So I'm a Dragon, So What? - Game System [94]

Dozens of figures in dark robes moved like shadows through the trees, closing in on their position with unnatural speed. 

A visible aura of burning life force shimmered around each of them, as if they had been doused in gasoline and set alight, the very air around them distorting with heat.

These were the Divine Religion’s suicide bombers. Human bombs.

The moment Elliot completed his summoning, these zealots would rush from the woods, swarm him, and hold him in place. 

Then, Otto would only need to use a simple space magic spell to whisk Emilia away, and these living bombs would detonate. 

Even an Earth Dragon, caught in the epicenter of such a massive, concentrated explosion, would be blown to pieces. 

No matter how powerful you were, you couldn't fight back if you were already dead.

"Your Holiness," a ninja whispered from the shadows, his voice a mere rustle of leaves in the Pontiff's ear, "the enemy's 'suicide squad' is closing in." 

The ninja’s brow was furrowed with worry. Dealing with one such fearless zealot was manageable. But dozens of them appearing at once… that was far beyond what his small team could handle.

"Hmph." Pontiff Dustin let out a cold snort and took a staff from one of the mages beside him. 

Dustin’s personal combat ability was nothing special, but his self-preservation skills were second to none. A cunning old fox like him wouldn't have survived longer than the Demon Lord otherwise.

He, too, saw life as a resource to be spent, but he despised the Pontiff of the Divine Religion. Dustin might sacrifice the few to save the many, but only as a last, terrible resort. 

The Divine Religion, on the other hand, treated the lives of their own people as utterly worthless. It had become a routine part of their doctrine. 

To sacrifice oneself for the Holy Faith is the greatest honor!

Emilia’s body tensed. Her senses were incredibly sharp. Though she couldn't see anything, she could feel the atmosphere shift in a matter of seconds. 

The air grew thick, heavy, and oppressive. She knew, in that brief span of time, a silent, deadly chess match had just been played out between the two sides. 

And in the face of such overwhelming power, she felt utterly small and helpless. The pressure was so intense, she almost felt like giving up would be a relief.

It was a common feeling for newcomers to a real battle. 

The psychological warfare, the silent clash of wills before the first blow is even struck, can be more terrifying than the fight itself. 

It’s like a rookie boxer who looks great in training but freezes up under the bright lights, the roar of the crowd, the sheer presence of their opponent. 

Ten-tenths of their strength in practice becomes one-tenth in the ring. It’s why so many self-proclaimed "number ones" fall apart on a real battlefield.

Combat wasn't a training exercise. It was instantaneous, a test of reaction and nerve, not just raw power. 

Of course, if you were a stat monster like Demon Lord Ariel, you could just charge through everything. 

But beings like her, or Saitama from that other story, were exceedingly rare. Most of the time, battles were fought by mortals. Gods didn't typically get involved.

Except for Elliot.

Throughout the silent standoff, as he constructed his summoning spell, Elliot’s expression remained as calm and unruffled as a still lake. 

He noticed Emilia’s growing fear and anxiety. 

He paused for a moment, then, from somewhere, he produced a single, ripe apple and placed it in her hand.

The simple gesture made everyone, Otto, the Pontiff, even the hidden zealots, freeze. They stared, their minds racing, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind his action.

A seemingly ordinary apple… could it be some kind of secret weapon? A trigger for a hidden spell?

The unexpected move only ratcheted up the tension. Emilia looked down at the apple in her palm, then back at Elliot, her expression a mask of confusion. She had no idea why he would do such a thing at a time like this.

Elliot just smiled and spoke, his voice calm and clear.

"If you choose to become the Saintess of the elves," Elliot's voice was low and calm, cutting through the tense silence, "they will give you the finest treatment, the highest status. But if you choose to stay with us, I can't offer you what they can. What I can offer… is at least the peace of mind to finish an apple."

Emilia looked down at the simple fruit in her hand, then up at him. A sweet, genuine smile bloomed on her face. It was strange. With Lord Elliot by her side, the suffocating fear that had gripped her heart seemed to fade away.

In the middle of a silent, deadly battlefield, Emilia lifted the apple to her lips. The crisp crunch as she took a bite was the only sound in the unnaturally still forest. 

The sweet juice filled her mouth, and with it came a profound sense of peace and freedom.

Seeing this, Elliot nodded, his own expression hardening, turning serious once more. The summoning ritual was complete.

A small, child-like figure materialized in front of him.

"Answering the summons. Kanna Kamui, reporting."

The little dragon girl, Kanna, looked up at Elliot with a blank, dazed expression, seemingly oblivious to the incredible danger surrounding them.

The moment Cardinal Otto saw the little dragon, his eye began to twitch uncontrollably. He felt a profound sense of humiliation, as if his intelligence itself was being mocked. 

He had expected this Elliot, this powerful anomaly, to summon some legendary archfiend, some heaven-defying demon. 

But instead… he had summoned a little girl! An unbelievably cute loli, at that!

Unless you're some kind of sick pervert, what use is summoning a child in a fight?! We elves don't fall for such tricks!

Otto was genuinely furious now. He felt like Elliot was testing the very limits of his patience. Summoning a little girl… is he looking down on the Divine Religion?

Pontiff Dustin was also stunned for a long moment. He never would have imagined Lord Elliot's summoned beast would be such an adorable, and seemingly non-threatening, young dragon. It was… completely unexpected. 

Honestly, he was a little disappointed. Had Lord Elliot run out of tricks? Was he planning to use this little dragon as a meat shield? 

After all, any dragon, no matter how small, possessed the [Reverse Scale] ability, making them immune to 99% of magic damage. 

Many warriors coated their shields in dragon's blood or forged armor from their scales for this very reason.

But Elliot paid no mind to their thoughts. He simply reached out and patted Kanna's head, the corner of his mouth twitching into a barely perceptible smile. 

These people… they're all being fooled by Kanna's appearance. This child's base stats were even higher than his own. She was, in every sense of the word, a walking nuclear warhead.

"It's Lady Kanna!" Emilia exclaimed in delight.