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\u2019d 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\u2014the Marshal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cL-Lady Velgrynd\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damrada\u2019s whisper sounded bizarrely loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Velgrynd? Does he mean\u2026?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At that moment, Yuuki realized his face was too tensed up to move. A True Dragon, the strongest creature in the world\u2014now she was before him, their powers beyond compare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sure ain\u2019t good. I didn\u2019t sense this when I saw Veldora, but with her, it\u2019s not even a question of winning or losing. Fighting someone like her head-on would just be suicide.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But despite that realization, Yuuki refused to give up. If a head-on confrontation was doomed to fail, simply find a back door\u2014and Yuuki had the perfect special move for that. Play his cards right, he thought, and victory seemed possible enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI never would\u2019ve guessed Her Excellency the Marshal was a True Dragon all along. Now I understand why Guy hasn\u2019t made a move yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy. How unusual for a human. I admire you for not losing your nerve around me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks. And by the way, it\u2019d be really great if you could let me go. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s fine by me. I<\/em> don\u2019t have any business with you\u2026 My dear husband does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Velgrynd took a step back\u2026 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Masayuki? Nah, no way it\u2019s him. Or\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Yuuki, this man had to be Masayuki\u2019s identical twin\u2014but he <\/a>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking more closely, he could sense differences in the eyes, too. Masayuki\u2019s were always either darting around or just kind of blank, unthinking, but this<\/em> man looked like he could see through everything. It almost felt like those eyes could consume you if you weren\u2019t careful. No way were they the same person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026Guess not, huh?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now reasonably sure of that, Yuuki then realized who the man really was. If Velgrynd called him her husband, that left only one candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Emperor Ludora?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, Sir Yuuki. This is His Majesty, Emperor Ludora, the ruler standing at the peak of the Empire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019t blame him. He knew how much more Ludora meant to him. The real issue at hand: Why was Ludora here at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, color me shocked. Why is Your Eminence in a meeting hall like this? Are you bored, or\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I am quite a busy man,\u201d the emperor replied, unaffected by Yuuki\u2019s teasing. \u201cMy game against Guy is in the closing stages. I have no time to trifle with other matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh? Well, you better stop bumping around my place, then\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough nonsense. I want you to join me. Agree to it, and I\u2019ll let you keep your free will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019t resist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Is this Thought Guidance in action? It resembles the brand of dominance Maribel tried on me, but far stronger\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019ve been able to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No! This isn\u2019t any simple power like that!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPft\u2026<\/em> Not bad. I wasn\u2019t expecting you to break out this cheat code on me from the very start\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Strange to find your power doesn\u2019t work on me, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ludora turned toward Velgrynd, troubled. She responded with light giggling, which didn\u2019t make Ludora feel any better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t 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\u2019ll break him before he can even join you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat, this won\u2019t work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo. You don\u2019t have enough people in your life you speak to on equal terms. That makes it hard for you to control your strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Velgrynd seemed to thoroughly enjoy how puzzled Ludora was. Yuuki, hearing all this, trembled in humiliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you kidding me?! Do I not even register to them? Let\u2019s take that smug attitude and rip it apart right now!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d he said, regaining his composure. \u201cI\u2019ll admit it. You guys are definitely the greatest rulers the world\u2019s ever known. <\/a>But you know, if you have all that power and still<\/em> can\u2019t conquer the entire world, then to me, you could hardly be<\/em> more incompetent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As usual, he kicked things off with provocation. Velgrynd responded first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmm. Brash of you. How about we kill him after all, Ludora? Bringing this kid into the fold wouldn\u2019t make that much difference strength-wise against Guy. Why keep him around just so he can sass us like this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Ludora was more magnanimous than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t 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\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was Ludora\u2019s way of completely degrading Yuuki. He snorted at it. Taunting Ludora wouldn\u2019t accomplish much if it did nothing to bother him. It was time to break out the big guns. With Velgrynd around, Yuuki couldn\u2019t waste a lot of time. He\u2019d have to tap his greatest weapon from the get-go and use the momentum from it to subdue the True Dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuuki steeled himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou want me to join you? Fine, but I\u2019m not about to serve someone weaker than me. If you want me around, you\u2019re gonna have to show me some real<\/em> power!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So who would he target first? It had to be Ludora. He\u2019d 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\u2019s driving force, and it had brought him great success so far\u2014and this time, too, he\u2019d make a huge leap forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>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\u2019s hand was about to touch Ludora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He activated Life Absorb, one of Mammon\u2019s 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he survived, though, that\u2019s where Yuuki\u2019s left hand came in. It was infused with Heart Control, a terrifying power that acted on the target\u2019s emotions and even affected their memories. It was a dominating force, one even more vicious and irresistible than Maribel\u2019s own greed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuuki planned to use this one-two punch to blaze a path through this. But the plan was quickly shattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou will not<\/em> lay a hand on Ludora in my presence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s right hand away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019t that Velgrynd did<\/em> anything to him, exactly\u2014quite the opposite. All she did was push Yuuki\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As blood flowed from his mouth, eyes, and nose, Yuuki thought over what just happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>That\u2026 That\u2019s insane. How beyond my allowable limit was that?! I\u2019m 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?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s attack wasn\u2019t even worth defending in her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now he realized how impossible this was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dammit! I had no idea there was this much difference. No wonder I barely register with them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d advise you not to try anything rash, please. I\u2019ve come to you on my own volition. And indeed, why don\u2019t I respond to your request to see my power?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s a bad habit to indulge, Ludora. Leave that to me. I don\u2019t want you getting hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHee-hee! Well, that<\/em> won\u2019t be very convincing, now will it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was stirring the pot, nothing more. Yuuki wasn\u2019t about to let them take all his favorite party tricks away from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHa-ha-ha! Glad you know what I\u2019m talking about. Realistically speaking, I think I\u2019ve already lost. But I\u2019m not a quitter, you know. Don\u2019t expect me to give up that<\/em> easy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Infused with a new drive, he glared at Ludora. The emperor responded with a curious smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>The unexpected offer made Yuuki steel his eyes. Ludora clearly meant it. He really didn\u2019t mind letting Yuuki go. And while Yuuki couldn\u2019t read his intentions here, Ludora saw this confrontation in rather simple terms. Yuuki could gain experience through this\u2014experience that would give him even stronger powers. Once that was done, they could talk it over again\u2026 And then he\u2019d have Yuuki in his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two of them were completely different in ability. That\u2019s why Yuuki found Ludora so creepy\u2014and why his taunts enraged him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Domination\u2019s his strong suit? Well, it\u2019s the same for me. I\u2019m gonna bet it all on this Mammon skill\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this is enough to crush me, well, that\u2019s as far as my ideals will take me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Defeat wasn\u2019t 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\u2019s sole dominant ruler. And Velgrynd had known him for a long time. She didn\u2019t need it spelled out to know what he was thinking. That\u2019s why she knew how useless it was to chide him for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right. If you lose, then I\u2019ll make sure to avenge you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She took a step back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou hardly need to worry,\u201d Ludora replied, chuckling as he stepped forward. Yuuki followed suit, ignoring his screaming aches and pains as he stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour group certainly is interesting, though. No wonder Guy praised you all as the jokers disrupting this whole game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026How did you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHeh. I just received a report from Tatsuya about them. The Moderate Jesters, I think they\u2019re called? Well, their<\/em> leader\u2019s fallen into our hands, too. And I\u2019ll also tell you this\u2014everything about you is now fully known to me. Keep that in mind as you challenge me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tatsuya was Lieutenant Kondo\u2019s given name. Ludora must have <\/a>had some way to keep in contact with him, and he must\u2019ve 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\u2019s closest confidant, and naturally, she knew all his secrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, man. I\u2019m dead. So they know absolutely everything about me\u2026?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then Kagali isn\u2019t dead? Ludora\u2019s got some kind of domination skill, and if I had to guess, Kondo\u2019s got something close to that. In which case, instead of trying to run\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, how kind of you to say. But all that ease is gonna be your downfall!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s fine. I tend to believe I\u2019ve won only when I\u2019ve surpassed my opponent\u2019s full strength. So please, by all means, give it your<\/em> all as well. I don\u2019t want you having any regrets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ludora took another step forward. Then he assumed a fighting stance\u2014a 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuuki had already seen through Ludora\u2019s personality. He had a firm, honest disposition, one not befitting a ruler at all, and now he was sincerely aiming to battle Yuuki. That\u2019s what made him so easy to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Honestly, winning here in the primary definition of the term is impossible. Even if I pull something off against Ludora, Velgrynd\u2019s still here. If I can\u2019t escape, then the best I can hope for is to cancel out Ludora\u2019s domination?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n