What is the power of Oborozuki Setsuna’s Evil Eye, the Time Dragon Eye?
“Know this! The power of the dragon!”
I parried the wind-whipped blades of the blizzard-wielding old man (Jed Maros) with an ice shield.
“What dragon power! You’ve certainly gotten more boastful! This is what you call a trump card!”
Ice blades formed on the old man’s thick gloves.
“My pyrokinetic ability at maximum hardness is harder than Magnum Steel! I’ll carve you into pieces.”
The old man unleashed a barrage of rapid attacks, but I dodged them with ease.
No matter how many consecutive hits, he couldn’t possibly land a blow. Because I can *see* everything about you.
“!? W-Why isn’t it even scratching me! It’s as if you can see my every move… N-No way!”
Hmm. you’ve realized it already. It’s not for nothing that you’re known as a veteran warrior.
“All of you, attack! Th-This guy is…”
The old general urged his subordinates, who had been watching the one-on-one duel from afar.
“Wouldn’t that be impolite? Wasn’t this a one-on-one duel?”
Mukuro, who had been waiting, intercepted the old general’s subordinates along with the Royal Guard.
“Mukuro, don’t get in my way! I’ll be finished soon!”
“As you command!”
After giving orders to Mukuro, I focused on finishing off Nazarov.
Nazarov’s direct subordinates should be elites. However skilled they may be, my Royal Guard would never lose. Still, it’s better to finish this quickly. I don’t want any casualties from my Royal Guard.
Moreover, the Time Dragon Eye’s only drawback is its heavy consumption of Nenshin Power.
The old general, showing a hint of panic, attempted to slow me down with his ice abilities while launching a desperate offense.
Slowing me with ice abilities is futile. I can see the timing of his ice attacks, so he can’t possibly hit me.
“You seem proud of your ice abilities, but I possess that kind of power too!”
Wreathed in flames, I shattered the old general’s ice shield with a horizontal slash.
Now! I’ll show you the true power of the Time-Seeing Dragon.
When the Time Dragon Eye’s power is unleashed to its fullest, I can see every subsequent move as if in slow motion.
I place my blade in advance where I predict his movement. Even a skilled fighter would adjust their movements… but he’ll be cornered soon!
This is the ultimate secret technique of my Oborozuki Shin’ei style, “Yomi Okuri” (Send-off to the Underworld).
The old general, whose movements I had completely anticipated, managed to avoid fatal blows despite sustaining injuries, but… the end is near.
No matter how much he exerts his will, his injured body can no longer respond to his intended actions.
But I shall commend you. Not many have endured the Yomi Okuri for this long.
“I! By the hands of such a young whelp! Impossible! It’s impossible!”
“Your half a century of combat experience doesn’t even compare to my half a year of training. Understand the difference in talent.”
…It’s coming soon. The final struggle of one cornered by the Yomi Okuri.
He unleashes his strongest ice abilities on both arms, blocking my left and right. And then… he intends to grapple with me and freeze himself along with me, at the risk of a mutual kill, right?
I didn’t even need the Time Dragon Eye to see it; I anticipated this!
At the old general’s suicidal charge, I strike with all my might, anticipating his move. A moment later, I felt the impact. …It’s over.
The old general, struck by the fatal blow, coughed up blood and reached out, trying to grab me.
…No need to evade. I can *see* he won’t reach me.
His bloodstained fingertips gave out just before my nose, and the old general collapsed to the ground.
Seeing their commander fall, the second-in-command threw down his weapon and shouted.
“We surrender! In accordance with the Palm Treaty, as formal prisoners of war…”
I leaped forward and cut down the副官 with a single stroke. With the returning blade, I eliminated the surrounding enemy soldiers.
“Kill them. These scoundrels saw my Yomi Okuri. I cannot let them live.”
“Yes. Kill every last one! Do not let any escape!”
Under Mukuro’s command, the cleanup began. I have no problem leaving this to him.
“Mukuro, dispose of Zahat’s corpse as well.”
“Leave it to me. Though he’s a man who dies well.”
“Zahat’s combat capability is the weakest in the corps. It’s unreasonable to expect much from him.”
Furthermore, one of the times he was killed was due to touching the berserk rage of a mad dog. Truly intolerable.
No, not berserk rage. That dog of war, never a dragon.
In this world, only I and Princess Mikoto of Terukyo are dragons. However, I alone am the supreme dragon that reigns over the heavens.
There is no one who can contend with the dragon that reigns over the heavens. …If there is anyone… it is only the tiger that rules the earth.
Heh, dragon and tiger, well said.
Having swept through various parts of the city and brought the battles to a close, I decided to return to the flagship.
Sitting in the command seat on the bridge, I reviewed the damage report.
Half of Zahat’s corps of Zombie Soldiers were annihilated, and one-third of the prisoners in Squad 4 died. As expected.
“Setsuna-sama, shall I request a replenishment of Zombie Soldiers from the operations headquarters?”
Amara asked with a concerned expression.
“There’s no need. Zahat, who was in command, is dead. Keep the remaining Zombie Soldiers in their Cold Sleep pods until Zahat *revives*.”
“Yes, understood.”
Amara’s pallor is due to her aversion to using Zombie Soldiers.
Zombie Soldiers are not true corpses, but humans enhanced with drugs and doping agents.
No, they should be called former humans. They are wrecks whose minds have broken from excessive drug administration.
They are mindless killing machines that, without Zahat’s unique Mind Possession ability to force them to kill targets, would slaughter friend and foe alike.
This is only natural, given the drugs they were administered.
The development department claims to be developing a tactical application to control Zombie Soldiers based on Zahat’s data. If it becomes practical, Zahat will be obsolete.
Zahat hasn’t realized it yet, but his repeated cloning is causing him to deteriorate.
His body is replaced with a new one every time he is killed, so the problem must be with his mind. Or rather, with his Nenshin Power.
His core being should be preserved in the laboratory… Does repeatedly possessing temporary bodies cause deterioration? No, it’s more logical to assume that deterioration occurs each time a possessed body is killed.
This is an interesting research topic, but I need to know the answer, not just be interested.
…This also relates to my plan. I must gather data while Zahat is still sane.
He was originally of a mad disposition, but with each cloning, his emotions have become more unstable, and his eccentric behavior has become more prominent. It’s not just his Nenshin Power deteriorating, but his very mind…
Indeed, Nenshin Power remains a mystery. Dr. Hyakume mentioned that even Murakumo Towa, who created the Live Stone and developed humanity’s Bio-Metal technology, couldn’t decipher its mechanisms.
This is too heavy a subject for Ringvolt’s development department. However, I want to fully understand the art of Mind Possession.
So that the new century I rule, nay, the Divine Century, may be eternal.
I am the one destined to open new horizons for humanity and become the God who reigns over the world.
“Setsuna-sama, communications from Marshal Godhard have arrived.”
“Connect it.”
The Emperor’s face appeared on the main screen. Hmph, his usual grim expression.
A truly strong person should possess elegance and composure.
“I received a report from Reizenheimer, and it seems you wreaked havoc in the city of Bulk Maul.”
Reizenheimer, already running to the Emperor like a crybaby.
“More importantly, you utterly annihilated Nazarov’s Division?”
“That’s a given. There’s nothing to boast about. I’m asking if there wasn’t another way.”
“If there were another way, I would have taken it. Are you dissatisfied?”
“Greatly. However, considering your achievements so far, I will overlook it this one time.”
(To Setsuna-sama, who achieved victory so brilliantly in that situation! If you have complaints, do it yourself!)
(Nayuta, don’t show your displeasure. You are skilled only at observing others’ expressions.)
(Yes, Setsuna-sama.)
“I thank His Majesty the Emperor for his magnanimous heart.”
“I will give you your next orders. The next battlefield is…”
I listen to his dramatic pronouncements with a solemn expression. The Emperor truly seems to enjoy being long-winded and acting important.
What a bore… I can’t stand looking at his face. Just send the operational data digitally!
“…That is all. It is only to you that I personally issue orders, not through my aides. Bask in the honor and the weight of your mission.”
As the Emperor said, I clench my jaw, careful not to let him see. I am savoring humiliation, not honor.
Just you wait. Eventually, you too will bow down to my army. After I repay you with interest… you will die.
My Divine Century, which I am creating, has no need for self-important gods like you.
