Chapter 25

While saying she would submit two works on the weekend, it ended up like this... Somehow, the content is equivalent to two works...

Alize stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret given to her by her mother.

---

It had been about three years since she met this dragon, a symbol of despair. The time she spent acting together with her master Setsu and the others had long passed, and she, who had steadily improved her skills, was finally about to be promoted to S-rank.

At that time, a request for the S-rank promotion exam was posted at the guild. The content was "the extermination of a single flying dragon," which was quite common for an S-rank exam. Adventurers above S-rank are also known as "dragon hunters."

When hunting a dragon, in principle, solo action is prohibited. Dragons are undoubtedly one of the top three most powerful species in this world. It is said that unless one is at the SSS-rank, it is impossible to defeat a dragon alone. This shows just how much of a difference there is between SS and SSS ranks, but let's put that aside for now.

She, like the others, did not deviate from this rule and accepted the request with a group of A-rank adventurers she was somewhat friendly with. On the way, they imagined what they would look like as S-rank adventurers and smiled. However, the moment they arrived at the scene, they were struck with terror.

There was a single flying dragon at the site. It seemed to have noticed their approach and emerged from its nest. The dragon glanced at Alize and the others, then flapped its massive wings and took flight. The bright red scales covering its body were so beautiful that they captivated the gaze of all living beings, and its presence and demeanor were such that everything around it seemed to bow in reverence.

What they felt was an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. There was no trace of the enjoyment they had previously imagined, and they just stood there, staring at the dragon's beauty as if devouring it.

Perhaps the dragon found Alize and the others annoying, for it suddenly roared and flapped its wings, approaching them. The members present were frozen in place as the dragon, with its claws extended, descended upon them.

Alize—except for her...

"Uuuuuuuu!!!"

Shaking with fear, Alize drew her rapier. Infusing it with magic, she released a flying sword that pierced through space. This flying sword was the best she had ever created. The attack, which could pierce through most monsters, indeed struck the dragon's face.

However, that was all.

The dragon, which had been struck in the face, showed no sign of fear, landed on the ground, and swept Alize away like trash. The pain that almost made her lose consciousness sent her rolling on the ground. Knocking down several trees, she found herself nearly 100 meters away from the dragon.

The reason Alize could move was likely because she had been raised by a hero who was not quite a hero. During sparring, he always projected a dragon-like aura at her. At first, she would faint from fear, but eventually, she got used to it and became quite resistant to such pressure. This was a significant reason why she could move in this situation.

However, just because she could move did not mean she could stand up to the dragon alone. The fact that she was blown away and suffered such damage was a clear indication of that. Her arm was broken, and her leg was shattered. Alize was no longer in a state where she could move.

Feeling anger at her inability to use healing magic and her inability to even hold a sword, she strongly resented her injured arm. There was a large cut on her shoulder, and blood was flowing uncontrollably. She pressed her hand, enveloped in fire, against the wound as if to vent her anger.

"Ugh...!"

Despite groaning, she shed tears of frustration.

--- In the corner of her vision, she saw one of her companions being devoured.

She managed to stop the bleeding, though she suffered burns.

--- Another companion was crushed by the dragon's arm.

Alize tried to stand up and go to their aid, but...

--- A bright and cheerful female warrior was impaled by a massive claw.

Lacking the strength in her legs, she collapsed immediately. Unable to support her body with her arms, she hit the ground hard.

--- A cute mage who was better at support than offensive magic was reduced to a lump of flesh under the dragon's tail.

She continued to send commands to her body to move, but it refused to obey. Her body was instinctively rejecting the idea of challenging the dragon, a clear path to death.

And finally, the moment came.

"Ah..."

Today, there were six people, including Alize, at the site. Four of them were now dead. And... the last one, a kind and generous male swordsman who always drank and laughed heartily...

--- was just devoured.

In the end, the dragon returned to its nest, leaving Alize alone at the site. The face of the last male swordsman kept replaying in her mind, and tears streamed down her face. He had looked at her with a gaze that seemed to be pleading for help.

This was the cause of her trauma. An overwhelming defeat by overwhelming power, the loss of her companions. It was later discovered that the dragon they encountered was not the one they were supposed to hunt. The information about the correct dragon had only just reached the guild after they had set out.

Apparently, the dragon they were supposed to hunt had been killed by a higher-ranking dragon, which then took up residence in the nest. In other words, they were supposed to fight a lower-ranking dragon.

Alize, who had been blown away first and ended up outside the dragon's territory, was the only one who survived. Unaware of this, she thought she was considered just another insignificant target by the dragon, not even worth killing.

Watching the dragon return to its nest, satisfied after killing all the intruders, Alize fainted, overwhelmed by her powerlessness and fear.

---

She was later rescued by a merchant who heard the commotion and approached. Her injuries were healed by magic. This incident led to some issues on the guild's part, and Alize received a substantial amount of hush money. She was told that the S-rank promotion exam would be posted again, but she was no longer in a mental state to take it. The fear of dragons had taken its toll, and she no longer had the will to face them again.

Alize returned to this village without telling anyone, leaving the city. Every time she held her rapier, the scenes from that day would resurface, and for a while, she could not train properly, leading to a decline in her strength. However, recently, she had been able to gradually overcome that fear, thanks to a man named Lamer, who encouraged her.

But the fear had not completely disappeared...

---

"A... Ah..."

Alize's legs were trembling with fear. The dragon, flying over the village, glared down at the villagers, shrinking their hearts with its overwhelming presence. It gradually descended, and as it landed, the houses beneath it were crushed, causing the villagers to tremble in fear.

"Over there is a child who can't move due to illness!"

Someone shouted. The other villagers, panicked by the sudden dragon attack, fled in all directions. The soldiers who were on standby in the village barely remained in place, but none of them showed any intention of helping the child.

---

Alize, like them, felt the urge to flee. From what she could see, this dragon seemed to be of the same level as the one that had devastated her group years ago. Although the color of its scales was different, its imposing physique was reminiscent of the dragon from back then.

The dragon scanned the area, looking for prey, and moved its head. Then—its eyes met Alize's.

"Ah..."

A deflated sound escaped her lips. The scene was reminiscent of a frog being stared down by a snake. The dragon, having found its prey, took a step forward with its angry eyes.

"The child is still alive!"

At that moment, someone shouted and ran towards the dragon... or rather, towards the house it had crushed.

"L-Lamer!!"

The one who ran without even drawing his sword was Lamer, a village soldier who had feelings for Alize. He was always like this. Whenever someone in the village was in danger, he would rush to help, ignoring his own abilities and position. He was brave, or perhaps reckless... He had repeated such actions. However, until now, Alize had always been able to help in some way.

---

But this time was different.

The dragon noticed him and directed its gaze at him. That alone was enough to stop him in his tracks. The brave and reckless man was frozen by a single glare.

The difference in power between humans and dragons is immense. The overwhelming power first crushes the spirit. His mental strength, which had previously allowed him to face fear, was broken before he could even react.

And a human who has stopped moving is the easiest target in such a situation.

"R-Run!!"

Alize, forgetting her fear, shouted. However, Lamer, who was staring at the dragon in a daze, did not run.

The dragon swept its arm like it was brushing off dust. The wind generated by the arm's movement pushed Alize back. Unable to keep her eyes open in the strong wind, she covered her face with her arms and managed to open them slightly.

...Lamer was nowhere to be seen. When the wind died down and she could finally search for him, he fell from the sky.

"L-Lamer..."

It was unclear how high he had been thrown, but it took a considerable amount of time for him to fall. When he landed next to Alize, his arm was twisted in an unnatural direction, and a significant amount of blood was flowing from under his armor. He did not move at all. Alize could not approach him, knowing that his life had already ended. The absence of his magic power was a clear indication. She was afraid to confirm this by taking off his armor.

With this, she had once again lost a companion to a dragon.

However, the emotion that welled up inside her was different from before.

"......How dare you..."

Alize drew her rapier and took a step forward.

"How dare you... kill Lamer!!"

With a face stained with anger, Alize charged forward with fierce determination. There was no fear, only pure anger. Lamer's presence in her life had been so significant that it had driven away her fear. She had been so drawn to him.

"Aaaaaaaah!!!"

Facing the overwhelming and unreasonable force, Alize, who was not good at casting spells without incantation, unleashed a barrage of flames. The dragon, which seemed to be considering her attack, began to take flight while receiving the full force of her magic.

"Don't run!!"

As the giant body rose, Alize kicked off the ground and leaped, driving her rapier into the dragon's face. However...

"Damn it!!"

The rapier broke in half upon hitting the scales. Despite losing her weapon, driven by anger, Alize instinctively grabbed the broken tip of the rapier and thrust it into the dragon's eye.

"Gyaaaaaaah!!!"

The dragon's first scream. Alize, who had gouged out one of its eyes, did not celebrate. Instead, she tried to thrust the remaining fragment of her rapier into the dragon's other eye.

"Gah!!"

"Shit!!"

However, the dragon prevented this by shaking its head. Thrown into the air, Alize managed to regain her balance and land. At the same time,

"Uooooooh!!!"

She kicked off the ground again and charged at the dragon's face. She raised her rapier to thrust it into the dragon's other eye, but this time, she was knocked away by the dragon's arm.

Blown sideways by the dragon's arm, she crashed through several houses before finally stopping.

"Ha... ha... ha..."

In a house where the residents had already evacuated, Alize coughed up blood. She smiled wryly, thinking she had somehow managed to survive.

(I knew I couldn't win... but, damn, it's frustrating)

The difference in strength was obvious, and she knew she couldn't win. However, the moment someone she cared about was hurt, her body moved on its own. When her companions were killed before, she had only felt fear, but this time, it was different.

(So much... I was so drawn to that man)

Her heart had been so captivated by Lamer that it had overshadowed her fear. Therefore—frustration welled up inside her. The frustration of not being able to avenge the one she loved.

"I can still... move"

Fortunately, her body was not completely broken. She could still move, though she might have a few broken ribs...

"If I can move...!"

She pushed her aching body to move. This level of injury was a daily occurrence when she was with Setsu and the others.

She ran out of the house and charged towards the dragon, which was still floating. The dragon, with its angry eye, glared at her, but she continued to run.

The dragon flapped its wings, trying to blow her away with the wind. However, she did not stop. She moved her magic-enhanced legs desperately, continuing to advance.

The dragon, growing more irritated, filled its mouth with magic. This was the typical weapon of their species, the "Breath." Some dragons breathe fire, while others release destructive beams, but the higher-ranking ones can destroy a city with their breath.

And this dragon was one of them.

"Ha... the breath... is too much"

The energy gathered at the dragon's mouth was visible even from a distance. The amount of magic there was several times what she could produce. She knew she wouldn't make it in time and would be hit before she could get close. With this certainty, her running naturally slowed down. It was a posture of resignation.

"But... I will protect the village"

She had become stronger to protect this village. To protect the village that was threatened by the monsters every day. To bring peace to the village. If this breath were to be released, not only would she be gone, but the village would be destroyed as well.

"I won't let that happen!!"

Alize circulated the remaining magic in her body. The dragon's breath was aimed at her. If she could take the full force of it...

(I know... it's impossible)

The amount of magic she had left was limited—she knew that. In reality, it was true. But if she could at least act as a shield, perhaps part of the village could be saved. She had already overcome her fear and had nothing left to fear.

(The only regret... is not being able to give honey wine to my master)

Alize chuckled, wondering what she was thinking about at such a time.

"I'm sorry, Master, for being a weak disciple"

"Yeah, you're a complete idiot, aren't you?"

"---What?"

"Gaaaaaaaah!!!"

As Alize let out a surprised sound, a torrent of energy was released from the dragon's mouth.

"Did you forget the adventurer's rule I taught you? Giving up is strictly forbidden!!"

The main stream of energy, the beam, suddenly changed direction and shot upwards. It disappeared into the sky and dissipated as the energy in the dragon's mouth ran out.

"Ah, lately I've been appearing too late... "

"Master!!"

There stood the man who was the furthest from being a hero in this world, yet the closest to being one—Setsu.

---

Next time, Devastation

By the way, the words in the afterword are not the title of the next chapter. They are just a hint.