The Countess Lady's Pet Dragon - C3

Chapter 3: Black Dragon, Schwartz (1)

Manticore, a mid-sized beast commonly found wherever humans live.
It wasn’t anything special that made it easy to encounter near human settlements.
The reason was simple: the manticore’s diet was carnivorous, with a particular preference for human flesh.

“Grrrrr…”
With bloodshot eyes flashing, the manticore let out a low growl.

“Grrrrrr…!!”
Schwarz, unwilling to be outdone, spread his wings wide and growled back at the manticore.

The reason a manticore, which normally lived deep in the forest, had emerged here could only be one thing: it had come to hunt.

“M-Manticore…!!”
Milia’s face turned pale as she saw it, drained of all color. She was utterly terrified.

A girl no older than ten and a young dragon not yet fully grown—
To them, the manticore was nothing short of a disaster akin to a chimera or an adult dragon.

“Grrrrr…”
Had it sensed Milia’s fear?
The manticore lowered itself like a predator stalking its prey and began advancing toward them.

‘What do I do…?’
As the manticore drew closer with each moment, Schwarz glanced sideways at Milia.
In this unprecedented situation, Millie could only tremble in fear, unsure of what to do.

Should he have turned back, even if it meant facing Milia’s anger?
Schwarz shook his head. There was no point regretting what had already happened.
The only thing that mattered now was figuring out how to survive this.

With Milia’s hypothermia not fully healed, flying away was impossible.
Even if they ran, the manticore would catch up in no time. It was inevitable.

In the end, Schwarz had only one option left.

“Grrrrng…”

“Sch-Schwarz…?”
Milia’s voice trembled as she saw Schwarz growling softly, looking back at her.

Having spent so much time together, they had grown able to vaguely understand each other’s thoughts through eye contact alone.

“What are you thinking…!!”
“Grrrrng.”
Schwarz nodded at Millie, as if to reassure her not to worry, then turned back to face the manticore.

“Kyaaaaaaah-!!”
“Kyaaaaa-!!”

At that moment, Schwarz spread his wings wide and roared at the manticore, which immediately lunged at him.

The manticore’s sharp claws swiped at him, but Schwarz swiftly ducked to dodge the attack.
The manticore’s front paw sliced through the air just above his head, and Schwarz charged toward its exposed neck, biting down hard on the pulsing veins beneath its skin.

“Kyaaaaaaak-!!”
“Grrrrrr-!!”

The manticore thrashed in agony, but Schwarz held on with every ounce of strength he had.
If he let go now, the outcome would be all too obvious.

Finally, the sound of tearing flesh filled the air, accompanied by the metallic taste of blood.

“Kyaaaaaak!!”
“Gwooooong!!”

In that instant, the manticore raised a paw and struck Schwarz’s head. The force sent him flying, rolling across the ground.

It felt as though his entire body had been beaten with a club.
When he finally lifted his head, the world spun wildly.
Shaking his head violently, his vision eventually cleared, only for the next roar to echo in his ears.

“Kyaaaaa-!!”
“Grrrr…!!”

The manticore stood, roaring ferociously, and Schwarz responded with a growl of his own, refusing to back down.

‘A head-on fight is hopeless…’
The manticore was at least twice his size. Size wasn’t everything in a fight, but it certainly gave the larger opponent an advantage.

‘Please, just leave… Please…’
Seeing the injured manticore, Schwarz desperately prayed it would retreat.
Predatory monsters often abandoned prey that fought back fiercely, aware that injury could compromise future hunts or make them vulnerable to other predators.

“Kyaaaaaaa-!!”
But the manticore spread its enormous wings wide and roared again, showing no intention of retreating.

‘Of course…’
Schwarz sighed inwardly, thinking how simple life would be if it ever went according to plan.

Yet, he couldn’t retreat. For the terrified girl trembling behind him, he had to stand his ground.

With another fierce cry, the manticore charged, and Schwarz leapt straight onto its head.

“Kyao-!?”

Just then, the manticore’s barbed tail lashed out, aiming for his head.
Barely dodging it with a flap of his wings, Schwarz landed on the manticore’s back, tearing into its neck again with his teeth.

“Kyaaaaaak!! Kyaa-!!”
“Grrrrrr-!!”

The manticore bucked wildly from the pain, but Schwarz held firm, biting deeper into its flesh.
Blood sprayed everywhere, and shredded grass flew into the air.

“Kyaaaaa-!!”
“Kyak!?”

Suddenly, the manticore’s tail struck Schwarz in the side.
A tremendous pain engulfed him, like being branded with a red-hot poker.
With a scream, his vision spun, and he tumbled across the ground before coming to a stop.

“Schwarz!”
Milia’s anguished voice cried out, but Schwarz couldn’t hear it anymore.

“Kyaaaooo…!!”

His vision was red, and warm liquid flowed from his side. The searing pain was unbearable.
Feeling on the verge of losing consciousness, Schwarz clenched his teeth until they bled, forcing himself to rise.
But no matter how hard he tried, his battered body refused to move.

“Grrrrr…”

And then, the manticore let out a low growl as it approached him.
Its bloodshot eyes gleamed with a crimson light, seemingly enraged by the fact that it had been wounded by a being so insignificant in comparison.

“Groooar…!!”

Staring at the manticore as it gradually approached, Schwarz struggled desperately to stand, but his body refused to obey.
The manticore, now mere steps away, thrust its bloodstained face closer, stained red from the spilled blood.

“Graaaah…!!”

In the next moment, accompanied by a low growl, the manticore opened its mouth, and the sight of its sharp, jagged teeth filled Schwarz’s vision.

‘Damn it.’

Cursing internally, Schwarz watched the terrifying scene unfold.
There was nothing left he could do.

All that remained was to close his eyes and await the death that was rapidly approaching.
The manticore’s breath brushed against his skin, creating a chilling sensation that sent shivers down his spine. Feeling an indescribable unease, Schwarz slowly closed his eyes.

And then, at that very moment…

-Thud!

“Roaaarrr—!!”

A sickening sound, as if something were piercing flesh, was followed by the manticore’s agonized scream.

‘…?’

Caught off guard, Schwarz opened his eyes, only to see Milia standing there, having thrust a broken thorn into the manticore’s eye.

“Schwarz! Run, now!!”

“Graaaaaar—!!”

Taken by surprise, the manticore roared, spraying crimson blood as it thrashed wildly.
Clinging desperately to the manticore’s mane, Milia held on for dear life.

But no matter how determined she was, there was no way she could endure for long against a rampaging manticore.

“Aaahhh!!”

Eventually, unable to hold on any longer, Milia was flung off with a scream, rolling across the ground.

“Gruk—!! Graaah—!!”

With Milia now fallen, the manticore scratched at its face with its front paws, trying desperately to dislodge the thorn embedded in its eye.
But the more it scratched, the deeper the thorn sank.

“Groooarrr…”

Watching this unfold, Schwarz slowly began to rise.

Milia had created a brief opening.
If he missed this chance, there would never be another.

Determined, Schwarz summoned every ounce of strength he had left and forced his unresponsive body to stand.

“Gruk!?”

The manticore, noticing Schwarz’s movement, turned its head toward him with a startled growl. But by then, its fate had already been sealed.

“Graaaaarrr—!!”
“Raaaaaahhh—!!”

Using the last of his strength, Schwarz swung his claw, striking the manticore’s other eye.
The sharp thorn pierced deep into the manticore’s skull.

With a nauseating sound, the manticore let out its final death cry.
Its gleaming eyes lost their light, and the massive beast swayed before collapsing to the ground with a resounding thud.

“Gruuu…”

There was only a brief moment to savor the victory.
Panting heavily, Schwarz lifted his head and staggered toward the spot where Milia had fallen.

Barely holding on to his fading consciousness, Schwarz reached Milia’s side and collapsed beside her.

Fortunately, it seemed she was merely unconscious, as faint, shallow breaths escaped her lips.

“Gruuh…”

Feeling relieved, Schwarz let out a soft growl, using his wing to cover her trembling body.
He prayed, with all the desperation in his heart that someone would find them soon.

With that final thought, Schwarz’s consciousness faded into the darkness.