In a dilapidated house on the verge of collapsing, with no light, Gran and Ginny awoke.

"Ugh... Where am I? What happened to me...?"

"Brother? What is this...? I can't move!"

Gran and Ginny found themselves tied up, their hands bound behind their backs, and fastened to the house's support beams with rough ropes. They were bewildered and confused about their predicament.

Why were they in this situation? Gran tried to recall the events before waking up in the abandoned house.

"Let's see... I woke up as usual in the morning, left my room, and met up with Ginny..."

"Today is the day Alto-kun fights Jass, so we were heading to his room to cheer him on, right?"

Ginny also tried to recall her memories.

"We were heading to Alto's room together, but then someone suddenly attacked us... I can't remember anything after that."

It seemed they had been kidnapped. They understood that much, but knowing it didn't help them.

Gran and Ginny struggled to free themselves, but the ropes were too tight and well-secured to break free on their own.

"This must be a kidnapping, right? But why us? We're just commoners from a small shop. Who would target us?"

"Yeah, and there's no guard either."

The interior of the abandoned house was dim, making it hard to see clearly, but there were no signs of anyone else. The absence of any noise confirmed they were alone.

"What does the person who kidnapped us want? It's only causing trouble for us. Missing classes isn't that big of a deal. Is this just harassment?"

"That's it!"

"What is it?"

"This must be Laxtin's doing!"

"What do you mean?"

"Alto-kun will find it strange if we're not there during the match. Then, Laxtin can say, 'I have your friends.' If he says that, Alto-kun won't be able to fight properly."

"Oh no, you're right..."

"It's highly possible. Laxtin is the only one who stands to gain from kidnapping us right now."

"But why isn't there a guard?"

"He probably wanted to avoid leaving any clues that could reveal his involvement. This is our chance to escape, but...!"

Ginny struggled desperately, but the bindings didn't loosen. Her efforts only caused Gran pain as they were tied together.

A shadow of despair began to fall over their hearts.

Were they going to drag Alto down like this? Instead of being able to help their friend who called them his friends, they were causing trouble.

No. They couldn't give up yet.

"Damn it! Don't think you can stop us with this!"

"We will never give up!"

Gran and Ginny struggled with all their might. The rough rope scraped against their bodies, causing injuries, but they didn't care. They were determined to free themselves, refusing to surrender. Their resolve was evident.

"Indeed, such determination. You two would make excellent dragon knights and partners."

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the room.

Immediately after, there was a violent impact on the wall of the abandoned house as if something had struck it. The fragile wall collapsed in an instant, revealing the face of a dragon.

"What's the matter? Where did all that enthusiasm go?" Jass taunted, his attacks relentless.

"Ugh!"

All I could do was defend myself with my spear, using it as a shield against Jass's ferocious assault. My physical condition had deteriorated, and Jass's attacks, although crude, were overpowering.

During the brief moments when I saw an opening for a counterattack, I couldn't strike. Jass closed in, our weapons clashing. In a voice only I could hear, he whispered:

"Heh... that's right. Just keep defending and don't even think about attacking."

"Jass, you...!"

"You know what will happen to your friends if you make a move, don't you?"

"Damn it..."

"We can't afford any suspicion of foul play, so let's drag this out a bit longer. Afterward, make sure to go down spectacularly. Understood?"

Jass swung his sword wide. If I planted my feet, I could withstand the blow, but I couldn't afford to resist. I was sent flying, rolling across the training ground.

"Damn it!"

I had suspected Jass might pull something, but I never imagined he'd resort to kidnapping Gran and Ginny. What would happen after this...

No. Jass was confident he could execute this plan without anyone discovering his involvement. And indeed, I was currently being cornered. His cunning exceeded mine.

What should I do? How can I turn this around?

Desperately searching for a solution, I couldn't come up with any good ideas. Jass was pushing me to my limits.

I felt utterly powerless. Just as my spirit was about to break,

BOOM!

A loud noise came from the outskirts. Reflexively, I looked in that direction and saw a massive fireball. Was that... a dragon's?

"Alto!"

Justina's voice rang out.

"That's the signal that Gran and Ginny are safe. You don't need to hold back anymore. Give it your all!"

"Justina, you knew?"

"It was odd that Gran and Ginny weren't there, and your movements suddenly became sluggish. It was highly likely Jass was involved. I anticipated such a scenario, so I had some friends search for Gran and Ginny. That fireball is the signal that they've found them."

Justina explained with a proud look, resembling a dog expecting praise.

"I could have intervened as soon as they were kidnapped, but this is your battle, Alto. Unless absolutely necessary, I thought it best to stay out. I'm a supportive partner, after all."

"We're not even dating yet."

"Oh, don't be mean."

"Thank you, Justina."

I realized I had been mistaken. I thought I had to defeat Jass on my own, but...

From the start, I've never accomplished anything by myself.

Justina helped me. Gran and Ginny cooperated. Thanks to them, I could stand here and face Jass, the symbol of my past nightmares.

I wasn't alone. I had friends. That's why I could fight.

"Impossible... my plan was uncovered? Damn it, where is that man...?"

"Jass."

"?!"

"Let's finish this."

"Damn you, Estenia!"

Jass lunged at me in a fit of rage. Despite his reckless attack, his movements were swift. Cornered, he was unleashing unexpected strength, akin to a surge of adrenaline.

However...

I wasn't fazed by Jass's powerful strike.

"What?!"

I struck his wrist, followed by disarming him of his sword. As he tried to grab me, I struck his abdomen, and finally, I delivered a vertical blow to his chin with my spear.

"!!!"

Jass staggered, his eyes rolling back, and collapsed. He was completely unconscious, with no sign of getting up.

The training ground fell silent.

In that stillness, I lowered my spear. Seeing this, the teacher snapped out of it and spoke.

"That's enough! The winner is Estenia!"

After a brief pause, the students who had been watching erupted in cheers, standing and applauding.