Chapter 137: Kurikara Dragon King

Kurikara had possessed a will of its own from the very moment it was born into this world.

Entrusted with the heartfelt wish of its creator—Sanjo Kokaji Munechika—it had wandered the land of Hinomaru alongside its brother blade.

That brother, Futsunomitama, had found a supreme master in Sakamoto Ryoma. But no matter how long Kurikara searched, no matter how patiently it waited, it never once encountered a master it could call its own.

At last, it gave up on Hinomaru.

If destiny would not be found there, then it would search the continent instead.

…How much time passed after that?

Years blurred into decades. Decades slipped into centuries.

“Next item! A long sword known as a katana, brought all the way from the eastern island nation ruled by that warlike race—the samurai! Rumor has it that this blade is one of the legendary Great Masterpieces! Wield it yourself, or display it as an antique! Starting bid: five gold coins! Come now, place your bids!”

Before it knew it, Kurikara had been placed upon the auction block at a shadowy auction in some foreign kingdom.

“A Great Masterpiece? Yeah, right.”

“Even if it were real, those things are impractical. Not worth the price.”

“I wouldn’t buy it for one gold coin.”

“Why even put this junk up for sale?”

So this was how it would end—tossed once more into some dark warehouse to gather dust.

Just as resignation settled into its steel—

“—I’ll buy it.”

The murmur in the hall shifted.

“You’re kidding…”

“What kind of eccentric would waste money on that?”

“No other bidders? Going once… going twice… Sold for five gold coins! Congratulations!”

That was the moment Kurikara met its master—Ryu Arden.

“From here on out, I’m counting on you, partner.”

After centuries of lonely wandering since its birth, that single sentence brought light into Kurikara’s world for the very first time.

Because of its master’s destiny, Munechika’s long-held wish was fulfilled before Kurikara could even comprehend how swiftly events had unfolded.

All that remained for it now was to repay its master’s kindness.

But Ryu was a mage.

Opportunities for a blade to shine were few.

Then, one day—

“Hey, Kurikara. Think you could turn into a dragon with magic? You know the Eastern dragons I sometimes create with Azure Lightning? I want a black dragon version of that. I’d like you to serve as its heart… No—better yet, you become the black dragon yourself.”

Never before had Kurikara felt such exhilaration.

Once, it had transformed into the gate of the Abyssal World and caused great trouble. Yet instead of casting it aside, its master was entrusting it with a new purpose.

Leave it to me, my lord.

I shall become the Black Eastern Dragon King.

Watch me, my lord.

This is your partner—Kurikara.

◇◇◇

“Come forth, Black Dragon—no… Kurikara Dragon King.”

The instant Ryu drew the blade, it began to radiate a deep, obsidian brilliance.

“GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!!”

The Black Eastern Dragon King manifested into this world.

The entire underground chamber trembled violently—no, the shockwave rippled outward until even the capital itself quaked beneath its presence.

Without hesitation, Kurikara Dragon King surged forward and crushed the Azure Dragon in its jaws, tearing it apart as though it were nothing more than fragile glass. Then its blazing eyes locked onto the Thunder Emperor.

“Gh—!”

(What… what is that monster?!)

“Kurikara. While you’re at it, can you rain lightning down on the slums and the royal castle? Use as much of my mana as you like.”

“……” nod nod

At Ryu’s command, black lightning began to pour from the heavens onto the slums and the royal castle.

Aboveground must have descended into utter chaos.

Before the Thunder Emperor stood Kurikara Dragon King—and its master, Ryu.

The overwhelming pressure drove him to collapse onto the ground. Warmth spread beneath him; his body had betrayed him.

His will to fight had vanished. Only despair remained.

Ryu spoke calmly.

“Thunder Emperor.”

“Y-Yes…”

“This is true lightning magic. Etch it into your eyes as a souvenir for the afterlife.”

“…………”

If the Thunder Emperor’s Azure Dragon could be likened to a kitten, then Kurikara Dragon King was a lion.

No—far more than that.

The gap between them defied comparison.

“I could kill you however I please… But I recall you boasting about tearing off Zekkai’s limbs earlier, didn’t you?”

“Eh…?”

“Kurikara. Show him despair beyond measure.”

“GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!”

“AAAAAAAH!!! HELP! PLEASE—HELP M—”

Several minutes later, the Thunder Emperor had been reduced to a mangled heap of flesh, unrecognizable and pitiful beyond words.

“Well done.”

When Ryu offered praise, Kurikara rubbed its enormous face affectionately against him.

“Grrr…”

“O-oi, you’re huge. So you did have a will of your own after all. I suspected as much from the first time we met.”

“Grr.”

“Let’s take the Thunder Emperor’s item bag as a souvenir for Esther. Might be rare monster materials inside… Whoa—”

A falling rock crashed down from above, narrowly missing him. The underground chamber was on the verge of collapse.

“Since you’re still in dragon form, why not smash through the ceiling before turning back into a sword?”

“GROOO!”

Ryu stepped into Kurikara’s open jaws.

“Go, Kurikara. Consider this your first spell.”

“GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!”

Trembling with joy, Kurikara Dragon King hurled itself upward, crashing through the underground ceiling and vanishing into the night sky with Ryu upon its back.

◇◇◇

…Earlier, while the Thunder Emperor was still alive—

Outside, lightning raged violently.

“My, what a fierce storm… Ah? Looking closely, it’s only striking the slums and the royal castle. As expected of Ryu.”

Esther gazed out the window with calm amusement.

Beside her, Homura had buried her face beneath a pillow, her small backside trembling visibly. A perfect example of hiding one’s head but not one’s tail.

(Eeeeeek! A dragon! A dragon!!!)

“It’s fine, Homura. Ryu is there. There’s nothing to fear.”

“Gya…”

(Hm…? I sensed a new dragon’s presence… but perhaps that’s simply Ryu-sama’s mana…)

“See? So relax. Here, I’ll hold you.”

Esther gathered Homura into her chest.

“Gya.”

(This firmness differs from Rena-sama’s… oddly addictive…)

“…Did you say something?”

“Gya!”

(N-No, nothing at all!!!)

◇◇◇

At the same time, within the royal castle of the capital—

“What on earth is happening?!”

(Of all times—when we are already burdened with matters concerning the Demonkin…!)

“Saionji-sama, please fall back! You’ll be struck by lightning!”

“…Hm?”

(The lightning is only striking the castle and the slums…?)

“This appears to be a deliberate lightning spell. Perhaps the airship is currently under attack…”

“A lightning spell? Could the culprit be Thunder Emperor-sama?”

“Uncertain. We lack information. For now, we must dispatch reinforcements to the underground—”

Before Hero Saionji could finish—

“!?!”

A Black Eastern Dragon burst forth from the ground of the slums and soared straight into the thunderclouds before vanishing.

“That was an Eastern dragon…? Why would such a being exist in this world…?”

(It’s one thing for such creatures to be recorded in Hinomaru’s texts. Legends left behind by the First Hero, perhaps. But for an Eastern dragon to truly exist here… impossible. Which means…)

“That black dragon must also be magic.”

“They say Thunder Emperor-sama commands a blue dragon spell. It may be his doing.”

“I hope that is the case…”

◇◇◇

At an orphanage far from the slums—

“Now then, hurry inside. From today onward, you are part of this family.”

“Yes!”

One of the former street orphans paused at the doorway and glanced back toward the slums, where black lightning continued to fall.

(Is the Onii-san who gave us money… going to be okay…?)