Seeing Is Believing

A world where even a handful of light had completely diminished.

A scene where everything, without needing to point out any one thing specifically, had turned into ruins, with not even the slightest sign of life.

Only the majestic tower, rising from the end of the world, remained alone, creating a desolate atmosphere.

However, even that, by a wind that blew from afar.

By an insignificant, momentary feeble wind, it slowly turned to ashes and scattered somewhere.

And with that, the end.

After everything had finally perished, neither the world itself nor any trace of the world’s existence remained—

Rustle

“Well, that’s enough of ‘seeing is believing.'”

The hand that momentarily swept through the air instantly extinguished the illusion that had filled the surroundings.

With this, the figures slowly began to regain their senses.

However, the shock of those who had witnessed extinction beyond destruction had not faded, so.

“P-President. What was that just now…?”

Starting with Iris’s trembling voice, who appeared the most shocked among the three students, various questions were laid before President Rayner.

Yet his face still hadn’t lost its beaming smile.

Perhaps because of this, the possibility that the illusion they had just faced might actually be fake to deceive them was briefly raised, but…

“I wish it was fake too, but unfortunately, I can’t lie. Sorry about that~.”

Even that was immediately denied.

Soon, a light voice added that because of the nature of his special ability that only upholds the truth, there would be a great risk if he lied.

“Well, you don’t need to worry too much. The return is as certain as the risk.”

Strictly speaking, there wasn’t even a grain of sand’s worth of thought about worrying for the president who had thrown seriousness to the dogs.

The concern about the world’s destruction, which they had suddenly been informed of, had only deepened.

It was after this that questions about the method to avoid destruction were directed at the president.

“You clearly said that if we don’t step up, the world will die, President.”

“Yes. If you don’t step up, this world will unconditionally come to an end.”

“But… why us?”

What followed was a story about people who were much stronger and more capable than themselves having already headed to the Tower.

This was followed by a near-certain guess that those people would be perfectly capable of conquering the Tower.

In response to this, there were a couple of nods.

“You’re right. It’s a valid point.”

“As Adrian said, the personnel currently in the Tower should be sufficient. With all sorts of powerful people gathered in one place, what couldn’t they accomplish?”

And then, one unexpected fact that had been hidden.

“But you know what? Haven’t you ever wondered why a dungeon that has been continuously conquered for quite a long time keeps reappearing?”

“What do you… mean?”

“Until now, no one has eliminated the Tower’s Source Stone. No, perhaps it’s more accurate to say they couldn’t eliminate it.”

Everything in a dungeon comes from the Source Stone.

The special environments within dungeons and the monsters are also creations of the Source Stone.

In other words, if the Source Stone is found and eliminated, the same dungeon will never appear again.

Yet, there’s only one reason why the Tower’s Source Stone hasn’t been found and eliminated until now.

“Unlike other dungeons, the Tower’s Source Stone was a boss monster. And an absurdly strong one at that.”

Perhaps with perfect condition, it might be different. But with health and capabilities gradually whittled down after facing the Tower’s numerous monsters, no one could match that monster.

Therefore, since successfully sealing it on the top floor of the Tower a very long time ago, there was no need to try to subjugate it.

Trying to eliminate something that was on a different level from the monsters seen so far would only lead to unnecessary sacrifices rather than making the Tower subside again.

“But not this time with the Tower. This time, we absolutely must eliminate that creature.”

The story that followed was a condensed version of what Rayner himself had read from the child.

From the fact that for some reason the monster’s seal is about to break, to the fact that the hunters currently in the Tower are already busy subjugating other monsters and have no spare capacity.

Though his tone was still not particularly heavy, the content was exceedingly weighty.

“In the end, we need to send additional personnel to the Tower, but everyone who could go to the Tower has already gone.”

Not one person could easily open their mouth.

Besides Rayner’s voice, only the sound of swallowing dry saliva could be heard.

“From my personal investigation, the ones with the most certain possibility of facing that creature are the three of you right now. Four if we include the girl behind me.”

“Hmm, I understand why you called us… Wait. Include who?”

The gazes of the three, including Rea who had just spoken, instantly focused on the child, which was in a way an inevitable sequence.

At this, the child momentarily shrank back, but not even a few seconds later, Rayner got up and literally picked the child up.

And, being slowly placed down in front of the three, ultimately standing in the center of the president’s office.

With a slightly flushed face due to a bit of awkwardness, the child made eye contact one by one with those surrounding them.

The climax was Rayner’s brief introduction made on behalf of the child immediately after.

“This is Lua. A ‘tank’ who will safely protect you from the Tower’s various monsters!”

Not even a second after that, from Rea’s mouth that gradually began to open.

“Um, President. Are you insane… Ah, no. I mean—”

Pure sincerity that hadn’t passed through the filter in her mind popped out, surprising not only those listening but also Rea herself who had uttered the words.

The others also agreed that this was the most insane thing they had heard from Rayner so far, but voicing it was a different matter.

Well, either way. Even Rayner himself agreed that making such a small and frail child a tank would, in most cases, be insane.

In fact, he had already anticipated that he would hear unfavorable comments.

Therefore…

“I’ll prove that I’m not insane, so everyone please remain silent for a moment.”

He began to demonstrate why his students should have Lua as their tank.

Right after that, he teleported those who were alternately looking at him and the child without knowing what was going on to a small clearing.

Sure enough, their momentarily confused expressions at the suddenly changed surroundings.

Within a few seconds, they saw with widened eyes the child who had popped out of thin air and followed them, but there would soon be something even more shocking anyway.

So, for now, Rayner created a flat shield with his magical power and handed it, almost throwing it, to the little secretary standing right in front of him.

“Just in case, you won’t tell Asha about me doing this, right?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get scolded too if I tell.”

“Goodness, to think I’m in a community of fate with such a little squirt.”

Soon, the shadows of the child and Rayner began to move further apart from each other.

Those watching the two with gazes half puzzled and half bewildered.

However, even that half puzzlement was soon completely transformed into bewilderment.

The reason being…

“Is this the fourth time you’re transforming in front of kids? No, the fifth? I can’t remember well.”

Pop

Pop

Crack!

“Anyway, this isn’t a sight everyone can easily see, so watch carefully. And don’t tell anyone!”

Because the person who had been continuously exuding his characteristic lightness grew larger and his skin roughened, and before they knew it, he had transformed into something closer to a dragon than a human.

No, not closer to a dragon, that’s just a dragon.

Red irises split vertically.

Two wide and massive wings protruding from around the shoulders.

Decisively, the thick scales covering the entire body and the long tail.

“…Insane…”

“T-The president was actually a dragon… No, was it a dragon who was the president?”

“…He’s quite remarkable in many ways.”

It was a shock that hit all three—Rea, Iris, and Adrian—like a slap to the back of the head.

The child was also slightly startled by the dragon creature that they were seeing directly for the first time in their life.

However, right now there was something more important at hand.

With small hands, the child raised the flat shield they were somehow holding even higher.

Right after that, the word “No way” sprang from the mouths of people who belatedly guessed what was about to happen.

“T-This must be staged, right? You’re not really going to breathe something like a breath attack on a child like that.”

“I-I’m not sure… either.”

“But considering the fact that he deliberately transformed like that, probably—”

Before Adrian’s ominous guess could even finish, whoosh.

An enormous amount of blazing flames began to form inside that massive mouth.

At this, the complexion of the students, led by Rea, instantly turned pale blue, and at that moment.

KWAGWAGWANG!!

“Wha, wha… WHAT?!”

What could quite literally be called the craziest act in the world was finally committed by none other than an Academy president.

In fact, it was a slightly.

No, it was an attack at a much higher level than what had been discussed with the child, but…

‘They won’t believe unless I do this much.’

In the sense that the more shocking the performance, the more its effect is amplified, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

In any case, he also knew that the child could somehow block his attack.

To be honest, there was also some intention to slightly alleviate the oppression and mistreatment he had received from the child’s guardian until now, but anyway.

『Phew…』

So, after the breath attack with an absurdly high temperature finally ended.

After all sorts of acrid smoke that filled the surroundings were blown away by several wing beats.

『See, perfectly fine?』

Gazes shifted toward the form of the child who, as expected, stood exactly where they had been standing without a single hair damaged.

“H-How did that…?”

『A person is not just their appearance. You’ll probably have a hard time finding a tank who can endure better than that child anywhere.』

It was after this that Rayner, who was gradually returning to his human form, began to approach the child.

But looking closely, why was the child so unusually quiet?

Seeing that not even a small scratch had appeared on the child’s shield, it didn’t seem like they were hurt anywhere.

Just why.

“…Hey, this is different from what we agreed on…!”

They’re sobbing, aren’t they.