Editing Leviathan:Volume 8 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 4===

Haruga Haruomi and Princess Yukikaze had fought once before.

After that, Hal had obtained the Rune of the Twin Katana and absorbed King Solomon's magical power, greatly increasing his strength.

Nevertheless, his main weapon was still the Rune of the Bow.

In contrast, Princess Yukikaze possessed the Rune of the Arrow as her only and absolute weapon.

In other words, both sides were well aware of each other's capabilities.

There were two tactics. The prudent approach would be to neutralize the enemy's advantage while looking for an opening to take advantage of. Alternatively, since they already knew each other inside out, might as well attack boldly.

A bold change in mindset. Seeing as they knew each other's best moves and and tactics, a protracted battle of back and forth attacking and defending would only be a waste of time.

Hal's personality favored the former approach while Princess Yukikaze favored the latter.

"Fufufufu! Having made me wait for so long, are you still going to keep me in suspense? Sorry, I, Yukikaze, have no intention of taking detours!"

"Uh, you're going for a finishing move straight away!?"

What a candid young girl with a personality as straight as an arrow. The white dragon king suddenly unleashed maximum magical power when facing off against the Crimson Queen on the Moon's orbit.

Runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over the graceful white dragon's head.

A total of twenty-one runes, signifying "I descend from the heavens as the miracle of lightning, turning in the pioneering arrow that pierces the ground." This was Princess Yukikaze's prided move, a technique of assured annihilation.

"I hereby decree to my emblem, the Arrow of Sirius, I, Yukikaze, will now transform into the dragonslaying arrow!"

With her entire body glowing with blue-white light, the princess charged at the red queen.

The two dragons, red and white, were separated by several kilometers, but given the princess' dashing speed, she would close this distance in less than 0.1 seconds.

The arrow of godlike speed, living up to the name of the dragon king, flying through the macrocosm&mdash;

Despite his level as an opponent, Hal was able to intercept this attack, probably because he was very confident that Princess Yukikaze would surely attempt to decide the battle in the first move...

"Queen, we're going too!"

Twenty-one runes appeared over the Crimson Queen's head too.

They signified "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun." This was the technique of assured annihilation that Haruga Haruomi and his companions had relied on the whole time, his move of greatest firepower.

"My emblem&mdash;that's the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky, right!? Anyway, I'm counting on you!"

Notched on the red long bow was fire in the shape of an arrow.

The Queen fired. Incoming in a straight line, the blue-white flash of light collided violently with the crimson flames, just three hundred meters from the Queen.

"Is this the best you can do...? Kukukuku! Too naive, Haruomi!"

"Rune of the Twin Katana!"

Turned into a flash of light, the white dragon broke through the sun-piercing flames, charging straight.

The Queen was blown away despite her greater physique, instantly flying thirty or forty kilometers back like stardust. However.

The Crimson Queen spread both wings and exhaled flight magic.

Like a struck billiard ball, her massive body finally braked. Furthermore&mdash;More importantly, the Queen was unharmed!

"Wow!"

Princess Yukikaze's white dragon face was filled with joy.

"Splendid, Haruomi. Even Pavel Galad could no longer stand after taking a strike from I, Yukikaze, as an arrow!"

"Hahahaha..."

Hearing the princess' praise, Hal laughed helplessly.

Succeeding in defense beyond all expectation was the Crimson Queen, wielding a longsword in her right with a kodachi in her left, crossed in an "X" shape. These two blades had helped defend against the princess in her dragonslaying arrow form, in other words, acted as a shield.

Although he had barely managed to defend against the princess' prided technique of assured annihilation&mdash;

"You managed to trick me this time, but you will surely make a mistake if this were repeated two or three times. A 60% success rate, I would say."

That was precisely why Hal was laughing so helplessly.

At this rate, it would be no different from Russian roulette. The revolver would fire a bullet sooner or later and pierce his head.

"Sure enough, I've no chance of winning alone, not even if I aim for a draw..."

The ideal of "a man fights alone" was completely foreign to Hal.

He immediately focused his attention on his right hand.

He clenched his right hand tightly&mdash;Not his dragon form that was holding the two blades, but his astral form that was staying by the side of the gigantic red dragon.

"I'd need to prostrate in penance before Juujouji if I don't show results from my mental training!"

Using training as the reason, Hal had groped Orihime's breasts like mad, truly madly.

The number of times easily exceeded three digits, perhaps even reaching four digits. In any case, he had touched and groped Orihime's breasts without restriction, all the way until his right hand memorized the tactile feeling from her.

"Focus&mdash;"

Hal calmed his mind and focused his attention.

In his mind, he recalled the feeling, a perfect reenactment of his right hand groping, grabbing, touching, stroking Juujouji Orihime's wonderful breasts / bust / boobs to his heart's content.

His imagination was helping him establish a magical connection to her.

Orihime was not at the battle.

The Japanese witch was standing by at the Plato crater on the Moon.

Although the two of them were separated by more than 100km, the image reappearing in Hal's mind made him feel that the girl he loved most across the entire universe was by his side.

The Rune of the Mother Dragon was next to her.

"Show time begins only now...!"

If winning alone was impossible, then just borrow his companions' strength.

Hal began a new gamble.



"U-Using it the first time in a real battle without practicing ahead of time, will that really be okay?"

"Practice leads to failure, actually..."

At the Plato crater on the Moon.

The magic symbol resembling an infinity sign was manifested in the center, but because it was as big as the Nazca lines, from above, all Orihime could see were "a thick curve on the ground."

The one listening to Orihime voice her worries was in a state of depression.

Asya's face was gloomy to the extreme. She muttered, "The mind focuses to the limit precisely because there is only one chance. Especially when... You will be attempting magic unknown to mankind... Orihime-san, listen carefully."

Asya's aura of gloom was like a vengeful ghost lying in ambush against the begrudged.

She was offering advice as a senior witch, making educationally questionable suggestions.

"For a witch, it's not important to have a super boring honors student's disposition of endless practice to minimize the unexpected. Rather, it's the gambler spirit to wager everything on a single chance...  The spirit of taking your entire life's savings to buy the year-end J●mbo lottery..."

Kuku. The indisputable genius witch laughed with reckless abandonment.

Incidentally, her eyes were like "those of a dead fish."

"Fufufufu... If all goes well, you can earn big bucks easily..."

"B-But what if you lose all your money!?"

"This kind of question is not considered. You only fail precisely because of irrelevant thoughts like these."

"...Coming from you, it seems to make a bit of sense."

Juujouji Orihime had won a national kendo championship before.

She could be considered an accomplished gambler too. Agreeing with certain parts of Asya's extremist theory, so Orihime changed her mind a little.

However, Asya quietly added, "Well, gamblers who die penniless in a ditch are also part of life..."

Asya had been like this ever since she found out about the relationship between Orihime and Haruga Haruomi.

Even so...

She focused her magical power as a Tyrannos, summoning twenty-three runes of Ruruk Soun in the air over the infinity magical symbol, completing all preparations deftly to control the mysterious rune that gave birth to dragons. This arrangement of runes was invented by Hinokagutsuchi then modified by Asya.

Anastasya Rubashvili was a master-class witch and Europe's former Shootdown Ace.

Her talent and power as a witch were flawless.

Indeed. Even when dealt a heavy blow by a romantic setback, she was still a true expert, fulfilling her mission perfectly&mdash;

Was this personality of hers the reason for her lack of romantic success, or was her lack of romantic success the cause of this personality?

(Looks like I should avoid bringing up my relationship with Haruga-kun for now...)

Thinking "I am so despicable," Orihime pondered.

(At least during this battle...)

Avoiding the topic would be better than accidentally provoking her, causing pandemonium. Because there were things they must do.

(Sob sob, I am sorry, Asya-san...)

While apologizing to Asya in her heart, Orihime came to a sudden realization. Her left breast suddenly felt as though someone was squeezing it tightly.

"Ah...!?"

"What's the matter, Orihime-san?"

"Haruga-kun seems to be transmitting magical power over! The battle against the princess&mdash;"

"Is reaching a climax, huh? But given her personality, the battle would most likely rise to the climax right off the bat..."

"A-Asya-san, let us hurry and begin!"

"Understood!"

The "groping" feeling kept attacking Orihime.

Haruga Haruomi had previously said, "As long as we do this mental training, even if we're far apart, I think we'll be able to construct a soul link!" She had angrily scolded him, "Haruga-kun, aren't you being too big of a pervert!?" and rejected him once.

In the end, Orihime relented with "seeing as this will satisfy you."

She had stayed with Hal, allowing him to train for a long time.

What Orihime cared more about was whether this could slow down the rate of his dragonification. But right now, she could clearly feel the touch of Haruga Haruomi's right hand.

Sending his magical power into Orihime's heart, through her breast&mdash;

"Let's do this, Orihime-san! O Rune of the Mother Dragon, let the blessing of life descend upon here!"

"L-Let the blessing of life descend upon here!"

Together, Orhime and Asya invoked the secret ritual for activating the Rune of the Mother Dragon.

Next, the ground below them started glowing. It was a solemn golden glow. Seen from overhead, the glowing infinity sign would be visible inside the crater.

"Rushalka!"

"I am counting on you, Akuro-Ou!"

Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The partners materialized behind the two witches.

The blue wyvern and the white fox-wolf. The two leviathans roared bravely, unleashing massive magical power from the most important organ and mystic source&mdash;the heart!

This was a unison magic ritual for controlling the power of birth.

To ensure the ritual's sucess, Asya had already called out twenty-three runes of Ruruk Soun in the sky over the crater.

They signified "O restless dragon souls, descend upon the world through the mother's holy emblem"&mdash;

"Rushalka, as the vassal belonging to the Tyrannos inheriting the dragonslaying chain, complete your mission!"

Kyuahhhhhhhhhhh&mdash;ahhhhhhhhhh!

The silver-haired witch issued her command sternly. The blue wyvern spread her wings wide overhead and emitted a mighty howl.

The solemn and rigorous spell looked like a grand religious ceremony.

Sensing their magical power, the infinity sign underfoot glowed with greater golden brilliance.

The surrounding air seemed to take on a golden tinge&mdash;A solemn scene had been created around Orihime and Asya.

"Okay, Orihime-san, you too!"

"Yes! Akuro-Ou, this is the crucial moment!"

Clearing her mind of random thoughts, Orihime focused on outputting maximum magical power.

From far away, Haruga Haruomi was transmitting powerful magical power into Orihime's heart.

Relying on the idea that "even if I'm not present, I can still imagine the feeling of touching your breasts with perfect accuracy", he forcibly linked their souls together.

(My goodness. I cannot believe he learned this technique through that kind of method, Haruga-kun is such a big pervert...)

Like the time when he grabbed her breast from behind, sending magical power directly.

Orihime could feel deeply the bond between herself and the Tyrannos of the bow and twin katana. His magical power spread throughout her entire body, and his strong yet gentle touch remained the same as always&mdash;

"Mmmmmm!"

Asya was present, so Orihime decided to hold it in as much as possible.

However, due to the quantity of magical power sent by Hal, Orihime was experiencing unbearable heat. Combined with the stimulation from ecstasy and intoxication&mdash;

Her body kept writhing. Even her voice was about to spill out.

(No! Even though I am not Haruga-kun, I must keep my expression in check...!)

With the combination of Orihime, Akuro-Ou and Haruga Haruomi's magical power pouring in, the golden glow shrouding the surroundings became even brighter than before. However.

There was no additional change. Logically speaking, there ought to be&mdash;

"A-Asya-san!?"

"Our magical power is lacking a little. Really just a little. If only I could raise my power as a Tyrannos... Or if you promoted to Level 5... It might be enough."

"No way!"

"Of course, there was no guarantee this plan would go smoothly in the first place&mdash;"

Asya bowed her head slightly and bit her lilp.

Seeing the witch and renowned genius in chagrin, Orihime reflexively yelled, "Then please! Sh-Share your power with me...!"

"Eh!?"

"If we use that method, mentioned yesterday, I will probably&mdash;!"

"!"

Panic and fluster instantly turned into understanding. Asya rushed over to Orihime's side. Extending her right had, where the Rune of the Chain was emblazoned, she grabbed Orihime's left breast.

Apart from her beloved young man's, her witch companion's magical power was also entering her body!

"Mm&mdash;mmmmmmmmm!"

A strong feeling shot through her entire body. Orihime finally cried out. Seeing her reaction, Asya nodded firmly and asked her, "My magical power has reached you!?"

"Y-Yes. Th-There is an extremely potent energy flowing through my body!"

"It is greatly arousing you, causing you to squirm and moan erotically!?"

"Ch-Change your wording, okay!?"

"What do you want me to say!? Orihime-san is squirming this way and that, about to open the gates of paradise! I can't believe that jerk Haruomi did the same thing to Luna and Hazumi-san too!"

Yesterday, after admitting his relationship with Orihime, Haruga Haruomi had proceeded to explain to Asya.

Touching breasts was only for providing magical power and strengthening their connection. Both Luna Francois and Shirasaka Hazumi had gone through the same experience too.

...All this time, Hal had not told Asya about this power up technique.

Was it because he could not bring himself to see Asya as a girl no matter what&mdash;Uncharacteristically, Orihime speculated, trying to probe the psychological depths of the young man named Haruga.

Burning in wrath, the genius witch unleashed a roar from her soul.

"Th-These are the breasts, huh!? These breasts seduced Haruomi, huhhhhhhhhh!?"

"Ah&mdash;mmmm! Asya-san... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Orihime cried out, but for completely different reasons.

Regardless of the process, the two witches' emotions rose to a climax. In response to their hearts, their magical power also reached a maximum, and a miracle happened at last.

Out from the ground under their feet&mdash;the Moon's surface&mdash;countless bubbles emerged.



Bubble-like spheres kept flowing out from the Rune of the Mother Dragon.

This was the moment of birth for pure-blooded dragons.

Something similar had happened before, but there was a decisive difference this time&mdash;Hal immediate noticed.

"Why are there so many...?"

He had heard that Raptors were born in clutches of three hundred or so.

But right now, within Hal's field of vision, it felt like the spheres emerging from the Rune of the Mother Dragon easily exceeded three hundred.

Hal used Quantity Calculation magic.

"Thirty, forty... two hundred, three hundred, four hundred... A thousand, two thousand&mdash;Uh, there's more!?"

This was human magic completely unrelated to the wisdom of Ruruk Soun.

It could instantly count the number of objects within sight. Normally, it was used in situations without urgency, such as birdwatching or researching traffic flows.

The result calculated by this little spell left Hal speechless.

"Eggs&mdash;These Raptor eggs... number over ten thousand? And still increasing..."

"Hmph. I expected the quantity to be impressive, but not this impressive."

"You expected this!?"

Hal's astral form was waiting behind the Queen that was wielding the crimson bow, looking down at the Moon.

Dressed in a kimono, Hinokagutsuchi appeared by this side. The two of the were floating in the abyss of the macrocosm.

"More or less. This is the rune used by dragonkind, a race without females, to produce young, you know? Compared to males, good for nothing except fighting, or females who had ascended to the dragon king throne like myself and Yukikaze, perhaps when used by females more compatible with that rune&mdash;"

"Meaning that..."

"If your deductions are correct, my memories as a human... such as time spent with my mother, would have been long forgotten."

"So something that Asya and Juujouji have, but not you or Princess Yukikaze, huh..."

The result was the birth of countless eggs. One by one, they cracked open.

The newborn dragons were very similar to Rushalka. Lacking forelimbs, with a pair of wings sprouted from the shoulders, in other words, they were wyverns.

However, instead of Rushalka's blue, their bodies were white like Akuro-Ou.

They also had more tails than Rushalka. Not as many as Akuro-Ou's nine tails, but these dragons had two tails.

"I guess they count as the children of Rushalka and Akuro-Ou."

White minions with two tails.

At a body length of seven or eight meters, they were lesser dragons like ordinary Raptors. The newborn "little white wyverns" numbered in total&mdash;

"Forty thousand, huh..."

"Hmph. A ragtag army, but with such quantity, perhaps it might be possible..."

Forty thousand eggs had been ejected from the crater in the Moon's northern hemisphere.

Those eggs all hatched, producing forty thousand white little wyverns. One could consider it the gathering of a great army.

Seeing this phenomena, even Princess Yukikaze could not help but exclaim, "So many winged lizards...!?"

The princess had just been sent flying by the Rune of the Twin Katana, and was twenty or thirty kilometers away.

But Hal, who possessed both a dragon avatar and a mage's extraordinarily sensitive perception, easily noticed the white princess' surprise.

Hal immediately made his decision.

Now was the time to counterattack!

"Rune of the Bow, go!"

He ordered the Queen in dragon form to fire the bow.

The arrow of light was targeting the Moon and not Princess Yukikaze. The Queen casually shot an arrow at the equator of the Moon's surface.

Instead of attacking the Moon, his goal was to prepare a new weapon&mdash;

"Excellent!"

Hal nodded firmly.

The satellite known as the Moon had a diameter of 3500km. Humans called the dark part of the surface the "moon rabbit," comparing it to a small animal.

Right now, ''a gigantic rune'' had appeared on the Moon's surface, even bigger than that rabbit.

"A tilted half-moon" outlined in red&mdash;The Rune of the Bow.