On Saturday, the Saint Hiss Academy Family Sports Day was held as scheduled.

As a new attempt, the academy placed great importance on this sports event, outfitting it with luxurious facilities and venues so vast they could host multiple "human-dragon wars."

Following the guidance of the on-site staff, Leon and his family of four walked into the event hall.

Leon held Muen in his arms, and the moment they stepped into the massive space, his eyes were immediately drawn to the dazzling array of first-class merits displayed before him.

If he took them down one by one, it’d probably be enough to buy a lot of great stuff for that donkey, right?

Today, the great Dragon Slayer is going to take down all you dragons! —

Of course, only on the sports field.

"Your seats are this way," said the staff member.

The family of four continued walking toward their assigned seats.

In the spectators' area for the Young Dragon Division, each pair of families was assigned a professional young dragon caretaker to ensure that the little ones would be looked after while their parents or family members participated in the events.

This arrangement was certainly thoughtful.

Once the family settled in, Muen pointed at the track below. Her soft, chubby face was filled with astonishment. "Such a big arena!"

About twenty minutes later, the spectator stands were packed.

Vice Principal Wilson adjusted the microphone at the podium, cleared his throat twice, and then proclaimed, "The first Saint Hiss Academy Family Sports Day officially begins now!"

With the vice principal’s announcement, the stands erupted into thunderous applause.

It’s worth noting that school sports events across the globe generally follow nearly identical procedures.

After the opening speech came the opening ceremony, during which each class's formation paraded past the podium.

Once all the classes had completed their displays, Vice Principal Wilson gave a brief address, essentially emphasizing the principles of "friendship first, competition second," and encouraging everyone to give their best.

And with that, the sports day officially commenced.

The first event was none other than the family relay race—a bold start, fitting for a battle-hardened people.

Each family was required to send three members, including the enrolled student, to participate.

For families of chrysalis-born dragons, which typically only had one parent, the academy allowed them to invite a direct relative of the same species to form a complete team.

This rule not only increased participation but also enhanced the event's entertainment value while ensuring inclusion for the minority of egg-born dragon families, enabling all their members to compete.

"A relay race, huh? We’ve practiced this over the past couple of days," Leon said.

"Yes, but don’t get complacent. I just saw some Electric Dragon Clan families among the participants," Roswitha reminded him.

The Electric Dragon Clan, like Roswitha’s Silver Dragon Clan, were known for their exceptional speed. This was definitely no time to let their guard down.

Leon nodded, placing Muen onto her seat. "Alright, let’s get going then."

The caretaker assigned to them immediately came over and took a seat beside Muen.

Muen, being naturally sociable, wasn’t shy about engaging with strangers.

She sat obediently in her seat and waved her little hand at her parents and sister, "Do your best~!"

"Got it!"

The three of them walked down to the edge of the track near the competition entrance to do some warm-up exercises.

After collecting their bib numbers, they began assigning the order of their relay.

"The total distance is 3,000 meters, 1,000 meters per person. The family with the fastest time will win," Noa explained.

"Even the young dragons have to run 1,000 meters?" Leon asked.

Noa nodded.

If this were a human sports event, making kids under the age of ten run such a long distance would undoubtedly be considered child abuse.

Yet, since this was a Dragon Clan event, it all somehow made sense.

After all, these battle-born people could casually include lessons like "How to Slay an S-Class Dangerous Beast" in children's storybooks like Young Dragon Educational Tales. There’s no judging them by normal standards.

"Alright then, Mom goes first, I’ll go second, and Dad—you go third, okay?"

Noa instinctively almost said "Dad" out loud, but it seemed like she was still holding back or… felt a little shy?

In the end, the word didn’t quite escape her lips.

But that was fine—Leon was already deeply pleased to hear even the faintest syllable begin to form.

At least it was an improvement over last time, when she only managed to mouth the letter "D."

Both parents readily agreed to Noa’s arrangement.

"Once you’ve finalized the relay order, each family, please head to your assigned starting positions. The relay race is about to begin," the referee on the sidelines announced.

The starting point for the first leg lined up with where Leon, Roswitha, and Noa were, so Roswitha didn’t need to move.

"Alright, Mom, we’re heading to our positions now," Noa said.

"Got it. Don’t worry; I’ll definitely be the first to pass the baton to you," Roswitha replied with a smile, twirling the baton in her hand.

A faint smile also appeared on Noa’s usually impassive face. "Okay."

After reassuring her eldest daughter, Roswitha looked up at Leon.

The couple exchanged a glance, saying nothing more but offering each other a subtle nod.

Leon looked away and accompanied Noa to her position for the second leg.

Throughout the short journey, neither father nor daughter said much.

Considering how seriously Noa was taking this event, Leon refrained from his usual banter designed to lighten the mood.

For most kids, that might have helped, but Noa was different. Once she got serious, any joking around might actually throw her off her game.

Finally, when they reached her starting point, Leon turned to her and said, "I’ll be waiting for you at the third leg, Noa."

"Okay."

After a brief pause, Leon lowered his gaze to his right hand. He clenched it lightly into a fist and then extended it toward Noa.

"How about a little encouragement for your old man?"

Noa instantly understood. She raised her small fist to gently bump against his.

Just like the day of her entrance exams, the big and small fists both conveyed an unmistakable sense of solidarity.

After the fist bump, Leon turned and ran toward his position at the final leg.

Once all the participants were in place, a dazzling Dragon Flame exploded in the sky, signaling the official start of the race.

At the first leg starting point, a silver blur streaked across the track like lightning. Its long tail left behind a faint, shimmering trail, moving so fast it made the crowd and commentators gasp in amazement.

Leon had barely started preparing a small celebratory gesture when he noticed another female dragon catching up to Roswitha.

"Someone’s actually managing to keep up with Roswitha’s speed…" Leon murmured under his breath.

"Hmph, of course," said a voice from beside him.

Leon turned to see a lanky figure, about 1.9 meters tall. His eyes dropped to the lightning-shaped mark on the dragon’s tail.

"Electric Dragon Clan…"

Back in the war days, Leon had developed quite the impression of the Electric Dragon Clan.

Though their combat strength wasn’t particularly high, they were impossible to catch once they decided to flee.

Worse still, they had the nasty habit of launching feints against his unit—annoying him to no end with what could only be described as "toad tactics": they didn’t bite but were endlessly irritating.

"Look! Electric Dragon Clan’s Misty has overtaken Silver Dragon Clan’s Roswitha! She’s ahead by an entire dragon-length!" the commentators exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Leon refocused on the track and saw that, indeed, the female Electric Dragon had taken the lead.

Roswitha was chasing hard right behind her.

The lanky dragon beside Leon let out another self-satisfied laugh. "Even if it’s just for fun, the results reflect the differences between our species, don’t they?"

Hands shoved in his pockets, Leon remained silent.

"Tch, my wife’s already ahead of yours by nearly two dragon-lengths. Do we even need to keep watching?" The electric dragon’s tone was taunting and relentless.

Leon gave him a sidelong glance and replied coolly, "Yeah, your wife’s amazing."

The electric dragon was momentarily puzzled.

Wasn’t that… a compliment? Why did it sound sarcastic?

Before he could come up with a retort, Leon added, "But my wife’s better."

On the track, Roswitha was only 100 meters away from the handoff point.

Misty, the female Electric Dragon in the lead, seemed poised to deliver her family the victory.

However—

Just as she prepared to bask in her imminent triumph, a silver blur appeared in the edge of her vision.

The Silver Dragon had caught up again!

Roswitha’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Leading has a cost—lots of wind resistance, huh?"

"What… what did you say?"

It turned out Roswitha had been running right behind Misty all this time to use her as a windbreak.

Both Silver and Electric dragons excel at short-distance bursts. When it comes to deciding who’s faster, it all boils down to the final sprint.

But Misty, having constantly faced the brunt of the wind resistance, was already running out of stamina.

In a final burst of speed, Roswitha shot past the stunned Misty and reached Noa first.

Baton pass!

Noa was the first among the second-leg runners to take off, with Misty’s son tight on her heels.

Misty, hands on her knees, was left panting heavily after her handoff.

Roswitha, on the other hand, looked serene—cool, calm, and collected.

That’s it? Ha! I haven’t even broken a sweat.

She glanced toward Leon at the third leg. The man, spotting her from afar, gave her a big thumbs-up.

Roswitha chuckled softly and waved back in response.

Then her gaze shifted to her eldest daughter.

Though Noa’s short stature put her at a disadvantage, her spirit made up for it, as she refused to let Misty’s son overtake her.

The two young dragons ran neck and neck, neither one willing to yield.

Judging by the way things were shaping up, they might just arrive at the third-leg handoff point simultaneously.

It’s just that… Noa ultimately lost because of her size. After all, she was still too young.

That little electric dragon, relying on its age and long legs, slowly but surely overtook Noa.

In the end, Noa reached the relay point second.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“Watch your dad.”

Leon wasn’t going to let his obedient daughter feel guilty. He took the baton and dashed off after that scrawny electric dragon.

Noa clenched her sleeve, biting her lower lip as Leon’s figure was reflected in her pupils. She whispered softly,

“Do your best… Dad.”

A staff member led Noa through a shortcut to the finish line.

Roswitha was already waiting there.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I wasted the advantage you created.”

Roswitha rubbed Noa’s little head. “Noa, you did great. All your opponents are older than you. Let’s cheer for Dad together now, alright?”

“Alright.” Noa nodded obediently.

“Go, Dad! You’re the best, Dad!” Muen cheered excitedly in the audience seats.

The little dragon girl was indeed born to be a cheerleader.

At this moment, on the track, Leon was closely tailing the scrawny electric dragon.

“Heh, what’s the point of struggling? I’m already ahead of you without even trying, and yet you look like you’re giving it your all,” came the teasing voice from ahead.

Leon ignored him, silently adjusting his pace and breathing.

“Five seconds. I’ll be a whole five seconds ahead of you. Remember that.”

With that, the scrawny electric dragon accelerated again, pulling three body lengths ahead of Leon.

Leon gritted his teeth, drawing out every ounce of strength from his body.

If he wanted to secure the overall first place for the sports day, he had to excel in every single event. It was the most foolproof way.

And besides, don’t underestimate my obsession with vacations, you idiot!

A whole seven days at stake!

Leon suddenly sped up, closing the gap, inch by inch.

The two were now neck and neck, racing together toward the finish line.

“Tch, you actually caught up. Well then, I’ll push my speed further. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

Man and dragon chased each other relentlessly, neither giving an inch.

The audience was electrified by the intense showdown.

No one had expected the sports day to start with such an exciting race. The duel had captivated everyone’s attention.

But the most astonishing part was that no dragon present imagined the one keeping pace with the speed-specialized Dragon Clan was… a human!

However, Leon was already pushing his speed to the extreme. If the opponent kept accelerating, it could indeed be troublesome—

“Do your best! … Dad!”

Leon’s sharp ears caught the sound.

That voice—it wasn’t from Muen!

He looked up toward the finish line. There was Noa, hopping up and down, waving at him and shouting,

“Dad! Go, Dad!”

She called me Dad.

She called me Dad!

I’ve been longing for that word—dad—for so, so long…

At that moment, no so-called speed-maxed electric dragon, no insurmountable physical limits—it all shattered before the small figure of Noa in Leon’s eyes.

He couldn’t lose.

He absolutely couldn’t lose.

Leon roared, like he had returned to the battlefield years ago. What once pushed him to crawl out from piles of corpses again and again was the thought of going home;

And now, that willpower came from his daughter.

In a miraculous burst of speed, he overtook the electric dragon beside him.

The electric dragon, sensing the danger, had a bad feeling and malicious thoughts crept into his heart. He started edging closer to Leon’s side.

Zzt zzt—

Faint electric sparks flickered on the dragon’s shoulder, inching toward Leon.

Leon, being learned in lightning magic, had razor-sharp instincts for anything related to electricity or thunder. After all, it was his specialty.

And as for what this scrawny dragon was planning, Leon could pretty much guess.

At the finish line, Roswitha also seemed to notice something.

The scrawny electric dragon was inexplicably moving closer to Leon, likely up to some underhanded trick.

Roswitha’s brows furrowed, and her entire body tensed.

Leon cast a disdainful glance at the electric dragon beside him, sneering,

“Time to settle all old and new scores.”

Old scores: Back then, your electric Dragon Clan kept harassing my troops without ever engaging in open combat—it was infuriating beyond reason.

New scores: Now you’re trying to ambush me? How could I possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by?

You’re not getting away this time!

Seeing that Leon neither dodged nor seemed aware, the scrawny electric dragon grew bolder and edged closer.

Who would’ve thought that Leon would perfectly catch the momentary slowdown caused by the dragon’s movement? He took a giant stride forward, completely overtaking him.

The electric dragon’s sneak attack failed, causing him to lose his balance slightly.

But it didn’t end there.

Now ahead, Leon deliberately kicked up dust from his shoes.

Since the dragon had gotten too close to try and ambush Leon, the dust he kicked up ended up hitting the electric dragon squarely in the face.

Some of the particles got into the dragon’s eyes, momentarily blinding him. Losing his footing, the dragon tripped and tumbled forward, landing face-first in the dirt in a spectacular wipeout.

“What a pity! The electric Dragon Clan contestant, who had a solid shot at first place, has made a critical mistake and fallen! It seems this match is all but decided, with the contestant who refuses to show their tail claiming victory!” the commentator shouted with gusto.

Amid the cheers of his daughters, Leon crossed the finish line in first place.

Noa ran over, holding out her hand to give Leon a celebratory high-five.

But instead of slapping her hand, Leon bent down and scooped her up.

Noa was startled, but she didn’t resist.

“What did you just call me? Hm?” Leon teased with a grin.

Noa’s cheeks flushed red as she turned her face away. “D-Dad…”

“Ah, that feels amazing! Any more of that?”

“Hmph, get first place overall for the sports day, and then we’ll talk.” Noa turned her head entirely away in embarrassment.

Leon affectionately rubbed his cheek against hers. “You’re just like your mom when you act stubborn.”

Roswitha approached and asked softly, “Did you get hurt?”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “You saw it?”

“Yeah. But because of the angle, it seems the referee didn’t notice. Go report it immediately; they can’t get away with this.”

Roswitha’s expression turned stern; she was clearly very angry.

But then, out of nowhere—

“I’m filing a complaint! That man cheated—seriously cheated!”

The voice came from the Misty Family—the household of the electric dragon who had just tried to sabotage Leon.

Hearing this, the referee team gathered to listen as the electric dragon detailed his version of events.

However, after a dozen minutes of discussion, the referees unanimously decided—

Leon had not broken any rules.

“What?! My husband ended up getting injured by him—how can that not count as a violation?!”

“Please calm down, madam. Leon’s actions did not constitute a rule violation. On the contrary, it was your husband who got too close during the race, which isn’t in line with safety regulations.”

“You all—!”

“Well, thank you for your efforts, referees. Since you’re already here, why not check that electric dragon’s shoulder as well? See if the clothes there aren’t burned by electricity,” said Leon as he walked over, still carrying Noa.

Roswitha followed behind him.

“Burned? Mr. Leon, what do you mean by that?”

“Well, during the sprint, this fellow tried to zap me with electricity. When I noticed that, I got so scared I ran for my life, and might’ve accidentally kicked up some dust. But as you just said, that’s not my fault, right?” Leon explained in detail, while Roswitha covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.

The referees nodded. “Alright, check that contestant’s shoulder.”

Two referees stepped forward to examine the area.

Sure enough, there were signs of burn marks on the dragon’s clothes.

The referees then brought out a Recording Stone and replayed the footage of the sprint multiple times.

In the video, it was evident that the electric dragon had indeed attempted to use a weak electric current to attack Leon.

“Violation confirmed. According to the regulations, the Misty Family is disqualified from further events, and all their existing scores are nullified,” announced one referee. He sighed and added, “Behavior like this sets a terrible example for the children. I hope you reflect on your actions.”

It was visibly devastating for the young electric dragon, whose dejection was written all over his face. Clearly, this incident hit him hard.

The adult electric dragon, however, was not willing to give up. Just as he was about to argue further, his eyes suddenly shifted past Leon’s shoulder, landing on someone else. His arrogance quickly evaporated.

Leon noticed the change in the dragon’s demeanor and turned to look behind him.

An elderly white-haired dragon approached them.

The elder dragon was also slim, with a faint lightning insignia on his tail.

The white-haired dragon stopped in front of Roswitha and gave a slight bow. “I deeply regret the trouble my clansman has caused your family, Melkevi.”

Roswitha smiled faintly. “I hope you can discipline your clansmen better, Sol. Luckily, my husband was quick-witted and unharmed. Had he been injured, this wouldn’t be something you could simply apologize for.”

“I understand, Melkevi. When we return, I’ll ensure that the Misty Family is appropriately dealt with.”

“Very well.”

With a signal from the elder dragon, the Misty Family scurried off to follow him, leaving the arena.

Leon sidled up to Roswitha and asked, “Who’s that old-timer?”

“The leader of the electric Dragon Clan, Thor.”

“Oh, Special-Class Merit!”

Roswitha giggled and gave him a sideways glance. “All you think about is earning merits, isn’t it?”

Leon chuckled, blowing a little flattery her way. “Speaking of which, wife, you’ve got quite the influence.”

“Hmph, any decent Dragon Clan knows to show me proper respect, as long as they’re not as arrogant as those red flame Dragon Clans.”

Roswitha froze for a moment, as if realizing something off.

She quickly jabbed Leon with her elbow. “Who’s your wife? Stop calling me that so casually.”