The Unveiling of True Power

The terrified crowd, who had been panicking at the event venue, suddenly felt a surge of hope upon hearing Domu’s words, relayed by Philly.

“I knew it! Lord Domu will surely find a way! Lord Domu will definitely come to save us!”

“But didn’t Mr. Tule say… that the magic barrier can only be opened when there’s only one person left inside?”

“Could it be… Lord Domu… he didn’t… didn’t do something to Lord Mofimod, did he?”

“Impossible! Lord Mofimod is the Second Legion Commander of the Norachi Kingdom! And Lord Domu is so kind; he would never do such a thing!”

“But… but Philly… didn’t Lord Domu say how to break the barrier? Instead, he told Mr. Tule not to send the magic barrier device over… So how are we going to get out?!”

“Lord Domu only said that everyone would experience some discomfort later… and that he would handle this magic dragon himself…” Philly whispered, her voice barely audible.

“What kind of discomfort are we talking about?”

“Could it be nau…”

Before the last speaker could finish his sentence, everyone at the event venue witnessed the magic barrier, engulfed in flames, suddenly emit a dazzling burst of light. In the very next instant, a bone-deep terror and reverence washed over everyone. This overwhelming sensation of fear caused every single person, including Philavman, the acting chairman of the Mercenary Guild, to collapse into unconsciousness.

Watching the now-vanished magic barrier, Mofimod gritted his teeth, suppressing a throbbing headache, and rose from the stage. Through the raging fire, he saw the unconscious masses scattered across the event area. ‘Heh… how truly… truly foolish,’ Mofimod thought, chuckling at his own absurdity. Observing Domu, clad in his dark armor, standing beside Soronna as if checking her condition, Mofimod finally grasped the adage that there are always greater talents beyond one’s own. Judging by how Domu had just torn apart a magic barrier capable of withstanding demigod-level power, his strength truly far surpassed his own.

Glancing at the people lying unconscious throughout the venue, and feeling the intense discomfort still lingering in his own mind, Mofimod realized that his escape from that despairing sensation was due solely to the magic barrier’s disappearance. The oppressive aura of Domu, which had been concentrated entirely on him, had now been evenly dispersed among everyone in the entire event hall. Yet, even this diluted aura proved unbearable for them, leading to their collective unconsciousness, including Philavman, who had already reached the rank of Archmage.

However, this was not the time to ponder such matters; more pressing issues demanded his attention. Mofimod looked at Schneiframan, the magic dragon, which now hovered aimlessly in the air. Having lost its target due to the destroyed magic barrier and receiving no further commands from its master, it drifted without purpose. Mofimod then turned, intending to approach Domu and simultaneously check on Princess Soronna’s safety.

“Lord Domu… this magic dragon… I…” As Mofimod walked toward Domu, he frantically rehearsed in his mind how he should address him, how to explain, and how to apologize. Ever since he discovered Domu was a woman, Mofimod hadn’t realized how completely his attitude and perception of him had shifted. His formerly proud self had become cautious, even wary and reverent, in the presence of someone whose power so vastly exceeded his own. Yet, for Mofimod in that moment, this feeling was a manifestation of his profound guilt. Just as Mofimod had meticulously formulated his words, preparing to offer Domu a clear explanation and intending to recall Schneiframan, the magic dragon hovering above the event venue, into his [Rotten Dragon Blade], Domu abruptly vanished from his sight.

Given Mofimod’s strength, he should have immediately detected Domu’s sudden movement. However, his mind, still reeling from torment and consumed by self-reproach, completely missed any premonition of his disappearance. Mofimod stood rooted to the spot, bewildered, his words left hanging in the air.

A thunderous dragon’s roar, followed by the sound of a colossal body crashing to the ground, caused Mofimod to turn his head in confusion. There, his summoned magic dragon, Schneiframan, the Roar of Darkness, lay sprawled on the ground like an ostrich, its enormous body prone. Its proud draconic head was firmly pinned beneath the foot of a figure clad in dark armor.

One strike. Just one strike. Even without his explicit command, an immortal magic dragon summoned by the [Rotten Dragon Blade] would defend against and retaliate against any attacker. Yet, the scene before him… Schneiframan, the Roar of Darkness, a creature that perfectly replicated its power in life and had required at least three demigod-level Norachi Kingdom legion commanders to defeat, had been knocked unconscious by Domu with a single blow. With his mental state now restored, Mofimod could reconnect spiritually with his summoned immortal magic dragon. He clearly perceived that his summoned beast had fallen into a deep coma.

While Domu’s effortless defeat of the immortal magic dragon was surprising, Mofimod quickly recalled two other events: first, discovering Domu was a woman, and second, witnessing him tear apart a magic barrier capable of fully defending against demigod-level attacks. In light of these, defeating the immortal magic dragon no longer seemed so astonishing. However, just as Mofimod thought it was over, Domu’s next action sent a cold sweat down his spine.

Standing on Schneiframan’s head, Domu produced an extraordinarily massive scythe from seemingly nowhere. Its appearance was terrifying; the handle seemed to be woven from blood vessels, while the blade was lined with rows of sharp teeth. On either side of the blade, four enormous, constantly rotating eyeballs stared out. Mofimod noticed one of the eyeballs fixed unblinkingly on him, and from its gaze, he even felt a sense of greed. Though he found it odd that Domu possessed such a dreadful weapon, there was no time for further thought. Watching Domu raise the scythe high above the dragon’s head, Mofimod suddenly understood what was about to happen.

“Lord Domu! Please wait…” The immortal magic dragon and its wielder, Mofimod, shared a symbiotic relationship. If the immortal magic dragon were to be killed, Mofimod, as the wielder of the [Rotten Dragon Blade], would suffer immense harm. He had to stop Domu… and explain everything… With this thought, Mofimod cried out in alarm. But again, his words were cut short as Domu’s scythe descended swiftly. Even more horrifying, as the scythe in Domu’s hand touched the immortal magic dragon’s body, the two rows of teeth on the blade expanded to colossal size, swallowing the entire body of the immortal magic dragon in a single gulp. Mofimod, who hadn’t had time to sever his mental link with the immortal magic dragon, felt the same sensation of being devoured and ceaselessly chewed throughout his own body.

“Ugh… cough…” Accompanied by the persistent sensation of being chewed, Mofimod hastily severed his mental connection with the immortal magic dragon. Yet, the excruciating pain still coursed through him, and a large mouthful of fresh blood erupted from his lips.

“How strange… Gluttony told me this big black dragon can’t be digested… Are contracted creatures immune to Gluttony’s digestion? That shouldn’t be… I recall that in ‘Tears of the Goddess,’ only summoned entities couldn’t be digested by Gluttony… Still… I thought this big black dragon looked quite formidable, but its strength is actually quite weak. I shouldn’t have used the [Seven Sins Armament]…” Domu muttered to himself, a hint of confusion in his voice, as he held the scythe to his ear, nodding as if listening intently.

“Ah… that’s right, Mofimod, what were you saying? Huh? Why have you coughed up so much blood! Mofimod! Are you alright? Is this because you were worried about me? I’m so sorry! But it’s all fine now; this troublesome magic dragon has been slain by me!” Having recalled the [Seven Sins Armament – Glutton’s Offering], Domu’s face, hidden beneath his helmet, broke into a bright smile. Feeling quite cheerful, he looked toward Mofimod’s location. He vaguely remembered Mofimod trying to speak to him just now, but he’d been too eager to take down the big boss to pay attention to his words. Still, how stingy; even for a side-quest boss, it was both weak and dropped no equipment, couldn’t even give his ‘Gluttony’ any experience points…

But why was Mofimod spitting up so much blood? Could it be a lingering side effect from his influence inside the magic barrier? Domu had noticed when he emerged from the barrier and approached Soronna that his uncontrolled [Dark Valkyrie’s Majesty] seemed to have knocked everyone unconscious. Well, that was good; it saved him a lot of explaining. As for Mofimod… Domu felt a pang of guilt. So, he attempted what he thought was a humorous joke, speaking in a lighthearted and carefree manner.

“…No… cough… Lord Domu… cough… it has nothing to do with you… cough… it’s the result of my own foolishness… cough…” Mofimod looked at Domu, who was approaching, with a speechless expression. He continued to spurt blood while forcing a strained smile. The death of the immortal magic dragon had cost Mofimod a tremendous amount of immortal soul energy. At this point, if he were to suffer a fatal injury, Mofimod wasn’t even sure if his remaining immortal soul would be enough to resurrect him. Yet… this was indeed the consequence of his own actions. He had underestimated Domu’s strength… No, it wasn’t merely underestimation; Domu’s power completely transcended Mofimod’s imagination. While he had never personally witnessed a god-tier expert, judging by the vast disparity between himself and Domu, perhaps… Domu’s power could truly be called divine.

“Eh? Mofimod… please don’t push yourself. While I’m not very skilled in healing magic, I can still help you recover a little,” Domu said, a hint of panic in his voice as he watched Mofimod cough up more and more blood.

“Ha… thank you… cough… I’d be much obliged, Lord Domu… cough…” ‘So Domu also knew healing magic? I always thought he was a warrior, like myself. But then again, from that overwhelming battle, it was hard to tell anything…’ Mofimod thought to himself.