Sekai no Owari no Sekairoku Volume 2 Chapter 5

Record 5. Calra, the Dragon Lord of Gloria

"It all began three hundred and sixteen years ago——

The unexplored region of Re Inferiel.

Here was the sanctuary of Dragons, a valley surrounded by dangerously steep mountain ranges and inhabited by Dragons of various kinds. An open area was located at what could be considered its entrance, and the firm voice of a young girl could be heard echoing.

"When Kyelseane-sama was born, she was a pureblood of the most ancient of Dragonkind——a Heavenly Sky Dragon. More miraculously, not only was she stronger than her fellow Heavenly Sky Dragons, I and all other Dragons could not match her in power."

"…… I know that."

Dragon Lord held the Dragon scepter, unmoving.

Ren faced her directly and gave a light nod.

"And, turns out, fate enjoys toying with everyone. In the same era, another special existence was born. Eleline——a human swordsman, titled Sword Emperor during the time. Since the day she met that man, and fought him, ane-sama changed."

A battle between Sword Emperor Eleline and Dragon Princess Kyelse.

The conflict continued for several days and nights. According to some, it was the greatest battle in history. There were also some who claimed that, due to the battle, entire mountain ranges disappeared off the map, while new valleys and plains were created.

In Heaven, the Goddess and many Archangels were observing.

In Underworld, the Demon King and the Demon nobles were keeping track of the developments.

Finally, on Earth, humans and Dragons took notice.

Supposedly, the battle made all races of the three realms hold their breath.

"You are the greatest Dragon, correct? Did you also witness the battle three hundred years ago between Kyelse and Eleline?"

"…… I did not."

Dragon Lord Calra shook her head slightly.

"The battle between ane-sama and Eleline was so overly intense, even I could not get close, neither could the Goddess of Heaven and the Demon King of Underworld. As for the result, only ane-sama and Eleline knew. In other words, what happened afterwards and who won who lost were only known by those present."

"And now there's only Kyelse……"

"Precisely. But one thing is certain, and that is after the battle, Kyelseane-sama changed. Ane-sama called me over and said: 'I've decided to travel with that human'…… At first I thought I must have heard her wrong. And then from her I also heard that Archangel Fear from Heaven and Demon King Elise also wanted to travel along side that human. Because of that I feared ane-sama had gone insane."

The three powers that kept each other in balance.

The leaders of supreme races who command Heaven, Underworld, and Earth. To think they would walk alongside a human swordsman.

Calra was asserting how something like this was utterly unprecedented, and Ren understood that.

…… But I knew that.

…… Because Kyelse told me herself.

("Due to his invitation, I dashed into the outside world, and proceeded to learn about the fun of traveling around the world.")

"Kyelse said the journey was very fun."

"Wrong. Ane-sama was simply being excited by the novelty and became enthralled by the illusion. With the passage of time, she is bound to rediscover her dignity as the Dragon Princess."

"——That's what I once thought."

"Slowly."

Like a human sighing, the words of the young girl were heavy and lingered deeply.

"Kyelse had just been released from her seal. There is no Eleline in this era; and while the names of the Archangel and the former Demon Kingare still being talked about, they themselves are nowhere to be seen. Which means those who toyed with Kyelseane-sama are all gone. The other Dragons and I almost set our minds at ease, thinking the Dragon Princess we've waited so eagerly for has finally returned. However——"

"Encore?"

"Indeed. In order to find the records Eleline left behind, ane-sama once again set off on a journey. Just as I thought ane-sama is returning, she brought you. You, who is like a shadow of Sword Emperor's reincarnation."

"On that you're not the only one, a Water Dragon asked me that a while ago."

The Dragon girl looked at Ren with hostility.

Her hair dazzled with the ethereal colors of an aurora, dancing in the wind; looking at this display, Ren said:

"I am not Eleline. Oh yes, even Kyelse made that mistake once. But I have no merits to be compared to a Brave Hero. I'm only a Third-Grade (MASTER)Knight."

"The point is, this has nothing to do with whether or not you are Eleline. Your existence caused Kyelseane-sama to recall that man named Eleline, and their journey. That is the problem. She will be seduced by the act of traveling for as long as you are with her……There is also the problem with your nature, I don't think a swordsman of your level should be grouped together with other insignificant humans."

"…… What do you mean?"

"I am a Spirit King Dragon. There are Sprits protecting you, did you think I haven't detected their scent?"

"Ah!"

Ren couldn't help but gasp.

While Calra was observing Ren, she wasn't simply looking at him. She was feeling with her instincts.

Ancient Summoning——she had sensed the presences surrounding Ren.

"Ane-sama started talking about meeting this interesting human as soon as she saw me. Something about being an exact duplicate of Eleline and yet not him. Someone who still isn't ready for the big stage and has yet to mature as a swordsman, someone who is fun but in ways different from Eleline. She was so very excited when she said that."

"Me……?"

"Then I just had this feeling. Ah, there it is again. I thought this time ane-sama is returning for real. As long as you are here, that will not happen. In other words——"

Once again, the girl with aurora-colored hair raised her scepter.

"Human, you are an enemy who threatens all of Dragonkind."

Shattered scepter.

Smashed against the ground under a Dragon's monstrous strength, the deep-red gemstone that decorated the scepter made a crisp sound as it shattered into thousands of pieces, shooting through the air in all directions.

A flash of light came along with the impact.

"Light this time?"

An enormous amount of light was created from the destruction of the Dragon scepter.

The brightness was of such intensity that, in an instant, all Ren could see was pure white. Immediately afterwards——

The young girl had disappeared.

"I am Dragon Lord Calra. Ruling above all Dragons in place of Kyelseane-sama."

A huge dark shadow loomed over Ren's field of vision.

"A wyvern…… no, this is……?"

Wyverns, with their massive wings, ruled the skies. Their speed made them champion fliers among Dragons.

But the current Dragon, however……

The Dragon flying gracefully above Ren's head had a gigantic body, much longer than any wyvern Ren knew. It was also emitting light of myriad colors, just like an aurora, with the colors interweaving with each other.

Gargantuan.

From appearance alone, its size easily surpassed that of the silver Dragon Ren saw earlier. Just realizing this was enough to make Ren break out in cold sweat.

——A crushing feeling unlike anything he had felt before.

If he were to describe the aura gave off by this mysterious Dragon……

Then this would be a rainbow Dragon of overwhelming "power" and "awe".

…… Could it be?

…… This aurora-colored Dragon is……

"Ren——"

"Calra, is this your true form?"

The sound came from the vocal cords of a Dragon.

And yet the voice was unmistakably that of the young girl standing before Ren moments ago.

"I shall not forgive you. Ane-sama…… Give her back!"

"Wait a minute! I have no intention of——"

"Your intentions are irrelevant. Your existence alone reminds ane-sama of that human and Encore. That fact is the problem!"

The Dragon's roar echoed.

A cyclone.

The Dragon Lord of Gloria fanned her wings. From such a simple action, the air whooshed as it became turbulent and twisted into a cyclone.

"————Ow?"

Ren quickly shielded his face with both arms, his hands were cut by something sharp.

Blades of wind.

Such event was also called "kamaitachi" (mythical winds which cut, caused by a weasel-like youkai of the same name with sickle blades on its limbs). The wind itself was not sharp. Rather, it was the sand and other debris picked up by the wind, which flew fast enough to cut skin when they hit.

…… The wind formed by Calra swinging her scepter pales in comparison to this.

…… She's merely flying. To think that alone is enough to cause this……

Dragons.

A high-level existence that can shake the Earth and its inhabitants simply by moving.

"Afraid? Do you understand now? Have you truly realized what Dragons are? Kyelseane-sama who formed a party with you to travel, her true form is also like this.”

A cute girl just transformed into a huge Dragon in the blink of an eye.

This was her original appearance, but even with this knowledge beforehand, seeing such a change would shock any human.

Ren was no exception. In fact, for a couple seconds he was unable to make a sound.

This was a fact he cannot deny.

And yet……

"You are just a human. You will fear Kyelseane-sama——"

"True form? Heh, I just don't get it!"

Ren unsheathed his sword from his left. Without hesitation, he horizontally sliced at the air.

There was a dry clinking sound, the sound of something ricocheting.

——A small piece of gravel.

It flew straight at Ren, who swung his sword and deflected it to the side with the tip of his sword.

"Just like you said. Right now, I still cannot fathom what Kyelse looks like as a Dragon. If she were to revert to her Dragon form right before my eyes, perhaps I would be scared at the beginning. Perhaps…… Hypothetically speaking, perhaps for a moment I really would find her terrifying."

Being alert when seeing things for the first time.

An instinct. While one could limit it, and took on a calm appearance through training, its affect cannot be changed. Kyelse should know this too.

"It appears you do understand. In that case——"

"Wrong! What I meant is, so what?! I don't care what kind of Dragon Kyelse is, that doesn't matter to me. Neither Kyelse nor I held such feeble state of mind when we set out!"

Ren screamed into the wind.

He screamed with all the volume his throat could muster, all in order to let himself be heard to the Dragon Lord soaring far above.

"Even if you tell me what Kyelse's true form is like, I won't understand it one bit. It hasn't even been a month since I met her. I only know she is very strong, and surprisingly shy. Which is why I——"

Ren set his sword flat and shouted to the Dragon Lord above him:

"I will follow what I believe in, I will accept Kyelse. It's that simple!"

She wanted Ren to wait here. She said she'd return soon.

She said that.

And so Ren waited. Despite here being the Sanctuary of Dragons, even though he was at odds with all Dragons except Kyelse.

"I will wait for Kyelse, even if you resent me."

"…… Is that so. What a pity."

Calra said in an emotionless voice.

Right after that……

Calra's colossal bulk began descending rapidly. In an instant, its dark shadow darkened everything in Ren's entire field of vision

——I'm going to be crushed?

As the downward air pressure increased, Ren was sweating heavily.

"Ugh……!"

He did not try to defend himself, nor did he try to step away. Rather, he leapt back with all his strength, as fast as he could. He even forgot to prepare himself for landing and rolled over a couple times on the hard rocky ground, but he did manage to get out of Calra's landing zone.

There was a mighty boom.

Calra broke through the surface rock.

The ground under her feet deformed then fractured. At the same time cracks radiated out, looking like spider webs.

…… This is simply falling.

…… She merely flew up and let herself fall back down. And yet the destructive power to completely obliterate the ground far surpasses anything human spellcraft could accomplish.

Ren stood up and directed strength to his knees, trying to further distance himself away——

"Judging on you being ane-sama's friend, I'm giving you one last warning."

Dragon Lord Calra declared once more.

Ren didn't hear the words being spoken, but he did a glistening light of dark-red being manifested.

"Summon (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire. Or else you won't get away with only a light burn."

"——Breath?"

Dragon breath.

The aurora-colored Dragon spat out "something" which glowed dark-red.

Fire?

No. Although it was so closely resembled flames, it was of an entirely different dimension. It was a burst of pure energy waves.

——{{Rh/ s hecele Selah}} Sing, door of the world——

(TN: Nope, this is a messed up code, it’s engrish in the raw)

Ancient Summoning.

A type of language which, after hearing the voice of a Spirit, can be used to call it in response.

Almost at the same time, Calra's Dragon breath gathered into a torrent of light, swallowing Ren whole.

Then……

"I knew you used the power of (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire during your fight on the Great Volcano of Galia. The powerful flames of the Demon General of Blaze and of the Spirit, I have felt their wavelengths."

The Dragon breath split into two streams.

Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the torrent of dark-red light which was about to engulf Ren and wash him away suddenly split as if avoiding him.

"You really surprised me, I didn't think you could control (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire with such degree of proficiency. I had originally though the most you can do was to lessen the impact of my breath, and yet you managed to change its flow."

"I'm not controlling him. He simply likes to stick close to me."

Ren slashed his sword straight down.

Directly above the sword tip floated a fire lizard with wings.

Interference by the flames from (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire.

When Ren raised his sword, the Spirit realized his intention and, following the trajectory of the sword swing, disrupted the incoming breath attack.

This breath was not fire, it was a pure energy wave.

Spirits too were composed of pure energy, and therefore were good at manipulating such powers.

"I see. 'Stick'…… While it's not the most appropriate term, this Spirit seems to genuinely like you, there's no mistake about that."

"You knew that too?"

"Among Dragonkind, I am the lone exception. We are owners of tremendous power, and as a trade-off my kin lacks the ability to sense energy. Even Kyelseane-sama has this shortcoming."

"Meaning, you're the special one?"

"Because I'm a Spirit King Dragon. It is also the reason of me inheriting the title of Dragon Lord Calra."

Inherit?

Among humans, only some children of royalty inherited the names of their fathers, taking on the suffix of "II", "III", and such. This was the first time Ren hearing about a similar custom among Dragons.

"Spirit King Dragon Calra. The "Dragon Princess of Calamity and Solitude" who once existed long ago. Engulfed by cursed flames from birth, her flesh was in a constant state of decay, and her toxic blood was hotter than lava, which would burst out of her skin. She was unapproachable by any Angel, Demon, or even her kin."

"…… What happened next?"

"That cursed flame even burned away at her very existence. Still, Calra endured, and guarded Re Inferiel alone until her death. According to legend, under unimaginable amount pain and suffering, Dragon Princess Calra exerted the last bit of her strength to settle 'somewhere' in the bottom of the valley. Didn't you see it, that boiling lake of blood?"

"That lake?"

A lake of lava, red as blood.

Unlike the lava from the Great Volcano of Galia, the lava in this lake was of a nauseating red which gushed forth without stop. Just moments ago, right before Ren encountered that dreamlike white silver Dragon, he stumbled upon the lake.

"You mean, that lake is the remains of the first Calra……"

"That's merely a legend passed down from Dragon to Dragon. It claims that the content of the lake once made up Calra's body."

The aurora-colored Dragon Lord took a look behind her.

At the scenery far away——

She appeared to be cherishing the past, staring at "that region" in the deepest parts of Re Inferiel.

"I don't know how much of that legend are true. However, currently that place does indeed contain very powerful Dragon particles. Kyelseane-sama chose here to release her seal because she believes that place could awaken the Dragon particles inside her——meaning, it is suitable for carrying out the ritual which would revert her back to Dragon form."

"Furthermore, it also involves that(SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire. Have you ever wondered, why does that Spirit look so similar to a Dragon?"

A fire lizard with wings.

The Dragon Lord stood overlooking that glowing sentient body of energy.

"What's this about him?"

"That Spirit was born after the death of the original Spirit King Dragon Calra, some of her remaining energy gained sentience. At least that's what I heard. Of course, it too could be just another legend."

"(SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire?"

Spirit King Dragon——

Not belonging to any Dragon-types, a miraculous existence born from chance.

The original Spirit King Dragon was Dragon Princess Calra, before being consumed by her own flames she guarded the Sanctuary of Dragons. And after her death a part of her power became a Spirit.

"It has never been confirmed. Regardless, all the Spirit King Dragons, including myself, have very high compatibility with Spirits from birth, that is an indisputable fact. Same regarding our strength. The Spirit King Dragon born to each era is bound to become the Dragon Princess and protect the valley. I and the Spirit King Dragons before me all inherited the name Calra from the ancestral Spirit King Dragon…… But in the current era, fate enjoys toying with people and brought about an unnatural Dragon that surpasses even the Spirit King Dragons. So extraordinarily powerful, her strength could be described as heresy. And——"

"Kyelse?"

"Correct, not even the Spirit King Dragons could compare to her. No…… She is not simply strong. Her beauty, her demeanor. Kyelseane-sama's standards are that different. And thus, the position of the Dragon Princess was given to her, while I came to be called Dragon Lord."

Dragon Lord Calra.

She was the Spirit King Dragon. Had Kyelse not been born, Calra would be guarding the sanctuary as the Dragon Princess.

"…… I don't understand."

Facing her.

Ren held his sword and looked straight up at Dragon Lord Calra.

"What are you thinking about?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Important secrets like this, is it fine to just tell me?"

Ren felt what Calra just said was something only Dragons would know.

Even ancient legends like the link between the original Spirit King Dragon Calra and(SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire should not be shared with outsiders.

And the legend of the blood lake was a major problem.

This sanctuary contained powerful Dragon particles. Meaning, it involved why the Dragons would choose this region to inhabit.

"If some irresponsible human, or Angel or Demon were to hear about this, what are you going to do? Who knows how many would want to investigate this lake——"

"Huh? Did I guess wrong?"

There was some hint of mocking in Calra's words.

"Something like this, I though Kyelseane-sama told you already."

"What?"

"What I told you aren't as big of a deal as you think. The lake was known by Angels and Demons since ancient times. And Heaven and Underworld each have their own unexplored regions. The only one who knows nothing is the human."

"…… Since Kyelse never told me all this, does that mean she doesn't trust me?"

"No, it's actually the opposite."

Dragon Lord Calra shook her head."

Her answer directly contrasted against what Ren had in mind.

"Am I correct to assume you and Kyelseane-sama only met recently? The time your party took to get here wasn't long either, I doubt you had time to talk with each other. That's what I deduct from your reaction. I have to say however, in such short period of time, you really made Kyelseane-sama grow attached to you. To think three hundred years ago ane-sama wouldn't even open up to her own kin……"

"Since you asked why would I disclose such things to you, it was because I believe you have good awareness. Kyeleseane-sama opens her heart to you, I acknowledge that. But ane-sama also spent time with us, and as Dragons we have shared secrets. Interactions between us Dragons have different levels of importance. That is to say——"

The Guardian of this valley.

The Dragon Lord, who protected her kin in place of the traveling Dragon Princess, stated:

"Humans and Dragons are creatures that cannot tolerate each other."

She stated such absolute words.

Her words of rejection fell, all in order to cut off all relations.

"After all, our lifespans are different. You know, don't you? Eleline, who represented the pinnacle of humanity, lived to about thirty. Now three hundred years has passed, and I am still living. An existence like Sword Emperor Eleline now manifested into a legend, who can still prove the strength and energy he had? If the lifespans are different, then naturally the path we take will be different. It's impossible to walk together."

"This is my final warning. Leave quickly. If you leave now, I will not harm you."

"…… Is that so?"

Three words.

Ren only muttered three words.

"Do you understand?"

"There's another thing I want to ask you. disregard what all other Dragons think, I only want your own answer. After hearing what you said, it's still hard for me to comprehend."

Ren kept his stance with his sword ready.

The young Fake Brave Hero asked the Dragon Lord in front of him.

"Do the Dragons want Kyelse? Or do they want her power?"

"…… What did you say?"

"At the entrance to this valley, Kyelse and I had a talk, just the two of us."

The moment during which they talked was indeed short.

They were unable to say too much.

And yet, that brief moment was more than enough to convey to each other what they felt.

"Kyelse back then didn't intend on telling me the secrets of this valley at all. Whether it be the original Spirit King Dragon, or the blood lake, she mentioned none of them. Now, what did you think she said to me?"

("Be at ease. I will be back soon.")

As the Dragon Princess, her duty of guarding the valley came to an end three hundred years ago.

——Earth.

——Heaven.

——Underworld

Due to Eleline bringing an end to the war, conflicts between the three realms were put to rest.

And because of that, Kyelse wanted to travel around the world.

That was what Kyelse said.

"After hearing you tell me all these Dragon secrets, honestly, I was shocked. I, a human, have never heard of any of it…… But, other than that, there wasn't anything else. Nothing left to ponder about, only to intimidate others. You were simply making a statement."

"So what?"

"You don't understand Kyelse at all!"

Ren lowered his sword and shouted.

"Have you ever asked what Kyelse thinks? Look back at history. You said Eleline only lived to be thirty, but didn't he unite the Angels, Demons, and Dragons, and establish peace? There is no longer any need for Kyelse to guard this valley!"

"Her negative feelings will only be temporary. If she remains here, she is sure to reawaken her self-awareness as a Dragon and quickly forget her outside attachments."

"You're wrong! 'Forget her attachments'? The fact that Kyelse reunited with Fear-senpai and Elise, isn’t it precisely because she does not want to forget?"

Not wanting to forget.

The Archangel and former Demon King too. Together the Three Great Princesses who followed Sword Emperor Eleline sought after Encore precisely due to the connections they shared.

…… Oh, that's right. Kyelse will never say such things.

…… Which is why, this is a mission belonging only to me.

No one else can have it.

No doubt about it, it was all for this moment——

"The place for Kyelse you had in mind does not make her happy. Which is why——"

"Which is why?"

Putting everything into this moment, this instant.

The reason why Ren came to this sanctuary.

"I will liberate Kyelse."

He will liberate the Dragon Princess from her imprisonment in this depressing sanctuary.

Just as a certain Brave Hero did three hundred years ago.

"You said you would remove me by force. And to that I say to you, if I can retaliate once, you will set Kyelse free. This valley is more than protected with just you here!"

"Such wishful thinking. This won't do."

"Wh——"

Why?

Ren wanted to ask, but the word became stuck in his throat.

"Retaliate once against the Dragon Lord? Such arrogance, human!"

The raging call of a Dragon.

A mighty roar carrying anger twisted at the reality, the surrounding air began to freeze.

A breeze picked up, bringing about chills. A few seconds later, the breeze turned into an icy wind, entwined with snow, sending a coldness that pierced deep to the bone.

"Is it because you can summon the Spirits? Or is it because of your closeness to Kyelseane-sama? Did you perhaps mistake her power as your own? Foolish…… Your way of thinking is ignorant to the extreme. In that case, I shall send you to a peaceful slumber for eternity onto this frozen ground."

Like giving background colors to a canvas. The Dragon Lord's body began to change its hue.

Her scales changed from a beautiful rainbow to a dark blue.

A frozen sea.

Her color reminded Ren of a cold sea.

『Icy Domaination ( Freezing, Sleep)』

Ice pillars erupted towards the sky.

The pillars emerged with a huge boom as they cracked the ground of solid rock. They began to swallow up their surroundings, even the nearby cliffs started to freeze.

——I'll be encased in ice!

Alarmed by the pillars shooting up before his eyes, Ren backed away."

"(SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire!"

Answering Ren's call, the Spirit glowed intensely.

A sentient wave of energy which manipulated heat.

Sparks emitted from its kitten-like body. Although they looked like sparks which could easily be extinguished, upon touching the frozen ground, white steam rose up as the ice instantly evaporated.

"…… Tsk, that's some fierce heat. To think it can challenge my ice to this degree."

The ground which was blanketed by huge chunks of ice thawed in the blink of an eye. Upon seeing this, the Dragon Lord said in a low voice:

"The Spirits sure like you."

"Huh?"

"A Spirit of fire summoned through ancient summoning can only interfere with magic with the same fire attributes. And even when it could render fire magic useless, it shouldn't generate enough heat to defend against ice magic…… And yet you just did that. Just from this, the only conclusion would be that this is not simply a summon, but rather the Spirit is willingly serving you."

"Are you complimenting me?"

"I'm merely assessing the situation."

The Dragon Lord sounded slightly annoyed.

"On the other hand, this means the other elemental attacks will be effective against you."

Her glowing scales changed colors once again.

From the color of a frozen sea to a dazzling flash of gold.

"Apparently the ancient humans deified lightning, and much like them, I use its golden light as a symbol……"

"…… No way."

The gold flashed again.

Ren felt a chill down his back accompanied by cold sweat.

"Ground current. Did you know one type of electricity could travel through the ground? Well, even if you knew, you have no ways to defend against it."

Electricity.

An attack which traveled in the speed of light, unavoidable. Even if its light can be captured by human eyes, that would only happen after being struck.

"(SALAMANDER)Ances——"

Ren stopped himself in the middle of summoning.

…… What good is he going to do?

…… After all, he can only defend against fire and ice.

Ren suddenly became alarmed.

He couldn't call out the Spirit, not because it wouldn’t help in this situation.

Quite the contrary, Ren felt afraid.

The Spirit was so fond of him, suppose…… If something were to happen……

If Ren instinctively gave out the order to defend him, would (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire sacrifice itself to become his shield and take the shock?

It was a sacrifice Ren could see happening.

Such fear appeared in Ren's mind precisely due to the Spirit always being with him.

Of course, there was the possibility that a Spirit could withstand a Dragon's lightning. Ren did not know a Spirit's resiliency. Even if that was the case, "having a Spirit take an attack for him" was ultimately not an option he wanted to choose.

("In any case, you're this type of person.")

Ren remembered back——

It was none other than Kyelse who said that.

A strange person.

If a different human were to learn ancient summoning, they were bound to become full of themselves, wanting to find out how powerful their Spirits can be, and thus force them to their limits.

Kyelse said Ren was different.

Ren cared for the Spirits he summoned, prioritizing on not utilizing them. Kyelse didn't know if this could be considered "gentle", which was why she chose "strange" to describe him. They talked about this before.

…… Oh, that's what she meant.

…… Just as Kyelse said.

Ren swung his sword, laughing at himself on the inside.

It could also be that Kyelse had predicted this moment and had her worries about it.

Ren had a gentle heart indeed. But this could be a weakness under certain situations.

Pained to make a choice, the impending attack seemed to aim at this opening caused by his troubled heart.

『Land Domination (Trembling).』

Dragon Lord Calra's summoning.

The Dragon emitted a dazzling golden brilliance as she directed her lightning into the ground towards Ren. Facing the incoming attack, Ren did not know what to do. And in that instant, he almost gave up defending——

Next.

Perhaps it was precisely due to his lack of assertion which made him indecisive. Kyelse may or may not noticed this possibility.

If kindness can be a weakness, why didn't Kyelse have him overcome it?

That was because——

[Eh. I can, come out……?]

The ground below began to rumble and rise.

The path Ren took to get here was originally one solid bedrock, which had now been cracked and pulverized to countless pieces. Those fragments gathered in the air and formed into a giant which glowed dimly.

"A mineral golem?"

The color of a mineral golem depended on the types of rocks and minerals it used to create its body. And this current golem was sturdy and towering, just like the one Ren saw before guarding the nameless temple.

"How is this possible…… (GNOME)Ancestral Spirit of Earth too?"

Dragon Lord Calra couldn't quite hide her surprise as she said to herself.

As if answering to a summon, the dimly-lit giant stood firm before Ren like an indestructible warrior. It then proceeded to use its own body to shield Ren from the incoming ground current.

The power of which was just as strong as any other bolt of lightning.

But against this stone giant it seemed weak as a breeze. The golem remained standing without a scratch.

"It's you……"

[I'm here!]

A hooded small figure hopped onto Ren's foot.

As soon as their eyes met, it jumped up in joy. The next thing Ren knew, he felt the Spirit jump onto his shoulder and secured itself firmly there. Amazingly, Ren felt no weight from it.

"You just instantaneously summoned…… No, I didn't see any signs of summoning. Not only can you make Spirits exert their full power, you even had them willingly serve you?"

The surprise didn't come from the golem taking her attack without damage.

Dragon Lord Calra was shocked because she was not expecting a Spirit to manifest out of its own will to protect Ren.

"All the summoners I've seen throughout the ages could not accomplish this, not to mention today it has become a lost art, how can there still be a human as talented——"

"Talent? That's not it."

"Huh?"

"Kyelse's explanation was much different from yours."

With (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire hovering above the tip of his sword.

And (GNOME)Ancestral Spirit of Earth sitting on his shoulder.

Both of them were looking quietly at Ren, with anticipation sparkling in their eyes, as if to say: [is it my turn yet?]

…… Of course.

…… Didn't Kyelse already tell me this?

("Your Ancient Summoning is neither a natural talent nor learned skill.")

("It is your essence that attracts the Spirits, or should I say your nature. It is a 'quality' you always possessed. You don't summon the Spirits, the Spirits come to you.")

"I didn't do anything, they really want to be of use to me."

Ren nodded quietly at the two Spirits.

Then he returned his gaze to the Dragon Lord.

"Especially back then, I failed to take action against your attack because I couldn't make a choice in that moment. And the Spirit lend me power without me doing anything. The result of me completely relying on the Spirits, do you think that can be called a talent?"

"But, knowing this only makes me not want to lose even more. Because of their efforts!"

Ren tightly gripped the sword in his right hand, and……

He took powerful steps on the broken bedrock, running towards Dragon Lord Calra. He leapt over the ice pillars and across the wide cracks.

All which can be seen was him running towards that glowing golden Dragon.

『Land Domination (Trembling)』

Calra's third chant.

Once again, bolts of electricity came out of her body and entered the ground, racing towards Ren.

"(GNOME)Ancestral Spirit of Earth!"

[I can, oh.]

Answering to Ren's wishes, the Spirit raised one hand.

Pulsations in the ground.

The ground which Calra had directed her electricity into crumbled further. A wall rose up high and blocked the attack.

[Success?]

"Yeah, nicely done."

The Spirit sounded happy, and Ren returned a smile. All this time his legs never stopped running.

The distance between the two opponents shortened to five meters.

Ren stepped into the area covered by Calra's shadow.

"Have you gone mad? You're intentionally closing in?"

Calra raised her massive arm.

A swing from her contained unrivaled destructive power, against it even the strongest city walls would be easily pulverized.

"Difference in power. Witness the fundamental difference between Human and Dragon——"

"I know that."

Ren focused on Calra's arm descending down.

He dared not to even blink.

Maximum focus, all in order to see its trajectory.

"Power differences existed not only between human and Dragon

"What?"

"Brave Hero and Fake Brave Hero. It also existed between Fake Brave Hero and fellow student Knights. For the longest time, I painfully experienced this fact first-hand."

At the St. Fiora Journey Academy, he was compared to the student knights stronger than him.

The Great Volcano of Galia, Demon General of Blaze also gave him a painful experience.

——It was always like this.

——And Ren knew all too well, that this world was full of opponents stronger than himself.

He did not back down.

Ren worked up all his courage and gathered all the strength he had in his legs, and fiercely charged forward.

"Ehhh?"

Calra was expecting him to come to a stop out of fear, or back down at the last moment. Because of that her strike missed and bore through the bedrock far behind Ren's current position.

"Your body is wide open?"

Ren looked up from directly below Calra as he passed between her four massive limbs reminiscent of tree trunks.

He then entered her black shadow again, passing under her a second time.

"Your moments are sharp. However——"

The Dragon Lord sounded irritated.

She began undulating her serpentine tail and instantly swept it across the ground towards Ren like a whip.

"Ugh……! Please, I'm counting on you, mineral golem!"

——Only a few seconds will be enough. I need time.

——I'll have everything set up by then.

The Dragon's tail gouged through the ground surface, destroying the huge chunks of bedrock that were scrapped up in the process.

Even at the slightest contact, a human would be blown away like leaves in the wind, nevermind taking a direct hit. And that was exactly what the stone giant did, taking the attack head-on.

"Petty tricks."

A sharp crackling sound.

The mineral golem took the hit, but as a result numerous cracks spread through its body, taking on the pattern of spider webs.

A strike from the Dragon Lord.

Facing such impact and destructive power, even a guardian of earth can only withstand one blow.

"Who do you think I am?"

The colossal bulk of the mineral golem flew through the air.

And Ren was immediately sent flying after it by Calra's tail.

"————Ack!"

He was suffocating.

He couldn't even cry out as he and the golem were blown away into the cliffs behind. Half of the power from the tail was blocked by the golem, and for a moment even managed to stop it completely. But ultimately the impact of the blow proved to be this strong.

"………… Ah…… Seriously…… This strength…… Its power, is too ridiculous."

Ren stood up, his back bending from pain.

He stuck his sword into the ground for support.

Dragon Lord Calra was slowly approaching. And by the time Ren noticed, she had returned to her original coloration of auroras.

"From a Dragon's point of view, it is very impressive that you are still conscious."

"…… Because he protected me."

Ren tasted blood in his mouth, that one short sentence was all he could manage.

He stood up and looked behind. The mineral golem did not rise, it slowly turned back to rock.

…… Thank you. I'm sorry.

…… You got hurt in my place.

"Your expression sure is a surprise. You didn't show relief at the fact you're still conscious, and instead your face is full of regret."

"I am so bitter. In this fight with you, I am so puny and weak."

Even though he still cannot stand up straight, he stopped leaning on his sword for support and pulled it out of the ground.

"As long as I remain so puny and weak, this outcome will repeat itself in the future. I cannot accept that."

In order to protect himself——

Kyelse, Fear, and Elise might one day be injured like the mineral golem. Whenever he thought about this possibility, he felt ashamed at his own weakness.

"That's right, that's exactly what I'm worried about."

Calra gazed down upon Ren.

Many emotions intertwined in her gaze. There was anger and sorrow. And above all, concern.

"In your party, there's Kyelseane-sama, and also Archangel Fear and former Demon King Elise. Among them, are you the only one left out? If you get yourself in danger, Kyelseane-sama will most likely risk her own safety to save you. Can you swear such a thing will never happen?"

"Eleline led them because he was the Sword Emperor and had the qualifications. He was absolutely unprecedented; only he could withstand ane-sama's breath attack. You are so unlike him. One swing from my tail was enough to almost knock you out. A fake who only imitated his appearance, without true abilities or a way to attain them."

"…… Hm, you're right."

A drop of crimson rolled down his lip.

Did his internal organs take damage when he hit his back? Or did he simply bit his lip? Ren's entire body was in great pain, even himself had no clue how severe his injuries were.

Ren extended his hand——

"I've known that the moment I decided to travel with them."

({"I don't want you to be really strong from the very beginning, nor do I want you to become really strong instantly.")

("But don't you forget the spirit you showed when you challenged that wyvern in order to protect me. That is my only requirement in forming this party.)

Ren wiped away his blood.

He then let out a shout with such volume it pained his throat doing so.

"I will make you acknowledge me. Watch closely, Dragon Lord! This time I'm really giving you everything I have. With this, I will shatter your reverse-scale!"

The only path to Valley of the Dragon.

Sandwiched on both sides by towering cliffs, in the middle——

"They are really going at it."

"Indeed. Ugh, I thought things would more or less turn out like this. Looks like the Dragon Lord is serious."

There was a huge boulder extruding out of the bedrock.

The petite, dark-skinned former Demon King sat together with the blonde Archangel on the boulder.

Fear had her arms crossed, silently in thought.

Elise, on the other hand, stared at the sky without moving, as if sensing for something.

"Say, Elise, how's it going over there?"

"No change. How very like Calra's style. She set a special boundary at the place where she's currently fighting Ren. And thanks to that cursed boundary, I can only use whatever waves that leak out to deduct what's happening inside. Did she think we'd go help Ren?"

"I think she's more worried about the Dragon Princess finding out."

Ren was brought in by Kyelse herself. Had she find out the Dragon Lord, of all Dragons, was attacking Ren, it would be impossible for her to not be calm about it.

"Is he still holding up?"

"…… Um ~ if he wants to live, all he has to do is somehow escape to here."

The battle had only been going on for several minutes.

Short "several minutes" may be, but the duration was long for a clash between a human and a Dragon. Elise continued to gather intel, she knew it hadn't reached its end yet.

"How discouraging. If either the Archangel or former Demon King joins in on this battle, the conflict that was put to rest three hundred years ago may as well rekindle. Should we take this risk and go help?"

"If only this isn't the Valley of the Dragon."

Fear sighed first, followed by Elise.

Although the boulder she was sitting on was very unstable, Elise could still dexterously bring her knees to her chest.

"What a terrible location. Isn't the ban broken by us simply entering? The possibility of breaking the balance between earth, Heaven, and Underworld…… Ugh, the only think we can do is wait for Ren to come back here. Of course, it'll be the best if he can return victorious."

"You think Ren can win by himself?"

"That depends on the Dragon Lord, I think?"

Elise hugged her knees tightly, still looking up at the sky.

"After all, Ren isn't stupidly strong like Sword Emperor. And as the Dragon Lord, Calra has a reputation to keep. In any case she'll never go all out against a weak opponent like a human. Now that I think about it she'd probably keep it within a certain limit. And the moment she underestimates Ren, if he can take advantage of that moment and utilize the Spirits to strike, he can create a miracle."

"Strike? You mean the reverse-scale?"

"Yep. At his current level that's his only chance. Not to mention he knows about the scale."

She meant when they were exploring the ancient temple.

Kyelse and Ren once casually talked about it.

"You should know about a Dragon's reverse-scale, right?"

"Ah…… I hear it's a Dragon's weak spot."

"That's one way of putting it. In human society, they even made an analogy after it. It is quite a famous weak spot."

Reverse-scale——among a Dragon's tough scales, it was supposedly the only weak point.

Humans believed it to be the place with the highest concentration of nerve endings. Should it be destroyed, even the strongest Dragon would lose consciousness from the pain.

"It is basic knowledge even among the newly-admitted students at St. Fiora Journey Academy. However, it is taught not to encourage the students to go take on Dragons, but rather a warning that it is not as simple as the analogy makes it to be."

Reverse-scale.

Humans were very familiar with this term, but in reality, if they wanted to destroy one, they absolutely can't afford to be careless.

Even the reverse-scale of a hatchling Dragon possessed enough hardness to be immune to the blows of an average swordsman. And quite the contrary, hacking at it with all one's strength would only end up breaking the sword. With that said, who knew how hard the reverse-scale of a Spirit King Dragon can be.

"If only it can be like the fight with Achendia the Demon General of Blaze and he summons The Spirit-Sword Vierge. If it comes in contact with Dragon Lord Calra's reverse-scale, it shouldn't shatter, at least not without dealing damage in return. However, ……"

Sword of Brave Hero, situated in the triumphal town of Enge.

While battling Demon General of Blaze, Ren summoned that sword and split apart the miasma of the high-ranking Demon.

"It will be difficult, since his opponent is Calra."

"Is it true that no one knows where the reverse-scale is located on a Spirit King Dragon?"

Different types of Dragon grew their reverse-scales on a different part of the body.

For example, in wyverns it was found on the lower jaw. And finding it on one Dragon meant that all other Dragons of the same type would have it at the same place. This was one of the rare opportunities for humans to take on Dragons.

But even such opportunities became nonexistent with the Spirit King Dragon.

"Aren't their reverse-scales different between the individual?"

"Correct. Because the Spirit King Dragon is so unusual, each generation has its own body shape, size, and color. More importantly, the differences include the location of the reverse-scale."

Fear had personally fought the previous Spirit King Dragon.

The reverse-scale of that Spirit King Dragon was located on its lower abdomen. For an Archangel flying in the air, locking onto a single scale on the bottom of a huge body was a task of utmost difficulty.

Now one thing can be certain, the current Spirit King Dragon Calra had her reverse-scale growing in a different spot.

"Elise, do you know? The current Dragon Lord's——"

"Not possible."

The former Demon King shrugged.

"The Spirit King Dragon only rarely shows itself. Even if someone does know where Calra's reverse-scale is, it would most likely be one of her fellow Dragons, right? And speaking of which, if Ren couldn't find it at the decisive moment, he will lose for sure. The gap in raw power is too great."

"…… You're right."

Fear smiled bitterly and nodded in agreement.

"But, I want to keep observing."

"Eh?"

"Ren destroying a reverse-scale. With the Dragon Lord as his opponent, I want to see if he would succeed."

"…… Oh yeah. I too, am a bit interested."

Here, the Archangel and former Demon King who had been sitting shoulder to should looked at each other.

——They realized.

——The true reason why they didn't want to help Ren.

Not because it might break the balance between the three realms, not because it might erupt a full-scale war with the Dragons.

Another miracle.

A youth titled Fake Brave Hero once defeated Demon General of Blaze. They wanted to witness such a moment again.

"Yes, he is my cute kouhai. Of course he——"

"He was instructed by me in the basics of Ancient Summoning. Of course he——"

They discovered that their high spirits came from wanting Ren to win against all odds.

They understood that at the same time.

"Will win, Ren."

“Win, Ren.”

The unexplored region of Re Inferiel.

A valley encompassed by mountain ranges, a sanctuary inhabited by various Dragons. At the wide-open space which was equivalent to the entrance——

"Destroy? My reverse-scale?"

Neither a rhetorical question, nor mocking.

The Dragon Lord who was flashing the colors of an aurora said quietly, sounding a bit bewildered.

She cannot comprehend.

Why this human would say such abrupt things? No, how can he speak with such affirmation?

"I don't understand, I can't. I never told you where my reverse-scale is…… Don't tell me, you heard it from Kyelseane-sama?"

"No, you told me yourself."

Ren held his sword, which reflected a dull light.

Right above the sword tip was (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire.

On his shoulder straddled (GNOME)Ancestral Spirit of Earth, still clinging onto him, unwilling to depart.

Accompanied by the two Spirits——

Ren eyed the colossus in front of him, an existence of the higher order.

"Dragon Lord Calra, why did you change back?"

"…… What did you say?"

"From my observation, the aurora color is only for when you use a breath attack. Other times your body color changes depending on the type of power you use."

Color of the frozen sea——power of ice which chilled the skies and froze the earth.

Color of brilliant gold——power of lightning which burst the air and split rocks.

The color change might be necessary, or it simply boosts the power output. Ren had no clue.

"It's a condition for you to release your power, right?"

"…… So what?"

Calra refused to express any opinion.

But her voice contained a type of suspicion that wasn't there before.

"If you need to change color to use different powers, you shouldn't need to change back to aurora every single time. From blue directly to gold, just like that. Isn't it better to simply change from one color to the other?"

"But you didn't do that, and changed back every time. Meaning, it's best for you to do so. No, it shouldn't be that simple. Must you be so cautious even against a mere human like me? There must be some important reason and I can only think of one."

"What does this have to do with my reverse-scale?"

"You should know best. That's right, your reverse-scale——"

To the Dragon who dazzled in the color of auroras.

Ren pointed his sword at her, and said:

"Of your entire body, only your reverse-scale can't change from its aurora color."

When using the power of ice, her body turned into the blue of a frozen sea.

When using the power of lightning, her body turned gold.

Even so, on her body, only this reverse-scale always retained its myriad of different colors.

"If you change from one color to another, the position of your reverse-scale will become very obvious. It would be bad news for you to expose it, which is why you always change back to your original coloration."

"As to its location I have a rough idea. The region from your head, to the back of your neck, to your back. It should be somewhere there, am I right?"

"…… You mean, at that time?!"

The Dragon Lord trembled.

("Your body is wide open?")

("Only a few seconds will be enough. I need time. I'll have everything set up by then.")

That was when Calra had turned blue.

"When I charged at you, I've observed most places. Before I realized this scale would keep its original color, I only searched blindly. Even so, I've checked your neck and torso, and abdomen. I pretty much determined your limbs and insides of your wings too."

He did not find the aurora-colored reverse-scale.

Which translated to, Calra's reverse-scale was located at a place Ren didn't have access to at the moment."

"Oh, and also, didn't you attack me with your tail? That means it shouldn't be one there. Or else you wouldn't use your own weakness to attack me, eh?"

And this was how Ren shrank his search radius.

The scale was located outside of Ren's field of vision, up above.

Some birds can fly higher than Dragons. And only they know where Calra's reverse-scale was.

A long, long silence.

A disgusting silence which shrouded the valley.

The youth and the Dragon Emperor.

Who knew how long they stood staring at each other.

"…… You really are……"

"Hm?"

"You really are a strange human, Ren."

Calra said in a low voice.

Curiously, that reminded Ren of what Kyelse had said to him.

"Why tell that to me, your enemy? Even if your deduction is correct, there is no advantage in telling me about it, or even worse, have you thought the possibility of me not letting leave here with all these secrets?"

"It is advantageous. There's something I want to tell you."

"Tell me?"

——Here goes.

With sincerity in her eyes, Calra looked at Ren.

"As I said before, I only want you to acknowledge me."

Not preventing Kyelse from traveling the world.

And also to accept him, the weakling, as a member of the party.

"If you would just accept me, and let Kyelse travel to her heart's content, I don't want to fight you at all. After all, I dislike leaving behind hard feelings, nor do I wish to make new enemies."

"You want me to confirm you seeing through the secret of my reverse-scale? You meant to say, you're not a simply a hindrance, but the second coming of Brave Hero from three hundred years ago?"

"I never thought so greatly of myself."

Ren only wanted to be a member of the party.

And not for himself to decide, but with approval from Kyelse, Fear, and Elise. And also, acknowledgement from people outside their party of four."

"Which is why I'm begging you, Calra. Can't you try to understand Kyelse's mind openly? Kyelse still wants to travel the world, she only confessed that to me!"

Silence from the aurora Dragon.

After a long time, she said:

"…… If…… If I'm not a Spirit King Dragon……"

"Eh?"

"If I was born a regular Dragon, I might have understood how you feel…… More importantly, I might also understand how Kyelseane-sama feels."

She expressed her true thoughts.

Not as the Dragon Lord.

But as Kyelse's younger sister. This moment was her opening up for the first time.

"But the Dragon Lord I am. And representing all of my kin, I have no reason to listen to what some human wants."

"Calra!"

"——So, surpass me."

Words which shook the soul.

Not thorny insults intended to assault the enemy, her tone sounded as if she was encouraging herself. It had strength and echoed through the valley.

"Prove to me, and prove to all of my kin in this valley. Prove to use you're not just a doll which imitates Eleline, but undoubtedly his reincarnation. From my position, this is the most I'll listen to you."

Calra spread out her wings.

Those wings, on which vibrant colors shimmered, turned into a crushing dark green, looking very ominous.

"I will not make this easy for you. Even if I disregard modesty and let you win I cannot face my kin."

Her huge wings were beating.

With the gushing of wind, the air picked up speed. The sound of violent winds ripped through the air.

Heavenly wind。

A gust of wind came crashing down from far above. The moment it contacted Ren's skin, the sound of burning could be heard, followed by Ren's skin becoming inflamed in an instant.

"Poison wind?"

Splish……splash……

From deep underground came the sound of splashing water. By the time Ren had realized this, cracks already formed under his feet, and with the racks as its center, a magic circle appeared.

『Poison Domination (Fear, Sleep).』

Virulent poison and curses mixed together and gushed out of the circle.

The mixture erupted out like waterfalls. The parts of the cliffs that got splashed on began to bubble in a sickening manner before melting away in a flash.

——Direct attack.

"Ah……!"

Poison sprayed out from behind diagonally, Ren held onto his sword and jumped, managing to dodge the attack.

However.

…… My foot…… I can't, put strength to it?

…… So the poison wind back then was to set this up!

"To think you actually inhaled once, how disappointing."

The giant Dragon danced in the sky.

As she spoke, poison winds came down nonstop.

"If you keep doing that, pretty soon your entire body will lose strength."

"(SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire!"

Hearing Ren's voice, the floating Spirit nodded.

The dark-red wind caught fire.

The Spirit's flames heated up the air, which rose up, creating a rising air current like a tornado.

"Returning my wind by heating it up, good thinking. But you can't touch me with just that."

The Dragon soared in the sky far above.

Being assaulted on the ground, with hardly a place to set foot, for a human without wings, a Dragon dancing in the sky was an untouchable existence.

——What do I do?

——How will my sword reach that Dragon?

"Even the ground you're currently standing on, I'll have that disappear too with this."

Blinding light flashed in all directions.

White light.

The weakest, and the easiest to pollute, but also the noblest because of it.

"It's over."

Whiter than fresh snow.

The beautiful Dragon high in the sky was surrounded by light of the purest white without a bit of corruption.

『Silent Color，Pure White Heaven Destiny ( Beautiful light, become whiter than snow.).』

Light of destruction.

Without any mercy or tolerance, a rift in the sky released a torrent of destructive power, manifested as a pillar of light shooting towards the ground.

The bedrock collapsed.

No sound.

Was it soundless destruction? Or was it something which surpassed human hearing capabilities? Ren had no way of finding out. In this very uncertain situation——

Ren jumped up towards the sky.

The pillar of light pierced into the ground, the wind disturbances completely reshaped the bedrock beyond recognition. Riding on this wind, strengthened by the hot wind caused by (SALAMANDER)Ancestral Spirit of Fire earlier, Ren rose vertically up.

Up, and away, into the sky far above.

This leap was higher than any edifice humans had built.

He rose above Calra's head.

Then, he saw it.

On her body whiter than snow, her reverse-scale still emitted its rainbow hues.

——At the base of the two wings.

In between the bases, a small flash of aurora can be seen.

"Good, let's see what you can do. With only a steel blade, you wish will never come true."

Calra raised her head to look at the human above her.

Although her reverse-scale had been exposed without any defenses, she still spoke with graceful confidence.

"You said you'd follow ane-sama to travel the world, you also said you would free her. For that, what exactly do you hold in your hand, and for what reason do you swing it?"

Dragon Lord Calra's final question.

Hearing it, Ren tightly gripped the shining ember in his right hand.

A gemstone of the former Demon King.

It was a catalyst used to initiate Ancient Summoning, its function was to transfer objects. The closer the relation between the summoned and summoner, the stronger the power.

…… This is the second time.

…… Compared to when fighting against Demon General of Blaze, we had grown closer.

The catalyst began flashing. Immediately afterwards——

Ren's hand held a sword,its blade shining with clear blue light.

『Spirit-Sword Vierge？』

"That's right, the sword of Sword Emperor. You should have seen it three hundred years ago, haven't you?"

Ren gripped the hilt tightly with both hands.

Aiming at the reverse-scale directly under him, he began his free fall.

——Impact.

The impact traveled from his hands, through his arms, and into his torso. His shoulders turned numb.

"…… Really, that's such a shame."

The Dragon of pure white twisted its neck to look at Ren who had jumped onto its back.

"I must say it's impressive for you to get to this point. You found my reverse-scale, and the sword you hold is the real thing. One last thing is missing. If you have the abilities of a first-class swordsman, maybe, just maybe you can destroy my reverse-scale."

A lack of power.

Even though he had utilized his momentum from the free fall, his arms weren't strong enough to transfer enough energy to the sword to breach the scale's toughness.

"Your struggle——"

"Wrong."

With the sword tip still in contact with the reverse-scale, Ren only shook his head gently:

"Unfortunately, I'm not alone. He's here too."

The Spirit was still on Ren's shoulder.

(GNOME)Ancestral Spirit of Earth.

Despite Ren's spectacular leap towards the sky, it fiercely struggled to hold on, and arrived with Ren to this moment. And now——

"Sorry for making you wait. It's finally your turn."

[…… My turn?]

"Yep, let her witness your power."

"How can this be? A Spirit which dwell within the earth, how can it appear…… So high up in the sky————"

The Dragon stopped right there.

She felt it.

They were high in the sky, and something huge was falling down from even higher.

——Meteorite.

A conglomeration of the earth which came falling from the sky.

"It was that light beam you let out. Say, what do you think happens after you blow away the ground with that amount of power?"

"You didn't…… You gathered all the debris that were blown into the sky? You used (GNOME)Ancestral Spirit of Earth to condense them?"

A high-density conglomeration of earth.

Like lightning zapping down at a lightning rod.

It fell from high above, and crashed down squarely onto the sword.

"Outcome, disclosed."

The reverse-scale was hard as diamond.

And on top of this

Chapter end