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Basically, I can fly, but sometimes I just want to hop on top of something else and have it move instead of me.

“Move it.”

I ride horses.

I ride flying dragons.

Sometimes, I ride sea dragons.

In the Demon World, I even rode something called a “bike” invented by Mammon.

I possess the ability to move, but there’s something exhilarating about controlling another being or object and having it move instead of my own legs or wings.

Especially when that ‘mount’ moves at speeds comparable to or even faster than my full flight speed.

If it can go dashing around haphazardly and, as long as it can aim upward, defy gravity, that’s a blissful ride.

“It’s just jaw-dropping.”

I am a being with numerous mounts in the Demon World.

My soul possessing another entity can be considered as riding a mount, but simply the act of controlling anything—whether it’s a carriage or a bike—fills me with joy.

I do have a knack for this sort of thing.

No matter how wild a horse, once I’m on it, I can handle it like a pro.

Even if it’s some mount I have no clue how to operate, just fiddling with it for about an hour allows me to ride it like an expert.

In other words, moving through something other than myself is innate; as long as I know the rough layout and method, I can instinctively control it and ride it well.

“The talent for mounting.”

Being good at riding something means being good at “mounting.”

Even if it’s something I haven’t ridden in ages or some creature I’ve just met.

Breeeeeee!!

Just like now.

Splaaash—!!

I slice through the waves.

The sea dragon stretches its neck forward, like a swordfish, minimizing the current’s resistance as it swims streamlined.

I lean forward as much as possible, pressing my upper body against the sea dragon’s back.

Just like scales sprouting from the sea dragon’s back, I reduce drag by sticking my chest to its back.

If I had just stood there, the speed at which the sea dragon swims—over 160 km/h—would have been halved by the water’s resistance, and I wouldn’t have been able to dodge incoming attacks promptly.

Graaaw—!!

A massive shark that was approaching us, jaws wide open, whizzed past the sea dragon.

I quickly tugged on the sea dragon’s reins, flipping its body, and it twisted, diving downwards.

I had already dodged the attack.

The reason I flipped was to evade an attack that came from somewhere else, not the shark.

“Close call.”

The attack from the crimson swordfish aiming to pierce us from below just barely missed.

If it had devoured us, the sea dragon would surely have been chewed in half by those sharp teeth, but if we were hit by the swordfish, we would have been skewered like a piece of meat on a stick. Even so, many other attacks targeting us followed in succession.

“You’re dodging well!”

Hehe.

The sea dragon moved at breakneck speed under my command.

“Good job.”

I patted the sea dragon’s back and adjusted my posture again.

“It really gives me that bike riding feeling. So nice.”

I tucked my legs back, bending my knees tight around the sea dragon’s torso, pulling the reins short with all my might and pressing my upper body tightly against its back.

I recall the time I rode Mammon’s bike, cruising at 300 km/h.

Those moments racing across the demon world’s wasteland with the three of the Deep Dark Council flash back as well.

Of course, I can’t reach that kind of speed right now.

The sea dragon has its limits too, but because of the coward clinging to my back.

“Lucius, I’m losing my strength! Hold on tighter.”

“Yes, yes!”

Lucius, sitting behind me on the saddle, fumbled around my waist.

“Grip it right. Put more strength into it. Like holding a sword. Don’t just rest your hands there, grip it tight like a handle.”

“It might break if I do that…”

“It won’t break that easily. Belselphia’s battle gear is sturdier than you think. As long as you don’t think it’ll break, it won’t.”

“No, I mean…”

“Moving again! Hold tight!”

Normally, Lucius would be the one supporting me from behind.

However, Lucius was not merely supporting me but instead stiffly upright, hindering the sea dragon’s forward momentum.

“Pointlessly strong thighs.”

After having him do squats every night, his thighs are stronger than mine, yet he’s treating my waist like it’s a cake while not even bending down, meaning the water resistance is being fully felt by the sea dragon, which is capable of swimming much faster than 200 km/h.

“This isn’t going to work. Get lower. You need to stick to me tightly to reduce water resistance.”

“Yes?”

“I’m telling you to cling completely! Use your body to press against me.”

“I-it’s really necessary to do that?”

“Can’t you see we aren’t going fast enough? Or would you rather stay that close to the sea dragon?!”

“N-no way!”

With a strong shout, Lucius bent forward.

In one breath, he pressed his chest against my back.

But still, instead of wrapping his arms around my waist, his elbows were angled backward.

“Ha. Even this is better than nothing. But you’ll at least go a little faster. The tempo has been too slow up until now.”

“W-was it too slow?”

“Yes. You can go faster. I can send you right to the Demon King…Leviathan.”

I pointed behind us.

“If one hero kills the Demon King, the battle is over. Then there’s no need for those warriors from Belselphia to fight and risk their lives.”

Waaaaah—!!

The army rushing out from Belselphia had already clashed with Leviathan’s forces in battle.

The blue sea started to stain with the blood of Leviathan’s soldiers in no time, while our party actively fought against Leviathan’s forces from atop the sea dragon.

Rosmas was sniping directly with coral arrows instead of wind.

Droniel became a sea dragon knight, skillfully maneuvering the sea dragon in the waters and slicing enemies with his sword.

Yan, instead of riding the sea dragon, held onto the connected rope, launching a spear made of divine power at the beast infused with magic.

“Everyone’s fighting well. But if this continues, they’ll start getting hurt or dying one by one. So we need to break through this frontline, right?”

While the main forces are fighting, Lucius and I become a separate squad.

“All the monsters here will bow their heads to Celcius if Leviathan dies. Or we can wipe them all out. As long as we take down Leviathan, everything will be resolved. So…”

“So we need to find and kill Leviathan among all these monsters, right?”

“Pretty much.”

It’s really freaking hard to find him.

Even now, as we talk, sea water is attacking us.

“So we need to quickly find the hiding Leviathan, grr…?!”

Kishaaaaaaaa!!

“Dodge!”

If I weren’t wearing a fish tank like a helmet, and if Lucius weren’t the Hero of the Holy Sword, we wouldn’t even be able to have a conversation.

“Too many attacks, really.”

We may be a separate squad but we could also be considered special forces, yet it’s just the three of us—me, Lucius, and the sea dragon—charging in with no backup at all.

Naturally, all the enemies in the front and rear are trying to attack us.

They’re probably targeting me.

“If it’s Leviathan, he must have noticed me by now.”

From everything I’ve gathered while living on the surface, the monsters can smell my magic core and want to kill me.

Even though I’m way stronger, they aim to eat me to become stronger, trying to make my magic core, which is in my heart, theirs.

Even if it means their own death.

It’s not just because I’m smack in the enemy’s territory, but they bear the risk of death just to try and eat me, so can I really have a proper conversation?

Therefore, I transmit my thoughts through mana.

By channeling my mana to the reins fastened to the dragon’s mouth and neck, I convey the optimal dodging path to the sea dragon from my viewpoint.

Northwest. 30 degrees. 10 o’clock.

Turn.

Kaboom!

Following the direction I indicated with my mana, the sea dragon changed its course.

It moved forward in a gentle upward curve, and the two sea monsters that had just approached from the left and right collided, biting each other.

“Where are you hiding?”

I can dodge as much as I want.

I can maneuvers like this to induce mutual destruction.

But this only prolongs our time; the real enemy I need to take down hasn’t shown up.

“Where is Leviathan?”

Nowhere in sight.

Considering his tendencies, he wouldn’t just send his subordinates out.

He’s probably hiding his huge body, and I just can’t find it.

Then…

“I need to make him come out.”

“Lucius!”

I called out to Lucius and pointed at the massive sea dragon approaching us from the front.

“Deep Sea Serpent! You can do that, right?!”

“T-that?!”

“This!!”

I reached my hand out to Lucius and lightly drew a horizontal line with just my finger.

“Yes!”

Fortunately, Lucius understood right away, and I turned my gaze back forward.

“Ugh.”

The massive jaws approaching straight at us felt like a cave was coming, with writhing parasites clinging to the inner walls of its mouth.

“Are you ready for that?!”

“……!!”

Lucius nodded vigorously, and I had to create the right angle for him to shine.

The optimal timing.

Just before the enormous mouth sucked us in, I turned my head precisely to escape from its jaws.

“Winds!”

Lucius extended one hand sideways and drew out the Golden Holy Sword.

As the golden sword sliced through the sea creatures, it manifested terrifyingly, and when it took shape,

Swoosh—

It cleanly cleaved the edge of the immense sea beast’s mouth.

Not just thrusting it in, but slicing through it as if cutting pudding, the holy sword cut through the massive sea creature, matching the sea dragon’s speed.

Golden storm.

Ascalon, Overdrive.

Swoosh—!!

The moment the holy sword touched the massive creature’s tail.

Blaaaaaaaw—!!!

The serpent, whose body measured in tens of meters, spread out like a fan.

“Come out, Demon King!!”

While tightly gripping my waist with one hand, Lucius raised the holy sword triumphantly and shouted.

“I shall pierce you with my holy sword!!

…Next time, I need to teach him some proper entrance lines.

 

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