The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 207

Lightning struck from a clear sky.

[What a truly arrogant human.]

Like a bolt from the blue, it revealed itself.

With scales shining brighter than the full moon above and a massive body, golden currents swirled around it.

To put it elegantly, it was a resplendent gold dragon, but to put it cheaply, it looked like a lizard covered in crap.

[I hear you’ve been spinning quite the tale… But that’s just a pact not to directly attack humans. This is humans attacking humans, so why should I care?]

The Gold Dragon spoke, shimmering with currents all around.

Hearing that, I was convinced.

This little brat was definitely a punk.

Even if it weren’t the case, with a head that young, it’s only fair to treat it like a brat.

“Gold… dragon??”

Perda gaped, unable to close his mouth as he looked at the gold dragon that sliced through the night sky.

Among dragons, the gold one was a symbol of nobility, one that is rare to even catch a glimpse of in a lifetime.

The species called ‘Gold Dragons’ are the royalty among dragons.

It could be said that wyverns are noble, but…

‘So what?’

Just because it’s a Gold Dragon, does that mean it can get a free pass?

“What if you’re a Gold Dragon? Did you think I’d just hand over my airship?”

“Atlas…!!! It’s the Gold Dragon!! The same bloodline as the Dragon Lord!!”

As I spoke nonchalantly, Perda panicked and grabbed my collar.

He looked like he wanted to plead for this to just pass by, but I had no intention of letting that happen.

[Well… it’s not common for me to appear before humans, but I’m showing up because of you lot!

Not just once… How many times are you going to utter the Lord’s name, you arrogant little bug?!

How dare you… how DARE you!! To call the Lord’s name so freely as a mere mortal…!! Blasphemer!! I will not forgive you!!!]

I honestly had no clue what he was getting at.

After all, I wasn’t a stranger to the Dragon Lord.

A Master is a remarkably rare existence.

It means there are less than ten SSS-grade rare beings existing in this vast continent.

Those who define themselves as Masters and prove it to everyone receive love calls from all corners.

Even without joining an organization, they get invited for face-to-face chats and gifts.

The elves of the forest, the dwarves of the mountains, the beastmen of the plains, and the dragons of the highlands all sent letters wanting to chat with me after the Empire announced that I’d become a Master.

I met the Gold Dragon and Dragon Lord, Kaiser Aurum, due to those connections.

He was a tremendous person, worthy of the title Dragon Lord.

Not just strong, but one you could sense the vastness of.

If someone told me to join under them without any personal interest involved, I’d likely pick him without a second thought.

Therefore, it infuriates me to see such foolish beings going against his will, who wished for peace by suppressing his desire to gather shiny things for balance.

And is it even worse that it’s another Gold Dragon attacking?

I was even angrier.

[DIE!!!]

The Gold Dragon unleashed a bolt of lightning.

The golden lightning illuminated the dark sky as if it were midday, even at midnight.

Alongside that, Squirette’s trajectory sparkled, and the lightning split apart.

Without needing to enshroud myself in an aura, Squirette was forged from adamantium.

With the right technique, splitting lightning isn’t difficult.

Lightning strikes quickly, hence the phrase “like lightning,” but as it split the lightning in two, everyone’s eyes went wide.

It didn’t stop at just splitting the lightning.

-Crash!

[Urrgh!! My scales??]

“What? Did you think I wouldn’t hit you just because you’re a Gold Dragon?”

Riding that momentum, I shredded the scales on the Gold Dragon’s forearm.

The scales of a Gold Dragon, known to be over ten times more valuable than the same weight in gold, glittered as they fell to the ground.

[You’ve nicked my beautiful scales!! I’ve never been hit even by my father!!]

“So this is why you’re such a punk? I might not know much, but I sure know how to teach some manners, and you’re getting schooled today.”

——————–

People boarding the Airship Titanic couldn’t fathom if what they were witnessing was real.

“Ugh… ahhhh…. Are we really… fighting a real Gold Dragon, that crazy dude….”

A small human was facing off against the dragon among dragons, the resplendent Gold Dragon.

And not just fighting; he was showing overwhelming strength and gaining the upper hand.

It wasn’t a strange sight to see a human fighting a dragon, but the opponent was what mattered.

The fact that he was fighting a Gold Dragon was the issue.

“What if he actually kills it?? That’d be a huge problem for anyone who kills a Gold Dragon!!”

Anyone who kills a Gold Dragon is wanted by all dragons.

There’s no law stating that, and while the Dragon Lord said it wouldn’t be the case for killing just one of his kin, stories of such happenings were well-known.

There were tales of adventurers who killed a Gold Dragon hatchling for its materials, only to turn to ashes in the breath of a red dragon that appeared in the city…

Or the famous dragon slayer who killed a Gold Dragon, only to melt with the black dragon’s breath the guild that received the bounty had supplied him with.

Nivas Perda had been closely observing Atlas for a semester.

It was clear that he possessed expert-level skills at such a young age, making him capable of holding his own in a one-on-one fight against a dragon.

The problem was that he was someone who found it hard to grasp the boundary.

His relationships with others weren’t problematic.

He didn’t lack a moral compass.

He could empathize with human suffering.

But regardless of who it was, anyone who crossed him would face retribution.

Most times, he’d just settle for crippling them… but from just now, looking at the thieves, he showed no qualms about killing.

His ability to cut off body parts with great skill indicated that he had likely done this several times before.

Even now, my heart raced at the thought of him trying to deliver ‘retribution’ to the Gold Dragon.

From what he said about dragons, it seemed he knew quite well what would happen if he killed a Gold Dragon… but glancing back at the extreme behavior he exhibited at the academy, it wouldn’t be surprising if he just beheaded the Gold Dragon.

And there was another person feeling despair for a different reason.

“Truly… this is absurd.”

Edgar was bewildered watching Atlas, who always managed to show something new despite knowing he was strong.

The Gold Dragon was certainly no weakling.

It moved at blinding speeds through the air, shooting out deadly bolts of lightning indiscriminately, making it seem like any brush with it would be fatal.

The dark night sky was lit up as bright as day by the golden lightning.

Edgar imagined how he would have responded if it were him, but all he could see was defeat in his mind.

No matter how much he squirmed, he wouldn’t last more than ten seconds.

The lightning filling the sky would wrap around him, leading to his doom.

Yet Atlas seemed completely unfazed as he cut through the lightning.

What he deemed impossible, Atlas affirmed as possible with his every movement.

[Urrgh!! You… arrogant brat!!!]

Once again, Atlas’s sword sliced through the Gold Dragon’s scales.

Atlas reversed his grip on the sword and swung down with a cross guard onto the Gold Dragon’s head.

It was a technique he had used when sparring with Edgar.

At the time, it felt painful to even consider, but this was different.

A strange phenomenon was witnessed where all the lightning that struck around the cross guard refracted.

It was the unique skill of the greatsword.

-BANG!!!

A sound like a battering ram striking the castle gates echoed.

The Gold Dragon plummeted.

———————————-

After the Enforcer and Gold Dragon’s attack, several people gathered in the room, scratching their heads.

The cause was a girl lying in the bed.

The beautiful girl with blonde hair tied into two braids had her ample chest rising and falling with every breath.

“I’m screwed. Damn it. I had a feeling this would happen halfway through…!”

Curses slipped out effortlessly.

The blonde beauty sleeping like the dead had never boarded this airship.

She was the very Gold Dragon that attacked it.

“This… is a Gold Dragon?”

“That’s just too harsh…!!”

“We should be thankful it didn’t end up worse.”

The girl lying there… had a huge lump on the head where Atlas’s cross guard had hit.

Having taken a hit from my cross guard and fallen, it was a clear trace.

Lucia, who was gazing at the girl, spoke to me.

“Atlas… do you know who this is?”

“I do. I’ve not seen her, but I’ve heard of her.”

As far as I know, there was only one ‘young female’ Gold Dragon like this.

I had assumed she was a male, but that could no longer be reversed.

“Who is she?”

“The only daughter of the Dragon Lord.”

At the mention of the Lord’s only daughter, Perda’s eyes widened again.

“Not just any daughter, but the Lord’s only daughteeeer??? You hit her like that???”

“That’s why I said it seemed she’d been poisoned.”

The Dragon Lord is fine, but truly a severe nincompoop.

I’ve hit her quite a lot; is she really okay?