Once Flare-san finished her rousing speech to the members of the Crimson Fang, a sudden shadow swept over us. I looked up reflexively, my breath hitching in shock.
"Whoa!?"
"Th-This is..."
"It seems she has arrived," Flare noted calmly.
Lilia-san looked up and gasped with the same astonishment I felt. Hovering above was an ultra-massive sea dragon with long, indigo scales.
It looked less like a traditional dragon and more like a serpent—reminding me of the sea serpents or leviathans I had seen in video games. There was no doubt about it; this was one of the Four Great Magic Dragons, Eingana. Living up to her one-kilometer length, her sheer bulk was staggering.
She loomed larger than a modest mountain, a sight truly worthy of the term "giant kaiju." I had to remind myself that while she looked gargantuan, Magnawell-sama was simply so far off the scale that he skewed my perspective. This was definitely an extraordinary creature.
"It seems she intends to address her squad, just as I did. Let us head over there," Flare-san said.
Nodding, we followed her toward Eingana. Since the dragon was visible directly overhead, the area where the Scales of the Blue Sea were gathered wasn't far away. After walking for a short while, the rest of the dragons came into view.
I noticed that many of them had a somewhat aquatic appearance. Lilia-san was overjoyed to finally see the full form of Eingana, and her eyes sparkled as she kept them fixed on the sky.
"Listen well. In battle, those who lose their composure are the first to fall. No matter how much the surface of the sea may rage, the depths of your hearts must remain as still as the deep sea. Pushing yourselves to the absolute limit only creates strain. There is no need to exert power that seeks your own boundaries. Control yourselves so that you can exert exactly ninety percent of your power consistently in every battle. If you do so, the results will naturally follow."
Her voice resonated from the sky; Eingana was clearly addressing her subordinates. Her tone and the content of her speech gave me the impression of an intellectual, composed woman.
The dragons listening to her also seemed much quieter and more reserved than those of the Crimson Fang. It seemed each squad had its own distinct personality.
Eingana continued her speech for a bit longer. Once she finished, the dragons bowed silently and dispersed to begin their respective warm-ups. Having watched them leave, Flare-san called out to the dragon in the sky.
"Eingana, do you have a moment?"
"Nizbel? Yes, that is fine."
"There are people I wish to introduce to you... though there is no point in being coy. This is my comrade, Kaito Miyama, and Duchess Lilia Albert."
"...I see."
As Flare-san introduced us, I gave a respectful bow. Eingana murmured as if something had clicked for her. Then, her body was enveloped in a brilliant light. A moment later, a tall woman stood before us.
She had long indigo hair that reached her feet, piercing red eyes, and beautiful white skin. With a lithe, supple, and elegant physique clothed in a pure white one-piece dress, she was undoubtedly a peerless beauty—but she was incredibly tall.
She was even taller than Epsilon-san, who stood at two meters. At a glance, I guessed she was around two hundred and forty centimeters tall.
"This is the first time we have met face-to-face. I am a subordinate of Magnawell-sama and one of the Four Great Magic Dragons... Aquarina Eingana. I look forward to our future acquaintance."
"I'm Kaito Miyama. It's nice to meet you."
"I am Lilia Albert. It is an honor to meet you."
Lilia-san and I bowed in greeting to the humanized Eingana. She really did give off the impression of a calm, intellectual woman.
"My comrade wishes to thank you for your help during the previous battle in the God Realm," Flare-san explained.
"Gratitude? No, participating in that battle was only natural as a subordinate of Magnawell-sama. No thanks are necessary."
"No, that is not quite it," Flare-san countered. "While that may be true for you, it is only natural for my comrade to feel the urge to express his thanks for the help he received. In that case, would it not be proper etiquette toward those you shared the battlefield with to accept it graciously?"
"...I see. You have a point."
Eingana had initially declined, but Flare-san followed up for me, which I really appreciated. Thanking Flare-san in my heart, I took out the gift and spoke to Eingana.
"Eingana-san, thank you very much for lending us your strength during that battle in the God Realm."
"Yes, I have certainly received your gratitude. I thank you as well for your polite conduct."
Her gentle smile made her feel like a truly mature woman. Judging from their exchange so far, she and Flare-san seemed to be on quite good terms.
"Eingana, has your magic power not become more refined than before?" Flare-san asked.
"Rather than refined, I simply felt a bit of dullness during the battle in the God Realm, so I have been making adjustments."
"I see. Indeed, the lack of actual combat in this peaceful era is a challenge... How about it? Would you like to—"
"I refuse."
"...No, I haven't even—"
"I absolutely refuse to train with you. Please learn what a common-sense amount of training looks like first."
"I-I see, how disappointing... Then—"
"I refuse a mock battle as well!"
"...Hmph. You have been truly cold lately..."
I wondered what that was about. Completely abandoning her calm demeanor, Eingana had rejected Flare-san's proposal with an intensity that cut her off mid-sentence. Her expression even looked a bit desperate. Did she have some kind of traumatic memory of training with her?
Serious-senpai: "...Long hair, white skin, a white dress... and standing about eight feet tall... That's totally her, right? The model is definitely the Hasshaku—"
???: "Whoops, let's stop right there."