Chapter 32

Episode 32: Because of That Rare Taste of His

“Long time no see…? Who the hell are you?”

“You speak as if we know each other, but I have no idea who you are,” the Black Annihilation Dragon glared at Shion.

“Well, with this appearance, I guess it’s understandable you wouldn’t recognize me.”

In front of him stood the strongest dragon, capable of taking lives as easily as breathing. Despite the obvious hostility, Shion brushed it off casually.

“But deep down, you kinda know who I am, don’t you, Blackie?”

Shion made his move.

He had the same glint in his eyes as *that person*, addressed the Black Annihilation Dragon the same way, and even spoke the same language.

With all these clues, he planted a seed of doubt. A tiny “what if” in the dragon’s mind.

“…I told you. I have no memory of a man like you.”

The dragon denied it again.

But this time, his words lacked the same conviction.

“I see. You don’t know, huh?”

There was a slight reaction, but the information Shion had given so far wasn’t enough to fully deceive the Black Annihilation Dragon.

“If you don’t know, that’s fine.”

The situation hadn’t improved.

Yet, Shion remained unfazed.

“You’ll remember soon enough, whether you like it or not.”

“…What?”

The dragon gave him a suspicious look in response to the unnervingly confident words.

Shion, fully meeting that gaze, crouched down and touched the ground with his right hand, conjuring a magic circle.

From the glowing golden circle, he pulled out a sword.

It was the same magic he’d used before to save a girl from three thugs.

But this time, the sword wasn’t a katana. It was a longsword with a blue hilt and pure white double-edged blade.

The most notable feature was the golden guard, engraved with a red symbol of a “three-horned dragon.”

The right horn represented “power,” the left “courage,” and the center “hope”—a symbol of warriors among the dragonkin.

“Th-that sword…!”

Seeing the sword in Shion’s hand, the dragon visibly flinched.

Because the dragon recognized that sword all too well.

“The Dragon Slayer Sword…!!”

The dragon blurted out the name, convinced of the sword’s identity.

Yes, it was the beloved sword once wielded by Siegfried—the “Dragon Slayer Sword.” Forged from the world’s strongest adamantite ore by the greatest dwarven blacksmith of the time, it was one of history’s most famous blades.

——A perfect replica, created through Shion’s magic.

The “Dragon Slayer Sword” was one of the many legendary swords Shion had recreated for fun after mastering weapon creation magic.

Though it was only a year ago, not some distant childhood memory, it was still a bit embarrassing to admit he’d made swords just because they looked cool. But this time, his peculiar hobby paid off.

And now, in the “Trans-Zone,” with his concentration at its peak, the replica was the most perfect it had ever been.

But no matter how flawless the appearance, it was still just a replica.

The real “Dragon Slayer Sword,” made of adamantite, was in a completely different league in terms of quality.

The sword in Shion’s hand was so fragile it would shatter if struck against a rock.

…But.

“You…!! Who the hell are you…!!”

For the Black Annihilation Dragon, the appearance alone was enough.

Faced with a perfect replica, the dragon didn’t even consider the possibility that it might be fake.

To the dragon, the sword in Shion’s hand was the very blade that had cut him down countless times—something he could never forget.

The sudden appearance of this fated weapon made the dragon raise his voice.

In response to the dragon’s intense questioning, Shion remained calm.

“Don’t play dumb, Blackie. You already know who I am.”

…The same glint in his eyes, the same way of addressing the dragon, the same language, and now, the same sword.

With all these pieces in place, the answer was practically inevitable.

With complete confidence, Shion pressed the dragon further.

“…!! Answer me!! Who the hell are you…!!”

But the dragon still refused to listen, repeating his question.

Yes, Shion was still missing the final, decisive blow.

Even with the same eyes, the same way of addressing the dragon, the same language, and even the same sword, there was still the possibility that Shion was merely a descendant of Siegfried.

It would’ve been easy for Shion to declare, “I am Siegfried.”

But by avoiding the declaration, he risked provoking the dragon and being killed in a fit of rage.

Yet, Shion still didn’t claim to be Siegfried.

If he declared himself while the dragon was still probing, there would always be lingering doubt.

To make the dragon fully believe he was Siegfried, Shion needed the dragon to reach that conclusion on his own.

So instead of declaring himself, Shion gave the dragon the final piece of the puzzle.

“Have you gone senile in the 400 years since we last met, Blackie?”

“…!!”

Hearing those words, the dragon’s expression twisted for a moment.

“400 years…?! You… you really are…!!”

The word “400 years”—the exact amount of time since the dragon had been sealed by Siegfried—turned the dragon’s doubt into certainty. …But.

“No, that’s impossible…!! It’s been 400 years!! He should’ve died of old age by now!! He can’t be here!!”

The dragon vehemently denied the possibility.

Yes, even as doubt turned to certainty, the reality was too unbelievable for the dragon.

If the man before him was Siegfried, he would’ve surpassed the average lifespan of a half-dragon, half-human hybrid—around 150 years.

There was no precedent for a half-dragon living 400 years. In fact, even the great hero himself hadn’t exceeded that average and was long gone.

And the dragon continued.

“Besides, you look and smell nothing like him!! There’s no way you’re that man!!”

As if trying to dispel the reality before him, the dragon raised his voice.

This fact—the difference in appearance and scent—was the biggest obstacle to Shion’s deception.

To maintain the illusion that he was Siegfried, Shion needed to convince the dragon why, after 400 years, he was standing here, looking and smelling completely different.

This was the critical moment.

Based on the literature Shion had read about Siegfried, he could’ve fabricated a lie about Siegfried having mastered immortality or transformation magic.

But against someone who actually knew Siegfried, even the slightest inconsistency would make it impossible to fully convince the dragon.

Doubt would always remain.

And even if he tried to spin a convincing lie on the spot, such half-baked excuses likely wouldn’t work.

Shion needed the absolute best solution for this critical moment.

——Facing the visibly agitated dragon, Shion didn’t flinch. He took a breath and spoke softly.

“So you think I shouldn’t be here… huh?”

With that, Shion looked the dragon straight in the eye.

“——Then why am I here?”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, the dragon let out a confused sound.

“Hey, Blackie. Do you think it’s all just a coincidence?”

“What… are you talking about…?”

——The dragon had no idea what the man before him was getting at. But for some reason, an indescribable sense of unease began to rise within him.

An eerie, inexplicable anxiety and restlessness gripped the dragon’s entire body.

“That your seal broke after 400 years.”

“That you appeared at this academy.”

“And——”

“That I’m standing before you now.”

“——Do you think it’s all just a coincidence?”

“…!!”

In an instant, a paralyzing fear gripped the dragon.

“…What… are you saying…? What are you…?”

Though enveloped in an inexplicable terror, the dragon still couldn’t grasp what the man was implying.

But moments later, the dragon understood.

“Don’t tell me… you…!!”

“——Yeah.”

Shion smiled faintly and replied with confidence.

“I knew it all.”

“!!”

“That your seal would break after 400 years. That you’d catch the scent of my descendants and come here. I knew it all from the beginning.”

Faced with the dragon’s stunned silence, Shion continued.

“That’s why I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Waiting…? Don’t tell me you’re about to say something ridiculous like you reincarnated…?!”

The dragon asked, visibly flustered.

“That’s exactly it, Blackie. When my previous body as Siegfried died, I transferred my soul to a new body 400 years later.”

Shion declared with unwavering confidence, even as the dragon’s expression twisted in shock.

…It was all a lie.

Shion hadn’t known the dragon would come here, let alone that the Black Annihilation Dragon had been sealed until just moments ago.

Yet, he spoke with such confidence that not a shred of doubt could be detected.

It was pure, unadulterated bluffing.

“Th-that’s…!! That’s absurd…!! I’ve never heard of such magic!! It’s impossible!! There’s no way…!! You’re spouting nonsense…!!”

Even the dragon was thrown into disarray by Shion’s final, outrageous lie.

Shion had carefully chosen his words to avoid exposure, but this last lie was too far-fetched to be believable.

Reincarnation magic? Not even dragons who’d lived for thousands of years had heard of such a thing.

In fact, immortality or transformation magic would’ve been far more plausible.

Despite his agitation, the dragon vehemently denied it based on his vast knowledge.

To make the dragon believe such nonsense, Shion would’ve needed to provide substantial evidence.

“Impossible…? Nonsense…? Heh heh heh…”

But instead of offering an explanation, Shion simply repeated the dragon’s words and chuckled softly.

“Ahahaha, HAHAHAHA!!”

Then, as if unable to contain himself, he burst into loud laughter, covering his eyes with his left hand.

“What’s so funny…?!”

The dragon roared, unable to comprehend the man’s behavior. But Shion paid no heed and continued laughing.

After a good laugh, he finally calmed down, took a deep breath, and turned back to the dragon.

“Haah… Hey, Blackie…”

“——!!”

In an instant, all traces of laughter vanished from his face. His voice, now devoid of inflection, was as calm as a still lake.

“Do you really think I can’t do it? Me?”

“……!!”

——In a situation where solid evidence was needed, Shion chose to bulldoze through.

It was an overly forceful argument, throwing logic out the window.

No need for flimsy reasoning or evidence.

Just the unshakable confidence that, as Siegfried—the only SSS-ranked hero in history—nothing was impossible.

An overwhelming self-assurance that no one else could possess.

Normally, weaving a convincing lie would’ve been the safer route.

But in that moment, Shion truly believed he was Siegfried.

And as someone who believed he was Siegfried, there was no need for petty lies or bluffs.

…And finally.

“…No. …I see. Of course…”

After a brief silence, the dragon’s demeanor completely changed. He spoke quietly, as if resigned.

“You could do something like that, couldn’t you…?”

With his golden eyes locked onto the dragon, Shion stared back intently.

“——Siegfried.”

For the first time that day, the Black Annihilation Dragon uttered that name.

It was the moment the dragon acknowledged that the man before him was the reincarnation of Siegfried.

Shion’s overwhelming presence, indistinguishable from the real hero, had completely deceived the dragon.

No, it wasn’t just his presence. His choice of lies, his bluffs, his provocations, his timing—all of it had been masterfully used to fool the dragon.

Against the world’s strongest dragon, simply being seen as a strong opponent wouldn’t have been enough to intimidate him.

But if he believed Shion was Siegfried—the only person capable of defeating him—the scales would tip heavily in Shion’s favor.

Shion was confident that if he kept up the verbal sparring and bought time until reinforcements arrived, he could save Alphonse.

…But that belief would change drastically in the next moment.

“Long time no see… huh? It really has been a long time…”

The dragon, now calm, spoke in a nostalgic tone.

“…I wanted to see you, Siegfried… I never dreamed I’d meet you again like this…”

As he spoke, the dragon, who had been ten meters away, suddenly appeared right in front of Shion.

The gust of wind from the movement caused Shion’s hair and uniform to flutter wildly. The dragon’s massive shadow enveloped Shion entirely.

“Because——” The dragon leaned in close, his face inches from Shion’s, and continued.

“For 400 years, all I’ve thought about was getting my revenge on you…!!”

…The Black Annihilation Dragon smiled, a twisted grin of pure joy.

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