Reincarnated as a dragon’s egg ～Lets aim to be the strongest～ - Chapter 546

546 – Reunion (side: treant)
I pull back my receding consciousness. My entire body aches. Just now… I think I used [Rest] to heal myself. It seems I did it unconsciously, as a survival instinct.

Perhaps because of the huge impact I took, the effect of [Berserk] has already faded. After I unleashed the [Wood Counter], the recoil knocked me into the opposite wall. I had thought I had died, but… Thanks to the defence boost and protection from [Statue], I miraculously survived.

『Th-that’s raight, Aruane…!』

This is no time to be in a daze. I’m in the middle of battle.

I’ve hit her with two fully-strengthened attacks, and a [Wood Counter] that almost cost me my life. I have no more strength left. If she’s still alive, then there’s truly nothing more I can do.

『Where is she…』

I quickly spot her. She’s walking towards me from the front.

Her appearance is even more bizarre than before. Her arms that had been torn off are reattached by crystallised blood.

“Unfortunately… Aruane can keep moving no matter how broken her body is…”

Long, sinister claws grow from her arms.

“Aruane’s at her limit too though… Still, taking down wooden hero-san with her is simple…”

I had thought I was able to neatly avenge atlach-dono, but… it seems it wasn’t so easy. But, apparently Aruane is also at her limit. That’s a relief. She won’t be able to toy with atlach-dono’s dead body, or get in the way of master-dono’s fight. Aro-dono will be safe, too.

I calmly close my eyes as I hear her footsteps coming closer. Before long, I feel her claws against my forehead.

Aah, once she cuts, I’m dead.

Master-dono… Sorry for always being a burden, but… I was happy. I am deeply ashamed that I could not protect atlach-dono… But, even so… Was I at least a little helpful…?

Then, Aruane’s claws loosely drop away. Opening my eyes, I see her staring at me.

“It might be pointless now… Either way, neither Aruane nor wooden hero-san can contribute to the fight any longer.”

Aruane sways, and her arms fall to the floor. What looks like steam rises from her body, and she collapses to the ground in so weakly that it seems strange that she was standing in the first place.

“Aah, sorry, Saint-sama. Just once… Aruane wanted to be of use to someone…”

With those words as her last, Aruane stops moving. It seems she’s finally dead.

Wh-what does this mean? Did she pass her limit…? [Blood Doll] should let her move her body even in the grips of death, but… She’s finally crossed that thin line it seems.

At any rate… This means I’ve won.

…It was nothing short of a miracle. I can only say this now in hindsight, but it was a narrow victory seized only by discarding my reason and attacking recklessly.

This narrow cave should have been to Aruane’s favour, and she showed atlach-dono’s remains to me as provocation… But, both of them ended up helping me. It was a lucky twist of fate. Because of my mindless rampaging, Aruane had to worry about a cave-in, forcing her to dodge my attacks.

Regrettably, I wasn’t much thought into how I moved… I transformed a battle of skill into a battle of luck.

My victory still doesn’t feel real. As I stand, the cave shakes. I rampaged too much… It’s going to collapse soon.

I’m not sure I’ll have time for it, but… I need to take atlach-dono’s remains with me, no matter what. So that I don’t destroy the cave any further, I use [Tree Spiritisation] to shrink down, and then drag my injured body further in.

Inside the cave… I soon find atlach-dono’s remains. Her legs are messily torn apart, and her back is pierced by a spear of congealed blood, skewering her to the ground. As I stare at her, a wave of uncontrollable emotions wells up inside me.

『Atlach-dono… Atlach-dono! It’s okay, I’m here now! Even if it costs me my life, I’ll get you out of here…!』

From in front of me, I hear a feeble voice.

“…You’re as noisy as ever. You’ll get me out of here? That’d be a great help.”

『Atlach-dono…? Th-this can’t be…』

This is impossible. There’s no way she could be alive.

Aruane had plenty of time to kill her. If she had the time to pull out her legs to stop her from moving, then it should have easy for Aruane to kill her. Am I hallucinating…?

I fearfully look up. I see atlach-dono, painfully lifting her masked head off the ground to look back at me. In a different way than before, emotions well up inside me.

『A-atlach-dono!』

I spread my wings wide and jump towards her.

『I’m glad… I’m so glad…! I thought I was too late for sure…! It was worth it to struggle to the end…!』

“L-leave the noise for later, hurry up and rescue me! Do you want us to be buried alive!?”

『Ah, that’s right! To start with, [Rest]…! Oh! What can do about the spear in your back…?』

As I panic, the spear piercing her back melts away into a thick liquid. It seems with the death of the user the blood lost the power to maintain its form.

Atlach-dono goes limp, and I hurriedly support her with my [Tree Spiritisation] body. A lump of rock hits the ground near me. W-we need to get out of here quick…!

Atlach-dono humanises to reduce her weight, and I frantically carry her as I run to the exit.

…But, how did she survive? Does this mean Aruane didn’t want to use [Blood Doll] on her, but was instead set on bringing her to Lilixira for [Spirit Servant]? I had thought they didn’t have enough leeway to do that, but….

Perhaps… Did Aruane decide that, since she couldn’t use atlach-dono if she lost to me, she would refrain from killing her until she’d won, and so instead just tore off a leg to provoke me?

On the way, I pass Aruane’s dead body, and unthinkingly come to a stop. But I quickly remember that this is no time to stop, and begin moving again. Behind me, I hear the sound of her being crushed by falling rocks.