Platinum Dragon Lord, whose true name is Tsaindorcus Vaision.
As the son of the Dragon Emperor, he wields Wild Magic and stands at the pinnacle among the surviving Dragon Lords.
He rarely shows himself in his true dragon form. Instead, he operates through the Platinum Armor. More than two hundred years ago, he traveled alongside his companions using that armor, fighting together against the Demon Gods.
The Platinum Armor he controls is counted among the Thirteen Heroes.
Within the forest.
The air trembled without end. A crushing pressure smothered the land as a colossal dragon circled overhead, releasing its overwhelming power without restraint.
Its entire body shimmered in platinum, radiating a terrifying presence. With jaws agape, it fixed its draconic eyes on the figure below.
On the ground, Shalltear stood as if facing a mortal enemy. A crimson aura coiled around her, shielding her from the oppressive force of the Dragon Aura.
"I am the Platinum Dragon Lord. Unknown Player, I grant you a choice."
"Hand over your World-Class Item and return with me to the Argland Council State."
The Platinum Dragon Lord did not attack at once. Instead, he attempted negotiation.
He was facing a Player who had effortlessly torn apart the platinum armor in a matter of moments. On top of that, there was an eighty percent chance the opponent possessed an unknown World-Class Item.
Even for him, caution was necessary.
"Hmph. You want this lady to surrender? What a pleasant fantasy."
Shalltear's lips curved upward as a cold laugh slipped from her throat. The enemy was undeniably powerful. In a fight without restraint, she might very well lose.
But even if it meant death, she would tear a chunk of flesh from him first. Surrender had never crossed her mind.
Besides, she was not alone.
At that thought, Shalltear subtly glanced to her right, toward where Naohara and the others were positioned.
"So it truly won't work… Very well. Then die."
The Platinum Dragon Lord let out a quiet sigh. He had not expected much to begin with. Even he found the idea of persuading her somewhat naïve. It would have been strange if it had succeeded.
With negotiations broken, he immediately activated his Wild Magic.
[World-Isolating Barrier]
A barrier-type Wild Magic that erected a vast enclosure, completely severing the inside from the outside. Neither physical force nor magic could break through it.
It was an effective way to prevent escape, and the customary opening move of a True Dragon Lord when facing a formidable foe.
Once the barrier's radius, which entirely cut off internal and external interference, expanded to roughly one kilometer, the Platinum Dragon Lord stopped feeding it further souls.
Ever since the incident involving the Eight Greed Kings, activating Wild Magic required the consumption of souls. Even he did not dare to use it recklessly.
If one's soul power were exhausted, the result would be nothing more than a hollow shell.
While it was possible to substitute the souls of other living beings, their quality could not compare to that of a Dragon Soul. Each activation required an astronomical quantity.
The Platinum Dragon Lord opened his mouth. A sacred magic array manifested before him, and in an instant, magical particles in the atmosphere were drawn in, rushing together as they converged.
[Holy Breath]
This was not Wild Magic, but a basic innate ability of True Dragon Lords. It was an instinct of the Dragon Race and required almost no cost.
Magic condensed into a torrent of breath. With a thunderous roar, a beam imbued with sacred attributes descended from the sky, blazing with dazzling light as it shot downward.
Shalltear instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes. As a Vampire, the sacred attribute within the breath countered her completely, its effectiveness strikingly potent.
Yet despite the attack bearing down on her at close range, Shalltear did not move. She stood there without the slightest attempt to evade.
A trace of cunning flashed through her eyes. In the next instant, she dismissed her equipment, reverting to her Gothic Lolita form. Then she turned her gaze to the side, adopting an expression of fragile innocence.
"Naohara-sama, a dragon is bullying me!!"
As Shalltear's shrill cry rang out, a figure stepped out of the void just as the breath was about to strike the ground.
He moved in front of Shalltear, calmly watching the descending torrent. Raising the weapon in his hand, he brought it down in a single decisive slash.
"Buzz!"
The blade tore through the breath with ease, splitting it cleanly in two. The attack passed by on either side, missing them completely.
Naohara glanced at the stunned Platinum Dragon Lord hovering in midair, then lowered his eyes to the figure in his arms.
Shalltear was clinging to him, her face flushed bright red. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she pressed her cheek against him, rubbing against him with a shamelessly lovestruck expression.
In a separate space nearby.
Aura was practically shaking with rage, teeth clenched as she watched the scene outside.
"She actually dares to use such a cheap trick to seduce Father-sama! Aaaah!"
"Don't stop me, Mare! I'm going to fight those 'fake breasts' to the death!"
Aura had already pulled out her weapon and was about to rush out, only for Mare to grab her tightly from behind.
"Calm down, sis! Don't be impulsive!"
Momonga and Herohero said nothing. They quietly turned their heads away. This was Naohara's family matter. There was nothing for them to comment on, so they simply pretended they hadn't seen anything.
Outside.
"Don't pull something like that again, Shalltear. If I'd been even a second later, you would've been in real danger."
Naohara sounded helpless.
"Hehe~"
Shalltear only giggled. She had indeed been gambling just now. Even if she had been injured, it wouldn't have mattered. As long as she didn't die, it was acceptable.
And judging by the result, she had won.
After savoring the warmth of the Supreme One's embrace a little longer, Shalltear obediently let go.
After all, the Platinum Dragon Lord was still alive.
Meanwhile, the Platinum Dragon Lord was studying Naohara with a grave expression.
"This pure Dragon Aura… a Dragonoid?"
It searched its memories but found no information about him. That realization gave rise to an unsettling possibility.
It wasn't as if it had never seen Dragonoids. Among the True Dragon Lords, there was one particularly enthusiastic about reproduction.
But even a Dragonoid who inherited the blood of a True Dragon Lord shouldn't be able to sever its breath so effortlessly. If that possibility was ruled out, then only one explanation remained.
This Dragonoid was also a Player. And a very powerful one.
From the brief exchange between the Dragonoid and the Vampire, it was obvious who held the dominant position.
"Me? I'm just a Dragonoid passing through."
"Next, let me have some fun with you."
Naohara raised the [Dragon Destruction Sword] and pointed it at the Platinum Dragon Lord, speaking in an unhurried tone.
"I think we can talk."
Seeing that Naohara was about to make a move, the Platinum Dragon Lord hurriedly spoke up. To be honest, it had no desire to fight this suddenly appeared Dragonoid Player. Something about him felt deeply wrong.
Both the man and his weapon filled it with unease. Especially that sword. Its reaction was the strongest.
"I'm a Player who came here through transmigration. You're a True Dragon Lord of this world. I don't think we have anything to discuss."
"No. It's different."
The Platinum Dragon Lord shook its massive head and continued.
"You may be a Player, but you are also a dragon!"
"We can coexist peacefully."
The words made Naohara pause for a moment. The logic sounded oddly familiar.
"Honestly, you do make a fair point."
"Then—"
The Platinum Dragon Lord was about to continue when Naohara cut it off.
"But unfortunately, that's impossible."
"You attacked Shalltear. That alone means we can never coexist peacefully."
The moment he finished speaking, Naohara shot forward. The blade in his hand flashed as it slashed straight toward the Platinum Dragon Lord.