Episode 151
“I’ll depart immediately.”
Yuri’s usual gentle demeanor towards the Emperor vanished, replaced by a ferocious aura, a palpable wave of power that made the Emperor flinch. He barely managed to stammer a reply.
“Sh-Should I… lend you the Imperial Knights…?”
But Yuri was already gone.
“…That was an incredible aura… enough to consume the world…”
The Emperor wasn’t surprised by Dustin’s stories about the Great Sage’s power. He had believed them. But witnessing it firsthand… the raw, uncontrolled power… it was terrifying. She hadn’t even done anything, hadn’t consciously used her power. If that was her unintentional aura… what would happen if she unleashed her full strength?
‘This isn’t about the war anymore.’
If she weren’t so benevolent, the world would already be hers.
Yuri rode towards Aroa, the Emperor’s elite knights trailing behind her, but she barely noticed them.
‘Aroa, please be safe…!’
She usually hesitated, complaining about her lack of a status window and her weakness, but now… she had no time for such thoughts. Aroa’s safety was her only concern.
“Damn it… I should have asked Ray for a teleportation stone…”
She had been complacent, thinking everything was under control. If Ray was here, this distance would be nothing. If only she had another teleportation stone… Giving the only one to Dustin had been a mistake. She hadn’t anticipated needing one herself.
“Gr-Great Sage-nim! Look out!”
Lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed the Adventurer’s Guild soldiers lying in wait. They lunged at her, but before they could even touch her, they were flung back, collapsing on the ground, convulsing.
“Wh-What… just happened…?”
They had been charging towards her, and now… they were on the ground, writhing in pain. Something was terribly wrong.
“…W-We’ll take them with us…!”
“R-Restrain them…!”
Some soldiers stayed behind to tie up the unconscious men, while Yuri continued her frantic ride towards Aroa.
The western wall had fallen, but they were holding their ground, thanks to…
“Dragon Lord… you’re still alive.”
…the Dragon Lord, in his true form.
“And so are you. I can’t imagine the havoc you’ve wreaked.”
The Dragon Lord’s words were filled with disdain, but the guild leadership simply looked at him with bored indifference. Their lack of fear infuriated him.
“You might have defeated my kin, but you couldn’t defeat me.”
A mere human… To the Dragon Lord, humans were insignificant, like insects. And for them to show no fear, no respect… it was an insult.
“Is that incessant chattering a dragon trait?”
“You’re just a lizard. How amusing.”
Their words were… strange. He was radiating his full power, his draconic aura, and yet… they were unfazed. Calm. Almost… relaxed. It wasn’t an act.
“There’s something… different about you.”
They hadn’t been this strong a thousand years ago. Back then, they had trembled before him, even though they were more numerous.
“Don’t tell me… you consumed demon blood?”
Consuming demon blood granted demonic energy, but it was a painful, dangerous process. Many ancient demon worshippers had attempted it, seeking power. Humans couldn’t acquire demonic energy any other way. It was a source of both fear and envy, a power that strengthened the body regardless of talent, unlike mana.
‘Their demonic energy is strong… but not… the Demon King’s…’
They had consumed the blood of a powerful demon, but not the Demon King.
“Yes. We gained immense power by consuming His blood.”
“The Demon King’s?”
The demonic energy they radiated wasn’t the Demon King’s.
“You’ve been tricked, and you don’t even realize it.”
They were clearly being manipulated. It was obvious to the Dragon Lord, but these humans… they probably mistook any strong demonic energy for the Demon King’s.
‘But they’re dangerous.’
He sensed something ancient, powerful. A chilling accumulation of demonic energy. They had been consuming demon blood for a long time.
‘And there are many of them.’
This could get out of hand before Yuri arrived.
‘If their goal is to resurrect the Demon King, they won’t focus on me.’
They would prioritize causing chaos and killing humans.
‘Yuri’s favorite disciple is strong, but…’
She wouldn’t be able to handle them alone.
‘I’ll protect her.’
He wouldn’t let Yuri hate him. He would protect the humans, if possible, but if he couldn’t… he would prioritize Yuri’s loved ones.
“You seem hesitant, Dragon Lord.”
One of the leaders noticed his hesitation.
“So what?”
He didn’t have time for this. He unleashed his breath attack.
“Kyaaa!”
One of the leaders disintegrated, and the others, though they dodged, were burned.
“Scatter and attack…!”
They dispersed, sensing the danger.
‘I have to stop them from scattering.’
If they did, it would be chaos.
He snapped his fingers, warping space, and they found themselves… back where they started.
“Let’s begin.”
The Dragon Lord was a master of mana, wielding magic that would take human mages minutes to cast with a flick of his wrist.
“Ugh…!”
“Aaaaaah…!”
Meteors rained down, ice spikes erupted from the ground. The leadership, caught off guard, was being decimated. But then…
“You persistent lizard.”
A figure emerged from a tear in space. He wore a priest’s robe, his face hidden by a hood, but his aura… it was chilling. The Dragon Lord’s movements faltered, his body trembling uncontrollably. He felt… alien, like his body wasn’t his own.
“Wh-What…?”
He felt a primal fear, a fear he hadn’t felt in millennia. Like facing the Demon King himself.
“Has he… returned…?”
He looked around, and the leadership was gone.
“How dare you speak His name. You haven’t learned your lesson, lizard. You caused us… so much trouble… before…”
The figure removed his hood, revealing a man with a scar across his eye. He smiled, a gentle, unsettling smile.
“…You…”
It was him. The one who had given them so much trouble millennia ago, during the war between humans and dragons.
“You died by my hand.”
“I did. It was a close call.”
“How… are you alive…?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
He drew his sword, the polished blade glinting ominously.