Chapter 43

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"Next, what kind of power—umph"

Just as I was about to check what powers I had in my dragon form, I involuntarily reverted to my human form, regardless of my will.

"What's the matter, Heart Friend?"

"…Out of energy"

I looked at my palm, gauged the sensation in my body, and told Chris.

Chris was momentarily puzzled.

"Hahaha, I see. Shall we have a meal then?"

"Yeah."

I nodded.

I wanted to grasp my dragon form as soon as possible.

For that, I needed to eat a lot and replenish my energy.

I was thinking about going to the town of Boarsel to buy supplies—

"Wait a moment."

Chris flew out of the dragon stable.

When I chased after him outside, I saw the medium-sized dragon flying away.

I wondered where he was going, and after a few minutes—

Chris flew back.

Unlike when he left, he was holding something in his front claws.

"I'm back, Heart Friend."

"That's…a buffalo?"

"Aye, this one should suffice for now."

"Got it…thanks, Chris."

"Hahaha, we are Heart Friends, are we not?"

Chris laughed heartily.

He then grabbed the buffalo he had hunted, started a fire on the ground, and threw the buffalo into the flames while still holding it.

"Is this how you make a roast?"

"Haha, I am immune to fire, you know."

"Yeah, but—"

"Will you do it yourself, Heart Friend? You are immune to fire due to our contract, aren't you?"

"No…if I did, it would look—"

I smiled wryly.

Since Chris, a medium-sized dragon, was doing it, it still looked like "cooking the ingredients," but if I did it, it would be a different story.

After all, the buffalo Chris hunted was larger than me.

If I were to do what Chris suggested—

"I'd end up hugging the buffalo and diving into the flames. That would look—"

"Hmm, like a double suicide."

"Ugh…you didn't have to say that."

I frowned and smiled wryly again.

The image of hugging a buffalo and committing suicide by fire was not something I wanted to see.

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry. Oh, it's almost done."

"Got it."

"Better to eat it while it's cooking."

"…Hmm."

I nodded slightly.

This "image" was fine.

I entered the flames.

Thanks to my contract with Chris, I was immune to fire damage, so I didn't take any damage even in the flames.

I stabbed the knife into the buffalo, which was already cooked on the surface, cut off a piece of meat, and brought it to my mouth.

"No salt, but it's quite delicious."

"I hear humans seek freshness in their ingredients. This is the freshest it can be."

"Eating like this—well, it's not unheard of."

During our travels, dragon knights often camp out and eat roasted beasts.

Eating in the flames, however, is another matter.

I ate the buffalo in the flames.

Thanks to the power of my contract with Colette, I converted the food I ate into energy and stored it in my body.

Instead of accumulating in my stomach or turning into fat, it was stored as energy.

In this way, I consumed an entire buffalo, which was larger than my body.

I couldn't eat the bones, of course.

"…Alright, I've stored quite a bit."

"Shall we resume then?"

"Yeah."

I nodded and lightly clenched my fist.

"…Transform"

I muttered.

My form changed back into that of a dragon person.

"My physical abilities have skyrocketed."

"Hmm, good. Try attacking me."

"Attack?"

"Hahaha, I am immortal. No matter how much you attack, it's like hitting the surface of a lake with a stick."

"Meaning it will return to its original state no matter how much I stir it up?"

"Aye."

Chris nodded clearly.

Indeed, if that was the case, there was no need to refuse.

"Got it, here I come."

"Hahaha, come on."

I nodded and lunged at Chris.

As I lunged, I clenched my fist, drew it back, and delivered a full-force punch while jumping lightly.

My fist caught Chris's cheek and sent him flying.

"Not yet!"

I "kicked" the air.

Kicking the air, I flew after the flying Chris as if I were flying.

A follow-up attack.

I caught up to Chris and unleashed a flurry of punches.

"Roar!"

I punched as much as I could, not caring how many.

Ten…twenty…thirty.

Ultimately, I managed to punch fifty times per second, and the sound of my punches reached me after I had already thrown the next one.

The speed of my punches exceeded the speed of sound.

"Hmm…you're doing well, Heart Friend."

Chris, who had been continuously hit, slightly changed his expression.

The attack speed and power of my dragon form exceeded Chris's expectations.

Chris, who usually had a calm demeanor, was now lacking it.

The places I hit were regenerating with flames, but it was becoming slightly difficult to keep up.

"Can you do more, Heart Friend?"

"Of course—ah."

Suddenly, my body stopped.

After taking a step back, I tried to lunge again, but I couldn't.

My body had reverted to human form.

I looked at my palm again.

"Out of energy?"

"Hmm? Already?"

"Yeah. One buffalo—seems I can't fight for a minute."

"Hahaha, the fuel efficiency is terrible, but—"

"But?"

"You showed remarkable strength. If you can overwhelm me like that, you can be considered the strongest human while in dragon form."

"Hmm."

I looked at my palm and nodded.

One buffalo's worth of energy for a minute of transformation, a dragon form that can overwhelm even a Phoenix-type, the strongest dragon form.

"A trump card for emergencies."

I needed to figure out when to use it, but I had gained a powerful ability that more than made up for it.