Dragon Fear Unleashed
The archduke’s forces had lost all will to fight. That could only mean one thing—the battle was over.
‘I suppose it’s safe to return to human form now.’
A dragon of my size landing near civilian homes would unleash a storm of wind pressure strong enough to flatten hundreds of buildings. A brilliant cascade of multicolored light fell from the sky like a comet. After roughly ten seconds, I touched down lightly in human form.
Polymorphing into a human offered another advantage. The sheer terror of a human the same size as them radiating this level of killing intent would be far more horrifying than the oppressive presence of a massive dragon.
“Y-Your Highness Dragonai—!!”
The archduke’s face was drenched in cold sweat. That overwhelming dragon could have crushed him without a second thought, yet it had not. The sheer ease of it made him feel an insurmountable gap in existence itself.
Thud. Thud.
Once the archduke knelt in surrender, every minister and general followed, dropping to their knees. I frowned briefly and swept my gaze across the crowd. A man in a black cloak and noble attire immediately caught my eye—the same one who had been the first to prostrate himself.
‘Niberia… that bastard.’
When I had been TS’d into Seira’s body, I had encountered him often. Back then I had fought desperately to survive, never knowing when he might strike. But now—
“Was it you who activated the Dragon-Slaying Cannon?”
I swept my glare over the archduke’s personal guards and generals.
“I-It wasn’t us!”
“What?!”
Dragonai’s thoughts raced. All the physical evidence pointed straight at them, yet they were still trying to deny it.
“…You aimed that cannon directly at me. Do you find my words amusing?”
“H-His Highness only just arrived and witnessed the situation himself!”
“Just arrived?”
“Yes, Your Highness! My subordinates acted on their own and fired…”
The subordinates shook their heads frantically. Fortunately, Dragonai did not seem to notice the motion. Niberia shot them a glare, and they immediately clutched their necks, pretending to stretch.
“Then why did your men fire in the first place?”
At Dragonai’s sharp question, the archduke felt his tongue go stiff.
“Ah, that is… I-I failed to keep my subordinates in line!”
Even to his own ears, the excuse sounded pathetic. Realizing he was finished, Niberia suddenly dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground, squeezing out tears as he wailed.
“It was my failure to discipline them! Please execute me, O great master of the Yugna Mountain Range, savior of the Lusa Empire, exterminator of the black dragons, and the kind, merciful, peerlessly handsome Dragonai-nim!!”
Dragonai seriously debated whether the man was begging to die or begging not to. Then he remembered his poor avatar trembling somewhere in fear—Seira. Where in this city was she right now?
“Does this look like a joke to you?!”
BOOOOOOM—!!!!
The unintended surge of emotion produced a thunderous shockwave. Clouds of dust whirled outward in every direction.
“D-D-D-Dragon Fear…?!”
“Is this truly the wrath of a dragon?!”
The generals’ faces hardened in terror at my roar. But it had not been Dragon Fear. Not yet.
“Kuhahaha!”
If I had truly released Dragon Fear, most of the soldiers in this fortress would have died instantly. ‘I haven’t had a proper chance to test my power since becoming a dragon.’ This seemed like the perfect opportunity. After all, this was self-defense—they had tried to kill me. And these men were the archduke’s most trusted inner circle.
‘They should be able to withstand a moderate amount of Fear…’
Excitement surged through me at the thought of finally unleashing my true strength. I gathered mana in my throat.
KRRRRRRRRRRRR—!
The air around us began to freeze as if a bomb were about to detonate.
“Y-Your Highness Dragonai!”
“Your Imperial Majesty!”
Realizing they stood on the brink of death, every soldier and general dropped their weapons and fell to their knees. But I intended to brand the terror of me into their bones. I would show them exactly why a mere dragon could annihilate an entire nation—why I had once elevated the ordinary Luketerius to become the founding king of the Lusa Empire.
“Remember this well.”
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
In the blink of an eye, short screams rang out, and the area transformed into a land of death.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Hic… hic…”
“W-We were wrong…”
Men who had looked ready to faint began weeping red tears without a thought.
“Kuaaaaargh—!”
When the archduke and his men began screaming, regretting their very existence, I finally withdrew my power.
“Archduke… Kobansi, and… Niberia, was it?”
When I had visited the Lusa capital while suffering memory loss, the emperor had already mentioned Niberia. He had asked if I could rescue his daughter along the way. Apparently, a beautiful princess named Seira had been kidnapped and tormented by the vile Archduke Niberia. Of course, I could never admit that Seira was me. The novel had never mentioned TS magic, and the master of Yugna Mountain Range admitting he had been turned into a young girl would be far too damaging to my pride.
‘Ah… I’ll look into it when I have time.’ I had answered half-heartedly back then. But the situation had changed.
“Heh, heh heh heh…”
It had been a request I had even considered refusing. Among dragons, marriage was traditionally settled by kidnapping. To a dragon’s eyes, unless the kidnapped woman was his own, the act itself seemed perfectly natural.
“Ahem. This brat needs a proper lesson. Because—because, you see…”
I invoked Obern’s name. When dealing with humans, there was no better justification than an imperial decree.
“Your emperor, Obern, gave me a special request! Archduke Niberia of the North! How dare you—how dare you attempt to kidnap and torment the princess?!”
“H-Hiiiiiiik!!!”
I strode toward the black castle that appeared to be the archduke’s residence, loosening my shoulders. ‘I’ll beat him just enough that he doesn’t die.’
At that moment, tens of thousands of soldiers suddenly poured out like a swarm of ants.
“Waaaaah—!!”
They occupied the six surrounding city roads and began encircling us in a hexagonal formation.
“Ah, and who might you be?”
More fools daring to defy me? I was in an excellent mood, my body fully charged, and had been looking forward to educating them when—
“Your Imperial Majesty! You’re safe!”
“You… who are you?”
I had no memory of him whatsoever, yet the commander of this sixty-thousand-strong army was galloping toward me with a bright smile. Beyond him, the red dawn of morning was beginning to rise.
‘Damn it, it’s time for the TS!’
As my vision grew hazy, I spoke to the loyal-looking human commander.
“I’m tired. I need to sleep.”
“W-We will protect you with our lives!”
“Long live His Imperial Majesty!! Long live!!”
＊ ＊ ＊
“What…?! You’re saying these men truly rebelled against me?!”
The archduke, who had barely escaped with his life and returned to the black castle, was stunned by the report that followed. He had thought they were reinforcements come to save him. These bastards… how dare they!!