"Cough… damn it!"
As the waves of destruction slowly faded, the Platinum Dragon Lord lay sprawled across the ruined land, utterly drained.
To kill Naohara, it had burned through every stored soul it possessed. Even its own Dragon Soul was left at barely five percent.
It had believed that even if its full-power strike failed to kill him, it would at least cripple him. The reality before it was hard to accept.
The Platinum Dragon Lord forced its eyes open and stared ahead.
"As expected of Wild Magic. Terrifying power."
Naohara's figure emerged from the smoke. He did not look much better. His scales were shattered, blood dripping steadily from his wounds, his appearance thoroughly battered.
[Dragon's Wrath] and [Catastrophe. Dimensional Slash].
Even Naohara had taken damage from the collision between those two attacks.
Yes, damage.
But only superficial wounds.
Though he looked badly injured, most of it was surface-level. Even if he did nothing, a short rest would be enough for him to recover completely.
With the [Dragonslayer] class and the effects of [Dragon Blood Sacrifice], Naohara's base attributes already surpassed those of most Players.
His stats across the board were absurdly high, rivaling Touch Me under the effects of the [World Champion] class, perhaps even slightly exceeding him.
After all, not many people could log in every single day for twelve years, consistently hunting dragon-type bosses and grinding [Dragon Blood Sacrifice] the way he had.
([World Champion]: +70% to all attributes.)
And considering the enemies he might face after transmigrating to another world, Naohara had prepared early.
His character knew around five hundred spells, and at least half of them were passive abilities that boosted defense, attack, or recovery.
It didn't matter how small the effect was. If a skill offered even the slightest enhancement, he would spend money to learn it. He spent without restraint. Even if it meant going hungry in real life, he would save up to invest in the game.
One could only call it obsessive.
"Only after finishing the fight did I realize I never introduced myself."
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Naohara Kamiotoshi, one of the Supreme Beings of Nazarick."
Naohara clapped his hands together lightly, looking almost apologetic. They had already fought to this extent, yet the other party still did not know his name.
What a lapse in manners.
"Buzz."
Just as the Platinum Dragon Lord was about to speak, a pitch-black portal suddenly opened in midair, cutting it off.
Teleportation magic?
The name of a tiered spell flashed through its mind.
But how was that possible? The area was still enveloped by [World-Isolating Barrier].
Unless…
Countless thoughts flashed through the Platinum Dragon Lord's mind. A chilling realization crept up from the depths of its heart.
From the black portal, a skeletal magic caster clad in robes stepped out first, dark magical energy radiating from his body like a grim reaper emerging from the depths of hell.
Behind him came a pitch-black humanoid creature coated in corrosive slime. With every step it took, droplets fell to the ground, instantly boring holes through the earth and leaving gaping pits behind.
Then came Shalltear, clad in blood-stained armor.
Cocytus, each of his hands gripping a weapon.
Aura, brimming with hostility. Mare, who appeared timid on the surface but whose eyes glinted with cold calculation. Sebas, his expression stern and composed. And finally, Albedo, fully armed and ready for battle.
"Filth!"
The Platinum Dragon Lord roared, its voice almost breaking into a shriek.
"Filth? That's a bit harsh. Just a moment ago, you were calling us Players."
Naohara clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.
"Naohara, are you alright?"
Momonga stepped forward, the red glow in his eye sockets flickering with concern as he looked at Naohara, still stained with blood.
Herohero and the Guardians shared the same expression. The clash just now had been overwhelming. Even knowing how strong Naohara was, they could not help but worry.
Aura and Mare each grabbed one of Naohara's hands. Aside from Momonga and Herohero, they were the most anxious of all.
"What could possibly happen to me?"
Naohara first reached out and patted the Dark Elf siblings on the head to reassure them. Then he cast a spell to cleanse the blood and grime from his body, revealing wounds that had already closed.
With the recovery from hundreds of passive skills, if Momonga and the others had arrived any later, his health would have been almost completely restored.
Not to mention he had three lives. Even if he had truly died, it would not have been a big problem.
"That's a relief. I didn't expect [Wild Magic] to be this powerful. It even surpasses [Super-Tier Magic]."
Momonga spoke with a hint of amazement, and Herohero nodded in agreement.
They had known Wild Magic was strong, but not to this extent. The sheer scale of it left them astonished and even more curious.
How had the Eight Greed Kings wiped out the Dragon Race centuries ago?
Had they relied on especially powerful World-Class Items?
But according to the intelligence obtained from the Black Scripture, the Dragon Race's Wild Magic seemed capable of offsetting the effects of World-Class Items.
Could it have been the [Twenty]?
Momonga and Herohero began analyzing rapidly, their curiosity about the truth burning.
"Enough overthinking. It's time we invite this Dragon Race friend back to Nazarick for a little tour."
"Honestly, I can't wait."
Naohara clapped both of them on the shoulder, cutting off their speculation.
Originally, he had planned to kill the Platinum Dragon Lord outright. But not long ago, a new idea had taken shape.
If it worked, not only would he benefit greatly, but Nazarick as a whole would gain enormous advantages.
At his words, everyone turned their attention back to the Platinum Dragon Lord.
The True Dragon Lord still looked dazed, staring blankly at Momonga and the others. More precisely, at the World-Class Items in their hands.
The Platinum Dragon Lord's mind was in chaos.
If it had been one or two World-Class Items, it could have understood.
But this?
And the power of the [Dragon Destruction Sword], with its overwhelming restraint against dragons, could practically be counted as a World-Class Item in its own right.
That made fifteen.
Fifteen. A full fifteen World-Class Items.
Even combining the Six Great Gods and the Eight Greed Kings of the past, they had not possessed so many.
The Players who had descended this time were even more terrifying than the Eight Greed Kings.
A chill crept into the Platinum Dragon Lord's heart. The shadows of the past surfaced once more, something that could not be concealed by so-called dragon pride.
Those filthy beings back then had nearly driven the Dragon Race to extinction.
If not for some timid dragons hiding away, and the internal strife among the Eight Greed Kings, the Dragon Race would have been wiped out completely.
Looking at Naohara and the others standing before it, the Platinum Dragon Lord's body began to tremble.
This was fear carved deep into its soul.
No.
Run.
It had to run.
It had to inform all the True Dragon Lords. Unite every powerful being of this world. Use guild weapons to threaten the subordinates of the Eight Greed Kings. Join forces and kill these Players.
Otherwise, this world was finished.
The Platinum Dragon Lord made its decision in an instant. Under the astonished gazes of Naohara and the others, it directly activated Wild Magic and blew off its own head.
The Platinum Dragon Lord had committed suicide.
But in the very next moment, a brilliant emerald light flared.
The Platinum Dragon Lord was instantly restored to full health.
Not only its body, but even its Dragon Soul returned to its peak state.
Before Naohara and the others could react, it shot straight into the sky.
It could sense that space had been sealed and teleportation magic was unusable. At this point, fleeing by flight was its only option.
"Interesting. A resurrection item?"
Naohara and the others came back to their senses and looked up at the shrinking black dot in the sky. Though surprised, none of them panicked.
The Platinum Dragon Lord was not getting away.
"Seems our dragon friend is a little shy."
Naohara rolled his neck with a faint smile.
Momonga and Herohero instinctively stepped back. Everyone knew that when Naohara smiled like that, nothing good followed.
"That True Dragon Lord is done for."
The two exchanged a glance, perfectly in sync.
After patting Aura and Mare on the head and having them step aside obediently, Naohara stored the [Dragon Destruction Sword] and closed his eyes.
[Dragon Lord Transformation]
Magic power surged violently. A massive magic array unfolded beneath him, and amid pitch-black light, Naohara's figure slowly vanished. In its place rose a suffocating Dragon Aura.
A colossal shadow blotted out the sky.
Four enormous dragon horns crowned its head. Behind it spread three pairs of vast wings, beating steadily.
Its tail, as long as its body, swayed through the air. Its entire form was jet black. On both sides of its chest were dark crimson markings that looked like gemstones yet resembled eyes. Its skin, bare of feathers, was covered in hard black Dragon Scales.
Its gaze was fierce, fangs sharp, and its claws looked capable of tearing apart anything before them. The mere sight of it inspired instinctive fear.
The Catastrophe Dragon Lord.
This was Naohara's dragon form, and his strongest state.
"I'll go on ahead. Take your time catching up."
The massive dragon lowered its head slightly. Its deep voice echoed in everyone's ears. Then it shot upward, six wings beating as it accelerated at a terrifying speed, chasing after the Platinum Dragon Lord.
On the ground, the Guardians stood frozen until a violent gust of wind swept over them. Only then did they snap out of it.
"It didn't feel like much in the game, but seeing it in the real world really is overwhelming."
Momonga spoke with a hint of emotion. To be honest, he was a little envious. Both Naohara and Herohero had transformation forms like that. He did not.
"It's fine, Momonga. You can summon a herd of little goats. That would be quite a spectacle too."
Herohero patted Momonga on the shoulder in consolation.
The two of them began walking at an unhurried pace. Since Naohara had said they could take their time, they might as well treat it like a stroll.
The Guardians quickly followed behind to ensure the safety of the two Supreme Beings.
"Why are you walking so slowly, Shalltear?"
"Earlier, I imagined Naohara-sama transforming… so things are a little inconvenient down there."
"…Just go die."