Ilga merged with Teams One and Two positioned behind the dragon, swinging his longsword alongside Seneca as he began issuing commands. The two of them didn’t seem like they’d get along, but at least in a crisis, they wouldn’t be at odds.

Oujin came running over.

“Void, Riona. I’m glad you’re alive.”

“Idiot. Like I’d die.”

Then don’t go discarding your blood-soaked Bundi Dagger. It gave me the wrong idea.

“I can’t die until I steal El-tan away from Lili-chan.”

“Oi, cut it out.”

Oujin’s face turned bright red in an instant.

“Wha—? W-Wait, so Instructor Ituka and Eremia… t-they really have that kind of adult relationship!? But he's only ten!?”

Is this guy secretly a closet pervert?

I barked at Oujin.

“Don’t take everything she says so seriously.”

“Nyahaha.”

“…Ah. Y-Yeah, that makes sense. Haha.”

Riona flashed a mischievous grin.

“Ryoka-chan, you’re as pure as ever. I bet you have a ton of secret admirers. There are lots of girls who love targeting innocent boys like you.”

“S-Stop it… Girls have been looking at me weird lately, and it’s terrifying…”

Void burst out laughing.

“Pffft! Hahaha! You’re not just wounded, you’re getting worse! You should go have some fun in the Elva slums. I’ll introduce you to some good women.”

“Ugh… W-Would that… really be better?”

I muttered with a straight face.

“Of course. You’ll get stronger with the sword too.”

“What!? R-Really!?”

“It’s essential. A swordsman’s strength comes from the depth of their love.”

Even I had no idea what I was saying.

But—

Oujin’s voice trembled weakly.

“U-Ugh… I-I see… That does sound like good mental training…”

He twisted my words and believed them all on his own. His purity was honestly astounding.

Riona clapped Oujin on the back.

“Ahaha, just kidding~! El-tan, you’re so mean~!”

“Wha—!? So you guys were just messing with me!?”

“You caught on, huh?”

Void, Riona, and I all laughed at the same time. A moment later, Oujin joined in.

With this, Team Three had safely regrouped as well.

“Alright, enough chit-chat. You recovered yet, you little brat?”

Oh. So he had been stalling with small talk to give me time to recover. No letting my guard down around this guy.

I bared my teeth at Void’s words.

“Don’t underestimate me. Of course, I’m good to go. What about you, Oujin?”

“No problems here.”

We nodded at each other and simultaneously turned our eyes toward the dragon.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

“It’s a battle against a dragon. Don’t fall behind, you lot.”

“Yeees~.”

“Let’s go.”

We started walking. Then picked up the pace.

For some reason, I no longer felt like we could lose.

We closed the distance to the dragon.

Running beside me, Oujin spoke.

“Eremia. My Rock-Slicing strike is out. My blade’s bent.”

Right. That’s how it was.

I called out to Void ahead of us.

“Void. Can you break dragon scales with that iron slab of yours?”

“Who knows. But at the very least, I cracked its forehead.”

“Good. Then, Oujin, we’re changing the plan. You, Riona, and I will strike the exposed areas after Void breaks the scales. Void, you take point. It doesn’t matter where—legs, belly, tail—just keep hammering down on the scales.”

Void accelerated toward the dragon in a burst, leaving Oujin, Riona, and me behind.

“Heh, thanks for the sloppy plan. Well then, time to let off some steam from earlier!”

Void shouted.

“Move it, all of you!!”

The members of Teams One and Two, who turned to look, widened their eyes in shock. In contrast, Teams Four and Five reacted swiftly. Having fought alongside Void as a commoner party, they understood his tendencies.

As Void sprinted forward, dragging the tip of his iron slab sword along the ground, Seneca and the others quickly made way.

Void dashed through the opening and, in a passing strike, slammed his iron slab sword into the dragon’s underbelly.

“Oraaaaaahhh!!”

A thunderous crash echoed as two massive forces collided, and the dragon hunched over. A moment later, fragments of shattered dragon scales glittered as they rained down beneath its feet.

He actually did it—!

Oujin thrust his blade at the dragon’s lowered forehead, but the impact had already bent his sword further, preventing it from piercing deep.

Riona and I slipped beneath the dragon’s jaw and drove our blades into its abdomen. With a wet squelch, bright red blood spurted forth.

A solid hit—!

—Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?

The next moment, the dragon let out an agonized scream, twisting its entire body and sweeping its tail in a wide arc.

“Dodge!”

“—!!”

Void and I, one small and the other burdened by a heavy iron sword, instinctively ducked under it, while Oujin leaped onto debris to avoid the strike. As for Riona, she placed her hands on the incoming tail and used it as leverage to flip herself away in an acrobatic dodge.

However, the surrounding students weren’t as fortunate. Both commoners and nobles alike were sent flying.

“Gah!?”

“Urgh…!”

Only Bernald managed to withstand the force, blocking the tail with the shaft of his spear.

“Nnnnghhaaaaaaaah—!!”

Even as his feet dug into the ground and his spear bent at a sharp angle, he held firm. Seizing that moment, Ilga rushed forward from behind and raked his longsword against the dragon’s underbelly.

“Uoooooh!!”

The dragon staggered slightly backward.

Ilga shouted.

“Now! Everyone, push forward!!”

The noble students charged at the dragon’s exposed underbelly, while the commoner students thrust their blades into its lowered forehead.

Time stood still.

Everyone froze in place. The dragon did not move. But it had not fallen either.

Ilga muttered.

“D-Did we… do it?”

A shiver crawled down my spine.

The dragon, with countless blades embedded in its belly and forehead, suddenly… swelled.

Its scales turned crimson at the seams, heat waves shimmered around it, and its body temperature skyrocketed.

With all the force I could muster, I roared.

“Everyone, retreat!!”

The breath attack was coming.