Chapter 24: Finally, we have become stronger in the underground dungeon! Evil Dragon Subjugation! Part 2

“… Hah? Blood? Blood? My Blood? Hey, hey? This is blood, right? Blood, right? What does this mean? What does this mean?”

“It means you were inable to react to my backfist, you lost your front teeth and were sent flying. That’s all there is to it. Your power is not enough, that’s all.”

“… Hah? Me, a calamity class monster? Me, a symbol of power? Me, who possessed the greatest form of power and was alienated because of it, even among the most powerful race in the world, the dragons? My power was not enough? Hey, hey, big brother? Big brother? Is your brain hollow? Is it?”

Amanta’s shoulders shook with anger.

Unbelievable, Is what Cordelia kept exclaiming next to me.

Then, with an expression of ease, I shrugged… And turned to the Evil Dragon.

“So… What’ll you do, possessor of the greatest form of power among the dragons, Evil Dragon?”

The moment she started to pretend to be strongest among the dragons, it was clear her strength reserves wouldn’t amount to much.

Even among the dragons, she couldn’t be called the strongest.

In other words, she couldn’t even match my host dragon: The Dragon King.

“— Fufufu? Hey, hey, big brother? Your status seems to be a bit high? But you see? I can even do something like this…”

Laughing maniacally, Amanta was covered in a blue aura.

“Tadah~! Kyaha? Kyahaha? Humans can’t do this, right? This is, you know? This is, you know? Called Skill: Dragon God’s Protection, you know♪. It is a skill that increases the status by 1.5 times, allowed only to dragonkind, though? Only to dragonkind, though?”

Hearing Amanta’s words, Cordelia exclaimed.

“I’ve heard of it, Dragon God’s Protection, It increases one’s status by one and a half times…”

Cordelia took a deep breath, and said this with a loud voice.

“With this, Lute’s status and the evil dragon’s status are pretty much even again. As expected, I will participate in this fight too. I might just be a burden, but I can’t let you fight a calamity class monster all on your own!

No… I stopped Cordelia using my hand.

“Didn’t I tell you? I normally don’t use basic reinforcement skills.”

As I spoke, I activated the skill.

At the same time, my body was covered by a blue aura.

—Skill: Dragon God’s Protection, it increased close combat status by 1.5 times.

“With this, my status increases by 1.5 times. I hate to say it, but with this the balance is tilted again, evil dragon?”

Amanta opened and closed her mouth several times like a goldfish.

Driven half-mad, Amanta shouted like a broken mechanical doll.

“Wh-Wh-Why Why? How why? Why how, how why?”

“Honestly, Dragon God’s Protection is a skill originally meant for dragons only, wasn’t it?”

“Tha-tha-That! That’s right! Wh-wh-Why why? Why does big brother have it?”

I showed my right hand’s middle finger.

The Dragon King’s ring is on it.

“That is… Dragon, Dragon, Dragon King’s…? Eh, big brother is a human, right? RIGHT?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then, why do you have the Dragon King’s ring?”

“Last year, I went to a tournament in the Dragons’ Village. I ended up winning on a whim, thus I became the next, the 38th Dragon King.”

A festival that includes a break for even the Dragon King, and a free for all tournament that is held.

1 year ago.

It was meant to be a coming of age ceremony for me in the Dragon Village… But I unexpectedly won.

Even though I thought I’d lose to the Dragon King.

No, at present it doesn’t matter to me, but a year ago I really couldn’t match the Dragon King.

Seriously, I couldn’t accept my host crumbling down like that.

Leaving that aside, I was arbitrarily declared as the next generation’s Dragon King… Though I could just easily refuse the troublesome post if it comes down to it.

Amanta trembled, little by little, and then fell down right there, exhausted.

“Impossible, isn’t it impossible? Isn’t such a thing impossible?”

If the positions were reversed, I would think the same.

Except, if you were a dragonkind, you’d know that my ring is real.

Right now, Amanta’s mind should be in a complete state of panic.

Everything in the situation is abnormal, and far too unorthodox.

“Even if you say it’s impossible… that’s how things are so it can’t be helped.”

Amanta shook her head again, unable to believe it.

“But, but but but! It’s unbelievable! It’s really unbelievable!”

“No, well, it’s fine if you don’t believe me.”

Then, Amanta hit her palm with her fist.

“Then… Can big brother use that? I think you’re lying! That ring too, it’s probably a look alike or something! But, that skill can only be used by the Dragon King’s successor!”

Amanta gave off a triumphant look.

Apparently, she couldn’t believe that I am rightfully possessing the Dragon King’s ring.

So, for a while I wondered what she meant by “that?”.

And then realization dawned on me.

“Ah. Of course I can use it.”

I lower my hips and put some spirit into it.

A pale red aura emerged around me.

At the same time, Amanta whitens on the spot.

That’s how it should be, the skill I’m using is-

“Dragon God’s Advent- Offense, Defense and Movement are all increased by 1000. This skill can only be used by the Dragon King. That said, the MP consumption is insane.”

The actual Dragon King only used this skill when he absolutely had to.

After all, the fuel efficiency was horrid.

But, in my case, my MP was…

Then, getting curious, I sent my gaze to Cordelia behind me.

— She was completely left behind. She had a lost expression on her face, with her mouth opened.

Our eyes met.

And then Cordelia said.

“Lute is… the Dragon King? Sorry, I really can’t understand. Within the short time I haven’t seen you, with this speed, with a speed that leaves even the hero behind… You can’t become this strong? What does this even mean? I don’t understand.”

Yeah.

I thought the same way about you in my previous life. Your status growth which had no idea how to be prudent… I really didn’t know what to make of it.

That’s why this applies to both of us.

Hah… Cordelia had let out a deep sigh.

Then turning to me, she said bashfully.

“Well, even so, there’s nothing I can do. You worked hard, right, Lute. Yeah. You worked hard. In that case…”

“In that case?”

“Let’s quickly defeat this Evil Dragon and return to the village. Aunt is worried, you know? Uncle doesn’t say it, but he’s worried too. You suddenly left the village, after all…”

“‘Suddenly left’… how do you think I got this strong…”

Turning around, I look at Cordelia.

Then, I took a breath.

A heavenly maiden with silky vibrant scarlet hair, was half crying.

“I’m sure you worked really hard. Rather, it isn’t even a matter of effort… I can’t understand what you went through to become like this. But…”

“But?”

“How hard you worked… No, I can only tell you put in an unimaginable amount of effort to become like this. ‘No matter what happens, when you’re in a pinch, I’ll run to you and definitely beat them up’. The promise you made when we were kids… Selfishly keeping it…”

Tears flow from Cordelia’s eyes, down her cheeks.

“-Thank you, Lute. You really are the coolest.”

Various memories flashed by like a stream of light.

The weakness I felt in my second life.

The reason I felt I needed to become stronger.

In my third life as it was, I went through unimaginable pain to raise my MP.

No, in this life, I spent most of my time efficiently becoming stronger and stronger, and I sacrificed everything for that sake.

Starting from goblins to zombie dragons, I faced numerous battles.

There were numerous times I thought I’d die.

But I overcame it all.

What for?

That’s right, it was all to protect Cordelia’s smile.

That’s why Cordelia’s simple: ‘You’re the coolest’, made everything I went through, worth it.

And so… I turned away from Cordelia, glared at the evil dragon, and opened my mouth.

“So… I have to beat you up and settle this matter for good.”