A Swordsman and a Mage, Sworn Enemies, Accidentally Crossed a Line and Discovered Their Bodies Were Perfectly Compatible. - Chapter 17

Dragons are undeniably the strongest creatures in existence. Even the weakest among them requires at least ten skilled swordsmen or mages to defeat, making them terrifying demon beasts. Some individuals can even destroy entire nations. For students to slay such a dragon would be nothing short of a fairy tale.
In fact, simply surviving the ten minutes it would take for the guards to arrive would be a daunting task.
Yet the two girls were doing just that.

“Lala, defense!”

“Right! Protective Barrier!”

The two sisters—so identical they looked like twins—moved with perfect synchrony as they intercepted the dragon’s onslaught.
Under Remietta’s command, Lalael moved like an extension of her sister’s own body, unleashing her full potential with precision.

“The breath attack is coming. Evade it! Then use the opening to strike with ice magic.”

“Understood, Sister!”

With foresight that seemed almost prophetic, Remietta anticipated the dragon’s moves and issued precise instructions.
This was the power of Remietta, who had seized control of the Academy with her charisma.
Under her command, Lalael, the genius whose name would be etched in the annals of magic history, unleashed power beyond her usual limits.
For Lalael, it was the first time she could execute optimal movements without needing to think, simply by following instructions.
Thus, the sisters continued to withstand the ferocious onslaught of the dragon, a creature far superior to them in power.

“GUOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHH!!”

No matter how ferociously the dragon thrashed, Remietta remained composed, directing the battle.
Remietta, who had handled this dragon on her own the first time they encountered it, made the impossible possible with Lalael at her side.

“…Still, I wonder. Can we really last?”

Even as they endured the ferocious barrage, a whisper of doubt slipped from Remietta’s lips.
No, not doubt—an observation grounded in fact.
With her keen observational skills, Remietta had already discerned that the Dragon was beginning to adapt to their tactics.
It had ceased its chaotic rampage and was now calmly observing Remietta and her companions as they darted across the battlefield.
The Dragon’s eventual collapse was inevitable, and if it occurred after reinforcements arrived, all the better. But if it crumbled before then, they would need to act swiftly.
Should they flee?
No, that would cause catastrophic damage to the surrounding area.
The Royal Capital’s losses had remained surprisingly minimal precisely because Remietta and her sister were holding the line here.
Driven by her sense of justice and duty, Remietta refused to play the escape card until the very end.
Instead, she focused on devising a way to withstand the Dragon without retreating.

“Sister!”

“—”

In that split second of deep contemplation, the Dragon lunged at Remietta.
It was a gap so small it barely qualified as one, but the apex predator never missed such an opportunity.
Remietta frantically dodged the claw, but the unexpected attack threw her off balance.
The next strike was unavoidable. Lalael wouldn’t make it in time. The dragon had already launched its follow-up attack.

“—!”

Remietta’s eyes saw only despair.

“GRAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

The dragon’s claw hurtled toward her.
The claw that could slice through rock like butter would easily tear through Remietta.
Is this the end? No, not yet.

“What the hell are you doing to my woman?!”

Elvin burst in at the last moment, deflecting the claw with a powerful strike.

“You…”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m saved. Now, I see a chance to win.”

Remietta rose to her feet, casting a defiant smile at the towering dragon.
With all the pieces in place, a glimmer of hope shone in Remietta’s eyes.

“And for the record, I’m not your woman.”

“Seriously?! Then what was that night we spent together?”

“This isn’t the time for that!”

Remietta snapped, scolding him for his sudden outburst.
Despite the banter, the two moved into action simultaneously.

◇

It was a very close call.
One more step, and Remietta would have been killed by the dragon.
A chill ran down my spine as I faced the dragon.

“Well, this is my first time fighting a dragon,”

The enemy was formidable, yet my mind remained calm.
Why was that? My head throbbed with pain, but the pain itself seemed to tell me this enemy was nothing to fear.
I’d felt this before.
Fighting an enemy I had no chance of defeating. I was sure it had happened before.
My head ached, but this was a memory I had to recall.

“Haaah!”

“GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

The clash unleashed a terrifying shockwave that reverberated through the surroundings.

“Remietta’s magic is truly top-tier.”

With a body enhanced by magic, I could even trade blows with a dragon.

“Elvin!”

“Lalael, I’m counting on you!”

“Got it! Haaaah!!”

What’s more, we had Lalael, a formidable ally, by our side.
I no longer felt like we could lose.
Ice blades shot toward the dragon, creating an opening for me to attack.
Under Remietta’s guidance, we were keeping the dragon on its toes.
We couldn’t defeat it yet, but we could certainly hold our ground.
And as we continued this dance, the moment we’d been waiting for finally arrived.

“Alright. This is the end.”

I clashed with the dragon, then abruptly disengaged.
The dragon tried to pursue, but alas, it was too late.

“All units, surround the dragon and attack!”

In the next instant, men clad in pristine white knight armor materialized with astonishing speed.
They swiftly encircled the dragon and, with terrifying coordination, began to corner the massive beast.
Clad in shimmering Fighting Spirit, their masterful swordsmanship and flawless coordination allowed them to subdue even the most formidable creatures.

“Prevent further damage to the Royal Capital!”

“Understood!”

The Sword Knight Order, the kingdom’s pride, swiftly completed the Dragon’s subjugation.
The battle was awe-inspiring, a stark reminder that we were still mere students.
Even Lalael likely couldn’t match their prowess on the front lines of national defense.

“Now then… Elvin, why are you here?”

With the Dragon’s corpse lying still, the man leading the Sword Knight Order turned a sharp gaze toward me.
Though his eyes seemed accusatory, I knew they held concern.

“Oh, you know… a reason deeper than the sea and higher than the mountains, Brother.”

“We’ll discuss that later. Why did the Dragon attack the Royal Capital? …And why is Tein lying there?”

The man, Captain of the First Division of the Sword Knight Order and my elder brother, now fixed a terrifying glare on Tein.
For some reason, a Dragon had appeared in the Royal Capital, and the Murderer Tein had escaped from prison. To my brother, this must have been an utterly incomprehensible situation.

“I heard the Magic Knight Order arrested him and threw him in prison. Why is he here?”

As my brother spoke, Tein swayed to his feet.
Despite his hands being bound behind his back, his eyes were deeply stained with darkness.

“Long time no see. I heard you, the genius, have already risen to become Captain of the Sword Knight Order.”

Tein spoke as if greeting an old friend.
It was true that Tein, once a renowned swordsman and my brother, who had claimed the title of genius, would likely have known each other.

“I have no words for a murderer. The Tein I knew is dead.”

“Is that so? How lonely.”

Tein said this with a smile.
Even after being beaten to a pulp by me and having his hands bound with rope, a dark fighting spirit still burned in his eyes.

“Restrain him. A murderer doesn’t belong here.”

“Yes, sir!”

My brother issued the order, and his subordinates immediately moved to comply.
But Tein’s fighting spirit hadn’t waned. A dark premonition flashed through my mind.

“Ah—I have to fulfill my purpose, even at the end!”

Tein roared, abruptly raising both arms.
His arms were bent at unnatural angles, clearly forced free from the ropes.
He must be in excruciating pain.
Yet his dark eyes remained fixed on Remietta as he swung his arms.

“Die!”

“Ugh—!”

I saw needles glinting in the air.

“Remietta!”

I lunged forward, shielding her with my body.
I never wanted Remietta to be hurt again.
The regret of letting her get injured because of my weakness had haunted me relentlessly.
Now, that buried memory erupted, driving me to protect her.

“Gah—!”

I felt needles pierce several parts of my body.
The next moment, my legs gave way and I collapsed.
Pain surged through my entire body, and I felt death looming before me.

“W-why?!”

“Ah, so it’s you who’s dying? That’s not right… Well, whatever. Since you’ve interfered with me twice, you can die in her place!”

“What did he do to him?!”

“Restrain him immediately!”

Remietta’s eyes widened.
Tein screamed.
Sword Knights restrained Tein.
Through my hazy vision, I watched the chaos unfold.

“Elvin?! Stay with me!”

For the first time in ages, I saw my brother’s face twisted with panic.

“Mr. Elvin… E-El…”

Remietta’s tear-streaked face swam into view.
Relief washed over me.

“This time… I protected her.”

“What are you saying, El?!”

“Heh…”

Sealed memories flooded my mind.
Did something like this happen that day, too?

“Hey, Remi… It’s been a while since you called me that.”

“What… what are you saying?”

“What do you mean? I’m talking about… the first time we met… the first time we kissed.”

My mouth wouldn’t move properly anymore.
My consciousness grew hazy, as if I were being guided by something.
This must be the dragon’s poison.
Will I survive? I don’t want to die. Not now, not after finally remembering.
I shouldn’t have forgotten what happened ten years ago—