Chapter 29

“Er, so the field dressing and disposal…”

“I’ll do it, of course,” Luke replied quickly.

“Understood. Sippel—you, me, and Master Luke will handle the dismemberment. Qui Gong, Sufsasa, you two watch our backs.”

“Gotcha!”

“Understood!”

“…’Kay.”

What’s Master Luke doing all this grunt work for? This is the annoying part of this job that nobody likes doin’, Zack thought to himself as he took out a knife to dismember the corpse.

After a monster hunt was complete, the corpse had to be processed in several ways. The adventurers who’d made the kill needed to bring back proof of their work, along with whatever useful materials could be harvested from the body. Dismemberment also served to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. It was a very important task, but few adventurers relished the experience. Put simply, it was boring, irritating, and unpleasant. Some monsters required a deft hand with precise cuts, which was another reason that many adventurers loathed the work. Some hated it so much, they refused to take part in it at all and spent their own money to have the guild do it for them.

One big reason that Luke chose to do this grim task himself was simple arrogance. It was his way of demonstrating that there was nothing in this world he couldn’t do, no matter how grand or how menial. Moreover, every-thing about adventuring was new to him, and even the least enjoyable aspects seemed fresh and exciting. He was bound by nothing, and the life he led finally felt like his own. He hunted monsters, killed them, and earned coin in recompense. The simplicity of the entire process felt good.

“Hey, Zack!”

“Y-yes?!”

Zack’s voice cracked a little in surprise at the sudden call of his name. He was used to being around Luke, but something about the boy still made him cower.

“Y’know, I’m a bit curious,” Luke said. “Is there some reason that this party is called the Gray Wolf’s Claw Marks?”

“Ah…”

It was mild, idle interest on Luke’s part—a simple question that had popped into his head.

“Um…well, first things first, I guess. Do you know what a gray wolf is?”

“Of course. They’re D-rank monsters, no? Hardly worthy of consideration.”

“Well, when I was just starting out, a bunch of them, uh…almost killed me…heh heh,” Zack laughed sheepishly.

“What?”

“Gah ha ha! Sure did! You were on death’s door, man! That sure takes me back!” laughed the big man, Sippel.

“I was still an amateur back then,” Zack explained quickly. “Confident, but for no good reason. I let my guard slip, and the wolves almost took us all out. Take a look.”

“…”

Zack pulled up one of his sleeves and showed Luke the long scars on his arm.

“So the name’s like a warning, I suppose. For myself, y’know? I wanna make sure I don’t forget what I was like starting out. When adventurers get complacent out there, even for just a second, they can end up dead in the blink of an eye.”

“Hm, I see. I knew I liked you.”

“…Eh?”

Luke was already confident that Zack was a first-rate adventurer, and for better or for worse, the story had only increased the affection that Luke felt toward him.

***

Once the giant lizard corpse was dealt with properly, Luke and the party returned to Gilbadia.

“We’re here to rest for a while, then we get back out there when there’s a good bounty, right?”

“Of course.”

“All right, Master Luke.”

Their party was now used to clearing several bounties in a day, but first, they had to return to the city for their rewards. Luke and the others headed back to the guild, picking up consumable necessities on the way. Many of the citizens of Gilbadia still looked at Luke with fear in their eyes—but as was the case with most things, they were slowly growing used to him.

“Hey, Zack, stop in a while!”

“What’re you sayin’, old man? Sun’s still up!”

Many people called out to Zack and his companions as they walked the streets. The party was particularly well-liked by those in the city, and everyone was eager for their friendship and favor. Zack called out jovial replies as they passed, until eventually they came to the Adventurers’ Guild. Just as Luke placed his hand on the handle to push his way inside, a shrill voice drove its way through the door and into his skull:

“I told you already! I’m here to ask where Luke is!”

Luke felt his heart drop like a lead weight.

“…Zack, listen to me.”

“Wh-what is it?”

“I feel like something…annoying is about to happen.”

“That’s a coincidence, I have the exact same feeling.”

“Then you know what I’m about to say, right?” Luke said, casting him a glance.

“Yeah…it’s up to me to fix it again, huh?” Zack sighed.

Not only had Zack also heard the voice, but he’d reacted the exact same way. He felt similar trepidation about whatever was on the other side of that door, and Luke’s and Zack’s premonitions were generally right. Even so, they couldn’t just stand outside the guild all day. Luke steeled his resolve, then slowly pushed open the door.

“Hey, Lily, calm dow—ah! Luke!”

Abel turned to greet Luke, who could practically feel the question marks popping up above his head as he stared back, speechless.

“S-sorry for the sudden visit. We just wanted to come and see how you’re doing,” Abel said. “To hang out, that’s all!”

“Long time no see, Luke,” said Lily beside him.

Luke had no idea what Abel was talking about.

“You came…to hang out …with me?”

Luke struggled desperately to digest the meaning of the words. He understood them separately, but was completely unable to process them together as a coherent whole.

“Yeah! I was so surprised when I heard you’d become an adventurer!” Abel grinned. “Me and Lily actually went and got our licenses too! Real coincidence, huh?!”

Luke’s brain almost short-circuited at the inscrutability of it all, but there was one shred of information that caught in his mind:

Does this idiot seriously think that we’re friends…?

Luke suddenly felt intensely dizzy.

“Zack…I’m tired. We’re done for the day.”

“Huh?”

“A-are you okay, Luke?!”

Abel rushed over to Luke’s side, with a look of genuine concern for his well-being.

3

T HAT WAS THE MOMENT THAT MADE LUKE SURE of it.

There is such a thing as fate in this world. That’s the only explanation. Why else would Abel be here? I just can’t explain it any other way.

Abel gazed at Luke with a worried expression, completely unaware of his inner lament. The sight of the boy only darkened Luke’s heart a deeper shade of black.

And yet…

When did this happen, I wonder? When did I start to accept these irksome aspects of reality as inevitabilities? Nothing I do has assuaged the never-ending parade of annoyances and irritations, and each time the waves rise, they surpass my expectations.

Somewhere in Luke’s subconscious, he had begun to accept the need for compromise—that he must give ground. That was it, he realized.

I’ve been compromising, have I…?

“Mwa ha…don’t make me laugh.”

Luke’s mind, so full of sorrow just moments earlier, was now overcome by rage. All traces of self-pity vanished, leaving nothing but pure anger. He was not just angry at Abel, but at everything in the world that irritated him, and as Luke’s emotions reached a fever pitch, a terrifying amount of mana poured from within him. The air temperature seemed to drop, and suddenly everyone in the room remembered something horrible—Luke. They recalled in vivid detail the trauma he’d inflicted on them, felt his monstrous presence before them, and it sent a chill through the room.

Zack was standing closest to Luke, so he was the first to feel it. A wave of overwhelming terror pressed down on him, and he let out a short wail in response. There was a monster standing by his side, right within arm’s reach and yet nigh untouchable.

“Gaaah!”

“M-Mokkel?!”

The adventurer Mokkel screamed out for the second time that month and ran off into another room. Most of the others were rooted to the spot by Luke’s violent release of mana, unable to move a muscle. The fact that Mokkel had been able to flee at all was, in fact, proof of just how capable he really was.

“When did the two of us become equals?” Luke demanded, focused on the so-called protagonist before him. “Come on. Answer me, Abel.”

“Huh?”

Luke closed in on Abel.

“You seem to have misunderstood, so let me tell you. You and I are not—”

“Hey, cut it out!”

Lily stepped in between the two boys, as if she wasn’t scared of either of them. Luke glared at her for her insolence, only to realize that her hands were trembling slightly.

“You’re both Aslan students,” she said firmly, “and we’re here to hang out! Abel was super looking forward to coming to see you, Luke!”

Lily strained to raise her voice even louder than usual, so she wouldn’t give in to the fear.

“…You—ugh…! What?”

Luke looked at the new dissenting voice standing between Abel and himself, and fresh emotions began to churn within him. Before he could begin to process them, the guild’s alarm bell cut sharply through the suffocating atmosphere to shake him to his core.

Then came the announcement, the man’s voice trembling slightly as his words rung out over the city:

“Emergency!! An S-rank monster, disaster-level, is heading for the city!! It’s an ice dragon!! All adventurers and knights are to arm themselves and gather at the western gate!!”

***

Human mana can be elemental, but what about monster mana? Same applies to them, of course. Probably the greatest example of that are the “elemental dragons”—the creatures are called disasters, and rightly so. Their tough bodies are covered in scales, they’ve got teeth and claws that can easily rip through steel, and they can dish out powerful area of effect attacks with their breath. They’re not only physically strong and incredibly hard to damage, but they’re also so intelligent that they can use magic. Honestly? As living beings, I think they’re far superior to us humans. I guess it makes sense that we consider them disasters, huh?

“…Mwa ha ha.”

But where did it come from? What’s an ice dragon doing here? Why’s a disaster-level monster suddenly descending on the city? Hm, actually…I might have an idea.

“L-Luke…? Um, sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t be bringing this up now, b-but I…”

Obviously, it’s this idiot nervously fidgeting beside me. Abel, the main character of this world, has probably gotten himself mixed up in some big plot event. If he came from the royal capital, then did all of this start there? But then what’s he doing here in Gilbadia? This is the result of wanting to “hang out,” huh? Jeez, what does he think he’s playing at? I don’t understand any of what’s going on…but fine. I detest Abel, but this encounter actually serves me well. It’s very exciting to have this chance to fight an enemy as fierce as an ice dragon. I’d been getting so bored of regular giant lizards.

Adventurers continued to gather around me, but I saw darkness in them, their faces drained of hope.

I can’t see the ice dragon yet, but I can feel it. It’s getting closer. Hey, where did those two beastlings run off to, come to think of it…?

I looked around a bit, but couldn’t see them in the crowd.

There’s still something I need to ask them about.

“Luke!” someone called out.

I turned to see my father hurrying toward me, with countless knights at his back. Alfred was there too.

“Aren’t you going to evacuate, Father?”

“Don’t be foolish. I would never be so weak. You are my concern, Luke. Accompany Alfred immediately to—”

“You don’t intend on ordering me to run away , do you, Father?” I interrupted.

Normally, I would never do something like this…but right now, I just can’t allow it. I’ve finally found an enemy that I can give my all against. I won’t let anyone take that from me.

I had a burning desire to fight the ice dragon. No, more intense than that; it was a deep, almost primal urge raging inside of me that was too intense to resist. I set my mind racing, searching for a suitable reason that would justify my going out to fight if my father needed to be convinced. I quickly landed on a model answer, which I delivered immediately.

“As heir to House Gilbert, I refuse to turn and flee while the citizens I am bound to protect remain. I will stake my life and fight to the very end.”

Everyone in the vicinity fell silent at my words, and I could feel eyes upon me, filled with all sorts of emotion. That included my father and Abel as well.

“My dear boy…I should’ve expected nothing less from my son!” cried my father. “I had no idea that you were so determined to fight, but very well. You have beaten me! I will not ask you to retreat.”

“Th-thank you…”

My father was so happy, it creeped me out a bit.

Hey, I just want to fight an ice dragon, that’s all…

“I do not permit you to die, however.”

“Yes, Father.”

My father’s expression was much the same as it always was, but I detected a complex mix of emotions churning just below the surface. He still very much wanted me to run, I was sure, but he had made a conscious choice to respect my determination to fight.

I guess I’ve gotta be grateful for that.

“Luke, you’re so determined to fight this thing. I knew it, you’re incredible! Really, you’re so amazing! Let me help out too!”

“You’re a mean guy, but I might’ve been a bit wrong about you. All right, I suppose I’ll have to help!”

Abel and Lily were both looking at me with a strange intensity— what’s with those two?

“I’m sorry. I misjudged you. I had no idea you cared for us all so much, Master Luke,” said Zack suddenly, and that was the moment that I noticed the change in the crowd too. There was a fighting spirit in everyone around me that had been completely absent just seconds earlier.

“Master Luke! I’m touched!!”

“Zack, cut it o—”

“You lot! You hear what Master Luke just said?! We adventurers ain’t just gonna sit back now, are we?!” Zack called out to his comrades, raising his sword high into the air.

“Raaaaaaah!!”

The beast roared so loudly that it felt like an explosion, shaking the ground beneath everyone’s feet.

“Let’s beat that ice dragon, eh, Luke?!”

I didn’t answer immediately.

Seriously? I didn’t expect my lame excuse to light such a fire under them. I really don’t understand the way that stupid people think. Well, fine. Whatever.

A freezing mana front began to drift toward us. I could feel the temperature drop, my skin suddenly cold and clammy. It was time to confront this incoming disaster.

“Grraaaaaaaah!!”

Finally, the ice dragon made its appearance, and I couldn’t help but grin.

Let’s see just how powerful you really are, eh?

I drew my sword—and paused, as the sound of a whistle drifted mournfully through the air. The tone was strangely sad, yet so beautiful that I was entranced by it for a brief moment.

“Th-that whistling sound…” Abel mumbled, stricken.

Looks like he knows something about that noise… I wonder what? Then again, I suppose that’s to be expected. It’s gotta be related to this attack, and he’s the one that brought it here, after all…I’m pretty sure, at least. Either way, I’m just caught in the middle of it. Forget about all that now though.

Let’s do this—you’re going down, ice dragon.

***

The days that Abel spent at Aslan Magic Academy were by far the happiest ones in his entire life. Of course, he also had many precious and irreplaceable memories from the time he’d spent with his instructor, Elka, but his time living in the Aslan dormitory changed him. Being there on campus, working hard alongside both friends and rivals, and finding his place among his peers…that was what had finally started to slowly melt away the solitude that Abel felt deep inside at his core. To put it more simply—he had fun. So much fun, in fact, that he almost forgot the despair that he felt that day when he lost everything he ever knew.

The sound of the whistle came out of nowhere and suddenly awakened the darkness within Abel.

“Monsters take everything from us. That’s why I have to kill them. Kill them so they can never take anything from me, ever again.”

“That whistle. You know what it is?”

“…Huh?”

Luke’s question drew Abel back to reality, surfacing from the ocean of his mind.

“S-sure…” Abel replied shakily. “I’ve heard it before, s—”

“Grraaaaaaaaaah!!”

The dragon roared, cutting him off.

Luke glared at the monster in silence. It had a savage look, but almost seemed to be fighting to resist something.

“H-hey, what do we do? It’s not coming to attack us…” asked Lily nervously.

Most of those in the crowd stood frozen, awed by the terrible presence of the ice dragon. They watched and waited, swords up, listening for how Luke would respond to the question.

“Hmph. There’s a chance that thing’s being controlled, yeah?”

“Eh?! Do you really think so, Luke? But, well…it’s possible, I guess. Why didn’t I notice that until now?”

“Huh? Someone’s controlling the dragon?!”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, punctuated by cries of shock.

Luke had only said it as an offhand suggestion, but it made Abel put his head down to think. If what Luke was saying turned out to be true, it would massively change the way that Abel interpreted the events of that day. Abel had subconsciously kept a lid on the terrible memories—or perhaps consciously pushed them down—and that was why the possibility had never occurred to him.

“Dragons can’t blow whistles,” Luke pointed out. “There’s mana in that sound too. Whatever, just forget about it. Now, let me test this theory.”

Given that it wasn’t attacking them yet, Luke figured it was safe to assume that whoever was commanding the ice dragon didn’t have complete control over it.

“Arrow of Darkness.”

The spell was so basic that it seemed a puzzling choice to those who overheard him say the words. Luke’s magic contained his Dark element, but even that surely wasn’t enough. Nobody expected his spell to be capable of damaging the dragon. Luke’s true aim, however, was something else entirely.

“…”

The small Arrow of Darkness hit its mark and was absorbed into the ice dragon’s great body…then it exploded. The ice dragon stopped in midair, no longer raging and struggling as it had been moments earlier, but gracefully flapping its wings to hover in place. Luke’s suspicion proved correct as the Arrow of Darkness swallowed the mana that had been controlling the ice dragon.

“Th-the spell’s been broken?! Wh-where’s that whistle? I gotta— gah !”

Luke heard a man’s voice, panicking and distraught. As everyone watched, confused and disoriented, the ice dragon shook its head. In doing so, it threw something from the back of its neck out into the open air—a man wearing a robe, who seemed to be the root of the problem.

“I-impossible!! Nooo!!”

Chomp.

The ice dragon opened its monstrous jaws and, in a single bite, unceremoniously swallowed the man whole. Shocked silence reigned over the crowd, until it was eventually broken by the booming voice of the dragon itself.

“You humans taste awful,” it informed them.

It glared down at the crowd of humans below, and the look alone was enough to inspire even the bravest knights to suddenly visualize their own imminent deaths. Nobody said a word in reply, but Luke thought he heard shrieks from some of the men—awful wails, as if their souls were being crushed inside their chests.

“Yet what a mistake I have made,” it continued. “To allow myself to be ruled by a human, an inferior being…nothing vexes me more.”

To the dragon, this was merely an expression of simple annoyance. To the humans below, however, it was a harsh lesson in reality. No matter how hard they trained, how strong they grew, how perfectly they ­refined their techniques—in the end, a human was only a human. No individual human could even begin to measure up to a disaster-rank monster. Men were incapable of reaching the level of power and destruction that an S-rank ice dragon rained down. The rattling of metal on metal sounded louder than ever before, as the knights trembled in their armor.

Th-that thing’s in a different league…in a whole different biological hierarchy from us…

Zack tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the will drain from his spirit and fighting hard to regain it. He knew better than most that if he fell into the depths of despair, there would be no clawing his way back up from the bottom of that pit.

“Even so…I was freed by a human,” the dragon mused. “That is evident.”

Many in the crowd saw hope, as the ice dragon’s rage appeared to dissipate for just a moment. The monster’s words suggested it might have intellect, which meant it could be capable of pitying them. It could just fly away and leave them in peace, or even thank them, perhaps.

Such were the frail, fleeting hopes of those weak human onlookers.

“Regardless, I find you humans unpleasant. There is no reason that I should let you live.”

The ice dragon’s reasoning was incomprehensible and arrogant to the assembled crowd. For the first time, the dragon clearly displayed to them its intent to kill.

The morale that Luke had inspired within the crowd was lost in an instant, leaving only cowardice and fear in its place. Only a portion of the A-rank adventurers and knights who had seen real battle managed to hold on to their will to fight. Some sensed that death was at hand, while others tried to motivate themselves to go on.

There was silence, and then a hearty laugh rang out:

“Mwa ha… Aha ha ha ha!!”

The men watched as Luke stepped forward from their ranks, laughing openly. He appeared to be quite unhinged, and much of the crowd wondered if the boy had finally snapped. Zack had already been planning his retreat for the last few minutes, and now he quickly began considering the logistics of how he could help Luke to escape as well.

How many of us will survive the coming attack? he won­dered.

That was the sort of battle that was to come, in his judgement, and Zack began to rack his brain for a way out. Luke was incredibly strong, of course, but at the end of the day, he was still human .

“Master Luke!” Zack screamed.

“Listen up, you lot.”

Luke didn’t even turn to look at them. His back to the crowd, he appeared taller than he usually did.

“I will not allow any of you to intervene. I will fight this dragon alone.”

Luke was likely the only person present who was fully enjoying the situation for what it was. His mind filled with sword techniques and magic spells that he could never think about using against a human opponent. Against such a strong enemy, he might even be given the opportunity to use them all, in fact. Luke was in possession of such great power that he had to constantly regulate and control his abilities, and he wanted nothing more than to let loose completely.

No-holds-barred. This is gonna be fun…a truly exhilarating fight at my full strength.

The thought had him smirking the moment it crossed his mind.

“No matter what, no interferences.”

“Luke…”

Luke just wanted to fight with everything he had—that was all.

Obviously, Abel’s going to use his main character powers to beat this thing in the end, right? What’s the problem with me taking it out instead, then?

Luke’s thinking was simple and self-centered, but to the men at his back who watched him standing off alone against the deadly monster soaring high above his head…

Well, Luke looked like a hero —a real one, straight out of the songs.

“Augh…you really are…!” Zack said in a panicked whisper.

He’d only really been thinking about his own life, which he could hardly be blamed for, given the circumstances. Nobody could have scolded him for self-preservation.

But then there was Luke, a boy who laughed in the face of this desperate situation, who didn’t hesitate to put his own life on the line to save others. It was evident to everyone that “hero” was the only word that fit—though, of course, they had no idea that Luke himself had no noble reason for taking action.

Abel hated monsters. Even if they had been controlled by someone else that day, there was no denying their inherent sadism. More importantly, monsters had taken everything from Abel, and he could not help but hate them for that.

As a result, the only thought he could focus on was about how he would kill the ice dragon. Those dark, vengeful emotions were all he had…at least, that was, until he saw Luke standing there proudly and declaring he would face off against the ice dragon to protect his people.

Luke…you really are incredible. I’m so proud to call myself your friend. But if things really get dangerous, I’m coming in to help you. I know how much that’s going to annoy you, though.

“You’re going to go and save him if he gets in real danger, aren’t you?” asked Lily.

“Yeah.” Abel nodded.

“To be honest, I think if Luke can’t beat that dragon, not even all of our strength combined could take it down…” Lily said. “But you’d still go to try to save him, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Heh heh. I knew you’d say that, Abel.”

Lily didn’t question him any further, but went on, “What’s he playing it all cool for, anyway? I mean, what’d be the harm in letting us fight alongside him?”

“You’re right,” answered Abel. “But this is…well, it’s just like him.”

Completely unaware of his soaring reputation, Luke activated his spells.

“Armor of Darkness. Wings of Darkness. Apply: Dark.”

“Oho, the Dark element?” the dragon remarked, its interest piqued. “That’s quite uncommon. I appreciate that you are sacrificing yourself in the service of others. So, how about we make a deal? If you’d prefer, I will spare you, and you alone, on the cond—”

“Shut your damn mouth, you overgrown lizard.”

“What did you just say to me?”

The ice dragon’s demeanor flipped. The rage and mana emanating from its body literally froze the area around it.

“Mwa ha…didn’t you hear me? I asked why some flying lizard would ever presume to speak down to me ?” Luke said boldly. “Know your place.”

“Y-you cretin!! I won’t grant you an easy death!”

Thus began the battle between Luke and the ice dragon, with neither in particular definitively firing the first shot.

4

“G RAAAAAAAAAHH!!”

The ice dragon collected a terrifying volume of mana in the back of its throat, then blew it forth in an icy breath attack. Luke knew that for all his talent and ability, a direct hit would kill him instantly. He gazed in silence at the cloud of death moving toward him, as if it were just some unremarkable aspect of his everyday life. With a cocky, lopsided smirk, he activated a spell in response:

“Dark Sun.”

There was less than a second before the breath hit him, but Luke measured the amount of mana behind the attack to a rather astounding degree of accuracy and felt that he would be capable of absorbing it without issue. The dark sun in his right hand slowly rose up into the air, and the ice dragon’s breath made an unnatural jerk toward it, shifting its course to be swallowed whole by the blackness.

“The insolence!”

The ice dragon let out another icy breath, but this time, it was not directed at Luke. Instead, it rushed at the black sun that had swallowed the first. This time, though, the attack was somewhat narrower and more focused than the last.

In the next moment, the dark sun was frozen over. Luke’s magic had been defeated.

“…Brilliant.”

Was it due to this creature’s wisdom, deep and vast as the ocean, that no human could ever hope to achieve? Was it the dragon’s outstanding insight?

In either case, the ice dragon knew the weakness of Dark magic—that there was an upper limit to the amount of mana it was capable of absorbing at any one time. That was precisely why the ice dragon had concentrated its mana during its second breath attack.

“So the intensity of one’s mana is truly vital, then. I see. Mwa ha…Lloyd really is talented.”

“What are you say—”

“Then I will concentrate my own mana as well. Behold, the smaller, deeper core of my…Ultimate Dark Sun!”

This is bad , the ice dragon instinctively sensed. That should be the same spell, but there is no magic at my disposal and, of course, no breath that could break it.

The feeling was only instinctual, but the ice dragon was almost completely sure of its accuracy. Moreover, there was also the fact that Luke had worked up so much mana in such a short span of time. There had been almost no delay between Luke’s first spell activation and his second.

I must be decisive, then. I must act immediately, before this Dark Sun grows large enough to suck every drop of mana from the air.

“Augh!”

Dragons were strong creatures with terrifyingly high resistances to both physical and magical attacks, as well as phenomenal regenerative abilities. As living creatures, they were truly in a league all their own, which was why the ice dragon chose to break Luke’s magic using its own body. It whipped its powerful, flexible tail toward the dark sun as sharp and as fast as the thrust of a spear.

The dragon howled as its tail pierced into the dark sun, only to find its mana being rapidly sucked away. The creature was stunned.

How could so much of my strength be sapped with such minimal contact? I must absolutely avoid any direct attacks.

“I see. You dragons really do have incredible resistance, and that also plays to your advantage in your own attacks as well. Hm, yes, and your high resistance to physical threats assists you in dealing damage…or maybe it’s more due to the magic resistance, I suppose. Having both makes you much more powerful, eh?”

“…Gah!”

Luke gave the dragon a fearless smile, and it was in that moment that the creature finally understood.

This human standing before me is an inferior being, yet he truly intends on killing me.

The ice dragon had no knowledge of what human facial expressions might indicate, but it was highly perceptive. Its senses were keenly honed and far more sensitive than that of the average human. It didn’t know what Luke’s smile meant, but it felt his intent. Once it understood, an uneasy haze clouded the dragon’s mind, and it felt an emotion it had not felt in a long time.

It cannot be. Am I…afraid…?

The fear, however, was quickly overtaken by another emotion: burning rage. The ice dragon was completely unable to accept that a mere human had, even for the briefest of moments, caused it to experience genuine fear.

“ Yoooouuu!! A mere human!”

The dragon flapped its wings, accelerating in speed.

“Mwa ha…aha ha ha ha!! Oh, this is so much fun!”

The dragon had given in to its rage, but knew that it could not let Luke use his magic again. That was the reasoning behind its decision to close the distance between them as quickly as possible. Luke flapped his black magic wings and surged up into the air to meet the dragon’s charge. The ice dragon’s claws and teeth clashed against Luke’s sword, again and again. In terms of pure strength, it was clear that neither human nor dragon had the upper hand. This battle was a surprisingly even match.

Scratch, bite, or tail swipe—any one of these blows was lethal to a human…but only if those attacks landed. Luke managed to dodge every blow at the last second. No matter how fast or how heavy the ice dragon’s hits, Luke remained untouchable. And of course, it was a simple matter for him to cancel out every breath and magic attack that the dragon used, thanks to his Dark magic. The stalemate clearly irritated the ice dragon, who seemed annoyed that a mere human was taking up any of its time. However, the longer the fight went on, the more precise Luke’s sword attacks became, and the dragon’s feelings of annoyance faded into something more dire.

“…Ugh!”

The ice dragon had realized it from Luke’s very first attack. The anger had overwhelmed it, and it had tried to avert its eyes from the facts—but that was no longer possible.

I cannot look down upon this “Luke” any longer…cannot disregard him as a worthless human. If I continue to underestimate him, I will be the one to die this day.

The ice dragon sensed that instinctively, and it finally accepted Luke as an equal. It decided then and there to stake its life in the fight to come.

***

The Kingdom of Milestia, as a whole, considered magic to be inherently superior to all other forms of combat. Most adventurers had no knowledge of magic whatsoever, and thus did not occupy a particularly favorable position in this society regardless of their other talents. Naturally, the majority of truly great adventurers tended to leave the kingdom for greener pastures. In other words, the only adventurers that remained in Gilbadia were A rank and below.

“ Whoa ,” someone muttered.

To the crowd of low-ranking adventurers on the ground, Luke’s battle against the ice dragon seemed like something out of a picture book. It was impossible, almost unreal, and yet it was unfolding right there before their eyes. A-rank adventurers were part of an elite class—the best of the best—and not one person in the crowd was deluded enough to believe themselves strong enough to join the battle. Only the truly chosen would be capable of that, the heroic S-rank and X-rank adventurers who stood above even them in the rankings.

They stood on a battlefield, but most in the crowd had lowered their swords. They knew that they had to be ready to move at any time, yet they were completely entranced by the duel above them.

“Luke…just how powerful are you?”

Abel gazed up with the rest of the awestruck crowd.

A single thought filled his mind: Incredible.

It would have been completely natural for him to think, I wish I could be like him someday, but Abel found he couldn’t quite get there. Instead, he landed on an adjacent feeling.

I’ll never be like Luke.

The only confidence remaining within him was the feeling of assurance that he would never approach Luke’s level. He didn’t give up, however. As expected of the main character, he was fully determined to walk his own path.