Danmachi: The little King of Nothing

"AHHHHHHHHH—!"

The scream tore through the clouds as Regulus plummeted through the sky, wind howling past his ears.

Above him, a massive emerald-scaled dragon loomed, its golden eyes tracking his fall with cold intelligence.

Around them, dozens more winged beasts circled like vultures, their wingbeats sending tremors through the air. 

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!" Regulus roared up at the creature, his voice nearly lost in the gale. 

The dragon didn't react. It simply watched, as if waiting for gravity to do its work. 

Fine. Then I'll make you move.

"O Heavens—!"

Regulus' hands moved in a blur, his chant accelerating to a near-incomprehensible pace. 

"AS I'VE WRITTEN—!" 

A glowing book and quill materialized before him. He snatched the quill midair and began scribbling furiously, the ink trailing like smoke as the words formed. 

The green dragon dives down to kill the human in anger

The green dragon's pupils narrowed. Then—it dove. 

Its maw yawned wide, rows of dagger-like teeth glinting as it hurtled toward him, intent on swallowing him whole. 

Regulus smirked. Right on time.

A sudden gust of wind blows, pushing the human off the dragon's way.

At the last second, he twisted in midair, his free hand latching onto one of the dragon's scales as it shot past. The force nearly ripped his arm from its socket, but he held on, swinging himself onto the beast's back. 

The dragon shrieked in outrage, its body bucking violently. Regulus gritted his teeth, driving his sword deep between its scales. 

"ROOOOAAAAARR—!" 

The cry of pain sent the other dragons into a frenzy. They descended like falling stars, claws and fangs bared. 

Regulus didn't let go. Instead, he hooked his foot around the sword's pommel, anchoring himself as his hands returned to the floating book. 

Bow and arrows manifest, each arrow imbued with the power to pierce adamantite, securely fastened for quick draws.

The next verse blazed across the page. 

Bowstrings materialized in the air around him, each arrow humming with a piercing glow—adamantite-rending enchantments woven into their tips. 

THWIP. THWIP. THWIP. 

Every shot struck true. Dragon after dragon fell from the sky, their wings shredded, their throats punctured. But the survivors adapted fast—too fast. They wove through the air, using their fallen kin's corpses as shields. 

Regulus gaped. "THAT'S CHEATING!!" 

Since when did dragons fight tactically?! 

No time to complain. He yanked his sword free, kicked off the green dragon's back, and fired mid-leap. 

The arrow streaked toward the beast's left eye— 

And an arrow of fire approaches the other

---

The ground shook as two figures darted through the battlefield, their small stature belying the precision of their movements. 

The one in front carved through infant dragons with efficiency. His short sword moved in economical arcs – no wasted motion, no hesitation. Each swing left another scaled corpse in his wake. 

The other kept pace effortlessly despite her heavy burden. The bulging satchels strapped to her back would have staggered a grown man, but she wove through the chaos with unnatural grace. 

"I'm gonna kill you!!!!" 

The distant scream from above went ignored. Their mission left no room for distractions. 

"How long till we reach the goal?!" the Sword Wielder shouted between strikes. 

"Just another hundred meters!" the Carrier responded without breaking stride. 

BOOM— 

The sudden explosion nearly knocked them off their feet. The shockwave sent debris flying as the Sword Wielder raised an arm to shield his face. 

"The hell?! That was way stronger than what she said!" he cursed, spitting out dirt. 

The Carrier didn't pause. She grabbed his wrist in a vice-like grip. "No time! Keep moving!" 

ROOOAAARR—! 

An infant dragon landed before them, its claws digging furrows in the earth. Venom dripped from its fangs as it prepared to strike. 

The Carrier's movements suddenly became erratic – her steps weaving an unpredictable pattern that made the dragon hesitate. Even the Sword Wielder blinked in momentary confusion at her disorienting dance. 

"We're here!!" he shouted the moment he regained focus. 

"Switch!" the Carrier commanded. 

Without missing a beat, the Sword Wielder engaged the dragon, his blade flashing to intercept its claws. The Carrier sprinted past, already rummaging through her satchels. 

"Get out of the way!" 

The Sword Wielder disengaged just as the Carrier hurled a glass orb. It shattered against the dragon's chest, releasing a torrent of crimson flames that clung to its flesh like liquid death. 

Yet the beast kept coming, its body melting even as it dragged itself forward with single-minded fury. 

"HURRRYYYY!!!!" the Sword Wielder screamed, his blade raised defensively. 

The Carrier didn't respond. Her fingers flew across the small device she'd assembled on the ground, making final adjustments with terrifying calm. 

The dying dragon's jaws gaped above them— 

CLICK. 

A pulse of blinding light erupted from the device— 

---

The swarm of dragons blotted out the sky, their massive wings creating a thunderous cacophony. Yet a single shaft of sunlight broke through, illuminating the freckles dusting the girl's face as she carried Nyx in a princess hold. 

Nyx's shadows slithered beneath them, carving into the earth without pause. 

"Lady Nyx, what are you doing?!" the freckled apostle shouted over the dragon's roars. 

Nyx grinned up at her. "What does it look like? Digging our escape tunnel!" 

"I can't hold them off much longer!" The girl adjusted her grip as a juvenile dragon snapped at them. 

"Then start chanting!" Nyx commanded. 

The ground gave way. 

They plummeted into darkness just as a massive claw swiped through empty air where they'd stood. The apostle gasped but didn't falter - her voice rang out clear in the subterranean void: 

"I am the apostle of revelation! 

The harbinger in pursuit—" 

Dragons crowded the hole's entrance above, their serpentine eyes glowing in the dim light. 

"Let the beginning of the end come forth, 

The world shining bright in white!" 

Still falling, the apostle raised her free hand. The air around her fingers shimmered with gathering heat. 

"I call upon thee, Surtr! 

Lend me your flame!" 

Nyx's grin widened as she watched the magic coalesce. 

"Burn those above me, 

And shower the world in a brilliant explosion!" 

A compact sphere of crimson fire launched upward— 

"LAEVATEINN!" 

The leading dragon instinctively opened its maw— 

—and swallowed the spell whole. 

For one heartbeat, silence. 

Then— 

BOOM. 

The world above burned.

The dust hadn't even settled from the first explosion when Nyx broke the silence.

"Chant again. This time—make it bigger."

The freckled girl's arms trembled slightly around Nyx's form. "Lady Nyx, I'm already close to mind zero..."

Nyx winked up at her. "We'll have to fight them eventually. Might as well do it here where it's safe."

A long-suffering sigh escaped the apostle's lips. "How does Regulus put up with you? You're worse than my master."

"He loves me," Nyx answered without hesitation, flicking the girl's forehead. "Now look."

The freckled girl blinked—then stiffened as recognition dawned. "Oh. This location is—"

"—perfect," Nyx finished, producing a small device from her sleeve. "I'm activating the magic item. Stop resisting and burn those monsters to cinders."

The apostle's eye twitched violently. "You'd better take care of my body afterward, Lady Nyx."

Nyx aimed the device upward with a smirk. "Don't worry, little apostle. You'll rest peacefully in night's embrace."

A glare. "Your bed will suffice."

Then—

The chant began anew.

"I am the apostle of revelation—"

The air shimmered with gathering heat, far more intense than before. The freckled girl's freckles seemed to glow as she forced her magic upward—away from their fragile underground sanctuary.

"LAEVATEINN!"

This time, the fireball erupted midair like fireworks.

Flames rained down in a thousand burning arrows, each ember seeking scaled flesh with unnatural precision. The flames clung and spread like wildfire through dry vines, igniting wing after wing in a chain reaction of devastation.

The shockwave rippled upward—reaching even the high-altitude battle where Regulus fought.

For one moment, the sky itself burned.

But a single silhouette descends unscathed

Regulus is falling headfirst his arm stretched in front, with his finger glowing he strokes.

This is the last thing it sees.