Chapter 165

Chapter 162: Fight! Don’t Lose, Dragon Girl!

A powerful wave of magical energy and the chilling cold enveloping the surroundings.

Ryuko immediately understood that this was two abnormal situations.

(…This magical power is not from Rei.)

Unmatched high-purity magical energy spreading throughout Kroma. Ryuko quickly categorized it as something she could not handle on her own.

She intended to deal solely with the cold. Though unaware of the magical energy, she knew exactly what this frozen world was.

“…Toa, the love talk is over. From here on out, it’s probably going to be a fight to the death.”

“Huh?”

Baltius, who had been moving from gate to gate, stopped. Then, it descended into the main street.

“W-why did you drop down here? If we get found out—”

“We are already found.”

“…Huh?”

“We’ve already been spotted.”

The method of pinpointing an opponent’s location through temperature changes was often employed by Rei.

Being of the same S Rank, she understood. This had already transformed from a fugitive act into a war.

“Dragon Inheritance—Red Dragon.”

Baltius transformed into a dragon that the public envisioned.

The camouflage lifted, and Toa and Ryuko revealed themselves in the plaza.

“Protect Rei-chan.”

“Uh, okay.”

Toa, cradling the still-sleeping Rei, nodded. Seeing her, Ryuko quickly made a smile and said,

“Don’t worry, I’m actually quite strong.”

“――That’s a strength with limits, isn’t it?”

The temperature around them dropped further. Their breaths turned white, and feeling in their fingertips faded.

Amidst the blizzard’s whiteout, a force emerged, accompanied by a battalion.

“Are you the mastermind?”

Ryuko glared at the woman in front of her. However, it seemed that it did not intimidate her much.

“How dull. Don’t call me a mastermind. Just call me Scholar. Soon to be the ruler of the world.”

The scholar ostentatiously swept aside her hair, mixed with black and red, and snapped her fingers.

The people behind her moved to surround Ryuko and her companions.

In just a few seconds, the encirclement was complete.

“Scholar… I feel like I was once told by the Director to watch out for someone like you.”

“…The Board of Directors showed their arrogance.”

The scholar frowned with displeasure, raising her gloved arm.

Then, she snapped her fingers.

In an instant, a blizzard of absolute zero, capable of freezing anything it touched, was unleashed.

Upon witnessing the white wind of death advancing while freezing the ground, Ryuko casually pointed.

“Baltius.”

It was a simple command. The flames spewed forth by Baltius completely countered the scholar’s attack.

No, more than that, the all-consuming flames pressed directly towards the scholar.

“What a lukewarm flame, is this child’s play?”

The scholar snapped her fingers again.

The flames froze in place and shattered right in front of her.

A brief exchange of attacks occurred. However, each of them was a blow worthy of death.

“This is a warning. If you surrender quietly, I won’t hurt you much. Baltius won’t transform into a scary form, and you won’t die. What do you say?”

Ryuko recited the formal words just in case. What came back was an ice sword.

Numerous swords conjured in the air aligned their aim at Ryuko.

Then, they were released all at once.

“Baltius, go!”

With a short bark, Baltius stepped forward, skillfully waving its thick tail and knocking the swords down.

“Is this a suitable answer? Seriously, I’m okay right now! I can be quite nice!”

“How trivial, that inquiry. The reverse is true; it’s all about position.”

The scholar pointed at Rei.

“You have only one path. Leave that clone behind. Do not defy me.”

“So this kid is your target after all. Do you think I’d hand her over?”

“You will hand her over, or you’ll have no means of survival!”

The brainwashed crowd began to step closer to Ryuko and her companions.

That was the strategy Ryuko despised the most.

“If this keeps up, Baltius will…!”

“You won’t be able to move that big thing. Hand her over quietly while there’s still room for negotiation.”

Hearing the scholar’s condescending words, Toa made a frightened sound and clutched Rei closer.

Rei, still asleep in her arms, remained unresponsive.

“What should we do, Ryuko-chan…?”

“Hmm, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Huh?”

Ryuko casually remarked. Her face was brimming with an overly refreshing smile.

“Th-there’s nothing we can do!?”

“Yup. If we keep going like this, it’s the end.”

“Do you understand now, the position?”

The scholar nodded in satisfaction.

In response to her, Ryuko exclaimed,

“Shut up, old hag! If it’s a fight, I’m up for it, you idiot! And by the way, that way of talking is irritating! Are you desperately trying to maintain your character at your age!?”

She raised her middle finger and wore a wide grin.

“R-Ryuko-chan!?”

“Are you mocking me?”

The scholar shouted louder than ever before.

“…You must want to die very badly, you greenhorn!”

“Hahaha, leaving Rei-chan behind to escape here would make me a bad person, right? I want to remain a good person until the end.”

“But what will you do? With so many people…”

The current greatest enemy was not the scholar.

The real enemies were the masses she controlled.

This was Baltius’s greatest weakness. Her powers were not suited for defense.

Thus.

“You didn’t really think I wouldn’t have a strategy for situations like this, did you?”

Ryuko looked at Baltius. Then, with a determined expression, she said,

“Dragon Inheritance—Basilisk.”

Baltius’s red scales began to shed, and her body started to transform. Her limbs disappeared, her wings folded, and before long, a great white serpent appeared.

“They say I control dragons, but that’s not the essence of my ability.”

Baltius slowly raised her head. The monster spoken of in myths awaited its master’s signal, quietly and patiently.

“Go, Baltius.”

At Ryuko’s words, Baltius roared. It was just a plain roar.

Yet, that sound stirred the primal fear residing within humans, freezing their feet in place.

Seeing the immobilized crowd, Ryuko pointed at them as if to deal a death blow while circling around.

“From here to there, everything, please take care of it!”

In that moment, Baltius’s eyes glowed eerily. It was the power of the magical eye believed to exist in this world long ago.

In other words, the gaze of petrification.

“How convenient this is. I couldn’t use it during the gate incident since there were non-brainwashed kids, but with all these clear enemies, I don’t have to hold back! The report will be easier too!”

Using unrelated people as shields was certainly advantageous for Ryuko and Baltius.

That’s why she would never leave such a weakness unchecked.

“I’ll shove a dragon spoken of in mythology or even the tale itself into the vessel of a dragon. This is the essence of my unique ability. Now, what will you do, old lady? What you’re going to face from now on is—”

With a defiant smile, Ryuko pointed at the scholar. Behind her—an abomination.

“The most terrifying embodiment built up by the people.”

“…Don’t underestimate me.”

Though she said this, the scholar’s expression hardened.

In contrast, Ryuko wore a triumphant grin—.

(Oh no, what should I do from here? Am I trapped? Hey, am I really trapped?)

Inside, she was in a panic.

Ryuko skillfully defended against attacks from the masses thanks to petrification.

However, the problem was not resolved.

(If I mess around too much, the petrified people will shatter. It won’t matter to them, but won’t they just panic and run away? After all, it’s a Basilisk! Isn’t that really scary? I can’t deal with snakes, so I want to change Baltius into another form quickly!)

Baltius adored her master Ryuko immensely, and even now, as a great serpent, she leaned against Ryuko.

Every time her tongue flicked out into view, Ryuko felt goosebumps rise on her skin.

(Why did I make her take the shape of a snake? The ancients should have imagined her all fluffy and cute! Wouldn’t that be better, you idiot?)

With pent-up rage at her unfair situation, Ryuko remained outwardly confident.

“Now, what to do. I think it’s about time to surrender. We still have Bahamut, the Yamata no Orochi, and Ragnarok waiting, you know? Scary, right? Painful, right?”

(All of those are too much collateral damage to use! Isn’t there a dragon that can snipe the enemy?! How about an assassination-focused dragon?! Why is it that every time dragons and myths come up, they’re always so grand in scale?!)

Ryuko appeared to have overcome her weaknesses.

Or so it seemed.

However, she hadn’t anticipated this situation at all.

Because typically, she would just petrify her opponent and escape in such cases.

“What’s wrong? Surrender already, come on.”

“…Ryuko-chan, you’re sweating a lot, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, yeah. I’m okay.”

In response to Toa’s discreet question, Ryuko answered while blinking repeatedly, never making eye contact with Toa.

(It would make me really happy if she would just surrender right now…)

Ryuko gazed at the scholar. She stared back with a furious expression.

It was clear she was highly motivated.

(Why is she so angry? Is that what they call menopause?)

As Ryuko tilted her head inwardly, the scholar exhaled.

Then, calmly, she said,

“Very well. I will show you my true self. I will prove my position as the pinnacle of humanity!”

Though angry, her thoughts remained cool.

(I can’t kill her here; it would be meaningless. If it drags on, he will come…!)

The goal was still the retrieval of the clone.

If so, there’s no need to fight head-on against an S Rank.

“I’ll show you my secret technique. It’s no longer just Hyououdou Rei’s; the power of absolute stasis belongs to me now!”

The scholar shouted, re-assuming her stance.

(This is bad! She’s going to use that!)

Feeling the same murderous intent she sensed when facing Rei, Ryuko shouted without hesitation.

“Dragon Inheritance! Candle Dragon!”

“Futile!”

Fingers snapped, and silence fell over the area.

The sound of the blizzard and the distant alarms—everything ceased in the world.

Time was frozen, solely for the one ruler.

Yet, her gaze was fixed on Ryuko.

“…You can move as well, can’t you?”

“That’s the point of Candle Dragon. …Oh, sorry, Baltius. Please don’t look this way right now. It’s scary.”

Currently, Baltius was an aberration, possessing a woman’s head and a serpent’s body.

Baltius, skillfully holding a candlestick with her mouth, crawled around as if to protect Ryuko.

“Only those who can respond to time-stopping can be called S Rank. Everyone can adapt.”

“Indeed, monsters, S Ranks are.”

(Oh? Are you scared?)

“But I have reached it as well! I’ve obtained the power of S Rank! Even that professor had a hard time with Hyououdou Rei’s powers!”

The scholar looked at Ryuko with bloodshot eyes. There was no hint of fear in those eyes.

“I want that back quickly.”

Ryuko stood protectively in front of Toa, who was frozen in time, and the Rei she held within her arms.

In the world where time had stopped, a war between two S Ranks was about to begin.

“Oh no, I don’t know what will happen next. Fafnir, Nine-headed Dragon, there are many around!”

“Merely remnants of the past, after all. Those monsters are outdated.”

“Hahaha, who knows?”

Ryuko smiled cynically, her stomach aching with tension.

“Very well, I’ll make you understand the difference in rank!”

(Just as a side note, I need help from Rokuhara, Yukihira, anyone at this point!)

Such a pitiful wish.

But it stemmed from her genuine kindness.

Her resolve never to involve innocents remained steadfast even at this moment.

And perhaps because of her sincere wish, the stars began to twinkle.

“—You’re annoying.”

The voice of an unfamiliar third party echoed. Simultaneously, a tremendous vortex of magical energy was sensed.

“‘What!?’”

Ryuko and the scholar momentarily forgot each other’s existence and looked toward the source of the magical power.

“If your shrill voice keeps up, you won’t be able to hear the song of the stars.”

With silver-blue hair and a black-themed dress. A well-defined face, white skin, and azure eyes.

That was undoubtedly.

“…Solciera.”

Who did that voice belong to?

The girl whose name was called did not even glance at the two. Instead, she picked up a teacup.

Before her was a white table. And an array of brightly colored sweets, items clearly out of place.

As if she were in the middle of a tea party, she alone sat gracefully, sipping her tea.

There was a presence that made it feel like even this conflict was merely a play.

“It seems you’ve come, Solciera. I did not wish to meet you, but it can’t be helped.”

“Ugh, more troublesome things to deal with. Well, it’s fine.”

The scholar glared at Solciera, ready to move at any moment.

In contrast, Ryuko merely exhaled lightly and patted Baltius. Her demeanor showed the composure of someone who had faced countless life-and-death situations as an S Rank.

But, naturally.

(Oh no, something troublesome just increased!)

Her mind was in complete disarray.