The Black Annihilation Dragon realized that this time, he would be completely killed.
–Should I attack first, in a desperate gamble? Or should I try to avoid this attack with all my might? Even if the chance of escape is low, should I bet everything on running away?
In the Black Annihilation Dragon’s mind, which instinctively tried to avoid “death,” several options arose.
The chances were slim, no matter what.
But if I did nothing, I’d surely die here and now.
No matter what I did, forgiveness was out of the question.
—What do I do…?
There was no time left to think.
“Koh—…” “Please forgive meee!”
Just before the sword was swung, the Black Annihilation Dragon cried out.
“I was wrong! I regret everything I’ve done! I know it’s arrogant to ask, but now I understand the pain of the people I’ve tormented!”
“……”
“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die! I know how selfish this sounds, but please, just spare my life!”
“……”
“I swear I’ll never break my oath! I’ll never show myself before anyone again—forever!”
“From now on, I will atone for the lives I’ve taken—every single day, without fail!”
“……”
The man froze as the Black Annihilation Dragon, suddenly shouting, bowed its head deeply.
The dragon, realizing its imminent and certain death, had made its final choice: to beg for its life.
This was no negotiation like before, where it tried to align their interests. It was nothing but a desperate plea for mercy, a pathetic attempt to be spared.
There was no calculation, no thought of which action might offer the best chance of survival.
In an instinctual drive to avoid death, the dragon’s only choice was to beg, driven by a primal will to survive.
“There’s no deceit in my words…! Please, believe me! So, please…please…!”
“……”
“—Please, just…spare my life…”
With its forehead pressed to the ground, the dragon wept.
Those tears were born from regret for its actions, fear of the man before it, and the misery of having to grovel for its life.
With thoughts filled with regret and prayers, the Black Annihilation Dragon continued to bow its head, weeping.
Not knowing when the attack would come, the dragon desperately wished that its plea would reach the man.
…How many seconds had passed? The dragon suddenly realized the man had given no reaction for what felt like an eternity.
“—…? …!”
Becoming suspicious, the dragon cautiously lifted its head, only to see the man slumped on the ground, the sword nowhere in sight.
—When a person exhausts their magical energy, they enter a state known as “magic depletion,” where dizziness and headaches set in, making further use of magic difficult.
If they continue to use magic even in that state, completely depleting their magical reserves, they reach a state known as “magic exhaustion,” where various bodily functions severely deteriorate, sometimes leading to death.
…And now, facing the Black Annihilation Dragon, Shion had reached magic exhaustion.
For Shion, who had far less magical energy than the average mage, this was inevitable.
Yet, on this day, Shion’s magic had lasted far longer than usual.
This was because he had entered a “trance zone,” where his concentration was heightened to an extraordinary degree, allowing him to control his magic far more efficiently.
Normally, Shion, who had no talent for magic, used his magic in a highly inefficient manner, like running a full sprint with unnecessary movements.
But in his heightened state of concentration, he unconsciously managed his magic more efficiently, like running with a better form and pace, allowing him to sustain his magic longer than usual.
However, despite this, his inherently low magical reserves ran out before he could defeat the dragon.
Now, he could barely stand due to magic exhaustion, slumped before the Black Annihilation Dragon.
If the dragon were to launch an attack, he wouldn’t even be able to dodge it using “Limit Acceleration.”
He had lost the replica of the “Dragon Slayer Balmung” and could no longer make his eyes glow golden. He could no longer pretend to wield the power of Siegfried.
…He could no longer deceive the Black Annihilation Dragon into believing he still had Siegfried’s power.
But…
he no longer needed to.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“W-What’s wrong, Siegfried…?”
Seeing the incomprehensible scene before it, the Black Annihilation Dragon spoke in a confused voice.
But the man gave no reply.
“H-Hey, Siegfried…”
Unable to bear the silence, the dragon asked again.
This time, there was a slight response.
“…I’ve lost the power I once had.”
“…What?”
“I’m just a human now, with only the strength of an ordinary man.”
The dragon let out a bewildered sound at the sudden declaration, but the man continued to repeat the same words.
“W-What are you saying, Siegfried…”
Unable to grasp the situation, the dragon asked again.
“…My reincarnation magic was incomplete. Because of that, I’ve lost my power.”
“!!…But you said earlier that was impossible…”
The dragon had pointed out that possibility earlier, but the man had confidently denied it. And yet, now he was contradicting himself.
And as the dragon was about to argue back, the man cut it off, repeating the same words.
“I’ve lost my power because my reincarnation magic was incomplete.”
“What…are you…?”
“…I have to defeat you here and now. But because my reincarnation magic was incomplete, I’ve lost my power, and I have no way to stop you if you flee.”
“W-What…?”
Ignoring the dragon’s words, the man continued.
Something about the latter part of his statement stuck with the dragon.
“Even if you escape now, I’ll have no choice but to let you go.”
“…!? Siegfried, you’re not…!”
The dragon, bewildered by the man’s absurd words, finally began to understand what he was implying.
“…Listen, Blackie. I won’t forgive you. I’ll never forget the sorrow, pain, and anger of those whose lives you took, or the grief of the families they left behind.”
“!!”
“But for now, I’ll have no choice but to let you go if you flee. Because I don’t have the power to chase you.”
The man spoke to the dragon with dark eyes.
“Siegfried…”
“…But remember, you have no time left. Your nose should tell you that the hunters are closing in. If they arrive, I won’t be able to let you escape.”
“…!”
Sharpening its senses as instructed, the dragon could indeed detect a group of humans approaching.
“…If you understand, then get out of my sight.”
The man spat out his words, seemingly in a foul mood.
—If I leave now, I can escape.
I can achieve the life I desperately wished for.
The man I had begged for mercy from was now telling me to disappear, so I should just do as he says.
…But the dragon found itself speaking.
“…Is it really alright, Siegfried?”
It had been the one begging for mercy. But still, the dragon had to ask if he really meant to let it go.
After a moment of silence, the man responded.
“…I told you, I haven’t forgiven you.”
“…I see.”
“Don’t forget, Blackie. I’ll always be watching you. If you show any signs of treachery, I’ll be the first to come and kill you.”
“…”
“You’ll live in fear of me for eternity, alone, miserable, and endlessly repenting for your sins.”
The man’s words were as cruel as they could be.
But for the Black Annihilation Dragon, that was a small price to pay.
“Yes… I’ll remember that. I will never break my oath.”
“…Then I have nothing more to say to you.”
The man signaled that the conversation was over.
“I see… Then, let me say just one thing.”
The Black Annihilation Dragon had only one thing to convey to Siegfried.
“—I am in your debt, Siegfried.”
It was fully aware that it was an unforgivable being.
However, the man who once hated it more than anyone else had set aside that hatred and chose to end this fight.
In response to that, rather than apologizing, the dragon offered a single word of gratitude. Then, in an instant, it flew far into the sky.
Resolving to never break its oath and to never forget its repentance.
“(Thank you, Siegfried…Thank you…!)”
The Black Annihilation Dragon shed tears once more.
But this time, they were different from the tears of fear it had shed earlier…
“—Haaa…That was exhausting…”
After watching the Black Annihilation Dragon fly away, Shion, mentally and physically drained, collapsed on the spot.
He had successfully impersonated Siegfried of four hundred years ago and managed to make the Black Annihilation Dragon leave without a fight.
Lying on the ground, he turned his head towards Alphonse, who was unconscious behind him.
“…Well, at least you’re safe.”
Exhausted to the point where even thinking was tiresome, Shion lay there, listening to the distant sounds of approaching voices and footsteps.
It was probably the dragon-hunting team or a rescue squad for the academy’s students. What had been a bluff turned out to be true.
Hearing that sound, Shion forced his barely responsive body to move and somehow managed to stand up.
“Well then… One more job to do. Let’s get to it.”
The man who had just won a verbal battle that might have decided the fate of humanity, and driven away the world’s strongest dragon from the magic academy, muttered to himself quietly.
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
