Starting the Strategy from Frieren

The Dark Dragon began gathering its most devastating attack—a concentrated Dragon Flame. It channeled the bulk of its mana into this destructive force, ready to incinerate the humans in one overwhelming sweep.

But it never got the chance.

Above, a certain madman was descending like a shooting star.

Five hundred meters.

Three hundred meters.

One hundred meters.

Locking onto his target, Ivan held his breath. The timing was perfect.

"Scatter now!" he roared.

"Taste my steamroller—Takizawa Laura style!"

Out of nowhere, a massive boulder appeared above the dragon, casting a shadow so large it engulfed the beast entirely. It happened too quickly for the dragon to react. Against the boulder's terrifying speed, evasion was impossible. The Dark Dragon relied instead on its sturdy scales and defensive barrier.

BOOM!

The boulder slammed into the Dark Dragon with a deafening crash, burying it into the ground and shaking the earth with a minor earthquake. The shockwave knocked everyone nearby off their feet, sending up a massive cloud of dust.

Even such a devastating blow wasn't enough to kill the Dark Dragon, whose defenses were notoriously impenetrable.

But Ivan hadn't placed all his hopes on the boulder.

As he neared the ground, he used spatial magic to redirect his momentum and landed with surgical precision. The borrowed longsword in his hand gleamed as he plunged it into the weak spot beneath the dragon's scales—its reverse scale.

The beast, too focused on countering the boulder, had no time to reinforce the defensive barrier protecting its vulnerable neck.

The result was catastrophic.

The blade sliced through the dragon's neck like a hot knife through butter, leaving a massive wound.

Splat.

Fresh, crimson dragon blood sprayed everywhere as the Dark Dragon let out a mournful cry. Its massive body collapsed, its vitality draining rapidly.

Did we win?

Snowflakes drifted gently through the air. Ivan, drenched in dragon blood and clutching his sword, stood amidst the carnage. The scene was hauntingly beautiful.

The adventurers and villagers of the Village of the Sword stared in awe. For a moment, silence reigned. Then, an earth-shaking cheer erupted.

"Dragon slayer! We witnessed a dragon slayer!"

"Amazing! Absolutely incredible!"

"This story will be told for generations!"

While the villagers celebrated, Ivan remained alert. He had poured everything he had into this fight, but he knew better than to lower his guard. Dragging his dislocated arm—injured from the force of piercing the reverse scale—he raised his sword and unleashed a wind blade, severing the dragon's head entirely.

Only then did he allow himself to relax.

This Dark Dragon was, without question, the strongest foe Ivan had ever faced, surpassing even the battle with Serie. Exhaustion washed over him, but so did a deep sense of accomplishment.

He was no longer the helpless weakling who needed Flamme's constant protection.

Now, he was terrifyingly strong.

Taking a deep breath, Ivan raised his voice, letting it boom like thunder.

"Those hiding in the shadows—are you done watching yet? After such a thrilling dragon-slaying spectacle, don't you think it's time to applaud?"

A slow clap echoed through the clearing.

Two figures emerged from the mist—both women, one tall, the other short. They were stunningly beautiful by human standards, but their otherworldly aura left no doubt: they were demons.

The adventurers' joy turned to dread. Despite their injuries, they scrambled to arm themselves, though their strength was nearly gone.

The demons ignored them entirely, their eyes fixed on Ivan.

"Incredible," said the taller demon, her voice calm yet admiring. "To think you detected us through this mist. How did you do it?"

"I guessed," Ivan replied with a smirk. "The dragon's sudden appearance here was too suspicious. I figured someone had orchestrated it, so I gambled. Looks like I was right."

"..."

An awkward silence followed. Both the demons and the adventurers seemed momentarily stunned by his audacious reasoning.

"Luck is a form of strength, human," the taller demon finally said. "You're impressive—proficient in flight and spatial magic. Tell us your name. We'll ensure it's remembered when we present your head to our lord."

"When asking for someone's name, shouldn't you introduce yourselves first?" Ivan quipped, stalling for time.

Both demons radiated mana on par with second-class human mages. Injured as he was, Ivan knew he'd struggle to take on both of them at once. As he delayed, he discreetly began healing himself with necromantic magic.

The dark mana worked silently, knitting his torn muscles and mending his broken bones. There was no divine glow to give it away, but the pain was excruciating—like a thousand insects gnawing at his flesh.

"Dead men don't need to know our names," the shorter demon said coldly, raising her massive double-bladed axe. "You've ruined our master's plans. We'll kill all of you here and now."

Ivan grinned. "A mission? Let me guess… You demons encountered this Dark Dragon long ago and took one of its horns. This time, you used that horn to lure the dragon here, intending to destroy the Village of the Sword. Since your kind can't enter the village due to its barrier, you came up with this elaborate plan, didn't you?"

The taller demon sneered, raising her staff. "Impressive. Your deduction is almost correct. Clever human. Too clever. And for that, you must die."

"A clever human, huh?"

The shorter demon's eyes gleamed with excitement as she licked her lips. "I love eating clever humans the most."

The tension was palpable. Chaos was moments away, yet Ivan remained unnervingly calm.

Leaning against the dragon's massive corpse like a throne, he surveyed the scene with an air of confidence.

"Why," he asked, his voice low and chilling, "are you so confident that you can kill me?"