It had been a while since the battle between Reagaia and the five had begun.
…How should I put it, Cassandra alone would have been more than enough, yet with the other four joining in, I couldn’t help but start feeling a little sorry for Reagaia.
「Going again!」
「Renge! Keep up with me!」
「I know that alreadyssu!」
Where Kuduro-san smashed through Reagaia’s scales, Aina burned the exposed flesh beneath with fire, Sorte bit down on the loosened scale, and Renge used the force of her kick from the inside to peel it right off.
「The fat’s in the way.」
「Then I’ll burn it all!」
「Aina, I love you! Meat!」
As Aina’s flames roasted the layers of fat revealed on Reagaia’s back, Shiro leapt in, slicing through it all in an instant and stuffing the meat into a magic bag.
『G… Grrrrrr…!』
Naturally, Reagaia, whose scales were being peeled away and whose flesh was being harvested, thrashed violently.
「Now, now. Don’t struggle.」
But before it could even move properly, Cassandra struck it again, forcing it to stay down as its jaw was slammed deep into the ground.
「Should we go for one more scale?」
「Yeah. There’s still room, right?」
「Even my medium-sized magic bag’s got a lot in it alreadyssu… still, it could fit more, even with all that bloodssu.」
「The small one’s for meat, right? That’s… going to be a ridiculous amount.」
「At least it’s that way around and not the opposite…」
The four of them moved deftly across Reagaia’s massive back, chatting casually as they continued butchering it mid-battle.
「Aina! We’ve got enough back meat. I want the tail, or something different!」
「Muuu… peeling that far down’s going to be tough…」
「Shiro’ll help. Hmm. We’ll strip it off all at once.」
Reagaia’s perfect defense came from the seamless rows of scales covering its body.
Unlike Cassandra, it wasn’t hardened through training, its flesh wasn’t especially tough, so once a scale came loose, the rest could be carved off along with the meat underneath.
…Still, flaying it from back to belly in one go seemed a bit much.
If there were such a thing as a “Dragon Conservation Committee”, this would definitely cause an uproar.
「Want to cut the tail off…」
「There’s no way, it’s too thick. And besides, it’s way too far from here.」
「Wanted to taste the difference… Hmm… fine. I’ll give up.」
Even so, Shiro still sliced through enough belly meat to match a whole cow, packing it into the magic bag.
At this point, it was like watching someone climb a mountain and harvest bamboo shoots, carving, draining, and collecting everything the earth dragon had to offer.
「Ahh… I did give permission, but seeing this makes me wonder if I’m still on the humans’ side… they’re merciless…」
Even Cassandra, who had become our ally, seemed terrified as Reagaia was cut apart and bled for its flesh…
Everyone was splattered red with blood. It was terrifying. People covered in blood were laughing as they carved into the dragon, so of course it was scary.
『Guh… Uuu…』
「Hmm. It still fits a little bit more」
「Yeah… I’d like the claws too, but that might be too dangerous…」
「Hmmm… then the eyes next?」
「H-hey, Mother? You really should admit defeat soon, okay? You know you have no chance, right? Right? If they take your eyes I’ll be in real trouble, so just surrender already, okay?」
『Guuu… Aaaahhhh!』
When Reagaia let out a great cry, the air itself trembled and the sound reached us.
『Uuuuuugaaaaaaahhh!!!』
She kept roaring.
The shout was so loud I thought my eardrums might burst, and Aina and the others instinctively covered their ears.
At that instant, Shiro and Cassandra appeared at the head of the roaring Reagaia.
Shiro seemed to notice Cassandra and offered to yield, and Cassandra nodded…
「Shut up!」
Just as Cassandra slammed her blow, a puff of white-gray smoke rose, not with a popping sound but with the same sort of feeling. Then Reagaia’s huge form… vanished.
「Waaaaaaahhh!」
…No, it was still there.
「Cassandra-chan! Cassandra-chan is bullying her mother!」
Yes… she was still there. It seemed Reagaia could also take a humanoid form, and now a naked, thickset woman was sobbing.
「It’s awful! I was just hungry, I wanted to eat! My back hurts! I’m hungry! Waaahhh!」
She sat there naked, exposing a huge belly and breasts, and wept.
I’d thought the waterfall of tears was a comic exaggeration, but it was real.
The tears didn’t just run down her cheeks.
They seemed to rise a little and then fall like a flood.
「…Hmm」
「Listening to her words like that, it almost feels like we’re the villains」
「No, but she wanted to eat us, rightssu?」
「She’s gotten smaller. Maybe now we could cut off the tail?」
Don’t do that!
Cutting off the tail of a crying, humanoid dragon would be cruel!
「Mother… if you’re going to cry like that, just say you give up and hand the chief position to me」
「Noooo! I’m still the head! If Cassandra becomes chief she’ll be strict, I don’t want that!」
「Of course not. Look at yourself now. Compare your current state to the other children…」
At Cassandra’s words, the waterfall of tears stopped. Reagaia stared intently at Aina and Shiro and the others.
「Hweh…? Everyone’s so thin… Are you not eating?」
「That’s how you’re supposed to look! You’re just too fat, Mother!」
「I’m not fat! Light Dragon Yo-chan said I’m charming! Fire Dragon Vol-chan said I’ve got great marbling!」
「Didn’t Wind Dragon Arskai call you a damn fatty?」
「I-I’m not a damn fatty! Arskai just eats so little that she likes to brag about being skinnyy to plump old me…」
Sorry, but… no matter how you look at it, she’s just plain overweight from bad habits.
Maybe you could drop the “damn”, but “fatty” is non-negotiable.
There’s no way that size can be excused as “plump”.
If I had to put it nicely, I’d call her a ‘metabolic dragon’.
「Anyway… if you still won’t admit defeat, Mother…」
「What? You’re gonna hit me again? I’m too hungry to move and you’re still gonna hit me? Domestic violence!」
「You’re the one who said dragons live by strength! Geez… and why do you always talk weird when you’re in dragon form?」
「Because… Leviya the Water Dragon said a dragon should speak with dignity…」
「Leviya’s thin too! None of them just eat and sleep and absorb magic power while lying down like you do!」
「Leviya’s long vertically, that’s why she’s slim… You didn’t know that?」
With a sulky, mocking tone, Reagaia provoked her daughter, Cassandra silently clenched her fist.
「Ah, I’m kidding! Kidding! Sorry! I’m sorry, don’t hit me! Also, can I please have some food?」
「…If you admit defeat, I’ll give you food.」
「Ehh… but if I admit defeat, I lose the title of chief…」
「…It’s that delicious magic power we just ate, you know. The same as the Shrine Maiden Princess’s… no, maybe even purer…」
「Really!? Then I surrender! Please feed me!」
Reagaia lay on her back with arms and legs spread wide in a gesture of submission.
Her thighs were so thick they hid the important parts, which somehow just made the whole scene sadder…
There wasn’t even a trace of the dignity of an Earth Dragon left. It was as if it had all blown away with the sand.
「…Sigh. Ally, sorry, but could I have a bit of that magic power sphere from earlier?」
「Yeah. It was meant for you anyway, I’ve got it ready.」
「Ah, as thanks for before…? You really are earnest… and you really do love that stuff, huh. Here, Mother.」
「Yay! Wh-what is this? Pure magic power? It’s so pretty… It’s my first time eating something this beautiful.」
I don’t know why… but this kind of mother reminds me of my friend’s mom back in the day.
He always looked so embarrassed, and whenever she came into his room with snacks, he tried really hard to get her out as quickly as possible…
「Just eat it already…」
「Thank you for the meal! Mmm… mmm! W-wow! This is amazing! It doesn’t taste like magic or raw meat at all! It’s so tiny, but the magic power flavor is so rich!」
「Yeah, yeah… it was meant for me, so you’d better be grateful.」
「But it’s not enough… I want more…」
「You’ll have to hold back for now. That should last you at least a day, right? You can hunt an earth dragon or something in the meantime.」
「Ehhh, earth dragons don’t taste good! Besides… that boy over there looks really tasty…」
Reagaia didn’t even try to hide the drool dripping from her mouth.
…Wait.
Boy? She means ‘me’!?
「You can’t eat my ally. If you do, you’ll never get to eat another magic power sphere again. But if you keep him around, you can eat lots of them.」
「R-really!? Wow, lots of these…」
The Earth Dragon Mother’s eyes sparkled as she stared at me, but just thinking about how much magic power it would take to keep her satisfied made cold sweat run down my back.
If she’s not satisfied… will she end up eating ‘me’ instead?
「Alright then. As the chief, I hereby declare that the pact with Roukaku is nullified, okay?」
「Yeah! If I can get other tasty food instead, that’s fine!」
「…So, Ally, sorry, but could you make me magic power spheres every now and then? Please?」
Well, I figured this was coming.
「Sure. If it means the pact can be broken, it’s a cheap price to pay.」
「Yay! Oh, but he’s human, right? That means I can only feed for a short while…」
「Then you’ll just have to stick to eating earth dragons most of the time. Mother, if you don’t lose weight, I won’t let you have any magic power spheres.」
「Ehhh!? Cassandra-chan, you’re so strict…」
No, I don’t think she’s being strict at all.
She even prepared a reward… though in this case, ‘I’m’ the reward.
「W-wait, why does Cassandra-chan get to decide everything!? I could make my own pact with this boy!」
「Because I’m the head. And every pact requires a price, you know?」
「A price?」
「This. If you let him have this, my ally will give me more magic power spheres.」
Cassandra loosened the front of her robe and pointed at her exposed breasts.
…Wait.
If I think about it calmly, exchanging food for breasts as compensation, what does that say about me as a person?
…Well, whatever.
「Eh!? Then doesn’t that mean I can do it too? Look! Mine are even bigger than Cassandra-chan’s!」
「Wrong! The balance between the breasts and the waist is what truly matters!! Just being large overall does not make them ‘oppai’! What defines oppai is the clear difference between the top and under bust! Without that understanding, all you have is plain chest meat!!!」
「Hii! Y-you’re angry!? Why!?」
‘Grrrr…!’
I won’t admit it! Absolutely not!
I refuse to recognize ‘those’ as oppai!!
「My lord… so passionate, fufu. There are breasts even lower than flat ones, it seems.」
「Master just lectured a dragon about boobsssu.」
「Y-yes, truly fearless, onee-sama…」
「I-I should make sure I don’t get fat…」
「Lord, cool.」
「Conviction is what makes one human, after all.」
「…Though the conviction’s about boobs.」
Thanks for the level-headed comment, Aina.
But still, anyone would get fired up, there are some things you just can’t compromise on as a human!
「See? That means if Mother loses weight, you chest could become ‘oppai’ too. Then maybe she could ask him for something as well.」
「Ehhh… that sounds like a lot of work… Oh, I know! Hey, hey, boy, why don’t you become Cassandra-chan’s husband? If you feed me, I’ll officially approve it!」
「「「「「Absolutely not!」」」」」
Aina, Sorte, Renge, Shiro, and Wendy surrounded Reagaia. Those with weapons raised them, while Wendy and Renge glared fiercely at her.
Fallen behind, Koren-sama quickly slipped into the formation as if that’s the most normal thing to do.
「H-huh!? Why are you all mad!? You’re scaring meee!」
Cassandra sighed in exasperation. When our eyes met, she gave me a wry, self-deprecating smile.
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