Chapter 387: The World's Biggest

In the natural world, size equals strength. The greater the size of a being is, the more visually one can sense how powerful it is, and it is the same for all races. Of course, in some cases, the smaller ones act together to defeat the larger one. Sometimes, even in one-on-one battles, the smaller one can win. A good example is Haruna’s victory at the mine site against the Ash Kobold Boss, who was more than twice of her body size, or her victory against Humba Bamdala, the gigantic monkey that was about 40 meters long that she encountered in the snowy mountains of Snowtail.

However, these are only rare cases, and in most cases, the one with the bigger body will win. Just like large carnivorous dinosaurs roamed the earth during the Cretaceous Period, dragons with huge bodies have always been revered as symbols of awe and as incarnations of gods. Being huge is strength and justice. Rimudo, the world’s biggest monster, is a symbol of that.

「Whoa!? I-Is it an earthquake!?」

「No, Rumodo-san is about to move! As I said earlier, this eighth island itself is Rimudo-san!」

「This island itself!?」

The shaking is getting bigger, and rocks are starting to fall. The first thing that began to move was the rocky surface underfoot――no, Rimudo’s dragon scales. The place that was the top of the mountain turned into a horned head, and from the road leading to it, wings on a scale that covered the sky and strong arms that could crush an entire island appeared. The falling rocks that rolled down the mountain seemed to have been reinforced in places to mimic the rocky mountain. The size of the falling rocks is very big, but it would be easy for the current Haruna and the others to deal with them. However, they are being overwhelmed by Rimudo’s size that they are dumbfounded.

「Uwaah….」

「Oi oi oi oi oi oi oi! There’s a limit to everything!」

「The monster that Haruna fought in the snowy mountains was as big as a mountain, but Rimudo-san is beyond that vague metaphor. He’s the mountain itself…!」

The height of Rimudo, who’s gradually revealing his dragon figure, is now over 1000 meters even though he hasn’t yet stood up. Considering that his legs are under the surface of the sea, it’s still not everything. Chinatsu has been having a stomachache from the beginning, but she has no time to keep worrying. Thus, she fully operates her head to find the best move they can make right now.

「Everyone, listen! Our objective is to break through the trial, in other words, to get the golden fruit that’s stuck in Rimudo-san’s horn! There’s no need to defeat Hund-san!」

「But, Chinatsu-chan, isn’t this a good opportunity? Isn’t it okay to defeat him?」

「It’s not! It’s impossible! Haruna, do you think you can beat Nell-shishō and Deris-san with your current ability!?」

「No, it’s impossible! Ah, I see. If I want to challenge him, I have to train more!」

Haruna nodded many times, perhaps because she was convinced from the bottom of her heart.

「That’s right! So now, let’s do our best to go to Rimudo-san’s head where the fruit is! The rocky mountain alone is dangerous, but now that he’s moving, I can’t even imagine what kind of harm will come! Probably, even talking iiiIIISSS~~~~!?」

「Wheah!?」

「Umuu!?」

Chinatsu and the others let out hysteric voices in the middle of the conversation. Well, that was inevitable. After all, Rimudo’s huge body began to float in the air at the same time he flapped his wings. The act itself was not so different from the air transportation that Satella had just shown. However, it was bad for them since his size is so big.

(H-He is flying!? He’s flying with this super-heavy body!?)

No matter how extraordinary his wings are, there’s no way an object with that much mass can fly. Chinatsu wanted to believe so, in light of her own common sense. However, the reality is harsh. No matter what Chinatsu thinks, the scene won’t change.

The mountain moves. The mere act of moving a mountain would generate a tremendous amount of energy. If Rimudo moves even one step, a tsunami will occur, and a terrible earth tremor will be transmitted to the surroundings. If he flaps his wings, the wind pressure alone would blow away the entire surrounding area without a trace. Thanks to the barriers created by Satella and her children, there’s no worry that the impact would leak outside, but the safety inside is not promised. Rather, the energy that was supposed to go out stays within the space, leading to an even more disastrous situation.

「Uwooh, the wind is…!」

「C-Cling to the ground with all your might! If not, you will be blown away by this storm!」

「I’m sorry! I can’t hear you because of the wind!」

「Still, the rock is so hard! Even my bone can’t pierce it! There’s no choice but to forcibly grab it with grip strength! I can manage by changing my legs, but are you okay!?」

「Hund-kun, I can’t hear you!」

「Umu! You look fine, Haruna!」

「IIIII CAAAAN’T HEAAAAR YOUUUU!」

Haruna and Hund continue to shout in one-way traffic. Apparently, the strong wind and the roaring sound in the surroundings are disturbing them, so they can’t communicate with each other even if they are shouting with all their might. Chinatsu bit her lips as her worries came true. She regretted that she didn’t realize it a little earlier.

「Ugh…! On this scale… even if he just flew… I feel like my body would be torn…!」

And the one who is at risk the most in this situation is Chinatsu. Haruna and Hund can rely on their grip strength to grab the rock surface, but Chinatsu’s strength is several times weaker than the two. Her beloved katana, Iwatōshi, might be able to thrust into the hard ground, but its fragile blade would break after that. Moreover, Chinatsu herself has low durability and is very fragile compared to the other three. Chinatsu’s body was already starting to scream from the violence of the wind approaching from all directions.

「Oi, Chinatsu! Get on my back!」

「E-Ehh…?」

「Argh, come on! I will wrap you with my ki!」

Touko, who was standing right next to Chinatsu before she knew it, beckoned her. At that moment, Chinatsu was wrapped by Touko’s ki, and the painful strong wind was weakened. Chinatsu clings to Touko’s back, and the distance between them becomes closer.

「If we’re this close, we can hear each other’s voices. Are you okay, Chinatsu?」

「Y-Yes, somehow…. Thank you, Touko. You’re a lifesaver. But, Touko, why do you seem to be okay? If I’m not wrong, you were only as strong as me, right?」

「Well, I’m using the birdlime bullet. I’m increasing the adhesiveness of the hands and feet parts that are touching the rock, and the part that’s sticking to Chinatsu. It’s not going to come off unless something really bad happens, you know? Even if you loosen your power, you don’t fall off, right?」

「Ah, you’re right…」

Even if Chinatsu loosened the clinging force a little, there was no sign of her being shaken off from Touko’s back. There’s a sense of security like that of a proper safety bar of a roller coaster. The scenery around her, which she had not been able to see much of earlier, is now clearly visible.

「Whoa!? Even though he’s big, he’s somersaulting in the air! We won’t fall, but this is tough…!」

「Ah, it’s kind of fun.」

「…… Ha?」

The girl who loves thrill rides is about to awaken.