Without a sound, before anyone knew what happened, she was standing right there. Her presence was overwhelmingly strong, her hair blue, her face beautiful. It’d be the first time they met, but Yuuki felt he already knew this figure from somewhere. The figure of the one on the other side of the curtain, seated next to the emperor—the Marshal.
“L-Lady Velgrynd…!”
Damrada’s whisper sounded bizarrely loud.
Velgrynd? Does he mean…?!
At that moment, Yuuki realized his face was too tensed up to move. A True Dragon, the strongest creature in the world—now she was before him, their powers beyond compare.
This sure ain’t good. I didn’t sense this when I saw Veldora, but with her, it’s not even a question of winning or losing. Fighting someone like her head-on would just be suicide.
But despite that realization, Yuuki refused to give up. If a head-on confrontation was doomed to fail, simply find a back door—and Yuuki had the perfect special move for that. Play his cards right, he thought, and victory seemed possible enough.
“I never would’ve guessed Her Excellency the Marshal was a True Dragon all along. Now I understand why Guy hasn’t made a move yet.”
“My. How unusual for a human. I admire you for not losing your nerve around me.”
“Thanks. And by the way, it’d be really great if you could let me go. What do you think?”
“That’s fine by me. I don’t have any business with you… My dear husband does.”
Velgrynd took a step back… And only then did Yuuki notice the other man present. His eyes opened wide. Standing next to Velgrynd was a man in an extravagant outfit that was no doubt worth an astronomical amount of money. Yuuki knew his face well.
“…Masayuki? Nah, no way it’s him. Or…?”
To Yuuki, this man had to be Masayuki’s identical twin—but he noticed a few differences. The most notable one was the hair color. The man before him had shining blond hair, and while Masayuki usually dyed his blond, his natural color was the standard black of most Japanese people.
Looking more closely, he could sense differences in the eyes, too. Masayuki’s were always either darting around or just kind of blank, unthinking, but this man looked like he could see through everything. It almost felt like those eyes could consume you if you weren’t careful. No way were they the same person.
…Guess not, huh?
Now reasonably sure of that, Yuuki then realized who the man really was. If Velgrynd called him her husband, that left only one candidate.
“…Emperor Ludora?”
“That’s right, Sir Yuuki. This is His Majesty, Emperor Ludora, the ruler standing at the peak of the Empire.”
Damrada provided the reply. He was on his knees already, not even caring if he got his clothes dirty; he urgently wanted to prove to Ludora that he bore no animosity. Yuuki couldn’t blame him. He knew how much more Ludora meant to him. The real issue at hand: Why was Ludora here at all?
“Well, color me shocked. Why is Your Eminence in a meeting hall like this? Are you bored, or…?”
“No, I am quite a busy man,” the emperor replied, unaffected by Yuuki’s teasing. “My game against Guy is in the closing stages. I have no time to trifle with other matters.”
This seemed to astound Damrada. He never thought that Ludora would actually address someone lower than himself, and he never thought Velgrynd would allow it.
“Oh? Well, you better stop bumping around my place, then—”
“Enough nonsense. I want you to join me. Agree to it, and I’ll let you keep your free will.”
It was an order, one from far above, delivered to a lowly worm on the ground. Yuuki hated this type of person more than anything else, but for some reason, he felt like he just couldn’t resist.
Is this Thought Guidance in action? It resembles the brand of dominance Maribel tried on me, but far stronger…
The power annoyed him greatly. But since Yuuki had Anti-Skill handy, he could cancel out any skill-driven order on him. Or he should’ve been able to.
No! This isn’t any simple power like that!
Yuuki shivered as he came to that realization. It took a mighty effort not to fall to his knees. This was pure charisma, the unimaginable supremacy of a ruler capable of subjugating anything he sees. He resisted it with all his might.
“Pft… Not bad. I wasn’t expecting you to break out this cheat code on me from the very start…”
He spat on the floor in anger, a little blood mixed in. It was usually Yuuki dominating encounters like these from the start, and he hated having his style copied like this. But he was still in the clear. He was angry, and that emotion was proof that Ludora’s control on him was broken. With a bold smile, he looked his way, only to find the emperor giving him a quizzical look of his own.
“What’s wrong? Strange to find your power doesn’t work on me, huh?”
“No—”
Ludora turned toward Velgrynd, troubled. She responded with light giggling, which didn’t make Ludora feel any better.
“Don’t bother, Ludora. When this kid was exposed to your presence, he mistook it for a mental attack. You have to use a lighter touch, or you’ll break him before he can even join you.”
“What, this won’t work?”
“No. You don’t have enough people in your life you speak to on equal terms. That makes it hard for you to control your strength.”
Velgrynd seemed to thoroughly enjoy how puzzled Ludora was. Yuuki, hearing all this, trembled in humiliation.
Are you kidding me?! Do I not even register to them? Let’s take that smug attitude and rip it apart right now!
“That’s fine,” he said, regaining his composure. “I’ll admit it. You guys are definitely the greatest rulers the world’s ever known. But you know, if you have all that power and still can’t conquer the entire world, then to me, you could hardly be more incompetent.”
As usual, he kicked things off with provocation. Velgrynd responded first.
“Hmm. Brash of you. How about we kill him after all, Ludora? Bringing this kid into the fold wouldn’t make that much difference strength-wise against Guy. Why keep him around just so he can sass us like this?”
But Ludora was more magnanimous than that.
“Oh, don’t say that. Maybe you see him as insignificant, but give him the right education, and he can grow to become a tremendously useful pawn. And isn’t a little defiance now and then a nice change of pace? A cat, after all, is just as cute if it refuses to sidle up to you. I like him.”
It was Ludora’s way of completely degrading Yuuki. He snorted at it. Taunting Ludora wouldn’t accomplish much if it did nothing to bother him. It was time to break out the big guns. With Velgrynd around, Yuuki couldn’t waste a lot of time. He’d have to tap his greatest weapon from the get-go and use the momentum from it to subdue the True Dragon.
Yuuki steeled himself.
“You want me to join you? Fine, but I’m not about to serve someone weaker than me. If you want me around, you’re gonna have to show me some real power!”
As soon as he shouted it, Yuuki began to act. No time for small talk; no point in putting on a performance. The ultimate skill Mammon converted the size of one’s desires into actual power, and Yuuki knew he was a greedy man. It was only natural, he thought, that he awakened to the power he took from Maribel. That was why he firmly believed that a skill as outlandishly unfair as Mammon made him the strongest in the entire world.
So who would he target first? It had to be Ludora. He’d take control of the emperor, using him as a hostage against Velgrynd. If that let him survive this crisis, this whole day would be a blessing in disguise. Such bullish optimism was Yuuki’s driving force, and it had brought him great success so far—and this time, too, he’d make a huge leap forward.
It was the only thought in his mind as he started running. In another few steps, he was within punching range. In less time than the blinking of an eye, Yuuki’s hand was about to touch Ludora.
He activated Life Absorb, one of Mammon’s subskills, in his right hand, combining it with Anti-Skill. This fearsome combo allowed him to penetrate through any barriers his target might have covering him. This was what Lifestealer was meant for, and unlike with Damrada, Yuuki didn’t care if this attack was lethal or not. If Ludora died, it only meant he had Velgrynd alone to deal with. Escaping two strong opponents would be a formidable challenge, but a single one was far more manageable.
If he survived, though, that’s where Yuuki’s left hand came in. It was infused with Heart Control, a terrifying power that acted on the target’s emotions and even affected their memories. It was a dominating force, one even more vicious and irresistible than Maribel’s own greed.
Yuuki planned to use this one-two punch to blaze a path through this. But the plan was quickly shattered.
“You will not lay a hand on Ludora in my presence.”
Yuuki was running his body to the absolute upper limits of speed, but not even he could keep Velgrynd from stepping between him and the emperor. Then, without breaking a sweat, she swatted Yuuki’s right hand away.
He was stunned. Having his hand blocked was a surprise, but even more astounding was the sheer amount of energy that flowed from Velgrynd. It was a raging torrent, enough to make Yuuki vomit blood. In a single exchange, his body was infused with far more magicules than he could ever hope to withstand.
Instantly, he realized the danger, forcibly twisting his body to get away. If he reacted even a moment later, his body would have been completely destroyed. It wasn’t that Velgrynd did anything to him, exactly—quite the opposite. All she did was push Yuuki’s hand away. The damage was more self-destructive, in a way. He had activated Lifestealer, and then he used it to absorb far more energy than he could control.
As blood flowed from his mouth, eyes, and nose, Yuuki thought over what just happened.
That… That’s insane. How beyond my allowable limit was that?! I’m at a point where I can take in dozens of high-level elementals without issue, and I got all filled up in a single instant? How crazy are True Dragons anyway?!
Yuuki wanted to complain to the gods about it. Velgrynd was nobody to trifle with. Despite all the energy taken from her, she acted like she was in no pain at all. Yuuki’s attack wasn’t even worth defending in her eyes.
Now he realized how impossible this was.
Dammit! I had no idea there was this much difference. No wonder I barely register with them.
They were undeniably on the same level as Guy. Realizing that, Yuuki now knew just how lofty the great heights of the world truly were. It was an impossible gap to traverse, and he only knew it because of the ultimate ability he awakened to. Staging any kind of attack against them would be suicide. He had no choice but to wait for his enemy to make a move.
“I’d advise you not to try anything rash, please. I’ve come to you on my own volition. And indeed, why don’t I respond to your request to see my power?”
“That’s a bad habit to indulge, Ludora. Leave that to me. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Hee-hee! Well, that won’t be very convincing, now will it?”
This was stirring the pot, nothing more. Yuuki wasn’t about to let them take all his favorite party tricks away from him.
“Ha-ha-ha! Glad you know what I’m talking about. Realistically speaking, I think I’ve already lost. But I’m not a quitter, you know. Don’t expect me to give up that easy.”
He knew he was being a sore loser, but Yuuki decided to grandstand a bit anyway. Now that he knew there was no way to beat Velgrynd, all he needed to protect now was his dignity. Even if it got him killed, he wanted to have things his way right to the very end.
Infused with a new drive, he glared at Ludora. The emperor responded with a curious smile.
“Very well. Let me take you on. I will tell you in advance that domination is a strong suit of mine. If you can endure it, you win, and you may go wherever you wish.”
The unexpected offer made Yuuki steel his eyes. Ludora clearly meant it. He really didn’t mind letting Yuuki go. And while Yuuki couldn’t read his intentions here, Ludora saw this confrontation in rather simple terms. Yuuki could gain experience through this—experience that would give him even stronger powers. Once that was done, they could talk it over again… And then he’d have Yuuki in his hands.
The two of them were completely different in ability. That’s why Yuuki found Ludora so creepy—and why his taunts enraged him.
Domination’s his strong suit? Well, it’s the same for me. I’m gonna bet it all on this Mammon skill…
Ludora looked at him, bemused and excited about his first match in a long time. If Yuuki could withstand his domination skills, this might prove to be one treacherous ally, indeed. He was aware of the possibility, but he still chose to engage him.
If this is enough to crush me, well, that’s as far as my ideals will take me.
Defeat wasn’t even on his mind. And if Yuuki merely pretended to obey him, that was not the end of the world, either. Taming pawns like that, he was sure, was the only way he could truly become the world’s sole dominant ruler. And Velgrynd had known him for a long time. She didn’t need it spelled out to know what he was thinking. That’s why she knew how useless it was to chide him for this.
“All right. If you lose, then I’ll make sure to avenge you.”
She took a step back.
“You hardly need to worry,” Ludora replied, chuckling as he stepped forward. Yuuki followed suit, ignoring his screaming aches and pains as he stood up.
“Your group certainly is interesting, though. No wonder Guy praised you all as the jokers disrupting this whole game.”
“…How did you know that?”
“Heh. I just received a report from Tatsuya about them. The Moderate Jesters, I think they’re called? Well, their leader’s fallen into our hands, too. And I’ll also tell you this—everything about you is now fully known to me. Keep that in mind as you challenge me.”
Tatsuya was Lieutenant Kondo’s given name. Ludora must have had some way to keep in contact with him, and he must’ve reported on defeating Kagali just now. Realizing all this, Yuuki let out a sigh of disgust. Everything from his unique constitution to the fight and subsequent conversations he had with Guy had been leaked. Yuuki had told everyone he trusted about his ultimate skill. Damrada had faithfully kept it a secret, but now all that was meaningless. Kagali was Yuuki’s closest confidant, and naturally, she knew all his secrets.
Oh, man. I’m dead. So they know absolutely everything about me…?
Suddenly Yuuki had an urge to throw it all away. His mind told him that he was out of ideas, but his pride would never allow him to retreat at this point. But most of all:
Then Kagali isn’t dead? Ludora’s got some kind of domination skill, and if I had to guess, Kondo’s got something close to that. In which case, instead of trying to run…
In an instant, he formulated a plan. It had a very low chance of success, but it made him feel better than taking things on with zero strategy.
“Well, how kind of you to say. But all that ease is gonna be your downfall!”
“That’s fine. I tend to believe I’ve won only when I’ve surpassed my opponent’s full strength. So please, by all means, give it your all as well. I don’t want you having any regrets.”
Ludora took another step forward. Then he assumed a fighting stance—a unique one, no weapons involved. He was a swordsman by training, as proven by the longsword on his belt, but he intended to defeat Yuuki purely by domination, as promised.
Yuuki had already seen through Ludora’s personality. He had a firm, honest disposition, one not befitting a ruler at all, and now he was sincerely aiming to battle Yuuki. That’s what made him so easy to read.
Honestly, winning here in the primary definition of the term is impossible. Even if I pull something off against Ludora, Velgrynd’s still here. If I can’t escape, then the best I can hope for is to cancel out Ludora’s domination?
But Ludora had to be expecting that—and what’s more, he had total confidence that he could take control of Yuuki. And so the only option Yuuki had left was…
“Bring it on, Ludora!”
…betting everything on the slightest of probabilities.
“Regalia Dominion!”
With a balletic move, Ludora sprang into action, instantly closing the distance between himself and Yuuki. Once he was in range, he began activating his “imperial domination,” the very pinnacle of powers offered by his ultimate skill Michael, Lord of Justice. Unlike the imitation he proffered to Kondo, this skill had no limitations, and its powers were an order of magnitude greater. Even among ultimate skills, there were still subclassifications in rank—and for someone as recently awakened as Yuuki, there was no way to resist this one.
Ludora stood there, as dignified as could be. Yuuki collapsed on the spot. The winner and loser seemed clear now, but the outcome remained unknown.
“Are you sure you won’t kill him? People like him, you know—they’ll pretend to obey you, and then they’ll wait for just the right moment to strike.”
“That’s fine. That’s what makes it so fun. I’m letting him off the hook as a reward for resisting my dominance.”
Despite it all, Ludora’s confidence remained unshakable. His absolute dominance was assured in his mind, and he didn’t doubt his victory for a moment.
“All right, then…”
Ludora, the victor, boldly smiled. Then he turned toward Damrada, who was staying politely silent in a corner of a room, and addressed him like an old friend.
“Forgive me, Damrada, but I cannot have you getting in my way just yet.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty…”
That was all it took for the two of them to be on the same page.
“When he wakes up, please take care of him for me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Satisfied with that reply, Ludora left with Velgrynd in tow. He had only just begun tightening the reins on his government, and now that he was on the move, a new era was about to begin. Not even the capital would escape the waves of upheaval—and even though it was the middle of the night, the sky turned red as a rain of pure crimson began to fall.