#767 Dragon Showdown – Ordinary Version

“G-Geyser Dragon Ardheg!”

“Gwynn Dragon Bloody Mary!”

“The dragon on the farm, Great Veil!”

“Greetings, I am Grinzel Dragon Seidour!”

“I’m Proto-Geyser Dragon Typhon!!!”

“I-I’m Grauglintz Dragon Alexander!”

Ta-da! Everyone struck a dramatic pose.

As is customary, it caused an uproar of applause in the banquet hall.

Their perfect synchrony made me want to add explosion effects in the background.

“With all of us, that’s six! The same number as you lot! Now we can have a fair battle!”

“Hold on! Wait a minute... Timeeeee out!!!”

The handsome dragon from the opposing team looks utterly flustered.

“Brother Alexander?! Why are you with them?! Weren’t you neutral in the succession battle?”

“It’s been a while, Charleartz.”

Alexander, the most powerful of all dragons and the eldest of the siblings, greets his adversary amicably.

However, the other party is as baffled as he can get.

“I’ve been in favor of Ardheg for the title of Geyser Dragon. That’s why I must lend my strength. Now, face me!”

“No way! Even if we had six million of us, we wouldn’t stand a chance against you! You could’ve settled everything by becoming the Geyser Dragon yourself, so why intervene now?!”

“Well, the title of Geyser Dragon is just too troublesome for me.”

“You... How could youuuuu?!”

The moment Alexander sided with someone, the outcome was obvious.

Such a predictable end felt almost tragic. Thanks for the little intermission, everyone.

“Cursed Ardheg, you coward...! Is this why you’re so full of yourself...?!”

“Huh?”

“Thinking that by pulling Brother Alexander on your side, everything will go your way? That’s probably your mindset, isn’t it?! Relying on others isn’t becoming of a dragon!”

There are mainly two reasons why some dragons don’t accept Ardhegg:

First, he took the title of Geyser Dragon by directly defeating the predecessor, which seemed like cheating to those following the rules.

In reality, the previous Geyser Dragon had a web of conspiracies and multifaceted reasons behind the scenes. But if you just look at the outcome, it seems like an unfair takeover.

Some dragons saw it as foul play.

Secondly, having Alexander, the most powerful dragon, as his ally made Ardheg almost invincible.

He was initially the prime candidate to become the next Geyser Dragon, the official heir. However, he was removed from the line of succession due to conflicts with his predecessor, Al Gor. 

Still, without a doubt, Alexander stands as the strongest dragon, and when compared to others, he’s on an entirely different level of strength.

Alexander would win within a second if he were to face all other dragons in a full-on battle.

Having someone like him on your side is like having a powerhouse ally, like Dong Zhuo having Lu Bu by his side — basically unstoppable. 

...At least, that’s what the dragons seem to think.

“Hm... maybe my being around has been holding Ardheg back.”

“You shouldn’t worry about it. No matter what we do, someone will always have something to say.”

Alexander and Bloody Mary step forward, ready to defend their allies.

The duo, who were once closest to the title of Geyser Dragon, were now a force that terrified their enemies.

“We dragons don’t need reasons. If you have any objections, let’s settle it with strength. How about that?”

“Kgh...!”

The moment Alexander showed up, the outcome was clear.

I thought it would be a one-sided domination from here, but...

“Wait, Sis.”

It’s Ardheg.

The one being accused speaks up.

“I have a plan. In the meantime, can we stop with the one-sided accusations?”

“What are you going to do?”

“I believe the main reason I’m not widely recognized is that my true strengths haven’t been known. If I keep relying on you or Brother Alexander, I’ll never truly become the ultimate Dragon Emperor. Besides...”

Besides?

“I want to change the age-old belief that ‘might is right’ among dragons. I don’t want to force those opposed to me into submission.”

To begin with, Ardheg had always been in close contact with mankind.

He initially traveled with Arowana and was frequently involved with our farm.

“Mankind, though weaker, are wonderful creatures with unique qualities. Dragons could learn from them. That’s why I don’t want a mere battle of strength against them.”

“Bravo, Ardheg! Such wisdom! You’re admirable!”

Alexander, deeply touched, praises Ardheg wholeheartedly.

The opposing forces are left bewildered.

“Moreover, today is a festive occasion. We shouldn’t spoil it with violence, and I especially don’t want Mary’s beautiful dress to get stained.”

“Well said, Ardheg! So thoughtful of you! Simply marvelous!”

Bloody Mary’s heart melted with gratitude.

“So, dear brother Charleartz, why not try a contest more in line with mankind’s behavior? It would be fitting for today’s banquet, don’t you think?”

“What?! What are you getting at...?”

“I want you to experience it too, the new era of dragons that’s about to begin, that is.”

The challenging dragons were taken aback by this unexpected proposal.

But ignoring it and just going for a brute force contest meant inevitable defeat, so they had no choice but to go along.

“A rather intriguing proposal coming from you, Ardheg! Alright then, I, Veil, shall lead the charge!”

“Wait, we haven’t even agreed yet!”

But there was no turning back; the challenge was on.

How would these dragons settle their scores without resorting to fisticuffs?

“I’ve got just the thing. It’s a game mankind is obsessed with these days. They use statues of gods to battle each other!”

Ah, does she mean the God Figure Fight...?

“I was rather unhappy with it at first. Why do they battle with god figures and not dragon figures? Dragons are clearly superior... So, I created prototypes.”

Wait...

Dragon figures?

“Moreover, I added a feature that the god figures don’t have. Inspired by our recent nagashi somen activity, I made high-speed dragon figures!”

And so, the dragon-shaped models that Veil produced, with wheels on all four corners, looked like... 

“I’ve named them Dragon Racers.”

“That’s questionable on so many levels.”

“We’ll race with these. I figured a race would differentiate us from the god figures.”

Veil is quite the strategist, isn’t she?

Even when it comes to commercial ventures.

“Step forward if you think you can beat me in this race! I’ve meticulously designed this racing hell to crush you all!”

“H-Hey, what do we do now...?!”

The challenged party was understandably puzzled.

It was as though they’d come ready for a bloody battle only to end up racing model cars, a twist as unpredictable as a high-stakes duel deciding the world’s fate.

“I’ll step up.”

The one who volunteered was a slender, intellectual-looking dragon in human form.

“I am Glintz Dragon Crowley Seima. I intend to get close to our opponent to anticipate her moves! As the tenth-ranked dragon, I’ll show you what I’m made of!”

“I like your guts! Choose your racer from the models I’ve prepared: Hyper Dragon, Flame Dragon, Lightning Dragon, and Holy Dragon!!!”

“I’ll use the Penglai Zone!”

With their models chosen, the race begins! (?)

Everyone’s attention was piqued.

“This wedding just keeps getting more intense...!”

“Who would’ve thought we’d get a sneak peek of the next big thing after the God Figures? How extravagant can this reception get?”

The funny thing is, this has nothing to do with the wedding reception at all.

And so, the race began!

“Go, Hyper Dragon!”

“Fly, Penglai Zone!”

They were seriously racing.

Both of their vehicles raced at high speeds, zooming through the reception hall.

“Guoooh! Sis Veil’s racer is fast! This calls for... Downforce! Downforce should do the trick!”

It was striking how the opposing dragon was genuinely committed to the race.

The race remained neck and neck, surprisingly competitive right to the final stretch. But just before the finish line, the opposing vehicle spun at high speed, trying to knock Veil’s machine off the track and send it flying.

But, in a stroke of luck, Veil’s vehicle was knocked toward the finish line, crossing it first and securing the victory.

One point to Team Ardheg.

Uh, how are we supposed to judge this game again?