Enola Meadow.
　It was a large field located sixty kilometers southwest of Geiradite.

　The students of the Demon King's Academy and the Brave Academy had gathered in the place where the greenery of flowers and grasses overflowed and the nature was unspoiled.

　In front of the students were three teachers.
　They are Erdmeade, Shin and Emilia.

I'm going to have a physical education class today to prepare for the defeat of the dragon. You can't improve your physical fitness overnight, but there is a certain amount of gymnastics that is appropriate for fighting a dragon. The more you learn, the easier it will be to defeat them.

　Eldmead spins his wand around and hits the ground.

'Let's start with a chase, shall we?

　Then a sigh escaped from the heroic academy.

''What's that?　We have to take out this monster called a dragon and you're chasing after it, it's not very long.

　Lao interjects languidly.

'Really, really, it's a bit of a letdown because I thought you were going to do a bit more decent in the classroom,'

　Heine said mockingly, and Ledriano scoffed up his glasses.

'I understand that the basics are important, but I don't think the pace is such that a dragon can be defeated in ten days. Would it help if you could make the lessons a bit more rigorous?''

　Emilia glares at the three brave men who have complained, and Emilia glares at them with a snap.

'Lao-kun, Heine-kun and Ledriano-kun. You guys can't even listen to the class quietly?

He didn't tell Emilia.

Get a teacher!

　Heine mouthed a 'yes, yes' and fluttered her hand to taunt Emilia.

'No problem, Emilia-sensei. Kaka, you're quite studious, aren't you?

　As Eldmead said this, Emilia reluctantly withdrew as if to say.

I'm sure you'll be able to find it. The three of you are going to run to that single cedar. You will be able to get there in three minutes without using any magic, and I will give you a more rigorous lesson. What do you think, hmm?

Three minutes?　Oh, come on, don't take us for granted, just because we're human?　There's no time to spare for three minutes.

　Lao says, as if laughing it off.
　The Cutthroat King takes off his silk hat and takes out three hourglasses from it.

''Then the time is up when these sands fall off.

　He turns the hourglass in the air and says

'Go ahead.'

　Then, Ledriano and the others ran unwillingly towards the single cedar.

　Even so, they've only been training their bodies at the heroic academy so far, and are much faster than ordinary humans.

　In a matter of about ten seconds, they had covered half the distance.

''Haha, it's already too late to walk, right?''

What does the Demon King's Academy want to do with such a simple exercise?

　At that time, the ground exploded with a thud.

"Nah--

'U-ahhhhhh!

　A green dragon with sharp horns, huge wings, and stubborn scales appeared with a thrust from directly beneath the three men who were running and flew through the air.

　The huge body, which could have been as long as thirty meters in length, flapped its wings and floated in the sky.

　地中から加速をつけ、一気に地上へ現れる竜の猛突進に、吹っ飛ばされたレドリアーノたちは、無残に地面を転がっていた。

　全身が血みどろになっており、最早息をしていないだろう。

「……はっ、ハイネ君っ？　ラオス君っ？　レドリアーノ君っ……！？」

　エミリアが心配そうに声を上げる。
　すぐさま、彼らに駆けよろうとしたが、しかし、上空からの竜の瞳にぎろりと睨まれ、足が竦んだ。

「カッカッカ、昨日、調べておいたのだが、この辺りは竜の巣が近い。迂闊に奴らを刺激すると、飛び出してくるから注意するといい」

　狙い通りとでも言わんばかりに、エールドメードが笑う。

「ど、ど、どういうことですかっ、エールドメード先生っ？　今日の体育は追いかけっこで身のこなしの修練を積むという話じゃ……？」

「その通り。今日は竜との追いかけっこだ！　どれだけ言って聞かせ、模擬訓練をしたところで、実戦はそう思うようにはいかない。ならば、手っとり早く、竜の脅威を体感すればいいではないかっ！」

　ふむ。竜と追いかけっこをするうちに、それに対処する身のこなしを体に覚えさせていくというわけか。
　なかなかどうして、理に適っている。

「……命がいくつあっても足りませんけど……」

「そう心配するな」

　エールドメードが言うと、宙に浮かんだ砂時計が魔力の光を発した。
　連動するように、ラオス、ハイネ、レドリアーノの体に光が集い、傷が癒され、蘇生される。

「な……なにが……？」

「……わかりません……」

　死んだのはこれが初めてなのだろう。
　三人は呆然と顔を見合わせた。

「この＜熾死の砂時計＞の砂が落ちきらない内は、何度殺されようと蘇る。死にたくなければ、戻ってきて、これをまたひっくり返すことだ」

　エールドメードが言った瞬間、羽ばたいていた竜が、角を地上へ向け、急降下した。
　レドリアーノたちは必死に回避を試みるも、弾き飛ばされて、再び死んだ。

　竜はそのままの勢いで、再び地中に帰っていった。

「ああ、ただし、くれぐれも忠告しておくが、食われるなよ。食われれば、根源ごと消化され、二度と蘇ることはない」

　＜熾死の砂時計＞が光り、再び彼らは蘇る。
　それは敵に使えば命を奪う呪いに、味方に使えば命を救う加護に反転する表裏一体の魔法具なのだ。

「ちっきしょうっ……ふざけやがって……！」

「なにが追いかけっこだよ、ぼくたちに死ねっていうのかっ！」

　砂時計の砂が落ちきりそうなのを見て、焦りながらもレドリアーノたちはこちらへ戻ってくる。そうして、寸前のところで、砂時計をひっくり返した。

「この通り！　竜を相手にするなら、追いかけっこでさえも命がけだ！」

　意気揚々とエールドメードは言ったが、生徒たちは怖じ気づいたような表情を浮かべている。

「では、シン先生、一つ見本を見せてくれるかね？」

「わかりました」

　シンはまっすぐ一本杉に向かっていく。

「竜は魔眼で地上の生物を捕捉しているのではなく、起こる震動を感知しています。そのため、静かに走れば、そう簡単にはこちらの位置をつかむことができません」

　＜思念通信（リークス）＞で生徒全員にシンの声が飛んだ。
　He starts to run, but unlike earlier, there is no sign of the dragon jumping out at him.

''Then gradually the dragon becomes aware of what's going on up there and climbs up close to the ground. At that time, the ground will tremble slightly due to the huge body. You should be able to detect it with your feet.

　If you elaborate on your demon eyes, you can see that the area around where Shin was running shook slightly.

''If the trembling gets louder and the dragon senses that it is coming up to the vicinity of the ground, then we can reverse it and lure it out by increasing the sound of its footsteps.

　With a dunk, Shin snapped his feet.
　In the next moment, with a zgo-oh-oh sound, the dragon jumped out of the ground and into the sky.

　Singh retreated, with unstoppable speed, easily avoiding its assault.

'If you know it's coming, it's easy to avoid it. If we can get underneath it while it's flying above us, we'll be able to reach the single cedar in no time.

　In no time at all, Singh had arrived at the lone cedar.

'This one, hopefully,'

　Shin stared up at the sky.
　The moment the dragon twisted its body to glare back at him, its wings stopped flapping.

　A red line oozes down the dragon's neck, faintly. Blood.

　As it hung its head, the dragon's head slumped down and then fell off in a blur, separated from the giant body as it was.

''Just when the dragon jumps out of the air, it's a good idea to attack it incidentally.

　

''Gaaaaaahhhh...!''

　This time, the dragon doesn't even float up to the sky, but rather glares at our students as if threatening them on the ground.

'Kakkka. Do you understand?　Then, you guys, let the deadly chase begin.

　When Eldmead threw the silk hat, the fell out of it one after another and floated in the air.

　There were as many of them as there were of all the students.

Go ahead. All of you must reach the single cedar or today's class won't be over!

　The students of both schools were still scared out of their minds by the Cutthroat King's lines.

''Seriously.........''

I mean, it's absolutely impossible to imitate Dr. Shin...

'So, but we can just run away and get to the single cedar anyway, right?　If you have the hourglass, they'll let you recover...

'You say that but if they eat you it's the end of the world...'

　I guess we're just not getting anywhere.

Hmm. I guess I'll just go on ahead.

'....I mean, you don't have to do Anosh, do you?

　Sasha says.

'What, I'd like to try a few things.

　With that uttered, I walk loosely to where the three dragons are waiting for me.

'Oh, look, look, it looks like Anosh-sama is going?

Hang in there, Master Anos.

Boy Genius!

'Master Anosh!　Look at me.

　I turned around and raised one hand to answer the cheers from the fan unions.
　Without missing the opportunity, the dragon at the head of the group set up a fierce charge, sounding the earth shaking, and raised its claws with great vigor.

''Ah, Anosh-sama!　Back!

Goooooooooooooooo....

　With a single glance, the dragon snapped its claws to a stop.

'You'll get what you deserve, vermin.

　The moment I flashed my evil eye, the dragon let out the best possible cat-call, "Ku-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o" and turned over on its back.

　That guy is showing his belly as if to show his surrender.

''Hahaha!

　I'm sure you'll be surprised to hear Heine's astonished voice.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

　Lao looks at me like he can't believe it.

'Huh...?　Surprisingly, dragons are not a big deal, are they?　Like a figurehead or something?

I don't know what it is, but it's kind of cute, isn't it?

Can we handle it...?

No, no, don't be stupid. You saw those three men die in vain!　It's Anosh!

　Such impressions leaked out from the students who hadn't experienced the power of the dragon.

''.........What do I do, this is that thing......?''

　Eren says seriously.

"........Did you think something strange again...?

Heh, it's nothing weird. Analysis!

Oh, yeah. So, what?

　Ellen's eyes sparkle with a crinkle.

''Anosh-sama is so cute that just because our eyes met, the dragon fell in love with her!

Wait a minute... then that pose with the belly...?

You mean, hold me?

You've gone a little light on race, haven't you?

　There's something noisy behind me, but well, I guess it's always the same.
　I send a thought transmission to the dragon's head with my fingertips.

　You can't understand the words, but the dragon is not so intelligent.
　I'm sure the dragon can understand some of these thoughts.

　--Guide me to your lair...

　Instantly, the dragon raised itself up and rushed into the hole it had made.
　＜I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about.

　The dragon is digging steadily through the ground with its horns and magical power.

"Anosu, wait a minute!

　When I turned around, I saw Sasha and Misha chasing after me in
"Where are you going?

　Misha asks as he catches up.

'I told you last night. The divine school Averast Anzeta is in the subterranean world. I wanted to make sure that was the case.

　In the subterranean world, Arcana said, there is the City of God, Gaela Hesta.
　If I don't know about it, then it must be the world I was born into after my reincarnation.

　And Ahyde Arobo Agatse, who summoned Arcana, uttered that he was a cardinal of Geordal, the land of the divine dragon.

　I do not even know the name of that country.
　Then it is reasonable to assume that it is in the subterranean world.

　The ring that Ahide wore was made of dragon material.

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.
　For the last two thousand years, there was little evidence of them appearing on the ground.

　Nevertheless, if the dragons were on the verge of extinction and were able to survive, there must have been an alternative food source for demons and humans underground.

　In other words, near the dragon's nest, there must be a subterranean world that had been created over the past two thousand years.

''Can I go with you?''

You're in a strange place. We don't even know what's waiting for us. At least there are those who summon the gods.

I need to see the same thing Anos did.

　Misha appealed to me with her expressionless, yet determined eyes.

''I want to go too. I know I'm a liability, and I know I'd be better off with just Anos alone, but...

　He put a hand to Sasha's head in a teasing manner.

'I don't have a slow learner under my command. Come with me. I will be back before the end of today's class.

"Hm.

Okay.

　Misha and Sasha laughed happily.

　We dove deeper into the ground than ever before, following the dragon as it dug in to lead the way.