034: You’re Fine as You Are

The most terrifying thing about a dragon is its sheer, natural size.

It’s the same with humans, really. A massive weight advantage allows you to exert power far beyond your actual skill level. No matter how much you polish your craft, overcoming a gap like that is no ordinary feat.

Monsters are the worst offenders in this regard. In their world, "big" almost always equals "strong." The idea that they’re slow just because they’re huge is nothing more than a convenient lie found in fiction.

Unlike us, a monster’s total mana capacity increases in proportion to its body mass. Magic Resistance, physical defense, magical attacks—for a dragon, just swinging a limb or flicking its tail is an attack of the highest tier. On top of that, they can breathe fire capable of reducing an entire village to ash.

They are highly intelligent, long-lived, experts at crisis management, and above all else, incredibly arrogant. That is why they are called the strongest.

Allen and I sprinted in opposite directions, circling behind the dragon. It wasn't some strategic pincer maneuver; it was a desperate gamble. If one of us is going to die instantly, maybe it only needs to be one. I knew the Protagonist understood that as well as I did.

We both surged our mana to the absolute limit.

The dragon wasn't enough of a moron to miss that. No matter how tough its hide was, it was bound to feel some pain if it took a full-power hit to its defenseless rear. It was only natural for it to prioritize swatting the flies behind it over the snack right in front of its nose.

"GUOOOOOOHHHH!"

The beast whipped around, opening its massive maw as it locked its gaze onto Allen. He could probably see the red flames stoking deep inside its throat, yet he didn't slow down. He ran straight forward without a hint of fear.

That Protagonist bastard... he never looks back, does he?

God, you really are the best.

I wasn't worried. It wasn't that I thought he was invincible, but rather that worry was a useless emotion at this very moment. Even if the brunt of the attack had been aimed at me, Allen would have been thinking the exact same thing.

There was only one thing to do: deliver a blow with every ounce of my strength.

I wasn't thinking about what came after. I just did what had to be done, leaving the next move for my future self to figure out. This was the kind of opponent that didn't leave you any room to plan ahead.

I caught the eyes of the two underclassmen trembling on the ground. They were Nobless Academy students, for better or worse. Mustering their Courage, they scrambled to their feet and fled the area.

Don't look back, I thought. No matter what happens.

"GUOOOOOHHHHH!"

As I circled to the rear and used [Unnatural Wall] to vault high into the air, the dragon unleashed its flames at Allen.

Along with a roar like a low-frequency growl, waves of high-density mana fire rained down on him. I could tell just by looking—that power wouldn't even leave bones behind. The sound of the heat scorching the air was unlike anything I’d ever heard.

But my heart didn't waver. [Blessing of Healing and Impulse of Destruction] was already active.

The mana I was siphoning from the dragon flooded my system, making me feel like I was about to burst. It was like trying to fill a tiny teacup with a high-pressure fire hose. Right now, I was probably even stronger than Teacher Milk.

But it wouldn't last. If I kept this up, my body would literally scatter into pieces. The blood vessels all over my body were bulging, but I forced every drop of that mana into my sword.

"—You overgrown lizard!"

I swung with everything I had from an overhead position, abandoning all petty technique. A dragon's scales are incredibly hard; any ordinary attack would just bounce off. But this strike wasn't ordinary.

It was a fusion of Darkness, light, and the dragon’s own stolen mana, all condensed into a pitch-black aura. I drove every bit of it into the tip of my blade.

It punched through the scales, tore through the skin, and bit deep into the bone. I could feel the dragon's flesh squelching and clinging to the steel, but I didn't care. I just ripped through it.

That finally seemed to do some real damage.

The beast let out an ear-piercing shriek and whipped its razor-sharp tail around with a violent vwoom. It leveled dozens of massive trees, the arc of the swing heading straight for me without losing a bit of momentum.

However... I triggered [Unnatural Wall] again, leaping off thin air to evade.

If Carta hadn't been here to teach me that, I’d be dead already. If I actually made it back alive, I’d have to remember to thank that guy.

Suddenly, the dragon deployed a [Barrier] in every direction. These high-level monsters are born with the ability to use magic. Just as a newborn spider knows how to spin a web by instinct, these things just know how to cast.

Dammit.

The mana I’d absorbed was beginning to exceed my body's physical capacity. My consciousness turned hazy, and my vision began to dim like a curtain was being pulled shut. Even as my nerves sharpened to a razor edge, I felt the looming shadow of death and instinctively deactivated the skill.

The resistance within my body vanished instantly, and the excess mana bled away. If I couldn't dodge the next attack on my own, I was going to die.

Well, I guess a quick death is better than being blown into meat-confetti.

"—GUOOOOOHHHHH!"

The damage I’d dealt was far from fatal. In a life-or-death struggle, losing the equivalent of a fingernail doesn't change much. Still, I’d definitely left a mark. At my current level, with my current mana, I had done everything I possibly could.

Helping someone at the very end... that's not a bad way to go.

And at least I got to see Allen's finale too...

Sorry, Teacher Milk. I’m a pretty pathetic disciple.

"—Weiss!"

Just as the dragon's talons were about to shred me, I heard Allen's voice. I couldn't see where he was, but there was no way I could mishear it.

How did he dodge those flames? It should have been impossible. But none of that mattered right now.

If he hadn't given up, then I couldn't afford to either.

I instantly re-cast [Blessing of Healing and Impulse of Destruction]. It was the fastest activation I’d ever managed. I’d probably never be able to do it that quickly again.

But I had long since passed my limit. The newly replenished mana tore through my skin, and blood began to leak from my limbs. I was basically a Berserker now.

Hah. If I’m gonna die fighting, then let's make it count.

"Don't you dare look down on humanity!"

I rolled under the claws at the very last second. If that Protagonist bastard hadn't called my name, I probably would have just accepted the "Game Over" screen.

I twisted my body, ignoring the sound of my bones creaking under the strain, and lunged with a Gatotsu—aiming straight for the dragon's brain. I put everything I had into this single moment.

I still couldn't see Allen, but I knew he was thinking exactly what I was. I knew it. I’d spent my life admiring him, so I just knew.

A deafening ringing filled my head, pressing against my skull. It hurt. It felt like my brain was being microwaved.

But my sword... my sword sank into the dragon's forehead.

At the same instant, Allen plummeted from the sky above. He drove his own sword into the beast's skull in tandem with mine. The two blades sank deep with a sickening, wet squelch until they reached the brain.

"GUOOOOOOOOOHHHNNN!!"

Yet, even then, it didn't die instantly. Despite its brain being turned to mush and its higher functions failing, it still thrashed around, searching for its enemies. Its base instincts were screaming to exterminate everything that wasn't itself.

But a dragon is still a biological creature. It couldn't survive with its brain destroyed. After a final, violent tantrum that leveled the surrounding clearing, it finally went still.

Allen and I... we had actually pulled off the impossible.

"I can't... move another inch..."

Allen collapsed where he stood. I still didn't understand how he’d survived that fire. We only won because of him.

Heh. You really are something else, Protagonist.

I slumped down onto the dirt as well. I was at my absolute limit; every cell in my body screamed in agony. But... we had won.

Allen turned his head toward me and gave me that familiar smile. That annoying, dazzling smile.

"Weiss... you really are the strongest."

"Hah. Look who's talking."

Our ideologies were never going to align. That was a fundamental truth. But in that moment, I acknowledged him. I still hated his guts, but...

You're fine just the way you are.

He had enough righteous conviction to actually back up his flowery ideals.

I thought it was finally over. But then—

"GUUUUUUUOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHNNNN"

The moment I looked up, my heart stopped.

How had I missed it? Why hadn't I sensed it? Was it masking its mana? No, that was impossible. We had won. We killed the dragon. So why was this thing here?

Think. Remember. Think back to the game.

Right. Of course.

There was no way there was only one dragon. Even in the original story, dragons appeared in various regions. And these two...

"GUOOOOOOOHHHNNN"

An identical dragon descended from the clouds, landing right in front of us. It was a carbon copy.

They were a mated pair.

The dragon that had just lost its other half glared down at us with pure, murderous intent. A monster burning with a desire for revenge... there was no way we could win.

"...Weiss."

"...Yeah."

Even Allen realized it. We didn't have a shred of mana left between us. We couldn't even lift our swords, let alone stand up.

The dragon unhinged its jaw, mana surging in its throat. I could see the red glow of the fire building up.

Ah, so that’s what he ran toward earlier.

He really is incredible.

There wasn't a trace of fear in Allen's eyes.

"...Weiss. After we talked, I thought a lot about what you said. About how I’m always just talking about ideals."

Yeah, I know.

I get it.

But—

"I was wro—"

"Don't say it."

"...Eh?"

"You're fine as you are."

Well, this is one hell of an Ending.

See ya—

"—A mere lizard, acting like it’s a tragic avenger. How presumptuous."

In the next heartbeat, the dragon’s mouth was forced shut.

Descending gallantly from above, a figure slashed downward as if placing a lid on the beast's maw. It was the flaming red-haired Teacher, Milk Abitus.

"What do you think you're doing to my students, you piece of crap!?"

Before the dragon could react, Darius burst from the forest and slammed his greatsword into the beast's abdomen. Unlike our attacks, the sheer destructive force was terrifying. It didn't just cut flesh; I could hear the sound of the dragon's ribs being pulverized.

Even so, the dragon tried to twist away and soar back into the sky. It knew the air was its domain. If it could just get high enough, it could burn the entire forest down or simply vanish. That was the nature of dragons—cunning, cowardly, and immensely powerful.

"Running away isn't very nice, is it?"

But someone was already waiting for it in the sky. A woman with straight, silver hair—the strongest goddess, Eva Avery.

"Hah... haha..."

I found myself laughing. I thought I’d gotten strong, and I had, but I was still nowhere near these monsters.

But I can get stronger. I have to.

The perfect role models were standing right in front of me.

"Goodbye to the bad little lizard who bullied my juniors."

The moment Eva Avery gently touched the dragon's head, she unleashed a spell—or something like it. It was quiet, a mere ripple of mana. Without even a final cry, the dragon lost its buoyancy and slammed into the earth with a thunderous crash.

I didn't even see what she did. She had just snuffed out a dragon's life in a single touch.

"Weiss!"

"Lord Weiss!"

"Weiss-kun!"

My consciousness was finally fading. I could hear the voices of Cynthia, Lilith, and Carta. It really is true that you get sleepy the moment the adrenaline wears off.

"Allen!"

"Allen!!!"

Duke and Shari ran toward Allen. Ah, that's good. That was the sight I’d wanted to see.

It was perfect. The perfect scene.

"Weiss... I love you from the bottom of my heart. So please, don't die..."

"Yeah... me too..."

Cynthia was cradling my head in her lap.

Sorry, Protagonist.

No matter what happens from here on out, I’m not giving her to you.

I'm the villain, after all.

I should be allowed to steal the heroine, shouldn't I?

"—Weiss. You did well to survive."

At the sound of Teacher Milk's voice, I finally let go and lost consciousness.