Kaien and Erza's expressions changed drastically.
The Demon Dragon Alazham—he was their target for this SS Rank Mission.
"H-How can this be…?! That guy was supposed to still be sealed! How is he out?!"
The king began to panic. According to his plan, once the tournament ended, he would gather the strongest warriors in the kingdom to subjugate the dragon. But all of that had been based on the assumption that the dragon was still sealed and severely weakened.
Now, not only had the dragon broken free, but from the looks of it, he'd been unsealed for a while. If his full power had returned, it would be an unthinkable catastrophe for the Kingdom of Sobea.
"Dragon? Alaza-what now?"
Below the walls, many of the swordsmen looked confused. They'd never even heard of this legend—weren't dragons supposed to be mythical creatures?
The king kept his eyes locked on the purple-haired man and explained gravely:
"The Demon Dragon Alazham. A tyrannical dragon from 400 years ago. He committed countless atrocities before being sealed away by Sword Saint Noah. I never imagined he'd break free now..."
"A real dragon?!"
Everyone gasped and turned to stare at the purple-haired youth.
The youth raised a finger and waved it back and forth smugly.
"No, no, no—you got one thing wrong. I wasn't sealed by some lowly human. Don't flatter yourselves. I was sealed by the Dragon of Seals, Celis. That human only lent a hand."
The king gritted his teeth. "Mr. Alazham, if a dragon sealed you, then we have no part in your grudge. Sword Saint Noah has been dead for centuries. There's no one left for you to take revenge on."
If he was planning to strike while the enemy was weak before, now all he could think about was how to avoid conflict.
"You're not wrong. I can't get back at him directly… but getting back at his country? That's still on the table, right?" the youth said with a sinister grin.
"Besides, I love eating humans."
He licked his lips, and his eerie gaze swept over everyone like a predator eyeing prey. It wasn't the look one gave to people—it was the look one gave to meat. Everyone felt a chill and shivered unconsciously.
"Judgment of Light!!!"
Arthur raised his sword high. Golden magic surged from his body, gathering into a massive radiant blade.
"Dragon! Die!!!"
He roared and brought the blade down.
The enormous light sword came crashing down like a divine strike.
The purple-haired man didn't even move. The blade struck him squarely on the head.
BOOM—!
Crack—!
His head wasn't even scratched. Arthur's sword, on the other hand, shattered as if it had hit indestructible stone.
Then—CRASH!
Arthur's ultimate move collapsed completely.
His pupils contracted, filled with disbelief.
"What?!"
"He… he tanked Arthur's finishing move with his head?!"
The purple-haired man bared his teeth in amusement.
"What was that supposed to be, human?"
Crackle!
Lightning crackled around Clay's body.
"Thunderflash!"
BOOM—!
He exploded forward at full speed, his blade aiming for the youth's neck.
Crack—!!
Still motionless, the youth let the strike land—and Clay's blade snapped in two. His face was full of shock.
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
"Heaven's Wheel: Dance of the Blades!"
Erza followed up immediately, summoning a swarm of longswords that rained down on the youth.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
The violent barrage kicked up a thick cloud of smoke.
"Did it work?!"
Everyone stared into the haze with bated breath.
But as the smoke cleared, the purple-haired man still stood there—completely unharmed.
Clap, clap, clap.
He began to applaud.
"Very nice. I must say, human magic is entertaining. The way you all struggle so desperately… really gets me going."
"This… this can't be real!"
"Why don't the Nine-Star Swordsmen's strongest attacks work on him?!"
Everyone was horrified. Even the strongest finishing moves had done nothing—what were they supposed to do?
The king's voice rang out:
"Because he's a dragon. Dragons are born with impenetrable bodies and immense resistance to human magic. It's nearly impossible for human spells to injure one. In ancient times, every dragon could destroy a nation alone."
"Your Majesty!"
At some point, the king had descended from the wall and was walking forward.
"Oh? So you actually know a thing or two."
"Mr. Alazham," the king said, "Sword Saint Noah lived four centuries ago. That grudge should've ended with him. None of us here have done you harm. I beg you to show mercy."
Alazham grinned.
"Still don't get it, huh? I love eating humans. They're delicious."
CLANG—!
The king unsheathed his sword, and flames erupted along its blade.
"Mr. Alazham. If you refuse to back down, then I will fight you with everything I have. Even if I can't slay you—I'll wound you!"
Alazham paused upon seeing the blade… then suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA!! AHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The king's expression darkened. "What are you laughing at?!"
Alazham wiped a tear from his eye.
"I'm laughing at you! You really thought a sword made from a Fire Dragon Slayer Magic Lacrima could harm a dragon?!"
"So naïve!! Far too naïve!! HAHAHA!"
"Even if a real dragon was revived, what could they possibly do to me?!"
He mocked them without restraint.
The king no longer held back. If diplomacy failed, there was no choice but to fight:
"Then die!!"
He stomped forward and slashed at the youth.
Alazham lazily raised a hand.
SMACK.
The sword slammed into his palm—and did nothing.
"What?!"
"See? Unless you're a highly trained Dragon Slayer Mage, or another Mid or High-tier Dragon, nothing you do can hurt me."
CRACK—!
With a simple squeeze, Alazham shattered the Dragon Slayer Sword the king had poured his fortune into.
"Impossible…"
The king stared in disbelief. His prized anti-dragon sword was nothing but a joke to the real thing.
SMACK!
Alazham seized the king by the throat.
"Let him go!!"
Everyone charged in to help.
But Alazham simply waved his hand.
A massive claw slash swept through the air—
"Uwaaaaahhh!!"
"Arghhhh!!"...
The charging warriors were blasted back. With a single swipe, he crippled most of them.
Even Erza, Arthur, and Clay—the Nine-Star Swordsmen—were all badly wounded and completely out of commission.
"Damn it!"
Kaien's face turned grim. He hadn't expected the dragon to truly awaken.
They'd just survived the monster invasion. Now, hardly anyone had strength left to fight. Even if they did, it would mean nothing against a dragon like this.
Now… he had to choose.
He still had two Gold Cards. If he recalled one of them, the released magic power would boost his strength dramatically.
But… which one should he give up?
Ulquiorra? From an energy-level perspective, Ulquiorra was far stronger than Yoriichi.
But Kaien knew—only those who had truly received Yoriichi understood just how terrifying that man was.
Most importantly, he didn't want to give up either. They were Gold Cards!
But there was no time. If the king died, he'd lose everything.
Just as Kaien was about to hit the recall button—
Suddenly, a system notification rang in his head.
[Ding! System detects host has been transmigrated for one month. One free draw has been gifted!]
[Would you like to use your free draw?]
Kaien froze—then quickly understood. It was the system's monthly gift.
"Draw! Draw now!!"
Even though he didn't have the blessing of the goddess right now, he didn't have the luxury to wait or hesitate.
The lottery animation appeared on the system panel. A brilliant purple star fell from the sky like a meteor.
Kaien's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the panel.
"A… a purple pull?!"