That time I was reincarnated as a snake (Tensura)

-KAI POV-

I found myself in my human form on a large mountain adjacent to an immense plain, in it an event that would dictate the future lives for many common people was about to begin, the war, on one side the forces of the kingdom of Eldoreth in search of revenge for the death of many of the kingdom's nobles, on the other side the defensive force of Sarion whose objective was to deal with the band of troublemakers.

And I, as a lover of eating melons, could not miss this scene, it was so special that I even prepared popcorn and an attempt at homemade cola, which I admit is nowhere close to the original flavor.

In just a few hours the two forces would come into contact, it would be the moment when this work of tragedy would begin.

…

Wondering what happened to Operation Dragon Slayer?

It's happening right now.

For more details we have to go back more than two weeks ago…

…

Two weeks ago…

After deciding to personally search for those dragons, without wasting any time I went in search of their locations.

The first one located in the southernmost human kingdom of the continent known as the Trident Kingdom, on a rocky cliff near the sea, a water element ArchDragon, known to the locals as a pest that occasionally attacks fishing boats.

Second, in Trident's neighboring kingdom, the Yazd Kingdom, a kingdom with wide plains, specialized in the production of grain and livestock, a Wind-elemental Medium Dragon regularly attacks cities and villages, devouring a large number of livestock in all of its attacks.

Third, located on the border between the desolate lands of Dagruel and the western nations, north of the kingdom of Coleus, within the desert, a fire-elemental Medium Dragon, normally spends most of its time away from human settlements, but every time it came close to them, it destroyed several villages, although they tried to kill it many times, they never came close.

Fourth, two kingdoms north of Luberius, off the coast, on a small island, a water-element ArchDragon, although the paladins tried to hunt him down many times, he always managed to escape.

Finally, the fifth, northwest of the fourth, inside a kingdom called Devlok, in a mountain range, inside a small active volcano, a fire element ArchDragon, not much is known about him, after someone discovered him in the volcano he has never come out to cause trouble, he only hunts nearby monsters.

After locating each of them and confirming their strength, I sought out several adventurer teams, to whom, using illusion magic, I made them see a rich merchant from a distant land, who desired the materials of a dragon to create a gift for his king. Using the incentive of many gold coins, the fact that I would provide them with plenty of magisteel equipment, as well as my special arrows, and that they could keep all the credit for the kill, they very happily agreed.

To avoid being discovered throughout this process I always maintained my stealth ability, to avoid leaking any trace of my aura, which could be tracked, therefore I did not use any control magic on the adventurers.

Since I didn't know the exact time of the beginning of the conflict between Eldoreth and Sarion, I could only set a unified date for all the teams. The operation would start in the morning of the specified day, everyone would attack their designated targets, and at night they would go through all the places, to collect the corpses.

To maximize their chances of success, I even gave them many other magical items I had stolen, which might be useful to them.

If they failed, it was due to sheer incompetence.

With the preparations ready, I just had to wait for everything to happen.

That brings us to the first scene, with me enjoying some popcorn and a soda, as I watch the war begin.

From my perch on top of the mountain, I have a panoramic view of the vast plain, the place that will be used as a battlefield. Above it, the sky was completely covered in dark clouds, as if the world itself was saddened by the impending tragedy.

The plain is vast, a sea of land that seems to have no end. In the distance, I could see the two armies preparing for what will be an epic battle. The human army, an imposing mass of more than fifty thousand men, made up of soldiers, adventurers, knights and wizards. Their banners flutter in the wind displaying the symbol of the kingdom of Eldoreth, and the sound of their war drums resonates in the air, mixing with the shouts of the captains giving orders.

At the other end of the plain, a graceful but deadly line of five thousand elves stands ready, their magic vibrating in the air like a promise of impending destruction.

They may be few in number compared to humans, but as they say, "Quality beats quantity," especially in this world. Furthermore, due to the low birth rates of elves, five thousand men are already considered a large number, after all, it was only about three hundred years ago when the largest population of elves in this world was severely damaged by Milim's rampage.

The tension is palpable to everyone, even at this distance. I can feel the adrenaline in the air, the anticipation of the impending clash. Suddenly, the human drums increase their tempo, and the cavalry charges forward, a wave of horse and steel launching itself at the elven lines. The elves, with almost supernatural precision, raise their bows and fire a shower of arrows, each one imbued with magic. The arrows glow with a greenish light as they cut through the air, finding their targets with deadly accuracy. Still, the human knights do not stop. Their spears point forward, and the sound of impact reverberates like thunder as they crash into the first elven lines.

From my position, I can see the human mages begin to cast their spells. Fireballs and bolts of energy light up the battlefield, creating explosions that send the elven soldiers flying through the air. But the elves are not far behind. Their own mages, with graceful and precise movements, raise protective barriers and counterattack with storms of ice and bolts of blinding light. Each spell seems to be a work of art, a dance of destruction and beauty.

As the battle rages on, I notice that human numbers are beginning to dwindle dramatically. What was once an imposing army becomes a disorganized mass of exhausted and frightened soldiers. Human resistance crumbles under the relentless elven offensive. The elves, though outnumbered, move with a grace and efficiency that is almost impossible to believe. Each of them seems to be in ten places at once, unleashing unstoppable chaos among the human ranks.

The human cavalry, which at first seemed so formidable, is now in disarray. Horses, terrified by elven magic, flee the battlefield, leaving their riders vulnerable and exposed. Foot soldiers, desperate to hold the line, find themselves faced with a force that seems unstoppable. Each elf, armed with magical abilities and martial prowess, as well as enchanted equipment, cuts through the human ranks as if they were made of paper.

From my elevated position, the scene looks both beautiful and terrifying. Magic weapons crackle and roar, and the earth trembles with each impact. Magic flows across the battlefield like an invisible current, unleashing its destructive power in all directions. The air is filled with smoke and dust, and it is sometimes difficult to see through the confusion. However, I can clearly make out the turning points of the battle, the moments when human forces, however brave, are pushed further and further towards defeat.

Finally, when the dust of battle settles, it is clear that the elves have won. Of the fifty thousand human soldiers, not one remains alive. The elves, though outnumbered, have prevailed with over forty-five hundred survivors, their faces stern but triumphant. The battlefield is littered with the wreckage of the conflict, a grim reminder of the devastating power of elven magic.

From my elevated position, the scene is seared into my memory, a testament to the brutality and magnificence of war in this medieval fantasy world. The plain, once a vast expanse of peaceful land, is now scarred by devastation. The bodies of the fallen lie strewn everywhere, and the air is thick with the scent of magic and death. The sun is beginning to set, bathing the battlefield in a golden glow, as if the world itself is attempting to pay tribute to the fallen.

War, for all its violence and destruction, also has a strange beauty, a choreography of death and bravery that is impossible to ignore. The elves, now victorious, begin to gather their wounded and pay tribute to their own fallen. Their faces, though triumphant, also show a deep sadness, a realization that victory always comes at a price.

From the top of the mountain, I look out over the battlefield once more before turning around and heading back to my home. The scene of war will be etched in my mind forever, a reminder of the fragile peace that is always on the verge of being broken. As I descend the mountain, I can't help but think of the lives lost and the harsh reality of war. But also, amidst the sadness, there is a spark of hope, the belief that one day, perhaps, peace will prevail and such battles will only exist in stories and legends.

Hahahahahahahaaha, I'm kidding!

I just went into playwright mode.

I didn't really see anything very impressive during the entire battle, which lasted only a couple of hours. Sure, I found the elves' magic interesting, but nothing too special. I'm not going to lie, I was hoping to see their best toys in action like the ones they must have used to blow up the capital. A few of those and this fight would be pointless, but I'd have fun watching fireworks.

I can't blame them either, their opponents weren't that great. Maybe those toys are expensive and they didn't want to throw away money for a bunch of ants. Plus, I lied about the part where they mourned their fallen and all that; in reality, the remains were simply destroyed with magic by themselves.

Because of their decisive actions and lack of any empathy for their compatriots, it made me assume that in reality all the elves who fought in this "war" were nothing more than homunculi made in Sarion, so the already low losses they had actually meant nothing to them.

Honestly, I had low expectations for the human side, but they still managed to disappoint me. Come on man, they had ten times the amount and only managed to eliminate ten percent of the "elves". That's equivalent to it taking a hundred men to kill a single elf. It's not like they don't have magic users. If I were the king, I would give them the explosive stone I left in their warehouse and by hook or by crook, take the enemy army to hell along with my own. At least this way the "elves'" victory would be a pyrrhic victory due to their low birth rates.

"Now, what do I do for the rest of the day? I can't go look for the dragon corpses now, maybe the adventurers haven't completed the quest yet, and I was lucky that the previously assigned date lined up with the battle," I said as I looked at the piles of human corpses with disdain.

"It's these moments of nothing to do that make me miss electronic devices and enjoying some good memes on the Internet," I said ruefully.

"Whatever," after saying that I left with shadow movement.

…

Meanwhile, in five locations far from Kai, the fight had begun, blinded by the rewards promised by the rich merchant Kai had led them to believe. With the first rays of daylight, all the adventurer teams went to their target dragon's lair. This was easy for three of the teams, while the two teams to the northwest of the continent did not fare as well. One had to climb an active volcano, while the other had to sail to the island where the lair was located, avoiding being attacked by sea monsters. To overcome those difficulties, Kai had given them several magic items; still, the journey was not entirely smooth.

-Alpha Team Leader POV-

With dawn upon me and my companions, it was time for a new assignment. If all went according to plan, after this mission, me and the rest of the boys could retire from being adventurers with our heads held high and our pockets full of gold.

After we had all checked our equipment several times, we left the town where we had spent the night and set off. Our goal: an area of cliffs along the coast.

As we walked towards the objective, me and the boys decided to chat to release the tension.

"We must be crazy to accept this mission to kill a dragon," the Rogue of the group said nervously.

"It's too late for you to say this. Weren't you the most excited when you heard about the rewards for completing the quest?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"I was, but now I admit I'm scared. Can we really do this? Many have tried before and look what happened to them."

"If the secret weapon the merchant gave us is as good as he claims, it should be possible," the group's magician said.

My gaze was drawn to a magisteel box that other members were carrying, inside it were ten arrows, which the merchant who entrusted us with the task called secret weapons.

"Well, he didn't seem like a charlatan, just look at all the equipment he gave us just to carry out the mission. All of our weapons were replaced with magisteel weapons, he even gave us magic items and various poisons from powerful monsters. He's investing a huge amount of capital for us to get it," said the archer of the group.

"So much so that he was even willing to let us keep all the equipment if we completed it. Add that to the amount of money he promised us, and you can consider him bleeding quite a bit," the group's squire said.

We all nodded at that statement. That level of reward more than justified risking our lives, as we usually did it for much lesser rewards.

After a few hours, we arrived at the location the merchant had told us about. In front of us was the edge of a towering cliff, the dragon's lair was located twenty meters down the rock wall, in a cave dug by the dragon itself.

"We're here, guys, get your gear ready to descend. According to information, the dragon normally sleeps at this time, but we need to make sure it stays that way, so we'll avoid making loud noises," I said in a serious tone.

To which the rest nodded, nobody wants to die from such a low-level mistake.

We quickly set up our descent gear, strapped ourselves in, and slowly climbed down the wall. After descending nearly twenty meters into the cave, I gave the rogue of the group a hand signal, which he understood. From one of his pockets he took out a small bottle, and when we saw it, everyone, including himself, held their breath. He quickly uncorked it, tied it with a long string, and lowered it down to the level of the cave.

It was a powerful sleeping potion, made from the scales on the wings of moth monsters as well as other ingredients, one of the many items the merchant gave us. If the dragon was awake, this wouldn't put it to sleep, but if it was asleep, it would ensure its sleep was deeper.

After dozens of minutes of the sleeping pill entering the cave, it was time to begin.

I gave a nod to the rest of the team, we all took out a powder and threw it on ourselves, this would allow us to hide our scent for about thirty minutes.

Not wanting to waste time from the effect of the dust, we went down into the cave, avoiding making noise.

From the metal box we took out some small spherical glass objects, inside we could see a red stone, we placed them at the entrance. If the plan failed, they would be the way they could kill the dragon at the cost of their lives.

Once we were all settled, we took out three special arrows and left the rest at the entrance. If the situation became dangerous, they would be responsible for our deaths rather than helping us. We carefully entered the cave, the cave went several hundred meters underground. The atmosphere was humid, you could hear drops falling from the ceiling into puddles on the floor.

It was after almost fifteen minutes that we spotted our target, a huge winged lizard over thirty meters long, with powerful limbs and hard aquamarine scales. Luckily for us, the bastard was asleep.

Looking into my team's eyes, I raised a finger on my right hand, meaning that they would opt for the first plan, which was to directly use the secret weapon against the sleeping target.

As for the second plan, which would be used in case he was found awake, it would consist of using various methods to draw his attention to other members while the archer used the secret weapon.

Everyone nodded at the order.

Being careful not to make any noise, we moved away until we were within the maximum range of the bow and arrow. Once there, the squire lowered his massive magisteel tower shield from his back and placed it in front of him. Afterwards, he began to take various potions , the effects of which were to increase stamina, improve defense, increase strength, etc. The last one was a recovery potion, which he would hold in his mouth and swallow if he needed to. The rest of us positioned ourselves behind him in a crouch, nailing our weapons to the ground with all our might. The mage used reinforcement magic on the shield and the squire. After upgrading our squire to the maximum, we all gave the archer the ready signal.

Seeing that we were all ready, the archer nodded, stood up, arranged the three special arrows in his quiver, took a few slow breaths to calm himself, took the first arrow out of the quiver and put it on the bow. He pulled the string with all his might, aimed in the direction of the dragon's head and released the string. With fluid movements, as the arrow flew towards its target, he quickly took out the second arrow and fired that as well, then the third. When he was done, he quickly took cover behind the rest of us.

We all prayed that this secret weapon would work or we would be in serious trouble.

With the impact of the first arrow on the dragon's cheek, due to the pain, he woke up furiously, only to be hit by the remaining two arrows, one in the neck and the other in his left front leg.

He roared angrily, quickly searching for the source of his pain. After looking in several directions, he had found us. He was preparing to charge in our direction.

"Come on, it works, it works!" we all said in unison.

In answer to our prayers, a powerful explosion erupted out of nowhere. A powerful shockwave spread throughout the cave. Our squire did his best to protect us from it, but we could see that he was struggling fiercely to keep from being thrown into the air. The rest of us could only hope that he would hold on.

As quickly as the shock wave appeared it left, the cave even began to collapse. Large rocks began to fall, we had to retreat quickly before we were buried alive.

Wasting no time, we carried our squire, who had suffered several internal injuries, and quickly ran to the entrance of the cave. As I was leaving, I turned around briefly, and there it was, the corpse of the dragon. Yes, corpse. There was no sign of life on it. It was incredible to think that a few arrows could kill such an imposing creature, but it made me realize how extraordinary the merchant was who could acquire these artifacts.

After several minutes of running while dodging debris from the ceiling, we managed to reach the entrance.

"Phil, quick, take the box," I shouted to the Rogue.

He quickly picked her up from the ground and put her on his back.

We all used the ropes we had climbed down with and started climbing as fast as we could. When we all climbed up, a second explosion could be heard over the cliff. The objects we had placed at the entrance detonated because of the debris. With the explosion, the cave had completely collapsed.

We were all breathing rapidly from the effort and fear of what we experienced.

"Ah... Do you think... they won't pay us... since we ended up burying... the corpse?" the wizard said between gasps.

"That… shouldn't… be the case. … He said our only… goal was to kill him… in his lair. He… would make arrangements to deal with… the body. We'd just… have to keep our mouths shut… until he dealt with it, so that… outsiders… wouldn't try… to steal it," I gasped.

At some point we all started laughing together.

"We did it guys, we can boast of having killed a dragon!" I shouted out loud.

Now we had to get out of here quickly or we might draw someone's attention to the cave with the corpse.

Alpha Team: Mission accomplished – Zero casualties.