My knuckles still burned.

The dragon staggered back, shaking its head as if it couldn’t believe what had just happened. Neither could I.

"...Ren?" Maya struggled to her feet, clutching her injured side. Her eyes widened. "What the hell...?"

"I don’t know," I said, staring at my own hands.

"What was all that about not knowing how to fight?! Why didn’t you fight like this from the start?"

"I was telling the truth! I didn’t know I could do this until now!"

The dragon roared, cutting us off. It recovered fast, and this time, its eyes held no curiosity—only lethal intent.

Maya raised her sword.

"I’ll grill you later. For now, focus. Ready?"

"Y-Yeah…" (I hope she doesn’t ask too many questions).

I glanced at the sword sheathed at my waist. I’d brought it from Lumis without even knowing how to use it. But when I drew it now, it didn’t feel like a hunk of metal. It was an extension of my arm.

The beast attacked again.

This time, my body reacted—dodging effortlessly.

Maya struck with her flaming blade while I slashed at weak points I somehow knew existed.

"Left!" Maya shouted.

The dragon pivoted, and my sword clashed against its claws, metal ringing through the air.

"Nice!" Maya grinned—an expression I never expected mid-battle. "You’re not half bad!"

"I barely defended myself. Are you okay with that injury?"

"This is nothing! Worry about not dying!"

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, at Lumis Guild…

The receptionist idly flipped through daily reports when a messenger approached.

"Letter from the Guild Committee!"

"The Committee? Thank you."

She opened the letter—and her face paled at the first lines:

"By order of the Guild Committee, immediately withdraw the Frostfang Abyss dragon extermination quest. New records confirm it is an ‘Ice Eclipse’—classified as extreme threat. For adventurer safety, remove this quest until threat reassessment."

"An… Ice Eclipse?" she whispered, crumpling the paper.

A dwarf drinking nearby turned. "Eh? The thing that gets stronger when wounded?"

The receptionist didn’t answer. She stared out the window toward the distant Frostfang Mountains.

"Ren… Maya…" Please come back alive.

◇ ◇ ◇

Maya and I fought in sync.

Her flames seared the dragon’s wing membranes while I severed tendons in its legs with precision I didn’t know I had.

Frustrated, the dragon beat its wounded wings, summoning a blade-sharp blizzard.

We shielded ourselves, bracing against the wind.

"Ren, wait! It’s planning something!"

Maya was right. My whole body sensed it—something massive was coming.

A pale blue glow gathered in the dragon’s throat. No doubt: its ultimate attack.

It tilted its head.

"BRACE YOURSELF! IF IT GRAZES US, WE’RE DEAD!" Maya yelled.

"R-RIGHT!"

Then—a thunderclap split the sky.

"Purin!" I called mentally. "Was that you?!"

"No! Not me!" she replied, just as confused.

Then—

ZAAAAP!

A lightning bolt flashed so brightly I shut my eyes.

When I opened them, the dragon’s head rolled on the ground—severed by that strike. Its body collapsed mid-attack.

Maya and I stood frozen.

"...What? Ren, was that you?" she murmured.

"...No. What just happened?"

A cold, clear voice spoke behind us:

"Oh… So here it was."

A girl. Crimson hair and eyes, a brown cape fluttering in the wind. Was she the red-haired girl from the village?

"You two. Are you alright?"