Here’s your chapter, sigfig.

In the middle of my third-person challenge.

Monster──a term used to refer to living beings that possess above a certain amount of mana.

All feared beings that cause harm to humans and demons were being labelled as “monsters” – this was probably the best way to describe the situation.

However, even if they were feared beings that cause harm, although a few monsters did pose a threat by appearing near towns or villages, average people were generally unrelated to the majority of them.

Golems and undead only appeared in specific locations like dungeons or ruins, and the other particularly powerful monsters tended to live in locations far from civilisation, rarely leaving. Of course, it wasn’t the case that these monsters were avoiding settlements, but rather that settlements were built in places far from the territories of these monsters.

With the exception of some adventurers, the beings that come to mind upon hearing the term “monster” were goblins, kobolds, or an orc at best, and from the point of view of normal people who lived their whole lives in town, even these monsters were rarely seen, and only heard of.

Of course, these people understood as well that such creatures did exist in the world.

However, these creatures would almost never appear in the personal “worlds” that they each lived in, and were as good as non-existent.

*imouto*

Because of this…

*imouto*

“I-, I-, IT-, IT’S A DRAGONNNNNNNN!?”

“RUN! RUUUUUUUUUUN!!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

*imouto*

if a dragon were to appear in the skies above them, it was natural that panic would ensue.

It all began earlier that morning.

After breakfast time, Light G.o.d Sophia witnessed a strange spectacle during her continued stay at the Evil G.o.d Temple.

Tena had left with the human Anri, so seeing the Evil G.o.d preparing food was not so strange in itself. To begin with, it wasn’t that she couldn’t cook due to a lack of technical skills, but rather that she couldn’t hold a kitchen knife due to the curse. Now that she had overcome the curse, there was nothing to stop her from cooking.

Being “able to cook” and “able to cook well” are entirely different matters, but for the sake of her honour, let us speak no further on the matter.

Having established this, what was strange was not the cooking in itself, but the food that Anri was cooking──apparently sandwiches──and the fact that she then put them into a basket.

The only thing imaginable was…

“Umm… Anri? Preparing your food like that, are you intending on going someplace?”

So asked Sophia, whilst believing it was impossible.

With such a person doing something that could only be seen as preparation for going outside, the abnormality of the situation needn’t even be said.

“Mn, I’m going to go out a bit. I’ll be back before evening. I’ve made you sandwiches for lunch, so eat them later.”

Hearing that, she followed Anri’s gaze and found other sandwiches sitting on a plate. They numbered about two people’s worth. Probably made for both Sophia and Anbaal.

To the two of them, eating food was nothing more than enjoyment, but needless to mention Anri who had naturally grown used to a human’s habits, even Sophia and Anbaal almost always ate three meals a day while they were staying in the Temple.

“Well thank you for that, but just where are you going?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Just going for a walk, after all.”

“I see.”

Anri replied that she was just going out without any goal in mind, but since it was healthier to go on a walk than to continue holing up in the temple, Sophia showed her agreement too.

As an Evil G.o.d that threw all creatures in the land into an abyss of fear, there was probably no greater nuisance than wandering about on a whim, but Sophia believed that Anri was used to her eyes and aura by now, and would probably make do somehow.

That this was an incredibly naive thought was something that she only realised after hearing Anri’s next line. And by then, it was too late.

*imouto*

*imouto*

“Well, I’m off now. Time for Vnee’s walk.”

*imouto*

*imouto*

“…Hah? W-, Wait, stop right there!?”

Sophia froze due to the unexpected words, and faster than she could recover and call out to stop, Anri had touched the sandwich basket as well as another basket many times larger, before teleporting away.

*imouto*

“By ‘walk’… she meant Black Dragon Vardneel… instead?”

Sophia’s mutter resounded through the empty room.

*imouto*

“…She plans on letting that Black Dragon out?”

Still in a daze, Sophia continued to mutter, but n.o.body was there to reply.

And like that, due to the Human Race’s supposed guardian deity missing the chance to stop the tragedy, the world’s most powerful and wicked pet was released into the open.

A ma.s.sive body of over 20 metres danced through the air as though splitting the clear blue sky in two.

Although it was still fine due to the fact that he was high up in the end, had he been flying close to the surface, the wind pressure alone would probably have blown everything away.

Black Dragon Vardneel.

Even since he had been summoned as a boss for the dungeon, he hadn’t been allowed outside even once, and basically spent his time imprisoned in the small, cramped room. That probably made his sense of liberation even greater.

“GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!”

The roar that he let out in his joy sounded like a joyful song of freedom.

The master that he feared the most in the world was present on his back, so it was actually a far cry from freedom.

When he had first been summoned he had cowered at her aura, and because of the terror he lay belly up in submission, but after, he grew closer day by day due to the training, and by now he had stopped running up the wall when he saw her.

The instinctual terror that he felt due to his master’s aura was not so simply removed.

Because of that, although he was rejoicing his freedom, he was careful to fly so that the feeling of riding his back was comfortable.

*imouto*

But despite his consideration due to fear, to put it simply, it was completely useless.

“S-, So cold…”

The black-robed girl on his back s.h.i.+vered while desperately clinging to his back.

And naturally so, because while the high alt.i.tude alone meant that the temperature was quite low, on top of that, she was being exposed to the intense wind pressure from his flying speed.

In addition, unlike a horse’s back, the wide back of the dragon made it impossible to straddle, so she could do nothing but cling to the scales and the moment her hand slipped, she would be falling headfirst to the ground.

“I-, I should have just called this off…”

Even if she regretted the walk now, it was much too late.

Also, although she had enough power to easily solve the cold and wind issues, sadly, Anri was still inexperienced as a divine, and the idea of using an Authority in this situation hadn’t quite occurred to her.

“Let’s hurry up and find a plain somewhere to land on.”

The plan was to find a wide plain somewhere and treat herself to lunch.

However, at present she hadn’t even the slightest care about lunch, and just wanting to land somewhere was all she could think of.

And right this very moment, the fact that the people of a town were in a huge panic due to a dragon sighting, was something she had no way of knowing.

“Ah…”

With the wind blowing in her eyes it was hard to see, but the moment that she saw a wide plain in her limit vision, Anri thanked G.o.d for the help. Despite the fact that she was a divine herself.

Tapping on the back of the Black Dragon she was clinging to, she gave him instructions on where to land.

“Over there. Land over there.”

“Guru?”

The Black Dragon with low intelligence naturally couldn’t understand her words, but even so, he seemed to understand Anri’s intention, and after turning towards the gra.s.s plains, he lowered his alt.i.tude and speed to begin landing.

Now that they were heading towards the ground and the wind and cold were receding, Anri let out a relieved sigh.

*imouto*

*imouto*

That she would have to suffer the same ordeal to get home was something she only realised after finis.h.i.+ng up her sandwiches.

*imouto*

*imouto*

And taking the chance to mention it, the fact that more suffering was waiting for her in the form of Sophia’s lecturing, was something she hadn’t expected at the time.