(I know many of you are excited for this chapter.)

(You guys on Scrubblehub really love this story.)

Hajime drives through a forest that leads up the mountain. Ruby is in the passenger seat with Yue on her lab, because Aiko has taken the middle seat. Everyone else is cramped up in the back. 

Though Neo is sitting in Blake's lap. Ruby also has the hood of her cloak up, she's gotten tired of the sun light.

Shea is standing up in the back and leaning behind Hajime, her butt is in Taoko's face.

"Shimizu's missing, huh?" Hajime questions.

"We don't know where he's gone." Aiko says. "I hope he's all right..."

"I'm sure he's fine." Ruby says.

"You're right. You both came back to us okay, after all."

Hajime gives a nervous smile. "Look, I haven't come back--" Aiko leans onto his shoulder. "Sensei?" He looks down to find that Aiko has fallen asleep. A small smile forms on his face

Shea looks on in jealousy.

"You're so nice to Aiko, Hajime." Yue points out.

"Yeah, well, she's done a lot for me, so it's the least I can do." Hajime says and the Vampire hums. "Yue?"

Yue looks out the passenger window. "I sit next to you on the way back."

"You got it."

"What, am I not comfortable enough?" Ruby asks.

Yue just pats Ruby's head. "There, there."

"Ruby deadpans. "I'm not some kid." Neo leans over and pats Ruby on the back of the head. "You don't need to start too!"

 Neo gives Ruby a smug smile

"Blake, control the child." Ruby orders, and Neo pouts, since she's much, much, much, older than Ruby and Blake combined. 

Blake wraps her arms around Neo. "You hear the Mistress."

"It's no fair if you get it the whole way, Yue-san!" Shea complains. "More importantly, why am I in the back?!" She hugs Hajime.

"Cur it out, you useless bunny!" Hajime yells. "I'm trying to drive!"

"Don't distract the driver!" Ruby yells at the bunny.

...

...

The hummer stops and everyone gets out. Aiko hops out of the truck and stretches. She then glances over to everyone and sees some small drones hovering in front of Hajime.

The drones then fly off.

Blake is still holding Neo in the background, with the shorter girl trying to get out of Blake's grasp. Then she just sighs in defeat and lays limp in Blake's hold.

"Uh, what are those?" Aiko asks as she walks over to the group.

"They're human-locating automatons." Hajime informs. "I call them Ornis. They use a gravity stone to fly and an induction stone to think. They've got a peering stone inside of them that's connected to my eye, so I can see through them." Hajime points to his eyepatch, which has a stone that replaced his eye. "Whoa, what's this?"

"See something?" Ruby asks.

Hajime holds a finger to his eyepatch. "Is that a shield? And a bag, too... Looks new."

"Well then lets go find it!" Ruby walks off in a direction. 

"We need to go the other way." Hajime calls out.

After a few seconds Ruby walks past Hajime. "I totally knew that."

A while later the group enters an area that has seen battle and they search around.

Nana pulls a chard sword out of the ground, a little bit of the blade crumbles apart.  Taeko puts the burned items he finds on a blanket.

Ruby smells around the area. "Mmm, I smell a lot of lingering fear." She mutters, then follows after Hajime.

Hajime, Ruby, Yue, Shea, Blake, Neo, and Yuka walk up a mound and find a large hold in the ground with a few large footprints.

"Whoa..." Yue mutters. Then she slides down into the put and observes one of the footprints. "These tracks were made by a large four-legged creature..."

"Stories say there's a huge monster lurking beyond these two mountains." Yuka says. "But look at the crater left here..."

The six look up to the mountains. 

Over the next few hours the group climbs up the mountain. 

As they near their destination the sun is already mostly sunken below the horizon. Ruby uses Petal Burst to carry Neo and Blake up to a flat plateau. She then turns around and helps Hajime, Yue and Shea up. Then she helps Aiko and Yuka up, but makes the other three get up on their own.

Blake finally sets Neo on the ground.

Everyone looks at the large waterfall in front of them Hajime outs a hand up to his eyepatch. "I sense someone nearby. Feels like it's human."

"Does that mean someone's alive over here?!" Shea asks.

"They're somewhere behind the waterfall. Yue."

Yue hums and moves forward and holds her hand out. "Fissuring Wave, Wind Wall"

The water fall splits open and the others gasp in astonishment. 

'They're amazed by this?' Ruby questions in thought. 'This is nothing compared to what she can actually do.'

The group walks in, with Neo holding her umbrella up and above Blake, so the cat doesn't get wet.

The group walks through the cave and they spot Will, who's injured and sleeping

"Bingo." Hajime smiles and walks over to the man.

Hajime kneels down and uses his metal hand to flick Will's head, waking him up. Will yelps in pain as he sits up and holds his forehead.

Ruby stands behind Hajime.

"You Will?" Hajime asks. 

Will looks at Hajime. "Y-Yes, that's me! I'm Will Cudeta!"

"I'm Hajime Nagumo." He then motions to Ruby behind him. "That's Reuben Xiao Long."

"Ruby Rose." She mutters and Hajime punches her foot. She bites her lips to prevent herself from yelling at Hajime.

"The head of the Fuhren Adventurer's Guild sent us to rescue you."

Will starts to tear up.

A few minutes later Yuka and Aiko bandage up Will as he tells everyone what happened. "The monsters just didn't stop coming, and they drove us into a corner... Then, there was..." He grunts in fear.

"There was what?" Ruby asks.

"The black dragon."

"Dragon?" Hajime questions.

"I wonder what a dragon would taste like?" Ruby questions and she licks her lips. "I can't wait to eat this dragon."

Will puts his hands on his head. "I-I don't deserve this! Why is my worthless behind getting rescued when everyone else had to die?! I was so relieved to have survived... I'm so glad, but..."

"Hajime, make him stop whining." Ruby says.

Hajime grabs Will by his shirt and lifts him up.

"Nagumo-kun!" Aiko steps forward, but is stopped by Yue. she looks at Yue and the vampire shakes her head. Aiko then just watches the scene play out.

"What's wrong with being glad you're alive?" Hajime asks Will. "Wanting to live and being happy about it is only human. Hell, it's necessary. You're completely in the right to feel that way."

Will looks away. "B-But I..."

"If you're worried about the guys who died, then keep living on. Drag your feet forward one foot at a time and live on."

"Live on..."

"Do that, and one day, you might feel like there was a reason you survived today."

A couple hours later the group finally leaves the cave. 

"It's gotten pretty late." Hajime mutters.

Ruby looks up to the bright red moon. "Oh, pretty."

"Let's hurry back." Hajime calls out to everyone.

The group heads back towards where they left the Hummer. But Ruby stops, which Hajime notices.

"Reuben?" Hajime questions.

Ruby sniffs the air a couple times, then she lifts her nose up and smells more. "I smell something."

Hajime pulls out a revolver and readies himself. Blake pulls out her weapon as Neo readies her umbrella, a blade coming out the top of it.

A rumbling growl is heard and then a large object crashes into the ground near the group, nearly knocking them over from the force.

Will falls to the ground and he looks up, fear washing over him as he points. "Th-There it is!"

Ruby looks up to see a black scaled dragon heading for Will.

Ruby then uses Petal Burst and grabs Will out of the way as the dragon slams into the ground where Will was, then it flies up.

Ruby looks up to see the dragon's red eyes staring down at her and Will. The dragons grumbles.

Ruby smirks. "I can't wait to taste you."

The Dragon then lifts it's head up and opens it's mouth, a purple ball starting to form.

"Uh oh." Ruby then glances back at everyone. "Time to run!"

Shea, Yue, Blake and Neo start to run away. But the four other students and Aiko are to stunned to move.

Ruby growls. "Dammit!" She jumps back towards everyone with Will in her arms. "Hajime!"

Hajime runs in front of everyone and holds his hand out. "C'mere!"

Hajime summons a large shield and it slams into the ground. He grabs a handle and turns it, activating some engines that'll counteract the force pushed into the shield.  

The dragon fires a large flame breath down at Hajime and it pushes into the shield. He grunts as the shield struggles to not move. "This guy's no ordinary monster!"

Yuka then comes up behind him and holds tight. "Don't worry, I'll help from behind!"

The shield remains unmoving as the other behind it glances on in fear as flames spew around them. A few black and red rose petals fall to the ground near them.

A sadistic laugh echoes and Ruby axe kicks the dragon in the head from above. Forcing the dragon to stop its attack and it falls to the ground. Ruby jumps back and lands a ways from the dragon.

Shea then launches over. "This is it for you!" She brings down her hammer with a heavy force, causing a smoke screen to go up.

Ruby starts to walk over to Hajime, but she jumps back as a large ball of purple magic slams into the ground where she was. The Dragon lifts up out of the smoke and roars.

Shea looks in surprise as her attack missed. "Huh?" She jumps away as the dragons tail slams down toward her. "Missed me!" She jumps up into the air again when she lands. She then dives down towards the Dragon with her hammer at the ready. "Let's try that again!"

The dragon swings its tail and it connects with the Rabbit. Shea goes flying and lands in a nearby pond.

Ruby runs over to Hajime as he fires his revolvers at the ground, making it fall over. Hajime then runs towards the dragon, but stops when it fires an attack that goes curves past him and heads straight towards Will.

"Blake!" Ruby yells.

Blake grabs Will and uses a shadow clone to push her and Will away. The dragons spell slams into the ground where Will was.

Blake lands on the ground, but suddenly disappears. Neo is off in the distance with a hand out towards where Blake was. 

Yuka and Taeko look on. "W-We have to help!" She says.

"Right!" Taeko agrees.

Yukoh holds a fist up and a few glowing throwing knives appear between her fingers. She throws them as Taeko swings his sword and a wind slash appears. 

The magic attacks fly though the air and towards the Dragon, but it roars with so much force that it blows the attacks away.

"Sensei!" Hajime yells. "Get these guys out of here already!"

"B-But..." Aiko starts. 

"You're in the way!" Ruby yells as the dragon takes off into the air.

"Yue!" Hajime calls out. "Focus on protecting everyone! We'll take him out!"

"The same goes for you two girls!" Ruby yells.

Neo nods as glass shatters around her and Blake appears behind her, with Will in her arms. Everyone, Minues Shea Hajime and Ruby, regroup at Yue.

"If you don't want to die, follow me." Yue says.

"Are we just holding them back?" Yuka asks.

The dragon starts to charge up another attack.

"He's going after him again..." Hajime mutters.

Ruby then smiles. "I can't believe he's ignoring two wonderful people in front of him." She pulls Crescent Rose, which is in storage mode, off her back. "Then we'll just have to make sure that it can't!" 

Ruby smirks evilly as she presses a button and Crescent Rose transforms into Scythe form. She pulls the bolt back and chambers a round. 

"You are one crazy girl." Hajime mutters.

"Ha! You finally admit I'm a girl!" Ruby smiles.

"Tch!"

Ruby aims her scythe up at the dragon and it looks down at her.  The dragon then fires its attack at her, just as she pulls the trigger.

The two attacks slam into each other with heavy force, nearly blowing everyone down. Eventually Ruby's 20mm bullet flies through the Dragon's attack and slams into its wing, sending the dragon to the ground on its back.

Ruby rechambers a new round as Hajime jumps onto the dragons stomach.

"Ever been punched in the gut?" Hajime asks the dragon.

Hajime slams his metal fist into the dragon's stomach, causing it to roar and spit saliva. He then jumps back and tosses a grenade. The grenade goes off and the dragon roars in pain.

"How'd it feel?" Hajime asks. "Hurst, doesn't it?"

The dragon sits up and charges up another attack, only to be dropped kicks in the side of the head by Ruby. "Don't ignore me!" She yells as she fires a few rounds into the dragon's head, just damaging the scales. 

The dragon falls to the ground and Ruby swings her scythe back and smirks. She then brings her weapon forward as hard as she can and hits the dragon up and into the air.

Ruby does a couple back flips and lands next to Hajime. The two fist bump as the dragon slams back into the ground.

Hajime holds up his right hand and summons his Spike driver.

Hajime jumps onto the Dragon's side and readies the spike driver. He activates the machine and it slams the spike down, only for it to bounce off the dragon's scales.

The dragon lets out a weak roar and it opens its eyes and starts to stand up. Hajime jumps off as the ground stands up, sending the spike driver flying, as it roars. 

The spike driver lands in the river and the dragon sees Will, and it lets out a roar.

"Shea!" Hajime yells.

Shea jumps out of the river with her hammer at the ready. "I'm on it!"

Shea slams her hammer into the Dragon's jaw and its head snaps back. She then brings her hammer down again, this time on the top of the dragon's head. The dragon falls to the ground, knocked out.

Hajime and Ruby walk over to Shea. "Boy, this thing is tough!" The rabbit says.

"I heard there were monsters out there that were tougher than the damn mountains, but how many mountains' worth of strength is this?" Hajime asks.

A large metal spike lands in the ground behind the three. Ruby smirks as Yue, Neo and Blake walk over. 

Ruby grabs the spike. "Hey, Yue, Shea, Neo, Blake, you guys ever hear the expression 'kick the dragon in its scaly ass'? A dragon's only weak point is where it doesn't have scales. They say they're so well-defended, when they fall asleep, nothing can wake them, but if you attack them in one particular spot, they'll wake up in a heartbeat."

Ruby smiles as she brings a finger to her mouth. "I'm gonna impale me a dragon."

"Phrasing, Mistress." Blake calls out.

Ruby looks at Blake with a smug smile. Neo and Blake glances at each other.

Ruby pulls the spike out with a sadistic glow in her eyes, Hajime sweat drops. Ruby walks to the back of the dragon and holds up the spike. "Time to take it in the ass!" 

Ruby slams the spike into the dragons ass, literally. The dragon wakes up and its red eyes change into orange ones.

"NOOOO!" The dragon yells in a female voice.

Ruby takes a step back and looks very surprised. 

The dragon yells as her tail swings up and down. "My rear! My precious behind!"

Everyone watches the scene, with many different expressions. 

"Please, remove it!" The dragon pleads. "Remove it from my rear, I beseech you!"

Ruby shakes her head and regains her composure. She then smiles and slams her foot into the spike. The dragon lets out a few pained noises.

"So, you're a dragonborn?" Ruby asks.

"Indeed!" The dragon responds. "I am a member of the esteemed dragonborn race! Wild circumstances have led me here, and while I will explain forsooth, I must ask you to remove that object from my behind!"

Ruby laughs and pulls a fist back. "I'm having too much fun though!" She slams her fist into the spike.

The dragon lets out a pained groan. "I'm begging you, please!" She looks back at Ruby. "My mana is close to empty! If I return to my original form in this state, it could mean disaster!"

Hajime and Yue walk to the front of the dragon. "Why are you here?" He asks.

"I will explain everything, just please, relieve my behind of that object! I have little magic remaining..." The dragon groans.

Ruby slams her slams her foot into the spike and kicks it a couple times. "My dear friend asked you a question!" She starts to punch the spike with a smile.

"S-Stop! Do not force it like that! It is far too much for my rear, far, far too much!" The dragon screams.

Ruby can't help but laugh at the screams. Then she grabs the spike and starts to twist it. 

"Dragonborn are supposedly all dead." Hajime says, ignoring the screams of the dragon and Ruby's sadistic laughing. "What's one doing attacking adventurers out here, huh?"

The dragon screams. "No, do not twist it around so! I will tell all, just make her stop!"

Ruby smirks and giggles to herself. 

Hajime sweat drops. "She's having way to much fun with this."

The others have many different reactions.

Blake blushes as she looks on, while Neo just covers her eyes.

The dragon begins to explain how she ended up attacking. Ruby backs away from the spike in the dragon's ass, for now. 

"I was manipulated!" The She dragon explains. "I was no more than his tool! He told me to kill 'that young man and his companions'!"

"Keep going." Ruby orders.

"I flew from my hidden village to investigate the travelers from another world. But on my journey to the nearby town, I paused for a rest and enjoyed a nap in the mountains. Of course, I did so in my beastly form, as there were monsters in the vicinity. During my slumber, that man, dressed in dark robes, appeared before me. He likely used some kind of mind-control magic to usurp my freedom of me. His seemed to be an expert at his craft. T'was impossible to resist such a spell when it was cast over an entire day."

"So you were in such deep sleep that this guy was able to spend all day casting this spell, and you didn't even notice?" Hajime asks.

The dragon doesn't answer.

"I can't believe you..." Will yells. "You're saying that because you were 'under his control,' you couldn't help killing everyone?! How are we supposed to even know if you're telling the truth right now?! You just fabricated that story because you don't want us to kill you!"

"I swear, it is the truth!" The dragon says. "Dragonborn are a proud kind; we do not tarnish out name with lies!"

"No, you--"

Yue interrupts Will. "I don't think she's lying."

"What proof do you have?" Will asks.

"Dragonborn are noble and honest. She swore on her pride. That is how I know she is not lying."

"B-But..."

"And... I know what the eyes of a liar look like."

"To think there is yet someone in this age who knows of the dragonborn..." The dragon says. 

"I'm the last surviving vampire." Yue informs. "Three centuries ago, I was often told to look to the dragonborn as models of royal demeanor." 

"Incredible! News from beyond had informed me that the vampires had been eradicated, but you are a princess of their kind!"

"It doesn't matter..." Will mutters, then he yells. "It doesn't matter, because you still killed them!"

The dragon looks away from Will. "I care not for the wars between our kinds. However, I did take innocent lives, that is true. If you order me to atone for my actions, then I will accept the punishment. I only ask that you delay that punishment a short while, until that dangerous man and his actions are stopped. He is attempting to gather an army of monsters." Everyone gasps.

The dragon continues. "Will you give me the chance to prevent a tragedy?"

"Nope." Ruby says. "I don't give two craps about what you want. You've caused me more than enough trouble. Make it up to me by dying and letting me eat you!" She walks back over to the spike.

"Wait!" The dragon yells to her. "Surely you wouldn't end this conversation without answering my question?! Please! I swear to you, I will repent!"

Ruby pulls her fist back and throws it forward.

"Ruby." Hajime calls out, and Ruby's fists stops inches away from the spike.

"She started the killing." Ruby silver eyes glances at Hajime.

"She's not our enemy. She wasn't in control. So you can't kill her, remember the rule that we made?"

Ruby huffs and backs off. "I fucking hate you." She mutters.

"I am terribly sorry to bother you." The dragon calls out. "For now, could you please remove that hindrance from my rear?"

"Huh?" 

"If you do not take action, I will die, no matter what."

"What's that mean?" Ruby asks.

"Just try to imagine the sight of a young woman, her behind impaled with a thick, hard rod!" The dragon says.

The students let out yelps. Both Neo and Blake blush.

"Filthy dragon." Ruby whispers.

"Do you think I could survive that?" The dragon asks. "My mana is running out. I am not opposed to this new world to which I have been introduced, but I do not want to die in that manner! For the love of all that is good, please, remove it!"

"Fiiiiiiiine!" Ruby whines and she grabs the spike and starts to roughly pull.

The dragon screams. "S-Slowly, please! I am not yet used to this sensation!" Ruby just keeps pulling. "So rough. This... This feeling!" She moans. "Something is happening, yes, something is swelling within me!" She maons again.

"This is getting weird." Ruby says as she tugs on the spike.

"Yes! Yes! Just a little more!"

"Just shut up!" 

Ruby pulls the spike out and the dragon lets out a loud moan of ecstasy. 

"Wat the hek?" Ruby questions as she throws the pike to the side.

The dragon shines purple and shrinks down till a female is replaced. "I asked you to be gentle, yet you showed no mercy..."

The girl looks at Ruby. "Never have I experienced this." She sighs. "You saved me." She looks away. "That discomfort in my behind still remains, as does the overwhelming pain I feel throughout..." Ruby walks over to her, with Blake and Neo in tow. "Who knew pain was such a sweet sensation..." 

"Hey!" Ruby calls out to the dragon girl.

The girl lets out a cough and pulls out a hand fan. "My sincerest apologies."

"My name is Tio Klarus, a member of the Klarus clan of dragonborn." She greets.

A little whole later Tio explains a few things to everyone.

"This army of monsters is marching on Ur?!" Aiko asks.

"Indeed." Tio says. "The dark-robed man intends to use them to attack the town. And that army numbers well into the thousands."

"N-No way!" Taeko exclaims.

Hajime's drones pick up something and he puts a couple fingers to his eye patch. "This is more than thousands. I'm counting five... no, 60,000." Everyone gasps. "Looks like they're already on the move." He looks towards Aiko. "This far out, it'll take them two days to reach the town."

"W-We have to warn them!" Aiko says. "We'll evacuate everyone, then call for help, then--"

"Hey." Will calls out and Aiko looks to him. "Could my lord Hajime and lord Reuben do something about them?"

'People keep getting my gender wrong, that it's now starting to make me confused about my gender.' Ruby says in thought.

Hajime holds his hands up. "L-Look. My job was to get you back to Fuhren safely. How am I supposed to fight a war while keeping you safe?"

"Hey, Nagumo-kun?" Aiko speaks up. "Did you get a look at this robed man he was talking about?"

"Nope. I've been checking the ranks of this army and haven't seen anything like him."

"I see... Could you look a bit more?"

"No." Hajime says and he walks away, the party follows him. He grabs the back of Will's coat and drags him with. "Bye."

"Nagumo-kun! Xiao Long-kun!" Aiko calls out.

Hajime stops. "I just said my only job was getting Will out safe. The rest of you can stay here if you want, but who's gonna go tell the town?"

"Well..."

Tio loudly clears her throat. "It is just as he says! Informing the town should be our top priority! And, given a day,  will surely recover to full health!"

"Right." Aiko says.

Tio smiles behind her fan. "Unfortunately, my mana reserves are so dry, I can barely move." Ruby glares back at her and she moans. "You look at me like I am the embodiment of filth!"

Ruby looks at Hajime with a pleading look.

"She's your problem, not mine." Hajime say and Ruby gives him the finger.

"I should have killed her!" Ruby grumbles.

Tio rubs her hips. "Your words pierce my heart, your  fist strikes at my very core, and your attacks violate only my most lewd areas!"

Tio continues. "My heart, body, and soul fill with such pleasure!" she lets out a loud moan.

Blake leans over to Neo. "She kinda creeps me out." Neo nods in agreement.

Ruby grunts as she walks over to Tio, grabs one of the dragon's legs, and starts to drag her.

"What horrid treatment!" Tio smiles. "Such new sensations!" She lets out moans.

Ruby keeps a stoic face up. "She ruins my fun."

Blake and Neo sweat drop.

---

Ruby gained a Waifu! 3 of 4 collected!

----

The four students and Aiko just stare at Ruby as she drags the dragon girl.

"W-Wait up!" Aiko yells out.

....

...

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(Ruby's nearly collected all her Waifu's! The next one won't appear for a long while now.)

04-21-2023

4607 words