The 5000-year-old Herbivorous Dragon

In this situation, the one who should be worried is not Raiotto, but Revendia.

Raiotto could reasonably be considered as having no combat ability, but Revendia’s weakness in that regard could be considered even more acute. If Raiotto actually attacked him, there is the possibility that Revendia could die all too easily.

Ariante readied her stance and pointed her greatsword at the self-proclaimed kin.

「Hand over that doll. If not, I have no choice but to cut you down.」

「Are you sure? Heroine of Perudona, Miss Ariante. Trapped within this doll is your disciple you know? If you handled it too roughly, I can’t be sure that what’s inside will be safe.」

「No, I’ve just always wanted to use that phrase. It’s enough to divert your attention, if even for an instant.」

If they dragged on the fight for too long, the doll, or rather what’s inside it could suffer casualties. Furthermore, Ariante also didn’t have the power to kill off a Demon King Commander in one hit.

That’s why, in diverting the opponent’s attention for just a moment, she expected a killing blow from elsewhere.

「You insolent fake. Lord Evil Dragon’s only kin is me.」

It was Rēko.

She closed the distance at a speed that could rightly be called instant movement. Moving into the self-proclaimed kin’s range, her arm was already swinging.

Rēko’s fist burst onto his mask.

Being blasted away flying, the doll also flew away somewhere - perhaps she even calculated for that - with the follow-through from Rēko’s blow smashing her fist toward the ground.

To her actions, the self-proclaimed kin couldn’t even take defensive measures.

He crashed into the ground defenselessly without being able to kill the momentum-

— The result, a human shaped crater opened up on the ground.

「We won. How weak, someone at this level could never be a kin to the Lord Evil Dragon.」

Rēko raised her fist in the air having finished the match one one shot, she snorted with a “fuhn” at the opponent. It seems she’s pretty angry.

The self-proclaimed kin, in front of this girl who doesn’t obey common sense, should not have assumed an identity that should not ever be assumed.

「Now then, we might as well take out Raiotto along the way. Where did the doll go…」

Looking inside the crater, Rēko fell silent.

「I say, this isn’t a greeting that you show to a fellow colleague at our first meeting. My my, it seems like you’ve inherited Lord Revendias brutality strongly.」

A voice rang out from Ariante’s group.

Turning around, the self-proclaimed kin stood leisurely in the opposite direction of the crater.

「He ran away without me noticing…?」

With fury raging in her blue eyes, Rēko pulled out her dagger from the sheath.

Doradora also spread his wings in preparation for the coming battle, but Ariante raised her hand in front of the dragon, stopping him.

「Don’t get involved. Your attacks are still rough and it might hit the doll. Fly into the sky and make sure that he doesn’t escape.」

「…Understood.」

Having said that, the true reason was that he would only drag Rēko down.

Doradora could probably guess her intention too. Making a bitter expression, he flew into the sky.

Ariante rested her greatsword on her shoulder and spoke to the daughter of the Granard’s officer, standing to the side- If she remembered correctly, her name was Sheina.

「Are you the one who’s said to be missing, Sheina?」

「Ye, yes. Umm… What’s happening right now? Who’s the enemy and who’s the ally?」

「The enemy is that masked self-proclaimed kin. Me and Doradora, the one flying above, are acquaintances of Revendia, so we can be considered allies.」

「Ahh, Lord Evil Dragon’s…」

Ariante noticed the way Sheina muttered the words “Lord Evil Dragon” in a light tone and could easily imagine what happened. This subtle feeling of belittlement coming from her is probably the result of that clumsy dragon revealing his weakness again.

Ariante pulled Sheina’s hand and left the battlefront.

「We’re pulling back. Let’s leave the rest to the little girl kin.」

「Ye, yes. By the way, Lord Evil Dragon-」

「Leave the details for later. With that said, listen up little kin! I leave the doll to you!」 𝒇𝔯e𝚎𝘄𝑒𝑏𝙣𝑜𝚟𝗲𝑙.c𝘰𝚖

Ariante shouted towards Rēko, who was walking towards the self-proclaimed kin with her dagger pointing downwards. However Rēko, who had her fully powered attack dodged so easily, was annoyed and Ariante’s words didn’t reach her.

「Oh? It seems like you’re angry. You have almost the same killing intent as Lord Revendia in his earlier days.」

「How long do you intend to pretend to be a kin? You insolent fake. No- You don’t even know that you’re fake. Has your yearning for the Lord Evil Dragon become so much that you’ve convinced yourself that you’ve become his kin? How pitiful… If you could only look at yourself objectively a little then you would realize that everything is only your own delusion…」

Ariante’s expression disappeared completely when faced with those boomerang-like words.

Just how can she have such a way of thinking and yet not be able to look at herself.

「Unfortunately, I am a 100% authentic and pure kin. If I hadn’t been, I would not have been able to parry your attack right?」

「That was only because I was holding back. The next blow will definitely vaporize you.」

「Are you sure?」

Saying that, the self-proclaimed kin raised the doll in front of him like a shield.

「It’s true that by becoming the kin to Lord Revendia, you have gained an enormous amount of magic power— However, how about your mentality? Lord Revendia has also said this, “At heart, Rēko is a kind girl.” You are still not able to throw away your kindness as a human. Am I wrong?」

Rēko ignored those words and approached the self-proclaimed kin steadily.

「Within this dolls barrier is the one you once called ‘friend’. Fearing how he would be caught up in this, you can’t bring out your true powers right? The earlier attack also…」

The blade of the dagger started shining.

With one slash, the sky was filled with claws of light, they poured down towards the self-proclaimed kin like an avalanche.

No matter how you see it, the doll was caught up in the attack.

「Don’t underestimate me too much, faker.」

「Well well, you’re more heartless than I imagined…」

The self-proclaimed kin appeared from within the dust cloud without injury.

The doll in his hand also appeared undamaged but it didn’t appear as if the self-proclaimed kin took any effort to protect it. The doll itself used magic power to wrap itself, like wearing armor.

「With that attack, several managed to hit it you know? If Sousou was just a bit slower in taking back her powers, then your friend would have-」

「Importunate. I told you not to underestimate me.」

「I apologize, it’s true that I might have underestimated your resolve as a kin.」

Wrong, said Rēko angrily.

「What I told you not to underestimate was Raiotto’s resolve. You don’t understand Raiotto at all.」

At this stage, Ariante had a bad premonition.

「That guy wants to be the Lord Evil Dragon’s kin- He’s chased his heart all this way. His loyalty and faith in the Lord Evil Dragon is only second to mine. I can’t let a scoundrel who pretends to be the Lord Evil Dragon’s kin go. If he knows that he’s become a burden to me defeating you then he would say this, “Don’t mind me and take me down with him!” He would desire this from his heart, I can’t be wrong.」

「I think that he would definitely not desire such a thing though…」

Ariante couldn’t help but to mutter out such words but just like before, those words didn’t reach Rēko.

Only one person heard, Sheina, who was standing to her side and was nodding along.

「This is something that only I can understand as a fellow rival who competed with him to raise our sacrifice-powers. Don’t underestimate the power of our bonds, you low life.」

Please escape as soon as possible, is what Ariante prayed to the two who were still inside the barrier.