VS Black Dragon: "I'll Kill You!!!"
The Black Dragon began raging violently at my final words. Just as it was about to unleash its breath, a number appeared above its head and increased by one. The Black Dragon's movements froze. Then it started laughing maniacally in place.
"Heh heh... So this still isn't enough?"
Instead of firing its breath, the Black Dragon kept the sphere floating in the air. It clutched its head with both hands and began screaming. Along with its agonized cries, another change began to overtake the Black Dragon's form. Its arms and legs fully transformed into reptilian limbs. Its neck and shoulders became covered in scales. An additional pair of wings and horns sprouted. Spikes emerged at the tip of its tail. The Black Dragon coughed up blood, clearly overexerting itself, yet it finally completed its evolution.
"Third-stage evolution!!!"
"What the fuck, this isn't Pokémon!!!!!"
The Black Dragon had somehow undergone a third evolution, following the pattern of Dratini–Dragonair–Dragonite. Thanks to the transformation, black mana energy slowly emanated from its entire body. It truly resembled a walking disaster. I couldn't hide my complicated feelings, since this situation was completely unexpected. Piece seemed to share my sentiment, speaking to me in a slightly hollow voice.
[You should have brought the Unchanging Stone.]
'Who the hell knew it would evolve?'
Due to the Black Dragon's change, the sphere—previously slightly larger than a basketball—had grown to the size of a medicine ball. Still, I had no intention of backing down. Just as I crossed my arms and prepared to fire starlight at the newly evolved Black Dragon, a familiar voice rang out.
"Kyaaaaah!!!!!! Th-that thing!!!!!!"
It was the voice of the petite succubus who had fainted earlier while we were discussing Spencer's color scheme. Her gaze was fixed on me and the Black Dragon, while the dragon itself only stared at the black sphere. In the end, I only heard the petite succubus's scream. However, the current situation was on a knife's edge, so I had no time to pay attention to her voice—until her next words.
"Black!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The tense atmosphere between me and the dragon vanished in an instant. Both the Black Dragon and I began searching for the source of the sudden outburst. A hand—presumably belonging to the petite succubus—stretched out from the group of succubi. Though we couldn't see her, both of us were half-convinced it was her hand, because the finger was pointing directly at the Black Dragon.
"What?..."
"Wh-what is the meaning of this!"
The Black Dragon shouted at the pointing finger, a mix of anger and confusion in its voice. Then came the petite succubus's trembling reply.
"Th-that pitch-black thing! It's dark! It's so scary!"
"Ah, no!!!! That's not it!!!!"
"Save me! Save me!"
The Black Dragon protested breathlessly, but the petite succubus's voice didn't stop.
"That's an inverted triangle made of three abysses!!! It's the end itself!!!"
"Please shut up!!!!!!!!!!"
Even I couldn't help but feel terror at that prophetic tone. It was like an ominous declaration that the end of the world had arrived. With my hands still glowing with starlight, I trembled as I looked at the Black Dragon.
"You... you son of a bitch. Is that why you're a Black Dragon?"
"No!!! It's not!!! I said it's not, damn it!!!!!!!!"
[It really is terrifying...]
'I'm scared shitless...'
For the first time, I felt overwhelming fear from the Black Dragon. Meanwhile, the Black Dragon stomped its feet, creating small earthquakes. But that only backfired. The Black Dragon's threatening display pushed the petite succubus's voice beyond mere fear. It had transformed into a desperate prayer to a transcendent being.
"Three darknesses shall come! Our path will be closed by that darkness!!!"
"Shut up before I kill you first, you bitch!!!!!"
"O almighty Succubus! Save us with your eternal pink light!!!"
Before long, all the succubi had been swayed by the petite succubus and began crying out in prayer and despair.
"To think Tantalus would be this close! Lord, save us!"
"Isn't the black hole supposed to be in space? Why is it on the ground!"
"Lord! If you save me, I'll convert to an angel!"
"Once today is over, I'm quitting this damn succubus job."
"......Bring that child over here too."
Lilith pointed at the last succubus with a displeased expression. The pointed-out succubus obediently approached Lilith and immediately prostrated herself. She lined up next to the succubus who had made the disrespectful remark earlier, both in a prone position. Meanwhile, the Black Dragon's eyes welled up with tears at this fanatical display. At that moment—
"You people are really too much!"
Elsia suddenly barged in. With the most serious expression imaginable, she scolded the succubi.
"Calling that part black! That doesn't make any sense!"
The Black Dragon looked at Elsia with a moved expression. Then, turning to me with tears in its eyes, it said,
"Even among your comrades, there is a good one."
[Elsia defending it? Did she eat something strange?]
'The novel's going to flop at this rate.'
Did you call me? Get lost!
Since Kyaru suddenly tried to come out, I quickly smacked my head to send her back. Meanwhile, Elsia raised her voice even louder than before.
"No matter how good your eyesight is, there's no way it's black!"
"That's right! Bat brats only have good eyes!"
The Black Dragon passionately agreed with Elsia, then—
"It's because of the fur that you're confused!"
"......What?"
The Black Dragon froze in place. Elsia pointed at the paralyzed dragon and shouted loudly.
"My homeland, the Great Forest, is right there!!!!!!"
"No, you fucking bastard!!!!!!!!"
The Black Dragon expressed its anger while greatly agitated. As a result, the black sphere manifested in front of it cleanly disappeared. However, the Black Dragon didn't care about the sphere's disappearance. It even desperately tore at its own clothes to prove it wasn't black.
"Look!!! Does this look like fluffy black anywhere? It's obviously pin—"
"Where are you looking, you bastard?"
And that was the perfect opportunity for me. Taking advantage of the Black Dragon's narrowed vision due to excitement, I approached right in front of it. Of course, with starlight still maintained in both hands. Only then did the Black Dragon, who had almost torn off its underwear, hurriedly try to attack me again—but it was too late. I tripped the Black Dragon and climbed on top of it, pinning its arms down with my knees. As I crossed my hands and extended them toward the Black Dragon's horns, it made one final request.
"......Just give me one handicap."
"Hmm..."
I smiled menacingly and made a suggestion to the Black Dragon.
"Then shout, 'I am not pink, I am fluffy black.'"
"Th-that's impossible!!!"
"Then goodbye."
"Wait! I'll do it, so please stop!!!"
With tears filling its eyes, the Black Dragon began speaking as I instructed.
"Sob... I am... not pink... but flu—"
"Faster."
"I am not pink, I am fluffy black!!!... Waaaaah!!!"
The Black Dragon finally burst into tears. Crying, it begged me.
"Hic... You'll give me a handicap now, right?"
It looked so pitiful that it didn't seem like a dragon at all. Smiling gently, I said,
"Give up. There's only darkness here."
"You should say 'Just this once' there!"
The Black Dragon protested and struggled to break free. The more it did so, the more force I applied with my knees pinning its arms.
"I don't negotiate with black."
"So fuck! I'm pin—"
Cheonma Laser - Dual Laser
Before the Black Dragon could finish speaking, I fired two beams of starlight. Meteors shot from my hands and completely shattered the Black Dragon's magnificent horns. There was no sound, but the visible result was clear. The Black Dragon's unfocused eyes could be seen among the scattering fragments of its broken horns. Though there were no other visible injuries besides the shattered horns, that alone was enough to knock the Black Dragon unconscious instantly. At that moment, the panicked succubi suddenly cheered. However, what they said was strange.
"The sight of her straddling a half-naked woman! So powerful!"
"Tantalus has saved us! Lord Jiseon!"
"To pierce the symbol of a delicate woman with that weapon! Pierce me too!"
"The lower body of a beastman! Who cares about beastmen? That's the real beastman!"
"Don't insult beastmen, meow!!!!!"
Caersi angrily threw her last french fry at the succubus. Of course, Elsia caught the flying fry in midair and ate it.
[You won ugly.]
'Shut up. As long as I win, it's fine.'
The moment I stood up from the unconscious Black Dragon, I heard the petite succubus's voice. Unlike before, it was quite bright.
"Ah! I was wearing sunglasses! Thank goodness!"
Thank goodness. Really.