The moment Irene thought about how she had just lost to such a lecherous bastard, her chest rose and fell violently with anger, and the frustration in her heart only grew stronger.
Kabe, meanwhile, felt completely innocent.
It was not as though he truly wanted to stare.
It was just that this woman had insisted on sitting there in the sky, lifting her skirt so high like she was deliberately trying to tempt him and draw his eyes in.
After taking two more perfectly justified looks in broad daylight, Kabe finally turned to the mysterious woman and said,
"Ahem. Miss Fanservice, whatever you want, come down first and talk."
Up in the sky, the woman did not get angry at Kabe's clearly rude form of address.
She slowly drifted down onto the deck and walked with graceful steps until she stood before Kabe and Irene.
"If you like looking, then by all means, look.
Dragons have never had the habit of wearing clothes.
This appearance is only to better fit a human form, that is all."
At those words, Irene tightened her grip on her staff, and her expression gained another layer of caution.
"So you really are one of the dragon race. I never expected there would still be dragons alive in this world besides Acnologia."
Compared to Irene's seriousness, Kabe was the complete opposite.
"So you are a dragon friend after all. In that case, no problem. I am willing to represent humanity in respecting dragon customs. You can take all your clothes off right now if you want."
"Shut up, you idiot brat!"
Irene roared at him furiously.
The woman who claimed to be a dragon also gave him a polite yet distant smile.
"Tch. I was only trying to liven up the mood. The two of you are taking this way too seriously."
Seeing that he was not going to get the feast for his eyes he had hoped for, Kabe immediately changed his tone and returned to a properly serious expression.
"Ahem. Even over in Ishgar, I have heard a little about the Five Dragon Gods of Guiltina on the northern continent.
So then, perhaps you would be kind enough to explain why the great Moon Dragon God Selene was hiding in another dimension and secretly watching our fight?"
For the briefest moment, surprise flashed across Selene's otherwise calm face, but it vanished just as quickly.
"Oh my. Was I recognized that quickly?
It seems, monkey-tail boy, that your intelligence network is just as impressive as your strength.
As for why I appeared here, for that you should thank this lady here, who is half my kin."
Selene's gaze turned toward Irene. Her pink eyes, round and slit like those of a feline, slowly swept across Irene's body.
"As you said, dragons still alive in this era are already very rare.
So when I happened to pass by and suddenly caught the scent of an unfamiliar one of my kind, naturally I became curious and came to have a look.
What I did not expect was to find something even rarer than a dragon itself.
A Dragon Slayer who has become a dragon.
In that regard, you could be called a second Acnologia."
"Second?"
The moment she heard that term, Irene's brow twitched sharply.
She slammed her staff down against the deck and corrected Selene with righteous indignation, her face darkened with displeasure.
"Get this straight. I am the creator of Dragon Slayer Magic, the Mother of Dragon Slayers.
Even Acnologia only came later because he happened to stumble into the same path."
Now it was Selene's turn to look surprised.
Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at Irene, whose face was full of proud arrogance.
"So you are Queen Irene, the one who created Dragon Slayer Magic four hundred years ago?
My, my, what a coincidence.
Thanks to your Dragon Slayer Magic, we dragons have had a rather miserable time these past years."
"Heh. That is something your dragon race brought upon itself.
If the dragons of the western continent had not spread the idea of enslaving humans into the eastern continent back then, then we humans of the eastern continent could have continued living together with dragons in harmony and friendship."
Both women now had a trace of gunpowder in their voices, and the way they looked at one another was no longer entirely friendly.
At the same time, the magic power rising from both of them surged like the depths of the sea itself, vast and immeasurable.
At the side, Brandish and the other two, who could not possibly insert themselves into a conversation at this level, were so frightened that they huddled together into a miserable little bundle, trembling helplessly.
Only Kabe was completely immune to the collision of the two women's magic power.
He even had the leisure to stand at the side and make sarcastic comments.
"Exactly, exactly. It is all her fault for inventing Dragon Slayer Magic. Selene, as the victim here, you should definitely teach her a proper lesson.
And Irene, the great era of dragon slaying begins now. It is time to show the true skill of the Mother of Dragon Slayers!"
Selene: ...
Irene: ...
No matter how tense or dangerous the atmosphere had become, it simply could not hold up once Kabe started wrecking it like this.
The two women, who had looked as though they were on the verge of fighting, both immediately dropped the tension and turned to glare at him with unfriendly expressions.
Irene said, "You really want to see the two of us start fighting and end up badly wounded together that much?"
Selene said, "I may dislike Dragon Slayer Magic, but I am not brainless. I have no intention of doing something that would only get me hurt."
As those words fell, the two women exchanged a glance and at the same time withdrew the magic power they had been stirring up.
Then Selene took the initiative and extended her hand to Irene in a human gesture of goodwill.
"As expected of a mage whose genius was renowned across the continent four hundred years ago.
You are one of the very few people in all these years whom I am truly willing to acknowledge."
Irene did not act coyly either. She reached out and took the offered hand.
"The feeling is mutual. I have also heard of the name of the Five Dragon Gods.
It is a pity I am injured right now, otherwise I really would have liked to have a proper spar with you."
"I saw the whole thing. It was a splendid battle.
Your High Enchantment Magic would be troublesome even from my point of view."
"Heh. Even so, against that little monster, I still lost completely and thoroughly."