I glare at the Flame Dragon.

  A silence that feels like it tears the body envelops the place for a few moments. It was a manifestation of the rising tension that would burst soon. While harboring passion that feels like it's boiling over, in one part, I was calm. It is times like this that I must not fight with emotion alone.

  The dragon is fast despite its huge body. It is necessary to always fight with full Qi Reinforcement. But I have to be careful.

  If I move at the maximum speed possible with this body, it is difficult to change direction suddenly in the air. Even if I become a woman and use magic in the air. When I am a man, unlike when I am a woman, I cannot block attacks with magic.

  If I am caught off guard while jumping, getting hit by its long tail or breathed on with fire would be the end of me. However, there must be many situations where I have to jump.

  Let's use the terrain here. Change direction using trees as footholds effectively. Minimize the gap in the air and toy with it with tricky movements.

  When my policy was solidified, the Flame Dragon finally started moving. A breath as a greeting attacks.

  I kick the ground and step sideways to dodge it. Without time to catch my breath, a sweep by its tail approaches.

  I jumped up quickly and planted my feet almost horizontally against the ground on the side of a tree that caught my eye. Now. What happens.

  Before gravity drops my body, I quickly take out one throwing knife from the waist pouch and strengthen it by infusing Qi. I threw it with all my might toward the soft part of the Flame Dragon, its belly. Without confirming its whereabouts, I kick off the foot planted on the side of the tree and jump to another tree.

  Arriving safely at the tree over there, I look at the Flame Dragon again. The knife was firmly stuck in its belly, but the Flame Dragon itself didn't seem to care at all. Before the wall of flesh that was too thick, it seemed that it had hardly become an effective hit.

  As expected, it's just a consolation, huh. Unless I hit it directly with a Qi sword, I can't expect decent damage. But for that, I have to get close to it somehow. With just me, it was too reckless a challenge.

  The Flame Dragon fired a huge fireball toward me, who was perched on the tree. This time, I kick off diagonally downward against the side of the tree and jump down to the ground quickly to dodge. The fireball gouged trees one after another and disappeared beyond the sky leaving a burnt smell.

  —With just me, it is indeed too reckless. But I have another body.

  Transforming into a woman seizing the momentary gap after the attack, I cast magic on myself. What I use is water protection. It's something I was taught by Milia, whose specialty it is. Probably it will protect me from flames only once.

  [Tilaura].

  Incidentally, I also recast [Falspeed]. With this, the buffs are ready. While keeping my eyes on the Flame Dragon, I look for the next opportunity to transform.

  Then the Flame Dragon suddenly slammed a large rock right next to it with the sharp claws of its leg with all its might. The large rock covered in moss and seasoned with age is easily shattered by the tremendous strength of the dragon. The fragments became countless rock bullets and flew toward me.

  Wha—!? Rock shower!

  Brute force equivalent to child's play for a dragon can be fatal for a human. If I get hit and my movement stops, it will undoubtedly be the end. I was impatient at the unexpected attack, but I barely succeeded in dodging.

  If you use earth, I use earth too!

  I put both hands on the ground and used the earth magic of restraint.

  "Steel chains. Bind."

  [Kelchain].

  Using the iron content in the soil, I knead up chains with the strength of steel and entangle them around the dragon's legs. However, what could be a decisive blow against a human is torn almost like paper before the strength of a tough dragon. But I can expect agitation for a short time. That much is enough.

  I transform back into a man. Generating a Qi sword while running, I head toward it at full speed.

  The target is the dragon's neck. I'll cut it off with full power!

  When I concentrate Qi, the Qi sword shines pale blue along with the power and feelings I put into it. What I unleash is Inea-sensei's direct instruction. A killing blow.

  [Senkraze]!

  The sword line drew a beautiful arc and hit the side of the neck perfectly as aimed. This technique that cut through any enemy so far in this half year as long as it hit properly. My strongest finishing move, in which I placed my full confidence, was—.

  However, it stopped after scraping only a layer of skin on the neck.

  Why—.

  Then I realize with a start. That Qi is gathering at the dragon's neck and blocking the slash.

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  No way. Could the dragon manipulate Qi too...!?

  The strength of Qi is proportional to life force. As long as the defense is in time, it is easy to withstand a human attack.

  This time it was me who was shaken. The Flame Dragon does not overlook that momentary gap. A breath of fire is released at close range. A heat wave approaches my whole body.

  The water protection became a shield and somehow prevented me from being burned to nothing. Still, minor burns are unavoidable. While enduring the pain, I land on the ground and immediately backstep to take distance once.

  I can't fight while shaken. I have to calm down. I tell myself desperately.

  That was close...! If a direct attack with claws had come, I would have been out...

  Having had a narrow escape, I stared at the overwhelming strongman in front of me while feeling unpleasant cold sweat running down my whole body. Magic doesn't work at all. Qi swords are also blocked. The specs are almost all superior over there. I examine each element. Eventually, reason derived the answer of despair.

  Haha... this is tough. I can't win.

  The Flame Dragon walks slowly toward me while trampling the earth, trying to harvest the life of me, the weak. Before that leisurely walk that should be called the composure of the strong, I was standing helplessly. It seems like a ritual to pass judgment of death on a fool who tried to resist a dragon with a human body.

  I was already about to give up. Even though I thought not to give up so much. Why does my heart break so easily? Why am I so weak? I hung my head powerlessly.

  Suddenly, the handmade waist pouch catches my eye. At that time, I remembered the words Sensei taught me. The basics of basics she said until her mouth turned sour during training.

  『Aim for the weak spot. Aim for the gap in consciousness.』

  At that moment, I felt like waking up. I realized. It was simple. That it "had to block" my Qi sword attack by purposely gathering Qi.

  In other words, in other words. If I attack a place that is not so. Aiming for the gap in consciousness—there is a high possibility it will go through!

  I see. There was no need to give up.

  Humans are carefree creatures once they see hope. No matter how desperate the situation is, power wells up.

  I'll do it! I'll blow a bubble at this guy one more time!

  Even the dragon seemed surprised at me who suddenly raised my face and started moving spiritedly. But it immediately shifts to a combat stance. The king does not let his guard down even to hunt a single small fry.

  Now what to do. Aiming for the neck suddenly again will be guarded against. Anywhere is fine. First, land an attack that goes through.

  At that time—.

  Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

  A roar echoes at close range. At the deafening explosion sound, I inadvertently covered my ears with both hands. Due to human nature, flinching is unavoidable.

  There, a scratching attack by claws attacks. Even if it's just a scratch, it itself is a killing blow that shatters even large rocks.

  The ingrained basic movements moved my body on their own faster than consciousness. When I dodge with a backflip, large claw marks are carved into the ground. Close combat where claws reach directly. It is that dangerous, but in exchange, my attacks are also easy to reach.

  Don't be scared and run away, create a chance here!

  Transforming into a woman while in the posture of a somersault, I close my eyes and return an attack at close range.

  [Flash].

  Intense light blinded the dragon's eyes. I, who landed on the ground, immediately used Flight Magic and flew up above the Flame Dragon's head.

  Perhaps because recovery of eyesight is faster than humans, by the time I arrived there, the Flame Dragon had already clearly captured my figure. I cut the Flight Magic and free fall. Utilize the power of the fall for the attack.

  The Flame Dragon spat a fireball. At this rate, it's a direct hit. But it won't hit me as a woman.

  "Spin."

  [Falspin].

  When I twist my body while jetting wind in the air, the fireball grazes just beside me. Continuing to use magic as it is, I speed up the rotation to the limit. The field of vision spins dizzily. Add this centrifugal force to the attack too.

  When I accelerated sufficiently, I transformed into a man. And, I put out Qi swords from my left and right hands simultaneously. Dual wielding. Concentrating Qi on both, I wrap both blades in pale shining aura.

  The target is the back. Cut the flesh as if sliding!

  [Senkraze Revolve]!

  Simultaneous with the impact like sparks scattering. While rotating my body violently, I thrust the two swords one after another, and slashed from the back of the huge body to the tail like a wild dance.

  Against the pressing continuous attacks, no matter where it concentrates Qi, it cannot block everything. At this time, for the first time, the Flame Dragon raised a growl like distorting its face in pain. Finally, cutting off the tip of the tail, the thinnest part, completely, I slid down to the ground.

  Alright! It was effective!

  With the attack just now, the Flame Dragon's recognition changed. It seems to have completely recognized me as a strong enemy.

  It stopped attacking with brute force like before, and turned into an increasingly tough existence. Such reckless attacks no longer reached either. While neither had a decisive blow, the battle situation became deadlocked.

  When I noticed, at least several hours had passed, and the sky began to turn white before dawn. Although the dragon became tougher and defeating it became desperate, this was not all bad. Because I was able to buy time for that amount. The daredevil courage I squeezed out resulted in connecting lives.

  But while the dragon's stamina is inexhaustible, my stamina is strictly only human level. Gradually the difference in stamina appeared as the difference in movement directly. Eventually, accumulated fatigue dulled my movements, and finally, I allowed a direct hit of the fire breath.

  Oh no!

  I prepared for death as expected. At that time, a voice reaches from the side. The voice of a reassuring friend.

  "Protection of water. Wrap that one! [Tilaura]!"

  Milia!

  The original [Tilaura] protected me from the flames perfectly. As expected of the original, it didn't allow even additional burns at all.

  "I came to help!"

  A little later, Alice jumped in. Facing a smile, she stands protecting in front of me. At the figures of the reliable two, my exhausted face broke into a smile despite being in front of the enemy.

  Strength wells up again. Ah. Having companions is such a happy thing. It's such a reassuring thing.

  "Did you manage over there?"

  "Well yeah."

  Alice's expression changes to a serious one.

  "Listen. The Rhinos were being controlled. By a strange device."

  "What did you say!?"

  Then, no way. That prediction hits immediately. Milia, who is better than me as a woman at Magic Detection by looking directly at the opponent, said.

  "This dragon also seems to be controlled by some magic. The flow of Magic Power at the head is strange. It seems to be resisting forcibly only with fighting instinct."

  "Is that so—. We might have seen a chance of victory."

  There is no need to defeat it. If we solve the brainwashing, maybe it will become docile. It's not certain, but there was no other way. No matter if we are three, I can't see a vision of defeating this guy. I understood that painfully well while fighting.

  But, if it's just canceling magic. If it's just attacking, I could do it. I'll show that I can do it one more time!

  "Let's try to cancel that magic! Both of you, lend me your strength!"

  "Okay!"

  "Of course!"

  The three of us confront the dragon. From beyond the trees, the light of the morning sun began to shine in. The conclusion is near.