The brethren were all in front of the transition gate.
　It hadn't been hundreds of years since so many of his compatriots had come together.

''The preparations are complete. We will now begin our assault on the land of the humans. Our target is Dragononia, the land of the dragon knights! I want the head of the Dragon King and the Dragon Knight! Don't even look at the other mooks!

Huh, finally, a move.

So far, we've had to tread carefully to keep the humans in the dark. Now it's time for some fun.

I wish we had attacked these people earlier, instead of the weakened ones.

　Kukkaku, my compatriots are elated to hear that the battle is about to begin.
　But I can understand that feeling.
　The time of our obscurity is over and we are about to start an all-out war with the humans.

But make no mistake, this is only the beginning. This is only the beginning. This is just the beginning, and as a souvenir of the beginning, we are going to give the humans the head of our greatest asset, the Dragon Emperor!



　Kukukuk, kuhahahahahahaha!　Come on, humans, it's time to be scared!

　You're not going to be able to do that.

　The next morning after returning from training, we were on our way to the Adventurer's Guild.
　The purpose of our visit was to ask them to buy the materials for the dragons.

　We decided to buy the materials tomorrow since we were late returning home due to the fact that we were concentrating on training with Leune, so we decided to buy the materials tomorrow.

　The truth is, Golden Dragon made a pretense of sending us home, but since we got into quite a ruckus last time, everyone insisted that we go home as normal.

''Hmph.''

You look kind of happy, don't you?

　Mr. Leune seems to be in a pretty good mood since this morning.

''That's right!　After all, I could have slayed a dragon on my own!　Yesterday I was so tired from my training that I didn't have time to realize it, but when I woke up this morning and saw Master Lex's face, I finally felt it!

　As I see it, the first time he was able to defeat a dragon, Ryune was happy to have confidence in himself as a dragon knight.
　As a matter of fact, as far as I'm concerned, there's no way you could fight properly with such an unkempt weapon that was as good as a catfish.

You can proudly report to the grave of my father.......no, my master!　And now I can take on the Dragon Princess ceremony without any worries!

　Oh, by the way, I remember there was something called the Dragon Princess Ritual.

''As I recall, they have a match to choose the heroine role for the ritual, right?

'Yeah, yeah. Well, yes, but I can't help but wonder if you could choose your words a bit more, yes.

　Oops, that's a faux pas.

'And anyway!　Let's keep up the good work and practice!　Even though I have the Silver Dragon with me, I myself am still an inexperienced dragon knight apprentice!

　Yeah, yeah, it's important to keep improving without being proud!
　It's especially good to be on your guard!

　After all, it is common in the world for a student to overcome rigorous training and finally learn a new technique and then say, "Okay, next time, team up with me so that your body can learn the technique. Oh, you don't use anything but that technique, do you? There are some rogue masters who will say, "I'm not a rogue master.

''By the way, what do you mean by having the Silver Dragon with you?''

　'What do you mean?' questioned Liliera, questioning Leune's words.

'What? Ah, yes. It's me and the Silver Dragon...

　It was at that moment when Leune was about to answer Liliella's question.

''Ta-oh my God, the ministry!

　All of a sudden the guild door opened and someone jumped in.

''What's with all the noise. .........Aren't you the guard working at the gate?

　Oh, this guy was a guard, wasn't he?
　But why would a guard guarding the town come to the Adventurer's Guild?

Hey, what's going on?

　An adventurer who was nearby rubbed the guard's back and asked what happened.

''Demons, demons........''

What? What about the demon?

　The guards cleared their ragged breaths and shouted in a voice that echoed throughout the guild.

''The town... the town is under siege by a horde of demons!

You're not going to be able to do that.

What... what does that mean?

　The guards' words caused an uproar in the guild.

''Oh, is that true?''

Yeah, all of a sudden a swarm of demons appeared from the woods and mountains and quickly surrounded the entire city!

But if that's the case, you could call for evacuation before the city is surrounded.

　While the adventurer looked at me with suspicion, saying that it's not true in any way, the guard explained what he had seen as the truth with a desperate look on his face.

''It really happened so fast,'' The demons were spreading out to the side and creating a siege, and the faster demons were filling in the gaps in the siege, as if they were following the slower demons. The rest of the demons came to a thinly-encircled area and completely surrounded the town.

That's ridiculous...

　The adventurers who heard the guard's explanation choked up in surprise.
　Even so, these demons move as if they were ordered by someone else.
　But if that was the case, whose orders did they give to lay siege to this town?

　The guards were then taken to the back room by the guild staff, but they came back in less than five minutes.
　With the guild master next to him.

''Everyone, I need you to listen to me.''

　And the return of the guards with the Guildmaster caused a buzz in the lobby.

''It's like the story that hadn't felt real until now has come to life all at once with the appearance of the Guildmaster, the most influential person closest to us, the Guildmaster.

　Liliera-san explains on behalf of the adventurers' feelings.

''As some of you may have already heard, a horde of demons is now encircling this town.

　The guild is enveloped in a thud.
　I guess it's because the guild master has said the same thing, and what the guards said has been confirmed by the adventurers.

''Therefore, the guild will issue a compulsory request to you all. The request is to intercept the demons attacking the town.

　The adventurers groaned again when they heard it was a compulsory request.

''Hey, what's a compulsory request?''

　Behind me, Jairo-kun mutters secretly.

You know what they tell you when you become an adventurer? It's a compulsory right to secure a large force when there is a disaster that could destroy the country or when a great monster appears that could cause terrible damage if left unattended. If you refuse to do so, unless there's a very good reason, you will lose your adventurer's license.

　Compulsory request........huh?
　In the adventures of the great swordsman Reiguard, it was also used in the episode where a demonic beast powerful enough to destroy the country appeared.

Anyway, since we're surrounded by a horde of demons, we can't help but accept it.

Yeah, we need to cut down on the number of demons before we can escape.

　The adventurers are also determined to take the request, resolving that as long as there is no place to run, they have no choice but to fight.

'Fortunately, the town has a thick outer wall and large ballista to counter dragons. The number of demons has been reduced while maintaining a siege, and when the outer wall can no longer hold, I aim for a thin area of demon encirclement and break through at one point. Evacuate the town's inhabitants from the hole in the open siege.

　Hmmm, typical siege warfare.

'It's compulsory, but if you survive, the guild will reward you. So everyone survive!

""Oh, yeah!"

　You're not going to be able to do that.

Oh no, this is getting to be a big deal.

　The adventurers start rushing around in preparation for the battle against the demon horde.

''We'd better get ready too.

Right. We need to get some potions and other recovery potions ready.

　Mina and the others are feeling a bit buoyant, but they start to prepare for the battle.

''Oh, then I have a stockpile too, so I'll share it with everyone.

　I pull out an inventory of potions from my magic bag and lay them out on the table.

'Wow, you have so many!

''Yes, I made them for emergencies, but I haven't had a chance to use them very often.

I know.

It's very unlikely that Lex will ever have a moment of need.

　No, no, no, it's important to be prepared, Megri.
　You never know when something might happen, you know.

''I'm sorry, but can you distribute some of that potion to the guild as well?

　It was the master of the dismantling place who approached us.
　It was strange to see him.

Is that master?　Why are you even armed, master?

　Yes, for some reason even the demolition master was armed.
　If you look at it, you can see some familiar demolitionists in the back.

'Because of the situation, we demolition masters have decided to join in. We're former adventurers who retired due to injuries and age, but were hired by the guild for our demolition skills.

　Heh, I didn't know that.
　I thought dismantlers were only people who specialize in that kind of work, but former adventurers were hired as well.

'And now, I have a little favor to ask of my master.

Are you asking for a favor?

''Ah. This one is a request from the guild, but I need you to sell as many dragon scales and horns as you can to the guild that Master has in his possession. And I need you to help me make armor out of those materials.

Weapons and armor?

''Ah, the dragon material is hard enough as it is. That's why even just attaching a handle to the scales can make a hard shield. It's a very good idea to have a good crack, you can use it as a sword or armor, but as expected, it would take too much time to process it to be used as a sword or armor. That's why I want to make just a shield to prolong the siege.

　I see. In my past life, I used to make equipment with available materials to get through emergencies.
　Shields in particular are a drain, so the more of them you have, the better.

　I turn to everyone else, just in case.
　After all, we're all the ones who have hunted most of the dragon material in the last few days of training.

'On that note, though, may I offer you some materials?'

I don't mind.

'Well, it's times like these, so as long as you get enough for us to use, it won't be a problem.

　Mina and the others nodded that that was fine.

''Well, then we'll provide you with the materials for the dragons I hunted!

　And Mr. Leune offered to help.

''Thank you guys. Master, since that's what's going on, I'll be happy to help you.''

Thank you. I want you to work on making a hole in the ground for the handle. Even a small hole is the stuff of dragons, and we and the town blacksmiths don't have the tools to drill it ourselves. But a master who can make enough knives from dozens of dragon scales in a single night should be able to drill holes in the scales easily enough.

Yeah, I'm on it!　Then I'll rent a demolition site.

　You're not going to be able to do that.

It's a hell of a sight.

　Looking at the dragon scales piled high in the dismantling yard, Jairo-kun mumbles to himself.

You don't normally see dragon scales piled up for pennies,

"Hmmm, a pile of gold coins...

　Megri, the dragon scales are not gold coins!

So I'm gonna start drilling.

'Oh, good luck with that, Master. Drill two holes here in this area of the scales, about this wide.

I understand.

　After confirming the position of the hole from the master, I stood in front of the pile of dragon scales with a demolition knife in my hand.

''I'm going!''

　A moment later, I activated my body-enhancing magic and leapt.
　When I reached near the ceiling, I saw the dragon scales seen directly below.

　The dragon's scales were not piled up haphazardly, but were piled up in an even pile, just like when counting money.
　In other words, if you look at it from above, it's a single scale.

''Huh!''

　The moment the fall begins and intersects with the dragon's scales, I perform two consecutive stabs at high speed.
　But that doesn't mean I just stab it.
　If I stab it normally, it's too big for the hole for the handle.

　I stop the tip of my high-speed demolition knife at the surface of the top dragon's scales, and the impact of the point of contact at the tip spreads the scales very small, creating a hole just large enough for the handle to fit through.
　Furthermore, the impact of the stab travels down to the lower scales, finally reaching the bottom scales.
　As a result, two small round holes were punched in the scales of all the dragons in the pile.　

　Once the holes were drilled, I walked over to the rest of the pile of scales and it took me less than 30 seconds to finish drilling the required number of dragon scales.

'Yes, the hole is drilled.

"...............................Heh?

　Huh?　For some reason, the demolitionists are looking at me with stunned faces. Did I do something wrong?

"What's this?　I just poked the top scale and it has a hole through it to the bottom scale!

　Liliera-san and the others shout in surprise when they see the scales with holes in them.
　No, no, I didn't do anything that serious.

''I adjusted the force at the time of the stab to adjust the spread of the hole and the propagation of the impact to the scales below. You'll all be able to do it in no time with practice.''

""No, I can't."

　Huh?　I don't think that's true.

''Master Lex, that's great.......I didn't know a dragon knight had this kind of skill....

　No, Leune, this isn't a dragon knight technique, it's a normal stabbing technique.

''By the way, master, are you sure you don't want to start attaching the handles?

What?　That's right!　You guys, get to work now!　Master did it in a hurry, we'll work on it quickly too!

""Hey, master!"

　The guild's demolitionists and the town's blacksmiths, who had received instructions from the master, began their work in a hurry.

''Master, do you have any idea how long it will take for the swarm of demons to reach the town?''

Yeah, I believe the guild leader said you had about an hour to go.

Master, those are the dragon materials I sold to the guild, can I use them to make other equipment as well?

'What?　Oh, yeah. I have enough materials for the shield. If you can make other equipment as well, I would definitely ask for it.

Then I guess we'll start with swords and spears. If I can afford it, I'd like to make some simple armor as well.

Ha, ha, that's a lot of time to lose.

　Well, let's just try to make it to the last minute.

　◆

Hmm, the siege of the human city is going well.

　The demons we have prepared have besieged the human city to the point where there is no room to escape.

''But the Dragon Emperor has a dragon in tow, right?　Then wouldn't you ride away on a dragon?

　My compatriots ask me that, but it's not enough of an idea.

''It's true that the Dragon Emperor and some of the Dragon Knights would be able to escape. But that would mean abandoning the people of the town. You can't just abandon your people and run away when the Dragon Emperor is the king of humans. No, I wouldn't mind running away. If we do that, there will be no one to recognize the Dragon Emperor as a leader. If that happens, no matter how strong the Dragon Emperor and the dragons he follows, there is nothing to fear. What we are concerned about is humans and dragons joining hands, and the Dragon Emperor alone has plenty of things to do.

I see. So, if you fight, you're no match for your opponent, and if you run, you'll be abandoned by your friends as a coward.

''That's how it is. In other words, as soon as this town was besieged, the Dragon Emperor's defeat was already decided!

" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "

　What's more, the demons we follow are the ones we'll be fighting.
　However, even if they fight unexpectedly, if we are left unscathed when they are exhausted from fighting so many demons, there is no hope for them.

　Huh, that's what a strategy is!

Oh, I think we're getting into a fight, don't you?

　Magic and arrows are shot at the monsters from the human town.
　The monsters in the front line slow down for a moment after being intercepted by the humans, but they are soon pushed forward by the following monsters.
　It is a very good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends and family.

"Haha, no matter how much you try to resist, you're just a stone's throw away in front of the number of demons we follow.

　That's right, this fight is vastly outnumbered by the original.
　No matter what chicanery is used, it's impossible to overturn!

'Hahahahaha, know the overwhelming numbers of violence, good people!

　That's when it happened.
　Suddenly our vision was shrouded in light, and with a roar, a blast of air hit us.

What's going on?

　The wind was so strong that we couldn't keep our eyes open.
　And now that the wind has finally died down, we're trying to figure out what's going on.

"What's... what's happening?

　It was an unbelievable sight.
　A whole corner of the demon siege that had been attacking the town at our command had been wiped out.

"Ba, that's ridiculous!　What the hell is going on?

　That wasn't all.
　This time, the earth rumbling could be heard as two long, thick and huge walls grew out of the ground to protect the holes in the blown-up monsters' siege.

"What is that wall?

''No, the siege has collapsed!　We can get out of there!　

　Well, that wall was just a way to buy time for the humans to escape!
　But this is no time to be surprised. We have to take action quickly!

Don't panic. Assign a flying demon to the hole in the ground.

'Oh, I see. Because if you're a demon that can fly, there's no point in being blocked by a wall!

　But it was a trap.
　Just when the flying demons were about to climb over the wall to fill the hole in the siege, a flash of gold and silver struck the demons.

''What is it this time?

''Oh, that's........

　My compatriot points to a corner of the sky and trembles.

''Are those........Golden Dragon and Silver Dragon?

　Yes, the ones who attacked the demons were the Golden Dragon, the king of dragons, and the Silver Dragon, which is said to be the second most powerful.

I see. I'm sure you'll be able to see that.

　If you look, you can see a human figure on the backs of the Golden and Silver Dragons, though they are as small as a pea grain.

'They will do it. But it would be foolish for the king to go to the front.''

　It seems that the true identity of the attack just now was the dragons' breath.
　But if that's the case, if the flying demons are able to keep them in check, they will be able to prevent the Breathless from destroying the siege again.

In the meantime, the other demons will destroy the humans' city.

　Yes, just because the counterattack was a little flashy, it didn't make up the difference in numbers.
　The fast-footed demons are already moving to block the escape route.

''You're on a roll at best, good Dragon Emperor. I will soon have your face colored with despair!　Huhahahahaha!

　The demons resumed their march and gradually approached the town.
　And the humans must have run out of arrows, too, because their counterattacks were slowly dwindling.

　The humans must have understood that.
　The gates protecting the outer walls opened and warriors appeared from inside to intercept them.

''Hahaha, now it's time for the real despair... hmm?　What is that thing?

　Then I felt a strange feeling.

'What is it?　How many warriors have the same color equipment?　And all of them are full plate warriors?

　What do you mean, this town's Order of the Rising Sun or something?
　The only thing that exists in this town is a vigilante group, although I haven't heard any reports of a knightly order being stationed in this town.
　Well good, it would be like a knight's group that happened to pass through this town on their way to a mission.

It's a good thing that you have a few well-equipped reinforcements in front of this horde of demons, or else you'll despair!　Hahahahaha!