784 Bear Fights the Ice Dragon Part 1 - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

"When will the Ice Dragon arrive, I wonder? Will it come by tomorrow?" It was still only early afternoon. I'd be fine if it came even today. But I really hope it refrains from coming at night while I'm asleep. Being interrupted during sleep is one of the most irritating things. And no, that's not a jinx. "Calm yourself, only the Ice Dragon itself knows that," Kagari spoke soothingly. This was the first time I found myself waiting for something that could arrive at any moment, rather than setting out to defeat it myself. Typically, I would head out to where the enemy was to solve the issue. It's in my nature to act rather than wait. I am not suited for waiting. "Kagari-san, you seem so calm." "Have you forgotten how long I watched over the Great Serpent's resurrection?" ".." "I watched over the serpent without knowing when it would come back. For me, a few days until the Ice Dragon shows up isn't a significant matter." True, Kagari's longevity gives her a different perspective. But for ordinary humans, doing nothing and just waiting for a few days is difficult. Moreover, I can't leisurely stay in Crimonia or the land of Wa, waiting for the ferocious Ice Dragon. Going to the town is not an option since it's frozen, and there's nothing else to do. All we can do is wait. "However," Kagari conceded, "there's truth in your point. With the Great Serpent, its revival was not immediate, and there were signs. But we don't know when the Ice Dragon might appear, so I can't indulge in having any sake." Indeed, alcohol is off the table. "What happens if you drink, if you don't mind me asking?" "Since being in this body, I get sleepy." Like a child. Well, children shouldn't drink in the first place. I also have never drunk before, so I don't know if I'm weak or strong with alcohol. Since Kagari-san and I had nothing else to do, we decided to discuss strategies against the Ice Dragon. "So, have you thought about how to fight the Ice Dragon?" "Well, it might be more troublesome than I initially thought." "Considering it's an Ice Dragon, it makes sense it would be troublesome." "Kagari-san, you saw how my bear-shaped flame hit the Ice Dragon. That bear flame is fairly strong, but it felt like it didn't do any damage." Even though the flame hit it, it left only a mark. Ice melts with fire. It's true that fire is the weakness of ice. But as temperatures drop, that changes. In elementary school, I learned about absolute zero in our ice studies. The colder it gets, the harder it is for something to melt. If it cools consistently from within, it becomes tougher to thaw. I don't know the composition of the Ice Dragon's skin, but as a dragon, its skin must have considerable resilience. "It certainly didn't appear wounded. But that's not the only issue. That creature flies, while you cannot." Bears don't fly. It's common knowledge. Although foxes also don't fly, there is an image of them flying if they are mythical. "The Ice Dragon must be angry at me for attacking. I expect it will target me, providing an opportunity for attack." However, how effective the attack would be remains to be seen. ...Hours later, having run out of topics for Ice Dragon strategies, I ended up relaxing against Kumayuru and Kumakyu, munching on potato chips. Delicious. Occasionally, you just crave them. Crunch, crunch. Kagari-san seemed to enjoy them too, her hand never stopping. As we leisurely consumed the potato chips, Kumayuru and Kumakyu suddenly moved. Deprived of our support, Kagari-san and I tumbled to the floor. "Kumayuru, Kumakyu?" Kumayuru and Kumakyu peered out the window. I opened it and let a chill breeze into the room. "What is it?!" Rather than using the entrance, I went outside through the window. An Ice Dragon had spread its wings wide on the mountain peak. "Human child. If anything happens to my offspring, I will consider you an enemy." The Ice Dragon declared its intent before taking flight. A single, beautifully pale blue egg remained where it had been. "That's big," Kagari commented, suddenly at my side, along with Kumayuru and Kumakyu. "So, where did the Ice Dragon go?" We looked in the direction the Ice Dragon was headed. The sun was about to sink into the sea. It was flying towards the sun. "You've got to be kidding," Kagari remarked, observing the dragon's path. I couldn't see anything. Squinting, I tried to make out what it was, gradually getting a clearer view—two dots slowly taking shape. "Two Ice Dragons…" "Did it go fetch a comrade?" "Is that why it retreated?" That's a dirty trick. Two Ice Dragons were approaching us. The Ice Dragon from earlier was directly flying towards them. Did it notice the others and head to confront them? Its words about the egg earlier—did that mean we should guard it? Whether or not it trusted us, if the battle took place far from the peak, I wouldn't be able to fight. For now, all we could do was watch. The Ice Dragon we had seen before and one of the new dragons began to clash. Instead of the expected two-on-one, one of the dragons started making its way towards us. "It's coming," Kagari warned, ready for combat. The Ice Dragon approached us, hovering like a helicopter, with its giant wings spread wide. Its mouth opened. This is bad! The dragon unleashed a blizzard of cold from its jaws. I quickly stepped in front of Kagari, Kumayuru, and Kumakyu, casting my magic simultaneously. "Missy!" The wind barrier surrounding us deflected the blizzard. Just in time. Around us, the ground was frozen in ice, the surroundings turned icy in an instant. The egg! I looked back, and it was safe. If the egg had cracked, we would have ended up fighting the Ice Dragon from before. I turned my attention back to the Ice Dragon. Even a slight lapse in focus could lead to danger. Cold still leaked from the Ice Dragon's mouth, possibly from anger. Hovering in the air, the Ice Dragon loomed and stared at us. Though cold was still emanating from its mouth, it wasn't launching another attack? It seemed it couldn’t release the chill consecutively. Not wanting to be on the defensive, I initiated an attack. There was no time to worry about preserving materials; I summoned and launched my bear-flame. "Go, bear!" The Ice Dragon dodged the oncoming bear-flame. "You won't get away!" It clearly didn't like fire. The challenge is how much damage can be inflicted. The bear-flame chased the Ice Dragon, beginning a game of pursuit. If it escaped past the range of my bear-flame control, I wouldn’t be able to pursue. As the Ice Dragon fled from the bear-flame, it presented its back. I focused on the pattern on its back. "Yuna, did you see its back?" "Yeah, there was a mark. That’s where I hit it with my magic yesterday, right?" "It certainly seems so." That means the Ice Dragon standing before us now is the same one from yesterday. The Ice Dragon atop the mountain must be the backup that came. I can't say which one is stronger, but there's no doubt that this dragon holds a grudge against me. That explains its glaring. It appears the bear-shaped flame from yesterday didn't do much damage after all. The Ice Dragon launched an aerial attack from its advantageous position above. "As expected, it’s quite intelligent," Kagari noted. It knows how to fight favorably. Maybe it's battled with humans before. It even called for reinforcements. But the Ice Dragon must approach us to attack effectively. It should realize that its blizzard attacks alone won't defeat us at a distance. Thus began our true battle with the Ice Dragon. It evaded both my and Kagari's fire attacks while launching its own offensive. "I will draw its attention," declared Kagari. She leapt into the air, initiating the battle above. If only I could fly, Kagari wouldn’t have to handle such a dangerous role, but she's the only one capable. Her small form danced in the sky, deliberately entering the Ice Dragon's sight, drawing its focus. Recognizing Kagari as a nuisance, the Ice Dragon unleashed its freezing breath, but Kagari skillfully dodged and commenced her diversion tactics. She flew in wide circles, compelling the Ice Dragon to pursue her. "Missy!" Kagari soared in my direction, with the Ice Dragon in close pursuit. My magic was ready; countless flaming bear cubs were spinning in place. Extending my arm, I cast the spell. "Flame Bear Tornado!" Pushing with my magic, I launched them. The spinning bear flames whirled toward Kagari, veering around her and heading straight for the Ice Dragon behind. The Ice Dragon attempted to dodge, but a bear flame hit its wing. However, the flame glanced off. Although it struck, the contact was fleeting. While leaving a mark, it did not seem to inflict actual damage. I had expected fire to be effective, but perhaps the Ice Dragon's body was even colder than I anticipated. Additionally, its hide might be much tougher than I imagined.