The pillar of flame that rose easily pierced the barrier that had been deployed overhead, and its fierce momentum showed no signs of stopping. The hot wind reached Graham, who was nearby, and even the surrounding spectator seats.
“What is this!? It’s so hot!”
“I told you not to touch the barrier… This is a penalty point.”
“Hey, Instructor Milky, that’s sly! You’re the only one hanging a barrier!”
While Bakke’s flames did not cause direct damage, they heated the entire venue to the point where it was temporarily like a sauna. The temperature changed from a comfortable warmth to something beyond a tropical summer, and the spectators were all sweating profusely. Those from the northern Ice Country, Reigant, seemed particularly weak to the heat and were visibly exhausted.
“It’s not an attack… Intimidation? No, is this a transformation into a dragon?!”
“You are correct.”
The next instant, the pillar of flame, which had been so intense, scattered and disappeared in the blink of an eye. And at the center where the flames had originated, was Bakke, who had finished what Graham called her transformation. However, her post-transformation appearance was quite different from what Graham had expected. It was different from the giant fire dragon Bakke had shown during the previous Battle Rally at the Gaun Beast King Special Festival.
“Is it… a human-shaped dragon?”
“Yeah, that’s why I told you. This is the first time it’s being revealed to the public.”
Bakke’s height had not changed much, and her form was still close to human. However, there were several crucial differences. She had a majestic pair of horns, a powerful tail that struck the stage, and her body was covered in scarlet dragon scales. Her light armor, which she had worn before transforming, seemed to be buried within the scales, as if it had become one with her body. These features alone made it clear at a glance that she was a being distinct from humans.
However, the Bakke of today possessed even more striking, further异形 (unusual) characteristics. She had no dragon wings on her back, but in their place were intensely impressive talons. They were long, sharp, and possessed an overwhelming presence, as if a famous sword had been attached to each finger. Ten of these deadly weapons, five on each hand, were too vicious in shape to be considered women’s nail art. They were not for fashion, but clearly for harming others. And Graham recognized these vicious claws.
“Could it be that those claws are from earlier…?”
“You’re quick to catch on. Yes, the claws are the ten swords I took out earlier. How is it? Pretty cool, isn’t it?”
“It’s strange and bizarre, but I see now. That’s why you’re called the Ten-Sword Dragon. I never imagined there were dragons that could incorporate weapons and armor into their own bodies…!”
“Hmm, that might be a bit misleading. It’s not that I incorporate them; the weapons were originally part of my body. When I became a dragon, I shed my scales and claws myself and had a blacksmith create them by embracing them. Thanks to that, I could handle my weapons comfortably even in my human form. Well, integrating them like this is even easier than wielding them as swords!”
Bakke lightly swung her right hand’s talons towards the stage at her feet. For a moment, a splash of red liquid appeared, and then a giant claw mark, stained crimson, remained. The stage, which had been so sturdy, instantly melted. The stage’s repair function began to activate, but it seemed to be struggling more than usual to repair the damage, as the scar was healing quite slowly.
“Oh, it melts and then repairs? What a stage. But what about you and your great armor, handsome? Can you withstand my ‘Scorching Dragon Claws’?”
“…I intend to receive the blessing of a Dragon King like my elder sisters someday. I have no intention of stumbling at a place like this.”
“Hah, Dragon King? Oh please, don’t compare me to those guys who rest on their laurels. I’m a dragon person, and I don’t need the kind of wish that dragons strive for. Even without that, the Fire Dragon King—ah, he’s the previous generation now. Well, whatever. I’ll teach you that I’m stronger than any of your so-called dragon kings. It won’t be for free, though.”
“~~~~!”
“Hmm?”
Hearing Bakke’s words, the Dragon King, who happened to be nearby, looked angry. However, since it was during a match, he couldn’t attack or unleash lightning, and could only generate crackling electricity on the spot. Rion, his electrical companion, was calming him down, so it should be fine.
“I look forward to it. Then, shall we…?”
“Ah, we’ve talked long enough. Well, let’s…”
“…deal with the dragon!”
“…go woo some men!”
With their unique opening statements, the battle shifted from stillness to motion. Bakke and Graham, rushing forward, unleashed their first attacks as soon as they entered striking distance.
—Gagagigiin!
Bakke’s Scorching Dragon Claws, stained red, collided with Graham’s “Aragaki,” a national treasure bestowed upon him by Tsubaki of Traage. Metal screeched and sparks flew, but neither of them relented. Then, as Graham unleashed his second and third blows with terrifying sword speed, Bakke evaded them brilliantly by kicking off the air. With the advantage in numbers over reach, she attempted to get inside Graham’s guard.
“Crag Fist”
“Tsk!”
Just as Bakke was about to tear off Graham’s armor, a part of the stage directly beneath her rose up and thrust upwards. Bakke twisted her body to avoid it just before impact. As a result, neither of them was hit by the attack, but a stone statue in the shape of a giant fist remained on the stage.
(A fist made of the same material as the stage… So, it’s some kind of Green Magic. His sword skills are S-rank, but it seems I should consider his magic to be on the same level. Fufu, he’s even more of a handsome man. He’s well-aged!)
(His agility, accelerating and moving freely regardless of being in mid-air. And his keen intuition allows him to easily respond to assaults from below, which were a complete blind spot. I see, this is indeed comparable to my elder sisters…!)
As they distanced themselves, they instantly assessed their initial impressions. Both had high evaluations, so it was only natural that their next moves would become even more intense.
“Fire Extinguishing Flying Claws”
With a full-body leap, Bakke flew high into the air and unleashed countless scorching slashes. Every time she swung her arms, ten slashes erupted from her Scorching Dragon Claws towards the ground. She repeated this at super high speeds, over and over, until she got bored. The result was a continuous downpour of slashes—a seamless red wall that rained down precisely over the entire stage.
“Crag Kannon”
In response, Graham chanted the S-rank Green Magic [Crag Kannon]. Like the previous Crag Fist, it was his original magic. It caused the stage to rise again, creating a golem. It had numerous arms, as if to counter Bakke’s slashes, and its gentle expression seemed to see through everything—the upper body of a giant. The majestic giant golem, which appeared to merge with the stage, turned its gaze towards Bakke in the sky and began to strike with countless fists.
When the fiery slashes and giant rock fists collided in an unbelievable number, tragedy finally struck. Well, mainly tragedy for the stage.
