To be frank, neither Naohara nor Momonga could be considered friendly toward the Dragon Race.
And that wasn't just in terms of attitude. Their builds, skills, and equipment were all extremely unfriendly to dragons.
Naohara might be a Dragonoid, but he was the very definition of a traitor to his own kind. His class, his abilities, even his weapons were practically tailor-made to counter dragons.
Unless it was a Hidden Boss-level dragon, anything else would simply get crushed. And now that he possessed the ultimate Dragonslayer Divine-class Item, [Dragon Destruction Sword], Naohara felt that even a Hidden Boss was not beyond challenging.
Momonga, on the other hand, was an Undead and did not have innate anti-dragon bonuses. But one must not forget the red orb embedded within him, the World-Class Item jokingly referred to as the "Momonga's Red Orb."
Aside from its already overwhelming effects, it also carried a special attribute: powerful anti-dragon damage. Its threat to dragons was by no means insignificant.
That was precisely why, before the server shutdown, Naohara and Momonga had been able to defeat the Hidden World Boss [Wings of the End – Níðhöggr].
Together, the two of them were nothing short of a nightmare for dragons.
So while Momonga remained cautious toward the dragons of this world, he was not overly worried. For them, the only truly troublesome factor was the unknown power of Wild Magic.
"Move!"
Seeing the platinum armor cancel its flight and slowly descend, Naohara gave the order at once.
Shalltear immediately rushed forward. Dark crimson armor covered her body, and with her Spuit Lance in hand, she thrust viciously toward the opponent.
Naohara, Momonga, Herohero, and the other Guardians did not move.
Their real target was the True Dragon Lord controlling the platinum armor. Shalltear was merely bait, meant to lure the dragon's true body into appearing.
If they all attacked at once and frightened the True Dragon Lord into staying hidden, that would defeat the purpose.
Shalltear's strike was swift, but the platinum armor under the Platinum Dragon Lord's control was no less formidable. The floating weapons around it quickly assembled into a shield.
Boom!
An explosion erupted, kicking up a massive cloud of smoke. A figure shot out from within.
"What incredible strength!"
A shallow dent had appeared on the platinum armor. Even with a rushed defense, it had still suffered damage.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking me?"
The platinum armor stood ready, staring at the smoke ahead as Shalltear stepped out slowly in her dark red armor.
"Why? I kill whoever I please."
Remembering the plan, Shalltear immediately adopted a cruel, domineering tone.
She swept her Spuit Lance, and a heavy pressure burst outward from her.
Feeling the wave of force crash over him, the controller behind the platinum armor felt his heart sink.
"You're a Player."
Though framed as a question, his voice carried certainty.
In his centuries of existence, he had encountered many powerful beings. But this vampire had never been one of them.
Compared to believing she had been hiding quietly all this time, it made far more sense that she was a newly arrived Player.
After all, from just those few sentences, her personality was obvious. She was not the type to keep a low profile.
"Oh? You seem to know quite a bit."
Shalltear curled her lips into a cruel smile, giving an ambiguous answer that neither confirmed nor denied anything.
That reaction only strengthened the Platinum Armor's suspicions. The other party clearly understood what Players were and showed no surprise or confusion. That alone was telling enough.
"So the once-in-a-century aftershock has come again…"
The Platinum Armor muttered under its breath before making up its mind.
…
Far away, in the Argland Council State.
On a vast platform, a gigantic platinum dragon opened its eyes from slumber.
He was the Platinum Dragon Lord, son of the Dragon Emperor, one of the strongest True Dragon Lords in this world, and the one controlling the platinum armor.
"Another Player has appeared. And this one will bring harm to the world. It must be eliminated as soon as possible."
The Platinum Dragon Lord slowly rose and looked into the distance.
After sending out several messages and briefly communicating with certain beings, he turned his gaze toward a corner.
There hung a weapon.
A long sword forged entirely from crystal, its slender blade engraved with intricate runes. It possessed an elegant and almost artistic beauty.
A flicker of hesitation passed through his eyes, but after a moment, that hesitation turned into resolve.
With a roar, the Platinum Dragon Lord spread his wings and shot into the sky. Amid roaring winds, he flew at terrifying speed toward the location of the platinum armor.
He had to arrive before the armor was defeated and attempt to kill the Player.
He would have preferred to gather the other True Dragon Lords, but there was no time. If he delayed, the Player might escape.
The Platinum Dragon Lord had never considered the possibility of failure. Even if he could not defeat the enemy, retreating safely would not be a problem.
Players were strong.
But as a True Dragon Lord, so was he.
…
In the forest.
The platinum armor, under the Dragon Lord's control, continued probing Shalltear, buying time for his true body to arrive.
"Unknown Player, what do you think of this world?"
While confronting Shalltear, the platinum armor released a terrifying surge of magic power, steadily countering the pressure radiating from her.
"What do I think? It's nothing more than a livestock farm."
Shalltear's face was full of disdain. There was no trace of deception in her words.
In her eyes, this world would one day become a ranch for the Supreme Ones, a playground for their amusement.
"That's enough. You may die now."
Without giving the other side a chance to continue questioning, Shalltear launched her attack. According to Naohara-sama's plan, she had said everything necessary. From here on, it was her free time.
[Self Time Acceleration]
With the spell activated, Shalltear vanished from her position and instantly reappeared in front of the platinum armor.
A storm of terrifying attacks followed. The platinum armor tried to retreat, only to realize it could not shake her off.
Under [Self Time Acceleration], Shalltear's speed had surpassed the platinum armor's.
"If you insist on fighting, then so be it."
The platinum armor transformed its weapons into a shield and endured Shalltear's relentless assault. The entire suit was sent flying again and again, like a sandbag battered through the air.
As one of the strongest True Dragon Lords in the world, when had he ever been reduced to such a state?
Any thought of continuing the conversation disappeared.
If words would not work, then strength would.
The best defense was offense. Though the armor could not defeat her, it would not fall instantly either.
[Eightfold Execution]
The platinum armor dismissed its shield, slipped past Shalltear's attack, and swung its arm. Eight weapons shot toward her at once.
Shalltear paid them no mind and continued her assault.
Just as the eight weapons were about to strike her, a pure white shield materialized and blocked them.
[Negative Impact Shield]
The violent impact blasted the weapons away, scattering them in all directions. At the platinum armor's command, they regrouped and once again hovered at its sides.
The battle dragged on.
The surrounding forest had already been reduced to ruins under the aftermath of their clash.
Hidden in the shadows, Naohara and the others watched the fight in silence.
"If this keeps up, Shalltear is going to win."
Naohara watched the platinum armor being completely suppressed in midair. It looked utterly miserable.
"Should we have Shalltear hold back a little?"
Momonga suggested. Their goal was to lure out the one controlling the platinum armor. The True Dragon Lord had not even shown himself yet. They could not afford to destroy the armor too soon.
If the other side decided not to come, that would be troublesome.
"It's fine, Momonga. Look closely. Even though it's being crushed from all sides, the platinum armor has no intention of retreating."
"That means it's stalling for time. The True Dragon Lord should already be on his way."
Herohero pointed at the platinum armor, which was nearly being dismantled by Shalltear, and calmly analyzed the situation.
The armor was on the verge of being smashed apart, yet it still refused to flee. That could only mean the controller had a plan. Most likely, the main body was almost here.
"Then let's wait a bit longer."
After thinking it over, Momonga agreed. He returned his attention to the fierce battle overhead.
In his pale skeletal hand, a recording device quietly captured everything.
He could watch this later when he was bored. A perfect way to pass the time. Momonga silently praised his own foresight.
More time passed.
The platinum armor had been reduced to scrap.
The mithril-forged surface was riddled with massive craters, some piercing straight through the structure. The weapons that once hovered at its sides had shattered, their remnants scattered across the ground.
The platinum armor had simply been unlucky.
Had it faced someone else, it might not have fallen so quickly into such a pitiful state.
But its opponent was Shalltear.
"So weak. I haven't even used my full strength."
Shalltear stepped on the platinum armor's head, mocking it with a smug expression.
The armor, riddled with holes, tried to rise, but under her foot it could not move at all.
Seeing this, Shalltear pressed down harder. With a burst of dust, she drove its head straight into the ground.
She was in an excellent mood.
She felt she had performed brilliantly this time and was certain the Supreme Ones would praise her.
Just as she was indulging in that fantasy, a deafening roar shattered the moment.
Shalltear's expression sharpened as she looked toward the distant sky.
A powerful being had arrived.
Its strength was not inferior to hers.
It might even surpass her.
…
On the other side, Naohara felt something unusual.
His blood roared. His mind trembled.
He could feel it.
A delicious feast was approaching, and he could barely suppress the urge to devour it.
This reaction was due to the enormous benefits the Platinum Dragon Lord could bring him.
Even the [Dragon Destruction Sword] in his hand began to glow faintly. Like Naohara, the dragon-slaying weapon seemed eager to taste the blood of a True Dragon Lord from this world.
"I didn't expect the [Dragonslayer] class to stir me up this much…"
He laughed softly.
"You're excited too, aren't you?"
Gripping the hilt tightly, Naohara lifted his head.
In the sky ahead, a colossal platinum dragon roared toward the heavens, and an overwhelming dragon's might spread across the battlefield.