I woke up in the morning early and saw that Lucy had gotten up even early. As usual, Felia was standing by my bedside, waiting eagerly for me to wake up.

I got up and changed into my everyday Mana Clothes. Had my breakfast.

Why am I this calm you ask?

Well, I decided to put a barrier around the Eastern part of The Forest of Alfera. I sneaked out of the mansion at night and placed a barrier over the Alfera Forest from the center. If anyone tries to go through it they won't be able to and I would immediately know that their forces are out on the field. I didn’t put the barrier around the whole forest, because I thought that It would be too reckless to do so. Even if I’m an elder dragon, I should keep some tricks up my sleeves. I just put the barrier around the area where the army is most likely about to arrive. The Eastern part, nearest to Diacis.

Everyone is getting ready just in case. Willis got in his drip too. Drip? It’s mostly his Butler suit with his sword on his waist. It looks very unusual but it’s what you might expect from a former adventurer.

Turns out that Albart is also good at handling weapons. He is good at magic too. But he’s not good as Felia in the combat range.

“Felia. Who taught you Hand-to-Hand combat and weapon handling?” I ask her.

Felia, who is standing beside me in the Garden looks at me with a surprised expression.

“Members in the Damirus Clan are trained at an early age. They are made proficient in many forms of combat, up to the age of 12. After that, they train by themselves to sharpen their own skills and develop techniques that are most suitable for them.”

“I see…”

“Damirus Clan is one of the most Ruthless and Strict in Martial Arts. But they are mostly kind-hearted. Aside from Martial Arts that is.” She says.

So she trained at an early age? Maybe I should ask her to train me…

“Great Velkra, I am ready now.” I hear a voice from behind.

It’s Carmine, now in her Mage outfit. That’s what I call it. A staff. A robe that brings out the sense of her existence. A mage indeed.

“What is that stuff for?” I ask.

“Humans… need staff like these to cast magic. But I doubt that I would need it now…” she says.

“You won't need it? Why? You are human aren’t you?” I ask.

“Hmm… that might not be a bit true now… since you gave us your blessing, we have evolved. The race that you might know us as is, The Dragon Kin.” She says.

“You aren’t human anymore?!”

“No. Kind of. Maybe? I don’t know.”

[Even I don’t know. Since there hasn’t been a mark in history showing that an Elder dragon had given someone their blessing. This exception is made by you, who decided to take in humans or in fact subordinates from any other races.]

So this is a first?

[Yup. So we can’t say for sure if they are human or not.]

I see…

We are standing in the Garden because I didn’t need my barrier to know that they had arrived in the forest of Alfera. There was a big surge of mana in there.

I look at their faces carefully and see that they exhibit some kind of nervousness.

“Are you nervous?” I ask both of them.

“A bit.” Says Carmine.

“Yes.” Says Felia.

“Don’t be. I’m with you. If I’m as powerful as you guys describe me to be, it’ll be fine.” I say to calm and soothe their nerves.

“We believe in you, Gr… Velkra.” Says Carmine.

Hoo? So she’s trying not to use the honorific when it’s just us?

“Indeed. V-Velkra…” Says Felia, Visibly about to faint from all the steam that is rising from her head.

Now Carmine is teasing her. She’s telling her to stop it but Carmine isn’t stopping. Carmine keeps elbowing her and embarrassing the hell outta her.

“Stop that. She might faint from the pressure. Ha-ha.” I say.

“Indeed. Velkra.”

I look in the direction of the Forest of Alfera.

That’s because I just had a hit on my Barrier.

“I got a hit. Let's head out.” I say.

“We are counting on you, Velkra.” Says Carmine.

“Lady Carmine! You are being too casual!” says FElia.

“Hmm? She told me herself to be casual right? You should try it too.” Says Carmine.

Carmine is pretty rowdy when not in front of her parents, huh? They definitely have multiple personalities.

“Let's go now,” I say.

“Velkra… Please be a bit careful when you fly with us. You are too fast…” says Carmine.

“It isn’t a problem… V-Velkra. I like it when you fly fast…” says Felia.

“What?! You’re kidding. Right?!” Shouts Carmine in denial.

“Then I’ll go fast just as Felia wants me to,” I say.

“Velkra?! Please! I might throw up! It took all of my energy to stop the sparkle in my mouth that last time!” Says Carmine.

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“But you had your mouth open all that time…” I say.

“After that!”

“Hmm…”

[Wind’s Embrace]

“Whoa!” says Carmine as I lift both of them in the air with my spell.

“We are going fast. The person at the barrier seems to be outside of it. He’s trying to break in. And there are several people in the barrier that are trying to break out as well. I presume the ones inside are the Demons but… who’s on the outside?” I say.

“Hang on guys. [Flap]!”

“Velkra! Slo-! [Whoosh]! Whaaaaaaaaaa!!!!” Carmine gets cut off as she was telling me to go slow.

I crank up the speed just to play with them.

Their expressions are still gold. Felia looks like a kid that’s enjoying a fun ride while Carmine is about to throw up.

“HOLD IT IN! DON’T PUKE IN THE AIR! IT MIGHT FALL ON SOMEONE BELOW YOU!” I say in a loud voice because you can't hear in this wind.

“BBOW AB I SUBBOSED TO BOLD IT IBN?!” says Carmine.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU- Oh…” I stop mid-sentence.

Where’d she get that bag? She’s puking in it…

“IT WAS CLEVER THAT YOU TOOK IT WITH YOU!” I say.

“IBS BECAUSE I BEW BAT WAS GOING TO HABBEN!” She says.

I understand half of it. Something like ‘she knew’?

“Bweh!” she’s still puking.

I wonder if the bag will get full. He-he. Maybe I should slow down? it’s quite far but not that much. I should hurry because I wanna know who it could be that’s trying to breach the barrier from outside.

Did the demons have someone on the outside? Even before the march? If that is true then I will take him out and then drag him back to The Demon Realm.

“Screeeeeeeech!”

“Huh?!”

“Velkra! What was that?!” screams Carmine.

I look around and find that something is hiding in the clouds, flying beside us.

It traverses without a single sound. Exhibiting ultimate stealth. I wonder why I didn’t detect it. Maybe I was caught up in my thoughts?

“WHO'S THERE?!” I shout at the silhouette that I am seeing in the clouds.

“SCREEEEEEECH!”

It lets out another fierce screech. The clouds begin to scatter a bit as the thing inside tries to change its course.

“[SHWEEEEEN]!”

“What the-?!

I hear something. A blue light shines within the cloud. It permeates from a single visible source.

“Wait! That’s a breath charging up right?!”

I hear the sound of release.

“[Foom]!”

A ball of fire whizzes by.

“[BOOOM]!”

The fireball explodes after going a bit far away. Leaving an explosion big enough, that you could compare it to hundred missiles fired from a Fighter Jet.

“What the hell! That was a dragon’s breath, Right Carmine?!” I ask Carmine.

“It sure is! There must be a dragon in there! That was a compressed Dragon’s Breath!” she says.

I hear it again.

“[SHEEEEEEEEN]!”

“Velkra! Look out! There’s another one coming!”

Carmine warns me in a loud voice in time.

“WHOA!”

The ball of blue flame whizzes by once again, just barely hitting my face.

“[FOOM]! [BOOM]!”

It explodes and puts a hell of blue fire in the sky.

“Dragon?! Why is it shooting at me?!” I say.

“Maybe we are invading a territory?!” she says.

We are near The Forest of Alfera and it sure is a hotbed for magic beasts. But territories?!

I should actually try to lure it out. Maybe something can work out.

“HEY DRAGON! COME OUT!” I shout at the Dragon hiding in the clouds.

Just as I say this, the silhouette starts to rise from the clouds. The clouds around it scatter and reveal a dragon soaring silently through the splendid blue sky.

This is my first time seeing a dragon. I’ve never even seen myself in my dragon form.

The scales. Pure blue scales shine in the glistening sunlight. Emerald green eyes, stalking its prey, watching its every move. Those pointed teeth. Those sharp razor-like claws, these beautiful wide wings. Am I like that too?

[Even Better]

I am?

[Yup]

“HEY! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ATTACKING?!” I at the dragon soaring in the sky beside on my right.

I remember something. I remember what Zanim said. The Eye-Contact.

I don’t wear my mask usually anymore. So my eyes are always in the open.

“HEY DUMBASS! LOOK INTO MY EYES!” I say.

All this time the Dragon had kept his eyes to the front. As I said that, he looked toward me.

He’s a greater dragon. A water element one. It’s pretty beefy but it won’t be able to face me. and I don’t wanna hurt dragons.

The dragon looks into his eyes. I see a shudder go down his body. Fumbles while he flies.

“I-I did not know! Please forgive my utter insolence! Great Velkra!” Comes a voice from the dragon.

“You’re a girl?!” I say.

Indeed. Its voice is girly.

“Yes! Great Velkra!”

Why doesn’t appraisal show me the gender too?!

“Now go away! I’m going to deal with some dweebs now!” I say.

“At once! Please Forgive me! This a territory where I hunt so I just thought that someone else wanted to take it from me!” she says.

“We weren’t hurt so it doesn’t matter anymore! Tell me your name!” I say.

“It’s Meridia! I am honored by your mercy!” she says.

“Now go! Don’t bother us anymore!” I say.

“Yes!”

She was panicking so much. I understand how one could feel if you dumped a bucket of cold water on your landlord’s head, mistaking him for some thief. But yeah… those Fireballs were scary…

Is my breath like that too?

[Hundred times more powerful than that.]

Hundred?!

[Yup. Hundred.]

Wait! We’re almost there! The forest is near!

“Felia! Carmine! We’re here! Hold on for descent!” I say.

“Slow! Velkra! Slow!” says Carmine.

“Go faster! Velkra!” shouts Felia.

“FELIA! I DON’T HAVE MORE BAGS!” says Carmine.

“Hold on!” I say.

“[Flap]!”

I close my wings behind me but I don’t put the back.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Carmine is screaming.

“YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”

And Felia is having fun.

I nosedive down towards the source of the attempted breach from the outside. Just as I get closer to the point, I flap open my wings in time that I get back in the air, stable. I put both of them down on the ground. The grasslands I see in front of me are amazing. Such fresh air. The sun is dazzling in this green beauty. Our world probably didn’t have this much green. Or maybe I just lived in a world of concrete.

“Come on! Straighten up! We are going towards the source of the person that’s trying to breach the barrier!” I say.

“Wait [Huff] Just [Huff] A minute [Huff]” says Carmine.

“Why are you the one who’s panting? It was me who was flying…” I say.

“You nosedived out of the blue, You could’ve stopped my heart!” she says.

“Velkra! That was amazing!” says Felia as she jumps in joy, holding my hand.

Suddenly she stops and looks at herself holding my hand. Then she hides behind Carmine, getting all steamy-head.

Seriously? You’re the one who held them…

“Let’s go,” I say.

We don’t walk far when we get to the place that was being attempted to be breached.

“[Dong]! [Dong]! [Dong]!”

I can hear someone striking my barrier with a good amount of force.

“What the F*** is this?! Why won't this barrier break!”

I hear a man shouting.

“Carmine, Felia. We are hiding here for now.” I say in a low voice.

We head towards a tree and hide behind it.

I look closer with my [Farsight] and see that it is more than one person. A mage woman, a swordsman that is striking the barrier, and presumably a hunter.

The man in the heavy silver platinum armor has pretty high stats. [Appraisal].

Huh? Hero? What the…

What is he doing here? How did they know that the Demon Army would be marching today?

“Carmine, Felia. That guy over there is the hero…” I say.

“The hero?!” shouts Carmine.

“Keep it down! we are hiding right now!” I say.

The man is about 22 and has black and white hair. Sharp Japanese features I should say too. The other seems Japanese too.

So these are the summoned?

“Let's go. I’ll try talking to him.” I say.

We step out of our hiding spot. We walk toward them from behind.

“Who the Hell is there!” he shouts as he turns around swinging his sword.

“We are not hostiles. Calm down.” I say.

“Not hostile?! You’re a f****ing Magic Race!” he says as he lifts his sword to strike down at me.

“Fool.” Says Felia as she prepares for combat and gets in a form that resembles a cat.

“[Piercing Ray]” Chants Carmine.

“Wait. Don’t.” I say.

“Velkra?” both of them look at me in surprise.

“Let me handle this one,” I say.

The sword comes down at my shoulder, literally and visually, cutting through the air.

“[Swooom]!”

The sword comes down.

“[TUNGGG]!!”

It lands on my shoulder and makes a dull metallic sound. Sparks fly.

“[CRACK]!”

A shockwave goes through the air and the Earth beneath my feet cracks.

“[Crick]” the sword makes a small cracking sound.

“Huh?” the man lets out a confused ‘huh’.

Just as I thought. He isn’t stronger than me.

The dust clears up and the sword still sits on my shoulder. And me, without a single scratch, standing with my feet planted in the ground due to the force of impact.

“The Hero, huh?”

He’s going to get clapped here.