Word Spirit (è¨é).
A term referring to the power residing in speech.
The name sounds grand, but it doesn't mean something incredibly amazing. No, to be precise, it seems both grand and special, yet also not quite.
In the past, an old Olympic fencer, competing for a gold medal, repeated these words to himself:
'I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.'
Overcoming a disadvantageous situation, he eventually defeated his opponent and claimed the gold medal.
This is Word Spirit.
It is the act of imbuing oneself with strong trust and power through the strength and will residing in words.
A power anyone can wield, open to everyone.
Yes.
That's what I thought.
Until I saw its power.
「Scatter.」
At its single word, the snowflakes falling from the sky grew thicker and swirled more violently.
「Crush.」
"Kugh…!"
Mana, imbued with its own weight, descended upon Angela's shoulders, who stood at the very front of the formation, pressing her down from above.
It was an unbelievable sight.
To be able to control mana, as fickle as a spoiled child, with just a single word, like its own limbs… no, even more easily than that.
Grandpa Merlin, dumbfounded by the opponent's overwhelming power, asked again in disbelief.
"Is that truly Word Spirit?"
"Yes, I'm certain."
They couldn't understand the words the dragon uttered.
But I could hear them.
Its sharp words, forged with strong will.
I don't know why only I can hear them, but one thing is certain.
"It must be because of that power that it revealed traces it had kept hidden for 30 years."
Time is on the dragon's side.
Unlike humans, who weaken with age, dragons grow stronger as they get older.
Their tough hides become even tougher, and their hard claws and teeth grow sharper.
That's not all.
Dragons naturally absorb surrounding mana as easily as breathing, accumulating it steadily in their hearts.
Endlessly, continuously, until the moment of death.
This is why dragons are recognized as the strongest creatures, both in novels and in reality.
However, conversely, it also means their maturation period is long compared to humans, who live for mere fleeting moments.
For humans, 30 years is enough time to delve deeply into a skill, but for a dragon, 30 years is merely the equivalent of a long nap.
Therefore, there's a limit to how quickly they can grow stronger.
The dragon before us seemed to understand this well.
"It must have grown impatient."
It wanted to avenge its father, who was killed by humans, but human life is finite.
Only a few decades remained for its revenge.
"Even a dragon wouldn't have been confident."
Dragons are powerful beings from birth.
But even it would have found it difficult to guarantee victory.
Because humans, when viewed individually, are utterly insignificant, but when they unite, they wield great power.
Moreover, hadn't its own father died at the hands of humans?
"So, it seems it made a choice and focused."
Choice and focus.
The dragon boldly gave up its slumber and concentrated on the training that weak humans undertake.
Choosing a power that was incredibly fast, absolute, potent, and even versatile.
"Aha!"
Grandpa Merlin, realizing something from my rambling words amidst the ongoing battle, opened his mouth.
"Among the ancient texts discovered beyond the Rifts, it was written that old dragons, called 'Elder Dragons,' could wield their own special language, 'Dragon Speech (é¾è¨)'! That must be it!"
Dragon Speech, huh.
From a human perspective, unable to understand the meaning of its words, it was certainly fitting to describe it that way.
No, in fact, it wouldn't be wrong to call it their unique power.
There's no way another race could wield such absurd supernatural abilities with just a single word.
"So…!"
Angela, struggling to lift her heavy shoulders while desperately fending off the opponent's attacks at the very front, shouted her question.
"How are we supposed to fight that?!"
Right.
What's important now is understanding the opponent's power and finding a way to counter it.
But all I've done so far is understand.
"…Honestly, I'm at a loss. I don't know what to do about it."
I know the method.
We just need to land an attack on that massive body before it finishes speaking.
The problem is how to do that.
Didn't we just see it?
Irina's miraculous swordsmanship and Grandpa Merlin's magic, all disappearing before they could even reach.
"Then there's no way… kugh, no way at all?!"
A way.
There isn't no way.
No, there can't be no way.
Because then we'll all die right here.
Moreover, our deaths would only be the beginning.
The first step of a dragon filled with hatred for humanity.
If we can't stop it, it's clear that countless nations and people will suffer.
"Buy me some time."
"How much?!"
"Uh… a lot?"
I don't really know how long it'll take.
*
CRASH!
CLANG!
SHRED!
THUD!
On the snow-covered ground, deafening roars that threatened to burst eardrums continuously echoed.
While the party members struggled against the young dragon's indiscriminate attacks, Kim Dojin alone stood in deep thought.
He pulled his gaze away from the incessant, violent groans and noises, and repeated inwardly,
'Focus.'
He etched the word 'Focus' in white letters before his dark eyes.
The threads of his consciousness, which had been scattered haphazardly, gradually narrowed, encircling his surroundings.
The violent noises that had been ringing moments ago slowly subsided, finally reaching a realm of silence.
It was a perilous act.
One wrong move, and he could be utterly defenseless against the opponent's attacks.
Yet, knowing this, he could remain so calm because he believed.
"Hwaaaah!"
"Hup!"
"Spatial Transfer."
"Holy Protection…!"
Because he, too, believed without an ounce of doubt in his comrades, who had simply trusted him and replied 'Understood' when he asked them to buy him time, without asking anything further.
'Focus.'
He enveloped his surroundings with incredibly sharp senses.
'Focus.'
To live up to their trust.
To survive.
Not for humanity's sake, though…
His senses, settled as calmly as a still lake, slowly spread out from his body.
'Feel.'
He read.
The mana contained within the snow piling up on his head and shoulders.
The dragon's will residing within that mana.
-「Steal.」
Responding to that will, the falling snow was continuously stealing their mana.
It had settled in this snowy mountain for this very purpose.
Having chosen Word Spirit as its main weapon, this place was no longer a vulnerable spot for it.
Rather, it was merely a backdrop that accentuated its strengths.
'Feel.'
Kim Dojin marveled as he watched the dragon abuse Word Spirit.
It was an realm that could never be easily reached.
Simply imbuing words with strong will was difficult enough, but an even greater talent was required.
'Overwhelming talent for mana.'
More precisely, mastery or dominance.
A power meant for dragons, who are born with an immense amount of mana in their hearts.
Thus, a power no other race could easily covet.
However, Kim Dojin, on the contrary, saw a path there.
Didn't he also possess it?
That overwhelming dominance over mana.
'It's familiar.'
Word Spirit was not a power far removed from him.
Through countless life-or-death crises, it wasn't just his comrades who sustained him.
His belief in himself.
His confidence in the efforts he had accumulated.
Hadn't he grown stronger through words like 'I can do it,' 'I will definitely win,' for all those things?
However, that power had always been limited to himself.
'The problem is how to draw it out and project it outwards.'
How to spread the power of words, which only affected him, to his surroundings.
Amidst the vanished sounds, only the words uttered by the dragon struck like lightning.
「Kneel.」
He heard it.
The solemn voice spreading out into the world.
He felt it.
The image contained within those words, the picture it sought to achieve.
And the flow of mana, faithfully following the picture it drew to realize it.
'I've got it.'
A tiny fragment.
The most important thing in executing Word Spirit is the image.
How clearly and distinctly one shoves their will and image into the words they utter.
It had to be incredibly intense.
Intense enough to dye mana, which merely flows and drifts through the world according to its given role without any will of its own, with one's own intent.
And that etched will had to be spread far and wide.
With a dominance that vastly surpassed humans, a dominance that could rival a dragon's.
He dyed the surrounding mana entirely with his will.
To do this, he pictured it in his mind.
The snow covering his head and shoulders, melting away from the scorching heat of burning flames.
With an intense will to absolutely make it so, he stretched out his hand and shouted,
"Melt away…!"
A deep voice pierced through the battlefield, where violent crashing sounds echoed.
Simultaneously, the snow piled on his head and shoulders fell to the ground with a thud.
Due to the vigorous movement he displayed with his shout.
That was it.
Far from the image of melting snow he desired, not even a hint of heat was felt.
"What are you doing right now?"
Everyone's gaze turned to him.
His confident shout seemed to have pierced through the intense noise.
Even the dragon's gaze, looking utterly bewildered, joined them.
"Uh, well."
He wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.