Chapter 8: Mighty

「Unnecessary. We have no need for such things.」
「Ah, okay.」

Answered so flatly, I found myself nodding before I knew it.

「No, but, Beor-san—」
「Sensei.」

In a low voice he stifled my words, and Beor-san looked down at me arrogantly, his four arms folded.
Lizardmen. As they’re called, they are a thoroughly hunting people who rely on brute force.
Put simply, they’re upright, four‑armed giant lizards: a thick long tail, a body covered in green scales, and thin, sharp eyes that stare at me without a blink. Being in human form only made their intimidation worse.

「I acknowledge you. But not because of that trivial trick you call magic.」

He stood well over four meters tall, his whole being brimming with dominance.

「It is because you are strong. It has nothing to do with that thing called magic.」

I have fought him before—back when I was flying all over the world looking for a way to extend Ai’s life.

「But… there are things strength alone can’t fix. Magic might be able to solve those.」
「I do not think so.」

Even so, Beor-san was unmoved by my attempt to persuade him.

「You fire dragons are the ones who prove that more than anyone, are you not?」

His words, conversely, made me groan.
Indeed, I’ve never seen a creature stronger than a fire dragon. I don’t mean myself—I’m talking about my mother. I saw her fight once.
Her opponent was a blue dragon more than twice my current size. Lightning erupted from all over it as it charged with a terrible roar—and with a light, almost caressing sweep of her palm, my mother turned it into dinner on the spot.

As for me, I don’t study magic for survival or anything. If all I wanted was to live, I could just casually hunt Behemoths. I can now see why Mother was pointlessly versed in astronomy. Dragons are too strong—and too smart—for mere survival.

「Even if that’s how you feel, Beor-san, isn’t there anyone else who might be interested?」
「We have no use for such weakling nonsense—」

Beor-san broke off mid-sentence, hesitating for a moment.

「No. Among our kind, there is no such person.」

It was rare for him, who usually speaks so decisively, but Beor-san immediately corrected himself clearly.

「…All right. Thank you.」

It didn’t look like further negotiation would yield anything. With that judgment, I left the cave where he lived.

「…You kept awfully quiet, huh?」

Once outside, I asked Yuuki, who was walking beside me.

「Yeah…」

Yuuki nodded limply, looking dispirited.
Given what he said, with her temperament I’d been inwardly on edge that she might challenge him like she did Violet-san—but.

「That guy back there is really strong. I probably can’t beat him.」

She muttered it, frustrated.

「Right. I think it would be hard.」

Beor-san is more than three times Yuuki’s size. Even with Yuuki enhancing herself and weakening her opponent, their physical ability would only just be even. Which is to say, the size difference translates directly into a difference in strength.
It’s an even bigger gap than between an adult and a child.

「Uuugh—」

Perhaps my honest acknowledgement made it sting all the more; Yuuki let out a groan.

「Well, you’re still small, Yuuki—your time will come. Beor-san has lived longer than I have.」

If strength tempered over centuries were overtaken in just a few years, he’d be the one with no face left to save.

「Give it another ten years and I bet you could give him a good fight.」
「That’s way, waaaay later.」

Yuuki puffed out her cheeks. To someone as young as her, ten years must feel infinitely far away. When was the last time I felt that way?

「Well, we couldn’t get their cooperation, so it can’t be helped. Yuuki, get on my back—」
「Onii-chan.」

It’s easier to let her climb on first and then turn into a dragon. I turned my back to Yuuki and crouched, but the girl who’d been sulking now had her sharp gaze fixed far off.

「Someone’s fighting. …Over there!」

No sooner had she said it than Yuuki dashed off. I hurriedly chased after her.
In human form my physical ability is correspondingly dull; if I’m not careful, I could even fall behind Yuuki. I pumped my legs and barely caught up to her—and what I saw could hardly be called a fight.

Judging by their size, they were still children. Several lizardmen about a meter and a half tall had surrounded a lizardman who was a head shorter than they were.

The small lizardman flung himself at them hot‑bloodedly, but his fist was easily caught; his arm was wrenched up, he was shoved, and he tumbled across the ground.

「Cut it out already, ‘No‑Arms.’ There’s no way you can take us.」

The lizardman who seemed to be the leader said that, then grabbed the small one’s arms and legs with his four arms and hoisted him up.

The reason the small lizardman was called ‘No‑Arms’ was immediately clear. Of the four arms lizardmen possess, his upper pair—everything from the elbows down—was missing.

「Stop it! Let go!」

The boy called ‘No‑Arms’ shouted, craned his neck, and bit the arm of the lizardman lifting him.

「Why you…!」

Grimacing in pain, the leader let go with that arm; keeping the boy restrained with the remaining three, he slugged him.

「That’s far enough!」

I stepped between them and raised my voice at the lizardmen worked up over the boy who’d gone tumbling again.

「Is ganging up on someone smaller your lizardman way?」
「…He’s the one who picked the fight.」

Spitting the words, the leader turned his back and walked off. The other lizardmen followed suit. Left alone, the ‘No‑Arms’ boy had me and Yuuki hurrying over to him.

「You okay?」
「…Who said I wanted your help?」

But the boy turned away and answered with vexation.

「That’s…」
「How should I know?」

Maybe we’d hurt his pride. As I faltered, Yuuki answered without a second thought.

「What was that?」
「Whether to help is up to the helper, not the one being helped, right?」

It was a terribly blunt way to put it, but in a sense it was the truth.
Perhaps he couldn’t think of a comeback; the boy just fell silent.

「If you don’t like it, get stronger.」
「And how am I supposed to do that!」

Yuuki piled on, and the boy shot back, almost biting at her words.

「My arms are like this. My body’s way smaller than theirs. No matter how I train, I won’t get thicker or bigger. How am I supposed to get strong with a body like this?」

He clenched his back teeth and fists, and Yuuki replied, blank-faced.

「Huh? There are tons of ways.」
「…Huh?」
「Use a weapon. Use magic. Use the terrain. Make a plan. That really big one from before has weak legs, so go for those. And taking on a bunch by yourself is totally wrong to begin with.」

To her it was obvious—utterly obvious—and the boy’s eyes went wide.

「By weapons, you mean the ones you guys use… yeah, that, right?」

This? he said, pointing at the stone blade Yuuki drew from her hip.

「Isn’t that cheating?」
「Huh, why?」
「Using that is proof you’re weak.」
「Yep.」

Yuuki nodded so guilelessly that I had to stifle a laugh.

「Because we’re weak, we get creative.」

Humans are weak. Compared to beasts, to dragons, to elves, Lycos centaurs, mermaids, and lizardmen—overwhelmingly weak. Yuuki accepts that naturally and works to win. It isn’t just her; it’s what the Sword Clan has handed down for five hundred years.

「You’re bigger than me, you’ve got more arms, and you’ve got a tail, claws, and scales.」

Yuuki stood in front of him to compare their heights, showing her soft skin and his hard scales.

「But if we fought, I’d absolutely win. Weak little me.」
「Say what?」

Understandably, he couldn’t let that slide. As he moved to snap back—

「Wanna try?」

Yuuki threw out the provocation with total composure.

「I think you’d better not…」
「Shut up! I’m not gonna let some shrimp mock me and just take it!」

Ignoring my advice with a shout, the boy swung at Yuuki—

—and in the next instant, he was airborne.

「Eh… wha…?」

He probably didn’t understand what had happened. Tumbling across the ground three times, he stared in bewilderment. Yuuki had used neither weapon nor magic—she’d simply used the force of his charge to throw him.

All I’d done was teach them the rough concept of aikido, yet with centuries of accumulated practice they splendidly elevated it into a true art. A fearsome tribe.

「If you come to Onii-chan’s school, you can get strong too.」

Yuuki held out her hand. The boy didn’t meet her eyes… but he took it.

「Ow—ow, ow ow ow ow—ow ow ow—It’s gonna break!」

Yuuki instantly turned his hand over and locked the joint.

「You’ll be fine—at this level it won’t break yet.」
「Yet!? What do you mean, yet!?」

I knelt beside the boy, who was flailing and struggling as he shouted.

「Um… what’s your name?」
「Why do you— Sig! It’s Sig! So knock it off!」

With Yuuki leaning in and adding pressure, the boy—Sig—blurted out his name.

「If you truly want to get strong by any means, I might be able to help.」
「…You?」

Sig looked at me with open suspicion. Well, I certainly didn’t look strong; a natural reaction.

「That’s right. At least strong enough to beat me.」
「…I feel like I could beat you right now.」

I gave him a sunny smile, and Sig said that.

「Okay, then let’s say if Onii-chan wins, you’ll come to the school.」

Letting go in a snap, Yuuki came out with that.

「And if I win?」
「Eh—no way that’s happening, so there’s no need to think about it.」

Shaking the arm that had been locked, Sig asked; Yuuki answered without malice. She probably wasn’t trying to provoke him—just speaking plainly.

「Watch me!」

It had an immediate effect on Sig; he set his fists and turned back to face me.

「Ah, right, well… then…」

I felt a little bad, like I was tricking him.
Thinking that, I dispelled the magic and returned to my original form.
My coat flared, clung to my skin, and turned to scales; the hem snapped wide to either side into wings. My arms swelled with cracking growth, claws lengthened to razor points, and my mouth split back to my cheeks, teeth sprouting as it extended.

Sig stared up at me, eyes wide and vacant, his gaze dragged higher as my body swelled larger and larger.

「All right—come at me.」

Back in full dragon form, I said it on a fire‑tinged breath, and Sig toppled backward onto his rear as if shoved by the weight of my words.

「A d—draaaagon!!」
「Yeah, that’s right—sorry.」

I offered a straightforward apology to his scream.

「Aaaahhhhhh!」

With a cry like a scream, Sig sprang to his feet as if jolted and bolted.
But surprisingly, the way he ran wasn’t backward—it was straight at me.
He raised his fist and slammed it full force into my snout.

「Ah—」

Before I could stop or dodge it, it struck the tip of my nose.

「Ow… ow‑ow‑owww!」

Clutching his own fist, Sig writhed on the ground.

「Careful. My scales are very hard.」

It was probably lucky he didn’t have much muscle to begin with; his injury didn’t look serious. If a self‑proclaimed powerhouse really punched me, he’d wreck his fist.

Even so, Sig’s fighting spirit didn’t flag; he kicked at my legs again and again. He slapped with his palms, kicked with his feet, struck with his tail, and bit with his teeth. Yet not even a mosquito‑bite’s worth of pain reached me.

「Sig.」

How many tens of minutes had we gone on like that? Already exhausted yet still refusing to give up, he was grinding his teeth against my finger when I leaned in and, with a growl, spoke his name.

「What the hell… what is this…!?」

Biting my finger and glaring up at me, he let tears spill down. He must have been mortified. Of course he was, I thought. Because he—

「You’re really strong.」

At that, not only Sig but even Yuuki’s eyes flew wide in surprise.

「I misjudged you. You are strong.」

He must have taken it as sarcasm; his jaw clenched with a grinding sound.

「There aren’t many lizardmen who can charge a dragon this boldly. Even Beor‑san was about twice your size when he fought me, and I was smaller than even a quarter of what I am now.」

But at those next words, strength left his jaw and he released my finger.
Challenging a creature bigger than yourself is truly terrifying. All the more so when you know for certain they’re stronger than you.
Even Yuuki couldn’t challenge Beor-san knowing she’d lose.

「That strength of heart is rare. But your body and your technique don’t match it.」

The polar opposite of me, really. Thinking that, I returned to human form, knelt, and brought my eyes level with his.

「If you come with us, I think I can help with that.」
「…Strong enough to beat you?」

Sig looked at me with eyes mixed with suspicion and expectation.

「Oh, absolutely. Beating me is easy.」

It was the truth, but the doubt in Sig’s eyes only deepened.

「…All right. Honestly, it sounds sketchy, but… I’ll believe you a little.」

But he sighed and said it all the same.