"Can we borrow the schoolyard for a bit from now on?"

  In the evening of the day we got the magic stone.

  I've come to the principal office in order to borrow the place we're going to use for training.

  "Schoolyard? What are you using it for?"

  "Independent combat training of our party. We will have to break the schoolyard temporarily, but it'll be back to normal by morning."

  "I don't mind. The school encourages promising students bettering themselves, and I owe you a mountain of debt."

  The principal clapped his own head while saying that.

  …The cultivation project of the principal's scalp looks to be progressing well.

  ◇


  About ten minutes later.

  All four members of our party have gathered in the courtyard.

  "Did you get the permission?"

  "Easily. Look."

  I showed them the permit I got from the principal.

  "T-there's even a permission to break the schoolyard… Is it going to be that hard?"

  Besides the permission to use the schoolyard, the permit also allows us to break the schoolyard as long as it's fixed before 7 AM in the next day.

  "Yeah. It's an indispensable permission for training with limited time… Now then, first of all I'll be setting the schoolyard."

  "Setting? We can't use it as is?"

  Alma looks at the schoolyard.

  The schoolyard isn't that neatly maintained, but there is no obvious unevenness or obstacles, it looks fairly usable.

  But of course, that's no good.

  "The purpose of the training this time is different. …That said, doing it manually will take too much time, I'll use magic. You three, back away a bit."

  "U-un!"

  "Got it!"

  After making sure the three has backed away, I prepare the magic.

  "…Umm, aren't you using too much mana?"

  Ruli asked me when she saw the activated magic.

  It seems Ruli is able to see mana well now.

  "Yeah. It's a relatively mana-consuming magic. You use it like this."

  After saying that, I ran to the center of the schoolyard——while rapidly shooting huge fireballs at the yard.

  The fireballs immediately exploded when they hit the yard, gouging the ground, creating craters.

  I repeated that for a bit more——and then the area around the middle of the schoolyard became a wasteland with nearly no even surfaces.

  "T-the schoolyard!"

  "An extremely effective way to make use of the permission to break the schoolyard…"

  Several spots on the destroyed schoolyard have turned into glass and are breaking apart, it's become exceedingly difficult to walk on.

  Also, since there were still burning fire on some spots, I sprinkled water to put them out.

  Due to that, the area around them are filled in water.

  …Yup. It's the optimum environment for training.

  "Alright, looks good. Let's start our combat training."

  I beckon the three who were waiting.

  "D-don't tell me. …We're going to train here!?"

  "I thought for sure that you asked the permission so Iris could fight without worries…"

  The point of this training would be lost if I did that.

  Iris got into danger that time because of imperfect footing.

  The footing on the school's training site is properly maintained, however, having easy-to-walk footing in an actual combat is rare.

  Having it this bad is also rare, but if they get accustomed fighting here, they will be fine in most sites.

  "Iris, use this sword."

  I hand over a reasonably sturdy sword to Iris.

  The blade isn't nicked off because I'm the one who's going to be her opponent, but it's a high performance sword that is okay to break.

  It's also been augmented to increase its strength to the extreme.

  …Ruli has become quite capable at augmenting.

  We've got ourselves some dragon materials after all, I should ask her to make a reasonably good sword next time.

  "I understand!"

  After watching Iris receiving the sword, I turn toward Ruli and Alma.

  "Ruli and Alma, you're going to practice shooting with this augment magic. The target is——"

  Target marks used in the current world is too big, they're not good for practices.

  To begin with, practices with non-moving targets will not amount to much in the actual battles.

  That said, preparing a target that properly moves around will take time——oh right. There's a good target here.

  "For the time being, you should aim to shoot this."

  I put a shell from a hermit crab monster on top of my head.

  Cause they probably will hesitate if I tell them to aim for my body.

  I can fight with a shell on my head just fine if it's against the current Iris, so this should be fine.

  "On top of Mathi-kun's head!?"

  "It's too dangerous, we can't do that!"

  But you know, I can't think of any other method that's as effective.

  "Alma, try shooting an arrow over there."

  I pointed at an area with nothing in it in the schoolyard.

  "Eh, there?　…Like this?"

  The arrow was shot with a swoosh sound.

  And I——

  "Whoops."

  Approached it by running, shifted its trajectory with magic toward me and caught it in my hand.

  If it's just light arrows, I can just divert them away.

  Of course I have no problem coping with arrows flying toward me either.

  "True, doesn't look like we need to worry…"

  "But it's getting dark now… Won't an arrow enter your blind spot by chance?"

  "No worries. Human's skin is an exceedingly high performance sensing organ. Even if I completely lose my sight, I can deal with arrows that aren't concealed fine."

  "I-is that true! I thought things like having small legs was inconvenient, but humans are amazing!"

  "No, I think people who can do that are already getting out of the realm of human…"

  Iris was amazed, Alma sounded like she couldn't believe it.

  True, dragon's skin has dull sense in exchange for its sturdiness.

  The combat training began while we were having that conversation.