Veldora Flying Toward the Barren Lands
In the westernmost part of the central continent lay the Barren Lands—King of Giants, Dagruel's territory.
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In Dagruel's Territory...
Inside the royal chamber of the giants, Dagruel sat at a large desk piled high with paperwork. Despite his massive size, he handled the documents with calm efficiency. Standing before him was his brother-in-law, Basara, holding a report.
Basara:
"My lord, we've received a report—Lord Veldora has reappeared and taken on a humanoid form. He's currently headed this way."
Dagruel:
"So, that guy finally shows himself. Not only that, he's got a humanoid form now? Interesting... What kind of trouble is he planning this time?"
Basara:
"I believe he'll arrive in about a week."
Dagruel:
"Hmm. By the way, how is Kisara's health?"
> (Note: Kisara is Dagruel's wife, who was presumed dead during childbirth in earlier tales but is now revealed to be alive and pregnant.)
Basara:
"She's doing much better than before. The doctors say she'll give birth next month."
Dagruel:
"Good. You may go now."
Basara bowed and left the room. Dagruel resumed his paperwork in silence.
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Three Days Later...
As usual, Dagruel was quietly working when a sudden swirl of energy erupted in the sky outside his office window. A golden vortex spiraled open, and a figure shot down like a meteor.
BOOM!
The ground cracked violently. Tremors rippled across the entire mountain range.
At the center of a massive crater stood a blonde man, smoke rising from his shoulders. He casually dusted off his dark coat and grinned.
It was the Storm Dragon, Veldora, now in his humanoid form.
Nearby giants were stunned by the sudden arrival. One soldier rushed off to report the incident—only to find Dagruel himself already approaching the site.
Seeing his old friend, Veldora greeted him in his usual, carefree manner.
Veldora:
"Dagruel! It's been a while! Let's spar!"
Dagruel chuckled deeply.
Dagruel:
"So the rumors were true. You really did get yourself a humanoid form… You look less like a dragon and more like a delinquent now."
Veldora (grinning):
"Delinquent? Rude! This is fashion. I look cool, don't I?"
Dagruel:
"Sorry, it's just—you look like a delinquent, and you act like one too. It hasn't even been a week since you reappeared, and you're already causing chaos."
Veldora (confused):
"Chaos? I just got here!"
Dagruel (jokingly):
"You landed like a meteor and wrecked the main road. That counts."
Veldora:
"Oops… Sorry. Still getting used to this new form. Hard to control my power, you know?"
Dagruel:
"I figured. That's why you came—to spar and test your current power level, right?"
Dagruel now stood beside Veldora, towering over him—easily three times his height.
Dagruel:
"You're still as noisy as ever. So—are you strong enough to make this interesting, or should I hold back?"
Veldora:
"Hold back? Please! I've been waiting centuries for this!"
Golden energy pulsed from Veldora's body, storm-like and untamed. The air shimmered. Clouds burst apart. Space itself warped slightly from the pressure.
Dagruel's smile widened—then he frowned.
Dagruel:
"STOP! You idiot!"
Veldora blinked and reined in his magicules.
Veldora:
"What? Why?"
Dagruel:
"You're in the middle of a city, moron. If we fight here, my entire territory will be flattened."
Veldora:
"Oh… Right. Good point. So what now?"
Dagruel:
"Follow me."
He led Veldora to a remote barren land, far from civilization.
Cracking his knuckles, Dagruel grinned.
Dagruel:
"Alright, now we can go all out. Don't blame me if I break a few of your bones."
Veldora:
"Don't blame me if I accidentally level your mountains."
BOOM!
Their fists clashed mid-air, unleashing a shockwave that flattened cliffs and split the earth. Thunder cracked, lightning streaked across the sky, and monsters from miles away ran in terror.
But neither Veldora nor Dagruel cared.
They were smiling.
Veldora didn't use Dragon Haki, nor Unique Skill. He relied only on common skills, magic, and raw physical strength.
Because he knew—
If he used even one Unique Skill, he could easily win.
But where was the fun in that?
The ground trembled. Mana surged through the air. They were locked in a dead-even clash—an arm-wrestle of force and will.
Veldora (grinning):
"Hah! I've gotten way stronger, right? I bet even Velzard would think twice before bullying me now!"
Dagruel:
"You're definitely tougher. You might even beat Velzard or Velgrynd—if they didn't use their Ultimate Skills… or you gained an Unlimited one."
Veldora (deflating):
"Ugh… Don't remind me."
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To be continued.
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Authors Note:
Thank you for reading this chapter.
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