Chapter 111: Sage vs Dragonoid

“Halt, you’re banned from using Hakoku. Also, you’re not allowed to release more than five flaming knights at once. How about it?”

Eh, even if you say that…

The tournament’s semifinals commenced.

Ryuushin was waiting for me on the stage and he laid down his terms as I climbed up.

“And if I manage to hit you even just once, and even if the damage is just a teensy bit, it’ll be my win, alright.”

No no no no, what are you saying?

You crushed those beastkin soldiers left and right.

Why should I swallow those conditions?

“If Halt won’t agree to these terms then –”

“Then?”

“I’ll forfeit this match!”

“Are you stupid!”

Ryuushin spouted unbelievable stuff.

The spectators who came to watch the tournament were all fired up. If he forfeited without even trying to fight, it’d turn into a storm of ‘booing’, for sure.

“I still want my life! There’s no way I’d win against the Demon King with the legendary weapon and his minion warlocks with my plain body!!!”

So according to Ryuushin…

Warlock = Flaming Knights

Legendary Weapon = Hakoku

Demon King = Me

Plain Body = Couldn’t complete dragonization

That’s it.

What a rude guy, calling people demon kings.

Hakoku was indeed a legendary weapon, but the rest were just nonsense. The flaming knights were quite strong, but I was nowhere as strong as the demon king, and there’s nothing plain in Ryuushin’s dragonized body.

Hm, wait.

I could release up to five flaming knights?

...Is that so, got it.

“Alright, I agree with your terms. Can’t use Hakoku, and as a bonus, won’t use Ink Sword, too. And I won’t release more than six flaming knights.”

“Y, your okay with that!?”

“Yup. But I’ll add more if Ryuushin defeated the flaming knights and there are less than five remaining, alright?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Avoiding the attacks of those five, and landing a hit on Halt, I’ll be able to wing that somehow.”

Ryuushin became so eager.

I would also keep my promise.

Flaming knights were less than five.

Of course, I wouldn't use Hakoku, too.

Semifinals - My battle and Ryuushin began.

I thought he would attack me right away, but Ryuushin didn’t.

“Since you agreed with the conditions I laid down, I’ll give you time to activate your flaming knights.”

Hoh...What an admirable attitude you got there.

But, would that be really fine?

“Thanks, then I won’t hold back – “

Then –

“Fire Lance! Water Lance! Wind Lance! Sand Lance! Thunder Lance! Lightning Lance! Dark Lance!”

“Eh? Wai, Huuuuuuuuh!?”

I released five flaming knights.

At the same time, I also released knights with other attributes such as water, wind, earth, thunderbolt, light, and dark – five each.

If I can make a flaming knight, then of course I could make knights with other attributes. I’d only shown it to Tina, though.

I promised Ryuushin that it’d be ‘up to five flaming knights’, so I didn’t break my promise when I summoned those other-attribute knights.

By the way, releasing only five each was my service to him.

Alrighty, Ryuushin, go ahead and evade these 35 knights and land a hit on me!

“Done with preps?”

“N, no way! I can’t, stop!!”

“Alright, go!”

Seemed like Ryuushin’s ready, so I made my knights attack.

“Oooooyyyy, it’s impossible! I’ll die, I’m gonna dieee!!”

Ryuushin was avoiding their fierce attacks while saying that.

“Hiiii!”

He’s shamefully shrieking, but partially dragonzined Ryuushin steadily ripped the cores of several knights with his claws.

Anyway, I wouldn’t release more until he’s done with the 35.

But, Ryuushin’s improved a lot, huh.

Before, he was already having trouble with just two flaming knights, but now, he could deal with several knights with different attributes at the same time.

I think he’s closer to being a demon king than I am since he could defeat my knights who could crush even warlocks.

I watched Ryuushin with these thoughts.

Ryuushin’s attacks damaged the knights, but their attacks also penetrated his dragon skin, too.

So Ryuushin didn’t have any choice but to evade them.

He’s getting tired.

“Sh, &#%!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

It’s over, huh.

Ryuushin was on his knees, his feet tangled, and the knights clustered around him.

Of course, I wouldn’t deal the final blow.

I only wanted to restrain Ryuushin’s body.

“– !?”

Something flew with high speed, and I narrowly dodged it.

That something was a flaming knight’s head.

The knights gathered around Ryuushin were slashed into bits and pieces, their remains scattered in all directions.

A black dragon was standing where Ryuushin was moments ago.

The Kokuryuu had the highest attack power among the dragon species, and it was a raging, feral, dragon.

I could feel Ryuushin’s magic wavelength from that.

“Ryuushin… is that you?”

“Yeah.”

The Kokuryuu spoke.

So that meant this one was the transformed Ryuushin.

“So you completed dragonize? Why so suddenly?”

“I got exposed to that absurd, outrageous power and violence, so the sleeping dragon blood within me was forced to wake up.”

– In short, it was thanks to me!?

“Whoa! Congrats, Ryuushin!”

He finally achieved his dearest wish – Perfect Dragonization.

It’s really worth celebrating.

Ah, no need to thank me, though?

Even though my magic was the reason, Ryuushin was the one who broke out from his shell.

Let’s have an extravagant dinner today for Ryuushin’s celebration – I started to think about that.

“Halt, now it’s your turn to taste that absurd power!”

“Eh?”

“Go feel the despair of being assaulted nonstop by an overwhelmingly strong guy until you can’t breathe!”

After saying that, Kokuryuu released Dark Breath towards me.

I even thought of treating him to a meal, though.

He achieved progress because of me, though.

...Couldn’t be helped.

Should I discipline him a bit?

Kokuryuu’s _Breath _headed towards me.

I strengthened my entire body with the magic suit, then hit that breath towards the sky with my right hand.

“Wha!?”

Kokuryuu was stupefied.

“Can you afford to stand frozen like that?”

I moved to the spot directly beside Kokuryuu.

By the time he noticed me, I had already slammed my fist on his body.

“Gugyahhhhhhh!!!”

Kokuryuu howled as he got blown away.

Of course, I adjusted my strength so he wouldn’t fall off from the stage – by a hair’s breadth.

“Ugh..uuhhh… W, why? I’m Kokuryuu, the personification of destruction!? Why did I – “

“Don’t get carried away just because you became a Kokuryuu. You said it earlier, but Kokuryuu’s ‘an overwhelmingly strong guy’, is it? Sorry to burst your bubble. I already defeated that Kokuryuu level when I was eight.”

“Eh – “

“Good timing, let me show you the technique I used to defeat the Kokuryuu that first time.”

I incorporated the light attribute into the magic suit I’m wearing.

The zero attribute magic suit transformed into Holy Armour wrapped in Holy Light.

The greatest weakness of Kokuryuu was light attribute magic, since it has the attribute of darkness.

“H, Halt, wait a bit! What the heck is that!?”

“It’s your weakness, light attribute magic. It’ll be a bit painful when I punch you with this, so I recommend that you be on your absolute guard.”

Well, as if he could avoid it.

Light attribute magic incorporated lighting, so compared to the other attributes, it had the fastest attack speed.

I sauntered towards the trembling Kokuryuu.