#1158 The Power to Perceive

The unexpected three-round showdown between the Farm and Alexander’s team has begun.

The first round was an angel battle, where our farm's representative, Horkosfon, showcased her deep-rooted love for natto, securing a solid victory.

The second round followed, featuring our very own Sensei, the Lifeless King, who used his wisdom and overwhelming power to defeat Alexander’s faction’s formidable butler, sealing another win for us.

With two out of three rounds won…
Doesn’t that mean we’ve already secured the overall victory?

"We did it! We won, we won, we wooooooooooon!!!"

The one who celebrated the most was Veil.

Why, though?
Ignoring my confusion, she hops around excitedly, unable to contain her joy.

"You guys did it! You pseudo-corpse and winged woman, thanks to you two, I don’t have to fight my brother anymore!!!”

Ah, so that’s what this was about.

For some reason, this battle turned into a showdown between the world's strongest beings—an angel, a Lifeless King, and a dragon.

Don’t ask me how that happened.

I mean, it was only possible because both the Farm and Alexander’s team happened to have their own top-tier monsters lined up.

So far, we had the angel and Lifeless King battles, meaning the third and final match is obviously going to be a dragon vs. dragon fight.

And our farm’s dragon representative would be none other than Veil.

On Alexander’s side, the natural choice for their dragon rep is…
Well, Alexander himself, the undisputed strongest dragon.

"But we already won two rounds! That means we don’t even need to do the final round! It’s a cold game, people! Victory is ours! No need to fight Alexanderrrrrrr!!!"

She really doesn’t want to fight her brother, huh?

"Of course not! Anyone else, maybe, but this is Alexander we’re talking about! ‘Losing’ doesn’t even begin to describe it! I don’t have the guts to stare into the abyss of something worse than death! There’s no way in hell I’m fighting him!!!"

Veil is usually the most arrogant, battle-hungry dragon around, which is classic dragon behavior... But even she wanted to avoid a direct fight with Alexander.
That alone sends shivers down my spine.

Normally, Veil would be the first to throw herself into a fight. And yet…

"Ah-Ahem, breakin’ news!"

Just as the final match seemed unnecessary, Songokfon made an announcement.

"To make this game more thrilling, we’re implementing a special rule. The winner of the final round will receive… Eight trillion bonus points!!!"
“WAIT A DAMN MINUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

That’s just highway robbery.

Eight trillion?
Not even remotely sane battle manga would throw out numbers that ridiculous.

This is the kind of nonsense you see in variety shows where all previous points suddenly become meaningless. But the real question is, would Veil accept this?

"Hell no!!! Alexander’s win rate is literally a billion percent! No matter what happens, this just means your team automatically wins! Are you kidding me?!”
"Heh heh heh! A true strategist ensures victory before the battle even begins! Everything has gone according to my script!!!"

Songokfon, that’s not strategy. That’s just cheating.
If the final match was worth an absurd amount of points, that should’ve been explained at the start.

"These simmered soybeans have excellent flavor. Not only do you grow them well, but your cooking has improved, too."
"Yaaay! Sensei praised me!!!"

Meanwhile, completely unfazed by the chaos, Sensei and Letasreit are peacefully enjoying their meal.

"Hmm… Since everyone’s hopes now rest on me, I suppose I must see it through."
"AAAAAHHHHH! ALEXANDER IS ACTUALLY MOTIVATEDDDDDDDD!!!"

And so, the final battle is happening after all.

Why?
Because Alexander wanted it.
When you’re the strongest, you get to do whatever you want.

"Then it’s fine, right?! Alexander wins by default! I’ll forfeit! If the match comes to me, I’ll just call it quits and let him have the winnnnnnnnn!!!"

Veil’s self-preservation instincts are off the charts.

Normally, she’d be all about fighting, crushing her opponents, and sending them straight to hell with a flick of her finger.
But when she’s the underdog, she surrenders in the blink of an eye.
Honestly, being able to adapt between strong and weak tactics so seamlessly makes her kind of the strongest in her own way.

"Come now, dear sister. Even I sometimes desire a friendly match for fun. After all, I am a dragon."
"No, no, no, no, no! Brother, when you get serious, the world literally can’t handle it! Please be more self-awareeeeee!!!"

Veil has a point.

If Alexander actually went all out, reality itself wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
Even among the strongest of the strong, his scale is just in another league entirely.

If there’s a way to avoid having him make a move, that would be the best-case scenario.

"Hmhmhmhm… Veil, I must say, your reaction only proves your strength and wisdom."

With a look of parental pride, Alexander gazes at Veal.

…Huh?
Even though she was desperately struggling to escape this?

"It takes strength to recognize the strength of others. The stronger the opponent, the more strength is required to perceive it,” says Alexander with solemn intensity. "People say I am the strongest dragon alive, but how many truly understand what that means?"
"Indeed. Of all those present, only Lady Veil genuinely fears you, Lord Alexander. Most may acknowledge your power in words, but only a rare few grasp its true implications."

Even the Butler chimes in, supporting his claim.

Take Mount Fuji, for instance... Everyone in Japan knows it’s the tallest mountain in the country. But just how tall is it, really? And how difficult would it be to climb if you actually tried?
Not as many people know those specifics.

Moreover, the more you learn what it really means to be “the highest in Japan,” the more awe and fear you feel in the face of it.

It’s the same with Alexander.

Those who truly grasp how incredibly strong he is are the ones who end up fearing him the most.
Just like Veil does here.

"Hah! That’s right! Unlike ordinary dragons, I’m built different! I can sense the unique aura of true power! That’s how amazing I am!!!"

And just like that, Veil’s mood flipped.
You seriously can’t help yourself, huh…?

"Hmm. That settles it. Let’s have our match."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

…You really should’ve seen that coming.
Are you strong? Yes. Smart? Not so much.

"No, no, no, no! I already know Alexander is the strongest! That’s why I don’t wanna fight! I refuse to get erased from existence and turned into a cosmic stain! I’m a dragon with good sense!!!"

A dragon who knows true terror: Veil.

“…Indeed, it would be cruel to force a battle whose outcome is already obvious on Lady Veil. How about this, my lord?”
“Hmm?”

The Butler steps in to mediate.

“Why not change the rules to something that gives Lady Veil more of a fighting chance? After all, this is mostly a recreational bout, so something less predictable would make it more fun for the spectators.”

Sure enough, many of the trade fair guests still hanging around are now on the edge of their seats, waiting eagerly for the next match to start.

Some are even saying, “We’d better grab a boxed lunch before it begins!”
Sorry, folks, there’s no bento stall here at the moment.
We’ll try to whip something up, so please stand by.

“Aww, but if we do that, then it’s not guaranteed that we’ll win. Das lame!”
“Shush, Songokufon. Indeed… Perhaps we should hold a contest in the arena where Veil truly excels. If we’re forcing our opponent into this, the least we can do is grant her that concession.”
“Eeeh?!”

Songkufon, clearly hoping for a guaranteed victory, grumbles with dissatisfaction.

But the moment the idea arose of making it something other than a straight-up brawl, Veil regained some spirit.

“Even so, fighting Alexander in any form doesn’t sound like it’s gonna end well for me…”

Or maybe not.
She’s still pretty wary.

So what sort of battle would it be, exactly?
What’s could Veil be best at?

Well...that’s obviously none other than making ramen.