CH 73

(Kurokiri POV)

Shortly seven years before the present. A certain place in Japan.

[Seriously… I never would have expected that to be the reason why your subordinates advanced south, Snow Sage. How are you planning to settle the matter?]

[Wellー it’s my bad. I didn’t want to issue that order. Hahaha.]

[Hmph. What impudence you’ve shown us. You have no idea how much pain you have caused us.]

I, the “King of the Devouring Black Fog,” the “Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess,” and the “Frozen Silver Snow Sage,” have all assembled at a certain place with each of us in full control of our own demons.

Incidentally, I am operating my Fog as usual, while the Fox Princess is controlling a small fox-shaped demon called Little Fire Fox, and the Snow Sage is using a small rectangular[i] ice demon called Ice Cube.

[Well, forget about it. The reason we’re gathered here today is not to exchange silly arguments.]

[Indeed. It’s going to be a challenge to deal with that opponent by myself.]

[I’ve heard of her[ii], but is the ‘Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame’ really that formidable?]

Yes, that is the reason why three of the four Demon Kings in this country have appeared in one place this time. That is to discuss measures for the fourth Demon King, “Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame” who is not here.

First and foremost, information on the Dragon Sovereign is being exchanged at this time.

[To start with, since my analyst was the one who desperately researched the name of the Demon King, ‘Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame,’ there can be no mistake about her name.]

[And as for her abilities, based on her name and her attacks when intercepted, it’s safe to assume that she’s a fire-based type demon.]

[As far as I can tell from the report, she is a four-legged, two-winged Western dragon with cherry-colored scales, over 10 meters in length. If so, the question is how close her body is to that of a dragon. Assuming that even her physical capabilities are worthy of being called a dragon, she must be quite a handful.]

[I’ve received despairing information that one of my well-trained Mud Soldiers was successfully repelled by her scales and wiped out without a trace by the claws of a counterattack.]

[Then, with half the attack power… no, even if there were enough demons, their presence would be futile.”

[Since that is the case, shall we send our kin to face her?]

[No, even if I send my current leader, Ryo, to attack, it will be tough from what I’ve learned from the reports.]

[If so, I guess even my own Mugi would struggle.]

[Hmm. If your top two can’t accomplish it, I don’t see how Yuu, who is at my side, can do anything about it.]

All of us are at a loss.

I have a strategy in my head to overcome this situation, but….

[Fog King. How many times have your ‘The King Acts for the Sake of His People’ been used?]

Well, there’s only one way out of this.

[I used it once a long time ago. But after that, I used another method (≪The Lord Transcends Reason for My Sake≫), so the cost had risen a little.]

[How much?]

[I have no obligation to enlighten you… but I can use my full strength in battle without any problem. By the way, Snow Sage, you can produce ‘The King Acts for the Sake of His People,’ right?]

[No problem. But since you have brought this into the discussion, does that mean we’re doing this?]

[Well, I guess that’s the way it is. If neither the demons nor the kin can do it, then we will have to directly confront the issue, won’t we?]

[Well then, that’s what it comes down to. Though that being said, we don’t have to beat her. Our aim is to drag her out of seclusion.]

[Hahaha. For the first time in a long time, my blood is boiling… I wonder when my blood has been pumping like this ever since…]

[Then…]

[So…]

[Mmm…]

[[[This time, we shall unite in a joint line of battle!]]]

Thus, the three Demon Kings, the Fog King, the Fox Princess, and the Snow Sage, have initiated an operation to break the “Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame” out of her seclusion.

(Third person POV)

“Ahhhhh, this is the messenger of the Fog King! O Dragon Sovereign! For the love of all, go and create at least a single kin and emerge on the front stage! Heyyyy! Don’t you dare be a hermit under these prevailing circumstances of the world!”

The voice of the Kirijin man reverberates through the area. A Kitsunejin woman and a Yukijin man are also standing around him, observing the development of the scene.

And the Dragon Sovereign’s reply to the Kirijin’s words is,

“I refuse! I want to sleep here forever!”

Following these words, the three kin each pull out a pendant from their pockets and hurl it into the Dragon Sovereign’s dungeon.

And in the next moment,

“Shut up, you damn lizard!!”

An explosive sound resounds throughout the area accompanied by Kurokiri’s furious roar.

(Kurokiri POV)

“Ah… ggh… how dare you do this to my dwelling…”

“Shut up, you stupid lizard.”

Before my eyes, there is a 10-meter-long, full-body, cherry-colored dragon. There is no doubt that this is the Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame.

“Now, as far as we are concerned, if you would be so kind as to make a kin and establish a relationship with the outside world, we would be content to leave you here…”

“Shut up! I won’t listen to a word you say!”

“I guess your response is within my expectation.”

The Fox Princess attempts to persuade her, but it seems to be in vain.

“Then I’ll make you suffer a little.”

“If you want to fight, then bring it on! You old silver skin geezer!”

As the Snow Sage takes his position, everybody in the place adjusts their combat posture.

By the way, I am now in human form, looking like a young man all in black.

The Fox Princess has blond hair, fox ears and a tail, carrying a fan in her hand and wearing a miko (shrine maiden) style costume.

With the exception of his white hair, the Snow Sage is an elderly man with a bent waist and silver skin.

However, these appearances are for the purpose of negotiation, and their original appearances, including mine, would be something else.

“So, let’s get started. ≪Mist Plosion≫ x32!”

In order to make a preemptive attack and to set the stage, I release ≪Mist Plosion≫ around the Dragon Sovereign.

But this level of attack seems to be of little significance to the Dragon Sovereign and does not seem to be effective.

“As expected, she is very firm. Then I too will utilize my ≪Sacred Fox that Seduces Hundreds of Beasts≫, ≪Fire Attribute Granted≫.”

The Fox Princess, with a fan in her right hand, lights a blue flame as she readies herself, and with a speed that parallels sound, she slashes at the Dragon Sovereign. Of course, the Dragon Sovereign has no intention of taking this in silence and seeks to intercept her, but…

“I won’t let you do it. ≪Bewitching Fog≫!”

At the same time as the Fox Princess enters the fog, dozens of illusions of the Fox Princesses materialize through my ≪Bewitching Fog≫. At the sight of these dozens of Fox Princesses appearing, the Dragon Sovereign involuntarily freezes in her tracks.

Then the Fox Princess capitalizes on this opportunity to reach the Dragon Sovereign and delivers dozens of attacks in a flash. The damage inflicted on the Dragon Sovereign provokes a groan from her.

But then the Dragon Sovereign swings her tail, with a length and thickness befitting her massive body, and knocks away the Fox Princess along with the illusion I had created. I glance at the Fox Princess momentarily as she receives the blow, but it seems that she has avoided a direct hit, and by flying away from her, she seems to have sustained almost no damage.

Following that, after blowing away the Fox Princess, when the attack pauses for a second, the Snow Sage approaches the Dragon Sovereign,

“Hohoho. Well then, here I come. ≪Snow Giant of Frozen Silver≫.

For an instant, a silvery light is emitted from his entire body, and in the next instant, there is a silvery 8-meter-tall giant, who is forcefully restraining the Dragon Sovereign movement.

“Ugh! Let go of me!”

“I will have to refuse.”

The Dragon Sovereign is straining to shake off the Snow Sage with her entire body, but the Snow Sage is completely in control of the Dragon Sovereign’s movement by meticulously shifting the spot of suppression, probably owing to his many years of expertise.

And the moment the Fox Princess considers this as an opportunity and attempts to slash at the Dragon Sovereign again with her ultra-speed,

“I told you to let go! ≪Cherry Blossom Fire that Traps Life≫!!”

Sakura-colored flames erupt from the Dragon Sovereign’s overall body, forcibly yanking the Snow Sage off and blowing me and the Fox Princess away.

As the wall is closing in on me, I shift from human form to fog form to neutralize the damage I would suffer from the collision with the wall. On the other hand, the Fox Princess lands on the wall with cat-like movements while the Snow Sage merely retreats slightly even as he rolls up from the ground.

If I may say so, the fact that the current attack caused almost no damage is as one would expect from a Demon King.

And the most vital part, the Dragon Sovereign, has recovered from all the damage that the Fox Princess supposedly inflicted earlier, and is displaying the identical appearance she had at the outset of the battle.

“I see. Damage + Recovery. How convenient,” the Fox Princess mutters as she descends to the ground.

“Furthermore, she is this strong at this level. She is truly deserving to be called a dragon,” the Snow Sage says while checking his body’s condition.

“If you understand, get the hell out of my house! Otherwise, I’ll burn you to a crisp next time!” the Dragon Sovereign roars, spreading her wings wide as if to threaten.

But, Dragon Sovereign, your proposal is…

“I refuse. I’ll show you something better next round.”

And so the battle moves into the second round.

T/N:

[i] Can be read as square as well

[ii] Could be a male, I am not too sure. There’s no concrete indication of the Dragon Sovereign’s gender but since she uses female pronoun, I will assume she is a girl