Showdown

An absurdly massive hole gaped open in the wasteland.

Its diameter was roughly thirty kilometers. This was where the Imperial Capital had once stood. Now, not a trace of it remained.

Seven figures hovered in the sky above.

To the west were Ria, Carla, and Serge.

To the east were Ars, Ferna, and a three-eyed man Ria had never seen before.

Through her Dragon Eyes, she could see his level exceeded 200. She had assumed he would bring Rei along like he did during the meeting, but it seemed the demon army's roster ran deeper than she had imagined.

Between the two groups floated a woman with hair the color of blazing flames.

Fire Dragon Ohma. The youngest and most curious of the Divine Dragons.

"This is a bit different from what we agreed upon…"

In response to Ria's questioning gaze, Ohma grinned.

"Come on, there's no way I'd miss such an interesting match, right? Besides, someone needs to be here to stop things if either side goes too far."

So this was Ars' insurance.

Unlike Ria, Ars understood the value of his own life. His plan was likely to have Ohma intervene before death if things went badly. Once a victor was decided, she would stop the fight before anyone lost their life.

For Ars, this duel was unnecessary. Recklessly wagering his life would be foolish.

Conversely, what would Ohma do if Ria were about to lose?

Or rather, would Ars even try to take Ria's life in the first place?

Probably not, Ria somehow felt. Ars was the type of person who used lives efficiently.

If someone was going to die anyway, he would maximize their usefulness. Even in war, the demon army never annihilated their enemies.

Ars possessed the resolve of a king. Different from Ria.

No matter what excuses she made, Ria was the kind of person who lived to fight. Valis had certainly chosen quite the unqualified successor.

"Well, whatever."

Regardless of the outcome, right now she just wanted to fight.

"Let's begin."

And with that, Ria drew Kotetsu.

"Hey, that katana is ridiculous! Why doesn't its blade chip when clashing with an orichalcum holy sword!?"

After several exchanges, Ars shouted in exasperation.

"It's Kotetsu, after all."

"Why does Kotetsu exist in this world!?"

"I made it with Genesis Magic!"

She continued her onslaught with Level 9 Swordsmanship. Through this, she came to understand something.

Ars' swordsmanship was inferior to Ria's. More specifically, his close combat abilities were lacking.

She wondered how that was possible after living for a thousand years, but he must have focused his efforts elsewhere. If she kept pressing in close combat, she could finish this without giving Ohma a chance to intervene.

Her killing thrust slipped into Ars' chest.

At that instant, Ars vanished. Before she could even register surprise, a slash came from above.

Following her sixth sense, Ria twisted her body.

A sword pierced through her Dragon Fighting Spirit and sent her shoulder armor flying.

The two passed by each other, then faced off again at a measured distance.

"Teleportation, huh…"

Ars had instantaneously used teleportation magic—something that should require intense mental concentration.

"Correct. That was trump card number one, but it seems it wasn't enough after all."

Ars appeared relaxed. If that was number one, there were surely numbers two and three waiting.

"It seems I'm at a disadvantage in close combat, so…"

The moment he spoke, a barrier enclosed Ria. Before she could break it, magic activated.

Thermonuclear Darkness Exploding Hell.

An even more concentrated destructive force than what Carla had used assailed Ria.

"Did that do it… of course not."

With Ars's murmur, Ria burst through the barrier.

Carried by her momentum, she delivered a rising reverse slash. Ars caught it but was sent flying skyward.

"— From the abyss it comes, returning all to eternity —"

With a brief incantation, darkness overflowed from Ars' hands. No, it wasn't even darkness.

It was magic that returned all things to nothingness. The same spell the current generation's Hero had used against him.

"Ruin."

The power of void tore through space itself as it closed in on Ria. She instantly judged that not even Dragon Fighting Spirit could defend against this.

She dodged with everything she had. Her left arm had been devoured by the darkness and vanished.

"— Let there be light —"

Ars continued chanting without pause.

"Divine Punishment."

This time a beam of light struck at Ria—literally at the speed of light. But it was canceled out by her Darkness Dragon Fighting Spirit.

"As expected of a Demon King."

Wearing a fierce smile, Ria looked up at Ars.

Her left arm had already regenerated. Even the stamina that took was recovering rapidly.

"For a moment there, I thought I might actually die."

"That Ruin magic was trump card number two, though…"

Despite the cold sweat running down his back, Ars maintained his carefree facade.

He was at a disadvantage in close combat. Yet his magical attacks were either dodged or nullified.

What was with this girl? She was stronger than the Hero.

Even as a reincarnator, reaching Level 230 at her age was absurd. Even Ars, who had lived a thousand years, was just barely under Level 300.

And despite that level gap, this was how the fight was going.

Furthermore, her Gift was more formidable than either the Hero's or Demon King's.

So this was Dragon's Bloodline? Honestly, she was far stronger than the Demon King he had fought a millennium ago.

She alone gave him the same tension as fighting all five of the Black Cats. A literal monster. Only she could be Valis' successor.

He could probably defeat her if Ruin landed a direct hit. But she wouldn't show any opening for that.

"Ah, this is no good. You really are stronger than me. If we keep going, I'll just lose."

"Nonsense. I know you're still hiding something."

"No, you truly are stronger. I do have trump cards remaining, but those are meant for the Great Collapse."

"Then will you just die here?"

Ria's killing intent intensified. Ars glanced at Ohma, but she just grinned with no intention of stopping things.

"Can't be helped then. I'll show you."

Ars steeled himself.

Ria was certainly stronger than Ars. However, under these no-holds-barred rules, Ars could use his trump card.

"Summon."

A massive magic circle emerged, and it appeared.

"Demon King Machine God."

It was a black giant. Clad in armor, a fusion of science and magic.

Six pairs of twelve wings, and two pairs of four arms. Each held a different weapon.

"No individual can defeat this."

Ars declared quietly.

A short sword was thrust from the Machine God's arm. A high-frequency vibration blade. It was a blade of destruction that could cut through even orichalcum.

Ria evaded at full speed. This robot was fast despite its massive frame. Its performance was incomparable to Guinevere's golem.

Where she evaded to, another weapon came at her from a different hand. A warhammer—small compared to its giant body—but still more than enough to crush Ria.

She tried to catch it while hovering in midair, but even with her Superhuman Strength Gift, that proved impossible.

She was blown several kilometers away and cratered into the ground.

"What do you think? We mass-produce these in the Demonlands. The standard models are slightly inferior in performance, but they can withstand a direct hit from a nuclear weapon."

Ars' voice reached her from somewhere. Ria spat out the dirt that had gotten in her mouth and rose to her feet.

She sheathed Kotetsu. No matter how much she reinforced it with magic, it probably couldn't pierce that massive armor.

"I'll play my trump card as well."

Ria brought both hands together before her chest. As she slowly spread them apart, a jet-black katana emerged from between her palms.

Born from the Dark Dragon's fang, the world's strongest weapon. A katana called Gallach.

"Now the real fight begins."

Ria swung Gallach. That single slash tore through the atmosphere and obliterated a distant mountain.

"… I didn't hear about this."

Ars muttered in disbelief.

"Now then, can you stop this blade!?"

A giant robot assembled from the Demonlands' combined technology versus a divine blade forged by dwarven hands from the Dark Dragon's power.

Could this not be called a reenactment of the age of mythology?

"Seiyaaaaaa!"

With tremendous fighting spirit, Ria charged at the Machine God. Its wings moved to shield its body, but she carved through them too, scarring the Machine God's armor.

"Perish."

Magic circles appeared on the Machine God's armor, and multiple tendrils of ruinous void assailed Ria.

Ria either dodged them or deflected them with Gallach.

"Why doesn't Ruin work on you!?"

Even while crying out, Ars hurled countless voids at Ria.

Ria likewise flew at high speed, launching shockwaves from Gallach.

"Subspace Barrier."

Gallach's power vanished in midair.

"Reversal."

And was reflected back at Ria.

"Haha!"

Laughing, Ria cut through it.

A spear extended from the Machine God. An axe swung at her the moment she dodged.

"Oraaaaaaa!"

The black blade cleaved the massive axe in two.

Physical attacks could not reach Ria. Neither could magic.

On Ria's side, her ranged slashes were ineffective. And she couldn't quite close into striking distance.

Whoever ran out of mana or stamina first would lose. That was the situation.

However, this battle was unfavorable for Ria.

Gallach drained her mana just by holding it, let alone swinging it. Meanwhile, Ars could sustain this prolonged fight using the magic core embedded in the Machine God.

But it was Ars who made the first move.

He threw the short sword he held. Ria deflected the massive projectile with Gallach.

A slight opening. But that opening was exactly what Ars wanted.

"Seal Release."

The Machine God's armor was blown off from the inside.

What emerged was a giant of light, absorbing mana from the magic core.

A god from another world that had once been sealed by dragons now manifested before her.

"Wha—"

What the hell is that, Ria wanted to ask.

Its mana far exceeded her own. Even her Dragon Eyes couldn't see through its capabilities.

Having shed its armor, its expanded body reached several kilometers tall. Its head pierced the clouds.

"It's a god from another world that fought against this one three thousand years ago. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

This world had dragons. It also had gods.

But most of those gods perished in the war three thousand years ago, and the survivors were sealed away.

The Sacred City worshipped those sealed gods, but in this world where dragons were certain absolutes, faith in gods was thin.

Even so, gods certainly existed. One stood right before her now.

"Well, that's all my trump cards. If you're still hiding something, you win."

"This katana is my only trump card. I'll stop that thing with this."

Ria looked up at the god, katana hanging loosely at her side.

"Something like that was still around…? And how the hell is he controlling it?"

There was no one beside Ohma to answer her murmur.

But the next moment, someone appeared.

"There was indeed a sealed god in demon territory. He's probably controlling it with that magic core."

Silver hair. Dragon Eyes.

Wind Dragon Terrew. Her true form could exist anywhere within this world's atmosphere.

Without showing surprise at her sudden appearance, Ohma expressed admiration.

"Humans are amazing. To even subjugate gods."

"That's because he's the Demon King."

"Terrew-sama, Ohma-sama."

When they turned toward the voice, Carla stood there with an unusually desperate expression.

"Could you please use your power to stop this fight?"

Unlike the disinterested Ohma, Terrew gazed intently at Carla.

"I noticed before, but… you truly do carry my bloodline… and also the bloodline of fallen gods? What an interesting lineage…"

Without granting Carla's wish, Terrew placed a hand on her chin in thought.

"Come to think of it, there was once an eccentric who had children with humans. Is that the bloodline? Even so…"

Carla grew increasingly anxious watching Terrew mutter to herself, but it was Ohma who responded.

"No need to worry. It's not over yet."

But in Carla's view, Ria was being tossed about helplessly by the god's power.

She had decided to watch over her. But she couldn't bear to lose Ria.

Even if Ria didn't want it, even if it was just her own ego, Carla judged she had to stop this fight.

"Just watch. The real show's about to start."

Ohma grinned.

The god's power was overwhelming.

Even wounds inflicted by Gallach's blade were immediately repaired.

Could not even this fang of darkness defeat this mass of light?

A giant arm, accompanied by tremendous wind pressure, struck Ria's body. Her reinforced flesh was being torn apart.

Eventually that arm knocked Ria down, driving her into the earth.

"Ah…"

Her limbs were being crushed. Her organs ruptured.

Her skull warped.

Was this the end?

This god was probably weaker than Valis. But it was far stronger than Ria. There was always someone above.

Were there truly no options left?

Gallach in her hand was useless if Ria herself lost her strength.

Wasn't this enough already?

This was a fight she never thought she could win from the start. It was just her own selfishness, wanting to settle things within herself.

There was no way she could beat something like this. She had come this far—surely her friends and family on Earth would forgive her.

Hadn't she fulfilled her duty? Couldn't she just close her eyes and sleep now?

But something called out to her.

Gallach.

The divine treasure born from Dark Dragon Valis' fang.

It was telling her: not yet.

If there's still power somewhere, please tell me where.

Blood.

The blood flowing through your body. What constitutes your flesh and soul.

Your Dragon's Bloodline.

Gallach and Ria resonated. Her tattered body reconstructed itself.

A new power was born.

She lifted the god's hand that was pressing her into the ground.

Black scales. An elongated neck. Spreading wings.

Fangs. Claws. A tail. Dragon Eyes.

A Dragon of Darkness had manifested.