◆ Avangarde Royal Capital – Arena ◆
“That’s one massive creature, isn’t it!?”
“It seems to be a dragon…”
“You! Erase that thing with Catastrophe! If you can’t, I’ll do it myself!”
The Dragon God cast a large black shadow over the entire arena, circling around as if mocking Vandalsia and the others. What have we gotten ourselves into by asking for help from such a being? The wind generated by its flapping wings felt powerful enough to blow the Royal Capital away. Yet, despite the overwhelming presence, Glare was determined to take it down, while Alcist remained fixated solely on Kurinka.
“Lord Vandalsia, perhaps we should—”
“Where do you suggest we retreat to? And what nonsense are you spouting to me, Belmund?”
“…I apologize. If I may be so bold, I have a proposal. We should confront this with End. That dragon… while it hasn’t been confirmed as our enemy, it is likely the Dragon God we’ve heard of since ancient times…”
“The Dragon God… Why would such a being be here? Ah, the answer lies right before us.”
Vandalsia had seen through our request for assistance from the Dragon God. Rising from his throne, he clenched his fists. This meant that despite the approaching forces from the Nation of Kashiram, including Beastkin and giants, he had no intention of fleeing, even with the Dragon God present.
“Truly, you continue to exceed my expectations. To think you could command such a creature.”
“Ah…”
Just then, that very creature suddenly brought down a massive foot. It landed right in the center of the arena, where the battle had just taken place. It seemed to have held back somewhat, but the impact sent the audience of monsters flying amidst the debris, resulting in a catastrophic scene. To me, it felt like an endless pit, but for the Dragon God, it was merely a suitable landing spot. At this point, it didn’t matter if Vandalsia killed me; the monsters that had been spectators began to flee in every direction.
Vandalsia, however, paid no mind to the escaping monsters and instinctively braced himself against the enormous dragon head that loomed before him. The fact that Vandalsia was on high alert against such an opponent spoke volumes; this was the Dragon God, the oldest Calamity that no one in the world could stop, not even the Hero lineage. Humans could only tremble and wait for the storm to pass, hoping for the Dragon God’s departure. Even in the Dragonkin Village, we had been told the same, and compared to that, Vandalsia was merely a fleeting disaster in the eyes of the Dragon God.
“How small you all are, summoned here only to be met with such a puny gathering.”
The Dragon God’s words dripped with an intimidating presence, narrowing its eyes as if drowsy. Glare, who had been so lively moments ago, was now barely able to stand, breathing heavily. Only Alcist maintained a smile directed at Kurinka, seemingly oblivious to the Dragon God’s presence, as he engaged her in conversation.
“Hey, hey, hey! Look at me! I’m stealing the spotlight from the great Brandark!”
With a flourish, Brandark spun around three times before pointing dramatically at the Dragon God. Wait, is he actually planning to fight? He really should reconsider. But without a care, Brandark leaped into the air, performing several flips before landing atop the Dragon God’s head. Seriously, he should have thought twice about that.
“With a size like that, you could be a platform yourself!”
“Brandark! Stop this at once!”
“Shut up, Belmund! It’s… SHOWTIME!”
Twisted strands of hair enveloped Brandark, becoming part of his body. A shaggy golden mane sprouted all over him, his head morphing into that of a wolf with a gaping mouth, while his lower half transformed into the legs of a beast, bent at odd angles. Yet, his overall size had tripled. The golden wolfman roared atop the Dragon God. With a crest like a rooster’s, the golden fur fluffed up as Brandark began to twist and dance.
【The Cheerful Notorious Evil Prince Brandark has appeared! HP 200,000】
“Wow! Wow! Hey, hey, hey! We are the Evil Nobility! Bow before us! We are the strongest! You are the weakest! Hey! Hey! Hey!”
His appearance resembled that of a Beastkin, reminiscent of Pansard from the Demon Lord Army. It made sense that he was agile even before using End. Yet, despite the bizarre antics of the dancing figure above him, the Dragon God paid no attention.
“Here comes my ultimate gag! Oh, Hiro, me! Dragon God, Dragon God! You may be big, but can you leave behind a dragon’s relic! Can you!?”
【The Cheerful Notorious Evil Prince Brandark’s Great Cold Wave!】
Only Brandark was laughing obnoxiously, reveling in his own joke. Just as I thought that, a wave of cold erupted from around him. A blizzard, no, a frenzy of coldness. The Dragon God’s head, back, and tail were rapidly covered in frost, and by the time I realized it, icicles had formed everywhere.
Not only that, the icy blast reached the audience, ensnaring the fleeing monsters in ice. Those flying monsters met the same fate, frozen mid-flight and crashing down, shattering upon impact.
“W-What is this!? Is everyone alright!?”
“With Lord Daigami here, I-I think we should be fine! It’s so cold!”
It felt as if the snowy plains of the Freezing Nation had descended upon us. The entire area transformed into a world of ice. The cold was so intense that even Kurinka’s flames couldn’t fend it off, and now it was up to me to protect everyone with all my might. Just like cutting through intangible monsters, slicing through the cold itself should be easy. But that skill was an all-encompassing attack, disregarding cold resistance. It felt like the chill was seeping deep into my very core.
“Hey! Hey! How’s my hilarious gag! How’s it!?”
“I see, it’s Word Soul.”
“Lord Daigami!”
“Truly, as expected of Alcist’s son, your talent in Word Soul surpasses that of your mother.”
Floating gracefully, Lord Daigami finally made his move. He briefly glanced at the frozen Dragon God but quickly returned his gaze to the hostages. By then, everyone had vanished from the scene, clearly evacuated through Divine Concealment, but where had they been moved to?
“There are no longer any minions of the Evil Nobility within the Royal Capital; the rest should be manageable. And how long will that dragon continue to play around?”
“Is that the foul local deity of Azuma? Have you grown bored of being the guardian of a small island nation in just a few hundred years?”
As the Dragon God spoke, the ice surrounding it shattered like glass. In that moment, it became clear. The Dragon God had never been frozen at all. It merely appeared to be so, remaining still under the guise of being encased in ice. If it could move freely, then there was no ice to begin with.
“Ah, ah, it’s hot! Whoa!”
Brandark, feeling the heat, tumbled down from the Dragon God’s head to its back. Steam rose from the Dragon God’s entire body, and in no time, its surface was already dry. It wore a strangely refreshed expression, as if it had just stepped out of a hot bath. So, for the Dragon God, even the climate of a frigid region felt pleasant. At that moment, I couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that I had once defeated such a monster.
“Ahhh!”
【The Cheerful Notorious Evil Prince Brandark has been defeated! HP 0/200,000】
Brandark, having rolled down to the Dragon God’s tail, vanished without a trace, his scream barely escaping his lips, evaporating like a droplet of water on a hot iron plate.
“Do not touch the scales of the Dragon God. They say to strike while the iron is hot, but if that being’s body temperature rises to its peak, it could melt even orichalcum.”
As I looked around, I noticed familiar Dragonfolk emerging. Leading the way was Anima, followed by Kushion, Shibu, Valf, Iburi, and Hades. With Lord Daigami and the Dragon God surrounding Vandalsia, I wondered what their next move would be.
“To think even Brandark would be disregarded…!”
“It seems a true monster has arrived. So, what will you do now? You aren’t planning to tuck your tail and run, are you?”
“Those reptiles that have appeared… are they from the Lizardkin tribe?”
“The King of Destruction himself does not recognize our Dragonkin? Well, it’s understandable since we did not reveal ourselves during your rampaging days.”
The heat released by the Dragon God had completely melted away the frigid world created by Brandark. The Dragon God, Lord Daigami, and the Dragonkin were drawing near, along with the Kashiram Army. There was no escape left for Vandalsia and his followers.
In this situation, one might feel a twinge of sympathy, but I felt nothing of the sort. This was the result of their rampant violence and oppression from ages past. They would reap what they had sown. No amount of tears or apologies would earn them forgiveness now. There was no escape. The Evil Nobility would perish here; I was certain of it.
“O Local Deity of Azuma, have you grown so weak that you cannot dispose of such insignificant pests? You should just return to your country and pretend to be a god of the island,” Lord Daigami taunted.
“…Can’t you see that?”
“I know. It’s about to go on a rampage. Perfect! I’ve always wanted to fight that thing.”
That thing they referred to—the angel, perhaps? I looked up, and as always, it was baring its teeth with a fearsome expression, staring directly at us.
“Hey, what is that angel?”
“It’s not something humans should know, but that is…”
“It seems the Royal Capital is surrounded by human forces. And the Beastkin… Is that the Giant Race? How amusing that humans and the surviving Beastkin are joining forces.”
Lord Daigami interrupted, describing the scene he saw with his Clairvoyance. The Kashiram Army had surrounded the Royal Capital, and I jumped to a high point in the arena to confirm it with my own eyes. They were tiny, but they were definitely there. A massive horde riding on Pasive, with the most prominent being the Giants.
“Rua! We, the Giant Race, are here! We will not forget the favor we received! Now, we shall fulfill our vow! The enemy is right there!”
“Wow! That voice is incredible! I can hear it all the way over here!”
If it was this clear from here, being close would surely be overwhelming. In any case, there were only enemies left for Vandalsia here.
“This is absurd! Why are even the Giants here…? I should have wiped out the Beastkin along with them! What on earth is happening?!”
“Well, it’s thanks to this Elmera girl. The Giants may not know, though.”
Elmera had come to join the fray, as I expected she would not remain in bed forever. The ones most eager to take down Vandalsia were the Demon Lord and Elmera. Elmera no longer feared Vandalsia; she wore that familiar mocking smile, laughing through her nose.
“You say you wiped them out, but you had your subordinates do most of the work, didn’t you? It’s only natural that some would slip through the cracks. The surviving Beastkin never once let go of their hatred for you. They were hiding underground to take revenge on you. It seems they’ve revived and are in high spirits, but isn’t it ironic that they’re now receiving their due… Vandalsia?”
“You little elf! I should have eradicated you back then! Rua! You have the Ribbon, don’t you?!”
“Huh? No…”
“That is the key to fulfilling my ambitions! Elf girl! You’d better make good use of it!”
Why was he bringing Elmera into this? No, more importantly, those words had completely marked the beginning of the battle. Elmera and the Demon Lord began their assault on Vandalsia, while the Dragon God slammed its tail down onto the arena. The terrifying blow shook the entire Royal Capital, causing half of the arena to collapse in a single strike. The fissures in the ground reflected the Dragon God’s power and ferocity. This was bad; why did I summon something like this?
“D-Dragon God! Please don’t rampage too much! We can’t have humans caught in the crossfire!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle that damn dragon.”
That was Glare, stepping up to confront the Dragon God. She moved her mouth as if to say something, then looked up at the Dragon God and spat. I wondered if it would reach, and to my surprise, it did—splatting against the Dragon God’s jaw. But it evaporated instantly due to the Dragon God’s body heat, leaving her to be glared down upon.
“Well then, shall we commence the battle? Haaaaaaah!”
“Hehe, Glare is serious now. I suppose I’ll join in as well.”
First, Glare’s body began to swell, doubling, tripling, quadrupling in size. Her clothes ripped apart, and her skin began to peel off, transforming into scales. Her mouth jutted out like a crocodile’s, fangs emerging as her true form became apparent. Just how big would she get? The ground was starting to feel unstable.
“Ahhh! It’s collapsing!”
“Kurinka!”
In an instant, Glare had grown so large that the space we were standing in became far too cramped. We weren’t the only ones flung away by Glare’s scaled foot; Elmera, the Demon Lord, and Lord Daigami all escaped in their own ways. Only Vandalsia floated away effortlessly, as if he had anticipated this transformation of Glare into her End form.
“Wow! But this must be inconvenient for daily life! Elmera, you’re smart, so you must know this!”
“This is an unusual form. Is it a beast or a dragon? Either way, it’s definitely a monster. I, who call myself a Demon Lord, can’t really criticize.”
“People call it… the Dragon Beast.”
Vandalsia added that remark, and indeed, Glare had horns sprouting from her head and reddish-brown fur covering her ears. Her face was that of a dragon, while her arms and legs were draconic. The body was beastly. I couldn’t quite comprehend it, but her size was immense. She towered over Zeech of the Demon Lord Army, nearly crushing half of the arena beneath her as she looked down at the Dragon God.
【The Malevolent Giant Queen Glare of the Evil Path has appeared! HP 393000】
“Even I, the King of Destruction, have parts where I can’t stand up to my wife. That’s why I fell in love with her.”
“Small ones have reproductive power! Big ones have physical strength! Both the damn dragon and I understand this, which is why we evolved this way! Strong ones know it well!”
Glare seized the Dragon God’s head, applying pressure as if to crush it. If she rampaged like this, the Royal Capital wouldn’t survive.
“Dragon God!”
“Hmph, it seems I might actually enjoy this. Little girl, don’t interfere. This one is mine to deal with.”
“That’s fine, but let’s change locations!”
“Ugh!”
With a forceful thrust of the head she held, Glare charged forward, taking us far away. Of course, she scattered strong winds and debris in her wake. At this point, the arena was unrecognizable. The area was a mountain of rubble. Thanks to Lord Daigami, the damage to the Royal Capital was being mitigated.
“I really overdid it by summoning the Dragon God… The Royal Capital was about to be wrecked…”
“That’s what I’m here for. More importantly, is that man alright?”
“Ah! Hey!”
“My Fiancée, are you reluctant to answer? If so, I’ll just have to draw it out of you. First, what do you think married life is? Even if we say it’s two people in love living happily, they are still strangers. There’s no way to bridge the gap in differing values. So what must be done? It’s necessary to understand those differences. How to reconcile the parts you dislike is essential for married life. Do you understand?”
It seemed she had been waiting for Kurinka to respond in silence all this time. In the midst of this catastrophe, she finally lost her patience and grabbed Kurinka’s arm. The Evil Noble Alcist, my first opponent, was this guy. I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Let go! …Huh? What?”
I tried to pull away, but I couldn’t grasp it. What was this? It didn’t seem like a ghost, and I had never experienced anything like it. I couldn’t pry Alcist away from the reluctant Kurinka, who was being forcefully pulled closer to him.
“Stay away from her!”
“This is the perfect distance for a conversation, isn’t it?”
“W-Well then! Kurinka! Transform into a Dragon!”
Transforming into a dragon meant her size would change as well. Alcist seemed caught off guard, finally releasing his grip on Kurinka’s now thicker arm. Or so I thought.
“My Fiancée, if you marry me, you’ll have to stop transforming. Why? It’s a very simple reason. It’s not fitting for a girl, no, it’s not fitting for my fiancée. A girl should first…”
“I don’t want to anymore!”
Immediately, Kurinka clung to Glare’s tail and began to climb up. What incredible physical ability! This was too troublesome. I couldn’t touch her; even with the Power of Destruction, this might be a problem. After all, the Power of Destruction couldn’t reach her, and I needed to unravel the mystery of Alcist’s power.
“Ah, Rua-chan. That guy has Divine Nature, you know?”
“Huh?! What? What kind of Divine Nature?”
“‘Self-Righteousness’! Elmera, do your best too!”
“Huh?”
“Alright, Kurinka-chan too! Now, I have to kill this King of Destruction, who has a shameful title. See you!”
Elmera and the Demon Lord, Vandalsia, jumped away almost simultaneously. After confirming that the battle was continuing, I began to ponder the nature of self-righteousness. Kurinka had seen through the true nature of power even before me or Elmera. If that was the case, she could have told me sooner.
“Self-righteousness… in other words, it’s just selfishness. Being self-absorbed, believing only in what one thinks is right. Not wanting to see or hear. That’s why only I can be seen by Alcist. Vandalsia and the others are family who acknowledge him, so they’re convenient to him… that’s why he interacts with them normally.”
“So, does that mean I’m an inconvenient presence because I can’t be touched?”
“That’s about right… or rather, for now, I might just be an irrelevant presence. Neither Rash nor Rutna could be touched either.”
“My Fiancée, what are you mumbling about? I don’t like it when you talk to yourself; it gives a gloomy impression, and I can’t stand the thought of you being seen that way. Besides, you’re not alone. If you have something to say, just tell me.”
Even though she was still saying whatever she wanted, it became simple once I understood the seed of the issue.
“Alcist, Kurinka has me as her marriage partner.”
“My Fiancée, first, I want you to return from being a Dragon.”
“You’re not seeing or hearing me. No, that’s not it…”
It couldn’t be that simple. With the divine nature of self-righteousness, I understood that this was just who he was. But no, it wasn’t that he couldn’t see me.
“You’re just not trying to see, are you?”
“Ugh! Iiiigyaaaaaaaah!”
The Power of Destruction reaches him. Both of them possess divine nature, so we should get along here. Moreover, I unleashed a serious killing intent for the first time. If Alcist truly couldn’t see me, then I just needed to assert my existence in a different way. I needed to make him feel a genuine sense of danger.
Not seeing, not trying to see. Both could be correct. The inconvenient or unnecessary things cannot touch Alcist, so perhaps there’s nothing dangerous for him. But conversely…
“It means you’re incredibly weak against inconvenient things.”
“Ahhh! It hurts, it hurts! What the hell are you?! When did you get there?!”
I grabbed his wrist and twisted it, forcing a scream from him. Just as Alcist wished, Kurinka returned to her human form, and we both landed on the ground. Alcist was the only one concerned about the pain in his wrist, yet he stood in mid-air. Was this also a power of divine nature? For Alcist, perhaps all laws were irrelevant. Self-righteousness, everything is as he wishes. What an incredible divine nature.
“What’s going on?!”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve been right next to Kurinka this whole time. Did you notice?”
“You just said Kurinka! When did you—?!”
Where did that light tone go? Now he was screaming as if his jaw might unhinge. To defeat Alcist, I just needed to become an existence he couldn’t ignore. That meant I had to be an inconvenient presence. As long as I was here, Kurinka couldn’t be with him. No matter how much Alcist tried to capture Kurinka, if we escaped together, he would eventually notice me, the inconvenient presence. Well, for now, I was just testing the waters with my serious killing intent, infused with the thought that Kurinka had me by her side.
Furthermore, I could thoroughly destroy Alcist’s palace to draw his attention. I just needed to become an “utterly annoying” presence. As long as I remained an irrelevant existence to Alcist, I couldn’t make contact at all. Perhaps this was the true nature of his power.
“Oh, looks like you’re doing well over there!”
In the distance, I could see Elmera fighting normally. No, she might be using some imagination magic that makes hearts explode. But as long as “Vanishing” exists, I doubt it would reach her easily, just like it hadn’t reached me during my moment of destruction.
“I am whispered to as the King of Destruction, but long ago, I was different. Yes, I was once called by that name…”
Vandalsia paused, taking a deep breath. In response, the Demon Lord and Elmera also created some distance. I might never witness the sight of those two fighting together again.
“I know. Shall I say it from my mouth? That name most deserving of the most contemptuous title, rather than the King of Destruction… the Tyrannical, Invulnerable King!”
“Then let me show you my name through my body!”
In response to the Demon Lord’s provocation, Vandalsia’s form began to change. Wait a moment, that monstrous appearance was not the End?
“Ahaha, I’ll definitely take you down.”
“Stay back, little girl. You seem to use strange magic, but can’t you see that none of it works?”
“I decided that I would defeat you! I’m tired of being made to drink the bitter cup by a divine nature bastard!”
That was me. I was grinning, but I was still frustrated.
“Alright then… Elmera-chan will seriously imagine it! I want to see that guy suffer miserably and die in the most pathetic way!”
This was the crucial moment; this battle was reaching its climax. I won’t lose. Huh? By the way, where’s Belmund?
【The Tyrannical, Invulnerable King Vandalsia has appeared! HP 462000】
“Today, human history ends here.”
◆ Shin Report ◆
The great monster battle has begun.
Just the aftershocks of their fight (it’s already dangerous!)
What were you planning to do if the fox wasn’t here?
Those two brought the Dragon.
In other words, the front line is those two.
I’ll thoroughly explain it later.
By the way, as a tuition fee, I’d like some Momomaru Maron too.
Ah, wait, the king over there is in such a state.
Whether he can even recover is already questionable.
Ugh, ughhh…
Uwaaaaaaah!
I can’t say anything anymore.
Tears won’t stop.
The culture and resources built by humans are being destroyed.
For the first time, I thought I couldn’t forgive Vandalsia.