A C-Rank Magic Student Who Deludes Himself into Thinking He Is SSS-Rank - Chapter 25: The Onslaught

Ted and his three friends gossiped about Alphons in the school cafeteria for a while.

However, the conversation didn’t linger for long, gradually shifting to discussions about classes and trivial chit-chat.

“Hey, do you know why the teachers were summoned to the royal capital today?”

“Yeah, I heard it was some emergency meeting.”

“Most of the faculty being summoned for an emergency… Could it be something serious?”

“Hey, do you know something?”

Ted asked the person who brought up the topic.

“It’s just a rumor, but… there’s been a dragon sighting.”

“A dragon? Is that related to the teachers being called in?”

“Maybe that’s the rumor.”

“We hear about strong dragons, and it’s common for top guild members to hunt them. Are they assembling a team from the school’s magic instructors just to take down a dragon?”

“That would be an exaggeration.”

“Right. It’s not like it’s the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation.'”

“Wait. The rumor says it might be that black dragon of destruction.”

“What?”

Everyone looked puzzled.

“The dragon that was sighted is said to be entirely black.”

“Yeah, but just because it’s black doesn’t mean it’s the… you know.”

Ted was about to refute.

“Don’t you know? There’s only been one black dragon in history, the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation.'”

“!”

“…”

“If the sighting is true, then… the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation’ has reappeared?”

Zedel shivered at the thought.

The records of destruction caused by that dragon and its inferred strength suggested it was an opponent beyond human capabilities.

It was said that if not for a great hero, humanity would have been wiped out by the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation,’ today’s scholars affirm this view.

Four hundred years ago, there was an exceptional warrior named Sieg-Fried.

But that great hero no longer exists.

“(If the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation’ really has returned, this world is──)”

“─Just kidding. It’s a joke.”

“…Huh?”

“There was a sighting of something resembling a black dragon, but even that’s dubious. Don’t take it seriously.”

The student who started the topic said with a laugh.

“So the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation’ is…”

“Impossible, right? Records say the great hero completely obliterated the black dragon. Even if there’s a black dragon, it’s not the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation.'”

“Hey, you just refuted your point.”

“Haha, fooled you. It’s normal to have an unconfirmed dragon

sightings in this world.”

The heavy atmosphere lightened, and everyone seemed relieved.

“Man, that scared me…”

“Good thing it was just a joke…”

“Wait, so why were the teachers summoned to the royal capital? Did the kingdom take such a dubious rumor seriously?”

“That’s unlikely. It’s about the inter-academy knight competition in two months.

“Ah, that makes sense.”

Everyone seemed satisfied with this reasoning.

“Still, if the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation’ really appeared, it’d be no joke.”

“Yeah, no doubt. Even if we gathered forces from around the world, we probably couldn’t defeat the ‘End Dragon of Annihilation.'”

“The descendant of the hero who defeated the dragon 400 years ago is just… well, you know.”

“Exactly, haha. Why did the great hero’s descendant turn out like that?”

And with that, the conversation shifted back to slandering Alphons.

Regardless of what they were doing or talking about, Ted and his friends always found a way to mock and belittle Alphons.

This was their everyday routine.

…And it wasn’t just Ted and his friends who were spending a normal day. Students ate, prepared and reviewed lessons, and chatted with friends – a typical day in the cafeteria.

──However, suddenly, that normality was shattered.

The cafeteria, no different from any other day, was struck by an explosion and shockwave.

The cafeteria wall exploded with tremendous force, leaving a huge hole.

Amid the screams and confusion of the students, a figure emerged from the giant hole in the wall – an all-black dragon.