"The skill can't be granted? That means…"
"I could barely enhance the flight capability. But, any form of magical protection has failed… At this rate, the hero is exposed to danger in the flesh…"
The face of Princess Anastasia turned pale and she tightly closed her eyes, trembling.
It's easy for anyone to imagine the extraordinary situation that has arisen.
"Humans can't defeat a Winged Dragon in the flesh. It excels in long-range attacks from above, the hero can only swing his sword up close…"
"Isn't there something we can do? Some kind of skill or power that might support the hero, even if it's just a psychological boost…"
In response to my words, as someone who knows nothing concrete about magic, the princess shook her head vigorously.
"No, it's impossible… I've never faced a situation like this before, not even in the final battle against the demon king. I've always been able to protect the hero…"
With tears welling up in her large eyes, Princess Anastasia's voice quivered. She bit her lip so hard it was almost bleeding and she could do nothing but watch the hero as he confronted the Winged Dragon from a distance.
"Hey, where's Alex now? Is he heading towards that dragon?"
"Yes… Can you see that red light? That's the King's sword, in other words, where the hero is."
Looking in the direction the princess pointed, I could indeed see a bright red star-like object twinkling in the night sky. It was approaching the Winged Dragon at an incredible speed, or rather, it was getting dangerously close.
I concentrate mana in my eyes with the intent of zooming in, and it works, I can see him clearly now.
'I wonder if the hero knows about the princess's condition… He must think he's been granted skills and is rushing in without a second thought, but…'
A bad premonition crossed my mind. Perhaps he intends to die in this battle.
"Princess, I'm not sure if this is correct, but…"
"Yes…?"
"Could we gather the Priesthood and your friend Muriel and provide full support to the hero? After all, the priests were the ones who summoned me from another world, so at the very least, they should be able to do that, right? And Muriel fought together with you guys."
Yes, that's right. In this world, it's not just the princess who can use magic. I didn't understand the specifics of each individual's abilities, but with enough people, we should be able to support the hero.
"Yes… Yes! I'll mobilize the Priesthood right away…" The princess left hurriedly after finding a way to help.
With that, the princess quickly left the room and I watched the hero as he got closer to the dragon, with a feeling of helplessness. I'm not a fighter... I can't really step in the air and fight a dragon... But, my years of being a weeb weren't wasted.
Suddenly the sky brightened with an explosion. BOOM!
Wow, that was probably the Sorceress.
Even if I'm like this… I can try to do something on this crucial moment.
I do not have time to think about something complex.
"Don't die, Alex… If you die, the princess…"
The inside of the castle was getting increasingly restless. Everyone watched the hero as he fought the dragon from a distance, but not a single person could intervene. The hero's red light suddenly approached the Winged Dragon and struck its wings with a single blow.
"Watch out!"
But, they couldn't afford to die either. The Winged Dragon, flapping its large wings, swept the hero aside with a movement that seemed as effortless as swatting a bug. Just as I imagined the future where his body would be thrown away, a dazzling light rose from the ground.
"Mr. Daniel! Can you hear me?!"
"Princess…?"
The voice of the princess was sharp and resolute, unlike anything I had ever heard before.
I leaned out of the window in a hurry and cast my gaze down to the courtyard of the castle. There, I saw the figure of Saintess Anastasia, accompanied by several priests.
Complex and large magical circles were drawn at their feet.
"Yes! I can hear you, but…"
"In that case, please continue to listen. Mr. Daniel, from now on, through you, we will indirectly supply magical power to the hero!"
"What!?"
I shouted in response to Princess Anastasia's determined words.
"How would that be possible?"
"If it's not Daniel, it won't work! You're the only one who can receive my magical power right now…"
With great conviction, the princess said this and gazed up at me.
I confess, while I was shaking looking at the giant dragon in the sky, a part of me was in awe as well... After all, it's a Dragon! And also because it is a Dragon. Even though I was shaking in my boots despite being the older one, the hero and the princess who were both much younger than me were doing their best.
I guess that's the difference between heroes and a ordinary person.
...
NO!
Anastasia said that I was also a hero, even if I don't believe it... She believed. I can't stand here trembling. I need to do something.
I had no choice but to believe on her. After all, the words came from Princess Anastasia herself.
"Alright… I get it. I'll do everything I can, but… don't expect too much."
I leaned out of the window and the priests began chanting.
Simultaneously, Princess Anastasia gave me instructions.
"Keep your hands in front of you. Can you see the hero's position from there?"
"Yes! It's the red one, right?"
The hero's sword was attempting to cut off the Winged Dragon's wing.
He almost severed it but the tip of that cut was just one step away from reaching the main body.
Straining my eyes to keep it in view, I followed the princess's instructions and extended my hands forward. As I did so, my fingertips started to feel slightly warm.
"Please stay that way, Daniel… I'm going to do it. Summoning Skill Set…"
I felt not only the power of the priests but also something akin to the princess's magic. The sensation is hard to put into words, but with every beat of my heart, my fingertips grew warmer.
'I'm counting on you… Reach him!'
With a particularly loud battle cry, the Winged Dragon flapped its still functional wing. But at the same time, the hero raised his sword. The red light expanded many times larger than before and eventually turned into a massive blade that cleaved the dragon.
"Did… did he do it?"
At the very least, it looked to me like the hero's sword had cut through the Winged Dragon.
However, the Winged Dragon, with its massive body now tilted and painted in blood with a long gash running through it, still had a bit of fight left. It swung its large claws at the hero just before it could be defeated.
"Alex!"
The moment I thought it was bad, it was already too late. The red light that had been visible until now was knocked down by the large claw.
BOOM!
The sound traveled until here.
What the fuck?!