Chapter 184: Emerald Dragon vs. Silver Dragon

『Yo, Ryoma. What exactly do you think you’re doing to my family?』

Returning to his true form, Ryu seized the head of the berserk Wind Dragon—its fangs bared toward his companions—in a crushing grip, and without hesitation slammed it straight into the ground.

The impact was catastrophic.

A shockwave rippled outward, racing across the entire grassland like a violent tide, uprooting earth and air alike as it blasted Lily and the others off their feet.

Only Lena and Estelle remained safe, perched atop the massive body of Axel, whose sheer size shielded them from the worst of it.

“Uwaaaaaaa!!! I’m flyinggggg!!!”

“Nuoh‼ I was nearly blown away just now!”

“Even from this far… the shock still reached us…?”

“Burururu…”

Homura swiftly reverted to her Fire Dragon form, lowering her body so everyone could climb onto her back.

(This place is too dangerous! We need to get farther away—now!)

Without another moment’s hesitation, she beat her wings and soared into the sky, putting as much distance as possible between them and the battlefield.

“Excellent call, Homura‼”

“Gyau.”

(I’m not the same coward who panics and cries at the sight of dragons anymore‼)

『Ryu! I have long wished for a true battle against you‼』

『Now’s not the time for that, idiot. Why did you go after my companions?』

Ryu had believed—perhaps naively—that no matter how deeply Ryoma’s mind had been tampered with, the mere sight of his comrades would bring him back to his senses. Even if not fully, at least enough to halt his killing intent.

But that expectation had been shattered.

Without a flicker of hesitation, Ryoma had tried to crush them.

It was an unreasonable hope, Ryu knew that. Still… a faint, quiet sadness stirred within him.

Of course, none of this was Ryoma’s fault.

『There is no place for the weak in my world‼ Only the strong are supreme‼ Just like you, Ryu‼』

『I’ll beat you senseless and knock you back to reality.』

『Hah hah hah‼ Then by all means, try‼』

With brute force, Ryoma tore himself free from Ryu’s grip and shot upward into the sky.

Ryu followed immediately.

Lily turned back, her eyes fixed on the two colossal dragon figures ascending once more into the heavens.

“…So that’s… a true Dragon…”

(If something like that descended upon the surface… human nations wouldn’t last a second. No wonder every SS-rank adventurer in history said dragons were in a league of their own…)

Takeshi swallowed hard, sharing the same unease.

“Captain Lily… isn’t that thing way more dangerous than a Demon King…?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine‼ There’s never been a single recorded case of a dragon descending to the surface since the dawn of human history‼”

“But the green one just got slammed into the ground by the silver one, didn’t it⁉”

“This is inside a dungeon, so it doesn’t count‼”

“…Let’s… go with that for now.”

『At this moment, I stand supreme‼ I am the very king of dragons‼』

『Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a hundred times stronger than you.』

Wrapped in raging wind and crackling black lightning, the two clashed midair.

Claws, tails, wings—each strike precise, each blow devastating as they hurled their bodies against one another with overwhelming force.

『Fūga‼』

『Narakami.』

Every collision birthed thunderous roars, miniature storms erupting between them.

Ryu possessed the superior physique—but Ryoma commanded the wind itself.

In terms of aerial combat… the latter held the advantage.

For now, they were evenly matched.

『Hah hah hah hah‼ This is exhilarating‼ There is no greater bliss‼』

『Too bad. I’m bored. Wake up already.』

Once, when they had crossed blades as humans, Ryu too had felt that same joy—pouring everything they had into each strike, every ounce of skill and emotion colliding.

Back then, Ryoma’s blows had carried an almost unbelievable weight.

…but this was different.

Now, though Ryoma fought with all his might, none of it reached Ryu.

Even when attacks landed, they meant nothing. No pain. No damage.

Not even a scratch.

Nor could there be.

『Next, we test our willpower‼』

Ryoma wasn’t listening.

At all.

The pressure he released was that of a dragon rivaling the Five Heavenly Dragons—second only to Dragon Kings.

And he unleashed it without restraint.

“Gyauuu…”

(I-it’s too heavy… I’m falling… I’m gonna fall—!)

“Nuoohhh… I’m being crushed—!”

“I… I can’t breathe…”

Even from kilometers away, the pressure brushed against them.

Had an ordinary human stood nearby… they would have died instantly.

“M-Make it a little longer, everyone‼ I’m sure the silver one will cancel it out‼”

『Marvelous‼ This is my… true power…‼』

Ryoma seemed intoxicated—drunk on his own strength.

『…………』

To put it simply—

When Ryu gets like this… he is terrifying.

『!!!!!!!』

Ryoma gasped.

(Are… stars falling from the sky?)

Such was the overwhelming pressure—so immense it felt like the heavens themselves were collapsing.

A power beyond human comprehension, granted only to those with extraordinary souls.

And instead of scattering it wildly…

Ryu directed it solely at Ryoma.

『M-my body… won’t move…』

Ryoma plummeted helplessly.

And of course—

Ryu would never let that opportunity slip.

『See you, Ryoma. That was boring as hell.』

With a tail cloaked in black lightning, he struck him down.

『Guaaahhh!!!』

Ryoma crashed into the earth, carving out a massive crater as the entire dungeon trembled violently.

The rumbling subsided.

Silence returned.

(Is it over? …No—)

In the next instant, a violent gale erupted from the depths of the crater.

Ryu narrowly dodged, though the edge of his wing was grazed.

『The battle is not over yet, Ryu‼』

『I know I shouldn’t say this, but dragons really are absurdly durable…』

A dragon’s true essence is not its body.

Nor its will.

What makes a dragon… is magic powerful enough to distort the very laws of the world.

『Idaten‼』

『Hōrai—Void.』

Storm and lightning collided, roaring as they struggled against each other.

…but—

『Trying to beat me with magic? You’re a hundred million years too early.』

『Guh… ggg…!』

Hōrai was originally a technique of the Dragon King.

And Ryu wielded it.

If anyone could defeat it—

he would genuinely like to meet them.

『Gahhaa‼』

The lightning obliterated Idaten and struck Ryoma directly.

His vivid green scales blackened.

『Ryoma. Show me your strongest attack. I’ll humor you at the very end.』

『Ha… ha… as expected… my friend Ryu…‼』

Dragging his battered body upright, Ryoma gathered every last fragment of magic into a single spell.

『Go—Suiran.』

A storm of emerald.

Simple—yet precisely because of that, overwhelmingly powerful.

It was as though the spell itself embodied Ryoma’s very existence.

A culmination of everything he had become as a dragon.

Ryu felt it clearly—

even through the madness.

『…………』

(I see… perhaps this final moment… might be just a little enjoyable.)

『Come to think of it, Ryoma… I never used this spell on you before.』

『……？』

It was the very spell Ryu had once used to force Ryoma’s surrender.

『Ryuen Banrai.』

A dragon of lightning—one that heralded the end of all things—peered down from the heavens.

Its size was beyond comprehension.

Compared to it… even dragons were but grains of sand.

『HAAAAAA!!!』

『At least reflect on this, you idiot.』

The descending storm devoured both Suiran and Ryoma whole.

Its aftershock surged across vast distances—

“Everyone‼ The lightning’s tearing up the ground—watch out—…huh?”

It stopped.

Just a few steps in front of Lily, who had braced herself to shield the others.

“…Ah…”

Her strength left her, and she collapsed to the ground.

“Thank you, Lily. You saved us.”

“I… didn’t do anything though?”

“Kakkakka‼ Even so… everything’s been wiped clean.”

Peering downward, Estelle saw—

a cliff.

No, not a cliff—

a void.

Everything, for kilometers in every direction, had been completely erased.

Stingray cautiously looked down as well.

“Um… are there really multiple dragons like this flying around the continent’s skies…?”

“That’s unlikely.”

(Ryu wouldn’t leave such dangerous beings unchecked.)

“Gyau.”

(Which means… the Demon King Ryu shows no interest in is…)

(Yes… exactly.)

◇◇◇

“Hey, Ryoma. You alive?”

“Y-yes… I caused trouble. My apologies… truly…”

“Oh? Looks like your reverse scale fell off in the chaos.”

“So that was the source of that unbearable pain…”

“Guess we’ve got material for Estelle’s medicine.”

“Haha… still… had you not held back your final spell, I would have died.”

“Yeah, that was about one-tenth power. Honestly, you probably would’ve survived even if I pushed it a bit more.”

“…As always… I cannot surpass you, Ryu…”

Ryoma let out a faint, satisfied smile.

“Here. Drink this for now. Estelle gave it to me.”

“Oh, much obliged.” glug glug

At that moment, space itself split open nearby.

From within, a small black silhouette emerged.

“Wow~ that was incredible, you two‼ I was really moved!”

“This little one is…?”

“The culprit behind all this—the Dungeon Master who messed with your mind. I actually made friends with him and had him bring me here.”

“I see…”

The Dungeon Master beamed at the word friend, grinning widely.

“Ehehehe~”

“Well then… until we regroup with the others, how about the three of us sit down and have a nice, long chat?” grin

“Indeed. I have many things I’d like to ask.” grin

“Yeah! Let’s talk a lot!” smile

And thus—

the Dungeon Master was promptly “kidnapped” by two suspiciously grinning dragons.