky.
“Rooooar!”
“What?”
“Th-that!”
Everyone's eyes widened at the spectacular burst of pure white flame.
A Chimera created with a dragon factor could even unleash ‘Breath’?
Those who had devoted their lives to alchemy understood exactly how impossibly difficult that was.
Kranol declared calmly.
“My little one is far stronger than any of your Chimeras.”
“…….”
Even the complaining alchemists had no choice but to comply.
Anyone who objected would first have to prove that they were a better alchemist than Kranol.
Mayor Koldo nodded as well.
“We can safely entrust matters concerning the Chimeras to Mr. Kranol. Furthermore, the metropolis's own forces will not remain idle. Aletica's soldiers will prepare separately to stop the Dragon-Tooth Soldier.”
The metropolitan soldiers brought the chaotic city under control.
They evacuated the citizens and tourists and cleared the congestion from the roads.
Meanwhile, Kranol assessed the forces gathered in the central district.
There were 317 alchemists in total, along with a diverse array of pet Chimeras.
As he counted their current forces and formulated a strategy, Chubby approached him.
“Rooooar…….”
She was still trembling with fear.
Naturally, she understood the Black-Gold Dragon's terror better than anyone.
Kranol stroked the little creature.
“Do not worry. I know perfectly well that your biological mother is worthless.”
“Rooooar!”
Chubby angrily raised a front paw at him.
Her expression seemed to ask whether he truly considered that comforting.
Nevertheless, her fearful trembling subsided slightly.
“Let us move. Fighting in the central district would result in too many civilian casualties.”
They arranged their formation, shared the strategy, and prepared the sweets.
Kranol led the alchemists, Chimeras, and dentists toward the outskirts.
By the time they had completed their frantic preparations, the appointed hour had arrived.
The commander of the accompanying metropolitan soldiers shouted.
“The Dragon-Tooth Soldier will reach District 13 shortly!”
Everyone swallowed nervously.
It was morning, and a light rain fell upon the outskirts, where even the lamps lining the main road had been crushed.
A Bone Giant was advancing in a straight line.
It mercilessly demolished the metropolis's towering buildings as it marched.
***
There were many theories concerning Dragon-Tooth Soldiers.
Some claimed they were creatures born the moment a dragon's tooth was buried in the ground.
Others said they resembled a fusion of a dragon and a Demon.
They were also said to trample and destroy everything in their path.
Now, the people of Aletica witnessed that terrifying legend with their own eyes.
The legendary Dragon-Tooth Soldier was chewing fluoride toothpaste.
“…….”
“Delicious. This is a delicacy I could never taste in my master's lair.”
Like a dragon, it was said to be a creature most people would never witness even once in their lifetime.
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier before them was a ‘Bone Giant with a dragon's skull.’
Only its skull resembled a dragon, while the remainder of its body was shaped much like a human's.
It was a Large Demonic Beast of far greater size and majesty than the Rot Dragon they had encountered previously.
Its body was as enormous as five buildings combined, and red light flashed within its empty eye sockets.
“……Good heavens.”
“It is enormous. That thing came here to destroy the city?”
The Bone Giant demolished the chemical workshops and devoured the fluoride toothpaste.
The ridiculous yet grotesque sight inspired a peculiar sense of horror.
Then, upon seeing the humans, the Dragon-Tooth Soldier stopped.
“The Black-Gold Dragon is my master. I am my master's first Dragon-Tooth Soldier.”
After introducing itself in a crude manner, it announced its original objective.
“I will destroy this metropolis according to my orders. I will kill everyone. However, I will spare one.”
The people looked at one another in alarm.
Whom among them did it intend to spare?
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier's gaze rested upon only one living creature.
“My master ordered me to bring the young lady back.”
There was only one creature whom the Black-Gold Dragon would order it to retrieve and whom the Dragon-Tooth Soldier would address as the young lady.
“Rooooar!”
However, Chubby snarled and firmly rejected its summons.
The little Hatchling remained pressed tightly against Kranol.
“My lady. Do you not wish to see my master?”
“Rrah! Rooooar!”
“Then I will kill you according to my master's command. You would only be an impediment.”
“Rooooar?!”
Chubby immediately began to tear up.
She seemed unable to believe that her biological mother would attempt to kill her.
The moment it finished speaking, the Dragon-Tooth Soldier resumed its advance in a straight line.
Because of its enormous size, every step shattered the road beneath it.
However, Kranol had not come without a plan.
“Elite force. Forward.”
Surprisingly, the elite force he had selected consisted of neither alchemists nor soldiers.
They were the dentists who had been working late or sleeping throughout the metropolis.
Every one of them was a sheltered civilian who had lived entirely removed from war.
“Remarkable. I never imagined an emergency would arise in which dentists were desperately needed!”
“My family is still inside the city. There is nothing I would not do to protect them.”
Although they trembled with fear, they somehow managed to step in front of the Bone Giant.
After all, no one without considerable courage would pull wisdom teeth without anesthesia.
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier hesitated, and the red light within its eye sockets twisted.
“A repulsive stench emanates from you. How can you possibly inspire such hatred?”
“You were made from the Black-Gold Dragon's wisdom tooth—what we call a love tooth.”
“I know nothing of the names humans give teeth. Still, I am pleased to feel that my master loves me.”
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier misunderstood as it pleased and responded with satisfaction.
In truth, it had probably become the first Dragon-Tooth Soldier simply because that was the first tooth its master had pulled.
Regardless, the Dragon-Tooth Soldier changed its course for the first time.
It moved toward the hateful dentists standing along the diagonal route.
With that alone, the first stage of the plan had succeeded.
THUD!
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier's body suddenly sank as it walked.
It had fallen into the enormous trap they had dug in advance.
Only its leg bones entered the pit, but the solution inside rose all the way to its pelvis.
Various sweet-and-tart fruit jams and melted chocolate blended together within it.
“Unpleasant. These sweet substances are unsuitable for me.”
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier shuddered in extreme disgust.
However, that was not the end.
“Chimeras, now.”
“GRRRRRAAAH!”
The Cold-Attribute Chimeras waiting nearby moved.
A Frost-Scaled Snake, a Cooling-Bubble Toad, an Icicle Two-Headed Wolf, and several others launched their attacks.
The cold they released engulfed the Dragon-Tooth Soldier trapped in the pit.
The Bone Giant visibly slowed, and its movements grew sluggish.
“All forces, fire a volley!”
The commander did not miss the opportunity.
More than a thousand soldiers released their arrows simultaneously.
The target was so large that even a careless shot was certain to strike.
CRACK!
For the first time, a fracture appeared in the Dragon-Tooth Soldier's imposing bones.
Because the crack had formed in its leg, its body even tilted awkwardly to one side.
“Ha! What is this? I was terrified for nothing. It is not so formidable after all, is it?”
Bineureban raised the corner of his mouth in mockery.
The next instant, his waist was crushed.
The blood-spattered alchemists stared with their mouths agape.
“Th-this is madness!”
“What?! He died in an instant!’
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier opened and closed the skeletal hand that had thrown the stone.
To the creature, it had been nothing more than a pebble.
To a human, however, it was a boulder.
A wrathful voice emerged from the Bone Giant.
“You feeble lesser species are insolent beyond your station. Submit and sacrifice yourselves for my master's purpose.”
The terrified alchemists struggled to regain their composure.
Bineureban had been an elite alchemist considered one of the leading contenders for victory.
An ally who had ranked among their strongest had died meaninglessly in an instant.
That meant any one of them could lose their life just as quickly.
Kranol, however, was not surprised.
‘These measures alone are nowhere near enough to stop a Dragon-Tooth Soldier.’
That was only natural.
If the destruction of a metropolis could be prevented so easily, why would the Black-Gold Dragon be called the final boss of Act One?
‘Sweets, cold, and arrows. These are nothing more than minor Debuffs.’
At best, they reduced the creature's Defense and slowed its movements.
Unless they settled matters decisively, they could not drive it away.
That left only one option.
Kranol Wizar walked forward.
“W-wait. What is he doing alone?”
“Mr. Kranol! It is dangerous!”
He ignored the warnings around him.
Kranol confronted the Dragon-Tooth Soldier alone.
The Bone Giant was so tall that merely looking up at it made his neck ache.
“What are you? Why do you approach me without fear?”
The Dragon-Tooth Soldier did not even regard him as an enemy.
It looked down at him arrogantly, as though observing a mere ant.
After all, the slightest movement of one finger bone would be enough to kill him.
“Haaah.”
A sigh escaped him.
He had no chance of winning a direct confrontation.
At least, not as the ‘usual Kranol Wizar.’
“Chubby. Plumpy.”
“Rooooar!”
“Yes, Mister!”
He gave an order to the two little ones perched upon his shoulders.
“From this moment onward, shriek directly into my ears.”
He had to survive.
Even if he had to deliberately induce an attack of Madness.