"Zenovissssss! You bastaaaarrddd!"
"Hmph. No need to shout like that. I just called you a little forcefully, that's all."
What fell from the sky was a huge dragon the same size as Oma-san. Moreover, the dragon did not fly but was forcibly dragged out by Zenovis-san's magic. However, he was a Genesis Dragon and a being who had also received the power of the false god.
Even though he was dragged out by Zenovis-san's magic, he adjusted his stance in mid-air and opened his mouth wide to face us!
"I will obliterate you right here!"
As a tremendous amount of magic power converged in the opened mouth of the sunset-colored dragon, it was released all at once.
Facing the dragon's breath, Zenovis-san lightly waved his right hand without breaking into a smile.
"Don't be a bore. Come hang out with us."
"Nuuuuuu!?"
Then, a thin membrane was deployed enveloping us. The dragon's breath hit it hard, but it could not destroy the membrane that Zenovis-san had deployed.
While Zenovis-san's defensive magic was repelling the breath right in front of me, Zenovis-san turned his attention to me.
"Yuuya. That is the Genesis Dragon that has obtained the power of the false god. No, he should no longer be called the Genesis Dragon, but rather the False God's Sentinel… the False Dragon."
"The False Dragon…"
"As you can see, he looks flashy, but… I think it will be fine."
"Aren't you taking this a little too lightly here?"
Not only does he look dangerous, but he looks powerful as well! After all, the area outside Zenovis-san's defensive range is obliterated by the false dragon's breath.
Originally, there was nothing in the [World's Disposal Ground], but the terrain has changed drastically with that breath attack alone.
"I-I mean, if you can pull out such an extraordinary dragon from hiding and also defend against his attack, wouldn't it be better for Zenovis-san to fight him instead of me?"
"No, that's not the case. When he was just a mere Genesis dragon, that would not be a problem, but since he's a sentinel of the false god, it's a different story. If I were to completely destroy him, I would have to increase my output a bit. But if I do, this planet will be destroyed. It would be too powerful and troublesome."
"Eehh?"
The planet will be destroyed?
No, well, I knew Ouma-san was also in this class, but to be able to cause this level of destructiveness just by exerting a little power is… too crazy, Zenovis-san!
While I was astonished by the story of a completely different dimension, the false dragon, whose attack was blocked, exclaimed abhorrently.
"Zenovis! I don't like you! Why do you, a mortal with power that surpasses my own… and with that much power…. not use it to maintain balance in the world!"
"It is true that you are in charge of maintaining the balance between the 'Holy' and the 'Evil' on this planet. However, a balance maintained by any existence alone will eventually collapse. Therefore, it is necessary for humans to maintain the balance by themselves."
"As a result, the humans have drawn the boundaries of this planet! They claimed Argena as their own! The humans are evil who are simply devouring the planet Argena!"
Not knowing anything about the background of this time period, I could not understand what the false dragon was shouting.
However, I could sense in his words his strong feelings for this planet.
Zenovis-san also sensed this.
"Is this the result of that?"
"Yes, that's right. I am the Holy, but I am not the Holy for the humans! I am the Holy for this planet, Argena! That is why I become the sentinel of the false god, and I will bury the humans and return this planet to its primordial state once again!"
The false dragon held a fierce hatred for humans and did not even try to hide it.
The pressure almost crushed me, but Zenovis-san kept a calm face.
"Hmph. That would have been possible without becoming a sentinel of the false god, wouldn't it?"
"Speak nonsense. Without the help of the false god, I can't defeat you. You will get in my way anyway."
"You know exactly what it means."
"That gap between us… is going to be disappear today!"
The dragon flapped his wings powerfully, opened his mouth wide again, and began to converge his magic power.
"Now, Yuuya. Let's start from here. I forbade you to use your special powers in training, but in this battle, you can use them to your heart's content. But you must use them with the wooden sword."
"Y-yes. But will it be… okay…?"
"Don't be so tense. I will support you."
At the same time as I held up the wooden sword, I released all the power that I could use, such as the [Holy King's Authority], the [Holy Evil Creation], and the [Magic Armor].
I was a bit nervous about the whole thing.
"H-huh?"
Normally, when I release such powers, I get a strong sense that my body has been strengthened, but even though I have released all my powers, I feel very comfortable in my body, or rather, I feel natural.
When I was puzzled by the situation, which was new to me, Zenovis-san told me as if he could see right through it.
"It will be different from usual. But it's the right condition."
"The right, you say?"
"The enhanced sensation means that there is much of a difference from the normal state. That is to say, that is how much power you were subjected to. But now, Yuuya's enhanced state is natural from the start. You will be able to move exactly as you imagine."
"I-I see…"
"Now, don't look away. Here it comes!"
"What?"
Zenovis-san's words caused me to rush to return my gaze to the false dragon, and the next moment, the false dragon once again released a huge breath!
"Now, Yuuya. Let's show the results of your training, shall we? Cut through that breath!"
"T-that's…!?"
You suddenly demanded something outrageous, didn't you?
And yet, unlike during my training, I am now strengthening my body with all my might.
As I was quietly concentrating my spirit, the false dragon in the sky roared.
"Don't you underestimate it! This breath is completely different from the one you just saw! It's a genuine attack of destruction that also contains the power of the false god!"
Don't worry… now, I can cut… this breath too!
Then I took a step forward and calmly looked at the breath, and simply swung the sword straight down.
"───!"
"Wha-?"
At that moment, a single ray of light flew into the breath; it shifted vertically and then the breath disappeared.
"R-ridiculous!? A mere mortal, not even Zenovis, could have blocked my attack?"
"Yuuya, I will make a path for you to reach him. Use it to your advantage and close the distance."
"Yes!"
I nodded to Zenovis-san's words and ran straight out, and suddenly several magic circles appeared in front of me.
It continued up to the false dragon in the sky above.
"There is no way I am going to let that happen!"
However, to prevent me from approaching him easily, the false dragon flew around at speed unimaginable from his huge body and deployed countless magic spells which he shot towards me.
Each blow was so powerful that if it were to hit me properly, it would easily obliterate my body and these were unleashed like a barrage of bullets.
However…
"Huff… I'll block some of them, but you'll have to deal with the rest on your own."
"Y-yes!"
Even here, Zenovis-san uttered such a thing as if he was still training me.
Well, if he didn't, he wouldn't ask me use a wooden sword at a time like this…
In fact, Zenovis-san dispelled some of the magic that flew toward me, but many of them were still headed toward me.
While avoiding some of the magic and slashing at others with my sword, I was surely catching up with the false dragon.
"Nonsense! A mere mortal is coming after me?"
"Haaah!"
"Guaaaaaaaaaah!"
When I finally succeeded in sneaking near the false dragon's belly, I swung my wooden sword without hesitation.
The body covered with hard scales was slashed open, and blood gushed out.
"I-impossible! A simple wooden sword can cut through my body!"
"Certainly, the [Omni-Sword] can cut through everything. But such a thing can be easily done with a well-trained technique. There is nothing strange about that."
"Kuh! Get away from me!"
"Huh!"
The false dragon cleaves his huge tail to separate me from him.
I just barely succeeded in avoiding it, but just as it passed in front of me, a tremendous amount of wind pressure struck me. As expected of a Genesis Dragon, just like Ouma-san…
I wouldn't have been able to fight properly if I hadn't received Zenovis-san's training and support.
Once I was further away, the dragon was even more aggressive in sending out magic and breath attacks.
Gradually, I began to feel a strange sensation.
It was the same sensation I had experienced while fighting the Tyrant Wolf, as the scenery and movement around me began to fade away.
Of course, when I woke up that time, I was in an unfamiliar situation, and I knew that if I continued to let this feeling take over, the same thing would happen to me.
However, as I was concentrating to the utmost limit, I had no resistance to surrendering to the sensation.
In the midst of all this, I sensed a new movement of the false dragon in my fading consciousness.
"Originally, I was going to save it to make sure Zenovis was killed…!"
"Mmm!"
In an instant, the false dragon soared high into the sky, spread his wings wide, and began to converge more magic power ever above his head.
Moreover, it contains the same "Holy" and "Evil" power as me, as well as the power of the false god; if it is released, not only this [World's Disposal Ground] but this planet itself could be destroyed.
"You have lost your mind. You, who spoke of the planet's sake, do you intend to destroy it?"
"If you had not interfered, this would not have happened! But now that you have taken humanity's side, I will end it all here, for the sake of this planet!"
"That's a very convenient way of thinking. …But this is a little too much for Yuuya, isn't it…?"
I could faintly sense Zenovis-san muttering something in my little bit of consciousness left, but I didn't pay any attention to it and approached the false dragon.
"Yuuya!"
"Fuhahahaha! Apparently, the human there wants to rush to his death! Just as you wish, vanish here!"
The false dragon flapped his wings vigorously and released the mass of energy that converged above his head toward me… or rather, toward the ground.
Normally I would have despaired in the face of such a blow.
But strangely enough, I had no feelings about the scene in front of me.
I just cut.
As if it was a matter of course──.
"───"
The blow was released quite naturally.
Cut.
With this single thought in mind, my flash of light cut down the mass of power that was approaching in front of me with a single stroke.
"No way… Ridiculous…!?"
To the astonished false dragon, I do not stop my swinging hand, and with a returning flash, I cleave the false dragon's neck──.
Then the false dragon was beheaded, with a look of incomprehension on his face as to what had happened.
Having been exterminated by my blow, the false dragon fades away as light.
Then my consciousness gradually returned to normal, and the scenery and movements around me went back to normal.
"Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Just like before, I was drowning, desperately seeking air.
But what's definitely different from last time is that I remember exactly what happened.
"T…that was…"
"Well done, Yuuya. That was one of the things you should aim for."
I think back to what I've done, to Zenovis-san's words.
I don't think I could do it at all if I were asked to do it again, but the fact that this is the second time is definitely imprinted on my body.
That split-second feeling was exactly what Zenovis-san was expecting from me.
"Now, you cannot enter that state in an instant. But if you take the time, you can reach that state ── the [Idle Blow]."
"The idle… blow…"
"The next challenge will be sustaining that feeling and avoiding exhaustion like you did this time. Nevertheless, well done."
When I saw Zenovis-san smiling gently at me, I finally relaxed.