The 5000-year-old Herbivorous Dragon

「A slashing attack that gathers magic power into the claws- out of all of Lord Revendia’s techniques, it’s one of the most foundational moves. Therefore, because it is our foundation, it reflects our proficiency as kin.」

About “my technique”, it’s really just Rēko’s original technique that the self-proclaimed kin is talking non-stop about though.

Rēko, pouring magic power into her dagger to the point where it was filled to a never before seen height, just laughed off those words.

「Did you think that as the head kin, I would not already understand such fundamental knowledge? Don’t worry. You’ll understand my completion as kin when this attack hits you.」

「Do you think it would go as you planned?」

「What do you mean?」

Rēko frowned as she became irritated. She further inflated the magic power and the patterned black scales turned into a deeper color.

The self-proclaimed kin continued his critique.

「You would also know of Lord Revendia’s “claws” back in his heydays. The old god’s army, numbering in the tens of millions… the angels that couldn’t even be compared to humans, Lord Revendia used only one swipe to wipe them from existence.」

「So you’re talking about that attack huh… Indeed, that is the peak that we as kin must aim for, the supreme “claw.”」

「From the looks of it, your claws have not yet reached such heights. You must have noticed this.」

Rēko’s face sunk in disappointment.

「Kuh… I admit it, it’s the truth that I’m far from being comparable to Lord Evil Dragon. My current claws can only compare to when the Lord Evil Dragon annihilated the foolish hell’s beasts during his conquest of the underworld… To the Lord Evil Dragon, this one move may only be child’s play.」 𝐟re𝐞w𝐞𝒃𝓃𝒐𝐯𝚎𝒍.c૦𝚖

「Yes, that’s exactly it. At the least you need to aim for the ones who stand before hell’s beasts- you want to aim for the power to rip apart the netherworld’s abyss king.」

「Umu, as I thought, that’s the lowest line I need to pass…」

As I listened to their conversation silently, Ariante lightly poked my back.

「It seems like you’ve got such a history, do you have any ideas?」

「You already know that I absolutely have no such past. Why would you tease me like that?」

「Sorry, the conversation just too idiotic, I went along with the flow.」

I wonder why Rēko and the self-proclaimed kin’s conversations matched each other. No, it’s rather that the self-proclaimed kin is matching up with Rēko.

Rēko has the habit of believing anything that raises me up in praise unconditionally.

Even now, he’s started coaching her.

「You should not think of yourself as just a kin. You must believe that you are a part of Lord Revendia. Do not think that you are swinging a “claw”, you must believe you are the “claw” that is swung by Lord Revendia. Now, show me that you can still increase its power.」

「…Talking like you know it. Very well. I acknowledge the deepness of your knowledge regarding Lord Evil Dragon so I’ll turn you to dust before you can feel pain.」

However, his honeyed words only resulted in Rēko increasing her powers.

Rēkos dagger was at a point where lightning fell upon it from the thunderclouds above; if she swung such a thing, she would be able to plow through the plains all the way to the horizon.

I wonder why he used such meaningless provocation.

As I was worrying over it, Ariante crouched down and whispered in my ear-

「Perhaps he is trying to make Rēko lose control. Although she is able to control magic power to a greater degree than before, if she crosses the line by too far, she’ll eventually hit her limits and go out of control.」

「Eh, we can’t let that happen. It took so much trouble before just to settle the previous time she went out of control.」

The Rēko now has become so much stronger compared to before as well.

「Well, I think she’ll get too annoyed and attack him before that happens though… For now, you should get closer to the girl. On the off chance that she does go out of control, you can touch her and suppress her magic power. That’s the reason you’re the control switch.」

「I’m the control switch?」

「I’m complimenting you. You’re the only one who can stop it.」

Ariante slapped my back heavily and I started to get closer to Rēko.

Inside Rēko’s head, I’m still the “Spirit body sent to watch over her.” Even if I approached her, she won’t pay much attention. 𝘧r𝘦𝗲w𝘦𝚋𝐧o𝘷𝘦𝙡.co𝑚

「Not yet. That’s right. I’ll tell you the trick to releasing the “claws.” It was once upon a time when Lord Revendia unrelentingly sought to gain strength and traversed uncountable dimensions, when he chanced upon…」

「That’s enough.」

The self-proclaimed kin continued with his bullsh*t, but things turned out as Ariante expected and Rēko’s tolerance burst.

「There’s no need for you to explain what happened since I already know. No, when I had become his kin, I had received all of Lord Evil Dragon’s knowledge. If you think about it now, there was no reason I had to listen to you.」

「I’m curious just what kind of anecdotes they’re talking about. After traversing many dimensions, just where did I end up?」

「It seems like I must apologize. Now that you mention it, you receive knowledge once you become a kin, however—」

I felt the self-proclaimed kin’s heated, sticky gaze all over me.

「Even if you have the knowledge, it remains a question about whether you truly understand the true Lord Revendia.」

「There’s no room for argument. I understand Lord Evil Dragon deeper than anyone else- That’s enough of trying to buy time. I no longer wish to listen to your nonsense.」

Rēko raised her other hand to join the first in clasping the dagger held before her.

At the same time, a torrent of light that devoured all was born. Although the self-proclaimed kin kept saying “not yet, it’s not enough,” there was no one in this world that could live after receiving that attack.

Or so I had thought.

「I’ll show you how it’s done. Remember this well— “Great Claw of the Dragon King”」

The self-proclaimed kin spoke those words, and it could be heard clearly over all the sound that Rēko was making.

The next instant, from the self-proclaimed kin’s hand came a slash that was larger in size than Rēko’s.

The blades of light clashed.

It didn’t even take a moment for Rēko’s blades of light to disappear. Rēko’s slash was dismantled and the self-proclaimed kin’s light claws attacked us.

「Rēko!」

Perhaps it was because Rēko used all her powers in that attack but her stance was broken. She couldn’t move out of the attack’s trajectory.

No, even if she corrected her stance, it would still be hard to avoid. Rēko’s eyes were wide in surprise upon seeing her attack getting overwhelmed, and it didn’t look like she was in a state of mind to bother about dodging the attack.

Also, I was not in a calm state of mind, either.

I don’t know what I was thinking but I jumped in front of Rēko with my legs and arms wide open.

It was an instinctive move. Now that I think about it, rather than me, Rēko would be the much sturdier one. However my body moved on its own.

「Revendia!」

Ariante shouted. I have no excuses. I leave the rest to you.

If Rēko loses control of herself over my death then I want you to somehow stop her. If it’s you and Raiotto’s voice, then you can stop her…

「…Ohrya?」

As I was wishing the best for Rēko while closing my eyes, I noticed that my consciousness wasn’t fading.

I opened my eyes fearfully and the traces of the attack stopped on the ground just before it reached Rēko and I - we were basically unharmed.

「Eh? Ah? What happened?」

「…Lord Evil Dragon? Are you the real Lord Evil Dragon?」

From behind, Rēko grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me.

「Ah, yeah. I’m the real deal. Are you okay Rēko?」

「Yes… I have no excuses. Even though you left me with a job, I’ve shown you such a miserable appearance. I’ve burdened the Lord Evil Dragon to instantly teleport over…」

「Ah, it seems like I instant teleported over. Understood, understood. By the way, what happened to that person’s attack?」

As I shrunk my body down, I looked over to the self-proclaimed kin. It didn’t seem like he was going to attack us again.

「As I thought. As expected of the Lord Evil Dragon. I didn’t even feel that attack being blocked.」

「Eh, what do you mean?」

「Revendia!」

Ariante called my name again. I jumped up and turned around and saw her glare at me with such an intense gaze.

「Wh-what do you want. Making such a scary face.」

「Do you really have no clue about that self-proclaimed kin?!」

「I said no, my only kin is Rēko.」

「Lord Evil Dragon, If you say it so boldly, I’ll get embarrassed.」

Rēko carefreely held her cheeks in embarrassment while Ariante spoke some shocking words.

「When that self-proclaimed kin’s attack hit you, it dissolved instantly. It was as if it was the same as a certain someone.」

I swung around to look at the self-proclaimed kin quickly.

He stood there wordlessly as he looked at me, then Rēko and then Raiotto once each.

「As I thought, wrapping up everything all at once was too good to be true. I’ll leave it at this for today— Lord Revendia.」

「Wh-what is it?」

「To be able to dissolve my claw as if you had no clue, it’s nothing less than what I would expect. With this, I will return to the Demon King Army but please do not forget that my loyalty will forever lie with you.」

「Wai, just who are you.」

Faster than I could ask for his identity, the self-proclaimed kin melted into space and his figure disappeared.