We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A Great Warrior’s Roar.
An unfamiliar middle-aged woman.
However, among the people who arrived late, I saw Mistral’s figure and understood that these were the Dragon Race undergoing the warrior’s trial.
The middle-aged woman repelled the greatsword she was holding with her bare hands. The Dragon Race man who assaulted me withdrew his blade without resisting the force pushing him back, and then put distance between us. And then he looked at the middle-aged woman who stopped his slash and the people who rushed in.
“Partial human-dragon transformation of the body. You seem to have skill for a dried-up woman. But are the rest just inexperienced? It seems there are no true warriors in this mountain range who can make me roar.”
Oh dear? Not only I, but everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
The middle-aged woman who stopped the man’s slash was indeed partially transformed into a human-dragon. Unlike her sun-tanned, dark complexion, beautiful, pearl-like white scales floated from her elbows outward. Her hands, covered in pure white scales, were just like a dragon’s, lined with sharp claws.
But the Dragon Race member with the most skill here isn’t the middle-aged woman. It’s Princess Mistral, right? At the point of not knowing Mistral and not correctly assessing her abilities, this Dragon Race man’s depths may already be known. Well, Mistral is acting as a supervisor and is suppressing her presence so that it doesn’t affect the dragon trainee warriors, so it can’t be helped that he misjudged her. However, the fact that he couldn’t recognize Mistral correctly confirms that this Dragon Race man is a traveler from elsewhere. Besides, he just said something that sounds like it himself.
“Hmm, a true warrior who can make you roar, huh?”
The middle-aged woman, rubbing her partially human-dragon transformed hand, faced the Dragon Race man.
“Where are you from? You’re not a resident of this Dragon Peak, are you?”
To my ears, the middle-aged woman’s words sounded somehow mysterious. Where are you from? Dragon Race people live on Dragon Peak. Yet, a Dragon Race person from Dragon Peak is asking another Dragon Race person about their origin. That’s not asking which village they’re from, is it? Even before the middle-aged woman confirmed it, I already knew this Dragon Race man wasn’t from the Dragon Peak area. However, hearing that fact reiterated from a Dragon Race person’s mouth gave me a strange feeling. And I immediately arrived at the cause of that strange and peculiar feeling.
The world created by the Goddess of Creation is truly vast. Dragon Peak, not to mention the vast domain of the Demon Race or the Great Empire of the Divine Race, only occupies a part of a large continent. And in various places around the world, many different races live in various places. Dragon Race, too, inhabits the northern mountainous regions of the Yorttenitos Kingdom besides Dragon Peak, and in the sanctuary called the Dragon God Mountain Range far to the west, there are more Dragon Race people living than on Dragon Peak. Therefore, it’s not only on Dragon Peak that Dragon Race people live. This Dragon Race man must be someone who lives in a place different from Dragon Peak. At the middle-aged woman’s words, the Dragon Race man smiled wryly.
“My name is Bagras Gravarios, the great warrior of the Gravarios Mountain Range that stretches far to the east of here. I am a traveler seeking the ultimate!”
Bagras, the Dragon Race man, now known as Bagras, unleashed his dragon energy simultaneously with his introduction! The dragon energy released from Bagras’s entire body was so dense that it was visible, and the dragon energy dyed itself crimson. But that wasn’t the end. Bagras’s endlessly overflowing crimson dragon energy rose to the sky like flames, and then dyed itself black as if scorched.
Could it be that he can not only visualize dragon energy but also change its properties?!
“Everyone, let’s not let our guard down.”
Mistral urged caution to those astonished by Bagras’s unexpected explosion of dragon energy, and took a step forward. However, the middle-aged woman blocked her.
“Mist-chan, leave this to us.”
But as Mistral furrowed her brow, the middle-aged woman smiled confidently and said while glaring at Bagras, who had unleashed his dragon energy.
“The trial for the Dragon Race warriors is originally a life-or-death struggle every year. The inexperienced not only fail the trial but sometimes lose their lives. For the past few years, thanks to your efforts, the relationship between the Dragon Race and the Dragon People has been good, so it hasn’t fallen into a terrible situation. But in the past, many foolish people used to die.”
The middle-aged woman, who knows those times, continued with a cheerful laugh. “It’s because compared to then, the current trial is mild.”
“No, I’m not denying the trial you planned? It’s just that us old adults like myself still feel it’s not enough.”
“Sister Barbara…”
“So! In the legend of the Dragon Princess, the enraged Dragon King rampaged, right? Isn’t it good to pacify Bagras, who is rampaging like a fool? How about that as the final challenge?”
In other words, Barbara-san means this. Although it is harsh, a trial that guarantees life to some extent cannot be called a true trial for Dragon Race warriors. Therefore, she is imposing the battle to stop Bagras’s rampage at the risk of their lives as the final challenge for themselves, the trainee warriors.
“Interesting. It’s a disgrace to Dragon Peak to be looked down upon by outsiders.”
“We must properly discipline those who are rude, mustn’t we?”
“Even if we can’t match them in individual strength, if we cooperate!”
“How to face someone with terrifying power? That is also one of the qualities of a warrior.”
Bagras’s released dragon energy might even rival that of a Dragon King. The overwhelming dragon energy roared through the atmosphere, intimidating those around like a dragon’s pressure. However, the Dragon Race trainees did not flinch from the vast dragon energy emanating from Bagras and stepped forward.
“That’s right. Emergencies are always part of the Dragon Race warrior’s trial. If so, overcoming that problem on our own is what makes one a full-fledged warrior.”
I want to support the spirit of the trainee warriors. If that’s the case, we, the examiners and supervisors, should not interfere until the end. Accepting the motivation and resolve of the trainee warriors, Mistral withdrew.
“A Dragon Race warrior from outside? Originally, we would like to welcome them warmly, but they are the enemy of the Earth Dragon and Naredo-san.”
“I don’t know what kind of mountain warrior you are, but we’ll be your opponent!”
Bagras’s extraordinary dragon energy seemed to be quite noticeable in the depths of Dragon Peak. Not only the trainee warriors in Mistral’s group, but also the Dragon Race people from Yufilia’s and Nina’s groups and other groups rushed in one after another. And after hearing the circumstances and situation from their comrades, they all turned their hostility towards Bagras. However, even as many Dragon Race people directed their hostility and fighting spirit towards him, Bagras maintained a composed attitude.
“Call as many friends as you like! If you want, I’ll even take on the Dragon Race simultaneously. And realize this. I am the greatest Great Warrior of the Dragon Race, the one who inherited the surname Gravarios!!”
Bagras’s dragon energy swelled endlessly. Did he not launch a surprise attack while we were conversing because he understood that his dragon energy would increase the longer time passed!? Everyone thought so. However, that was wrong! It was at this moment that we finally realized Bagras’s strange, abnormal, and violent power.
“Wh-what is this…!”
The visible dragon energy overflowing from Bagras was initially red. As it rose to the sky like flames, it turned black. And then, something strange happened. The ground Bagras stepped on was eroded by the crimson dragon energy and began to glow red like lava. The black dragon energy that rose to the sky blocked the sunlight’s radiance, eroding the sky to blackness.
However, the reason we were speechless wasn’t the abnormality of the ground and sky. It was the manifestation of Bagras’s seemingly infinite dragon energy!
“What a thing to do. To treat the dragon veins with such carelessness!”
Mistral glared at Bagras. But Bagras, without showing any sign of concern, released more dragon energy. And he violently drew power from the dragon veins flowing beneath the earth! Those who can sense dragon veins should be acutely aware of Bagras’s reckless behavior. With the violent use of dragon veins lacking any subtlety, the flow of the dragon veins began to go awry. The gentle dragon veins turned into a rough torrent, beginning to have unexpected influences on the world.
“Ugh!”
Even though Bagras wasn’t doing anything, one of the trainee warriors turned pale and knelt down. Other trainee warriors began to stagger as if losing their sense of balance.
“Everyone, hold on tight! If you get dizzy from the disturbance of the dragon veins, you won’t become a full-fledged warrior!!”
At that moment, Barbara-san’s scolding echoed. With a gasp, the Dragon Race trainees began to regain their senses.
“Damn it, the dragon veins!”
“We still can’t feel the dragon veins.”
“So that’s why it was inexplicably acting strange!?”
Even among the Dragon Race, only seasoned warriors can feel the dragon veins. That’s why the Dragon Race trainees, unconsciously touching the disturbed flow of the dragon veins, made a mistake. Bagras mercilessly laughed at the trainees’ commotion.
“As expected, you’re only of that level! Not only do you not know how to handle dragon veins, but you’re so inexperienced you can’t even feel them. Then, I will teach you how to fight as a true Dragon Race member!”
His gaze sharpened like a dragon’s, Bagras let out a roar!
“Ngh!”
It was truly the destructive breath of a dragon. The crimson dragon energy that enveloped Bagras shook the atmosphere and swept forward. The ground dyed crimson like lava blew away and was deeply gouged!
“R-ridiculous…!”
The Dragon Race warriors who narrowly dodged Bagras’s destructive roar were speechless. However, Bagras’s terror had not yet shown even a fraction of its extent.
“Only by controlling the dragon veins can one be the supreme Great Warrior of the Dragon Race! I will erase you, weakling Dragon Race members, from this mountain range entirely!!”
Bagras’s crimson dragon energy, having violently taken power from the dragon veins flowing through the earth, engulfed the surrounding space. And the dragon energy, which surged explosively like a volcanic eruption, covered the sky and plunged the world into darkness! Between the crimson of the earth and the darkness of the sky, Bagras, who continued to release dragon energy, existed as a fiery red.
“Empowered by the Great Dragon Vein Volcano Gravarios and having gained the ability to control dragon veins, I am the true Great Warrior of the Dragon Race who surpasses even the Dragon Race!!”
Bagras’s roar resounded through Dragon Peak!
