Dahlia charged first, feet pounding the ground, her fists glowing faintly as she poured mana into her arms.

"Alright, big lizard! Take this!"

She leaped and threw a heavy punch straight at the drake's jaw.

BOOM!!

Her fist landed cleanly, but the drake didn't budge.

Dahlia's eyes widened. "H-Huh?!"

The drake's red scales didn't even crack.

Clara appeared at her side, jumping high with a twisting kick.

"Spiral Heel Smash!"

Her heel slammed down on the drake's head, and instead of the monster flinching...

Clara felt her foot vibrate painfully.

"OW OW OW! My heel! Why is its head harder than steel?!"

Eliza darted in next, her movements soft but sharp.

She flicked her fingers and struck the drake's throat with a precise jab.

"Silent Palm."

The drake's neck barely moved.

Eliza blinked. "…That should've stunned it."

The drake slowly turned its head toward her, red eyes glowing.

Clara grabbed Eliza's sleeve and pulled her back. "Nope! Don't stare at it like that! That's how people die!"

The drake roared again, shaking the ground.

Dahlia stomped the ground hard. "Alright! New plan! Hit harder!"

Clara yelled, "THAT'S NOT A PLAN!"

Eliza nodded anyway. "…Reasonable."

The drake swung its tail suddenly.

WHOOSH!!

Dahlia barely ducked.

Clara rolled backwards like a panicked raccoon.

Eliza slid to the side in a clean, silent motion.

Dahlia wiped sweat off her forehead. "Its tail moves way too fast!"

Clara pointed at the scales. "Look! Its whole body is like spiritual armor! My kicks do NOTHING!"

Eliza pressed her fingers together, breathing steadily. "Its defense… extremely high. Our strength… too low."

Dahlia narrowed her eyes, crouching low again. "Then we just keep hitting it until something works!"

Clara raised a hand. "Wait, wait, wait...That's your plan again?!"

The drake roared, and its claws swiped at them.

Dahlia blocked with both arms.

BAM!!

She skidded back several meters, boots carving lines into the dirt.

"Damn… it's strong."

Clara dashed in, throwing rapid punches.

"Barrage Combo! Barrage Combo! Barr... OW! OW! My knuckles!!"

Her hands were bright red from hitting the scales.

Eliza tried to grab the drake's leg for a throw.

But the moment she touched the scales, her face tightened.

"…Heavy. Too heavy."

She stepped back instantly. "I cannot throw this."

And before anyone could react...

FWOOOM!!

The demonic drake whipped its massive body around, sweeping its tail around.

Dahlia raised her arms to block.

BAM!!

She was thrown back, boots digging trenches in the ground.

Clara flew sideways, rolling across the dirt with a loud scream.

"AAAAAH! MY SPINE!"

Eliza flipped midair and landed in a crouch, but even she slid a few meters.

The juniors watching screamed in panic.

"That thing is insane!"

The drake roared angrily and stomped forward.

Its wings stretched wide, dragging wind with them.

Then its throat began to glow faint red.

Clara froze, eyes widening. "Don't tell me… It's gonna breathe something?!"

Dahlia's heart dropped.

"BACK!! MOVE!!!"

Eliza whispered, "…Too late."

The drake snapped its head downward.

BWOOOOSH!!

But instead of fire or poison, a blast of compressed air and raw force exploded out of its mouth.

A shockwave.

The ground tore open as it traveled.

Clara shielded her face. "WHAT KIND OF DRAGON BREATH IS THIS?! IT'S JUST WIND BUT IT HURTS SO MUCH!"

The shockwave slammed into them.

Dahlia dug her heels in.

SKRRRRT!!

She slid backward but kept her stance… barely.

Eliza crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"…Strong push," she muttered.

Clara, however, wasn't as lucky.

She was blasted into a bush.

"HELP! I'M STUCK! ALSO I THINK THE BUSH BIT ME!!"

The drake inhaled again, throat glowing brighter.

Dahlia's eyes widened. "NOT AGAIN!"

She sprinted toward Clara, grabbed her by the collar, and yanked her out of the bush.

"MOVE, CLARA!!"

"I AM MOVING!! MY LEGS JUST FORGOT HOW!!"

Eliza landed beside them silently.

"…It wants to push us away. Or crush us."

Dahlia wiped sweat from her forehead, panting.

"That shockwave hurts more than the first one… Why is this drake so aggressive?!"

Clara pointed at the giant beast with both hands shaking like leaves.

"Maybe because we punched it twenty times?! You think it's happy about that?!"

Eliza stepped beside them, her voice quiet, but her eyes cautious.

"…Or because it's a demonic beast. They get angrier the more you fight."

Dahlia groaned and rubbed her neck.

"Whatever the reason is, we need to find a way to beat it."

She tightened her stance again but then suddenly froze.

"Wait… something's wrong…"

Her fingers twitched. Her heartbeat spiked. A strange pressure surged from deep inside.

Her skin also glowed faintly.

Clara blinked. "Uh… senior sister? You're glowing."

Eliza nodded once. "…Bright."

Dahlia's eyes widened as a current of azure-colored mana burst from her skin, swirling wildly.

"W-Wait! This… could it be…"

She couldn't even finish as the mana wrapped around her body, forming a shining cocoon around her.

Clara gasped and jumped back. "No way! Senior Sister Dahlia is starting her awakening!"

Eliza stepped closer, observing the aura. "The pressure is strong… yes. She is awakening."

Inside the cocoon, a scream echoed.

"AAAAAGH! WHY IS THIS SO PAINFUL?!"

Clara winced. "Yup, that sounds about right."

She cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Senior Sister! The twins and Arden already told you the awakening hurts like being stabbed by trillions of needles!"

Eliza nodded calmly. "It is supposed to be unbearable."

Dahlia screamed again from inside the cocoon.

"UNBEARABLE?! THIS IS MORE THAN UNBEARABLE!!"

Clara laughed weakly. "Please endure it, Senior Sister! You're our only hope of beating that drake!"

As if hearing them, the demonic drake turned its head sharply toward the glowing cocoon.

Its eyes narrowed.

Clara's expression froze. "Oh no."

Eliza whispered, "…It sees her as a threat."

The drake inhaled deeply, chest expanding.

Clara paled. "Ah. No, no, no! DON'T YOU DARE!"

BWOOOOSH!!

Another violent shockwave blast erupted from the drake's mouth.

It hit the cocoon dead-on.

CRACK!

But surprisingly, the cocoon didn't break

It didn't even budge.

Clara stared, jaw dropping. "WOAH... Good defense!"

Eliza tilted her head. "…The cocoon is reinforced by awakening mana. Hard to damage."

Clara planted her fists on her hips confidently. "Great! Our senior sister is awakening AND acting as our shield!"

From inside the cocoon, Dahlia's muffled voice screamed:

"CLARA, I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!! STOP CALLING ME A SHIELD!!"

Clara grinned shakily. "Sorry, sorry! Focus on awakening!"

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