Chapter 25
InHigh School DxD, dragons are a central element. The protagonist, Issei Hyoudou's, Sacred Gear, the 'Boosted Gear,' houses a dragon, and its raw power is nothing short of immense. Dragons are simply strong. For that reason, they were feared by every faction. Most of the famous dragons were slain or sealed away, and some of their souls came to reside within Sacred Gears.
Besides Tannin, the dragons I know of are Ddraig and Albion, known as the 'Two Heavenly Dragons' and now residing in Longinus-class Sacred Gears; the five dragons known as the 'Five Great Dragon Kings'; Vritra, the 'Prison Dragon of the Black Evil,' who resides in the Sacred Gear of Sona Sitri's 'Pawn,' Genshirou Saji; Fafnir, the Panty Dragon King who loves blonde nuns; Yu-Long, famous fromJourney to the West; Midgardsormr, the sleeping dragon created by Loki; and Tiamat, the only female dragon and the only one still active. I don't remember the last three in much detail since they only appeared briefly in the original story.
There's also Ophis, the strongest goth-loli mascot, known as the 'Ouroboros Dragon' or the 'Dragon God of Infinity,' who was propped up as the leader of the terrorist group, the 'Chaos Brigade.' And then there's Great Red, the 'True Red Dragon God Emperor Apocalypse Dragon,' who is part of the series' title itself. His (?) repeated cries of "Zoom zoom, nooo!" are still burned into my memory for all the wrong reasons. The protagonist's sins run deep.
From Samael, the 'Dragon Eater' used by the Hero Faction, to Lilith, Ophis's clone created by Rizevim, and the Evil Dragons revived by the Longinus, the 'Sephiroth Graal'—dragons are truly deeply involved in this world. Their personalities vary, but they all share one thing in common: they are incredibly strong-willed. As Mr. Azazel said, they are extremely self-paced and have very particular attachments. On the other hand, it seems they can be quite indifferent to anything outside their scope of interest.
And there's one more thing that all dragons have in common. You must never touch their "reverse scale." What constitutes this reverse scale varies from dragon to dragon, but if you touch it even once, they will attack you with a terrifying obsession. They won't stop until either they are dead or their opponent is. Dragons are creatures that are possessive of their treasures. It's a line that must never be crossed, no matter how powerful one is. That is why dragons were feared and revered even by gods and demon lords.
"Whoa, this is amazing..."
"We're so high up!"
"You guys are lucky, you know. Getting to ride on the back of a Dragon King, even a former one. This is a first for me, too."
"Of course it is, Azazel. You can fly with your wings. This is the first time I've ever carried a fallen angel on my back, as well."
We were currently high up in the sky. I'd been on airplanes for trips and such, but this was the first time in my life I'd ever felt the sky so directly. Awed and moved, I was at a loss for words. His back was so huge it could easily accommodate the three of us, and everything was just so incredible. Just seeing this view made me glad I came to the Underworld.
Apparently, Tannin had come all the way to the entrance of the valley to pick us up. So, we ended up riding on his back to the fire dragon's nest deep within the valley. Mr. Azazel playfully slapped Tannin's back, and the former Dragon King let out a sigh with an indescribable tone. Sorry, this teacher of mine is quite the prankster.
The two of them had apparently known each other since the Great War, but it was through Lord Mephisto that they started talking more. Mr. Azazel apparently comes to collect dragon-related materials for his research from time to time, and Tannin has been borrowing fallen angel technology to improve the living conditions for the dragons. Mr. Azazel is really shrewd, or maybe I should say he has a wide range of connections.
"At first, I was worried I'd get thrown off riding on a dragon's back, but this is surprisingly comfortable."
"I'm generating a special barrier on my back while you are riding. I can't very well have my guests falling off."
Wow, as expected of Tannin. He's so sensible, which is probably why he ended up with the "pitiful" moniker.
"By the way, is the egg from the request doing okay?"
"For now. My servants are using their demonic power to suppress the heat. But fine control is difficult for dragons. I'm genuinely grateful that you came, Lavinia."
"Servants?"
"They are Mr. Tannin's dragon servants. They are all very, very big. The dragon's nest we are heading to is also led by one of Mr. Tannin's servants."
What, really? Come to think of it, Tannin is a highest-class devil. He must have received his 'Evil Pieces.' So, it's not strange for him to have servants. I only knew of Tannin as a dragon who had been reincarnated as a devil, but there might be more of them than I thought.
"Tannin's team is nasty. I hear that teams who face them in the Rating Games sometimes develop a phobia of dragons."
"What, Tannin participates in the games!?"
"Now that there are no more major wars, the Rating Games, where I can fight against various opponents, are quite interesting. I participate from time to time with my servants."
"A legion of giant dragons... that's nothing short of a nightmare..."
I know that Rating Games have rules, so it's not a simple game of 'might makes right.' Still, I would absolutely hate to fight against a group of intimidating, giant dragons like that. I can't blame their opponents for developing a dragon phobia like Riser did. They're an overwhelmingly powerful team. And they even use demonic power. The only saving grace is that they only participate occasionally.
We enjoyed a brief, lighthearted conversation like that. Still, I'm having a normal conversation with some really incredible people. A magic girl with a Longinus, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, and a highest-class devil and former Dragon King. I feel so out of place. I have no title, and my 'mob character' feel is off the charts. I plan to just do my best quietly, so it's fine. This is a world where becoming famous just squares your death flags. Not doubles, squares.
I once again resolved in my heart to live a quiet, steady, and diligent life. And so, we finally arrived at the dragon's nest.
"O' Demise, the Ice Princess, grant this one tranquility."
In the dragon's nest, there were dozens of fire dragons. Every single one of them was many times larger than me, their presence overwhelming. As Tannin descended from the sky, all the fire dragons bowed their heads in unison. He really is the king of dragons, I thought, my breath catching at the sight.
Perhaps because humans were a rare sight, or because Mr. Azazel was with us, many curious eyes were directed at us as we dismounted from Tannin's back. It made me feel a little uncomfortable, but it was a relief that I didn't sense any hostility. From between the motionless dragons, a fire dragon about the same size as Tannin appeared. It seemed that this large dragon was one of Tannin's servants.
Following the dragon, we came to a large, stone-ruin-like structure. As we walked inside, the next thing that caught my eye were young red dragons. Perhaps because it was getting late, a dozen or so mini-dragons were huddled together, sleeping. Lavinia and I both put a finger to our lips.
Apparently, the reason so many dragons, who usually dislike forming groups even with their own kind, were gathered here was because it was the season for giving birth and raising young. Tannin values the continuation of the dragon species. Therefore, the dragons under his protection also understand his wishes and cooperate in raising their young during this time.
We proceeded quietly so as not to wake the young dragons and finally reached the back of the ruins. Several eggs were placed there, but further away, in a separate location, there was a single egg. That must be the one. Even from a distance, I could feel a heat that seemed to scorch my skin. I used my Sacred Gear to nullify the external heat, and a shimmering, cold aura began to envelop Lavinia.
Then, as planned, Lavinia stood before the egg and began to slowly cool the heat within it using the power of her Sacred Gear. A pale blue light enveloped her and spread out as if to permeate the heat-radiating egg. A single bead of sweat trickled down her cheek as she closed her eyes in concentration. It probably wasn't from the heat, which meant the control was that difficult. It was a method that only she, with her mastery of ice, could perform.
Thanks to her efforts, however, after a few minutes, the intense heat subsided. As Lavinia let out a great sigh of relief, the heat from the fire dragon's egg became almost imperceptible. She turned to us and smiled happily. It must have been a success. I smiled back, took a towel and a bottle of water from my backpack, and handed them to her. When I quietly praised her efforts, she nodded with a look of accomplishment.
"You saved us, Lavinia. Thank you for coming so quickly."
"Not at all. This is my job, after all."
"Um, so is Lavinia's job done now?"
"No, unfortunately not yet. What I did was only a temporary lowering of the heat inside the egg. Over time, the heat will rise again. So, I have to cool it down periodically."
After that, we left the egg's resting place and were guided to a place where we could sit down. Finally able to take a breather, I took a sip from my water bottle to soothe my throat. Still, it seems the job is far from over. The fact that the heat can't escape the egg hasn't changed, so I guess it can't be helped. But doesn't that mean we have to stay here the whole time?
"Please leave that to me. If I have a few days, I can combine my magic to create a path for the heat to escape. Chairman Mephisto taught me various formulas for this purpose."
"I see. So, until that formula is complete, you'll have to keep cooling it down, Lavinia..."
I've prepared enough to stay in the Underworld for a few days, so that's fine, but I really have nothing to do. I'm still studying magic, so I can't help, and I can't exactly stab the egg with my Sacred Gear. Lavinia will be busy creating the formula and cooling the egg, but what should I do?
"Alright then, I'm heading back to Grigori for a bit. I got the scales I was after, too."
"What, you're leaving?"
"I'm not free enough to hang around with you guys forever. I'll come back to pick you up when Lavinia's spell is done. Until then, have Tannin train you or something."
"...What?"
Wait, hold on a second. Didn't you just say something incredibly disturbing? Who is going to be trained by whom? This is Tannin we're talking about. A highest-class devil, a former Dragon King, a dragon with an attack power on par with a Satan-class being, capable of creating an impact comparable to a meteor. It's absolutely insane for someone like that to train me. And besides, I'm sure he's very busy.
"Ah, when I asked Mephisto for this job, he told me to look after these two as payment."
"Um, Mr. Tannin, I don't think 'looking after' meant training—"
"Kanata's just going to be twiddling his thumbs until the formula is done. ...He's lacking way too much to survive from now on. But we don't have much time. In that case, the only option is to put him through training that's guaranteed to have a certain level of effectiveness."
"Mr. Azazel, I'll die! I'm human, so I'll die! It's not right for a human to train with a dragon!"
Casting aside the Japanese inability to say "no," I pleaded with all my might, on the verge of tears. I really felt like I was about to cry. No way, absolutely no way. I'd managed to avoid the iron ball and the body modification surgery, and now I'm left with the worst possible option! This isn't training, it's bullying! It's just a death flag!
In the original story, Issei Hyoudou was trained by Tannin, but that was because he housed a dragon and needed to learn how to control its aura. I don't have any dragon power at all. It's presumptuous of me to ask Tannin to train me, and more importantly, I really can't see a future where I survive.
He's a sensible and good dragon, but he's also the type to casually say things like, "I just need to bully him to the point of near death, right?" I don't have the protagonist's guts to persevere for the sake of perversion, nor do I have his physical abilities. And all the combat experience I've gained here has been through surprise attacks!
"Relax. Even I know that if Tannin trained you directly, you'd be burned to a crisp in your current state. I've come up with a training menu for you, so you'll probably only be beaten half to death."
"Mr. Azazel, please look up the meaning of the word 'relax' in a dictionary, right now."
"I'll have Lavinia support you, so your food, clothing, and shelter are guaranteed. Since you're human, the training will only be for a few hours, but you might still get a significant power-up. And you probably won't die. You won't find a training opportunity with such good conditions very often, you know?"
"You're definitely saying that on purpose, aren't you!?"
You can't convince me with that gleeful smirk on your face! And what do you mean, "probably won't die"!? I have a convenient Sacred Gear, but I'm just a normal human! Underworld, dragons—it's true that the setting is similar to the original story, but it's ridiculous for me to be put in the same situation as the power-inflated protagonist. The beautiful memories of being glad I came to the Underworld are about to be painted over with terror!
"Azazel. Are you sure about this?"
"Well, he's like this. His Sacred Gear is a tricky one, but he lacks the foundation to master it. It can't be helped since he was a normal person, but... we can't just leave him as he is."
"You seem to be quite fond of him."
"I'm his teacher. I can't do things halfway... Hey, Kanata."
As my mind went blank with the thought of training with a dragon and I fell into a state of confusion, Mr. Azazel flicked my forehead. The pain brought fresh tears to my eyes, but I couldn't complain. I realized that the smile had vanished from his face and he was looking straight at me.
"I know it must feel like I'm asking the impossible of you, but if you don't do this much, I won't be able to get you to a certain level by the end of summer vacation. It's true that under normal circumstances, you might not have to undergo such dangerous training."
"Then..."
"But in that case, I'm sorry, but I can't let you return to your normal life. If I ask Mephisto, it would be easy to extend your study abroad period. Until you exceed the standard I've set... don't think you can just go back to your everyday life."
My eyes widened at Mr. Azazel's words, and I was speechless. This must be what it means to be dumbfounded. I had assumed, as a matter of course, that I would be able to return to Japan by the end of summer vacation. But now I knew that my thinking had been incredibly naive.
"I told you before, about the treatment of Sacred Gear users protected by Grigori. Basically, in order to prevent our power from leaking to other factions, we detain—no, we imprison them. Even if they learn to control their power. No matter how much they wish for a normal life as an ordinary person."
"..."
"I am the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels. I pursue my hobbies with all my might, I'm obsessive, and I do as I please. But even so, I have to protect my organization and my comrades. For that, I will trample on the rights of you Sacred Gear users and make you follow our rules. That's the underworld, a place ruled by those with power."
...That's right. I'd forgotten. I should have thought about this before the summer vacation started. My current life is the result of a series of coincidences. I was lucky enough to meet Lavinia, to be taken in by Lord Mephisto—I'm just a person who got really, really lucky. I should have known that normally, there's no going back to a normal life. But somewhere in my heart, I had thought it didn't apply to me.
I can understand what he's saying. If they let a human who can control a Sacred Gear run loose, the other factions wouldn't just leave them alone. They could be made into a devil's servant, or the Church or the Hero Faction could get their hands on them. If that resulted in harm to the Fallen Angel faction, it would defeat the purpose. The Sacred Gear user probably wouldn't want that either. But I can't accept it. Of course, I can't.
Because I never chose to have a Sacred Gear. My life has been turned upside down by a power I happened to possess, and now I'm being held down by the rules of non-humans. They force me to obey with power, without any regard for my own will. It's only natural to feel angry about that. It's only natural to feel frustrated.
But that's just how this world is. Even if you think it's absurd and messed up, that's just how it is. If you want to get your own way, you need some kind of power to make it happen. If you want to continue living a normal life, you need the power to do so. This world is truly ruthless.
"...The Sacred Gear users in the Fallen Angel organization might resent you, Mr. Azazel."
"I'm a fallen angel. I'm used to being resented."
"But I'm sure there are people who are grateful to you, too. Even if they don't say it out loud."
If I don't get stronger, I can't go back to my normal life. I think it's absurd, but there's a part of me that understands. I must be really lucky. Because I have a choice. It's terrifying, I hate it, and I feel like crying, but I still have a chance. And there are people who are giving me that chance.
Fine, I'll do it. I'm weak. Even if my Sacred Gear is amazing, I'm the one holding it back. I may not have the spirit to seek strength to pursue a dream like "building a harem" like Issei Hyoudou, or the pure desire to "become the strongest" like Vali Lucifer. Still, I want to be able to master my partner.
I don't have an amazing goal or pride like everyone else. In that case, I'll just make one thing. The one thing I can be proud of. Given my personality, there probably won't be many situations where I can confidently say, "Leave it to me!" But I feel like I can do my best if I think, "I'm the only one who can master this Sacred Gear!" Because we're in this together.
I want to continue living a normal life. For that, I need to get stronger. So, I decided to do my best with the goal of becoming a worthy wielder for my partner, who will be with me for the rest of my life.
"Mr. Azazel."
"...What is it?"
"Demon, slacker, bully, prankster, fallen angel."
"Is 'fallen angel' on the same level as an insult!?"
"I'll do it, damn it. I'll even do my best to train with a dragon. If I die in training, I swear I'll become a ghost and twist fate itself to erase any chance of you ever being popular with women or having a wife and kids."
"That's a uniquely horrible form of revenge...!"
"Oh, Mr. Tannin. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. I look forward to your guidance, just enough so that I don't die."
"Hey, what's with the different attitude...?"
You're aware that you're resented, so you can take a little bit of my frustration. Training with a fifteen-meter-class dragon is really scary, you know. But if I can't go back to my normal life unless I do it, then I have no choice. I know it's necessary, and I know you're thinking of me, so I'll thank you in my heart. I have no intention of ever saying it out loud.
"Kana, are you okay?"
"When a person gets desperate, they can do anything."
"I feel like being desperate is not a good thing..."
Lavinia retorted. And so, I was to undergo the dragon version of the traditional Fallen Angel-style Sacred Gear special training fromHigh School DxD.
Chapter 26
There's a game called tag. It's a type of group activity played in a wide-open space, and it's always been incredibly popular with children. Because it's a simple game of running, even adults can enjoy it. The rules can vary, but the basic premise of having one person who chases (the one who is "It") and others who are chased remains the same.
It's a simple game, and I've always quite liked it. I used to run around the schoolyard with my classmates all the time, and no matter the age difference, you could always have a good time with anyone. Yes… the game of tag issupposedto be a very fun game. At the very least, it's not supposed to be some terrifying activity where you're drenched in a cold sweat and one wrong step means certain injury. In the first place, it's just wrong that I'm the only one running away. This is beyond just being ganged up on.
"Ah, there he is~"
"Gah?!"
"Dummy, don't say it out loud!"
Two cute voices echoed from behind me as I was hiding, clutching my Sacred Gear. You've got to be kidding me, they found me already? I'd been running for so long, and my stamina was almost gone. My concentration for sensing their presence had clearly lapsed. I clicked my tongue softly at having let them get so close, quickly changed my Sacred Gear's ability, and started to run again.
"Wait up!"
"It's my turn to get him!"
The pursuers who found me flapped their wings, spitting a barrage of fireballs from their mouths. They were only about the size of tennis balls, so they probably wouldn't kill me, but getting hit would hurt and a burn was guaranteed. I dodged the first fireball that came for me and used my spear to delete the second. After the third, I managed to escape the attack range. My base speed is slightly faster than theirs, so I pushed forward, trying to pull away.
"Found you!"
"Yay, we'll pincer him!"
Just as they said, another one appeared from the direction I was heading. My cheek twitched. If I stopped here, I'd be assaulted by all three of them. And if I tried to change direction now, I was going so fast that I might crash. I steeled myself and chose to charge straight toward the newcomer.
If I turned to escape, the three of them would just chase me down together. The commotion would attract the other ones who were "It." My only option was to outmaneuver the one in front of me to put even more distance between myself and the two behind. I readied my Sacred Gear, carefully dodging the incoming fireballs without losing speed.
I'd failed and gotten burned so many times at the beginning. While I can delete the heat, the pain, and the wounds, I still really don't enjoy my body being set on fire. Even now, a fireball zipped past, making my skin crawl and my fear swell, but I'll say it again: if I stop, it's over. I've had enough of pain.
The fireballs weren't particularly fast. If I focused, I could see them well enough to react. But my Sacred Gear's abilities are a battle of stamina. In a draining game like tag, relying solely on my deletion power would leave me out of gas in no time. I had been looking straight ahead, but a signal from my partner made me dodge to the right instantly. A moment later, a fireball from one of the pursuers behind me flew past the spot where I'd just been. That was close. Thanks for the save. For the things I can't handle alone, I have no choice but to rely on my partner to cover me.
"Mmph!"
Perhaps because I kept dodging its fireballs, the distance between us had closed considerably. Getting annoyed, my opponent stopped its barrage, landed on the ground, and began to gather a single, concentrated ball of fire in its mouth. It looked like it was preparing a breath attack to hit a wide area.Stop that, I'll die.A nervous sweat ran down my face, but this was also an opportunity.
I'm not allowed to injure them. That means I can't activate "Ruin" or use "Delete" to knock them out. But a little something should be fine. Apparently, getting a little hurt during a game is within their acceptable limits. Though, I think having fireballs fly at you is well outside the normal definition of "acceptable"! It might be fine for you guys who are resistant to fire, but I'm just a normal human!
"Partner!"
In the brief pause while the barrage of fireballs stopped, I gripped my spear, imbuing it with the effect that deletes matter. I stabbed its power into the ground in front of me and then swung it wide, kicking up the earth. The dragon, which had been charging its fire, froze in surprise at the sudden spray of dirt and pebbles, hastily covering its face to protect its eyes. As the fine debris rained down on its face, I sprinted past its side. I'd made it through.
"Hey, that's cheating! Wah?!"
The dragon, lifting its face from the dirt, naturally tried to chase me, but I had used my Ruin Javelin to delete the ground beneath its feet as I passed. It seemed to have fallen neatly into my little trap. Don't call me a cheater. Humans can't survive if they don't play dirty. Remember that, you little brats!
"Damn it! I was relieved it wasn't a game of tag with Tannin, but nobody told me I'd end up being a playmate for a bunch of dragon whelps!"
I managed to escape from the three young dragons behind me, but the terrifying game of tag—me versus a pack of twelve—was far from over.
"Kana, here's some water."
"...Thanks, Lavinia. Ah, it's truly wonderful to be alive."
Each round of tag was limited to two hours, and I had somehow managed to keep running for the entire time. In the beginning, I was getting roasted every few minutes... The rules were that hiding was allowed, and as long as no one got hurt (by a young dragon's standards), attacking was also fine. Those kids are so full of energy, they'll chase you anywhere. Our stamina levels are just on completely different planes. It was the morning of the seventh day since my training with the dragons began. It seems I'm still alive.
I clutched the cross I keep in my pocket, which has become something of a good luck charm. I know God doesn't exist here, but I can't help this feeling of wanting to pray. Wishing that I'll survive another day has become part of my daily routine. It's kind of sad.
"Kana~, what game are we playing next?"
"I wanna play hide-and-seek!"
"Kana's holding something weird~"
As I lay on the ground, the young dragons poked at me, demanding to play. "Hold on, you bundles of infinite energy," I said in a serious tone. "Big brother's stamina gauge is in the red zone right now. Go over there and play 'Red Light, Green Light' like I taught you yesterday."
I couldn't let them drag me away. At my words, they started rolling around on the ground, copying me. "Okay, we'll roll around too~" It was cute, but joining their games was just plain dangerous. Even as whelps, they were a bit bigger than me, which made dealing with them—especially a whole group of them—a huge challenge.
Speaking of young dragons, I remembered Rassei, the Sprite Dragon who became Asia's familiar in the original story, but the ones I was dealing with seemed to be a bit older. Still, their big, round eyes and innocent nature were very childlike. Normally, I wouldn't be able to hear their voices as larvae, but the translation magical tool I received from Mephisto was amazing. Of course, most of what I heard was about playing and eating.
"They are cute, aren't they?" Lavinia said.
"Are they making any unreasonable demands of you, Lavinia? They're begging me to play with them twenty-four seven."
"Is that so?"
"We have to protect girls~" one of the dragons piped up.
"Yup, protect~" another agreed.
Hey, what's with this blatant sexism? I knew male dragons were harsh with males of other species, but I could use a little kindness too. Still, I was glad Lavinia wasn't being hassled.
"But still, how do they keep finding me even when I use my Sacred Gear to erase my presence and appearance? In the first game of tag, I got roasted right at the start because of it."
"We dragons live in harmony with nature. And we are sensitive to aura. Your presence concealment is like a beacon telling those children exactly where you are," a deep voice explained.
"Tannin."
"Wait a minute, Tannin. What do you mean it's like a beacon?!"
I couldn't just let that slide. My pseudo-presence concealment was working perfectly. There was no way they should be able to detect my aura, or whatever it was. Those kids shouldn't have the power of a high-class being or anything.
"The problem is that the effect of your deletion workstoowell."
"Too well?"
"Your ability is excellent. However, for dragons and other creatures that live alongside nature, that effect creates a sense of unnaturalness."
I pushed myself up from my resting position, mulling over Tannin's words. If my ability was excellent, then there was no doubt my presence concealment was functioning correctly. Even if dragons were sensitive to aura, they shouldn't be able to detect mine. That meant there had to be another factor. Then, the word "nature" made something click in my head, and I looked up.
"You mean my pseudo-presence concealment isn't actually blending into nature?"
"Correct. When you use your power of deletion to erase your presence, everything in the space you occupy vanishes completely. That includes your aura. Normally, a user who conceals their presence isn't truly erasing themselves, but rather blending their presence with their surroundings. In your case, however, you are truly erasing it."
"I see..."
"In a place like this, overflowing with the various auras of nature, there is suddenly a single spot where nothing can be felt. I was watching from above, and it was far too unnatural. It is no wonder that the young dragons, who can sense the surrounding aura, found you so easily."
Seriously? Is that how it works? So my presence concealment isn't the problem, the problem is theenvironment? For example, you can't see a white mark on a white piece of paper. But if there's a white spot on a yellow piece of paper, you'd notice it immediately. And that "yellow" is the aura that nature emits. In this world, there's something called Senjutsu, which draws power from nature. If someone could read the flow ofkiin the area, my stealth would be exposed in an instant.
"You erase too much of everything. True, it might work against humans and other non-humans as it has until now, but it's a poor strategy against beings who live as one with nature. You might be able to fool the common monsters around here, but if your opponent can read the flow of aura and ki, you're finished."
"Erasing too much..."
"Your cowardice is a weapon in its own right. But at the same time, it is also your weakness."
He was right. I am hopelessly cowardly. That's why I've always erased every trace of myself that an opponent might sense. But there are opponents in this world that it won't work on. There are those who won't be looking for me, but for the disturbances in the ki around me.
"A moment ago, the children said they wanted to play hide-and-seek. Kanata Kuramoto, this time, you will be 'It.' Show me you can find every last one of these dragons who live as one with nature."
Faced with Tannin's challenge, I took a moment before giving a quiet nod.
"Hah, hah... Damn it. I can't find a single one."
I couldn't help but curse under my breath. An hour had passed since we started hide-and-seek, and I hadn't been able to find anyone. The place we were playing in was a forest, a natural playground left inside the canyon for the young dragons. There were no creatures dangerous to them, but there were still small monsters, so I couldn't let my guard down. This was the stage for today's training.
The forest itself was apparently small enough to traverse in an hour or two. The time limit was until sunset. Since I was keeping the energetic young dragons occupied, the other adult dragons seemed to be enjoying the spectacle from the main canyon. It was training for me, fun for the kids, and a break for the adults. "Killing three birds with one stone," Azazel had laughed before he left. But doesn't it feel like I'm the only one suffering here? It's training, so I guess I can't complain.
"Partner, do you sense anything around here?"
I focused my consciousness on the Sacred Gear in my right hand, scanning my surroundings, but I still couldn't find them. Whenever I detected something, it turned out to be another creature. I was striking out completely. Wiping the sweat that had dripped down to my chin, I pushed forward.
"There are twelve of them in total. They're all a bit bigger than me, so they should be hard to miss in a forest, but their bright red scales should stand out against all the green."
And yet, in this space of greens and browns, I couldn't find a single speck of red. It wasn't as if they'd all just vanished—that couldn't be it. It just meant they were better at hiding than I was at seeking.
Since this was training, I was allowed to use my Sacred Gear's power, so I'd been constantly trying to sense them. Still nothing. I'd walked a lap around the entire forest, but it seemed hopeless. Just running around aimlessly wasn't going to work. This training had to have a purpose.
"Think back to what Tannin said. This is probably training for my sensory perception. And through finding the young dragons, I think it's meant to teach me how to use my presence concealment without creating that sense of unnaturalness."
I looked up at a large forest tree, and the sound of a bird's wings beating as it flew toward the sky reached my ears. Come to think of it, they can fly. Is it possible they're hiding in the treetops? I still had time. I sat down for a moment at the base of a suitable-looking tree, letting my stamina recover as my mind raced.
I'd talked it over with Lavinia, and she said that finding the young dragons would probably be extremely difficult for me, given my current abilities versus their natural advantages. The first thing young dragons learn from their parents isn't how to hunt, but how to hide. They become one with nature and conceal themselves. It's a survival tactic for the young dragons, who have many enemies due to their small size.
There were twelve red dragons in this forest. If I hadn't been told, I never would have known. It felt as if I were the only person here. It was that quiet; all I could feel was the breathing of the forest itself. In this vibrant, natural world, they erased their presence by blending in. I realized then that in the middle of such magnificent nature, a pocket of absolute "nothingness" would, of course, feel incredibly out of place.
"First of all, what even is aura? I've heard of a dragon's aura, but is it basically just 'ki'? Is it like the Senjutsu that Kuroka and Koneko use?"
As I recalled, Senjutsu wasn't like magic or sorcery, but the fundamental power that flows through all life. It utilizes the unknown potential hidden within the plants and animals of nature, and within humans themselves. Senjutsu lacks direct destructive power, but it's a dangerous art that allows one to detect others through the flow of ki, strengthen the body inside and out, and manipulate the flow of life itself. Azazel had taught me that countermeasures are limited, so I should avoid fighting a Senjutsu user whenever possible.
The reason humans are said to be able to use Senjutsu is because there are real examples of sages and enlightened beings who could. The most famous one, who also appears in the original story, would be the Buddhist monk Xuanzang Sanzang, Albion's counselor. It was a power that could only be used by humans who had accumulated great virtue like him. Apparently, there were some human geniuses who could use Senjutsu, but they were exceptionally rare. I was told that simply sensing ki was difficult in the first place.
"If I could use Senjutsu, it'd be really useful... But where is this 'unknown potential' in the human body? Do humans in this world have some kind of strange power besides Sacred Gears?"
I patted myself down, but I couldn't tell anything. When I first became aware that I had been reincarnated, I was able to sense a foreign object inside my body that hadn't been there before—my Sacred Gear. If this "ki" was another power unique to this world, maybe I could sense it in the same way. But they call it life force, so it might be difficult. I think the concept of ki existed in my previous world, too.
Come to think of it, Tannin said I was erasing my own aura completely so that others couldn't sense it. And that's why the dragons, whocansense the surrounding aura, were able to find me. Doesn't that mean I'm capable of stopping the outward flow of my own aura?
If so, what would happen if I consciously tried to erase only my aura? At the very least, that "unknown potential" exists somewhere in the human body. It's just difficult to sense, which is why so few humans can use Senjutsu. But doesn't that just mean I need to become able to sense it?
Deciding it was worth a shot, I placed my Sacred Gear on my lap, closed my eyes, and concentrated. Aura is essentially life force, so if I erased all of it, I might die. So I decided to try just a little. Gripping my Sacred Gear with both hands, I activated my ability.
"...Delete Aura."
The moment I whispered the words, I felt "something" inside me begin to disappear. In the next instant, my eyes flew open, and I scrambled to cover my mouth. My vision suddenly blurred, and a wave of nausea washed over me, forcing me to let go of my Sacred Gear. I couldn't properly put strength into my limbs, and an incredible sense of exhaustion assaulted my entire body. I felt genuinely sick. A horrible, strange feeling still lingered inside me. Just erasing a tiny bit of my aura did this to me? Now I understood why they said Senjutsu that attacks aura was so vicious.
"But... I think I get it now."
It was purely instinctual, and I couldn't explain it well, but I truly felt like I understood.Ah, so that's aura. That's the unknown power inside the human body.It was only for a second, but the sensation of that "something" disappearing was still vividly etched in my mind.
I waited for a moment, opening and closing my trembling hands, before picking up the Sacred Gear I had dropped. I then turned my attention to the tree growing right behind me. I couldn't understand what it meant to "sense nature" or "nature's aura." So, I would have to get creative. After all, I'm human. I'm not a dragon or a youkai, and I certainly don't have the virtue to become a sage.
I focused my consciousness on my Sacred Gear, tilting it as if to see the world through my partner.
"Delete Aura."
The instant I stabbed the spear into the tree, the aura overflowing from it began to rapidly disappear. I apologized to it in my head as I continued to perceive the aura through my Sacred Gear. I watched the tree's life force vanish through the effect of deletion, and finally, as its aura was erased, the tree began to age rapidly from its leaves, withering until it was dry and brittle.
"Hah!"
I exhaled the breath I'd been holding and collapsed, leaning my back against the slightly withered tree. Raising my arm, I saw that the bracelet's gauge was right at the edge of the red zone. That was dangerous; it took a huge chunk of my stamina. It seems this pseudo-Senjutsu imitation isn't ready to be used for offense yet. If just withering a single tree a little bit takes this much out of me, using it on a living creature would be tough.
Still, this might mean I could learn to damage an opponent's ki like Koneko. My 'Consciousness Erasure' apparently only makes a higher-level opponent feel dizzy at best. But the original story said that 'Aura Erasure' was brutal even with a glancing blow. This is draining, but couldn't I use it as a trump card to turn the tables? I'll have to ask Azazel about it later.
And I think, just maybe, I've managed to grasp what aura is. The flow of aura I felt through my Sacred Gear… the scenery before my eyes seems to have changed slightly compared to before. I think I understand that sensation inside my body a little better now, too.
After that, I took a short nap to let my body rest until the gauge was back above halfway. Sleep is the fastest way to recover. I set up a magic tool to ward off monsters in the area and set an alarm on one of my bracelet's functions. I was running out of time, but when I woke up, I would definitely find those whelps.
"Alright, time to do this."
The alarm went off. Feeling much more refreshed, I stretched my body to warm up. The sky was growing darker, so there was probably only an hour or so left until sunset. But I was going to give it everything I had.
"Finding an opponent who has blended in with nature's aura is probably impossible for me at my current level. And trying to search for them using the ki I just barely learned to sense is reckless. In that case, I have no choice but to apply the effect to myself."
The aura of nature I had just sensed. I was already capable of preventing others from sensing my own aura. So, conversely, I should be able to make it so thatIcan't sense the aura of nature. No matter how much they blend in with nature, if I block out the very nature they're supposed to be blending into, all that will be left is everything else. If the best place to hide a tree is in a forest, then all I have to do is make the forest itself invisible.
"Remove."
I would delete a part of what I myself perceive. Since I was only removing a portion of it and not everything, I decided to change the activation key for the ability. It's a subtle difference, but it's better to have something that's easy for me to understand.
Thanks to all the cleaning practice I kept up even after returning to Japan, I've gotten pretty good at deleting one part of a whole. Enveloped in a crimson light, I erased my own ability to perceive the breath of nature and the aura of the trees that was flowing into me.
The next thing I felt was silence. There was still sound; birds were still chirping. I could hear the rustle of grass in the wind. But what I perceived was a stillness, as if all the life that had been so abundant just moments ago had vanished. It was like watching a video. I could see and hear, but it felt as if I couldn't perceive anything else. I reached out and touched a nearby tree, but it was like touching an inanimate object. I could feel the texture, yet it didn't feel alive.
The sensation was a little unsettling, but I just had to bear it for a moment. With the aura of nature removed from my senses, I looked out through my Sacred Gear, scanning the area. And then, the presences of the small creatures I couldn't sense before came through to me with perfect clarity. I could sense the birds hiding in the trees, the rabbit-like creatures hiding in the grass, even the insects in the ground. I was amazed at how many living things had been hidden within nature.
A few minutes after I started walking, I sensed a strong presence in the forest, different from the others. It was small compared to Tannin and the other adult dragons, but its powerful aura was undeniable. I could now clearly feel the existence that had been hidden by the overflowing life aura of the forest.
I deleted gravity and let my body float upwards. Toward the young dragon that must have been cleverly hidden in the gap between two trees, I spoke the classic line.
"Found you."
"No way..."
When I pushed aside the leaves, a small, red-scaled dragon was hiding there. Its eyes were wide as it stared at me, who had come straight for it. It seemed my surprise had been a success. I know it might be cheating, but Tannin gave me permission to use my Sacred Gear's abilities. He'll forgive me for a strategic victory, right?
And so, using the rest of the time I had left, I successfully managed to find all twelve of the young dragons.
Chapter 27
Another week had passed since the hide-and-seek training. Today, like every other day, I was serving as a playmate for the young dragons. Still, compared to the beginning, I was no longer just running away; I'd learned to use various tricks and traps to handle them with a bit more composure. My daily routine now consisted of tag or hide-and-seek in the morning, followed by hunting practice with the young dragons in the afternoon.
During the hunts, I learned how to catch and prepare prey alongside the whelps. There was a period where I couldn't stomach meat for a while, but it was a stark reminder of how powerful a human's appetite can be when there's nothing else to eat. I also think I did some control training for my deletion ability while playing with the young dragons, with games like aerial tag and fireball batting practice. I mostly got scorched, though.
After that, the little ones would tug on my collar, begging me to play more, and I'd end up running around with them at full tilt until nearly sunset. My stamina has definitely improved. I've had to hone my reflexes just to keep up. If I didn't, I'd die. And even if I didn't die, a moment's carelessness would lead to serious injury. What a way to live.
By the way, when I reported to Tannin that I had caught all the young dragons in hide-and-seek, he was genuinely surprised. Getting the Dragon King's jaw to drop is a pretty good memory. When he asked how I did it, I answered honestly, which earned me a sigh and a distant look, much like the ones Azazel gives. I thought it was a bit harsh, considering how hard I'd worked.
As it turned out, the growth Tannin had envisioned for me and what I had actually done were in completely different directions. He had apparently thought it would be nearly impossible for me to find the young dragons during the game. His goal was for me to use the remaining days to feel nature and grasp the sensation of becoming one with it, thereby enhancing the quality of my aura.
However, by deleting the surrounding aura, I had apparently gone full-speed in the direction ofexclusionrather than unity, completely derailing his plan. To top it all off, I ended up creating a pseudo-Senjutsu. Uh, sorry about that.
"I had intended for you to learn to control your deletion power by understanding nature, allowing you to adapt to your surroundings. Instead, you became aware of your own aura and developed a mock-Senjutsu to blow it away…"
"Kana, you sometimes come up with things even more incredible than a mage," Lavinia commented.
"Um, thanks?"
"That was not a compliment," Tannin stated flatly.
Ah, yeah. I kind of figured. When I asked Tannin about the aura-like thing I had started to sense, he confirmed that it was indeed ki. I would continue training to blend this aura with my surroundings, but now that I was aware of the flow of ki, my ability to sense presences had improved. My chances of being found during hide-and-seek with the young dragons had decreased, and my detection range during tag had widened. It was still a vague sense, so it wasn't very precise yet.
"Kanata Kuramoto, do not overuse your ability to read the flow of ki. A half-baked mastery of Senjutsu can shorten your life if you make a mistake."
"...Is it because I might absorb the malicious ki and ill will drifting in the world?"
"Correct. Senjutsu is a powerful art, and for that reason, it is easy to be consumed by it. It is a technique that manipulates the very flow of life. Even if you can erase the malicious ki with your ability, a human body will eventually break down if you repeatedly take it in. I forbid you from using it for anything other than reading ki."
In other words, he was telling me not to use any techniques that manipulate the flow of ki. The physical enhancement from Senjutsu was a power I desperately wanted as a human, but I was told that if I tried, there was a ninety-five percent chance I'd fail and die. I firmly decided against it. Apparently, there are a fair number of humans who can at least read ki. Manipulating it, however, seems to be a different story.
In my case, my ability was forcibly awakened by my Sacred Gear. Even now, my understanding is extremely vague, more of a "Is this aura?" feeling. I have the knowledge from the original story, but honestly, I don't really get it. For now, my only choice is to continue training to conceal my presence and detect others. Maybe I'll understand more as I keep at it. I just have to do my best.
"By the way, Lavinia, how is the development of the spell for the egg coming along? It's been almost two weeks."
"Yes, I believe it should be complete by tomorrow. It took some time because it was a custom formula specifically for that egg."
"Ah, I'm grateful, Lavinia," Tannin said.
While I was being chased around by the young dragons, Lavinia had been diligently working on her research. She had investigated the cause of the trapped heat within the egg and constructed a spell to ensure it could hatch safely. It seems she had also taken various factors into consideration, like the growth rate of the baby inside. That was just like her, so serious and dedicated.
I spent every day playing with the young dragons until I reached my physical limit, so I basically did nothing in the ruins besides eat and sleep. I felt a little bad that I couldn't help. Her sleep-talking habits also made an appearance here, but she mostly just slept soundly alongside the young dragons. I was both relieved and felt like I was missing out. No, actually, I was just relieved.
"So, if you can cast the spell on the egg tomorrow, our job will finally be over, right?"
"That is correct."
"Finally… I can go back to the human world…"
It had been about two weeks since I came to the Underworld. Only a few days of summer vacation remained. Every day had been spent being chased by dragons, but I was finally going to be free. If I can just get through today, I won't have to see a dragon for a good long while.
I've had more than enough of being chased by multiple dragons, even if they are small. They don't hold back at all. They play with all their dragon might. And I keep telling them I'm human. I've lost count of the number of burns and broken bones I've had. If I didn't have my pseudo-recovery ability, I don't think I'd be alive.
"Tannin, am I spending today playing tag with the whelps again?"
"No, let's see… It seems you've become quite capable of handling the young dragons with room to spare."
"After being chased around for two weeks, you get used to it…" I replied with a dry smile.
But thinking that today was my last full day here made me feel a little sad. Every day had been so lively and chaotic. Maybe I should put in a little extra effort and play with them today. I rested my head on the stone table, sipping my water, and idly considered it.
"Alright then. In that case, how about a game of tag with me today? If you're leaving tomorrow, you may as well gain the experience of being chased by a fully-grown dragon."
"Run for it, Partner."
Today, I would become the wind. Using the flow of ki I had just been told not to use too much, I erased my presence, deleted gravity, and fled from the former Dragon King before me at full speed. This was a dragon who did what he said he would do. Having had his mercilessness seared into my very soul over the past two weeks, I bolted without even waiting for the signal to start.
The young dragons came swarming out, chirping, "What what, what's happening?" but I didn't have time for them today. Sorry, but for the rest of the day, I'm going to hide with everything I've got.
"What's this? Were you that eager to play tag with me? That was a good move."
"Gah?!"
"Listen up, you little ones. Today, I will show you a real game of tag. Watch closely."
"Yay, the king's playing tag!"
"I wanna see the king's breath attack!"
"Lose, Kana!"
"It's not like I'm not cheering for you or anything!"
"You brats! After I risked my life playing with you for two weeks, that's what you have to say to me?!" I wailed at the cheerfully noisy young dragons.
You all love your king so much! That's great, but I'd be happier if I weren't the target! And as usual, your treatment of me is terrible! Sure, I've gotten a lot better at tag with you guys, but that doesn't change the fact that I was getting beaten to a pulp every single day. Upgrading from young dragons to a Dragon King is just an insane difficulty spike!
"Tannin! Azazel told me at the beginning that if you trained me directly, I'd be burned to a crisp without a second thought!"
"Think back carefully to Azazel's words. He said, 'Even I know that if Tannin trained you directly,you in your current statewould be burned to a crisp.' Correct?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Then it's fine. It might have been impossible for the you back then, but the you right now can probably handle it."
Oh, great Dragon King, I do believe that's called a sophism.
"Well then, let us begin. Given your current state, the time limit will be about three hours. You are welcome to counterattack, by the way. Now… run with all your might."
"..."
The next three hours were a true disaster. A new discovery I made: tears don't actually run out. He created a crater in the valley with a single fire breath and pulverized boulders with his tail. The full-power deletion attack I launched while crying my eyes out was deflected by his skin without even making contact. Not his scales, hisskin. What even is that? What was all my training for? In any case, my speed, stamina, and reflexes had been considerably honed, so my only option was to rely on them and keep running.
I had enjoyed it as a gag in the original story, but I'm sorry, Issei Hyoudou. You endured this for twenty days. That's amazing. And it was around the clock, right? You had to prepare your own meals, all by yourself. I was thinking of heading to Kuoh Town after summer vacation ends, but I've decided that if I ever meet the protagonist, I'll be kind to him. So what if he's a pervert? It's better than being chased by a dragon. What's wrong with being nice to a fellow victim (to-be)?
After that hellish game of tag ended, Lavinia's kindness as she comforted me was a balm to my soul. Thank you, my goddess. I don't want to see a dragon for a long, long time.
"Hey, I'm here to pick you up!"
"Waaahhhh, Azazel!"
"Wh-Whoa… What's this, Lavinia?"
"It is Kana."
"Yeah, I can see that. That's not what I was asking."
My loud sobbing and Lavinia's deadpan reply made the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels recoil.
"Tannin…"
"I assure you, I held back. The fact is, he's not dead."
That's not the point, you highest-class devil dragon!
"Ah… I see what happened. But you, you really have a knack for getting into trouble. What's this about a mock-Senjutsu?"
"I just thought, 'Maybe I can do it,' and then I kind of did."
"It's not something you just 'kind of do.' Sensing the aura within oneself and reading the flow of ki is something that normally takes years of training to grasp intuitively. But I see, so the power of deletion is capable of such a thing…"
When I reported the results of my training to Azazel, he sighed as if his head hurt. Then he started muttering to himself again. From my perspective, he was just being his usual research-obsessed self.
"I mean, it makes sense. If I can prevent others from sensing my aura, then I should also be able to delete the aura directed at me, or even select the aura within myself, right?"
"Theoretically, yes… Hey, Kanata. Don't you dare tell anyone else how you learned to sense aura."
"Huh?"
"Think about it. If your deletion method can be used to hone the senses to perceive aura, there's no way the people who covet Senjutsu would leave you alone. If just stabbing a Sacred Gear into an aura can trigger the ability to sense one's own aura, it means they could mass-produce people capable of using a mock-Senjutsu like yours."
That was a blind spot. Right, if even I could do it, then maybe others could too. But this mock-Senjutsu is only possible because I have my partner. Even now, I can't sense or hide my presence without going through my Sacred Gear. Still, it seems that being able to grasp the flow of ki is a huge advantage. Well, it is certainly convenient.
"In any case, don't use it for anything other than reading the flow of ki. And use it sparingly. In your case, it's as if you've forcibly pried open an unknown power. You haven't followed the proper steps… It would be good if we could find someone knowledgeable about Senjutsu, but I can't find someone like that on short notice."
"Understood."
So, when it came to sensing presences, more training was required. I could remember a total of five people knowledgeable about Senjutsu. Kuroka and Koneko, who possess the powerful abilities of the Nekomata. The original Sun Wukong and his descendant, Bikou. And the monk, Xuanzang Sanzang. There were probably others, but I didn't know them.
Unlike in the original story, the Three Factions were currently in a state of cold war, and I believe their relationships with the Shinto and Youkai factions were still poor. These were not people you could just casually ask to teach you Senjutsu. If I could use Touki, my stamina and fatigue problems would probably improve significantly, but it wasn't going to be that easy. For now, I'll have to be satisfied with just having become more sensitive to presences.
By the way, I did receive a passing grade from Azazel. Apparently, if I could survive being chased by Tannin for three hours, it was within an acceptable range. Yes, I seriously thought I was going to die. I never thought I'd see a mountain get blown away with my own two eyes. So that's how craters are formed. I didn't want to know.
"Kana, Governor-General. I have successfully applied the spell to the egg."
"Ah, good work, Lavinia. Thank you for your hard work."
While I was giving my report to Azazel, Lavinia had been in the egg chamber, deploying her magic. I had wanted to go see, but we decided to leave it to her so as not to disturb her concentration. I was just glad it was over without any problems.
Well, that should be the end of her job and my training. It had been an incredibly dense couple of weeks. In the span of a single one-month summer vacation, I joined the Grigori, was trained by the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, came to the Underworld to become a chew toy for young dragons, and was finally chased around by a former Dragon King. Wow, I felt like I was going to cry for a variety of reasons. My former life as a normal person seemed to shine so brightly now. Everyday life is the best.
"So, shall we head back to the human world?"
"Ah, about that. There was actually one more training exercise I wanted you two to do. We didn't get the chance, so we couldn't do it."
"Training for us?"
It wasn't just for me, but for Lavinia as well. We looked at each other and tilted our heads in confusion.
"Your teamwork. You had some practice before coming here, but you only faced small fry. What will you do when a powerful enemy appears? How will you support each other and formulate a strategy? If Kanata is returning to his normal life for a while, an opportunity for the two of you to train together like this won't come around so easily."
"I see…"
"That's true. Lavinia is busy with work, and I have school on weekdays."
We both agreed with the training Azazel proposed. An encounter with a powerful enemy. I honestly hoped it wouldn't happen, but it was a reality we couldn't ignore. If it happened without any practice, what would I do? How could I support her? I think having experienced it once before would make a huge difference.
Teamwork can't be built overnight. On weekends, I could use teleportation magic to come to the association. We could practice basic teamwork there. But I felt that still wouldn't be enough. A normal battle where you have to conserve stamina and a battle where you have to go all out to win are two completely different things.
"You two also think it's necessary, right?"
"Well, I do think it would be better to have the experience."
"I agree."
"Alright, permission granted. In that case, I'll leave the final training to you, Tannin."
"Very well. Consider it thanks for the egg and for playing with the little ones. I will lend you my chest."
Oh dear, I have a very bad feeling about this. I feel like a very ominous conversation just took place right in front of me. My body started to tremble as the terror of yesterday resurfaced. You wouldn't ask him to do something that would torment your cute student, would you, Professor? Even Lavinia, who is usually so calm, had a slightly troubled look on her face. I was drenched in a cold sweat.
"P-Professor. I'd like to do it, I really would, but it's not like powerful enemies just pop up whenever you want, right? It would be bad if we died during training. Let's just say we weren't fated to do it this time and give up."
"Rejoice, you two. The great former Dragon King himself has agreed to be your powerful enemy for your final training. Go at him with the intent of borrowing his chest, and be prepared to be crushed."
"I knew it was coming to this! We'll really be crushed! Physically crushed!"
"...Oh dear," Lavinia said.
Even Lavinia looked like she was about to pass out! I could barely even run away from him, and now you're telling me to go up against him?! Even with a magical girl Longinus wielder as my partner, facing Tannin is impossible. He's way beyond the level of a "powerful enemy." Please don't set up a match with the Dragon King so casually!
"Now then, shall we head to the open area? We'll begin after a light warm-up."
"Tannin! This is impossible, no matter how you look at it. I can't see any future where we win!"
"I am well aware of that. Therefore, any single blow will do. Land one hit on me. If you can do that, you win."
A dragon with a fearless smile and a Fallen Angel smirking behind him. Yep, these guys are evil. They're horrible people who enjoy tormenting innocent lambs. This is bad. We could end up being burned to a crisp by the Dragon King. What kind of miracle would it take to land a single blow on him?
Though confused by the sudden turn of events, I steeled myself, shot my hand up, and declared loudly.
"We request time for a strategy meeting!"
After my surprisingly bold statement left them dumbfounded for a moment, I somehow managed to get their approval.