However, the response he received was the worst possible outcome he could have imagined.
It was an utterly hopeless answer: Siegfried had broken his own seal, reincarnated, and waited, anticipating that he would be lured here by the scent of his descendant.
The Black Dragon felt fear rising from the depths of his body at the realization that everything had been in Siegfried’s palm, and at the terrifying tenacity of a man who continued to pursue him even after four hundred years.
Even in such an unstable mental state, the idea of “reincarnation magic” seemed too incredible to believe.
But faced with the overwhelming aura and confidence emanating from the man before him, he had no choice but to believe it.
“No… I see. Of course…”
No matter how implausible it seemed, if it was Siegfried, it was possible.
Siegfried was not only a master swordsman but also possessed the highest level of magical ability in history.
Four hundred years ago, he was the man who tried to kill the absolutely immortal Black Dragon using every conceivable magic, and even devised a sealing spell to suppress the Black Dragon’s magical power.
“You would be capable of something like that, wouldn’t you…”
Thinking calmly, it would be more unnatural to say that man couldn’t reincarnate.
Moreover, it made sense that Siegfried’s seal on him had been broken so easily after just four hundred years.
There was no room for doubt anymore.
“Siegfried.”
The Black Dragon had no choice but to acknowledge that the man before him was Siegfried.
“I’ve wanted to see you, Siegfried…”
–That’s a lie. I never wanted to see you again. Why are you here? I don’t understand.
“To think I’d meet you again, I never dreamed of such a miracle…”
–Lies! All lies! The only solace in my heart was that you were no longer in this world after four hundred years!!
“Because I, for four hundred years, have thought of nothing but revenge against you…!”
–I can’t take it anymore!! I’m so desperate that I’m putting up a meaningless front!! Please forgive me!!
The Black Dragon knew his face was contorting in front of this embodiment of his fears.
–Scary!! He’s staring at me so intently!! It’s terrifying!! Too terrifying!! There’s no other creature that looks me in the eye so directly!! It’s over!! I’m finished!!
As the Black Dragon trembled, his back teeth chattering and his hind legs shaking violently, regretting his words and actions intensely, the person who had been in front of him suddenly vanished from sight.
“Revenge… is it?”
In that instant, the Black Dragon felt the cold touch of metal against his throat.
“—–?!”
Reflexively, the Black Dragon leaped back greatly, and where his throat had been just moments ago stood Shion Ichinose—Siegfried—lightly holding up the “Dragon Slayer Sword Balmung.”
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–…?! Abababa, d-did it, j-just now, t-the “Dragon Slayer Sword Balmung” w-was against my throat?!
–Huh, am I alright?! Do I still have my head?! Am I still alive?!
The Black Dragon, who had experienced having his head cut off in an instant too fast for him to perceive many times in the past, used both of his front legs to confirm that his head was still connected to his neck.
–Th-Thank goodness… My head is still there…
…However, his relief was short-lived.
“?!”
Regardless of the Black Dragon’s state, the sight of Siegfried approaching with the “Dragon Slayer Sword Balmung” in one hand, his expression unchanged, came into view.
“Hey, Blackie,”
Walking up to the Black Dragon, whose legs had completely frozen and couldn’t move, Siegfried asked,
“Do you really think you can beat me with that pathetic squeezed-out power of yours?”
“—-!!”
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–H-He knows~!?
Yes, the Black Dragon, who had been sealed for four hundred years with the sealing sword stuck in his head, had used much of his magical power to recover his body even after the seal was broken, and his current power was less than one-tenth of his peak, resulting in an incomplete revival.
Moreover, during the recent battle with Alphonse Fried, he had been terrified by Alphonse’s use of Siegfried’s former technique “Sparkle of Glory – Ehre,” and had transformed into his second form, which consumed a lot of magical power. As a result, the Black Dragon had only a squeezed-out amount of power left.
Even in this state, he still had more than enough power to easily defeat the elite of the current human race. …However, against Siegfried, whom he couldn’t even touch in his prime, it wouldn’t even be a fight now.
The Black Dragon fell into deep despair, realizing that even the extent of his weakened state had been seen through.
–It’s over… This time, I’m going to die…
However, immediately after.
–…Die? Wait…?
A strong sense of incongruity struck the Black Dragon.
–Why am I still alive…?
…It was a sense of incongruity born precisely because he had accepted his death.
–Why hasn’t he attacked me…? Including earlier, he’s had plenty of opportunities to finish me off…
The Siegfried of the past would have attacked the Black Dragon without question if he was in front of him.
They had exchanged words to some extent, but it was mostly Siegfried hurling angry words at the Black Dragon, with the Black Dragon lightly responding.
–He wasn’t the kind of man who would have such a long conversation with me… In the first place, if he knew the seal would be broken after four hundred years, couldn’t he have simply reapplied the seal or finished me off from the beginning…?
–Why on earth did he leave me alone until this situation arose…?
There was no longer any doubt that the man before him was Siegfried.
However, if so, why hasn’t he attacked him even once yet?
–Could it be…
And the Black Dragon arrived at one conclusion.
–Siegfried no longer has his former power…?
A single doubt was born in the Black Dragon’s mind.
Why hasn’t he attacked him yet? Why did he knowingly allow the seal to be broken if he knew it would happen?
If there was a fact that could make sense of all this, it was the possibility that “the current Siegfried no longer has the power he had four hundred years ago.”
Even for Siegfried, who possessed extraordinary magical talent and completed the unprecedented great magic of reincarnation, it’s possible that its execution was imperfect.
–No, it’s not just a possibility!! Rather, isn’t it more unnatural for such an outrageous magic to succeed perfectly?! That’s right!! In the first place, the sealing magic he placed on me was imperfect and couldn’t seal me forever!! Even that Siegfried can fail in magic!!
As a result of the reincarnation magic being imperfect, Siegfried was unable to inherit his abilities from four hundred years ago.
If that’s the case, it would make sense why he overlooked the Black Dragon’s release and still hasn’t engaged in battle with him.
–He is definitely avoiding a battle with me right now!!
This was a glimmer of hope for the Black Dragon, who had thought he was in an absolutely hopeless situation.
If the Black Dragon’s imagination is correct, Siegfried would never want anyone to realize that he had lost his former power.
Earlier, out of vanity, the Black Dragon had approached Siegfried and directed false killing intent towards him, but even then, he didn’t sense any fear from Siegfried.
On the contrary, Siegfried boldly pointed his blade at the Black Dragon.
–If he’s hiding his lack of power, I must admit it’s quite a remarkable nerve… However, that composure was probably because he was confident that I wouldn’t make a move… If his loss of power were directly pointed out, even someone like him would inevitably show some agitation!!
Agitation becomes a gap in the heart, and even with strong nerves, it gives birth to fear.
No matter how much composure he maintains on the surface, he can’t fool the Black Dragon, who can sense the instinctive fear of living beings.
The moment that Siegfried shows even the slightest fear towards the Black Dragon, suspicion turns almost into certainty.
And if this suspicion is confirmed to be true, the situation will immediately tilt in the Black Dragon’s favor, and he might even be able to annihilate Siegfried on the spot.
It’s true that instead of engaging in this roundabout verbal battle, the Black Dragon could clearly determine how much power the current Siegfried has left by launching an attack himself.
However, once an attack is launched, war becomes inevitable.
If by chance the facts differ from the Black Dragon’s suspicions and Siegfried still has his former strength, it would be nothing short of suicide. Even if there were other possibilities or means of survival, it would be the worst move, throwing them all away.
Therefore,
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